Title: Gravitation is Not Responsible (32/40?)
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. .

Donna slid her key into the lock, and pushed the door open. The room actually smelt like food. And it smelt good.

"Everything go okay?" Josh emerged from his kitchen, carrying two glasses of wine.

"You can't have that."

"Haven't had a pain pill in two days."

"Josh…"

"The doctor said that as long as I didn't take a pain pill, some alcohol in moderation would be okay. You were there."

"Yeah…"

"A glass of wine is supposed to be good for you every now—"

"That's red wine."

"Well, you don't like red wine, so I opened the white."

"I didn't think you remembered that."

"I did."

"Without help?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"I spent 10 minutes standing in front of the cabinet trying to remember, and it came to me."

"Impressive."

"Just take the damn wine."

Donna took the second glass from him. "This smells good. What's for dinner?"

"Macaroni and sauce."

"Even you can't screw up pasta."

"Right."

"Smells like garlic."

"Bread."

"You made garlic bread?"

"You say it like its hard."

"Well, you've never given any indication that you know cook anything, so—"

"It'll taste fine."

"I didn't realize you knew how to make it, is all."

"I called my mom."

"Ah ha."

"Sauce is from a jar though."

"I figured."

"Yeah?"

"Well, that's what I usually use too. I knew you had some in the fridge."

"Hey, you didn't answer my first question."

"Oh, that. It was easy. The car was ready, I went in and picked up the key and left."

"Did you try to grill him for—?"

"I let it go."

"That's good of you."

"I'm a big girl."

He grinned at her.

"You're entirely too smug about this."

Josh chuckled, but his demeanor changed as he looked her in the eye. "Really, though…it's a thank you."

Donna felt herself blushing under the intensity of his gaze. "I appreciate it."

Josh placed his glass of wine on the table beside the sofa, and stepped closer to her. Donna took a deep breath and put down her glass as well, before she dropped it. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She lay her head against his neck, and breathed in deeply.

"Mmm…"

She wasn't sure whether she moaned first or he did, but they both did, and a second later their lips met. Donna ran her hands into his hair, and he pulled her closer to him. Gently, he stroked her cheek, and she shivered, pushing him back against the arm of the couch. He sat back, and she pressed hard against him, causing him to moan deeply.

The doorbell rang.

"Fuck!"

"Who the hell can this be?" Donna sighed, running her hands through her hair to smooth it back down.

"Dammit," Josh scooted down on the couch itself. He took a deep breath. "Answer it."

"Okay…"

Donna grabbed her glass of wine, and opened the door, to reveal CJ and Sam.

"You're not supposed to be here," CJ greeted her, as she strode into the room. Sam followed, carrying a brown paper bag.

"Hello to you too."

"Joshua—"

"Don't start CJ," Josh sighed from his position sitting on the couch, with his knees drawn up.

"It smells good in here!" Sam declared. "We brought Chinese, but that smells much better."

"Pasta," Josh announced.

"Smells good, Donna."

"Josh made it."

"Josh made it?"

"He did."

"I didn't think Josh knew how to cook anything."

"Hey!"

"I didn't either, but he promised me dinner, and when I came back from picking up my car, it was almost ready."

"The pasta should be done now, actually—"

"I'll strain it," Donna nodded quickly to Josh, and exited into the kitchen, followed closely by CJ.

"I thought you were told to go home."

"I didn't want to."

"Donna."

"CJ."

"You need to sleep."

"I was planning on it."

"You should go home."

"I'd rather not."

"We came over to keep him company."

"You don't have to."

"We want to, Donna—"

"You feel like you have to."

"Donna—"

"We were going to have a nice quiet dinner, and fall asleep watching a movie," she took a deep breath.

"What?"

"Don't push this. He didn't push me to come over. When I told him Leo told me to go home, he told me to do what I wanted to do. I wanted to come over."

"Why?"

"I…I don't know exactly. I just wanted to be here. I couldn't last night. CJ, don't…"

"Don't what?"

"Just let this go. I'm gonna be fine. I'm going to get a full night of sleep."

Donna poured the sauce from the pan into the bowl of ziti, and stirred it in.

"He made this?"

She nodded, and donned a pot holder to remove the tray from the oven. "And the garlic bread."

"That actually looks good."

"Grab 4 plates and forks and come on out here."

Donna carried the spaghetti and bread into the living room, where the TV was now on, and Sam had arranged the various Chinese food containers on the coffee table.

"Make room for this."

Sam scrambled to comply, as Donna put down what she was carrying. She sat next to Josh on the couch, and took their plates from CJ, who perched on the arm of the chair Sam was in.

Sam wasted no time tucking into the food. "This is going to be a weird dinner."

"You have no idea," Josh muttered.

Donna patted his knee as they exchanged a look.

"What was that?" Sam asked.

"I said, 'yeah'. Chinese and Italian don't usually go together.."

"You two should feel free to help yourselves to some wine."

CJ stood up. "Can I refill your glasses?"

Josh nodded, and handed his over.

"No, you can only have on one."

"One more."

"Josh."

"One more, and then I promise, I'm done."

"Fine, one more for each of us."

"Samuel?"

"Yes, please."

"Ya wanna help?"

"Oh. Yeah."

They went into the kitchen, and Donna turned to Josh.

"You okay?"

He nodded.

"Yeah?"

"That was just awkward."

"Yeah."

"Really awkward."

"Oh," she smiled. "Yeah?"

"Yeah…"

CJ and Sam came back into the room bearing wine.

"Gracias." Josh took the two glasses, and handed Donna hers. "Now, what do we want to watch?"

Two hours later, CJ was conked out in the armchair, and Donna was asleep against Josh's shoulder. Sam looked at the mess on the coffee table.

"I'll take care of this."

"Thanks."

"Is your dishwasher clean or dirty?"

"Hell do I know?"

Sam snickered, picking up as much as he could carry. "You wanna save any of this?"

Josh nodded. "Throw the Chinese containers in the fridge. There's not enough pasta left to save."

"And that was four of us. You made that much pasta for just you and Donna?"

"I just poured in the whole box."

Sam laughed, and disappeared into the kitchen. Josh toyed with the strands of Donna's hair that were splayed across his chest. He wrapped his arm around her waist, leaving her head laying on his wound. From the doorway to the kitchen, Sam watched silently. After a moment, he walked loudly into the room, drawing Josh from his trance.

"She looks peaceful."

"Mmmm…"

"Pretend to be asleep."

"Huh?"

"This will go quicker if you pretend to be asleep."

Josh laughed, and closed his eyes, resting his head atop Donna's. Sam crossed over to the CJ and poked her gently.

"Come on, let's go."

"Already?"

"Movie's been over for a while. I even cleaned up."

"How grown up of you." She stood up, and looked at Josh and Donna. "They asleep?"

"Yup. I'm the only one who lasted the movie."

"They look cozy."

"Yeah."

"Should we just leave them like that?"

"Why not?"

"It just seems…I don't know."

"Leave them alone. Let's go."

They left, locking the door behind them.

"I can't believe Sam told you to pretend to be asleep."

"You're awake?"

"When you shifted me, I—"

"Ah."

"It did get them out of here faster."

"That it did."

"Let's go to bed."

She stood instantly missing the warmth of his side. He took her proffered hand, and struggled to his feet. Getting off the couch not quite as hard anymore, but it was by no means easy.

Ten minutes later they were in his room, about to climb into bed.

"Should I sleep on the couch?"

"No."

"No?"

"Do you want to?"

She shook her head.

"Then come on."

Donna sighed.

"What?"

"When do we need to get used to not doing this?"

"I don't know."

"But we do need to?"

Josh paused for a moment, then nodded his head dejectedly, "Yeah, we do."

"Yeah…"

"I want you to sleep well tonight." He patted the bed beside him.

Donna climbed beside him. "Tonight."

"And then?"

"We'll play it by ear."

"Okay."

He pulled her against his chest.

"By the time you go back to work…"

"Yeah?"

"I need to be back at my apartment full time."

"Okay."

"So we'll work up to that? Give us time to get used to…"

"Sounds like a fair plan."

"We don't have much choice."

Josh took a deep breath and rubbed her back, pulling her closer to him.