advent calendar fic: day 08
let nothing you dismay
The West Wing | Josh/Donna | 728 words
Happy Holidays, hazel_eyes_86
“I thought I gave Margaret strict instructions not to let anyone else in here without my permission.”
When Josh arrives back in his office after a particularly long and difficult Senior Staff meeting to find that he is not alone, he cannot help but snap at the intruder -- no matter how welcome a sight she usually is.
From her perch on the side of his desk, Donna turns her head, treating him with an irritated glare that has made lesser men cower in fear. “I bribed her with a banana nut muffin,” she says matter-of-factly. With a playful roll of her eyes and mock exasperation in her tone, she adds, “It’s nice to see you too, Josh.”
He pauses, realizing that he may have been short with her unintentionally. “Sorry,” he mumbles apologetically.
“You’re forgiven,” Donna proclaims magnanimously, not that she had actually been upset in the first place. But it is her obligation to give him a hard time whenever possible. It’s the least she can do since she left the West Wing in favor of the East; someone has to keep him on his toes.
She grins and moves forward to place a light kiss against his lips. “Bad morning?” she asks.
He shrugs it off as noncommittally as he can. “We lost three votes, but we’ll get them back.”
“Well I have something that might cheer you up.”
The nature of her cheerful tone causes Josh to eye her warily.
Donna waves something in front of his face quickly. “These are your tickets for the DC Public School Teachers’ Holiday Gala this Friday night.”
“Donna!” Josh groans audibly. “Do I really need a ticket? I will be there with, you know, the President of the United States.”
“And the President is lucky to get a ticket, too!” She grins cheekily at the skepticism on his face. “We are perfectly capable of putting on sought-after events over in the East Wing.”
He strides over to the new blackboard they had installed behind his desk, changing three Yays to Nays: Bernstein, Moyer, and Sullivan. Josh says they’ll get the votes back, but she makes a mental note of the names just in case.
Interpreting his lack of response as acceptance, she explains, “I got tickets for all of you, and an extra one for Ainsley. Sam said she wanted to come, too.”
Josh, who after several months has finally come to terms with the fact that his best friend is dating a Republican, gives her a confused look. “Is there going to be some kind of dessert table at this thing that you haven’t told me about yet?”
“No.” Donna laughs, moving nimble fingers over his chest to straighten his tie. “But we did get the Whiffenpoofs to provide the entertainment.”
“The Whiffen-who?” he asks incredulously. “What kind of idiotic name is that?”
“Don’t give me that,” she hits him lightly against his shoulder. “You know, the a capella group. You went to Yale! You know perfectly well who they are.” With an exaggerated sigh, she adds, “They’re going to sing Christmas carols during the reception.”
“Oh.”
“Yes. Oh.”
Brow furrowed, Josh considers this for a moment. “So this party...” he says slowly, his eyes lingering on the tickets she still holds in her hands. “This isn’t one of those things I can get out of, is it?”
“You could try,” she allows, her eyes crinkling in amusement. “But you’ll find yourself fighting a losing battle. Sam’s going, and he’s not putting up a fight.”
“That’s different!” he insists. “Sam never fights these things... and he probably gets that a capella stuff, too.”
“I tell you what,” she says, a broad grin spreading across her face. “Come to the party, have a few drinks, and talk up a few teachers. You might be surprised at how painless it will be.”
When she pauses, his expression seems to say, what’s in it for me if I do?
“And...” She steps around him, moving towards his office door, but she glances back to meet his gaze. “If you behave, I might even take you home with me.”
Before she can take another step towards the door, he catches her hand and pulls her back into the office.
The West Wing | Josh/Donna | 728 words
Happy Holidays, hazel_eyes_86
“I thought I gave Margaret strict instructions not to let anyone else in here without my permission.”
When Josh arrives back in his office after a particularly long and difficult Senior Staff meeting to find that he is not alone, he cannot help but snap at the intruder -- no matter how welcome a sight she usually is.
From her perch on the side of his desk, Donna turns her head, treating him with an irritated glare that has made lesser men cower in fear. “I bribed her with a banana nut muffin,” she says matter-of-factly. With a playful roll of her eyes and mock exasperation in her tone, she adds, “It’s nice to see you too, Josh.”
He pauses, realizing that he may have been short with her unintentionally. “Sorry,” he mumbles apologetically.
“You’re forgiven,” Donna proclaims magnanimously, not that she had actually been upset in the first place. But it is her obligation to give him a hard time whenever possible. It’s the least she can do since she left the West Wing in favor of the East; someone has to keep him on his toes.
She grins and moves forward to place a light kiss against his lips. “Bad morning?” she asks.
He shrugs it off as noncommittally as he can. “We lost three votes, but we’ll get them back.”
“Well I have something that might cheer you up.”
The nature of her cheerful tone causes Josh to eye her warily.
Donna waves something in front of his face quickly. “These are your tickets for the DC Public School Teachers’ Holiday Gala this Friday night.”
“Donna!” Josh groans audibly. “Do I really need a ticket? I will be there with, you know, the President of the United States.”
“And the President is lucky to get a ticket, too!” She grins cheekily at the skepticism on his face. “We are perfectly capable of putting on sought-after events over in the East Wing.”
He strides over to the new blackboard they had installed behind his desk, changing three Yays to Nays: Bernstein, Moyer, and Sullivan. Josh says they’ll get the votes back, but she makes a mental note of the names just in case.
Interpreting his lack of response as acceptance, she explains, “I got tickets for all of you, and an extra one for Ainsley. Sam said she wanted to come, too.”
Josh, who after several months has finally come to terms with the fact that his best friend is dating a Republican, gives her a confused look. “Is there going to be some kind of dessert table at this thing that you haven’t told me about yet?”
“No.” Donna laughs, moving nimble fingers over his chest to straighten his tie. “But we did get the Whiffenpoofs to provide the entertainment.”
“The Whiffen-who?” he asks incredulously. “What kind of idiotic name is that?”
“Don’t give me that,” she hits him lightly against his shoulder. “You know, the a capella group. You went to Yale! You know perfectly well who they are.” With an exaggerated sigh, she adds, “They’re going to sing Christmas carols during the reception.”
“Oh.”
“Yes. Oh.”
Brow furrowed, Josh considers this for a moment. “So this party...” he says slowly, his eyes lingering on the tickets she still holds in her hands. “This isn’t one of those things I can get out of, is it?”
“You could try,” she allows, her eyes crinkling in amusement. “But you’ll find yourself fighting a losing battle. Sam’s going, and he’s not putting up a fight.”
“That’s different!” he insists. “Sam never fights these things... and he probably gets that a capella stuff, too.”
“I tell you what,” she says, a broad grin spreading across her face. “Come to the party, have a few drinks, and talk up a few teachers. You might be surprised at how painless it will be.”
When she pauses, his expression seems to say, what’s in it for me if I do?
“And...” She steps around him, moving towards his office door, but she glances back to meet his gaze. “If you behave, I might even take you home with me.”
Before she can take another step towards the door, he catches her hand and pulls her back into the office.