The National Library - A West Wing Fanfiction Archive

Just Us..Nothing More, Nothing Less

by: Ginny

Category: Post-ep to 100,000 Airplanes
Pairing: Josh/Donna
Characters: Josh and Donna
Rating: YTEEN

It a little after 3 AM and I'm in my office with my feet on the window sill staring out the window, not really seeing much of anything. I suppose I'm a little drunk.

No sensitive system jokes, please.

I can still hear the celebrating going on in the bullpen but I had to escape for a few minutes. Amy and John Tandy left a while ago. She did come say goodbye to me, but didn't let me speak.

I think I realized something as Amy walked away.

I have no idea what the hell I want.

Really, none.

"Josh."

God, how does she do that? I didn't even hear her. I drop my feet to the floor and turn around to see Donna standing in the doorway, looking both tired and beautiful.

"No shoes." she says, reading my mind as always. "I'm going to head home soon. You need anything before I leave?"

"No, I'm fine." I say, trying to actually look, well, fine.

She's not buying it.

"Josh, you don't look fine. You should be celebrating with everyone in the bullpen but instead you're here, sitting in the dark."

"It's not completely dark." I say, pointing to the desk lamp that is bathing the room in a nice relaxing glow.

She comes in and sits in a vistor's chair, propping her feet on the desk.

"So, Cinderella, when did you lose your shoes?" I ask lamely, trying to move the conversation away from where I am afraid it is heading.

"Somewhere between the third and fourth drink, I think." she giggles as I realize she too is in that not quite sober place that I am currently enjoying.

I move out from behind my desk and sit in the other vistor chair. On impulse I reach over to the desk and pull her feet into my lap. She looks startled for a moment but relaxes as I press my thumbs against the bottom of her left foot. She sighs and then blushes as she realize just how sexy the sigh ended up sounding.

I flash her a dimpled grin as she scoots farther down in her chair and rests her head on the back of the chair.

"Amy leave?" she asks out of no where.

I glance around the room, "Apparently so."

"Was that her boyfriend?"

"Yeah." I mutter.

"Josh, what's going on with the two of you?"

"I don't know." I say honestly. "I like her." I admit as I look up to search Donna's face for some kind of reaction. There isn't one but I can tell she trying not to show anything. "But she's been..."

"Annoying?" supplies Donna.

I raise my eyebrows.

"She tells you not to talk to her, smacks you in the head..."

"But you do those things too." I point out smugly.

"But that's different."

"How is that different?" I ask, pressing the issue more than I would have had both of us been completely sober.

"We're different. We're just...us" she offers as an explanation.

I take a few minutes to contemplate that statement.

"Yeah, we are. And speaking of different..." I started to say but somehow lose my train of thought as Donna shifts her feet in my lap and her heel comes dangerously close to..well, you get the idea.

"Things are different Joshua. There's no denying it. Cliff, Amy, things have changed." she sighs with her eyes closed.

I don't even know how to react to that. Part of me wants to ask what it would take to get things back to where they were and part of me is afraid it's too late to go back. And if it's too late to go back does that mean it's also too late to move forward.

And in which direction do I want to move? That's the question.

Sitting here as we are now feels so natural and relaxed. And intimate but I don't know if it feels romantic. That's strange, intimacy without romance. But with Donna, I suppose anything is possible.

"Yeah. Do you think we can get back to where we were before...?"

"I hope so." she says with a sincere smile and a look of hope.

"Me too."

She yawns and rubs her eyes.

"Why don't you go home?"

"Cause you didn't finish my other foot." she laughs as she nudges my now idle hands with the toes on her right foot. I get back to work as she closes her eyes.

Ten minutes later I can tell she's drifted off. As I watch her sleep I have a moment of clarity. One I've had before.

I don't ever want to lose this...what ever *this* is.

I look up to see Joey standing in the doorway, smiling. She turns around and signs something.

"Took you long enough." I hear Kenny's voice as I see him move into my line of vision.

I laugh at how we must look to her; to anybody other than ourselves.

"It's just us, nothing more, nothing less." I say and then wait for Kenny to translate.

Joey smiles and then signs something quickly.

"But whatever it is, you look happy." says Kenny.

"Thank you," I sign, using one of the half dozen or so signs I actually know.

"Goodnight, Joshua." says Joey in her own voice.

"Goodnight."

They leave and I look back at Donna and smile. Realizing I’m not getting any closer to having the answers to my many questions I close my eyes. I let out a big sigh and wonder when things got so complicated.

THE END

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