Chapter Text
The State of the Union was hectic.
No, the weeks leading up to the State of the Union were hectic, the State of the Union itself was calm enough, relatively speaking.
Sam was stressed to the nines, and Josh really should’ve considered this before inviting his mother to D.C. for State of the Union week.
Josh kept telling her that she should stay until after the State of the Union was over, so that they could actually spend some time together, and kept apologizing for being so busy.
Miriam would always smile and tell him she’d stay as long as he wanted.
Josh really was grateful for his mother.
But, the State of the Union did eventually happen. It happened, it was over, and they had done well.
Despite having read the speech a couple times, and knowing it was good, hearing it from the President was something else entirely.
Sam had done well with the speech. Josh was so proud of him. He wanted to kiss him so bad, right there in the middle of the White House, in front of God and the press.
But he didn’t. He knew it would just get Sam in trouble with the press, it would get them both in trouble with CJ, and Josh didn’t want that for Sam.
Josh cornered Sam during the festivities that followed the State of the Union.
Sam grinned at him, “He did well!”
“Yeah.” Josh agreed, “You did well the the speech. That bit at the end was you, wasn’t it?”
Sam’s cheeks turned lightly pink. “You could tell.”
“Of course I could. It was hopeful. Toby can’t write hope near as well as you can.” Josh said with a small smile.
Sam lowered his head, grinning. “Thanks.”
“Anyway… um. I was thinking of telling my mother when I get home.”
Sam looked up, grin sliding into a softer smile, “Okay.”
“Did you want to be there, or would you prefer I told her alone?”
Sam shrugged, looking self conscious, “I… would you want me there? I mean, if she doesn't approve, I wouldn’t want to make it awkward.”
Josh scoffed, “Please. My mother likes you better than she likes me. She’s told me you’d make a better son, what with you actually calling your mother once in a while.” He joked.
Sam shook his head, “Yeah, but…”
“She loves you, Sam.” Josh said softly. “ I love you.”
Sam looked at him with wide eyes.
“Sorry,” Josh said, suddenly worried, “I know it hasn’t been that long, but—”
“Don’t apologize.” Sam told him quietly, “I love you, too.”
They stood there for a moment, looking at each other in awe.
“I wish I could kiss you right now.” Josh said.
Sam gave him a small smile, “I know.”
“But, uh,” Josh cleared his throat, “You’ll come back to mine with me? To talk to my mother?”
Sam nodded, “Definitely.”
By the time Josh was ready to leave, he was sufficiently tired, and just a little tipsy. Sam had, thankfully, kept him from drinking more than two glasses of champagne, but he had still made sure to tease Josh for his ‘delicate system’.
Leaving the White House, Josh was grinning marvelously. He and Sam started walking down the street, to where more cabs would be this time of night. They were walking past a group waiting to eat outside a restaurant, and Josh cupped his hands around his mouth and started shouting like a sports announcer:
“And now: the exquisite, the eloquent, the only: Samuel Seaborn!”
Most of them laughed, a couple actually did clap, one even whistled.
Sam’s face was flushed and red, but he was laughing. He waved, and took a bow.
Josh ‘whoop’ed, and called to the group “This man wrote the President’s speech tonight!”
“Josh!” Sam laughed, “It was mostly Toby.”
“Don’t let him lie to you!” Josh shouted, though most of the group didn’t seem to be paying attention to him anymore (which Josh would probably appreciate later), “He wrote the State of the Union!”
Josh was maybe a little tipsier than he’d previously figured.
Sam whacked his arm, face still beet red, “Josh, please!” He said with a grin, “Let’s stop bothering these nice people, and let’s just go home.”
This made Josh stop his continued ‘whoop’ing and shouting, and made him turn and face Sam.
“Yeah…” He said, suddenly distracted, “Home.”
The cab ride to Josh’s place was less nerve-racking than it could have been. He wasn’t nearly as nervous as he thought he’d be, what with the prospect of telling his mother he was dating Sam.
For one, he knew she liked Sam. They’d met before, and they’d hit it off. Sam was charming, Sam knew he was charming, and he knew how to use his charm. And it worked on Miriam.
Josh genuinely wasn’t worried about his mother and Sam. The champagne might have helped in that respect.
The cabbie dropped them off at Josh’s, and Josh paid and tipped the man.
“Hey,” The cabbie said before they’d walked off, “You two work at the White House, huh?”
“Yeah?” Josh said, stooping over to look in the cab window.
“I don’t suppose you think there’s any chance you can get the President to lower my taxes, huh?”
Josh snorted, “Well, I can talk to him tomorrow morning, but, uh, I don’t think it’s gonna work.”
“Why not?” The cabbie asked.
“Well, because he’s a Democrat.”
The cabbie laughed.
“Besides,” Sam said with a grin, “You took us three miles out of the way to get here, I’m not inclined to get you any favors.”
The cabbie shrugged, “Well, I gotta make a living somehow, my taxes are too fucking high.”
Josh laughed, and pulled out a twenty, “Here you go. If you can go toe to toe with Sam with wit, you deserve it.”
The cabbie grinned, thanked Josh, and drove off.
“You’re in good spirits.” Sam said as Josh unlocked his door.
Josh shrugged, “It was a good day.”
“Yeah. It was.”
Miriam was sitting in the living room when they walked through the door.
“Mom! You didn’t have to stay up.” Josh said, pleased. He’d been almost certain that she would end up staying up (she had always been a night owl), but it was nice nonetheless.
“Oh, and Sam!” Miram stood, waving at Sam to come closer, “Come on, give an old woman a hug.”
Sam complied, grinning the whole way. “It’s good to see you again, Miriam.”
“You too, Sam.”
There was idle chit-chat for a while, all about how the State of the Union had gone, and how pleased Miriam was with Sam’s writing.
Josh was mostly quiet. He was enjoying listening to the conversation between Sam and his mother. It was nice to see them just… getting along. It made Josh feel something soft in his chest.
He must have had an odd expression on his face, because Miriam asked him if he was alright.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Josh said, “But, uh, it’s late, and I wanted to talk to you about something before heading to bed.”
Miriam furrowed her brow.
“I know you don’t mind me being gay. Um, and, and I just wanted to just…” Josh took a deep breath. Here was where the nerves were finally coming in.
He glanced over at Sam, who nodded to him encouragingly.
“Sam and I are dating, mom.”
Miriam gasped, eyes lighting up, “You are?” She looked over to Sam.
“Yeah.” Sam said softly.
“Oh sweetheart!” She cooed, pulling Josh into a tight hug, “I’m so happy for you.”
“I’m pretty happy with it myself, mom.”
It was a nice moment.
As Mirriam finally started heading to bed, and as Sam began to head to the door, Josh pulled Sam aside.
“Hey, thanks for letting me do this. I know you said that your parents don’t really… well. Thanks.”
“Of course.” Sam said, smiling a little sadly, “My parents probably don’t even remember my coming out to them. I told them when I was in eighth grade, and had a huge crush on a boy named Derek.” Sam laughed a little, “He was such an idiot, really, I’m glad I outgrew my thing for jocks. Now I just have closet nerds to deal with.”
Josh scoffed, but he grinned.
“Anyway,” Sam waved his hand in the air dismissively, “Like I was saying, I’m just glad that you have the kind of relationship with your mother that allows for you to talk to her about this. I’m happy for you.”
And he really seemed to mean it.
He kissed Josh gently, before saying good night, and heading out the door with a final glance back.
Josh went to bed feeling warm and happy.
Loved.