Drake stared lock-jawed at the screen. He couldn't believe Josh had finally written him back.
Not only that, but he was on his way to see Josh and by now Josh was on his way to Seattle.
Just the fact he accepted his invitation, but...
"Mike?" He wondered aloud, catching Frank's attention from across the aisle of the plane he had already forgotten was en rout to Walla-Walla, "Mike... Mike..." He searched.
"Mike?" Frank echoed, "Who is Mike?"
"It's what I'm trying to-" He started when it hit him. He jumped from his seat, his laptop crashing to the floor, Frank diving for it as Drake turned to punch the seat, "Damn it!" He cried.
Staying on the floor to avoid any fist flying, Frank cautiously looked up, "What's wrong?" He asked nervously, "You... remember this Mike... I take it-"
"Yeah. Yeah, I remember this Mike real good." He answered sharply, dropping back into his seat.
Feeling it safe to move, Frank collected the barely alive laptop, stood and slowly handed it back to Drake who waved it away.
"Okay, Drake," Frank said, setting the laptop down and taking a seat in front of him. Slapping his knees, he readies himself to have to have to shut Drake up quick, "Who is this Mike guy and why the attitude all of the sudden?" Drake did go to speak, and to his surprise, Frank raises his hand to stop him. Ignoring Drake's surprised gasp, Frank continues, "Who were all excited about Josh coming. I know you're going to hate me for this, but when you dropped your computer I saw the email. Now, who is Mike?"
Drake shut his mouth and fell back into his seat. Fighting back tears, Drake quietly chokes out over the intercom, "Turn the plane back to Seattle, please."
The flight was quiet. Almost too quiet. Despite Mike was fine with everything, Josh still wasn't. He hated himself for stringing a wonderful guy like Mike on. Even more so the fact Mike didn't believe he'd rather be with him than Drake.
Everytime he'd open his mouth he'd shut it just as quick, afraid of what Mike might say when Mike's voice jolted him to.
"Hey, Josh," He said softly, more to not disturb the other passengers, "I was wondering something," All Josh could do was nod and force a smile, "Are you taking me to get to Drake?"
Josh couldn't believe his ears, "What did you say?"
"Come on. I don't mean to start anything on a plane, but this seems as better time than any. No good time to ask something like this, so... are you using me to make Drake jealous?"
Josh sat back, took a deep breath and tried his best not to burst. No matter what he said, Mike wasn't going to believe him, "Would you believe me if I said no?" He asked, matter of factly.
Letting a quick, soft sigh, Mike nodded, "Yeah. But as far as you wanting to be with me and not Drake... I want to know the honest to God truth, Josh..."
"Honest to God truth, Michael, is yes. I want to be with you. Not Drake."
Mike searched Josh's face for any signs until he caught Josh staring at him out the corner of his eye and he quickly turned away, "Mike," Josh started, when Mike cut him off.
"Look, if when you see Drake you can still tell me you want to be with me... then we'll see, okay?"
Josh nodded. Not much more he could say to that, it seemed reasonable enough.
Placing a hand on Mike's, Josh smile's, "I can do that." He assures.
Feverishly chasing Drake down back stage, Frank tries his best to calm the guy before he's to go on, "Drake! Please, talk to me! As a friend," He pleads when Drake suddenly stops, grabs him by the arm and pulls him into the nearest dressing room, the occupant unknown to Drake, demanding they leave only to have Drake turn and burst.
"YOU get out!" He demands of the person, who frightened, does as he's told and Drake explains as best he can to Frank the deal, "Look, you are my friend, right?"
"Yes, of course..."
"As my friend, you will not judge, right?"
"Drake," Frank says, a bit of hurt laced in his voice, "I won't do anything to hurt you, so please talk to me..."
Sitting down and taking a deep breath, Drake begins, "Look... a few years ago... this guy, Mike, I made a total ass of myself..." Looking for Frank's reaction and getting nothing, Drake continues, "I tried to... I..."
"Drake, you trying to tell me you hit on him?" Drake was a deer in the headlights, "You are, aren't you?" Drake nodded stiffly, Frank smiled, "It's okay. Nothing to be ash-"
"I was dating Josh at the time." He blurted and it was Frank's turn to be the deer. Drake stood and paced, waiting for the judgment to fall.
Catching up to Drake, Frank placed a hand on his shoulder, "It's okay. You two weren't blood anyway and... I mean, if you two were blood then there'd be a problem, but you're not so... it's all good, Drake. You're still the same person to me." He smiles and takes Drake into a hug that for a split second, Drake protests, then falls into and begins to sob.
"Thank you, Frank," He cries into his shoulder, "I've been cooped up for so long inside my own prison-"
"Drake, it's going to be okay. Now," He gently moves Drake away to look him in the eyes. His tear stained cheeks nearly bringing tears to Frank's, "This Mike guy... he's-"
"The better man, Frank," He answers softly, "Who happened to win."
The way to the concert was not nearly as quiet as the plane. Josh and Mike going back and forth with scenarios of ifs, maybes and trying to assure eachother no hard feelings no matter what.
Drake made his way to his own dressing room and paced nervously. To Frank's chagrin, even throwing up a little all the while refusing to follow Frank's advice to just "Chill!"
Mike and Josh continued their back and forths all the way to Drake's door, where they stopped dead and silent.
Looking at the name on the door, Josh fought to breathe. A nudge from Mike forced him to knock.
The knock sending Drake's heart into his chest. He goes for the door, but can't bring himself to open it.
Taking Drake by the shoulders, Frank leads him to the sofa and offers to get the door.
"Josh?" He says with a smile, showing him and, "You must be Mike." He says with a more forced smile, but not wanting any drama before a show, he keeps his cool, "Come in! Both of you!" He welcomes warmly, "Drake! Josh is here!" He keeps the smile as he slaps at Drake's knee to get him moving.
"Hey, Josh," He says coolly as he slowly gets up to stretch, "Mike! Long time no see." He plasters on a fake smile and saunters over the the pair, offering his hand. Taking Mike's, he heartily shakes it, "How was your flight? Hope you liked the seats. First class is the only way to go." He tries to play cool. Frank face-palms and Josh and Mike share a look and silent agreement.
"Hey!" Mike chimed in, "I'm going to find our seats. Why don't you two catch up and I'll get going?" He offered, noting Drake's look of not so much an agreement as a 'Yeah, maybe you better' look, "Right... so... I'll see you down there, Josh. Good luck, Drake." He adds, backing quickly out the door.
Noting the silence, Frank looks up to the stares, "I get it," He laughs nervously, "Okay. You two catch up and Drake... twenty minutes!" He reminds him as he too backs out.
The tension couldn't be cut with a Ginzu knife wheeling ninja and the silence deafening until Josh clears his throat, jolting Drake.
"Sorry," Josh says softly as he searches for more, "Drake... I really want to thank you for the invite-"
"Save it." He says coldly, falling back on the couch.
"What? You sent two tickets-"
"Yeah, but-"
"You didn't think I'd bring Mike?"
"No!" Drake cried, taking Josh aback, "I wasn't expecting Mike!" He gets up to pace, following the groove from earlier.
Josh goes to catch him, but he pulls away, "DRAKE!" He practically screams, stopping Drake in his tracks, "Listen to me; I do have pretty strong feelings for Mike, yes. It's something you're just going to have to get used to-"
"No. No, I don't." Drake tries hard to fight back tears. Shaking his head, he continues to mutter 'No, no'
"Please, don't do this Drake. You have so much... you're traveling-"
"And you could come with me-"
"No, this is your thing. My thing is school. My thing is science and maths-"
"Josh-"
"Please... I'm sorry, Drake. I really am-"
"So your decision is pretty much made then? That's it?"
Before Josh could say a word, Drake pulled him in, crashing their lips together.
Josh tried to fight it, but it was no use. The familiarity of it all; Drake's soft lips against his, his strong hands gripping his arms tight... it was all too much, and Josh's world came to a sudden crash and he pushes Drake away.
"What?!" Drake sobbed, "What's wrong?" He tried to take Josh back against him, to hold him, but Josh held him at bey.
"Drake... I don't think I can do this. I can't live your lifestyle... we can't..." Unable to hold back any longer, Josh grabs Drake in for a strong hug and both break down into sobbing heaps.
"God," Drake chokes, "We're no better than a couple of weepy girls," He tries to joke, managing a quick chuckle from Josh.
"Yeah, but we're alright, right? We're cool?"
"Of course we are," Drake pushes away and looks at the clock, "You aren't planning on skipping out right after the show are you? There's usually a get together... alcohol free." He winks and nudges Josh's arm.
Unable to hold back, Josh smiles, "I'm proud of you for that, bro," He grabs Drake in for another hug, "I'll stick around... so long as you don't mind-"
Knowing what Josh was going to say, Drake pushes him away again and shakes his head, "No. I don't mind. But you know, he better treat you right, or so help me..."
"So help you what?"
He grins and nudges Josh again, "So help me I'll have to try and steal you back." He winks and takes Josh by the arm, showing him the way to his seats.
"On stage, Drake?"
"On the side!" He looks over and waves to Mike and nods Josh on his way.
Taking the stage, the crowd going nuts, Josh looks out as the lights shine across the stadium.
"My God," He says in wonder, "This is incredible..."
"You act like you've never been to a concert before,"
"I have, just... not from the stage..." He looks over to his brother, "At least, not this magnitude..."
"A stadium?"
"Yeah..."
As the two get over their awe, Drake begins with the all too familiar chords of the song that started it all for Drake and rolling from there.
After all is done, Drake bows off the stage towards Josh and Mike to the sounds of 'encore' and 'more' and his name over and over.
"Doesn't get much better than this!" Drake sings, the bright smile Josh had fallen for spreading across his face, he bows to Josh and Mike and heads back out to cheers and cries for more.
"This song is a classic," He introduces, "It's a slow one, but it's beautiful and it's message holds the test of time," He nods towards Josh and Mike and the two are nearly blinded by a spot light, "This is going to that guy over there. Josh Nichols. My rock." As he begins to play, the crowd quiets down and the familiar docile tones of The Beatles ring from Drake's acoustic...
"There are places I remember... all my life, though some have changed... some forever not for better... some have gone, and some remain... all these places have their moments... with lovers and friends, I still can recall... some are dead and some are living... in my life, I've loved them all..."