Title: Partied Out Author: Courtney (imperviousness@gmail.com) Characters: Josh and Donna Rating: PG? Spoilers: Umm... None, really. Post-Tomorrow Notes: It's unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine. It's insane and I can't believe I'm posting it, and yet here it is. It's been on my hard drive for a good long time. I started it because I wanted to write an inaugural fic, but... this is what came of it. Josh's hand was pressed to the small of Donna's back as he led her into their sixth ball of the night. "Has today seemed like the longest day ever?" She groaned as she leaned back into his touch. "Technically, it's tomorrow." He was looking straight ahead, surveying the crowd for guests he couldn't avoid for fear of political repercussions. But it didn't matter anyways; his stealth mode wasn't quite up to power tonight. He blamed the three and a half glasses of wine from the previous five balls. "Huh?" "It's 12:37 am, so it's now Sunday." "Oh. How much longer do we have to do this?" She turned to glance at him, the luster of her green eyes dulling with tiredness. "Well, we are chiefs of staff, the top advisors in the newly established Santos administration. I'm thinking we might have to stick around for a bit longer." "Oh, right, there's that. - Why did we sign up for that again?" He bit back a chuckle as she wrinkled her nose. "I can't exactly remember at this point, but I think there was some mentioning of the greater good." "The greater good of what?" "The nation. The democracy." He gesticulated abstractly, waving about the air with his free hand. "The people," he added, with empty enthusiasm. "Screw democracy," Donna mumbled. "Screw the people." "Okay, see, while I currently agree with that sentiment, but only because of the exhaustion that I'm feeling right now, I think that maybe we shouldn't say that too loudly. -Or at all. Not in the vicinity of the Press Corps. And not in the vicinity of conservatives." "We're at the DNC-sponsored Inaugural ball, recognizing the first Latino president ever elected in the United States." "You were our campaign spokesperson." "Yes, what does that have to do with anything, right now?" "I'm just saying, 'recognizing the first Latino president ever elected in the United States'? That's the best you could do? Maybe it's good you didn't take the deputy press secretary position." "Excuse me?" Donna pulled back and glared. "What I meant to say, and I think it got lost in the structural stylings of my sentiment, is that you would have been fabulous as the deputy. The Communications department is a lesser place without your presence." "And?" "And I forgot where this was originally going." "Well, maybe if you hadn't gotten lost in the so-called structural stylings of your sentiment, we wouldn't have just wasted four minutes on you being an ass." "Yes, that's probably true." "Probably?" "That's true, that's extremely true." "Now, before you were ridiculing my public speaking skills-" "You gave as well as you received on that front, Donna." "Not something I haven't heard before." Her lips pulled back in a sexy, if not slightly devilish, grin. "Okay, see, I'm starting to forget how we got here." "Limo. Where the White House Chief of Staff goes, he goes in style." "Yeah, and the President arrived in a potato truck." "He's of the people." "Which we are not." "Screw the people!" "I'm suddenly envisioning you in a three-tiered powered-white wig, and one of those gowns with the laced corset and the massively bubbled skirt." "Sorry, tonight I'm wearing Versace, not, you know, some kinky eighteenth-century get-up to rival Marie-Antoinette." "Some other time, then?" He waggled his eyebrows in Groucho Marx fashion. "Why are we still here?" "If it makes you feel better, it's now 1:06." "In the morning?" "No, Donnatella, we've actually been standing here for twelve hours, discussing public relations and pre-revolted France." Startled by her snort of laughter, Josh suddenly turned. "What? What is just so funny that you almost sprayed champagne out your nose?" "'Pre-revolted France'?" "I didn't say that." "Yes you did." "That doesn't make sense. I wouldn't have said that." "Right, because everything you say is said with such clarity." "I have excellent public speaking skills." "Ten minutes ago - or maybe it was six hours, I can't be sure anymore - you called such skills your 'structural stylings'." "Yes." "Which thereby proves you do not have excellent public speaking skills. And the further proof was the fact you were trying to drag your ass out of the rather large hole you'd dug by insulting your girlfriend." "That takes some talent, you have to admit." "I'm tired, Josh." She leaned on his shoulder. "Why are we still here?" "We are the C.O.S.s." "R.O.U.S.s." "Are you really so tired that you've lost your mind?" "I haven't lost my mind, yet." "You made a reference to The Princess Bride in the middle of the DNC ball." "Hardly a record for me. - Wait, how do you know that's what I referenced? When have you seen that movie?" "I'm not just some suit, Donna. I don't always have my nose buried in some political cause. I have a life outside of work." "Which is currently spent with me. So I ask you again, when have you seen The Princess Bride?" "Late night television on the campaign." "Ah." "Yeah. And speaking of rodents of unusual size, Senator O'Connell just came in." "Think he'll want to talk about the funding for his campaign?" "Inconceivable." "I'm tired Joshua. I want to go home, I want to peel this dress off and fling it across the room. And then I just want to fall into bed." "While I echo that sentiment, all the way down to peeling that dress off of you, I feel I should remind you that we are the-" "Have you seen the cut of this dress, Josh? It hugs every curve. And it does so without showing a panty line or bra strap. Care to take a guess as to why it doesn't show a panty line or a bra strap?" "Donna." "Right, well, I'll just let your mind wonder on that on for a moment." "Go say good night to Mrs. Santos, and I'll find our coats before we turn into pumpkins, or something." "You're so malleable," Donna grinned as Josh darted off into the crowd.