Rated R

~~

“Come on Josh. Work with me here.” Donna looped her arm around Josh’s waist and pulled him up the front steps of his apartment. He laughed a little and then sighed.  Donna propped him up against the wall and pulled her keys from her pocket. She used her key to unlock his door and was a little surprised to find it unlocked. She turned the knob and swung the door open wide so she could get Josh into his apartment.

“Josh?!”  Donna looked up startled as Amy rounded the corner.

“Hey!” Josh waved clumsily while leaning his weight on Donna.

“Are you drunk?! It’s only three-thirty. What are you doing drunk at three-thirty?!”

Josh only shook his head and wrapped his arm tighter around Donna.

“He had to have a root canal this morning. He’s been in pain for a about a week now and it finally got too much this morning.”

“What happened?” Amy asked as she tried to shift Josh’s weight toward her. Josh shrugged her off and let Donna lead him to his room.

“He bit down on one of those peanut brittle bars and nearly shattered the windows screaming. I took him to the dentist and because he’s such a big baby, they gassed him.”

“Nah a baby….baby.” Josh mumbled through the gauze while Donna sat him on the edge of the bed.

“Right.” She rolled her eyes while she pulled at his suit coat.  “Gimme you arm.” Josh blindly obeyed Donna as she pulled his coat and tie off. Amy watched in stunned silence as Donna undressed her boyfriend. She didn’t know what bothered her more. The fact that Donna was undressing him, or the fact that it didn’t look like the first time she’d ever done it.

“Work…..I godda meek wif de pwesident.” 

“What?” Amy scrunched her brow and looked at Josh.

“You’re not meeting with the President today. You’re stoned and you sound like Elmer Fudd. Too bad CJ can’t hear you right now.” Donna replied as she pulled his shoes off and tossed them by the end of the bed.

“Ceeee Jaayyyy. She’s my fwien.”

“Yes she is.” Donna laughed as Amy sat down on the bed beside Josh.

“Hey. Looks like you’re going to be a real joy to talk to this afternoon.” Amy grinned.

“That stuff’s like truth serum.” As soon as the words left Donna’s mouth, she and Amy shared a look. Donna knew at that moment there was no way in hell she was leaving Josh alone with Amy. There’s no telling what she’d try to get him to tell her.  The thought of Amy trying to weasel missile codes out of Josh sent a shiver down her spine.

“I’m going to call in and let them know about Josh.” Donna pulled the handset from the phone by Josh’s bed and dialed the White House.  While she waited for CJ to pick up, Amy leaned closer to Josh.

“Josh, what’s your middle name?”

“Shai.” Josh said without hesitation.  Donna’s face darkened as she gripped the phone tighter. Josh never told anyone his middle name. It’s not that he didn’t like it. It’s something he just kept to himself.

“Shy?” Amy laughed. “That’s ironic.”

“S-H-A-I. It means Gift from God.” Donna snapped as she held the phone to her ear. Amy just grinned and turned back to Josh for more information.

“Who’s your best friend Josh?” Josh rubbed his hand across his cheek and looked with blurry eyes at Amy.

“Gok two.” He held up two fingers and tried to smile.

“Who are they?” Donna was telling CJ what happened so she could only give a fraction of her attention to what Josh was saying. When she hung up the phone she heard Josh’s answer.

“Sam…….an…..Donnatewwa.” Donna smiled as Amy nodded. Amy didn’t mind that answer. She knew what he’d say before she asked him. She cast a sideways look at Donna before standing. She slipped Josh’s dress shirt from his arms and pushed him gently on the shoulder to get him to lie down.

“He can take the gauze out in about an hour. I’ll stay until then.” Donna didn’t leave any room for comment. Amy just grinned and leaned over to kiss him on the forehead.

“Who do you love, Joshua?” Amy grinned up at Donna before turning to look at Josh again.

“Wove….Donnatewwa.” Donna could hear the beating of her heart in her ears as Amy looked at her. She stood rooted at the foot of his bed while Josh struggled to pull the blanket up to his chest.

“You love her as a friend. I know.” Amy said quickly.

“Nooooo…….more. Awways…..woved…..Donna. Awways.”  Donna felt the saliva leave her mouth and vainly licked her lips.  She could only stare at Josh’s face as Amy leaned over him.

“Does Donna love you?” Donna’s head jerked to look at Amy and then back to Josh.

“Yeah.”

“How do you know?”

“Shee woundn’t stop fo wed wights. Awways woved….eak ofer. Jus can’t …ta.. we-ewection.” Amy stood up straighter and then turned her face to Donna’s.  Donna still stared in shock at Josh’s face.

“I guess I should have seen that coming.” Donna blinked slowly a few times before looking at Amy.

“Amy……”

“I’m going. Tell him…..tell him I hope he feels better soon.”

Donna could only nod as Amy walked past her into the living room and grabbed her purse.

Josh grimaced as a pain jolted through the side of his head. It seemed to be linked to the pressure against his shoulder.

“Josh. Wake up.” Donna shook his shoulder again and watched his face contort in pain.

“Wha?”

“Josh, I need to take the gauze out. Wake up.” Josh nodded and pushed himself to a sitting position in the bed. Donna held her hand up to his mouth and Josh immediately opened his jaw to allow her access.  She pulled the gauze from his mouth and he grimaced at the pain again. Donna threw the disgusting wad of cotton in the trashcan and washed her hands.  When she returned to the bedroom, Josh was sitting up looking around in confusion.

“What?”

“I had a weird dream. Ow.” He placed his hand on the side of his face and frowned. Donna took a pill from his nightstand and handed him a bottle of water.

“Was it the one were you tell your girlfriend you’re in love with somebody else?” Josh gulped the water and pill down and stared at Donna’s face. How did she know? Josh groaned and closed his eyes.

“No.” He whispered as Donna sat on the edge of the bed beside him.

“Yep. She started asking you all these questions and acting snotty. Well, you sure cured her. You just blurted out your love for me! Have you lost your mind?!” Donna yelled as he winced in pain and humiliation.

“Oh God. Please, don’t scream.” He groaned.

“Why not?! Don’t I have the right to scream when I find out my boss is in love with me?!” Josh opened his eyes and looked at her in complete indignation, his embarrassment forgotten.

“Fine! If you don’t love me, FINE! You don’t have to keep harping on it. I said it. Let’s move on.”  Josh pushed himself to the other side of the bed and unsteadily stood. The room was silent as he stalked to the bathroom and slammed the door.

Donna looked at the floor and grinned.  She heard the toilet flush and Josh opening the door. She stood and took in his disheveled appearance. His hair was sticking up, his clothes were wrinkled beyond recognition and he looked pissed.  She walked toward him and her smile grew as he took a step back and tried to go in another direction.

“Josh.”

“Don’t you need to go back to work?”

“Nope.” She said with a laugh.

“What’s so funny?” He growled.

“You.”

“Just leave.”  Josh looked at the floor as Donna took hold of his arms.

“Nope.” She smiled as she placed a small kiss on his cheek.

“Ow.” He said with a small pout. She soothed him with another kiss on the opposite cheek.

“You were right you know?”

“What?” He finally looked up and met her eyes. She smiled and leaned a little closer to him.

“We have always loved each other.” A small smile formed across his lips as he watched her. She leaned forward a few more inches and placed a light kiss on his lips.

“Ow.”

“You said that.” She lightly kissed his nose.

“Was Amy pissed?” Donna smirked.

“Not really.”

“Didn’t think so.”

“So, what now?”

“Why’d you pick now to kiss me?”

“What?”

“I can’t properly return the kiss.” Josh replied with a small smirk. Donna nodded and kissed him lightly on his lower lip again.

“Ow.” Josh grinned.

“Big baby.”

“Am not.”

“Gee, that put me in my place.” She laughed as she pulled on Josh’s hand.  “Come on. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

“Give me a few hours. Then the last thing we’re going to do is talk.”

“Wow. The sweet talk you use. I’m swooning.”

“Read my lips, Donnatella.” Josh leaned in and kissed her. The kiss was slow and sweet and lingered for several minutes. Josh pulled away and smirked. “Got it?”

“Loud and clear.”

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