Title:
The Path Which Has Led to the Present (18?)
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.
Josh leaned against the door frame as he dug around in his pocket for the door key. Finding it, he struggled to get it into the slot, and out, with the proper speed. He had trouble with this sober, six glasses of champagne later, he didn't have a prayer. Josh stood up straight, and pounded on the door. He figured Donna was still down at the party, but it was worth a shot.
"Just a second!"
Josh steadied himself against the door frame once again while he waited. After a moment, she opened the door. She was wearing the button down blouse she'd had on all day, and his boxer shorts. So hot.
"You're here."
"It appears so."
"You're not still down at the party."
Donna shrugged. "I'd been there long enough."
"It's still going strong."
"You left like 2 hours ago."
"Yeah, well..uh…yeah."
"I decided I'd had enough to drink."
"Are you sloshed?"
"Josh!"
"Are you?" Josh laughed, as he walked into the room, and sat on the bed. The room wasa spinning a bit.
Donna eyed him with amusement. "You are."
"I…yeah, a little."
"A little?"
"Well—"
"I'm a little drunk. You…are sloshed."
"Am not."
"Is that why you're back so soon?"
"Huh?"
"Too drunk to…?"
She was enjoying this way too much. He blamed the alcohol. "No! I could…I was…"
"Mandy piss you off again?"
"Mandy got pissed at me and kicked me out."
Donna cocked an eyebrow at him.
"Opposite problem to what you guessed…too fast for her liking."
Donna cracked up and flopped on the bed beside him.
"It's not funny…okay, a little…but it wasn't indi..indicative of my, uh…usual performance…I, uh…it gave me a way out at least."
"No way out for you the last few nights?"
"Things have been tolerable."
"Tolerable?"
Josh shrugged. "Yeah. I mean…its sex…if she's not being too irritating, the sex is fine."
Donna shook her head.
"What? You've never…wait, I don't want to know."
"If I've ever continued to sleep with someone even when everything else is gone? Well, yes—"
"Lalalalala…" Josh covered his ears. He really didn't want to know, and regretted bringing it up.
"—with Roy that's what it became. Stop that!"
She leaned in and grabbed his arm to remove his hands from his ears. He pulled away fast, but her grip was so tight that she ended up tumbling on top of him. She started laughing.
"You are so drunk."
"Am—"
"You have no coordination—"
"I do too!"
"If you did, I wouldn't have ended up on top of you." No, probably not, sadly.
She lay diagonally across him, resting her cheek on his chest. She looked so beautiful like that.
"How do you know?"
"Josh…"
"How do you know that wasn't inten—"
"You're drunk."
"You're not moving."
"I…I'm drunk too."
"I thought you said—"
"Josh…"
"I did not need to hear that, by the way."
"You asked."
"I know. But I didn't actually want to know."
"You don't like to think about me like that?"
No, he didn't. He was getting very possessive of her lately. "No, I don't—"
"Why?" She looked up at him, resting her chin on his chest now.
"I , uh…I don't know…I just feel protective, I guess…"
"Protective? Protecting me from sex?" she giggled.
"I don't know…I…yeah…its like you're my little sister." Not quite.
Donna cocked her eyebrow at him again. "Little sister?"
"I, uh…ahh! Stop that!"
Donna had reached down and tickled his side. "If I'm a little sister…"
"Donna!"
He squirmed beneath her, trying to allude her hand, but she persisted. She reached up and grabbed at the back of his neck, her weight shifter all the way on top of him, and all the physical movement was going straight to his groin. He needed to get her off of him now.
Josh reached up and tickled her side. Her shirt had ridden up, and his hand contacted bare skin. For a moment, they both froze. Quickly, he broke the moment, going for her side again. She yelped, and he rolled her over, so that he was now on top of her. Donna continued to wiggle beneath him as he discovered that she was just as ticklish as he was. He struggled to hold himself up enough that his erection wasn't pressing against her thigh. He succeeded for few moments, until she went for his neck again, and he toppled down onto her.
"Ow!"
"Did I hurt you?" Josh struggled to catch his breath, but didn't climb off.
"I'm fine," Donna laughed. "I just wasn't expecting you to lose your balance."
"I'm drunk."
"Yeah…" Donna bit her lip.
Josh settled his head into the nook between her neck and shoulder. She touched his back, and he jumped slightly.
"You're really ticklish," Donna smiled.
"Mmmm. So are you."
"Yup. I wasn't trying to tickle you just then."
"I know…I'm just…hypersensitive right now."
"I see."
He wasn't sure if she was referencing what was currently pressing into her leg. "It's just that being tickled, makes you—"
"More ticklish."
"Right." Josh really didn't want to move. He wondered how long he could push this. "So tomorrow—"
"Is it actually a day off? That's what Margaret said—"
"About that--"
"Not a day off?—"
"Well, I have to go to DC with Leo…make sure the headquarters are set up right, that kind of thing. Leo said I can't make you go."
"I can't go to DC?"
"Oh, you can. I just can't force you to come with us tomorrow. You can if you want to, or you can come in two days with everyone else."
"I want to go tomorrow."
"Good."
"Yeah?"
"Cause I could use your help."
"You always need my help."
"Yeah…" Josh replied softly. He propped himself back up a little, and looked at her face. She was blushing furiously. He wanted to kiss her. Badly.
"You're flushed…" His faced was huskier than he'd intended.
She reached up and touched his cheek. God, that was hot. "So are you."
"I am?" he squeaked.
Donna laughed. "Yeah…you are."
"The alcohol…"
"Oh…"
"I—"
"You're not going to remember anything in the morning."
Josh sighed and finally rolled off her, saying softly, "I hope I do…"
He now lay just o her side, propped on his arm, their legs still tangled. Her face was just inches away. He really wanted to kiss her. Instead, he just started. She had really pretty eyes. Greenish grey.
Donna waved her hand in front of his eyes. "Earth to Josh…Josh."
He snapped out of his reverie. "Yeah?"
"What were you doing?"
"I …I was just thinking…I…" Josh leaned in slowly, unable to fight the urge to kiss her any longer. She leaned in to meet him. Their lips had just brushed ever so slightly, when a knock at the door startled them, and he ended up kissing her cheek.
She jumped up to her feet. "Who's at the door at 2am?"
Josh remained laying. "I don't know…I, uh…"
"I'll answer it. Or should I not?"
"Answer it. I think everyone knows you're staying me by now."
She pulled the door open. "Hi, Leo."
"Sorry to wake you so late, kid—"
"I wasn't sleeping yet—"
"Is Josh here?" Leo's voice wasn't accusatory, that was good. Donna gestured to where he was laying face down on the bed. "Oh jeez. How drunk are you?
"Not very. Just tired."
"Sorry to wake you."
"Just about to go to bed. I just got back."
"I see. Things bad with Mandy again?"
"Sort of."
"Don't bring it to work with you."
"She's staying on?"
"Yes. I have hired her for the rest of the campaign."
"Leo!"
"She's good, Josh. You know that. We need her—"
"I—"
"Josh, she's hired. I expect you to work professionally with her."
"I…I will."
"Just keep your personal life out of the office. That's all I'm asking."
"I will," Josh propped himself on his elbows. "What can I do for you?"
"Tomorrow we need to take a flight by 11."
"No problem."
"Leo, do you want me to make those arrangements?" Donna asked.
"She's coming."
"Did he tell you that you're allowed to take your day off?"
"Of course I did!"
"I wanted to go."
"Okay, then. That would be great if you could set that up. Margaret is plastered. I was going to do it myself."
"11am flight?"
"Right. You going to be able to get yourself together by 9, Josh?"
He nodded.
"Well, good night. Get some sleep. And remember what I said: keep your personal life out of the office. G'night."
He left, and Donna crossed to the bathroom. "We should go to bed. I'm gonna finish changing. You should too."
Josh watched her close the door, then slowly stood up. He pulled off his pants, and unbuttoned his shirt. Throwing both on the floor, Josh crawled under the covers. Donna reemerged and shut off the light. She climbed onto the bed close to him, and Josh inched in toward her. They were just going to end up tangled, why not go to sleep that way? She looked at him for a moment, then turned on her side, away from him, but her back was touching. He reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tight. He was asleep in minutes.
