RATING: NC-17.  ***Please read responsibly.

SUMMARY:  It was the pencil in her hair that did him in.  A post-ep for "Inauguration: Over There."  This is a fan_the_vote story was written for Meg.

DISCLAIMER:  These characters still belong to Aaron Sorkin. Denial's fun!

THANKS:  To Jo March, Em, and kate for the beta services.

It was the pencil in her hair that did him in.

She looked amazing in her gown.  Glamorous.  Stunning.  She was all of those things, and somehow a little intimidating.  They hadn't had much time to enjoy the balls, but at least Donna'd seen some of it.

When they'd arrived at the office, she'd shifted into work mode, moving quickly, the rustle of her taffeta dress and the click of her heels following him around the West Wing.  Josh had shrugged out of his tuxedo jacket and tugged at the bow tie, but didn't take much time or energy to do anything more.

It was a strange, surreal sight.  The President, Leo, Toby, CJ, Will, Josh, and the senior assistants careening through the halls of the White House, conversing in staccato bursts, losing and gaining participants as they went.  All of this was normal.  What was odd, however, was that they were doing all of this in their formal wear.

Gowns and tuxedos and conversations about genocide.

Most of the men lost ties and coats as the hours progressed, but the sparkling women looked just as stunning by the time the President shooed them all out of the West Wing.

Josh waved to Toby and Will and headed for his bullpen, where Donna sat at her desk, bare feet propped up on her desk, head lolling back, eyes closed.  And her hair in a hasty bun, held in place with a pencil.  She made such a stunning picture that he stopped short, hoping his footsteps hadn't woken her if she were asleep.

A slow smile slid across her lips.  "You're not terribly stealthy, Josh," she said without bothering to open her eyes.

"Yeah, well, my black ops training was quite a while ago."

"Are we done for the night?" she asked, her eyes slowly opening, squinting against the light until she found his figure.

"Finally," Josh acknowledged.  "I think we're in good shape for tomorrow."  He glanced at his watch and winced.  "Which is in about five hours."

Donna groaned and sat up, swinging her legs down.  "CJ called and said Leo's car is waiting."

Josh blinked.  "What about Leo?"

"Situation Room," Donna answered, rising to her feet with liquid grace.  "The car will drop us and come back for him."

Nodding, Josh said, "Okay, let me get my coat."  He slung his bag over one shoulder, than grabbed his tuxedo jacket in his free hand.  Pulling his office door shut behind him, he turned to find Donna standing still in the middle of her workspace, looking bereft.  "Donna?"

"Shit!" she shouted with an adorable little stomp of her bare foot.

A little startled, Josh moved closer.  "What's wrong?"

"You kids ready?" CJ called, emerging from her office.  She was a vision in red, tall and stunning.

Donna lifted her hands in a helpless gesture, her discarded shoes dangling from her right hand.  "I didn't bring my purse."

Puzzled, Josh said, "Okay."

She fixed him with a dour look.  "My purse with my keys in it."

"Ah."

"Yes."  She glowered at him for a moment.  "And do you know why I didn't bring my purse with my keys in it?"

Josh tried his best impish grin.  "Because you didn't want to ruin the lines of your dress?"

Her eyes flashed fire.  "Because five drunken idiots in tuxedos were throwing snowballs at my window--"

"What?" CJ yelped.

"--and the only way to get them to stop was to run downstairs," Donna continued, advancing on Josh to jab one accusatory finger into his breastbone, "and plead with my idiot boss to stop waking my neighbors."

"Oh, God," CJ groaned.

Josh ignored her, focusing on his angry assistant.  "I came to bring you to the balls, Donna."

Staccato clicks signaled CJ's approach.  "You did what, Joshua?"

Donna turned her attention to the press secretary.  "Do you think I can crash on your couch?" she asked, gesturing toward CJ's office.

"No, Donna," Josh interrupted.  "Come home with me."

The two women turned matching expressions of shock his way, and Josh flushed.

"No!" he protested.  "Not come home with me come home with me," he protested, with the sneaking suspicion that he might be lying a little bit.  "Just regular come home with me."

CJ's eyebrows inched toward her hairline.  "Joshua."

"To my apartment," Josh backpedaled.  "To sleep.  Since it's my fault that you forgot your keys."

Donna blinked.  "Could you repeat that?"

"Repeat what?"

"Your admission of fault," Donna answered tartly.  "I'd like it on record."

"Donna," CJ said, her tone strained as she urged them toward the exit.  "Why don't you stay at my place?"

"You don't have a spare room," Josh pointed out, not letting himself consider too closely why he was pushing for Donna to stay at his place.  "I do."

CJ gave him a mortal glare.  "And will she actually be staying in your spare room?"

"CJ!" Donna squeaked.  "Of course I will."

Josh couldn't help the disappointed look he shot Donna.  She caught it and flushed prettily.  Josh was temporarily distracted by the golden tendrils of hair that had escaped Donna's makeshift bun.  She really did look amazing.

"Oh, God," CJ groaned, sliding into the back of the limo and pulling Donna down next to her.  "I have a fold-out couch."

"I," Josh countered smugly, "have a king-sized bed."  He frowned.  "I mean, I have a full bed.  In the spare room."

Donna turned a speculative look his way, seemingly not noticing the expression of despair on CJ's face.  "Hmmm," Donna said.

Josh's entire body felt hot all of a sudden, and he tugged ineffectively at his collar.  "Stay with me, Donna.  I live closer to the White House."

CJ snorted.  "By one block.  We both live within walking distance."

Which, thankfully for Josh, meant they were pretty much at his apartment at this point.  "Yes," he said triumphantly, "but Donna and I have some work to finish up tonight."  Damn, he hadn't meant for that to come out quite so... suggestively.

CJ buried her face in her hands as the car slid to a stop.  "And the next nightmare begins," she muttered.

"CJ," Donna started.  "I swear, we're not going to--"

"Don't!" CJ snapped, sitting upright and fixing her gaze out the window, away from her coworkers.  "I'm not here.  I know nothing about--"  She waved a hand in the air.  "This."

"There is no this," Donna insisted.

Josh couldn't resist adding "yet" in an undertone, which both women, from their reactions, heard.  Donna's gaze locked with his, and they sat, motionless, for a long moment while he waited for her to make her decision.  It was pretty clear by this point that if she came upstairs with him, she wouldn't be staying in the spare room.

At least, it was pretty clear to Josh, but he was notoriously horrible at reading women, so it was quite possible that Donna just wanted a real bed instead of a fold-out.

And then Donna gave him a slow smile that lit up her face, and Josh was really pretty sure she wanted his king-sized bed.

Donna leaned over to CJ and placed a hand on her arm.  "CJ?"

CJ swallowed and glanced at her friend.  "I know, Donna.  It's fine.  Just -- don't tell me a thing, okay?"

Donna gave CJ a watery smile.  "Thank you."

CJ nodded and fixed a warning look on Josh.  "Remember what I said about your kneecaps, Joshua."

He grinned at her, remembering her threat and understanding that was her oblique way of giving them her blessing.  "Yes, ma'am."

Shaking her head in amused disbelief, CJ gestured at the door.  "Get out of here.  Shoo."

"Good night," Donna said, opening the door and sliding out into the cold, cold night.  Josh joined her on the sidewalk and draped his coat over her shoulders.

It was freezing out, and yet Josh's palms were sweating.  He shook his head at himself and led her up the stairs to the brownstone.  They didn't speak as they walked to his door, and as soon as she stepped inside, she kicked off her shoes again.

Josh stood there, uncertainly.  "Do you want anything?  Coffee?  Beer?  Uh, water?"

She took a few steps into his living room and turned to face him, her expression warily hopeful.  "No, I'm fine."

Nodding stupidly, Josh couldn't seem to move.  He just stared at her, a vision in midnight blue.  She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, a slight flush settling across her cheeks.  It was her nervousness more than anything that broke his paralysis.  "You really do look amazing," he told her quietly.

Donna laughed and waved a dismissive hand in the air.  "Please, I've been running around for five hours in heels.  No one looks good after that."

"You do," Josh insisted, drifting closer.  His gaze fell again on the pencil in her hair.  "I never understand how women do that."

She frowned.  "Do what?"

"That," he answered, gesturing toward her hair.  "With your hair.  How does a pencil make it stay in place?"

Smiling, she glanced down at the floor, then back at him.  "Not very well, to be honest.  I broke a pencil earlier, and I've had to redo it four or five times tonight."

She reached up, but Josh said, "No!"  Startled, she froze.  He softened his tone.  "Let me."

Donna's breathing sped up a little as she nodded.  "Okay."

"Okay," Josh answered, closing the last bit of distance between them.  He stared at her for a long moment, then moved, circling around to stand behind her.  He was breathing a little erratically himself.

Up close, staring down at the creamy flesh of her neck, Josh couldn't resist.  He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against the nape of her neck.  She shivered under his touch.  His left hand landed on her bare shoulder, feathering lightly down her soft skin as he pressed another kiss to her neck, and another.

"Josh," she murmured, one hand reaching back for him, catching on his thigh, and it was his turn to tremble.

His free hand reached up and grasped the pencil, pulling it gently from her hair, watching her blonde waves tumble down over that neck of hers.  "Turn around," he whispered.

Shaking just a little, she complied, her hand falling away from him as she turned.

They stood, staring at each other, for a long moment, and then he was kissing her and she was kissing him, and goddamn, it was amazing.  She was amazing.  But he'd always known that she would be.

His hands slid over smooth satin and soft curves, pulling her flush against his body.  He barely felt her hands on his spine, soothing the ache, inflaming the lust coursing through his body.

Donna moaned into his mouth, and Josh stumbled a little, jerking her closer, closer, God, he needed her closer.  One hand slid up and tangled into her hair, tilting her head more, allowing him to deepen the kiss.

Too soon, she broke away, breathing unsteadily as she gazed up at him with wide, blue eyes.  "Bed," she said, taking one step backwards.  "I was promised a comfortable bed."

Grinning stupidly, Josh nodded.  "You got it."  He didn't want to stop kissing her, so he guided her toward the bedroom while he explored her neck with his lips and tongue.  Her hands scrabbled at his back, at his ass, and he tried very hard not to tear the dress from her body.

He let go of her long enough to tear at the stupid fancy buttons on his shirt, but got hung up with the cuff links.  "Damn it," he grumbled.

Laughing, Donna reached for him, her hands landing atop his.  "Let me," she said.  He stood, staring at her in awe.  Donna was here, in his bedroom, undressing him so they could--

He swallowed hard.  Wow.

She gave him an amused look as she pulled the first cuff link free.  "Nice," she commented, tossing it haphazardly over her shoulder.

"Hey!" he protested.  "Those are rentals."

She snickered.  "You should own a tuxedo, Joshua.  You know how much money you've wasted renting these things over the past four years?"

"Don't care," he told her.  "This way I pick it up and it's ready to wear, and then I wear it, and then I give it back.  No muss, no fuss."

Donna pulled his other cuff link free.  "You mean, this way I pick it up, you wear it, and then I return it for you."

He shrugged a big sheepishly.  "Well, yes."

She raised an eyebrow and tossed the other cuff link.  "Buy a tuxedo, Josh."

"Did you buy this dress?" he challenged.

She planted her hands on her hips and gave him an insulted look.  "I wasn't going to keep it until it got such a positive response," she said.

Josh let his heated gaze slide down the length of her body.  "It's not the dress, Donna," he said quietly.

Smiling softly, she closed the small distance between them and pulled his dress shirt open and down his arms.  "It's not the tuxedo, either," she answered, matching his serious tone.

He nodded his understanding and let his hands glide around her waist, up her back to the zipper.  His trembling fingers tugged a little, gaining purchase, but he gave her a questioning look before he proceeded.  Donna cupped his cheek and leaned up to kiss him.  "Take it off, Joshua."

Josh shuddered and complied, letting the dress fall from her torso, revealing a strapless bra in midnight blue.  His mouth was a little bit dry as he stared at her.  "Wow," he managed.

This time, when she flushed, he noted that it went all the way down her torso, and the sight was surprisingly erotic.  "You're gorgeous," he told her.

A little flustered, she reached for his undershirt, tugging it up before he had a chance to protest, to tell her that the scar had never healed enough to be unnoticeable, probably never would.  But she tossed the shirt aside and stepped forward, pressing herself against him and kissing him soundly once more, and he thought maybe he didn't need to tell her that.  She already knew.

Josh let his hands slide across her silky skin, pushing her dress down over her hips and off.  She pushed him backwards and stepped out of it, then reached for his belt.  In the small part of his mind that wasn't on overdrive with the feel of Donna under his fingers, he marveled at how good they were at this.  Together.  Two people who spent most of their time together bantering needed surprisingly few words to express themselves in this particular situation.

Josh tried to step out of his pants, realized his shoes were in the way, and paused to toe them off.  Donna giggled a little, and Josh shot her an exasperated look.

"Very smooth," she commented.

He reached for her, slipping his fingers into the waistband of her panty hose and tugging her against him.  "Be nice, Donnatella."

"Oh," she answered, sliding her hands under his boxer shorts.  "I plan on being very nice to you, Joshua."

Josh groaned when she took him in her hand and started to stroke him carefully.  He was going to fall over very soon, or come very soon, or possibly both, and he had the desperate need to be inside her.  "Please," he muttered, tugging her panty hose down, down, down, until she released him.

He took a steadying breath and pressed her backwards, guiding her to sit on the edge of the bed while he stripped her panty hose off of those long, long legs.  Her toes were painted magenta, and the sight made him tremble.  "Lose the bra," he ordered, reaching for her panties.  Donna raised an eyebrow, but complied, arching her back to reach the clasp in a way that made him sit, jaw hanging open, until the damn thing fell away.

"Wow," he said again.

A little flushed, she grinned and reached for him, pulling him up off of his knees and onto her as she lay back on the rumpled bedspread.  If he'd known the day would end up here, he'd have made the bed.  Too late now, and Donna didn't really seem to care.  Which was good, because Josh had much more interesting things to be thinking about than his damn bedspread.

"But," he protested, trying to drop back to his knees before her, "I want--"

One slim hand cupped his jaw, stopping him in place.  "Next time," she promised, tilting her head up to kiss him so, so sweetly.

Josh was overwhelmed by sensation -- his body blanketing hers, her mouth opening to his, and the incredibly satisfying implications of her words.  Next time.  He wanted to taste every inch of her body, he wanted to take it slow, he wanted to bring her off repeatedly before he let himself go, but it was too late and he was too far gone for that kind of control.  Next time.

His reality narrowed to an intoxicating blur of questing hands, dueling tongues, and a desperate need to be closer, closer to her.  They kissed and stroked and licked as Donna guided him closer, shifting until they were fully on the bed instead of dangling off the edge.

Gasping a little now, Josh slid an eager hand down, finding her hot and ready for him.  Donna arched up into his touch with a moan.  "Come on, Josh," she murmured, urging him closer with an insistent hand at his lower back.

"Impatient," he observed with a smirk, working his fingers a little faster as she picked up his rhythm, her hips rocking a little against him.  Arching an imperious eyebrow, Donna reached down and ran her fingers over his erection.  "Okay," Josh groaned.  "I'm impatient now too."

Josh took a couple deep breaths, searching for some semblance of control.  "Too impatient," he warned obliquely.

Donna released him, her hands alighting on his hips.  "Flip over."

Startled, he laughed aloud.  "What a shock.  You seek to control me in every other aspect of our lives."

But his tone was too affectionate to offend Donna; she shifted impatiently beneath him and tried not to grin.  "Tyrant."

"Rabble rouser."

The grin won over and she positively glowed with it.  "Damn straight," she agreed.  "Now move."

With an exaggerated sigh, Josh complied, flopping onto his back.  Somewhere, the tiny portion of his brain that was not focused on watching his long-limbed goddess climb on top of him noted that his hands were shaking.  He rested his trembling fingers on her hips as she reached between them to guide him inside her heated depths.

"Uhhhhh," Josh said intelligently.

Donna moaned in reply, sitting statue-still on him for a long, long moment.  He stared at her, soaking in her beauty.  Her head was tilted back, her blonde hair cascading down her back in loose waves, and her eyes were closed as she savored the sensations.

She was gorgeous, and he knew he wouldn't last terribly long once she started to move.  He ran his hands over her body, over her soft, supple skin.

Donna smiled down at him and began to rock on top of him, lifting up and sinking back down.  Josh couldn't help but tilt his hips up to meet her.

"You feel so good," Donna murmured, grinding down a little harder.

"You feel perfect," Josh answered, trying his level best not to think about it.  The Mets.  Mike Piazza's batting average.

Nope.  Still perfect and still moving perfectly.  "Donna," Josh panted.  "Donna."

She beamed down at him.  "Not surprised," she circled her hips as she took him all the way inside, "you can't shut up even during sex."

Josh gathered enough of his wits about him to slide his palm down her rib cage, down her abdomen, down to where their bodies were joined.  When his fingers found her clit, she yelped.  "You're not," he answered, "particularly quiet yourself," punctuated with a sharp thrust of his hips.

"Good hands," she told him, one hand braced on his shoulder for leverage.  "Always figured."  Her free hand trailed over his chest.  "Damn pens."

Josh had no idea what she was talking about, but he'd be damned if he'd lose the thread of the conversation first.  "Pens?"

Donna nodded, her gaze a little unfocused as she arched into his caress.  "The way you -- Oh, God--"  She shook her head-- "hold it.  Between your fingers."

Josh shook his head against the pillow, mesmerized by the way her body moved.  "Hold what?"

Donna grinned, then her mouth dropped open when he worked her harder with his fingers.  "Pen," she gasped.  "Your pen."  Donna shook her head, lifting her free hand from him and holding it up to mimic the way he threaded pens through his fingers.

"Ah," Josh managed.  Barely.  He was ten seconds away from coming if he was lucky, and besides the incredible events that landed him in bed with Donna, he was hardly ever lucky.  "Donna--"

She sped up, grinding herself into his body, into his eager fingers, and then she was moaning and shaking and clenching around him.

Josh managed -- just barely -- to hold on a few seconds longer to watch her shudder.  Then she opened her eyes and said his name and gave him a look--

And he was lost, slamming his hips up into her, not even breathing as pleasure exploded in hot waves.  His body shook and froze and burned all at once.

When he could breathe, Josh inhaled great gasps of air and pulled Donna's sweaty body down over his.  Even now, afterwards, just the feel of her skin against his was incredible.  He ran a palm down her spine, settling it low on her back.

"Wow," Donna muttered into his neck, tracing light patterns on his shoulder with her fingernails.

"Yeah," Josh agreed.  "That was..." He shrugged.

Donna snickered, hiding her face in his chest.

"What?" Josh demanded.

"Nothing."

"Donna!"

"I was just thinking how amusing it is to leave Mr. 760 Verbal unable to come up with a word--"

"I could come up with a word," Josh interrupted defensively.

"Oh, really."  She lifted her head.

"Yes, really."

Donna folded her arms over his chest, rested her chin on her hands.  "Okay, then come up with a word," she challenged.

Damn.  "Um..."

She started to laugh, her body shaking against his.  "That's so flattering, Josh."

"Perfect," he decided with a smug grin.  Even Donna couldn't mock that.

He was right; she melted a little against him, her smile softening as she watched him.  "Oh, you are getting so lucky tonight," she told him.

He gathered her closer, figuring he should say something sweet and heartfelt here.  "Damn straight," he said instead.

But she was Donna and she knew him, and so she just leaned up and kissed him.

Yup, Josh thought.  Definitely perfect.

THE END

Comments

*wolf whistles* That was fucking hot! I approve in the all the ways in which one can approve.

Posted by: Tori on July 14, 2004 10:16 AM

Whoo, the PERFECT story - exactly what I was hoping for. Sweet, hot, funny, tender. You're the greatest!

Posted by: Meg on July 14, 2004 10:39 AM

is "yum" an adequit comment for this fic? 'cause yum!

Posted by: laura amy on July 16, 2004 08:08 AM