Title: Unexpected Places 7/?

Author: SP

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

Rating: K+

Pairing: Drake/Josh

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.

Special Note: Thanks yet again to folkloricfeel/justinebeckoning for the look-over!

Author's Notes: Have I mentioned that I originally guessed I'd have three or four chapters?

When the kiss ended, Josh pulled away slowly. "So now what?" he asked softly.

Drake shook his head. "I don't know," he replied.

"Is that all you can say tonight?" Josh asked teasingly.

Drake shrugged self-consciously. "Sort of."

"It's okay you know," Josh said. "To be unsure, I mean."

Drake sighed. "Maybe for you. But I'm Drake. I'm not supposed to be unsure."

Josh frowned. "Just because you're Drake, that automatically makes it not okay for you to be unsure?"

"Well…yeah."

"Does that really make sense?" Josh asked reasonably.

"No…but neither does this," Drake admitted.

Josh laughed. "Oh, I know. It doesn't make much sense to me either."

"Why wouldn't it make sense to you?" Drake asked curiously. "Aren't you used to this by now?"

"Used to it?" Josh asked incredulously. "Drake, how often do you think this happens to me? It's not like I have guys of my dreams kissing me every day." Then he blushed.

Blushing himself, Drake clarified, "That's not what I meant. I meant the whole liking a guy thing."

Josh looked at Drake. "So that is what's bothering you."

"No, it's…not exactly. I just…" Drake sighed and fell silent. "I don't know," he said after a moment, again.

Josh didn't reply, just carefully studied Drake, apparently thinking. After a few minutes, Drake started fidgeting under the scrutiny. "Okay," he said finally. "Do you not know what's bothering you, or do you just not want to say?"

Drake shrugged.

Josh sighed. "Okay. So I'm going to ask again. What now?"

"I don't know, all right?" Drake said defensively. "There's pretty much one obvious answer, but I just…there are things that…" He shook his head wordlessly and looked away.

"Hey," Josh said, reaching over and tilting Drake's chin toward him. "If you don't want to be in a relationship with a guy, then I can understand that."

"It's not that. Or not just that. It's because it's you."

Josh looked gobsmacked. "Oh. I see. I'm not 'cool' enough to date you, right?" Josh said bitterly.

Drake got up and started pacing, for the third time that night. "No. That's not it," he said firmly. "Josh, I swear. It's…I guess it's just…I've never…and maybe I could…and it scares me."

"You're being incoherent again," Josh pointed out.

Drake groaned. "I know. I'm sorry."

"And," Josh added with a small smile, "your pacing is making me dizzy."

"Sorry," Drake repeated, immediately sitting back down.

"It's okay," Josh answered. "Look, we're not getting anywhere with this. I'm getting more and more confused, and it looks like you might be too. Take some time to think about what you want. And for now…we can just go on with things the way they have been."

"I don't know if I want to," Drake mumbled.

"Then what do you want?" Josh asked. "And if you say 'I don't know' one more time…"

"What happened to it being okay being unsure?"

Josh blew his cheeks out and shook his head. "It's still okay. This is just sort of frustrating."

"Sorry," Drake said, yet again. He took a deep breath. "Josh…I kind of do want a relationship. But I…I haven't ever really had a real relationship. Y'know? So I don't know how it works."

Josh looked disbelieving. "Haven't you had like fifty girlfriends?"

"Seventy-two," Drake admitted ruefully. "But none of them really…meant anything, exactly."

Josh suddenly looked as though he understood something. "And I do mean something?" he asked cautiously.

Drake ducked his head. "I think so," he whispered.

And it was worth admitting, Drake realized, even though it was the most terrifying thing he'd done so far, to see Josh's smile. It lit up his whole face, like no one had ever made him quite so happy. Drake was happy too, just knowing he could have that effect on someone.

So he kissed Josh again.

"Is that what's been bothering you?" Josh asked, a little breathlessly, when the kiss ended.

Drake nodded. "Yeah."

"Is it really so hard for you to admit that I might actually matter to you?"

"I don't…I don't want to mess this up," Drake muttered. "It's never mattered before. Now it does. If we did date, and had a bad break-up, then I don't just lose someone to make-out with. I lose a friend too. And I--" He stopped talking abruptly, feeling like he'd already said too much.

Josh covered Drake's hand on the armrest with his own. "And you what?" he asked.

"I…I feel like there are possibilities here, between us, for more than just…I don't know."

Josh smiled that smile again. "Yeah, you do know. And I think I do, too."

Hesitantly, Drake returned the smile. "Um…so…"

"So, do you feel like taking the risk? I think it would be worth it."

Drake swallowed. He had a feeling that if he said yes, nothing would be the same again, which was yet another reason this was scary. But he'd have Josh, and somehow that canceled out some of the scariness.

"Drake?"

He nodded. "Yes. Yeah. Let's do it." He winced. "I mean, um, let's give us a chance."

Josh giggled, probably at Drake's unfortunate choice of words. Then, clearly trying to get serious again, he asked, "Are you sure?"

"No," Drake answered honestly. "But sometimes uncertainty is a good thing."

"And you said you're not good with words," Josh muttered. Then, he said aloud, "I cannot believe this. I really can't. I'm not dreaming, am I?"

Drake laughed. "No. You're not."

"Are you sure?"

"I could pinch you," Drake offered.

Josh squeaked and leaned back. "No, I'm good, thank--" CRASH. He'd leaned too far and tipped the chair over.

Drake jumped up and crouched beside him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Better than fine, really. And I'm pretty sure I'm awake, now. Ouch." Josh picked himself up, righted the chair, and then sat in the recently vacated armchair.

Drake, reassured, mock-glared at Josh for taking his place before perching on the arm. "This has been a crazy week."

"Yeah it has," Josh agreed.

"But in a good way, mostly."

"Only mostly?" Josh asked, with raised eyebrow.

"…Okay, you so need to teach me how to do that."

Josh laughed and then tugged at Drake's arm. He fell into Josh's lap, but he didn't mind much, especially when Josh's mouth covered his.