Title: Gravitation is Not Responsible (28/?)
Author: Aerial312
Rating: PG-13
Category: Humor/Fluff/Angst/Romance (a little of everything)
Spoiler Info: Post Rosslyn.
Disclaimer: I own nothing…I just borrow.
Feedback: Greatly appreciated. Sure. Just let me know where its going.

A/N: Visit my archive: http://aerial312. .

Josh padded into the living room, and smiled to see Donna sound asleep on the sofa. She was curled into a ball, with a blanket loosely draped over her legs. He wasn't sure why she had chosen to stay on the couch instead of in his room. Slowly, he made his way to the window, and opening the curtain a little bit, squinted at the onslaught of sunlight. He watched the cars go by for a few minutes, then crossed to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Get the paper."

"I'll go." Donna pushed herself up off the couch.

"I've got it."

"No, let me."

"Stay where you are."

Josh opened the door, and Donna shot over to his side.

"Josh…"

"It'll just be a second."

"It'll take me two seconds."

"I just want to go outside for a minute."

"You're not—"

"I can go for a minute."

"I'll be back in—"

"Uh unh."

She stepped out the door, and he followed her.

"Don't let the door—"

He quickly caught it, reaching out to flick the locking mechanism. He trotted down the hall after her. She shook her head, and let him pass her and open the door. He stood just outside the door, looking up at the sun, and took a deep breath. Scanning the landing, he spotted the paper just at the top of the stairs. He stepped towards it, and hesitated. How the hell was he going to pick it up. He looked at it for a moment, and then grabbed the rail firmly, stepping down 3 stairs. He turned, now waist level with the paper, and easily picked it up.

"I got it."

"I can see that."

"You look surprised."

"You got creative."

"Never doubt my creative reasoning ability."

"I don't, Josh."

"All you gotta do is think differently."

"Come on in," she started for the door.

"I'm just gonna stay here for a minute."

"No, you're not."

"I—"

"You're going to come in and have breakfast."

"Later.'

"Now."

"It's not like we're in a rush."

"Josh…"

"What?"

"You're not supposed—"

"To really go out anywhere—"

"And you're?"

"Sitting on my front porch."

"Right."

"This doesn't count. It's my own porch. That rule means I can't walk to the store down the street."

"You couldn't walk to the store down the street anyways."

"Gee, thanks."

"Josh, I—"

He turned back around, and sat on the step, opening the paper. Donna sighed, and sat beside him.

"Want a section?"

She shook her head.

"Suit yourself."

Donna sat back against the side of the stairwell, watching him. He ignored her presence.

"Are we monitoring the South Carolina 5th?"

"I'll check into that."

"This guy, Clark, is getting closer in the polls."

"Okay."

Josh looked up, and stared at Donna for a moment.

"Ready?"

"Give me a little longer."

"Josh…"

"Donna, its beautiful out. No chill, no breeze, just bright and sunny and warm. It's gonna do me some good—more good than sitting inside."

She sighed.

"You don't have to sit outside with me."

"Telling me to go away?"

"Donna, no! Just, I'm getting the feeling that you don't want to be here."

"I just—why, do you insist on…nevermind."

Josh listened eagerly, but she didn't continue, looking down at the ground.

"Donna? What's got you?"

"I'm just tired."

"I'm sorry I woke you up."

"I'm glad you did."

"So I couldn't sneak out?"

"You definitely shouldn't come outside alone."

"No, I guess not yet."

"Are you ready yet?"

Josh looked at Donna for a moment.

"How come you slept on the couch last night?"

"Huh?"

"How come you didn't…just come back in?"

"I had some work to finish up. When I came back in, you were out cold."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I didn't want to wake you."

"I wouldn't have minded."

"You slept through the night?"

"I guess."

"Then I made the right decision."

"Hmm," Josh scowled.

"What?"

"What if I'd had a nightmare?"

"I'd have heard you."

"Eventually."

"Josh…"

"I'm just saying."

"No, you're not. You're just being snarky now, trying to make me feel bad—"

"You seem to be doing a damn good job making yourself feel bad."

"I'm not."

"No?"

"No."

Donna snatched a discarded piece of the paper, and immersed herself in it. Josh watched her intently. Donna stared at the page, but wasn't really taking in anything.

"Interesting?"

"What?"

"That article."

"I guess."

She didn't look up. Josh continued to watch her.

"Are you going to work today?"

"Trying to get rid of me?"

Josh sighed. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I might go to work for a little while."

"I thought you weren't today."

"If you thought that then why did you ask?"

"Did my asking give you the idea?"

"Your incessant questioning gave me the idea."

"If you want to go to work, go."

"Do you want me to go?"

"No!" Josh exclaimed, exasperated. "I don't want you to go, but everything is an argument this morning."

"I—"

"Donna, I know you care, and you're looking out for me, but you've gotta let me make some choices for myself. Push the major things. I've gotta have a little leeway."

Donna looked down at her hands. Josh grabbed them in his. "Donna…it's okay. A little sunlight is gonna be okay. I'm sitting, reading the sports page. This is relaxing. It's good for me."

She nodded slightly.

"Do you really want to go back inside?"

"I don't know."

Josh smiled. "It's gonna be fine. No going anywhere. On my ass here, or inside on my ass."

"Yeah."

"Do you wanna bring breakfast out here?"

"You think?"

"Could be nice. It's such a comfortable fall day."

"It's not fall yet."

"Close."

"Three weeks."

"It's September. September means fall."

"Does it feel like fall?"

"It's nice."

"You missed most of August."

"Yeah…"

"Oatmeal?"

"I suppose."

"With some nice bananas and blueberries?"

"And a nice teaspoon of sugar?"

"How about cinnamon instead?"

Josh scowled. "That doesn't help."

"How about some applesauce?"

"I thought I was having oatmeal."

"In the oatmeal."

"In it?"

"To sweeten it."

"Really?"

"It's good."

"I'll give it a try, if you won't give me my sugar."

"I won't."

"Fine then."

Donna smirked and returned to the apartment. Josh sat back watching the people out walking. Donna emerged with a tray containing two bowls of oatmeal and 2 glasses of orange juice.

"No coffee?"

"No coffee."

"Can I make some later?"

"Decaf."

"Decaf defeats the purpose of coffee."

"Yeah, yeah. Try it."

Josh took a bite of his oatmeal. "This isn't bad."

Donna laughed. "My mom used to trick us like that. She always put applesauce in our oatmeal instead of sugar."

"Doesn't applesauce have sugar in it?"

"You can buy sugar-free."

Josh polished off the bowl of oatmeal, and drank down his orange juice. He had learned that Donna gave him small portions to accommodate his smaller appetite, but expected him to try to eat all of what he was given. He turned to look at her. She was pushing the mush around her bowl.

"Come on," he declared, pulling himself with some effort to his feet.

"Now you want to go in?"

"Nah, but you're exhausted. You need a nap."

"I couldn't stay asleep."

"The couch isn't comfortable to sleep on. It looks like it should be, but it isn't. Sneaky like that."

She smiled. "What do you have in mind?"

"We settle onto the bed, I put on C-SPAN and watch reruns of floor debates from the week, and you fall asleep with my arm around your shoulders."

"Sounds like a plan."