A/N: Heyyyyyy guys. Sorry about the hiatus, things have been pretty hectic for me for a while. Good hectic, thankfully, but hectic nonetheless! Thanks so much for sticking by me, and for continuing to review and pester me during the break ;)

I missed you guys.

Now, without further ado, let's get these two reunited why don't we?

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When the phone rings at the dinner table, Josh and Ruth look up simultaneously, having a silent staring match for a few moments. Eventually, Josh breaks. "I'll get it."

Ruth smirks knowingly. "Who is it, sweetie?"

Josh gives her a look as he darts for the phone. "Just, ya know, Harvard people. I'm getting as many people to read this essay as possible."

"Mmhmm."

"Law school applications are important, mom!"

"A friend of yours, or-"

Noah, who has little interest in the ongoing standoff between his son and wife, grumbles into his food, "As long as you're not on too long. You've been driving up the goddamn phone bill your entire stay."

"Can't wait to get me out of your hair, huh dad?" Josh brushes out of the kitchen, heading for the phone in the living room.

Noah smiles slightly. "Like you wouldn't believe."

"Joshua, you haven't finished your food-" Ruth trails off as Josh firmly closes the door behind him. She turns her stern gaze to Noah. "He's seeing someone."

Noah chews distractedly. "Leave him alone, dear. He won't tell you if you keep prying."

Ruth sniffs. "He seems very invested."

"Mm." Noah mutters. "As long as it's not interfering with his applications."

Ruth rolls her eyes. "For god's sake! He'll get in anywhere he sets his mind to, and you know that."

Noah harrumphs. "Not if he's spending all his time on the phone to some girl."

Ruth smacks his arm.

In the living room, Josh picks up the phone, already knowing who's on the other end. He pulls his latest draft of his Duke Law essay toward him, because he was actually telling his parents the truth about the purpose of his phone call. At least, partially. "Okay, shoot," he says without greeting, holding the phone up to his ear and grinning.

Also without greeting, Donna launches in with, "Second paragraph. Third sentence."

Josh finds the place she's talking about, while in Wisconsin she looks down at her own copy, faxed to her a few hours ago. "What about it?"

"It reads like false modesty."

"No it doesn't. It's actual modesty."

"I know that's what you meant, but..."

"But what?" He challenges.

"But it's not working." She says flatly. "You can't go for 'but it's honestly not a big deal' after talking about an amazing academic track record at an Ivy League institution, taking a semester off for campaign work, and being the youngest captain in the history of the debate team. I'm sorry, but it's just not working. Go big or go home."

"Since when do you tell me to brag more?"

"Since you're applying to law school, and you appear to have a few accomplishments actually worth bragging about."

"Oh yeah?" He smirks.

"It was a surprise to me too." She says dryly.

"What did you think of the other one?"

"I liked it a lot, actually. I think the conclusion could use a little polish, but overall, it was good. Heartfelt."

"I finally achieved that, huh?"

"With my assistance, yes. It is no longer a clinical, boring policy pitch. It's moving."

"Well what you wanted me to write was basically a romance novel about the tax system, so I guess together, we write one halfway decent essay."

"Would seem so." She says brightly.

There's a comfortable lull in the phone call, and Josh sets his application materials aside. "So how's the Great White North?"

"Cold." She says simply. "Connecticut?"

"Cold." He echoes. "Your family?"

She sighs. "My brother leaves on Sunday, hopefully that'll ease some of the pressure. You know, before we burst."

"That bad, huh?"

"This morning he coughed and Ava threw a plate at his head."

"Tis the season."

"Christmas is over. Let's get a move on already."

"Excited to get back, huh?"

"You could say that." She says coyly. "You?"

"Yeah. At least that way I can get away from my mother's interrogations into my personal life."

"Tis the season."

"Guess so."

"Oh! I thought of something else."

"Yeah?"

"The Freedom Trail! I want to walk the Freedom Trail."

"Okay." Josh says ambivalently. "I've done that before, but we can do it again. Add it to the list."

He can hear her pout through the phone. "It's not my fault you've lived there three years longer than me!"

"I said add it to the list, Donna. We'll do it. It'll be fun."

"Good." As the keeper of the physical list of places they want to go and things they want to do when they see each other again (though neither calls it this, their "date list"), she scribbles down Freedom Trail.

"Might be better in spring, though?"

"You think I'll still like you by then?" She teases.

"Here's hoping." He says dryly.

"Okay. Get this in by Friday, okay?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Six more days."

"Six more days." He agrees. If he didn't have his applications to work on, the anticipation would be driving him crazy. It kind of is, regardless.

"I miss you."

"I miss you too." They linger on the words each time, as they never feel like quite enough.

"It's your turn to call."

"I'll call."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

He keeps the phone to his ear, listening. After a moment, he hears, "Josh?"

"Mm?"

"I said bye."

"I know. I did too."

"And yet you're still on the line."

"So are you."

"Hm."

"Hm." He closes his eyes. "I miss you."

"You said that already."

"I know."

"I'm really running up my bill, here."

"Yeah. Me too."

"Goodnight, Joshua."

"Goodnight, Donnatella."

"..."

"..."

"Josh?"

"Mm?"

"We're not going to be one of those couples."

"Okay. So hang up."

"Okay."

Finally, he hears the line click dead, and he smiles to himself. Not even the thought of his mother's prying eyes when he returns to the kitchen can kill his mood. Six more days.

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With her heart jumping into her throat, Donna stands as she watches Josh's car pull into its parking spot outside his apartment building. He'd told her he would come by after he got home and unpacked, but she got done unpacking a little early and decided to surprise him. Of course, she hadn't really thought this through, and had ended up sitting on the curb in the cold for a good half hour.

But as she sees his face split into a grin, it all feels worth it.

Their month apart had been a little strange, as they weren't exactly "dating" yet and had only kissed a few times. Their status was as of yet undetermined, and the uncertainty led to some nerves. Distance was hard for any relationship, but for a new one, it was particularly taxing.

But as he opens his car door and steps out, that all melts away.

Donna stands up and bounds over to him, and he meets her halfway. He wraps his arms tightly around her, even lifting her an inch off the ground in his excitement.

"Hey stranger." She says into his ear, beaming.

"Hey yourself."

"Did you get taller? Finally hit that growth spurt?"

"Shut up." He beams uncontrollably. "I told you I'd come over later."

"I know, I just..."

"Couldn't wait that long, huh?"

"I'll leave if you're not careful."

He finally releases her, and they stare at each other for a moment, matching smiles. "How was your break?"

"We talked almost every day."

"And?"

"Long. My break was long."

"Yeah. Mine too."

She takes a step toward his car. "You want help in with your stuff?"

"I can get it later. C'mon, you must be freezing."

Happily, she follows him inside, pleased when his hand finds its usual spot on her back. "You should know that I'm not here in an official capacity, by the way. This isn't my official date look. You can still pick me up later, and let me tell you, I'll look good."

He looks at her jeans and sweater and shrugs. "You look good now."

She rolls her eyes. "You haven't seen nothing yet."

"Well then, I guess I'm excited."

"You should be."

He closes his door behind them, and hesitates once inside. Before she can go further, he grabs her shoulders and presses her against the closed door. She looks surprised, but her eyes light up in excitement. He leans in. "This is okay, right?"

"More than okay."

His mouth tugs into half a smile. "I couldn't wait any longer." He kisses her, gently at first, but before long her hands tangle in his hair and she parts her lips invitingly. Given that he's only gotten to do this a couple times before, it still thrills him beyond words. At the same time, it's oddly familiar. He moves his hands slowly to her waist, and pulls her lower lip into his mouth. At her encouragement, he bites gently, testing the waters. What he'd intended as a friendly "hello" kiss is rapidly turning into a "I've been up nights for a month thinking about you" kiss.

She smiles against his lips. "You're good at that." She mumbles.

"You haven't seen nothing yet." Emboldened, he trails kisses along her jaw and even dips to her neck, something he hadn't had the time for last month. The slight sighing sound this elicits is enough to make him dizzy. He pulls back an inch, trying to calm down. "Sorry. Got a little carried away."

"Don't apologize." She says somewhat breathlessly, and returns her lips to his. She flicks her tongue against his, proving she's not without her own amount of skill.

This kiss is shorter, as both of them are a little more aware. After a moment, he rests his forehead against hers, the air between them practically vibrating. "You, um, want some coffee or something?"

She chuckles, the little puff of air hitting his cheek. "Sure."

Slightly unsteady, he leads her to the kitchen, where he roots around aimlessly for a minute before finding the coffee. He's never been the best at making coffee, but this time it takes him exceptionally long to get the pot started.

She watches him as he fumbles around the kitchen, leaning back against the counter. Her heart flutters every time he makes eye contact with her, his shy smile melting her.

She clears her throat. "So the drive back was okay?"

"Yeah, icy in parts but not too bad. You?"

"Okay. That many hours in a car with Ava will do things to you, but I guess I'm used to it. She wouldn't shut up about you, you know."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." She didn't mind that part too terribly. "She might've been more excited about our reunion than I was."

"Is that so?" He starts the coffee with a final switch and leans back against the opposite counter, challenging her with a smirk.

She purses her lips. "Maybe."

He folds his arms. "When's your first class on Monday?"

"Ten."

"Not too bad. It's a math class, right?"

"Yeah." She says irritably. "Gen eds."

His smirk grows. "I'm done with those. And I don't start until eleven on Mondays."

She makes a face. "Must be nice."

"Just twelve credit hours this semester, too."

Breaking eye contact briefly, she lifts herself atop his counter and resumes staring at him. Eventually, she caves. "Get over here."

He pushes himself off the counter and goes to stand between her knees, eyes glowing softly. She loops her arms loosely around his neck, one hand gently grazing the curls at the bottom of her neck. He takes this as invitation enough to get even closer to her, and rest his hands on her thighs. She smiles, and the close distance makes him a little dizzy again.

"Hi." She says simply.

"Hi." He echoes.

With a small humming noise, she lowers her smile to his and kisses him softly. He responds eagerly, and like before, their kiss doesn't stay kept for long. Getting him back for earlier, she starts to stray and grazes his neck with her teeth as she does so, causing his breath to hitch sharply. She giggles at the response.

"Fine then, Moss. If that's how you want to play it." He returns his attention to her neck, sucking and nipping until she's squirming.

"I'll get hickeys!" She manages, barely.

"Wear a turtleneck." He mumbles against her collarbone before continuing, making her laugh again. His hands rove to her hips, squeezing firmly.

She pulls on his hair, forcing his lips back to hers. She kisses him without reservation, the only other sound being the slow drip of the coffee into the pot.

His hands skim under her layers of sweater and shirt, causing goosebumps to rise on her back. This feels right. So unbelievably right. But if they keep letting themselves get carried away like this, it won't be long before they're in bed. And while most of her wants that, and has been actively wanting it for sometime now, another part of her is hesitant. She'd told Stella last month that she didn't want to rush things - and that holds true. She doesn't want to jump the gun, and ruin things before they've even really begun. What if their spark fades? What if he looks at her differently afterward? What if they never make it to their wonderful list of dates?

As if he can read her mind, Josh stops. "Is this okay?"

She loves how often he checks in with her. It's sweet. "Yes." She says immediately. "No."

Josh draws back, his brow furrowing. "Sorry, we don't have to-"

She keeps her hands on him, pulling him back toward her and shaking her head. "No, it's not that. It's just..." Her face colors. "I'm just... And I know this may sound a little preemptive, but I'm just not sure I want to have sex on the first date."

"Well." He gives her one of those disarming dimpled grins. "Technically, we haven't even been on our first date."

She doesn't laugh.

"Donna, we don't have to do anything you don't want to. Seriously. You can drink your coffee and go, and I'll pick you up later like we planned, and then we'll have a totally abstinent - practically platonic - night, and then-"

Finally, he earns a smile. "Josh, stop. It's not about me being uncomfortable, though you're sweet to worry. I'm just afraid... I don't know, this isn't moving too fast, is it?"

"For me? No." He shrugs. "But I can't speak for you. It's been several months for me, but maybe you're-"

"It's been several months for me too." She admits.

"Okay." He says slowly.

She sighs, and looks away from him. "I guess I'm just worried... Things won't be the same after."

"Donna." His tone has become somewhat stern. "Are you worried that I won't want want you after you sleep with me?"

She doesn't look at him. "No, I just-"

"Donna." He repeats. "I waited months for you. You really think all that's gonna change in the morning?"

She softens. She looks into his eyes, gazing so earnestly up at her. What he didn't say, but what she knows he meant, is that he's in this for the long haul. It's too soon for either of them to say that, but somehow they both know it. She kisses him once, taking him by surprise. "Okay."

"Okay, what?"

"Okay." She kisses him once more, lingering. "Just keep kissing me. We'll see what happens."

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A couple hours later, Donna pads back into the kitchen, clad in a tshirt and a pair of Josh's pajama pants. Josh follows behind doggedly, in only his boxers. "Aha! Coffee! See, I knew we made some."

"That was ages ago."

"Mmhmm." Donna pecks his lips idly, unable to stay long away from him, and reaches into a cabinet for a mug.

He watches her, fascinated by the sight in front of him. The woman he's been thinking about for months is walking around his kitchen in his clothes like she's lived here all her life. He waits until she's done stirring creamer into her coffee. "Alright. Let's go back to bed."

"Good idea." Despite saying this, they linger in the kitchen, and he presses her back against the counter, kissing her again.

"Wait a minute." His head pops up a moment later.

"Mm?" With one hand she raises her mug to her lips, the other absently rubbing his shoulder.

"A date. We were supposed to go on a date."

"Oh yeah." She says mildly. "You still wanna do that?"

"Do you?"

She tilts her head, considering. "I am kind of hungry."

"So, dinner?"

She bites her lip, unknowingly driving Josh slightly mad by doing so. "I don't know. You really want to get dressed, and all that?"

"Oh god no. But, you're hungry, so I figured-"

"Do you maybe just wanna get takeout?" Donna interrupts.

Slowly, Josh's face splits into a grin. "You're the perfect woman, you know that?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

He pinches her waist, making her squirm. "You sure you don't want a fancier first date?"

She shakes her head happily. "We can eat in bed."

Fifteen minutes later, they find themselves in line at the cheap Chinese place a few blocks down, both now wearing warm pajamas and layers of sweatshirts. Josh watches affectionately as Donna scans the menu, flicking her messy blonde hair out of her face as she reads. She's so unbearably cute, and the prospect of spending the entire night with her is both thrilling and comforting all at once. Finally, he doesn't have to dread saying a premature goodbye.

She catches him staring. "What is it?"

He smirks. "There's no way you had a better first date outfit planned than this."

She grins. She reaches out to take his hand, intertwining their fingers as they move up in line. "Maybe not, but it was something. Maybe I'll let you see it sometime."

"Can't wait."

"There's no way you had a better first date planned than this."

"Actually, this was my plan all along."

"Really?"

"Sure."

"Hm, well, props to you. It was no Freedom Trail, but..."

"The night is still young, Donnatella. We could do anything."

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:) I'm happy. Are you guys happy? Thanks for reading!