Title: Another Time (1/1)
Author: Aerial312
Rating: R
Category: Angst
Timeline: S7
Disclaimer: I own nothing…I just borrow.
Feedback: Greatly appreciated.
A/N: It's been nearly three years since I've posted anything here…

Donna sat on the scratchy hotel sheets, a manila folder open in front of her on the turned down comforter. Her laptop was resting on her crossed legs. It had been an early night—they were settled in the hotel before midnight. But there were still talking points to create for tomorrow's media appearances.

The Congressman had an interview with Good Morning America first thing, on the bus to their first rally. But Helen had joined them this evening for the next few days, and he wanted to spend time with his wife tonight. This left Donna with virtually no time to prepare him for the biggest interview of the day. She was compiling all important details into a concise memo. It was amazing how much time it took to write a concise memo. At least she got to do it in her PJs.

Knock, knock, knock.

Donna looked up at the door. Everyone had been so excited to have an early night, she couldn't imagine why anyone would be knocking on her door at 12:30am. She shifted the laptop off her lap, and slid her sock covered feet to the floor.

Knock, knock, knock.

It had to be Josh. No one else would knock that impatiently.

"I'm coming!" Donna padded across the matted, old carpet.

She reached the door and paused, peeking out the peephole. Josh stood in the hallway staring at the door. His backpack was slung over one shoulder, tie loose, sleeves rolled up unevenly. He raked his hand through his hair. Donna smiled. She loved disheveled Josh. He might clean up nice, but she found him the most attractive at the end of a long day of working hard: everything wrinkled, with his hair going in every direction. His phone beeped, and he quickly retrieved it from his pocket and read the email that had popped up.

Donna stepped back from the peephole, and opened the door. "Hey."

"Hey," Josh responded automatically, not looking up from his Blackberry as he crossed past her into the room. His backpack slid down his arm as he typed a response, and he let it fall to the floor. "Sorry," he mumbled, leaning against the dresser. "This'll just take a minute."

Donna smiled, and sat on the edge of the bed watching him. He was so focused as his thumbs flew across the tiny keys. He was better at it than she expected him to be. She wondered how long he'd had the Blackberry. He needed a phone like that to keep him organized. Finally, he slid the phone into his back pocket and rubbed his tired eyes, looking up at Donna. His hand fell to his side and he stared wordlessly at her.

"Yes?" Donna laughed, standing again.

"I…" Josh faltered, unable to form a sentence.

"You obviously wanted something," she teased, crossing over to him. "Or you wouldn't have been knocking so insistently." She paused a few feet in front of him.

Josh swallowed hard, and blinked his eyes, willing them to return to her face. Donna wasn't wearing much. A tank top and boxer shorts. No bra. Very obviously no bra. The thin white fabric left little to the imagination. He couldn't remember why he had stopped by her room, he couldn't think of anything but how amazing she looked right now. At least she seemed amused. He couldn't hide the reaction he was having to her if he tried. He didn't want to try.

Donna bit her lip as she took another step forward. The look he was giving her made her almost lightheaded it was so intense. Desire. There was no question about that as she allowed her eyes to travel up and down his rumpled form. She'd been on the receiving end of that look before, but never to this degree. It made her giddy.

Her bangs fell into her face as she took another step in. They were very close now. Josh reached out, fingers gently grazing her cheek as he tucked the stray hair behind her ear. He let his knuckles trail down the outside of the lobe, and she inhaled sharply. Their eyes locked for a split second before she closed the distance between them. One arm closed around her waist, pulling her tightly against him, while the other cupped her head. His lips were warm against hers.

This kiss was every bit as intense as that surprise kiss had been two weeks and a half weeks earlier. Donna had been looking forward to another go every since, but their schedules were so crazy with the campaign heading into the final weeks that there never seemed to be time.

Josh pressed against her, groaning into her mouth as he walked her slowly backwards toward the bed. Because that's certainly where this was headed. It'd been where they were headed since that amazing kiss. Maybe since the beginning in New Hampshire nine years ago. He hadn't come over planning to kiss her senseless, though with her pressed against him like this he couldn't remember why he had come.

The back of her knees hit the bed, and they tumbled down onto the folder of papers, narrowly missing the laptop.

"Oops," Donna chuckled, shoving the crinkled documents to the side as she kissed her way along his jaw.

He moaned, rolling to the side. She slide a leg between his, and he pulled himself closer. Donna tugged at the hem of his shirt out of his pants, and ran her hands along the warm skin of his back.

"God, Donna…" He purred, drawing her into another passionate kiss as he slid his hand up her side.

Ring, ring, ring… the phone in Josh's back pocket sang out.

"Your phone," Donna pointed out, running her hand along his bottom to the pocket in question.

"Forget it," Josh insisted, thumbing the bare skin where Donna's tank top had ridden up.

The phone stopped.

Donna squirmed in his arms. "That tickles."

"In a bad way?" he murmured into her ear, continuing to trace the path of bare skin along her hip.

"Not exactly," she laughed, flattening his hand against her side.

Ring, ring, ring…

Josh bucked into her thigh, ignoring the shrill sound. All of his energy was focused on her.

The phone stopped.

Donna yanked on the knot of his tie, pulling it looser and over his head, then set to work on the buttons. She shivered as his hands traced up and down the thin fabric of her tank top.

Ring, ring, ring…

"Again?" Josh growled, reaching back to silence the device.

"That's mine," Donna sighed. She looked at him for a moment. "I should…"

Josh flopped onto his back. "Yeah…"

Donna patted his shoulder as she rolled to the side to snatch her ringing phone from the bed table. "It's Lou."

"Great," Josh sighed, pulling his own phone out of his pocket. "She called me too…"

"Hi Lou…tomorrow morning on the bus…well, no, that wouldn't have been my first choice either. Yeah, that's in the memo. When? Are we going to--? Okay. Uh, yeah, I know where Josh is. He stopped by to…" she looked to him for help.

"Tomorrow's rallies," he mouthed, sitting up.

"Go over tomorrow's rallies. I don't know why he didn't answer his phone," Donna bit her lip as Lou scoffed on the other line. It seemed like Lou knew exactly why he didn't answer his phone. "Hold on."

Donna held the phone out to Josh. He took it with a sigh. "Yeah? When? When did that happen? We need to come up with a response-- I know you know, I'm just talking through—I didn't hear it, okay? I missed like three calls…" He looked sadly over at Donna, raking his hand through his hair as he listened to Lou. "Yeah, yeah, I hear you. We'll be down in five minutes."

Donna nodded and climbed off the bed, crossing to the bathroom. They'd been so close. But there were only three days left of the campaign. If they didn't find the time before then, they certainly would after. She threw on a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his head resting on his hands, when she emerged.

"Do you want your tie back?" she asked, picking it up off the floor, where she had thrown it minutes earlier.

He shook his head, and pushed himself up to his feet. "Lou told you about the thing?"

Donna nodded, picking up the mess of papers on the bed, and shoving them into her briefcase. "Do you think its going to be a problem?"

"We need to come out ahead of it," Josh sighed, staring at the ground.

She picked up his backpack, and handed it to him, laying her hand gently on his arm.

He looked up at her sadly. "The campaign has to come first right now…"

"I know," Donna told him softly, and kissed his cheek. "Another time."

"Another time," he echoed, forcing a smile.

"Come on," she instructed, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the door.