Work Text:
July 2007
The last thing Josh was expecting to be surprised by today are Donna’s hands. Or, more precisely, her fingernails. He’s also surprised at his reaction to them, which is…decidedly inappropriate given that he’s in a church, in the third pew on the left, about to watch CJ get married.
It’s his first time taking personal time off (Donna specifically pointed out that it’s not a vacation) since Santos took office. And, although Josh never argued the need or desire to attend the wedding of his found sister, with both him and Sam out of the office he’s been feeling a little stressed about what’s getting done without him, but more importantly what’s been NOT getting done without him.
It wasn’t entirely shocking to him when all preoccupations about the highway bill went out of his head the moment he saw Donna floating ethereally up the aisle. She always tended to have that effect on him no matter how long or in what way he’s known her. And, as expected, her hair and make up are flawless, her dress clings to her in all the right places. But, as his eyes raked over her during her long ascent up the aisle, all Josh can seem to focus on are her fingernails which are dark red in stark contrast to the white lilies in her bouquet.
Immediately his mind unhelpfully supplies the last and only time he’s ever seen her fingernails painted red, because, of course it has things like this catalogued and at the ready. He’s had years to study her at this point. Last time her fingernails were brighter, a candy apple red. This time they’re a slightly darker crimson. Still, the effect they have on him is the same. His mind floods with all the inappropriate images that had had all those years ago. The only difference is that by now he’s had the experience of being able to see in real life the things his mind’s eye could only imagine years ago.
For seven months now, his grandmother’s ring has been nestled on her left ring finger next to an engagement ring of his own procurement with a diamond that, to quote CJ, could blind China. His grandfather’s matching gold band proudly sits on his own left ring finger.
To say his friends and family who had written him off as a perpetual bachelor had been shocked when he suddenly turned up married would be an understatement. Driven by several very practical reasons, including the estimated size of the guest list and the time and expense of planning, their wedding had been a hasty, small affair with only Sam, Sam’s fiancé and Carol in attendance mostly because of their proximity and ability to come on short notice. The decision was made more respectable by the fact that the wedding was officiated by the Honorable Evelyn Lang, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Justice Lang, as it turned out, was a huge fan of performing weddings and was all too excited to take part in the happy event. At the end, she even presented the newlywed couple a bottle of champagne as a gift. It became the centerpiece of the photo that now sits on Josh’s desk in the West Wing. Taken on the steps of the Supreme Court building, Sam’s fiancé had captured the newlyweds in a moment of bliss toasting to their future and laughing at a joke to which they were the punchline. The slightly off focus photo captured them perfectly, Donna said when she presented it to him in a simple frame on his first day in what he will forever think of as Leo’s office. He’s studied the photo so many times he can call each detail up to memory, from the deceptively simple white dress Donna wore to the slim fitted slate blue suit Sam had helped him pick for himself because the color brought out the auburn in his curls in the thin winter sun.
Later that night, after CJ and Danny have said their “I do’s”, after everyone has toasted the newest newlyweds with dinner and dancing, and after Josh has had at least 3 urgent phone calls which have taken him away from the party, he finally gets to settle into bed with Donna.
“Your fingernails, you painted them red,” he points out once she’s spooned into him.
“Yeah, we thought it would look nice if they matched the dress.”
“Have I ever mentioned what it does to me when I see them painted red?”
“No,” she responds slowly, almost seductively. Then she looks back at him through her lashes. Her prior exhaustion clearly dissipated.
The kiss that ensues is filthy in a way that he never thought he’d get to have with a wife. A few minutes later he is reminded that he’s also been lucky enough to see her pale, graceful fingers wrapped around his own flesh in about 100 different ways, although it is objectively hotter to watch when her nails are that color red.
As much as he loves when she does this, because who wouldn’t, it’s too impersonal for how he’s feeling, so he begs her off and he pulls her up until she’s laying next to him where he can trace the contours of her face. It’s then he remembers the last part of his visions from all those years ago and for the first time he realizes he’s ready to make them a reality, too.
“You know how we talked about having a baby and I told you I wasn’t quite ready?”
Donna gets an expectant look in her eyes and nods.
“I think I’m ready now,” he tells her softly before adding, “that is, if you’re ready.”
Donna breaks into a wide smile, her eyes crinkle at the corners and catch the dim light in the room. Josh can’t help but smile back at her. That night they hold hands as they make love and later as they fall asleep spooned against one another.
When he wakes up the next morning their hands are still joined. His atop hers, which is splayed out across the soft skin of her belly.
The sight of her red fingernails there against her creamy white skin should inflame him, but instead all he can do is wonder if she already held their future against the palm of her hand.