Title: Unexpected Places 3/?

Author: SP

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nickelodeon and Dan Schneider and whoever else own everything.

Rating: K+

Pairing: one-sided Josh/Drake at this point, pretty clearly.

Summary: Because of the evil Mrs. Hayfer, Drake is stuck doing a project with that dorky Josh Nichols. But it turns out to be not so bad after all…AU.
Author's Notes: I'm convinced that all D&J fans are night owls. Or they live in Australia. Because most of my conversations with the rest of you take place after 11.30 pm.

After spending two afternoons with Josh Nichols, Drake was convinced that there was something weird with him. Well, aside from everything that he was pretty open about, like his love of magic tricks and general dorkiness. But the dorkiness was growing on Drake.

No, what Drake was starting to notice was that Josh started acting weird whenever Drake brought up girls. When he added this to yesterday's conversation about whether Mindy Crenshaw had a crush on him, the answer Drake got was not pretty.

Mindy did have a crush on him. It all made sense. Of course Mindy would have told Josh, and Josh would have been sworn to secrecy. Since Josh had broken up with Mindy to start with, he'd be hoping they'd get together.

Drake was terrified. He also thought he'd better rid Mindy of that crush as soon as possible.

Even if it meant talking to her civilly.

And that was how Drake ended up going to the Loser Table at lunchtime on Wednesday. At one end, he found Josh, Mindy, and Craig and Eric, all talking about something he didn't actually understand.

"Um, hi?" he said, to attract someone's attention.

All four of them looked up. "Hey Drake," Josh replied. "What's up?"

"Uh, I was wondering if I could talk to Mindy for a sec?"

Mindy looked surprised, and also like she was biting her tongue. "What do you want?"

Drake thought fast. "Uh, I just wanted to ask you a couple quick questions about Josh. For our biography project.

Josh looked pleased. "Go on, Mindy. Be nice."

Mindy sighed, but she rose from her seat and followed Drake over to a neighboring table. "What do you want to know?"

"Nothing about Josh, actually. But he said some stuff, and even though he said it wasn't true, I had to check--you don't like, have a crush on me, do you?"

A disgusted look crossed Mindy's face. "Uh, ew," she replied. "Why would I ever have a crush on an underachiever like you?"

"That was what I thought," Drake shot back. "Um, minus the insult toward me."

Mindy rolled her eyes. "Now, what did Josh say that you managed to construe as me liking you?"

"Well, he said you were best friends, and he acted really weird whenever I talked about hot girls, and when I asked whether you had a crush on me--he said you'd stopped badmouthing me--he got all stuttery and-and weird."

Mindy shook her head. "You're an idiot. No, I don't have a crush on you." She spun around and walked back to the table, skirt flaring around her hips.

"Thanks!" Drake called after her. Then he went to take care of some other business.

--

At four twenty-five that afternoon, Drake strolled into the Premiere. He spotted Josh working at the candy counter and walked over, leaning against it when he got there. "Hey," he said to Josh, who had his back turned, organizing candy bars.

Josh jumped and spun around. "Oh, Drake. What time is Monica meeting you?" he asked flatly.

"She isn't," Drake answered. "I canceled."

"Why?"

"Because we're supposed to be working on our project at four-thirty. Remember?"

A smile spread across Josh's face. "Of course. Unlike some people, I can remember things from day to day."

Drake mock-pouted, but couldn't keep it up for long. Josh's smile was contagious, and soon he was smiling himself. "All right, all right. So, any burning questions for me?"

"Yeah, actually. Tell me about your music."

Drake's grin widened. "It's pretty much everything to me right now. I really want to make a career out of it, y'know? Get a record deal, top 40 hits, everything. Right now though, I'm just kind trying to become well-known around here. I play some small gigs. Win the talent show every year, it seems like. But like I told you on Monday, I don't have a drummer right now, so we're actually not doing anything."

"So how long have you been with your band?" Josh asked.

Drake chewed his lip thoughtfully. "Actually, none of the original members are left, but I started the band when I was fourteen."

"You're good," Josh offered. "I've heard you sing a few times."

"Thanks. So, since we're talking about music…what's your favorite band?"

Josh thought for a minute. "I guess I'd have to say The Hailstones. How about you?"

"Zero Gravity," Drake answered immediately. "No contest. Devon Malone--he's the guitarist--is amazing. He's awesome with a guitar and really good-looking too. I learned so much about playing from watching him."

"Yeah?" Josh grabbed a napkin and a pen and wrote something down. "I forgot my notebook," he said by way of explanation. "So, how'd you start playing guitar, anyway? Lessons or something?"

Drake shook his head. "No, I taught myself when I was nine. I had an old acoustic guitar in my room--my dad gave it to me before he left--and one day I just started fooling around with it."

Josh looked unsure of himself. "Um, so…"

Drake sighed. "You want to know about my dad, right? I've never talked about him to anyone."

"All right, I won't ask," Josh said.

"Next time we meet at one of our houses, I'll tell you. Um, maybe. Just definitely not here, all right?"

"Whatever you feel comfortable with," Josh replied.

Drake's smile returned. "So, what about you? Do you play an instrument? You don't happen to play drums, do you?"

Josh laughed. "Sorry! No, I'm sort of musically challenged. I can't even sing."

"Everyone can sing," Drake admonished. "Some just do it better than others," he added with an impish look.

"Yeah, right. What did you ask Mindy about me today?"

Drake knew that Josh appreciated honesty, so he didn't lie. "I didn't actually ask her about you. I kind of didn't believe you when you said she didn't have a crush on me. So I asked her about it."

"What'd she say?" Josh asked, looking apprehensive.

"Well, first she said I was an idiot," Drake answered contemplatively, "then she said that she didn't have a crush on me." Drake realized that Josh had put that same stress on 'she' the day before. Why did everyone keep doing that?

"Oh."

"And then I went and canceled my date with Mich--Monica. Hey, I caught myself."

Josh replied dryly, "Bravo. You got the name of your date right."

"Are you still upset about yesterday?" Drake wanted to know.

"A little," Josh admitted, "but I'm more upset about you using girls and dating anything female that moves. It's not good for you, and it's not fair to them."

Drake fidgeted self-consciously. "Maybe not. But it's a reputation thing."

"Are you sure you don't just have commitment issues?" Josh asked, half-teasing half-serious.

"Pretty sure that I don't," Drake retorted.

Josh nodded in understanding. "So you're just a nymphomaniac, then?" Drake looked lost, so Josh explained, "Obsessed with sex. And um, usually used to describe a woman."

Drake stuck his tongue out at Josh, then responded, with dignity, "No, I'm not obsessed with sex, thank you very much. For your information, I've only slept with two girls. And don't put that in your biography!"

"Mrs. Hayfer wouldn't be impressed," Josh agreed.

"Let me guess, you've never, right?"

Josh shrugged noncommittally.

"Was that a yes shrug or a no shrug?"

No answer.

"Ah, that's a no shrug," Drake announced. Then, more seriously, he added, "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Kind of good, actually."

"Not that I haven't had the opportunity," Josh mumbled.

"With Mindy?"

"Yeah. That was when I broke up with her and told her that I wasn't actually attracted to--her."

Drake winced. "Ouch."

"I went on to say that there was someone else I liked, and if I slept with her it wouldn't have been fair to either of us," Josh said.

"Do you still? Like the other person?"

Josh nodded.

"Have you slept with them?"

Josh laughed. "Yeah, right."

"Kissed?"

"No."

"Asked out?"

"No."

"Have you talked to them at least?"

"Yeah."

Drake made a relieved sound. "Good, at least you've done something. Why haven't you done more?"

"They wouldn't feel the same."

Now the sound Drake made was one of irritation. "Have you asked?"

"No!"

"Then how do you know?" Drake asked reasonably.

"I highly doubt y-he's--" Josh stopped, looking horrified.

Drake was equally shocked. Then, carefully, he asked, "He?"

"Yeah, he," Josh replied, regaining a little color.

Drake nodded once. "So you're gay?"

"Shh!" Josh hissed, looking around the nearly-empty theater lobby. "But yes." He waited for Drake's response, still looking apprehensive.

After a minute, Drake smiled. "Hey, I told you, whatever makes you happy."

Josh smiled back, nervously. "You're the first person, aside from Mindy and Craig and Eric, that I've come out to."

"I am? Well, I'm honored, I guess," Drake answered. Then, "Oh shit!"

"What?"

"What time is it?"

"Almost six, why?"

Drake began walking backward toward the door. "I have to jet. Mom's going out again. When does your shift end tomorrow?"

Josh checked the schedule posted near the popcorn machine. "Eight."

"Can you come over then?"

Josh nodded. "Yeah, sure."

"Okay. See you then." Drake turned and headed to the exit in a traditional manner. "Oh, and Josh?" he called back, turning again.

"Yeah?"

"Don't think I'm running away from you because of…what you said. I'm not."

Josh waved. "I know. You better get home."

"Yeah." He lingered a moment more, then left.