-3:45 p.m. Wednesday-
"Toby, do you have the draft for the President's speech tomorrow?" CJ asked as she popped into the gruff man's office. A bouncy ball zoomed past her and slammed into the window that looked into Sam's office while its thrower glowered in his chair.
"I gave it to Sam, ask him." Toby punctuated that with a hard slam of the ball into the window. A window, CJ noted, had the blinds tightly closed and the lights appeared to be off.
"...You good, Toby?" She asked tentatively. He continued to glower. "O-Kay then"
She walked to the next door and knocked. "Sam?" The door creaked open and made a slit of light in the dark room. "Sam, are you okay?"
Sam Seaborn, resident deputy communications director, sat in his desk chair, leaning forward so all she could see over the desk and the piles of papers was his back. She rushed in as Sam gave out a rather pitiful groan. Between his legs sat a trash can. While it was too dark to see for sure, certainly smelled like puke. His hair was all mused, his shirt ruffled and his glasses off balance on his face.
"Hey Ceej," he muttered while trying to give a smile, but only ended up groaning again and leaning back down to rest his on his knees. "I think I have the flu."
"Well no shit, Sherlock. You need to go home before you infect the-" CJ was cut off as Josh, in typical Josh fashion, flew into the office, mouth talking miles a minute. Sam slowly pulled himself up into an upright sitting position and stared at him with that same smile on his face, even as his glasses were completely crooked on his nose.
"Damn, Sam, what happened to you?" Josh asked when his brain finally caught up with his eyes.
"Sam here has the flu," CJ informed him as she smoothed her hand over the dissolved hair in front of her. "He needs to go home before he infects the entire West Wing with the plague."
"Glad to know you care, CJ." Sam muttered as he leaned back and closed his eyes against the light now invading his office. His head hurt.
Josh gave him a concerned look, pulled up the shades and rapped on the window that looked into Toby's office, waving him in.
"Jesus Sam, why didn't you say something?" Toby asked when he came to the door, taking in the scene in front of him.
"I have work to do," he tried to reply. "I'll be fine in an hour or so, don't worry about me guys."
Josh snorted. "Yeah no, I'm taking you home for the day. Gather your stuff and wait here, I'll go talk to Ginger and Donna." He turned his eyes to CJ, who despite the smells as standing rather protectively over the sick Sam. "Ceej can you tell Leo what's up and that I'm taking Sam home for the day?"
"Of course."
CJ gave one last sympathy pat to Sam's shoulder before moving out of the office towards Leo's. Toby moved to sit on Sam's couch to stand guard while Josh ran to get his stuff and clear their schedules.
By the time she got back from telling Leo and the President that Josh and Sam where going home for the day, the two were gone.
-10:15 p.m. Sam's Apartment-
Carrying a bag of tissues, cold medicine, crackers, lollipops and tea, CJ walked up the stoop to his apartment. She was surprised to see Toby there as well, holding a bag as well.
She raised an eyebrow. "You brought supplies too?"
Toby hummed, looking slightly embarrassed to be caught by her for doing something nice, and started fishing around in his pocket. CJ was just about to ring the doorbell when Toby produced a key.
"You have a key to his apartment?" She asked, shocked.
"He gave it to me in case of an emergency. I think Josh or Leo has one too." Toby muttered as he slipped the key into the lock, unlocked the door and pushed inside out of the biting cold.
"Do you think Josh is still here?" CJ whispered as they toed off their snow covered boots. The apartment was dim and quiet, except for the faint hum of a television coming from the bedroom. "He never came back to work."
"I bet he just took an excuse to get a quiet night at home and sleep, the fucker." Toby whispered back as they crept down the hall.
They walked towards the noise of the television and CJ peered in the crack before gasping loudly.
"What is it?" Toby shoved his way over and looked in and his eyebrows flew up on his forehead. "What the hell?"
The two senior politicians expected to see Sam asleep in bed watching late night television. They expected him to be alone.
But he wasn't alone.
Family Guy played quietly on the television, and there was Joshua Lyman sitting half propped up in Sam Seaborn's bed, watching the cartoon lazily while said Sam Seaborn's head was tucked into Josh's neck, arms wrapped his torso and legs tangled with Josh's. He was only wearing an old t-shirt and a pair of sweats, same as Josh, and seemed dead to the world as Joshua fucking Lyman softly threaded his fingers in the younger man's hair. The thick comforter lay tangled between their legs and Sam had a crochet blanket wrapped around him tightly.
As the pair watched, Sam shifted slightly in his sleep and his brows furrowed. Josh leaned down, quietly shushing the still sleeping man and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.
Part of CJ's mind that wasn't frozen in shock remarked that this moment might be one of the cutest things she has ever seen. The rest of CJ's mind caused her mouth to open and say "What the hell?!"
Unfortunately, she was not at all quiet and Josh jerked in shock. "Ceej?"
Toby slowly pushed open the door to the bedroom so Josh could see him too.
"Don't forget me, I'm here too."
Josh's eyes darted between the two of them but the rest of his body was frozen in shock.
"What… what are you guys doing here?"
Simultaneously, both CJ and Toby held up their bags of supplies for Sam.
"We didn't realize that he would have, uh, company." Toby said softly, eyeing the stirring Sam.
Sam blearily blinked awake and blinked up at Josh who had turned to him at the movement. "Did you say something?"
Despite himself, Josh grinned down goofily at the sleepy man and oh my god they're in love CJ realized. "Sammy we have guests,"
Sam blinked at him again before looking at the door and then jumped. "Fuck!"
"Apparently you two have been doing that." Toby remarked with a small smirk despite the questions swirling in his eyes.
Sam detangled himself from Josh and straightened on the bed. "Um, so, uh, hi? Why are you in my bedroom?"
Again, CJ and Toby lifted their bags of supplies. "We were worried you were dead," CJ remarked plainly.
"My question," Toby interjected before either of the men on the bed could respond. "Is why the hell Josh is in your bed with you?"
Josh and Sam traded long looks. CJ thought they might be talking telepathically. Finally, with a small nod, they turned back to their friends.
"We've been… together since the campaign started and we won New Hampshire." Josh started slowly.
Sam picked up. "We can't afford to risk the President or our own careers so we have to keep it quiet and it first, we didn't really know how most people would react." He looked down at his hands which he was twisting in that old crochet blanket. After a moment of hesitation, Josh placed his hand on top of Sam's.
CJ felt her heart crack just a little and a quick look at Toby saw the same expression on his face. "Oh, Sam, Josh…" She moved over to the bed quickly and pulled them both into a tight hug. They stiffened in her arms at first but slowly relaxed. She might have heard a sniffle or two.
"It's okay, Ceej, really," Josh tried to reassure her. He glanced over her shoulder to Toby, who was lurking awkwardly by the tv. He got a shrug in return. None of them were good with dealing with emotional women.
"Does anyone else know?" Toby asked, trying to do his best not to look at the still slightly emotional group on the bed.
Sam shook his head. "No, though now that you two know we should probably tell Leo and the President."
Josh got a faintly panicked look on his face. "And Donna, Sam. She's gonna kill me."
The rest all looked at him sadly. "You will be missed, Joshua," Toby said tragically and nodded.
The solemn looks last for about ten seconds before they all started laughing and Sam threw an arm over Josh, giving him a smile. Finally they both thought.