Game Changer
by angellwings
Chapter 4: The Talk
A few minutes later she arrived at Josh's apartment and let herself up. The doorman knew her and she had a key. It wasn't at all strange for her to visit Josh's building. People in his building knew her. Out of courtesy tonight, though, she knocked when she reached his door. He answered quicker than she thought possible and pulled her inside.
"What took you so long?" He asked eagerly.
"Gee, good to see you too, Joshua," Donna told him with a dry smile. "Yes, my drive was wonderfully uneventful. There was one strange detour that seemed to take forever to get through, but other than that it was fine."
"Right! The detour! I forgot to tell you what street to avoid," he said with a wince. "My fault."
"Yes, yes it is. You absolutely caused and arranged for the detour," Donna said sarcastically as she stepped inside and he closed the door behind her. "It's fine, Josh. Don't worry about it."
"I ordered Chinese food," Josh told her. "Want a beer?"
"I would love a beer," Donna said with a nod as she took off her jacket and set aside her bag. She took a seat on Josh's couch and quickly slipped off her heels and then tucked her legs underneath her while she sat.
Josh came back and handed her the beer before he sat down next to her. There was an awkward pause and then he finally spoke, "so, today was an interesting day, huh?"
He nervously bounced his leg up and down and avoided eye contact. He was frazzled and anxious. She knew this routine well.
Donna chuckled at him. "Really? I didn't notice." She reached over squeezed his hand in a comforting gesture. "Josh, relax. It's me. It's just me."
"Yeah, that's what has me nervous," Josh admitted with a small smile. "It's you. This isn't some girl I bumped into or that I barely know, Donna. It's you."
"You're not gonna screw it up, Josh," Donna told him with a smirk. "You've already screwed up at least a million times before and I'm still here."
He laughed and then nodded. "Fair point."
"So, what happens in two weeks?" Donna asked as she confronted the elephant in the room.
"We're just gonna jump right in?" Josh asked her in shock.
She nodded. "Yes, we are. What happens in two weeks?"
"In two weeks you and I will have an actual official date. In public, where people might see us," Josh told her. "And since I know it will go well, we'll probably plan to do it again and then again and definitely again after that. In fact, I think we'll probably keep it going for the foreseeable future."
Donna beamed at him for a moment before she spoke. "No pressure, then. Good."
He nodded and smiled back at her. "None whatsoever."
Donna looked down at her their joined hands for a moment and Josh felt the mood in the room shift before she spoke again. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" He asked as he dipped his head to try and meet her gaze. She refused to look up at him.
"For shutting you out when I got back from Germany," she said softly. "I didn't mean to, but I—you acted like nothing had happened and I resented it. I shut you out to get some sort of sick petty revenge and I shouldn't have. I should let you be there for me. I should talk to you," she told him. Her voice sounded thicker as if she were holding back tears and he quickly reached a hand out to lift her chin. He forced her to meet his eyes and confirmed it. Her eyes were watery and regretful.
"Don't apologize for that. You can tell me whatever you want to tell me whenever you want to tell me," he told her with a shake of his head. "I only have a right to know what you feel comfortable telling me. No more, no less. I just worry. You know me, I always worry."
"Did I ever tell you how much seeing you when I woke up meant to me?" Donna asked softly as she met his eyes with the full force of her emotions. "Did I? Because I'm almost certain having you there saved my life more than those doctors ever could."
"No," he told her with an affectionate smile. "You survived that through your own force of will. I was just there to offer a bit of morale. I did nothing."
"Yeah, well, I needed that 'bit of morale' to get through so thank you," Donna told him.
"It was about time I returned the favor. You've been my morale for years now," he said with a nod. "I was due."
They watched each other for a long moment with shy smiles before Donna leaned forward and closed the distance between them. She kept Josh's gaze and pressed her forehead to his.
"I so want to kiss you right now," she said honestly.
"Yeah?" He asked with a smirk.
"Don't let that go to your head."
"Too late."
"But if I do," she said as she nervously bit her bottom lip. "Everything changes."
"Everything's already changed, Donna. From the minute Amy offered you that job, everything changed," he assured her. "But if you'd rather wait for another two weeks I—"
His sentence was interrupted by her lips on his. He smiled against her lips and then wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer and deepen the kiss. Her hands traveled up his shoulders, over his neck, and into his hair. His hands were on her waist and then shifted to her back and slowly slipped underneath her shirt. He satisfied himself for the moment by tracing small circles on her skin with his fingers. Donna seemed to appreciate that. He could tell because she moaned softly as they continued to kiss. For several more moments the only sound in his dimly lit living room were the sounds of them kissing until finally Donna pulled away.
"We should stop," she said as she tried to catch her breath. "For now at least."
He chuckled and then reluctantly released her. "Yeah, okay. We'll pick it up again in two weeks?"
"Absolutely," Donna told him as she placed one last, chaste kiss on his lips. "You said you ordered Chinese, right? Any idea where it is? Because I'm starving."
"We switched from kissing to food just like that, huh?" Josh asked in surprised amusement.
"What can I say? I'm hungry."
"You're a puzzle, Donnatella. An absolute puzzle."
"I know, isn't it great? I always keep you on your toes, Joshua, and you need to be kept on your toes," Donna told him with a smirk. "That's why you keep me around. You know that, right?"
"Oh, I could think of a few other reasons but I'd say that's definitely a big one," Josh said with a laugh. There was a knock on his door and he immediately stood up to answer it. "That would be the food."
Donna nodded and then headed into his kitchen. He watched her as he headed to the door. She was getting down a couple of plates and getting out silverware. She never paused to guess where anything was. She knew. Something about Donna knowing the exact layout of his kitchen by heart was a bit…sexy. He answered the door, got the food, and paid the delivery guy while trying to think about anything besides Donna being extremely familiar with his kitchen and how appealing that actually was.
The next two weeks were going to be awfully difficult. Especially, now that he'd kissed her. He was already wondering if there was enough of an opening in his schedule to have a 'private' meeting or two in his office tomorrow. Which was a bad thought. A very bad and unprofessional thought that would get both of them in trouble.
He'd barely been able to keep his distance before they'd talked and now it was going to be completely impossible.
The next morning everything was normal or at least appeared that way. Josh was making phone calls to various offices about an upcoming vote that they were having a hard time turning their way. He'd finished one phone call and Donna came in to tell him his next call was already on line two. She turned to leave and they both found the President watching them.
Both Josh and Donna jumped at the sight of him.
"Mr. President, sir," Donna said with a smile and nod. "Good morning."
"Good morning, Donnatella," The President said with an affectionate smile. "My wife tells me you'll be leaving us in 2 weeks. Is that true?"
"Yes, sir," Donna answered. "I've been offered a positon with the WMF."
"Yes, Mrs. Bartlet was absolutely thrilled about that. Congratulations, young lady," he said as he stepped into the office and shook her hand. "You'll do very well. I have no doubt."
"Thank you, sir," she said with a warm smile.
"Do you mind if I borrow him for a moment?" The President asked Donna as he motioned to Josh.
"No, sir, he's all yours," Donna told him. She waved to both of them on her way out and shut the door behind her.
"You plan on telling that girl how you truly feel about her within the next two weeks, don't you?" The President asked him pointedly.
Josh chuckled. "Are you playing matchmaker, sir?"
"If I have to, yes. I've watched you two dance around each other for long enough. Did you know there's been a long-standing pool concerning the two of you among the staff since the day she joined the campaign?"
"Are you participating in this pool, Mr. President?" Josh asked him with a smirk.
"And I'm all set to profit from it if you'll just talk to that girl before she leaves in two weeks," The President told him. "You never answered my question, Josh."
"I can't answer your question, sir."
"Why not?" He asked with a suspicious glare.
"Because it's already been discussed, Mr. President," Josh told him.
"Oh, has it now? Well, Abbey will be delighted to hear that."
"Is that who sent you down here, sir? Are you here to get the latest gossip?" Josh asked him knowingly.
"When you're married, Josh, you'll understand," The President said with a chuckle.
"Did you come down here to do anything but make sure you profited from the office pool, sir?" Josh asked with a grin.
"No, that was about it. Just making sure my Deputy Chief of Staff doesn't forget to enjoy what little of a life he has," he answered as he turned to leave the office. "Make sure you discuss everything, Josh. Real men don't do anything halfway. Are we clear?"
"Yes, sir. Thank you for the advice," Josh answered him with a nod. "I'll be sure to remember it."
"See that you do," President Barlet told him. "I'll let you get back to it. Do good work, Josh."
Josh stood as the President left and nodded to him. "Always, Mr. President."
Josh leaned out of his office doorway and watched the President stop at Donna's desk to speak with her and tried his best to listen.
"I trust your not being in the West Wing won't stop you from keeping that young man in line," The President told her with a playful wink.
She laughed and nodded. "I'm not sure I was that good at that before, sir, but it definitely won't keep me from trying."
"That's what I like to hear, Donna," The President said before he continued his way back to the Oval office.
Donna turned and gave Josh a questioning look. She immediately headed toward him and pushed him back into his office and then shut the door.
"Well, that was different. What was that about?" Donna asked.
"You," Josh said with a chuckle.
"Me?"
"He wanted to make sure I made a move before you left," Josh told her with a smirk. "And to tell me all of our coworkers have a pool going about you and me."
"And he's got money involved in that pool?" Donna asked in surprise.
"That's what he said," Josh told her with a chuckle.
"Well, that's a strange sort of accomplishment," Donna said with a smirk.
"You had a chat with the First Lady yesterday. I assumed it was about WMF," Josh said. "But did she mention me?"
"She told me I should quit punishing you," Donna said softly. "And she was right."
His brows rose. "You were punishing me?"
"You had to have noticed the distance that I—"
"Yeah," he said as he interrupted her with a nod. "I did. That was punishment?"
"It was petty and stupid and cruel. I thought something might change after Germany and then when you seemed content to be simply boss and assistant or whatever the hell we were I thought—"
"You were shoving that professional boundary in my face, weren't you?"
He didn't mean to keep interrupting her but he somehow knew exactly where this was going.
"A little bit. Yes," she admitted. "Like I said, it was petty and I shouldn't have. I should have let you in."
"I'm guilty too, Donna," Josh told her. "I kept you at a distance on purpose. I thought if I put some space between us it would keep you safe. Your connection with me it was put you in Gaza in the first place—"
"Josh, how many times do I have to tell you that it wasn't your fault—"
"It wasn't yours either," Josh reminded her. "If only we could both believe that."
"We'll just have to keep believing it for each other," Donna said with a determined nod. "I'll keep telling you it's not your fault and you keep telling me it's not mine. Eventually, we'll both believe it."
Josh chuckled and nodded. "Good plan. Let's stick with that."
"HR's already got a few applications," Donna told him. "They sent over a stack for you to review earlier."
"Put them on my desk. I'll look at them when I have time," Josh told her with a nod. "I'll narrow down who I like and then you can look through those for people you like and whoever's left gets an interview."
She nodded and turned to leave but he swiftly grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him for a deep, slow, and very thorough kiss. When he pulled away her expression was dazed, even with her eyes closed.
"Donna?" Josh asked with an amused grin.
She slowly opened her eyes and swallowed thickly. "What was that?"
"That was a kiss," he said slowly with a teasing smirk.
She laughed and smacked his shoulder. "Shut up. You've still got Santos on line two, by the way. By my count he's been on hold for almost ten minutes now."
Josh's eyes widened and he cursed under his breath before he scrambled back behind his desk to answer his phone.
"Congressman? Yes, thank you for holding. Sorry about that."
Donna chuckled and then left Josh's office with a smirk and a wink.
Oh yeah, he thought sarcastically, she wasn't going to be a distraction at all.