Archive of Our Own ^beta

Josh has absolutely no idea how he got here.

He's thinking this was a bad idea, perhaps. To let his– he doesn't even know. Colleague? Friend? Partner? Whatever Schmitt is to him, letting him a) put a vibrator in him for the duration of an entire committee hearing and b) have the remote was not his wisest decision. Sue him. He can't be smart all the time.

The device has been on a low buzz this entire time, which is distracting and kind of hard to ignore completely, but not too intense. He's almost certain no one else can hear it, over the sound of the Senators asking questions around him and the witnesses' responses. The problem is that as hard as he's been trying to pay attention to the hearing, it certainly hasn't been easy to focus on, and his first turn for questions is approaching rapidly.

Cruz is still going on with his own questions on his left, and Josh is half-listening, half-reviewing his own notes. It's a good thing he came prepared, and for once, he doesn't have any demonstratives to worry about getting set up. His staff aren't even here, actually; they're off handling his mail or something, and today he is incredibly grateful for their absence.

He still has to ask some questions with the rest of the present Senators, the witnesses, and a shitload of reporters watching him, though, and he's not sure how that's about to go. Being able to sit in silence and take sips of water every few minutes with a vibrator in him on a low setting is one thing. Talking coherently with Schmitt about twenty feet away from him able to change the intensity at any moment is entirely another challenge.

It's a good thing this hearing is not something he immensely cares about. Maybe that's why he let Eric do this today of all days.

"Alright, well, that's about all I have," Cruz says next to him, making him focus back in on what's happening around him. Fuck, he's about to be up. "I yield the rest of my time, Mr. Chairman."

"Thank you, Senator Cruz," Durbin says into his microphone. "Senator Hawley."

"Thank you, Mr. Chairman," Josh starts, managing to keep his voice from wavering at all. That's good, at least. "Mr. Moore, if I could just start with you. It says here you're lead counsel for Amazon?"

"That's right," one of the witnesses nods at him. God, Josh already hates this guy. Sleazy lawyers only looking to work their way up the corporate ladder have always bothered him. Unfortunately, even that anger is not enough to distract him from the other feeling pooling in his stomach.

"And that's a position you've held for how long?"

"About five years, Senator."

"Five years. Okay," Josh nods, looking down at his paper. These are just foundational questions, meant only to make sure he has his facts right before he gets into what he's actually covering today. It's the easy part, in other words.

"I want to talk to you today about something going on in my state," he says, and risks a glance at Eric, because it's really their state. His colleague is already staring back at him, with an arguably intense look on his face. Josh tries to suppress the shiver that goes down his spine. "You're aware that Amazon employs thousands of people in Missouri?"

"Senator, I'm not really here today as a representative of Amazon," Moore answers. Josh snorts.

"Okay, well you're their lead counsel."

"Yes."

"So you're aware they employ thousands of people in my home state."

"That number sounds accurate," the guy shrugs.

"Alright, well I'm glad it sounds accurate," Josh says, because he doesn't have the patience for this today. He can see Schmitt smirk out of the corner of his eye. "Are you aware of the union negotiations going on in Kansas City with your company?"

"I don't have that data in front of me right now, but that sounds familiar."

"And are you planning to start compensating those workers fairly?" He asks. Moore blinks at him.

"Senator, uh… every union negotiation is different, you have to understand–"

"Right, sure, but the goal of all of them is ultimately fair conditions and compensation for the workers, can we agree on that?"

"I mean… yes," Moore nods.

"Okay. So those are workers in my state. My city, in fact," he says. The frequency kicks up all of a sudden, and he coughs, shifting slightly in his seat. It's hard not to throw a glare at Schmitt, but he restrains himself. "Excuse me. I've written about a thousand letters to your company about this and other issues, is the point, and I haven't heard a word back. Do you think– I mean, do you really think that's best practice?"

"Senator, I don't… I don't really make executive decisions for Amazon," Moore responds. Oh my fucking god, Josh thinks.

"These are legal issues, Mr. Moore. You're their lead counsel. So I would assume that you do make these decisions, or at least see those letters. Are you telling me you're not even reading them?"

"I get a lot of mail, Senator."

"So do I," Josh says. Another increase in the buzz, and it takes all his restraint not to jerk. Instead his hand tightens on his pen, hard enough that he thinks he might snap it. He stares at the papers in front of him, trying to force himself to remember what his next point is supposed to be. This shouldn't be anywhere near this difficult. "So– I mean, how long do you think these negotiations are going to take? Am I ever going to get a response back about what you're doing to Missourians?"

"Senator, I don't know."

"You don't know the answer to either of those questions?" He manages. He thinks his voice might be shaking at this point, as the vibrator presses insistently against his walls, just barely keeping from nudging into his prostate. His dress pants feel like they're getting tighter by the second.

"Well– my office will try to get back to you, on those letters," Moore says hesitantly. Josh has the fleeting thought that that'll probably never happen, before it is replaced by the nothingness very quickly taking over his mind. "As for currently ongoing negotiations, I don't think I'm at liberty to say how long those might take."

"Right," Josh says again. "Well, I'll tell you what I think." Great. Why the hell did he say that? Now he has to come up with a whole summary of what he's mad at this guy for. Just because that's one of his most common phrases to end his questions doesn't mean he needed to use it this right second.

"I think–" The vibrator kicks up another notch, to the second highest speed, and he clears his throat hard to mask the startled sound that nearly escapes him. What in the world is Eric thinking? "I think that what Amazon is doing to these workers– drivers, factory workers, whoever– in both my state and others is absolutely ridiculous. You're all making gobs of money off of it– that was in your report we all got– and it's like you just don't even care." He has more, he knows he does, but he can't come up with it at the moment.

"I mean, I wouldn't say that's accurate," Moore says. Josh glares at him.

"Alright. Well, I'm sure Senator Schmitt will have some more questions for you about your business in Missouri," he says, because it's an excuse to look pointedly over at Eric. His colleague is staring back at him with his arms folded over his chest, and Josh is almost certain this appears like a moment of solidarity between them, as the only two Senators from their state. He doesn't think anyone else can see the hint of smugness on his face– or the heat in his eyes as he looks at Josh. The younger Senator is vaguely aware of the fact that his dick throbs in his pants as he forces himself to look away from Eric.

"Mr. Chairman, I yield the rest of my time," he says in a rush into his microphone, and then turns it off. Durbin nods and starts speaking again, but Josh barely hears a word he's saying as he puts his head in his hand.

He's pretty sure the next Senator talking will be the second-to-last one, leaving him about 15 more minutes of putting up with this at most, but he's not sure he can handle even that. He stares at the papers in front of him, blinking to try and clear the fuzziness from his vision as he bites his tongue to keep another noise in. And then, just as Tillis starts questioning one of the other witnesses next to him, the vibrator goes back down to the middle setting. He almost sobs with relief.

He scoots his chair further into the bench in front of him, doing his best to keep Cruz, still sitting quietly next to him, from noticing just how hard he is. Although if he thinks about it– he's not sure he would actually mind, if Ted became involved with the whole mess that is him and Eric. That thought is doing absolutely nothing to help him refocus on the hearing happening around him.

He writes a couple words down on the legal pad in front of him, just to try and look like he's doing something, since he's certainly not getting up and leaving right now. Even with the vibrator on the middle setting, though, it is hard to concentrate, as his mind runs through a million different scenarios where this stupid hearing ends within the minute and everyone except he and Eric get out and his favorite former A.G. can come over here and ruin him properly–

He deliberately does not look at his fellow Senator, because he's sure he's blushing at this point, and any more stares like the ones he just got from him might actually make him lose his mind. The only thing he can think to do is keep his eyes focused on his notes, so no one else can see how red his face is right now. Thank God his questions are over with.

He reaches for his water after a couple minutes, taking a very slow sip of it and risking a glance over at Eric. Finally, the other Senator isn't already looking at him; he's writing something down on his own paper– probably because he's up next and last for questions. He has his reading glasses on, which is for some reason kind of appealing to Josh, another reminder of just how different the two of them are– and how much he already knows about Eric, given that that detail doesn't surprise him at all. Eric sets his pen down and takes his glasses off after a moment, his gaze then returning to Josh. That spark that Josh saw in his eyes only a few minutes ago reignites immediately, probably at the fact that he's the one already looking at Eric now. Eric holds his gaze, and although Josh can't actually see his hand move at all, he imagines it going for wherever he has the remote hidden– and sure enough, the vibrator kicks up a notch again within seconds.

He sets his glass down so fast that some of the water spills over the side, as he shoves the side of his hand into his mouth to bite down on so he doesn't actually moan out loud in the middle of this hearing. Tillis glances at him questioningly at the noise so he waves his free hand dismissively, and thankfully the Senator from North Carolina cares little enough to just turn back away from him and continue with his questions.

He can see Eric very clearly trying not to smile, as the other Senator turns his focus back to the witnesses, and he chooses to focus on the water he just spilled all over the wood in front of him. Thankfully, none of it seems to have gotten on his papers, so he grabs a couple tissues and mops it up, barely able to concentrate on even that as that fog creeps back into his mind. He shoves the tissues aside once he thinks it's good enough and stares straight ahead at the carpet floor, pouring about all of his energy into keeping his breathing steady and suppressing the noises he so badly wants to just let out.

The urge to bury his head into his arms and just let all the pleasure he's feeling overtake him is incredibly strong, but there's no way the people around him wouldn't notice that– not to mention there's several cameras on him very much live-streaming this to effectively the entire nation. No, the last thing he needs is for anything about what's happening right now to get out, especially given the kind of people that make up his and Eric's constituents. It takes all his effort to not give up nonetheless as Tillis's questions end.

"Senator Schmitt," Durbin says to his left, and Josh thinks the only reason he's even tuned in enough to make out those words is because it's his name. Eric clears his throat into his microphone, and Josh is trying to prepare himself for another seven minutes of this when something rather unpredictable happens.

"Uh– you'll have to excuse me, Mr. Chairman, but I actually don't have any questions for our witnesses today," Eric says. Josh looks over at him, and it really isn't surprising this time to find Eric already staring right at him. What is surprising is the concern written all over his face. Christ, how bad does he look right now?

"You don't have anything?" Durbin questions, which is fair, because that's pretty unusual for any of the Senators who bother to sit through entire hearings like this.

"No, I believe Senator Hawley actually covered everything from my state," Eric says. Josh is aware that he definitely did not, but he gets the message anyway– this is for him. Eric is ending an entire Senate hearing early just so Josh doesn't have to wait any longer for him to do something about this.

"Alright, well– thank you to all the witnesses for being here today, and with that we are adjourned," Durbin says, tapping his gavel on the bench before he stands up. Everyone else starts to follow suit, although Josh remains seated, trying to focus enough to write some more words down. The knowledge that his relief is coming significantly sooner than he thought helps a little bit.

The rest of the Senators and their staff file out, as do the witnesses, reporters, and audience, as Eric makes a show of very slowly packing up his things. He gives a wave to Cruz– Durbin– Britt– probably some others Josh doesn't notice– as they leave, but his gaze goes back to Josh as soon as each brief interaction is done. It's only a couple minutes before the last reporter gets the rest of their equipment together and walks out, and suddenly the room is empty save for the two of them.

Josh half-collapses in relief, as he drops his pen and rests his head on the desk with a groan. Eric is up in an instant, and Josh can just barely hear him walking hastily over to the front doors of the room and locking them, before he comes to the back and locks the door leading back to the Senate offices.

And then suddenly he's at Josh's spot in a few quick steps, and he's lifting his head up just in time for Eric to spin him around in his chair to face him. He looks up at the other Senator, and although it's not like these chairs are that short, it feels like Eric is towering over him. He doesn't want to think about why another tremor of pleasure goes through him at that feeling.

"Are you alright?" Eric asks, his brow furrowed with that same concern, and his voice is so deep and commanding even just asking a simple question like that and Josh thinks he's going to die if the other Senator does not put his hands on him right fucking now.

"I'm–" He swallows, thinking somewhere in the back of his mind that there is way more saliva in his mouth than there should be, and tries to form a coherent response through the fog. "I– yes, can you just– please, just– please."

"Okay, alright. I got you," Eric says, seeming to understand him completely even though that was not much of a specific ask at all. His hands go to Josh's belt, hastily undoing it and pulling it out of his pants to throw aside. Josh rests his head back, breathing unsteadily as Eric undoes the clasp and zipper on his pants and shoves those down, and then his boxers to finally relieve the pressure on his hard, leaking cock– and then Eric wraps his hand around him and strokes firmly up.

He's pretty sure his vision goes black for a second.

He's not entirely sure what sort of noise he makes, as his hips jolt into his hand, but whatever it is has Eric inhaling sharply through his teeth as he tightens his grip. Josh shudders, hands clenching desperately at his sides with nothing to hold onto, and it is almost too much, the vibrator buzzing relentlessly against his hole and Eric's calloused hand, wrapped tightly around his cock.

"Eric," he practically sobs out, and the other Senator curses and looks behind him, grabbing Tillis's chair with his free hand and pulling it over. He sits down and wraps his arm around Josh's waist, tugging him forward some, although the younger Senator is truly not coherent enough to understand what he's trying to do from just that.

"Joshua," Eric says, and the full name is just enough to draw his mind out of the floating, liminal space it's felt a little stuck in. He looks at him to try and show he's listening, and Eric's eyes are so easy to focus on, so calming and blue. Something like relief flashes across them when Josh meets his gaze. "Come here. In my lap."

Josh has maybe the least desire he's ever had to argue with him at the moment, so he just moves, grabbing onto Eric's shoulders for support as he manages to maneuver himself to straddle his legs. Eric puts both hands on his waist to help him, pulling him closer and mumbling something about how good he's doing, and for once it is so, so easy for Josh to admit that he wants this.

He settles into his lap like it's second nature, and somehow they are both able to fit comfortably in the chair– probably not least because Eric's thighs are decently wider than his, and therefore easily able to provide enough of a seat for him. Everything about Eric is just bigger than him, really. He still does not have the time or the energy to think about why he likes that so much.

"Okay," Eric says, squeezing his waist for a moment and then running his hands over his sides. Even with the ongoing distraction of the vibrator still humming inside of him, the gesture is– soothing. Grounding, maybe. "You okay? Everything good?"

"Yeah," Josh manages, nodding quickly. Eric is looking at him with that same sort of concern written all over his face, apparent now in a way it wasn't just ten or so minutes ago. Josh honestly still doesn't really know why, but maybe he can ask about that once Eric gives him what he very desperately wants.

"Sure?" Eric double checks. Josh is just barely able to think, through his haze, that getting annoyed at him for being this cautious right now is going to do way more harm than good.

"Yes," he repeats. "Promise. I'm good."

"Okay," Eric nods, looking more assured. Josh takes a deep breath, gripping onto the fabric of his colleague's suit jacket and trying to ignore the pleasure he's feeling, as absolutely mind-numbing as it is.

The other Senator seems to study him, giving them both a moment to re-orient themselves before he slides his hand down Josh's waist and onto his thigh. Josh bites his lip, stomach twisting with anticipation as he tries to prepare himself. He is still not ready for the way Eric looks at him as he takes his cock into his hand again.

The gasp of a sound he lets out is positively obscene. Eric bites his lip himself, keeping a close eye on his face as he starts stroking his hand up and down, twisting it after a few seconds and getting a choked noise out of Josh. He holds tightly onto Eric's shoulders, nails nearly digging into them at this point.

"Good. There you go," Eric murmurs. He takes his hand away briefly, giving Josh a second to catch his breath as his eyes slip shut. Then he returns, his hand wet with spit all of a sudden as he wraps it around the top of Josh's cock and strokes his thumb over his tip, and all Josh can do is bury his head in his shoulder to muffle the strangled moan that leaves him.

"Doing so good," the older man soothes above his head, rubbing him at a slow but firm pace as his free hand settles on the small of his back. He keeps Josh securely in his lap that way, one hand steadying him as he gradually takes him apart with the other.

Josh's hands clutch at Eric's jacket with less and less strength, noises starting to practically pour out of him as he presses his forehead against his shoulder. For once, there's nothing on his mind besides the feelings crashing over him like waves, threatening to pull him completely under into a sea of blissful nothingness. And for once, he's more than willing to go.

He is almost entirely weak against Eric within a minute, weak and sort of shaking all over, but he's only half-processing that. He's too busy drowning in sensations, in the feeling of Eric's hand wrapped around his cock, stroking him relentlessly, and the never-ending buzz of the vibrator pressed inside of him. He thinks he could die happy, maybe, in the heated darkness clouding every inch of his senses.

And then Eric slips his hand down and pushes the vibrator just a little deeper, directly into his prostate. Josh lets out a string of curses that he would probably be removed from the Senate floor for and comes hard, stars sparking in his vision as he falls apart in his colleague's lap.

Eric works him through what has to be the most intense orgasm of his life, murmuring sweet nothings into his ear as Josh trembles against him. His hands twist into the other Senator's jacket, and he actually thinks he might pass out for a moment– and then the peak of it ends, and he just collapses against Eric, who he can just barely feel set his hand on his back again as he rides it out.

Eric seems to have some sort of sixth sense for when it's too much, because the instant Josh is coherent enough to think that the hand on his dick is getting very overstimulating and half-opens his eyes to tell Eric so, it's gone. He shudders a little at the cold air now that he's actually feeling it, holding tightly onto Eric's shoulders as the other Senator puts his hand in his jacket and pulls the remote out of an inside pocket. He quickly turns the vibrator all the way down until it's off, then setting the remote on the table and reaching down to carefully pull it out of Josh. Josh lets his eyes slip closed again as Eric puts the vibrator somewhere behind him and then settles his hand on Josh's knee.

They're both quiet, Josh breathing a little unsteadily still as he tries to come back to himself. The fog is about gone now, replaced by something warm and pleasant but rather fragile, like an illusion which could be shattered at any moment. He doesn't feel quite all there yet, but some of his instincts are returning, particularly the ones telling him that this is a very new, unnerving, dangerous sort of thing he's feeling.

He makes the decision to extract himself from Eric after a moment, shifting on his lap before he puts a hand on the bench and very carefully tries to stand up. He gets one foot on the ground and his leg starts shaking violently the second he attempts to put weight on it, making him have to grip onto the wood as he nearly falls over and earning a "Jesus, Hawley" from Eric as he stands. A hand grabs his arm to steady him. He lets Eric guide him to sit in his own chair, nearly collapsing back into it with a frustrated groan.

"Just don't even try that right now," Eric tells him, grabbing his boxers off the floor and crouching down. "Lift your hips up."

Josh has the fleeting thought that this is insane, but it's quickly replaced by the urge to just relax for a second, keep all the control in Eric's hands. He does what he's told, and both his legs start trembling again, but it's much easier than trying to stand. Eric yanks his boxers swiftly up and over his hips, letting go of the fabric once it's at his waist so Josh can stop trying to use the muscles in his legs at all for a second. They repeat the process with his pants, and then Eric is zipping them up, finding his belt and carefully threading that back around his waist, and Josh still can't find the energy to protest.

"Eric," he mumbles, making the other Senator look up at him from where he's kneeling on the floor. That can't be good for his knees, Josh thinks. Whatever. He's a grown man.

"Huh?"

"Why'd you stop the hearing?" He asks, and he thinks he manages to keep the accusatory tone he so often has when asking people things out of his voice. Eric slides the buckle over the end of his belt, sighing slightly as he presses it down and his knuckles brush against the middle of Josh's waist.

"Because I looked over at you and…" He hesitates, folding the belt and pulling it through the loop before he answers. "It was just the look on your face. Your eyes were almost completely glazed over, and I just– I've never seen you look that out of it."

He stays knelt there for a second, staring straight ahead and looking lost in thought before he pats Josh's waist and gets up.

"Anyway," he says definitively. "We don't need to do that again. Sorry if it was too much."

"Well, no, I mean," Josh folds his arms over his chest as Eric looks at him, sitting back down in Tillis's chair. He's pretty sure he can feel his face burning up again. "It wasn't… bad. At all, honestly."

"Really?" Eric asks, and unless Josh is crazy– which he might be, given today’s events– he can see that heat simmering in his eyes again. He shoves down the urge to look away, strong as it might be with his colleague looking at him like that, and holds his gaze as he nods.

"Alright," Eric says, nodding slowly back. "Well, maybe next time we can pick a day where we don't have an important hearing."

"Maybe," Josh agrees with a chuckle. Eric smiles slightly and gets up again, heading over to his own seat and collecting his papers before he returns to sit next to Josh and sets his work on the bench in front of him.

"What was the point of that?" Josh asks, leaning over to look at the notes he has from today's hearing. He doesn't have much written down at all, actually.

"I figure we're going to be in here for a bit, waiting for you to be able to walk again," Eric replies. "Might as well get some work done."

"You don't have many notes from today," Josh says, maybe as a deflection for how it makes him feel that Eric is planning to stay in here with him, for as long as it takes for his legs to not turn into Jello the instant he tries to go anywhere. 

"Yeah," Eric says. "This might surprise you, Hawley, but I like watching you squirm."

Josh clears his throat, blood rushing to his cheeks and up the tips of his ears again. Deflection failed successfully. He's actually not sure how much more of this he can handle today.

"I noticed," he settles for answering, and if his voice is a little weak all of a sudden then at least Eric doesn't call him on it. The older Senator leans over, taking a stack of papers from Josh's pile of the Amazon briefs and setting them in front of himself.

"Oh, please, help yourself," Josh deadpans. The grin Eric gives him as he flips the first page over is far more disarming than it should be.

"I will," he replies, clicking his pen to start writing down his own notes, and, well. Josh really can't argue with that.