Drake and Josh

together

in

2019

can you believe it?!

This is a little fic I wrote inspired by Drake Bell's and Josh Peck's recent reunion and in anticipation of whatever those two have planned to do as a show in the future. Still, to be clear, this are still Drake Parker and Josh Nichols reuniting here, but you all know it sometimes does not make much of a difference. Let's go:

Because It's Coming Back

"You're late"

No cheering, no welcoming handshake or shoulder claps and no cheesy hug me brother. None of these as Drake quickly entered the car and let himself fall into the seat next to Josh who made eye contact with his brother for a split second before directing his gaze onto the road again. As soon as he had made sure that all doors were closed, he started the motor.

"I almost got a ticket for parking in the wrong place."

The lights of the shops in the street were already drowning the city in their faint glow and as they had to slow down because of a red light both could hear the noise of people hurrying from one place to another, laughing, talking, arguing…

Drake still hadn't said one single word, he just nodded absently fiddling with something that Josh had thought was the seat belt, but turned out to be the strap of his guitar case that was still pulled over his shoulder.

Of course, Josh suddenly thought. It was ridiculous of him to ever imagine Drake going any place without his beloved guitar.

"It's really hot" he started again. "Do you mind if I open the windows?"

Not really expecting any reply, Josh pushed the button in front of him. Now there was a cold wind blowing into both of their faces. His own shirt was soaked in sweat, but apparently Drake had just now realized how warm it actually was, slowly pulling down the zipper of his black leather jacket.

The traffic at this time of a day was horrific and if they would have moved any slower, Josh would have preferred them to walk. Not that he would have ever suggested Drake to walk with all his luggage and instruments. It didn't seem right to him.

The loud honking of a car horn startled him out of his thoughts and both looked to the right to witness two angry men getting out of their vehicles and start to angrily insult each other over a small collusion that had apparently just happened and no one wanted to be responsible for. Almost immediately a little kid started crying in the car in front of them. Great. Just great.

Annoyed by all the unpleasant noise and the awkward silence between them, Josh's gaze fell onto the small radio that he hardly ever used. Sometimes he would listen to the news, but even on longer trips he never listened to music, not even to discs or any of his mp3 tracks. He remembered that he used to do that all the time and he didn't recall when he had stopped doing it.

Or why.

Apparently his hand gesture towards the device had given his thoughts away and Josh stopped in his movement as he felt Drake's eyes on him.

His expression was easy to read.

Turn it on. Why don't you turn it on?

Drake.

He'd always loved music. Even more than cheese or pizza or even girls! And Josh secretly admired his perception of music, his understanding of the way something was written, how a beat carried a track, how a single chord could change the ambiance of a whole song. He would add new sets of instruments to parts which Josh thought sounded already great. In Drake's opinion they were never complete. Never.

His brother never was done with something. If the song was perfect, the lyrics weren't. If the sound on stage was satisfying, the light wasn't. And as the gift he had sent me five years ago for his birthday had arrived one day late, it had ruined the surprise. It was not important, Josh had told him over and over. Let it go.

Some things happened in life and not all of them were planned. For Josh they were over, memories you could learn from instead of shadows following him everywhere he stepped. They were like books: you take them out when you need them.

"Can't you hurry up there!?" Josh exclaimed, but he quickly shut up as one of the men waved a strong fist in his direction. They weren't going anywhere soon.

But he wanted to.

Josh wanted to leave this suffocating car and drive away to just go somewhere, just get them to another point, another destination where he wouldn't have to keep thinking. Thinking about that he was sure Drake had not read a full book in his whole life.

That he was a kind fo person who would glue all the pictures he took onto the wall and not in a photo album and how his voice mail was always not working because of all the old messages on it he never managed to delete.

Trying to distract himself, Josh's hand again lingered close to the radio and this time he got the verbal encouragement he needed.

"Just turn it on, man."

Yeah.

He should do that, shouldn't he?

There were so many things he felt that he should be doing. Arriving at the airport Josh had made a whole mental list of how to react and what to say seeing Drake…no being with Drake after such a long time. He had many questions and some smaller things to sort out. Maybe some of them could wait, because Josh was angry about them. Just a bit. And he had planned to apologize while expecting apologies, he had expected it to be different. Difficult.

But right now he did not have to do that.

So he just turned the radio on.

A song was on and not even now Josh listened to it, he just watched as a smile spread on his brother's lips while he leaned back into the car seat. He hadn't seen him smile like this in a while.

He had recognized the song immediately, for sure and Josh suddenly realized that he was holding his breath.

"A long long time ago

I can still remember how

That music used to make me smile

And I knew if I had my chance

That I could make those people dance

And maybe they'd be happy for a while"

There was no doubt at all that Drake could still sing and Josh had never questioned it. He just wasn't prepared. His hands were still on the steering wheel, but he now actually listened to the music, to every single word that left the other's mouth to get carried outside by the breeze, to places it belonged to. Where did it belong to?

"I can't remember if I cried

When I read about his widowed bride

Something touched me deep inside

The day the music died"

But it hadn't died. It was still there. Drake was still here. And all that happened, no matter how far into the past, had still happened. Josh knew it.

"Bye, bye Miss American Pie

Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry

And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye

Singin' this'll be the day that I die"

And now Josh remembered why he hadn't been able to listen to Drake's old recordings anymore, not with his friends there and sometimes not at all. It wasn't the text and it wasn't the style…it was the way he always sung everything like he really meant it. A part of Josh feared that he did. At some point it had been too much. Too much to bare.

"Did you write the book of love

And do you have faith in God above

If the Bible tells you so?

Do you believe in rock and roll?

Can music save your mortal soul?"

Josh had not realized the two drivers outside had stopped arguing and were about to sit down in their cars again, but he heard that the little child had stopped crying, turned around in his seat and grinning at both of them, but especially at Drake who smiled brightly, but never stopped singing until the song ended and their small listener started clapping. Finally, the cars were moving again.

"What a cute kid" Josh said, beaming at Drake who had closed his eyes. "Sure. Not as cute as your kid, though."

"That's true."

Man, he had missed him. He had missed Drake so much and he knew it had been the same the other way round.

"I missed out since I was here...-since I was with you the last time, didn't I?"

Josh let out a little laugh, before nodding. "Quiet a lot. I married and I have a child."

"Yeah…well, I can't give you that." But Drake didn't sound regretful. He was actually at peace. For now.

"But I learned spanish!"

"Whaat?"

"I really did!"

"No way!"

"Surprised?"

"Well, unexpected, but I'm proud of you!"

Josh always had been proud of Drake. Even when he did not admit it.

"Thanks man"

They were on the highway now and even though Josh had driven this stretch more than a hundred times, it felt exciting today. Everything seemed so new to him. And real. He was enjoying the journey.

This was just the beginning.

"Josh, I'm sorry, I was late"

"Don't worry about it"

So...I'm going to leave this here now. I hope you enjoyed this. Drake and Josh forever guys =))) I can't with these boys. They deserve the world.