Disclaimer: I don't own Drake & Josh or any related characters.

Notes: This take place somewhere during Mindy's Back.

Breathless

Eric was the first out the door. Normally the slackers would be gone before the bell finished ringing, but Eric had to find someone.

Craig had not been in class.

Eric rushed down the hall without actually running towards Study Hall, where Craig had likely spent the last 55 minutes. He'd be angry, and rightly so. Eric didn't really have to be quite so mean about choosing a different partner for the History project. Just sometimes, being with Craig exclusively got to be a little much. Sometimes he'd rather be with a pretty girl. Craig knew that, and was for the most part okay with it. He was just sulking from how Eric had said it. But Eric would apologize, and Craig would forgive him, and they'd be back together. Except for the few hours a week set aside for the History project.

Of course, first Eric had to find him.

Craig was missing amongst the plethora of nerds in both Study Hall and the library. Eric was beginning to think he had gone home. Is he really that mad at me?

While walking down the hall, Eric was almost passed by Drake and a gaggle of girls. "Drake," he called.

Drake paused and looked at the nerd with a pained look. "What?" he asked irritably.

"Have you seen Craig? I can't find him anywhere."

"Uh…" Drake was probably trying to remember who, exactly, Craig was. "Uh, yeah, I think he got stuffed in a locker after History."

Blood drained from Eric's already-pasty face. He abandoned the hallways safety rules and charged towards Craig's locker in a near panic. Craig was claustrophobic. Very claustrophobic. He'd been in that locker for an hour. More than an hour. Eric forced his long legs to move faster, despite protests that they were not used to physical activity.

He skidded to a stop, barely passing Craig's locker. He banged on the metal door. "Craig? Craig!" He banged again, assuring himself that Craig was in there. And not answering.

He leaned down and turned the lock with shaking hands. He overturned it once and swore softly, having to start over again. After what seemed like centuries, the lock gave, and Eric yanked open the door.

"Craig!" Eric tapped his face softly. When his eyes didn't open, Eric started to work the boy's body out of the cramped space he had been crammed into. Craig fell heavily out of the locker, barely saved from crashing into the hard floor. Eric kneeled oblivious to the crowd gathered around him, cradling Craig's shoulder's and checked his pulse.

"C'mon Craig, wake up. Wake up…"

Craig woke slowly, blinking his eyes against a bright light reflected by white walls. He had been injured often enough to recognize the nurse's office before registering anything else. The next order was to recall exactly why he was in the nurse's office.

His mind skimmed through the day. Waking up, breakfast, school, science fair, saving his rat from the ceiling, Eric practically dumping him in History class…

That had hurt, Craig recalled. He understood that sometimes Eric would rather spend time with a girl, but did he have to be so mean about it? Why did he choose to, anyway, when he always came back to Craig in the end? And like an idiot, Craig would sulk and wait until he did.

But he wouldn't pretend to not care. That's why when the bell rang, he grabbed his back and left without waiting for Eric as he usually did. He would even sit somewhere else in Math today. That would show him. Everyone would know they had a fight, but it didn't matter. Most people knew they were dating, and few cared. The love-lives of geeks weren't nearly as interesting as the love-lives of people like Drake Parker.

It was merely bad luck that this particular day, a group of bullies thought a distracted nerd would be the perfect way to kill time between classes.

It was the usually routine. Knocking books out of his hands, less than gentle shoves, circling around their prey like sharks, asking about his boyfriend. Craig just kept his eyes lowered and said nothing. They would get bored when he didn't react, and he would be spared a beating. That's what usually happened, anyway. Today, his lack of response just annoyed them. They got more and more pushy, finally stuffing him in his own locker.

Craig gasped, and consciously tried to control his breathing, just as he had when the door slammed shut, muting the cruel laughter of his tormentors. It had been futile. No one paid much attention to a nerd getting bullied; it was just another part of the day in high school. And over the chatting, the panicked gasps for air went unheard. Craig didn't know how long he waited, hoping, praying someone would come looking for him. Where was Eric? Why wasn't he here? Why wasn't he looking for him?

Craig's breathing became more and more erratic. He was hyperventilating, and he knew it. He had no idea how long he huddled there, gasping, until the walls closed in and he blacked out.

Craig forced himself to breathe slowly, deeply. He wasn't in the locker anymore. He was in the nurse's office. Someone had found him and gotten him out. Letting out one last breathe and making his muscles relax, he opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the bright room.

A small movement from his left caught Craig's attention. He looked over, surprised to see Eric sitting in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs. His glasses dangled from one hand while the other rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Eric?" he croaked, his voice sounding rusty and unused.

Eric jumped, scrambling to put his glasses back on. "Craig, you're awake." He scooted forward, nearly off the chair, and tangled his fingers though Craig's hair, his face still twisted in concern. "Are you all right? Any brain damage?"

Craig smiled, morbidly pleased that Eric had been worried. "I don't think so. After I passed out, my breathing regulated, and the slats in the locker doors prevent it from being air—mmphf!"

Craig blinked in confusion at being cut off in such a way. Eric had grabbed Craig's neck with his other hand and kissed him before Craig even noticed he moved. Who knew Eric had such good reflexes?

Eric slanted his mouth over Craig's, who barely swallowed a surprised grunt in time. He didn't want to make any sound that might make Eric stop. Despite their status, the only physical affection they had indulged in till now was holding hands when the light was dim enough and a few chaste, lingering kisses in the darkness of the astrological museum. Now, Eric was teasing Craig's mouth with delicate forays of his tongue. Craig clutched at Eric's shoulders, ignoring the pinch of Eric's glasses against his cheek, and let his mouth be coaxed open.

It wasn't long until Craig was learning all about the French Kissing everyone at school gossiped about. He was sitting up with one hand clutching Eric's hair, Eric's arms around his waist and shoulders, locked in a passionate battle of tongue, oblivious to the sound of the door opening.

The very loud, very fake sound of a throat being cleared broke the haze. Craig turned wide eyes to the door and felt his already high color turn a bright red.

Josh leaned through the door, hand still on the knob. His brother, Drake, stood behind him and waved. Both looked very amused.

"Uh… you okay, Craig?" Josh asked, failing to hide a grin.

Eric and he had pulled their arms back to their sides and exchanged dumb glances. "…Yes?"

Drake gave a salute with his index finger. "Good to know. See ya." With that he pulled Josh out of the room, slamming the door behind them.

Craig shifted uncomfortably. Eric scratched behind his ear. "Well, that was embarrassing," he stated.

Craig nodded miserably. He then noticed something that had been niggling at the back of his head. "Where's the nurse?" he asked.

"Oh, she left already. Something about a Bingo tournament."

"Oh. …oh." Craig glanced at his boyfriend, then back at the door.

"So, Eric… does that door have a lock?"