Title: 17 Hours and 37 Minutes
A/N: This one was inspired by Anne Marie as she drove our exhausted and
slightly tipsy asses home at 2 am. I hope you’re sleeping right now, woman.
A/N: The key non-exchange was a cruel joke and for the purposes of this
story, and my sanity, it never happened.
Josh bounced on the heels of his feet as he stood outside of the door. A
variety of papers clutched in his left hand, his right hand poised to knock on
the door. He hesitated for a second, not because he was anxious or
uncertain, but precisely because he wasn’t.
He knew once he knocked his life would change forever in a way that it hadn’
t since those early days in Nashua and as much as he wanted that change,
he also wanted to take a moment to cement this feeling and this memory in
his mind forever.
Okay. That was enough. He knocked, or rather rapped on the door 3 times in
rapid succession. A bewildered Donna Moss, dressed for bed in sweats and
a Santos for President T-shirt, opened the door.
“Josh?”
“Got new polling numbers, we’re ahead in Arizona, Nevada, and Virginia. And
in the new national tracking polls?... We’re tied… Nationally.”
Donna looked at him like she was concerned with his mental health.
“I know.” She replied. “I told YOU that this morning, remember?”
“I do, in fact, remember that.”
“Okay, then, why are you here now, telling me what I told you hours ago?”
Donna asked.
“It was 17 hours and 37 minutes ago.”
“17 hours and 37 minutes ago?” Donna repeated.
“It was.” Josh confirmed and moved two steps closer to where Donna was
standing in the middle of her hotel room.
“How do you know it was 17 hours and 37 minutes- Wait. Why do you know it
was 17 hours and 37 minutes ago?” She asked warily. Her heart had begun
to pick up it’s speed and do it’s familiar dance of happiness as Josh
continued, ever so slowly toward her.
“You know why, Donnatella.” Josh said quietly and tossed the polling data on
the floor so he could take both her hands in his.
“Because that’s when I told you we were tied nationally?” her voice squeaked
at the end. This could NOT be happening. He had totally backed off since
this morning. He’d been awkward around her and he’d even apologized for
kissing her. She must be asleep. That was it. She was asleep and dreaming;
this certainly wasn’t the first time. Although she had to admit this felt very,
very real. His hands were caressing her hands and his eyes were locked on
her eyes. If this was a dream, she was happy to stay asleep to see where this
was going.
Josh’s face broke into his patented smirk at Donna’s attempt at misdirection.
“Nah…try again.”
“Joshua…I can’t- Don’t play games with me; I can’t take that today. Not from
you. Not like this.”
“I assure you, Donnatella, the last thing I’m trying to do with you is play
games.” He leaned closer; close enough that she could feel his breath in her
ear and her body shivered. Encouraged by her response, he let his lips
caress her forehead and move across her face. Donna began to feel light
headed and realized she had yet to exhale. She let out her breath and took
in another one before Josh’s lips claimed hers.
It wasn’t wildly passionate like the kisses they’d shared 17 hours and 38
minutes ago. These kisses were longer and more drawn out. A quiet
exploration of one another’s mouths and bodies as hands and lips grew
bolder and bolder. These were kisses of possession and declaration and
they both knew it.
Josh broke the kiss to tell her the words he needed to say and the words he
thought she needed to hear.
“I have waited…so very long for this.” He told her in breathless fervor.
“More than 17 hours and 37 minutes?” she teased.
“Way more than that.” He admitted. “It almost depresses me how much more
than that, except that now that we’re here, it doesn’t seem to matter that
much anymore.” He told her in between peppering her face and throat with
kisses.
“I’d beg to differ.” Donna refuted.
Josh looked up and saw the melancholy in her eyes. There was no question
that they’d both suffered with all this hanging, unspoken, between them for
so long, but there was also no way Josh could see that it could have
happened differently either. Every step they’d traveled led them to the spot
they were standing on right now.
“Yeah…I guess you’re right.” His forehead met hers and they simply clung to
one another for a moment. “I love you Donnatella Moss…I always have.” His
confession brought tears to her eyes and made her body tremble.
“I love you too.” She admitted and felt his body relax. Then he drew back
from the embrace enough to frame her face with his hands and thoroughly
kiss her again.
“I need you.” He explained as his kisses grew more urgent. “I need you to
ground me. I need you to make me a better person. I need you by my side to
help me see the humor in my everyday screw-ups, but most of all…right
now…I just need you.”
“Show me.” She demanded and he proceeded to do just that. He worshipped
her body with his while I told her how she made him feel. He slipped his
hands under her t-shirt and ran his hands gently over her breasts. Unwilling
to touch without seeing and tasting he pulled her t-shirt over her head in one
smooth motion and simply stared.
“You are so incredibly beautiful.” Josh murmured while, miraculously, keeping
his eyes on her face. When it turned pink from his compliment he moved his
attention back to her chest and took one perfect peak into his mouth. Donna’
s knees nearly buckled and he was forced to keep her upright with his strong
arms enveloping her body. When his knees started to grow weak, he
carefully maneuvered them to her bed and gently laid her on top of it, before
climbing on top of her and continuing his bodily assault.
She was thrashing wildly at every touch while he removed her clothes and his
own until their entire bodies were touching; skin to skin. “I need you, Donna. I
need to be inside you.”
“I need you inside me; now. Please Josh. Just come inside me now. I’ve been
waiting forever.” She moaned and urged him to follow her instructions by
taking him in her hand and guiding him toward her heated center. He needed
no further urging from her and within a heartbeat their bodies were as
completely united physically as they had always been emotionally. Their
rhythm built into a fast crescendo that left them both weak and shaking.
“Josh..I love you.” Donna whispered sleepily and she felt him tighten his hold
on her.
“I love you, too.” He replied.
“Josh?” Donna had to ask now, before they both fell asleep.
“Hmmmm…?” He answered sleepily.
“17 hours and 37 minutes?” Donna asked and greatly to his credit, Josh
knew exactly what she was asking.
“If it were anything less than a Presidential campaign, Donnatella, it wouldn’t
have waited 17 seconds.” He assured her and she smiled a smile he could
feel without even looking at her.
She knew that there was nothing he took more seriously than running a
campaign for President. He knew that fact had just changed. And he would
spend the rest of his life proving that to her.
The End
A/N: This one was inspired by Anne Marie as she drove our exhausted and
slightly tipsy asses home at 2 am. I hope you’re sleeping right now, woman.
A/N: The key non-exchange was a cruel joke and for the purposes of this
story, and my sanity, it never happened.
Josh bounced on the heels of his feet as he stood outside of the door. A
variety of papers clutched in his left hand, his right hand poised to knock on
the door. He hesitated for a second, not because he was anxious or
uncertain, but precisely because he wasn’t.
He knew once he knocked his life would change forever in a way that it hadn’
t since those early days in Nashua and as much as he wanted that change,
he also wanted to take a moment to cement this feeling and this memory in
his mind forever.
Okay. That was enough. He knocked, or rather rapped on the door 3 times in
rapid succession. A bewildered Donna Moss, dressed for bed in sweats and
a Santos for President T-shirt, opened the door.
“Josh?”
“Got new polling numbers, we’re ahead in Arizona, Nevada, and Virginia. And
in the new national tracking polls?... We’re tied… Nationally.”
Donna looked at him like she was concerned with his mental health.
“I know.” She replied. “I told YOU that this morning, remember?”
“I do, in fact, remember that.”
“Okay, then, why are you here now, telling me what I told you hours ago?”
Donna asked.
“It was 17 hours and 37 minutes ago.”
“17 hours and 37 minutes ago?” Donna repeated.
“It was.” Josh confirmed and moved two steps closer to where Donna was
standing in the middle of her hotel room.
“How do you know it was 17 hours and 37 minutes- Wait. Why do you know it
was 17 hours and 37 minutes ago?” She asked warily. Her heart had begun
to pick up it’s speed and do it’s familiar dance of happiness as Josh
continued, ever so slowly toward her.
“You know why, Donnatella.” Josh said quietly and tossed the polling data on
the floor so he could take both her hands in his.
“Because that’s when I told you we were tied nationally?” her voice squeaked
at the end. This could NOT be happening. He had totally backed off since
this morning. He’d been awkward around her and he’d even apologized for
kissing her. She must be asleep. That was it. She was asleep and dreaming;
this certainly wasn’t the first time. Although she had to admit this felt very,
very real. His hands were caressing her hands and his eyes were locked on
her eyes. If this was a dream, she was happy to stay asleep to see where this
was going.
Josh’s face broke into his patented smirk at Donna’s attempt at misdirection.
“Nah…try again.”
“Joshua…I can’t- Don’t play games with me; I can’t take that today. Not from
you. Not like this.”
“I assure you, Donnatella, the last thing I’m trying to do with you is play
games.” He leaned closer; close enough that she could feel his breath in her
ear and her body shivered. Encouraged by her response, he let his lips
caress her forehead and move across her face. Donna began to feel light
headed and realized she had yet to exhale. She let out her breath and took
in another one before Josh’s lips claimed hers.
It wasn’t wildly passionate like the kisses they’d shared 17 hours and 38
minutes ago. These kisses were longer and more drawn out. A quiet
exploration of one another’s mouths and bodies as hands and lips grew
bolder and bolder. These were kisses of possession and declaration and
they both knew it.
Josh broke the kiss to tell her the words he needed to say and the words he
thought she needed to hear.
“I have waited…so very long for this.” He told her in breathless fervor.
“More than 17 hours and 37 minutes?” she teased.
“Way more than that.” He admitted. “It almost depresses me how much more
than that, except that now that we’re here, it doesn’t seem to matter that
much anymore.” He told her in between peppering her face and throat with
kisses.
“I’d beg to differ.” Donna refuted.
Josh looked up and saw the melancholy in her eyes. There was no question
that they’d both suffered with all this hanging, unspoken, between them for
so long, but there was also no way Josh could see that it could have
happened differently either. Every step they’d traveled led them to the spot
they were standing on right now.
“Yeah…I guess you’re right.” His forehead met hers and they simply clung to
one another for a moment. “I love you Donnatella Moss…I always have.” His
confession brought tears to her eyes and made her body tremble.
“I love you too.” She admitted and felt his body relax. Then he drew back
from the embrace enough to frame her face with his hands and thoroughly
kiss her again.
“I need you.” He explained as his kisses grew more urgent. “I need you to
ground me. I need you to make me a better person. I need you by my side to
help me see the humor in my everyday screw-ups, but most of all…right
now…I just need you.”
“Show me.” She demanded and he proceeded to do just that. He worshipped
her body with his while I told her how she made him feel. He slipped his
hands under her t-shirt and ran his hands gently over her breasts. Unwilling
to touch without seeing and tasting he pulled her t-shirt over her head in one
smooth motion and simply stared.
“You are so incredibly beautiful.” Josh murmured while, miraculously, keeping
his eyes on her face. When it turned pink from his compliment he moved his
attention back to her chest and took one perfect peak into his mouth. Donna’
s knees nearly buckled and he was forced to keep her upright with his strong
arms enveloping her body. When his knees started to grow weak, he
carefully maneuvered them to her bed and gently laid her on top of it, before
climbing on top of her and continuing his bodily assault.
She was thrashing wildly at every touch while he removed her clothes and his
own until their entire bodies were touching; skin to skin. “I need you, Donna. I
need to be inside you.”
“I need you inside me; now. Please Josh. Just come inside me now. I’ve been
waiting forever.” She moaned and urged him to follow her instructions by
taking him in her hand and guiding him toward her heated center. He needed
no further urging from her and within a heartbeat their bodies were as
completely united physically as they had always been emotionally. Their
rhythm built into a fast crescendo that left them both weak and shaking.
“Josh..I love you.” Donna whispered sleepily and she felt him tighten his hold
on her.
“I love you, too.” He replied.
“Josh?” Donna had to ask now, before they both fell asleep.
“Hmmmm…?” He answered sleepily.
“17 hours and 37 minutes?” Donna asked and greatly to his credit, Josh
knew exactly what she was asking.
“If it were anything less than a Presidential campaign, Donnatella, it wouldn’t
have waited 17 seconds.” He assured her and she smiled a smile he could
feel without even looking at her.
She knew that there was nothing he took more seriously than running a
campaign for President. He knew that fact had just changed. And he would
spend the rest of his life proving that to her.
The End
