TITLE: Simple Solutions

AUTHOR: Demon Faith

CATEGORY: Romance, AU

SPOILERS: none

RATING: PG-13

WARNINGS: sexual situations

SUMMARY: Sometimes the most effective solution is the most simple

DISCLAIMER: The West Wing is Aaron Sorkin’s baby – no one tell me different! I make no money from this pleasure.

NOTES: Let me just say this – I don’t do The West Wing anymore. I gave up watching five episodes into Season 5 and I gave up Josh/Donna way before that (with most het, actually). I am a slasher and involved in far too many fandoms that no longer include TWW.

And yet, because it is Bek’s birthday today, I am writing J/D fic. *sigh* See the end for her theme – wouldn’t want to spoil!

Josh reread the letter carefully before putting it on the desk and flattening it out with his palms, watching the creases refuse to be smoothed. He looked up and contemplated the fidgeting woman standing in his doorway before returning his gaze to the letter.

“Why?”

A sigh, and then: “Because sometimes the most effective solution is the most simple.”

He looked up, confusion written all over his face, frown deepening when he realised Donna was *smiling*. She turned and shut the door, leaning against it and watching him intently. He shifted nervously and tugged at his collar, wondering if she realised what she was doing.

Then he remembered this was Donnatella Moss he was dealing with – she knew *exactly* what she was doing. She knew that pressed up against the door like that, watching him so carefully, would bring back startlingly the memory of two nights past, when he thought he’d screwed up their relationship forever.

It had been quiet, late, and they’d been working on some memo to the President, carefully worded around an issue so no heads would roll come morning. Donna had just fetched the coffee pot (she wasn’t bringing it if he had to make it himself) and slipped, earning Josh a lapful of Donna.

Neither of them had moved, Josh hardly daring to breathe as Donna shifted awkwardly trying to decide the best way to remove herself with the minimum of fuss. Except she didn’t and Josh had poor impulse control at the best of times, but with his assistant, friend, *Donna* across his lap, he had no control at all.

A quick kiss, barely a brush of the lips, and Josh had thought that would be that. He would pass it off later as tiredness or moonlit madness, but he knew it was more, much more that made him dive back for another kiss, deep and searching, asking and receiving every reassurance he’d ever needed.

He’d swung her up from his lap, making sure she understood what was happening here – he was not seducing his assistant; he was loving Donna Moss.

Walking her backwards between stuttered kisses, and pushing the door closed with one hand, pressing her into it with the other – he had no idea how long they had stood there, mouths open to each other, senses exploding with years of shattering self-control and the noblest denial.

All he knew was that a terse knock on the door had sent him skittering away from her, and her hurriedly rearranging her blouse so it didn’t look…like her boss had just had her pinned to the door.

It had only been Sam, inquiring as to where the coffee pot had disappeared to, but it was enough to send Donna home early, muttering about an early start for the Blundell meeting. Josh had let her go without a word, leaving Sam to very innocently ask if they’d had a fight. Best friend or no, Josh sometimes wanted to strangle Sam.

However, he had made a decision – they couldn’t be together in the White House. They couldn’t do this, risk the President and the whole administration for what would look to the world like a sordid affair. A boss pinning his assistant to the door.

So he’d pulled her aside quietly the next morning and apologised, and she’d finished his lines for him, as always, saying they’d always be friends and that was what was important. And he’d rushed to agree, smiling gratefully for her understanding, her patience, her being Donna and being so damn easy to fall in love with.

Except now she was leaving him. The letter was plain in front of him – Resignation of Donnatella Moss. After all she’d said about them being friends, she was abandoning him?

“Donna…I don’t understand.”

She rolled her eyes then and he smiled in bewilderment, as she pushed herself slowly away from the door and leaned over the desk so their faces were but an inch apart.

“I’m not your assistant anymore,” she whispered, a slow smile spreading across her face as the light dawned and Josh realised what she was giving him, giving *them*.

“You…you would do that?”

“I have done that, Josh. It’s right there in front of you.”

Josh met her eyes, seeing everything she was not saying behind them. //I’m here for keeps, I won’t leave you, this is better, *I love you*//

“Are…are you sure? I can tear up the letter…”

“I am sure,” she said firmly. “Are you?”

Josh answered with a soft kiss, quiet and careful yet exactly the promise it was.

“Josh, could you just…wow!”

Donna turned, startled, as Josh stood and looked at Sam Seaborn in his doorway, blinking behind his glasses.

“You know what? I’ll come back later.”

Sam left and shut the door, as Donna turned back, looking down at the desk. Josh followed her eyes and saw that the letter was a creased and crumpled mess. Carefully, he extracted it and put it aside before leaning forward again, a dimpled smile just for Donna.

“Now, where were we?”

Bek: how about something about her quitting her job