Title:
The Path Which Has Led to the Present (16?)
Author:
Aerial312
Rating: PG-13. This one's got some swearing.
Category:
Humor/Fluff/Angst/Romance (a little of everything)
Spoiler Info:
Pre-Series.
Disclaimer: I own nothing…I just borrow.
Feedback:
Greatly appreciated. Sure. Just
let me know where its going.
"Did the meeting just end, or did you go out after?"
"It just ended," Josh growled, flinging his backpack at the floor and dead falling onto the bed beside where Donna sat reading.
"Exciting meeting?"
"You're not funny."
"Yes, I am."
"Fine. You're funny usually. That was not funny."
"What was the last meeting about? It was Leeds again, right?"
"I really don't care about things like what color the tablecloths are."
"He's on your schedule again tomor—"
"Tomorrow you're taking it."
"I'm taking it?"
"Yeah."
"Like, by myself?"
"You're perfectly capable of taking a meeting to discuss hospitality and candidate wrangling."
"You sure?"
"No question. And if something comes up you're unsure about, call my cell."
He trusted her enough to take a meeting alone? This was new. And very promising. "You really don't care about any of that stuff?"
"Not at all. I have so much to read and do that I just get really snarky and rude when I'm forced to sit through a meeting on food preferences for the catering table. When Leo said he was sending me to absolutely every…What are you doing?"
Donna had sat up, and grabbed the hotel notepad from the bedside table, and was now writing furiously. "I'm writing some questions that I'll need Margaret to find me the answers to tomorrow morning."
Josh laughed from his prone position. "Like what?"
"If there are any foods the Governor doesn't like, any flowers that Dr. Bartlet particularly does, that kind of thing."
"Which is why you are so much better suited to that meeting than I am."
Donna grinned. To him, it seemed like a lousy job, but to her it was a great opportunity. She wanted to make sure he knew she felt that way. "Thank you."
"For pawning off a lousy meeting?"
"For giving me the experience."
"Better you than me."
"You say that, but—"
"You will do a phenomenal job. You know I wouldn't have pawned it off if I didn't think that."
"I appreciate that. The whole thing…oh!" Donna began to write quickly again.
"What?"
"I thought of another question."
Josh laughed and closed his eyes. "I'm fried."
Donna was finding it hard to resist the urge stroke his back. He looked like he could use it, but despite everything, she had a feeling it was crossing the line. "You hungry?"
"Mmmhmm."
"You wanna order in?" Donna asked, climbing over him to the phone. She gave his shoulder a quick squeeze.
"Mmm…"
Did he just moan? Deep breath. "What do you want for dinner?"
"That felt nice," he commented at the same time.
Another deep breath. "Yeah?"
"Mmmhmm."
"Do you, uh, want me to rub your back a little?"
"I'm not trying coerce you."
"I know. I offered."
"Well, I'm not going to turn down a back rub."
Donna knelt down beside him. "Any spot that particularly hurts?"
"The whole thing."
"Okay, then."
Donna placed her hands on his shoulders and slowly began to work out the kinks. He was right, his back was one big knot. It was going to take a long time to work them all out. She ran her hand up his back, and shivered. She'd woken up tangled in his arms everyday for over a week now, but she's never really touched him. He was surprisingly muscular.
"You're good at that."
"Yeah?"
"Detail oriented, just like with work."
Donna laughed. "Why don't I order the food, then finish this?"
"Okay…"
"What?"
Josh chuckled.
"What?"
"I was just being selfish."
"You don't want the backrub to stop."
"Not especially."
"I'll come right back to it."
"I feel bad. We're eating in again. We've been here three days, and we haven't really gotten to explore at all."
"I've seen a little, while you were in meetings, but not much."
"What did you see?"
"Faneuil Hall. I walked a little of the Freedom Trail."
"That's fun. I wish I had time to show you around. Tomorrow's packed, but maybe the day after?"
"I'll try to keep your schedule light."
"Good."
"What do you want to show me?"
"I don't know, but most of the places that give Boston its character aren't open at 10pm."
"Never experienced the nightlife?" Donna smiled at the thought of Josh in college.
"Very rarely. I spent a lot of late nights in the library in college. I mean I knew bars and stuff like that, who knows if they're still there…but that's not the kind of stuff that makes Boston great. We have to go to the North End and get a cannoli. Go over to Cambridge and walk around Harvard. That kind of thing. Not sit in meetings all day for the whole week."
"That is why we're here."
"I know, but still…I went to school here…it's the first time you've ever been…I'd like to impart something…I don't know."
Donna smiled, and patted his back. "I think that's as good as I'm going to get it."
Josh rolled onto his side. "Thank you. I can't remember the last time I got a back rub."
"Mandy's not the back rub type?" Donna snickered.
"Ha! Only to inflict pain. Make it seem all nice and sweet and then wham! Fingernail. I stopped letting her."
Donna laughed.
"Let's go see what we can find for dinner." Josh sat up slowly.
"You want to go out?"
"Yeah. Let's take a walk."
"I thought you were fried."
"I've been rejuvenated."
"And how did that happen?" Donna smiled. This blatant flirting was bad, but it came so easily.
"Hmm…I wonder." And he gave it back as good as he got it.
"Where do you want to go?"
"We'll find something."
Donna stood up and offered her hand to Josh, pulling him to his feet. He smiled at her, full dimples, and led her by the arm to the door.
