five votes - a west wing collection

xi

It was easy to forget, sometimes, that they were in the White House, that one of them was the Chief of Staff and the other the Deputy National Security Advisor, that they were, quite literally, on top of the world.

Of course, other times, there was nothing more obvious than just that- their jobs, their roles, their friends, all keeping them apart.

CJ sighed as she tugged up the zipper on the back of Kate's dress, the two of them standing in her apartment. It was easier to get ready there, since it was closer to the White House, closer to where they should be- needed to be, in less than an hour.

"Will Bailey again?" CJ asked, unable to fully mask the uncomfortable feeling she got discussing who her lover was bringing as her plus one to a dinner party they were both expected to attend. It wasn't the first time they'd had this discussion, nor would it be the last, she was sure. She loved her job, loved the people with whom she worked, but in moments like these, she would give anything to be nothing more than a store clerk, whose coworkers didn't care if she went home with the scruffy redhead who wouldn't stop flirting with her or the stunning blonde who had caught her attention the moment she walked into the room.

Kate gave a curt nod, adjusting her dress slightly before turning to zip CJ up, the same as she did every time they had to get ready for something like this. "Yeah. He gets it." It was a simple statement, but one CJ understood all too well- Will couldn't very well attend with his date, either, and knowing that made it that much easier for Kate to convince him to attend events with her- each of them protecting the other. They had formed a sort of bond that way, sitting next to each other at dinners and subtly smiling and making eyes at their true partners.

CJ wished she was so lucky.

"Danny?" Kate asked, noticing the distinct tension in CJ's shoulders- a tension that never truly left, but always grew worse before something like this, something that forced them to be who they weren't, who they never could be.

CJ nodded jerkily, and Kate wrapped her arms around her waist from behind, resting her chin on CJ's shoulder. She knew that it wasn't as easy for CJ as it was for her- firstly, of course, because CJ was more in the public eye than she was. Always had been, and probably always would be, if she took a job with the Santos campaign. But there was also the added struggle of her choices in dates.

CJ Cregg was a well sought-after woman, especially when it came to Danny Concannon. The reporter had been in love with her since her press secretary days, probably even since the first Bartlet campaign. He never truly seemed to understand her turning him down, and had followed her like a lost puppy for longer than Kate had even known CJ. Taking him as her date always seemed to lead to hurried, sloppy excuses about early work and appearances to keep from having to go home with Danny, and those excuses would probably only hold up for so long.

Holding her tightly against her chest, Kate breathed in CJ's scent, then pressed a soft kiss to her shoulder. "There's only a year left," she whispered into the crook of her neck.

It was hardly a reassurance, the Bartlet administration's ticking clock, but it was something the two of them had paid attention to for almost two years now, the election the only thing they could truly look forward to as a couple.

CJ turned in her embrace, pressing her lips to Kate's forehead. "Only a year," she repeated, sighing softly. Only a year of avoiding Danny and hiding her relationship. They'd already managed a year before, and she was sure they could do it again, but the election seemed so far off that sometimes, she was overcome just thinking about it.

Kate took a deep breath, hesitating for a moment. She seemed to be considering something, and knowing Kate, it was likely something important.

CJ frowned, looking down at her. "What?"

Kate's hesitation lasted only a moment longer before, finally, she blurted out- "Marry me."

The room was silent, for a moment, and CJ felt as though her heart had stopped. Something between her brain and ears must have stopped working momentarily, because she was sure that Kate had just asked her to-

"Marry me," the blonde repeated, drawing away from CJ slightly. Her eyes got the hardened look she sometimes had when discussing an important event or decision, and that was what made CJ realize that not only had she meant it, she'd thought about it before. "In a year- and a few months- after Bartlet's out of office," she continued. "We can go to Massachusetts, stay there- it's not ideal, I know, but it's the only place we can- and marry me."

CJ's heart had definitely stopped. Just moments ago, she had been internally lamenting their current relationship and all the things that came with it. She loved Kate, of course she did, and she knew it and Kate knew it. And she knew, internally, that that was all that mattered, but part of her had always yearned for something more, for something big and public, the kind of open love that both of them deserved. And here she was, being offered just that, and she couldn't find the words to simply say yes. Finally, she stammered out one word.

"M- Massachusetts?"

The look in Kate's eyes changed suddenly, to that look that she thought was determined, but that really just hid how nervous she was. "It's the only place where we could get married- now, that is. I mean, you don't have to, of course- I was just saying, it's an... idea."

Before Kate could bury herself too deeply in excuses and rambling, CJ pressed her lips against the blonde's. The kiss only lasted a moment, but when she pulled back, CJ was nodding. "Yes," she finally managed to mutter. "Yes, I'll go to Massachusetts with you."

A relieved smile came over Kate's face, and her arms tightened around CJ's waist, and their lips crashed back together. Once again, CJ felt as though she was on top of the world.

This time, though, it didn't feel like such a burden.

[a/n: oh look he has returned from the dead !!! and i'm here with my gay cj stories because they're easily my best stories !! and maybe i will be back soon with other things but i'm not sure yet. i'm just gonna throw out my west wing stories and see where that gets me for now]