Josh climbed the stairs to their condo the next day, yanking on his tie and fumbling for his keys. Donna had left the office earlier in the day to run a few errands in anticipation of the arrival of their new furniture that evening and Josh and Toby had ended up stuck in the Oval for hours... and on a Saturday afternoon to boot. He was tired, he was cranky and he just wanted to see her smiling face.
Letting himself in the front door he immediately heard his Rolling Stones CD at a fairly loud volume in their bedroom. Josh tossed his keys down and grabbed a beer, popping the top off before toeing his shoes off on the way to meet her. He leaned in the doorframe, content to watch her, and certain that this was what happiness felt like.
Donna stood barefoot, perched on a step stool painting their bedroom a warm gray color. She was clad in only an oversized tshirt she'd swiped from him, the hem riding up to expose the soft purple of her lace cheekies. She sang along, loud and off key, to the music, bobbing and dancing a bit as she brushed away a strand of hair that had fallen from her messy pony tail and dipped her brush back into the paint.
Josh stood there silently, thinking about all of the times he'd previously rolled his eyes at the thought of the phrase 'domestic bliss.' He was certain that's what this was, and he couldn't be happier.
As the song changed and The Stones cover of Ain't Too Proud To Beg began to play, he sat the beer down on the drop cloth covered floor, catching Donna's attention. She shot him a grin over her shoulder as Josh belted the lyrics. He was still always shocked at the way she could change his mood almost instantly.
He moved slowly towards her, rolling the sleeves of his dress shirt up with a particular level of care and singing along in a flawless baritone she's only previously heard on a rare number of occasions.
As he reached her he ran his hands up and down her long, bare legs, softly kissing the back of both of her knees before his hands continued their journey upward. Eventually he turned her around, taking the painting supplies out of her hands and setting them aside.
He gave her a wicked smirk and picked her up, carefully laying her on the floor of the empty room.
She had his undivided attention.
OooooooO
Josh had just pulled a pair of old jeans on when the doorbell rang. "Good timing," he kissed her quickly as Donna pulled on a tshirt over her yoga pants.
Josh wandered to the front room, throwing open the door and expecting to see the furniture delivery. "Sam?" He was puzzled to find his best friend at his threshold, carrying a neatly wrapped box.
"Hey, Buddy! Hope I didn't stop by at a bad time." Sam remained where he was, smiling in the doorway.
"Uhhh..." Josh just stood there for a moment.
"Sam!" Donna was beaming at the unexpected sight of their friend before shooting a look at her husband. "Joshua! Invite him in!"
Josh stepped out of the way as Donna greeted Sam with a hug. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh!" Sam held up the box, extending it to Donna. "I wanted to drop by and give you this. It's your wedding gift."
Donna's eyes welled up at the sweet gesture, carefully opening the sturdy box to find a pair of sterling candlesticks. "Oh, Sam. You shouldn't have."
Sam blushed. "I wanted to."
Josh slipped in behind Donna who was still swooning over the fact that they'd received their first official wedding gift and kissed the top of her head. "Very nice," he remarked, extending his hand for a handshake that became a masculine hug. "Thanks, man. Want a beer?"
Sam glanced around, trying to determine what he was interrupting in the chaotic state of Josh's apartment. "Oh, I, uh..."
"Were expecting a furniture delivery any minute," Donna filled in the blanks for their guest. "Oh!" Her eyes lit up. "Sam! You're our first guest! Oh, you have to stay for dinner!"
"Well in that case... This will be a lovely evening." Sam grinned, taking a bottle from his friend who chuckled.
"That's what you think. She just sweet talked you in to a night of pizza and heavy lifting."
And that was, in fact, exactly how the night proceeded.
After the furniture had been unloaded Donna ordered a pizza and joined the guys on the floor as Josh and Sam looked over the assembly information for their new bedroom set.
"It was included, Josh," Donna whined for the fifth time. "The assembly was included with delivery."
"I can assemble our furniture, Donnatella. I don't need to pay anyone."
Donna just rolled her eyes and leaned against the dresser. Josh and Sam were having a manly evening, and even if it was mildly pathetic she was having fun watching.
"So," Sam ventured into unknown conversational territory as he hoisted one side of the new headboard up, "when did you guys start, uh, seeing each other?"
Josh huffed a bit, surprised at the weight of the solid wood bed. "Fall," he stated maneuvering a bit more as he grunted, "of '97."
"Ninety seven?!" Sam yelped at the realization that they'd known each other before the campaign, coming closing to losing his grip.
"Yeah," Josh aligned the headboard and slid it into the tongue and groove of the platform.
Sam was quiet for a moment, stepping back to take a drink of his beer as Josh tightened the screws on the frame. The more he thought about it, the more sense it made to him. The instant connection on the campaign, their shared glances and late nights in the office. The look on Donna's face when she melted down in Josh's ICU room last summer. Yes, he decided, that actually made quite a lot of sense. He did, however, have a million additional questions.
Josh stood up and admired his handiwork. "Grab the other side of that mattress," he nodded to the delivery in corner, interrupting Sam's train of thought as the two carried it over and assembled the last piece of Josh and Donna's bedroom.
"All done!" Josh announced proudly, puffing his chest a bit.
Donna didn't mention that it had taken the better part of 4 hours for two graduates of Ivy League schools to assemble a bedroom set. "Good job, babe," she gave him a smile. "How do we know it's sturdy?" She eyed it carefully.
A serious look came across Josh face. "That would be the Flying Lyman test," he told her matter of factly.
"The what?" Donna furrowed her brow.
Before she knew what was happening Josh scooped her up and took a running leap to flop down on their new bed. She shrieked a bit, caught off guard by his antics, but her screams quickly turned to a smile and genuine laughter.
"See? Quality construction," he announced tickling her and finding her lips for a kiss.
Sam watched in amazement. Josh was so truly happy. He was ecstatic for his best friend. This was the kind of love that everyone in the world was searching for. The questions regarding the specifics of their romance, he supposed, could wait for another time.
"Sam?" Josh's voice pulled Sam from his thoughts.
"Hmmm?"
"Do me a favor?" Josh's voice had dropped a full octave. They were still laying in tangled, fully clothed, heap on the bed. He was perched on top of her as Donna shot him a mischievous glance, wiggling deliberately under him, forgetting for a quick moment that anyone but the two of them existed in the world.
"Sure, Buddy."
"Go home. Now." He never took his glare off of Donna.
"Joshua!" Donna was immediately mortified at what he'd implied, smacking Josh's arm. "Sam was nice enough to help us and he stayed for dinner and..."
"And he's my best friend. And he's a man," Josh cut her off, rolling to prop himself on his side, gazing at her with smoldering eyes. "So he understands why I'm asking him to leave. And leave quickly."
Sam chuckled, grabbing his keys and heading towards the door with a smile. "I hear you loud and clear, buddy. No hard feelings. I'll lock up on my way out. See you guys tomorrow..." Sam's smirk grew. "Maybe."
