M | late 30s | they/them
The West Wing side blog. Josh/Donna. Let CJ Have Nice Things.
AO3: thefinestmuffins.
Follows and notes come from main blog, @enoughslices.
SNOWBALLS AN SLOW DANCES: A JOSH/DONNA ROM-COM MINI-FEST
The collection is now LIVE! There are currently 19 Josh/Donna stories, with more likely to trickle in over the course of the month!
Thank you so much to everyone who contributed!! Reading through the fics this week was the fluffiest, most fun experience and I hope it can brighten your February too!
Check them out on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Snowballs_and_Slow_Dances
Iâm showing you how serious I want to see the following prompt done! đŹ
âYou sat next to me on the airplane and fell asleep on my shoulder and I donât want to move you cause you look so comfortable. Oh and youâre hot.â
Happy birthday to you! đ„ł đ
i.
Itâs been nine days since Noah Lyman died. Nine days since heâs had a conversation that didnât open with âI was so sorry to hear about your dadâ and close with âlet me know if you need anything.â
Itâs been six hours since he landed in California. Six hours since Donna picked him up at the airport, wrapped him in a hug, and handed him a cup of coffee. Itâs been five and a half hours since she flipped off the driver who cut her off on the way back to the temporary campaign HQ, and the first time heâs genuinely laughed since his dad died. Itâs been five hours and twenty minutes since she squealed delightedly at spotting an Alaska license plate, since he rolled his eyes at her while fighting a smile.
Itâs been five hours and six minutes since things started to feel right again.
Itâs been an hour since they got on the plane, and thirteen minutes since she fell asleep on his shoulder. Itâs been twelve minutes and fifteen seconds since he realized that his arm was wrapped around her, and twelve minutes and ten seconds since he stopped himself from dropping a kiss on the top of her head.
Itâs been three minutes since he noticed the butterflies in his stomach.
ii.
Itâs been eight years and nine months since they met. Eight years and nine months since he handed her his badge, since she flashed him that bright smile and promised that heâd find her valuable.
Itâs been eight years and seven months since she left and came back. Seven years and seven months since the first time he sent her flowers to mark the anniversary of her return to him, even before he knew what it would mean to him, back when it was just a twinge of unexplained jealousy and nothing more.
Itâs been three years and ten months since he threw snowballs at her window. Itâs been two years and six months since he almost lost her in Gaza, then in Germany.
Itâs been seven days since he asked her to join him in Hawaii. Itâs been five days since he told her he loved her for the first time, since she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, whispering the same words against his lips with tears in her eyes.
Itâs been two days since he suggested that she move in with him, and two days since she accepted.
Itâs been forty-five minutes they took off from Hawaii to return to D.C., and itâs been twenty-nine minutes since she fell asleep on his shoulder. Itâs been twenty-eight minutes and forty seconds since he realized he could actually kiss her on the top of her head, and did so.
Itâs been twenty-eight minutes and thirteen seconds since he decided that heâs going to ask her to marry him someday.
iii.
Itâs been a few months since theyâve been on a plane. A few months since they went to visit CJ, since the girls argued over who got the middle seat across the aisle from their parents.
Itâs been a little less time since Donna agreed to run for Congress. A little less time since she took her first trip out to Wisconsin without Josh and the girls, since the phone was passed around to say goodnight. A little less time since Donna came home and their three daughters chattered away as she settled in, updating her on what she missed.
Itâs been a few weeks since Donnaâs first day in Congress. Itâs been a few weeks since the first time Josh heard someone call her âCongresswomanâ, since she looked back at him beaming, asking if he heard what she just heard.
Itâs been a few minutes since she laced her fingers in his and leaned her head on his shoulder. Itâs been a little less time since she fell asleep. Itâs been a little less time than that since he glanced down at their intertwined hands, noticing the glint of her wedding ring in the sunlight from the window of the airplane. Itâs been just a few seconds less than that since he kissed her head, just because he can.
Itâs in that moment that he realizes somewhere along the line, he relaxed enough to stop counting.
RULES (AO3): https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Snowballs_and_Slow_Dances/profile#rules
RULES (GOOGLE DOC): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UJkBvjjeh0pc1nohJ--BEqMlPxCjESaqI1ZK85kor1s/edit?usp=sharing
(Rules are the same both places, but sharing both in case one format or another is better for folks)
The West Wing Characters + DC Neighborhood Headcanons
Something that really bothers me is that we never get to know the neighborhoods in and around DC where the characters live (however, Aaron Sorkin seems to only know 2 DC neighborhoods and forget about anyone commuting from Northern Virginia or Southern Maryland). I didnât grow up here, but I have lived in the DC area for the better part of the last 7 years which I feel makes me qualified to be able to use some context clues to try to place these people in areas that make sense in 2021 at least.
This is gonna be a long post so letâs get into it!
may i ask for some favourite fics to close out 2021? xx
This is so difficult, because there's been SO MUCH great fic lately.
First, my friends were kind enough to write some birthday fics for me!
where you lead, i will follow by @sam-loves-seb | Rated G | Mama Lyman and J/D over the years, featuring one of the most beautifully written scenes I've ever read in any fandom or published writing.
Professor Josh by @cookme25 | Rated G | Mama Lyman + DadProfessorJosh! FEELS.
Independence Day by @hufflepuffhermione | Rated G | This one's J/D, Dad Josh, Found family, Angsty trauma feels... pushing that Bartlet Farm and Mental Health agenda, we love to see it.
a thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices (o holy night) by @rosieposiepie | Rated T | The way I'm obsessed with this little continuation of i fall apart! DadJosh and MomDonna + holiday feels and found family, it's just really really brilliant.
daughters will love like you do by hanyolo | Rated G | THE DAD JOSH MOM DONNA FEELS! Neither one of them can resist their girls and I loved this
I haven't done one of these in a little bit so there's more under the cut. I'm not including exchange fics, because they're not all posted... but THERE ARE SOME CLUB BANGERS IN THERE TOO. Anyway.
Here are some other fics I loved!
the warmest bed I've ever known by mikaylawrites | Rated G | J/D + bed sharing, also soft expectant dad Josh, it's lovely.
you can run (but only so far) by swancharmings | Rated M | A Season 6 AU that makes me want to scream in all the best ways. Beautiful and wonderful and makes me FEEL ALL THE THINGS.
the past, she is haunted (the future is laced) by hanyolo | Rated G | Dad Josh and Mom Donna + Joanie angst, it's EVERYTHING.
you know that im fallin' by thababes | Rated T | A Josh/Donna ficlet + Sam and Donna friendship, it's just really lovely.
they call her love by @sam-loves-seb | Rated T [but has a smutty chapter] | Josh and Donna and all the names they call each other. LOVING this one so far.
my home is yours to settle in by swancharmings | Rated M | Soft fluffy established relationship goodness.
one single thread of gold (tied me to you) by hanyolo | Rated T | Taylor Swift inspired, angsty, soft, beautiful. It's everything.
the soul felt its worth by @hufflepuffhermione | Rated T | I jumped back for this one because it's Josh and a Holy Night AU featuring Stanley Keyworth. It's one of my favorite things Alli has written, ever.
gather ye rosebuds by @thefinestmuffins | Rated E | A 20 Hours in LA smutty AU! It's everything I could ever ask for. Banter, sweetness, hotness.
nothing left to talk about by fairwinds09 | Rated E | Donna/Josh + yoga! HOT, SWEET, ALL OF THE THINGS.
Coming of Age (Again) by thatTWWgirl | Rated T | A College Au/Josh and Donna meet again on the Bartlet Campaign AU. Really excited for more of this one.
Academic Adjustments by @hufflepuffhermione | Rated T | Look, it's professorDadJosh + zoom professor DadJosh, it's just EVERYTHING, okay?
sometimes it's like you grew up down the street by @thestarsontheceiling | Rated G | It's a TA!Josh AU! Josh/Donna and it's literally everything to me.
the magnetism between two dead ends by joshatella (shuuuliet) | Rated T | THE. PINING. THE. PAIN. It's so good, but OUCH!
That's certainly not the entirety of the list of great fics. That's a ton of them though!
You used to love it when I couldnât dress myself without you.
I used to love peppermint ice cream, too, but now those little pieces of candy, they get stuck in your teeth in a way that I find irritating.
Josh & Donna | Season 6