(no subject)
Title: Bubbly Birthday Wishes
Author: Christine
Fandom/Pair: West Wing, J/D
Spoilers: Set somewhere in the S2 or S3 range
Disclaimer: Belong to Sorkin, Wells, etc, not me
Notes: Thanks to Tori for the Lush plot bunny. And to Caz for the cake prompt and quick read through.
~~~
"I want cake."
Josh looked up from his briefing book and cocked his head in Donna's direction, his eyebrows raised questioningly.
"Cake," she repeated as she set down the folder she was reading.
"Cake?"
"Yes," she replied. "Yellow spongy stuff? Tastes like vanilla and sugar? Usually accompanied by frosting of some sort?"
"I know what cake is, Donna! I'm just confused by your sudden need for it."
Her mouth turned down in a frown. "Of course you are," she mumbled, grabbing the folder again and flipping open the cover.
Ah. She thought he'd forgotten what today was. He hadn't, but there was no reason to let her know that just yet. Hiding a small smile, he shook his head. "No, really. You just finished devouring over half of my fries and some sort of green salad thing. Why do you need cake?"
"It would have been nice, that's all," she said, shrugging, and Josh couldn't help noticing how valiantly she tried not to sound too disappointed.
Time to let her know he really did remember what today's date meant.
"As nice as this?" he asked, grinning proudly as he pulled a lumpy package from his desk drawer and set it in front of her.
Her eyes lit up in delighted surprise. "You remembered?"
He gave her a disgruntled look. "Of course I remembered! How could you think I'd forget? And no, I didn't remember because of the post-its with outrageous gift suggestions, the enormous memo on my board, or because of the reminder from Carol. I remembered because I remember things like this, Donna."
"You never remember things like this, Josh."
"Yes, I do!" he protested.
"You think you do, but you don't."
"That's not true!"
She raised an eyebrow at him. "When is Sam's birthday?"
He frowned. "It's, um… uh… in July?"
"March," she smugly corrected.
"Ok, so I don't know Sam's birthday. That doesn't mean I don't remember yours. And yours is today, so… open your present," he instructed, pushing the bundle a little closer.
Smiling, she pulled the package to her and opened the flap. A shower of sparkly confetti came tumbling out as she pulled what appeared to be some sort of bath soap from the paper bag. She looked at him with a bemused smile. "Bath soap?"
He shrugged, trying to hide the sudden feeling of discomfort he felt. Maybe he should have gone with his original plan after all. "Yeah."
"You got me bath soap for my birthday?" she laughed.
He frowned. "In all fairness, I was going to get you something from that boutique place you like, but then Sam called my cell and before I knew it I was in the fruity bath place next door and there were all these girly things and -"
"You just grabbed the first thing you saw?" she asked, a hint of laughter still in her voice.
"NO! I carefully selected that for you," he insisted.
She turned the glittery bar over and read the tag attached to it. "'A sparkly little number perfect for nights on the town. Soak in luxurious vanilla and lavender bubbles with just a touch of glitter before heading out and watch the attention flock to your sexy self.'"
"What?!" he screeched. "It doesn't… it can't! Give me that!"
"No," she said, pulling the soap closer to her.
No way in hell was he going to let her use that thing to attract men. He had to convince her that this particular gift had been a mistake and that he had something else for her. "But… you can't… I won't let…" He took a deep breath, trying to calm his panic. "Please?"
"No, I'm not giving up my gift. Especially when it was selected with me specifically in mind," she teased.
He frowned. She was doing it on purpose, just to get a rise out of him. He should have known. "Ok, ok, so I grabbed the first thing available, but Donna --"
"I will not use this soap for any nights out on the town," she vowed softly.
He looked at her, surprised. "Really?"
"Really," she said. "Well, maybe for those nights when there's a state dinner, but otherwise? No."
He looked at her, relieved, and then realized that maybe that wasn't an appropriate way to react after giving one's assistant a highly inappropriate birthday gift and then complaining about the suggested use of said gift. "I, uh… thanks?"
She smiled at him. "Yes. Thank you. I appreciate my birthday gift."
"I'm glad," he said, relaxing back into his chair. "Happy birthday, Donnatella."
~The End ~
Author: Christine
Fandom/Pair: West Wing, J/D
Spoilers: Set somewhere in the S2 or S3 range
Disclaimer: Belong to Sorkin, Wells, etc, not me
Notes: Thanks to Tori for the Lush plot bunny. And to Caz for the cake prompt and quick read through.
~~~
"I want cake."
Josh looked up from his briefing book and cocked his head in Donna's direction, his eyebrows raised questioningly.
"Cake," she repeated as she set down the folder she was reading.
"Cake?"
"Yes," she replied. "Yellow spongy stuff? Tastes like vanilla and sugar? Usually accompanied by frosting of some sort?"
"I know what cake is, Donna! I'm just confused by your sudden need for it."
Her mouth turned down in a frown. "Of course you are," she mumbled, grabbing the folder again and flipping open the cover.
Ah. She thought he'd forgotten what today was. He hadn't, but there was no reason to let her know that just yet. Hiding a small smile, he shook his head. "No, really. You just finished devouring over half of my fries and some sort of green salad thing. Why do you need cake?"
"It would have been nice, that's all," she said, shrugging, and Josh couldn't help noticing how valiantly she tried not to sound too disappointed.
Time to let her know he really did remember what today's date meant.
"As nice as this?" he asked, grinning proudly as he pulled a lumpy package from his desk drawer and set it in front of her.
Her eyes lit up in delighted surprise. "You remembered?"
He gave her a disgruntled look. "Of course I remembered! How could you think I'd forget? And no, I didn't remember because of the post-its with outrageous gift suggestions, the enormous memo on my board, or because of the reminder from Carol. I remembered because I remember things like this, Donna."
"You never remember things like this, Josh."
"Yes, I do!" he protested.
"You think you do, but you don't."
"That's not true!"
She raised an eyebrow at him. "When is Sam's birthday?"
He frowned. "It's, um… uh… in July?"
"March," she smugly corrected.
"Ok, so I don't know Sam's birthday. That doesn't mean I don't remember yours. And yours is today, so… open your present," he instructed, pushing the bundle a little closer.
Smiling, she pulled the package to her and opened the flap. A shower of sparkly confetti came tumbling out as she pulled what appeared to be some sort of bath soap from the paper bag. She looked at him with a bemused smile. "Bath soap?"
He shrugged, trying to hide the sudden feeling of discomfort he felt. Maybe he should have gone with his original plan after all. "Yeah."
"You got me bath soap for my birthday?" she laughed.
He frowned. "In all fairness, I was going to get you something from that boutique place you like, but then Sam called my cell and before I knew it I was in the fruity bath place next door and there were all these girly things and -"
"You just grabbed the first thing you saw?" she asked, a hint of laughter still in her voice.
"NO! I carefully selected that for you," he insisted.
She turned the glittery bar over and read the tag attached to it. "'A sparkly little number perfect for nights on the town. Soak in luxurious vanilla and lavender bubbles with just a touch of glitter before heading out and watch the attention flock to your sexy self.'"
"What?!" he screeched. "It doesn't… it can't! Give me that!"
"No," she said, pulling the soap closer to her.
No way in hell was he going to let her use that thing to attract men. He had to convince her that this particular gift had been a mistake and that he had something else for her. "But… you can't… I won't let…" He took a deep breath, trying to calm his panic. "Please?"
"No, I'm not giving up my gift. Especially when it was selected with me specifically in mind," she teased.
He frowned. She was doing it on purpose, just to get a rise out of him. He should have known. "Ok, ok, so I grabbed the first thing available, but Donna --"
"I will not use this soap for any nights out on the town," she vowed softly.
He looked at her, surprised. "Really?"
"Really," she said. "Well, maybe for those nights when there's a state dinner, but otherwise? No."
He looked at her, relieved, and then realized that maybe that wasn't an appropriate way to react after giving one's assistant a highly inappropriate birthday gift and then complaining about the suggested use of said gift. "I, uh… thanks?"
She smiled at him. "Yes. Thank you. I appreciate my birthday gift."
"I'm glad," he said, relaxing back into his chair. "Happy birthday, Donnatella."
~The End ~