Feedback!
By: VegaWriters
Rating: Teen
Disclaimer: The West Wing and all its characters are a property of Aaron Sorkin, John Wells Production, Warner Brothers Television and NBC. No copyright infringement is intended. In other words, all West Wing characters are owned by NBC, Warner Brothers, John Wells, et al. I have absolutely no rights at all regarding them. I make no money with the characters that Aaron Sorkin created, or with the characters that were later created by John Wells.
Characters: Josh/Amy
For: privateuniverse for the TWW_Minis Community
“What is it tonight?” Her tone wasn’t nearly as flippant as her words. It was clear she was still mostly asleep. But when he chuckled, her fingers tightened on his chest. “I’m serious, Josh. What’s bothering you?”
“A lot of things.” His fingers traced absent patterns on her shoulder. “I’m feeling the burnout.”
“You’re admitting burnout?” Amy pulled her head back just a bit, so she could look at him. “You?”
“Let’s keep that between us.”
Amy chuckled softly and leaned up to kiss his cheek. “Consider it kept.” Gently, her fingers skimmed across his chest. “So what’s bothering you?”
He didn’t say anything.
“You’re missing Joanie.”
“Yeah.” There were times that he hated how well she could read him. Conversations like this weren’t supposed to happen anymore. It was all supposed to be about sex. No talking. But here they were. Talking. “It doesn’t happen a lot … I mean I miss her all the time … but …”
“But it’s kicked you in the teeth tonight?”
He sighed and pulled her closer.
“You do realize you need to be at work in about three hours?” Amy was too sleepy to try and actually wear him out – they’d already done that tonight.
“Yeah.”
“Are you going to be your usual stubborn self while I’m trying to care about you?”
“It’s 3 AM. What do you want from me?”
“You to be well rested.”
“I thought we weren’t supposed to be talking,” he said softly.
“It’s Joanie’s birthday.” Amy whispered before kissing her favorite place on his chest. “I’m willing to make an exception.”
“It’s Melissa’s birthday.” He countered.
“She’s older than Joanie.” Amy betrayed her own needs by snuggling close.
“Not by much.”
“No.”
“Do you ever blame yourself?”
“Every day.”
“They ever catch the guy?”
“Every so often some homicide detective gets hot under the collar and thinks he can solve a twenty-year-old cold case. He’s out in the wind somewhere.” She paused. “Do you ever blame yourself?”
“Every day.”
“You were just a little kid, Josh.”
“And you were thirteen.”
“There isn’t anything you could have done.”
“You either.”
“I was thirteen.”
“Exactly.”
Their arms tightened around each other and they listened to the rain fall against Amy’s windows.
“I met Leo at Joanie’s funeral.”
“Mrs. Bartlet used to baby-sit me.”
“This could go on all night, right?”
Amy laughed. “It could if you wanted it to.”
“I don’t know if I do. It hurts to remember.”
“But we always do, don’t we?”
“Yeah.”
“Why is that?”
“Because they are our older sisters and they always looked out for us. But we couldn’t ever return the favor.”
“Is that what your therapist told you?”
“Yeah.”
Josh laughed.
“It took me almost twenty years to eat popcorn again.”
“I lost my virginity to a woman and didn’t date any guys until college.”
“I win.”
“You do?”
“Not only did my phobia last longer but now I have some really hot visuals.”
“You’re hopeless.”
“Yes.”
Amy laughed.
Josh kissed the top of her head and snuggled down. “I should try to sleep now.”
“Yeah.”
“You should too.”
“Not a problem for me.”
He laughed.
She smiled. “Sleep, Jay.”
“You too, Amy.”
“Yeah.”
“Amy…” He paused, the words on his lips but he couldn’t say it. Not when they weren’t supposed to be “Talking”.
He felt her shift against him. “I know, Jay,” she murmured. “Me too.”
~fin~