Disclaimer: Still not even a little bit mine.

Summary/Author's Note: The boy's first year in New York.

Halfway through writing this, I remembered why this I don't normally write things this way. I really hope it works. Katie promised me, over and over again, that's it not terrible. I decided to trust her.

August

Thornton offers to buy them a going away dinner at BF Wangs and Drake finally gives into Josh's begging and agrees to go. The restaurant is so dark they can hardly see one another, and the food is amazing, and the conversation is awkward and stilted until they're interrupted by Mrs. Hayfer. She walks right over to their table and wishes Josh good luck at school and reminds Drake that she hates him. Drake is about to open his mouth to reply, when Thornton jumps in and tells her off. Drake is too stunned to catch it all, but it's something about her being bitter and old and taking her anger out on teenagers and Thornton's parents donating lots of money to the school, and how he's sure they wouldn't appreciate hearing about this, and it is really, really awesome.

"See?" Josh says, after Mrs. Hayfer stomps away from their table, cursing under her breath. "I told you he was cool."

'Very cool," Drake agrees, grinning at Thornton.

"She had it coming," Thornton says. "I mean coming up to us at dinner and being a bitch to Drake? What's up with that?"

"That's kinda her thing. I'm sure she couldn't resist insulting me one more time," Drake explains.

"Maybe she should get some therapy for that," Thornton says, smirking. Josh laughs and squeezes Drake's knee under the table, and then the three of them launch into a long conversation about why Mrs. Hayfer is terrible, and awful and unfit to teach. By the time their check comes Drake is offering to send Thornton a copy of his first album and the boys are planning to have dinner again when Drake and Josh are back in San Diego.

September

The semester is three weeks old by the time Josh manages to get a good night's sleep in his new dorm room. The first few weeks everything is just too new, and he's too excited and jittery, and the noises are too weird, and he can't sleep. The noises take the most adjustment. It's not just that the dorm is louder than home, although it is, it's that the sound of his roommate's breathing drives Josh crazy. Caleb is pretty cool, he's quiet and responsible and Josh really likes him, but for the first few weeks his breathing at night seems to echo in the little room, simply because it's not Drake's breathing. Josh is sure his roommate's breathing should be the last thing on his mind while he's starting a new life in a new city, but he can't seem to shut it out. Drake talks in his sleep, he mutters and mumbles and sometimes he sighs and Josh isn't sure when all those sounds had become some sort of weird lullaby to him, it's not something he ever thought about home, but now that he doesn't hear them it's almost impossible to fall asleep. Now, every breath Caleb takes reminds Josh how far away from home he is, reminds him of the fact that Drake is a fifteen minute subway ride away. It's not that far, but it's so much farther then the five steps Josh is used to that it just feels wrong. So wrong that he tosses and turns, and tries to close his eyes and imagine he's at home, but then Caleb takes a deep breath and it ruins the illusion and Josh is wide awake again.

Eventually he adjusts, eventually the need to get a good night's sleep wins out over everything else, and he stops hearing Caleb's breathing at all. Still, he sleeps better when he stays at Drake's apartment.

October

Drake finishes his album on his 19th birthday. He thinks it has to be a good sign.

"I think it's lucky," he says to Josh for about the millionth time that night. They're sitting in Drake's apartment, eating the Birthday dinner Josh had insisted on making, "I mean, I got done a week ahead of schedule, and on my birthday."

"When are you not lucky?" Josh asks, smiling but sounding a little wary.

"Seriously dude, don't you think it's like, a good omen?" Drake asks.

"I guess."

"What do you mean you guess? It's lucky!" Drake insists. Josh has been unenthusiastic about the whole luck thing, and Drake can't figure out why.

"It's just-" Josh shrugs, "You don't need luck, Drake." He smiles when he says it, and then he goes into one of his Josh speeches about how awesome and talented Drake is, and Drake decides Josh is right. He doesn't need luck, or omens, he has Josh.

November

The boys have their first real New York fight the second week in November, the same week the first single from Drake's album enters the Billboard Top 100. The fight is loud, with yelling and swearing, and doors slamming and by the time Josh gets back to his dorm he barely even remembers what they were fighting about. He just knows he's still hurt and angry. He stays mad for three whole days. Three long days over which Josh snaps at several people, including his roommate and several new friends. Josh feels bad about it instantly, but fighting with Drake has always made him a little tense, and it's even worse now. Drake calls him at end of the third day, all apologies and "can you come over tonights?" and Josh is on his way to the subway before he even hangs up the phone, early classes be damned.

Drake is freshly showered when Josh arrives, he's somehow smirking and beaming at the same time, and the first thing he says after they pull back from a long hug is,

"So, I've heard really awesome things about makeup sex."

December

Drake is out of town, promoting his album, during finals week. Josh tells himself it's a good thing, that he needs the extra time to study anyway, but it doesn't keep him from being lonely and distracted all week. He spends as much time in the library as possible, trying to block out anything that reminds him of Drake. It's a little hard to do, since the google alert Josh has set keeps popping up with articles linking Drake to random models and starlets. Drake seems to be asked about his love life more than his album, and every time a new gossip blog post comes up Josh is tempted to throw his laptop across the room. He understands, he really does, it's not like Drake can say,

"Well actually, I'm involved with my stepbrother." He has to smile and give vague answers and appear free and unattached. It's all part of the deal. Josh knows that, but knowing doesn't stop the sick feeling he gets in his stomach every time he reads a new rumor.

January

Grammy has the entire Parker-Nichols family over for dinner on New Year's Day. She spends most of the meal asking Josh about Columbia; how his first semester went, if he likes his roommate, if he has a lot of new friends, if he's picked a major. Josh glows a little when he talks about Columbia, the way he used to glow in high school when anyone asked him about the Science Fair or one of his honors classes and if it were anyone but Josh, Drake would find it all horribly boring and dorky. Josh's enthusiasm is kind of cute though, and Drake doesn't mind listening.

She turns her attention to Drake over desert, calling him a "big shot rock star," and mentioning that her friends keep asking about him. She mentions how proud she is, and then it's Drake's turn to glow.

"So," she says raising her eyebrows, "I guess a superstar like you gets a lot of ladies." Megan giggles and everyone turns to look at her. Drake wonders how obvious it would be if he kicked her under the table.

"Drake's not a superstar," She says, rolling her eyes.

"He will be," Josh puts in, looking as relieved as Drake feels.

"Yeah. Ok." Megan says, "You keep telling yourself that."

"Actually," Drake says, looking back at Grammy, "I've kind of been spending most of time with someone special in New York." He knows he probably could have let the question go, he doubts anyone would have gone back to it after Megan's comment, but he kind feels like he should say it. For Josh.

"Good for you sweetie," His mom says, smiling at him from down the table, and Drake braces himself for awkward questions about who the lucky girl is, and if Josh knows her, but none come. His mom just smiles, and Walter cuts himself another slice of cake, and Megan smirks, and Grammy nods approvingly, and Josh grabs his hand under the table and squeezes.

"That's what I like to hear," Grammy says.

February

Somehow, Drake gets drunker than Josh on Josh's birthday.

"It's my birthday," Josh grumbles, pulling Drake down the sidewalk, "Shouldn't you be the one helping me home?"

"You're the responsible one Joshie," Drake says into Josh's neck.

"But it's my Birthday," Josh complains. Drake stops walking.

"Are you... are you mad?" He asks, blinking up at Josh and not quite focusing, "I got you a present, and I bought all the drinks, and the food."

"I'm not mad," Josh says, rolling his eyes.

"You could be drunk too!" Drake says, poking Josh's chest.

"Yes, but then how would we get home?" Josh counters, tugging on Drake's arm to get them walking again.

"You're a funny drunk," Drake says.

"Am I?"

"You sing a lot. You should sing more." Drake rambles.

"I thought we decided a long time ago that we'd leave all the singing to you," Josh says.

"Noooo." Drake says, stumbling a little. Josh pulls him and sighs, glad they only have about 30 feet left until Drake's apartment.

"No?" He asks.

"You should sing," Drake says seriously, "But you have to only sing my songs."

"Yeah?" Josh asks, smiling a little as he fumbles in his pocket for his key to Drake's place.

"Uh huh. Better. Cause they're my songs and you-" Drake stops and sways a little, tightening his grip on Josh's arm, "You are my Josh." He finishes. "Hey! We're home!" He says, smiling at the front door to his building like it's an old friend.

"We are." Josh confirms, a huge grin on his face.

"We should take a shower," Drake suggests, nodding and smiling up at Josh.

"How bout if I just put you to bed?" Josh says, unlocking the door.

"Can we take a shower the morning?"

"Definitely" Josh says, kissing the top of Drake's forehead and leading him up the stairs.

March

Drake goes on tour in early spring. It's weird, because in some ways, it's everything he always thought it would be. It's exciting and intoxicating and he feeds himself on the energy of the crowds. He signs CDs and T-shirts and takes pictures with fans who all seem really thrilled to meet him, and it's all really awesome. Some of them want to do more than meet him and that's the weird part, not that they want him, but that he's not even tempted. He doesn't have to tell himself no, it doesn't take self-control, he's just not interested. Honestly, he always pictured himself taking advantage of the groupies thing, hell, he did take advantage of it in high school, but now he's just smiling politely and turning them all down. It's not very rock star, and it's not very Drake Parker, but he doesn't care. He just goes back to whatever hotel he's staying in that night and calls Josh, and it's all he needs.

April

They don't get out of bed the entire weekend Drake returns home from tour. Josh keeps trying to suggest they get up and go out to dinner, or see a movie, or do something, but then Drake pulls him down into another kiss, and another and then he moves his hands more and rolls his hips and, well, Josh didn't really want to get out of bed anyway. Not when he has miles of skin to explore, not when he needs to rediscover all the places on Drake's body he's missed desperately over the past six weeks. Not when Drake's hands are traveling his body and it's all hot and desperate and needy and wanting. Make up sex was amazing, but Josh is pretty sure reunion sex is better.

May

Drake and Josh get home in time for Megan's sixteenth birthday, and she actually looks happy to see them when they arrive. She lets them hug her, and in the two days leading up to her party, she only pulls five pranks on them, which has to be a record of some sort. Her party is a huge blow out at the Brew Note, and all several of her friends fawn and scream and beg Drake for autographs. He signs them all, hoping Megan won't kill him for taking attention away from her at her own party. He's surprised when Josh pulls him aside an hour into the party and tells him Megan has a request.

"Ok, you're not going to believe this, but Megan just asked me if you'd play a couple of songs," Josh says.

"Seriously?" Drake asks.

"Yeah, her friends like your music and I guess she told them you would."

"Megan?" Drake asks, still stunned. Josh laughs and nods,

"Yup. She said having a celebrity in the family should have perks. Oh and also that we still owe her," He explains. Drake laughs,

"Go ask her if they have any special requests." He says. An hour later he's played ten songs to loud cheers, and dedicated them to his baby sister, and Megan is actually smiling at him, and standing with Josh, and Drake grins back and thinks maybe he was wrong. He'd always been kind of afraid that Megan would get more evil as time went on, but tonight it seems like growing up is actually softening her. He shares the speculation with Josh later, and Josh grins and suggests they throw their own party to celebrate the change. Megan being less evil is a big deal.

She locks them in the bathroom for a few hours the next morning and doesn't let them out until Drake promises to get her about ten different autographs.

June

Being home is nice, but Drake is restless. Not for the road, but for New York. He likes New York, likes the upper West side. He likes Josh's school friends. He likes that none of them seem to care that his second single was the third most downloaded song on peartunes for an entire week in May. He likes that none of them seem to care if his favorite place to sit is Josh's lap. At home, all anyone wants to talk about is how he's becoming a big star. They want to know if he's met famous people and what it's like to be on tour, and it's not that he minds talking about it, it's just that sometimes he wants to talk about other things too. Sometimes he gets tired of being a celebrity, tired of everyone telling him they always knew that he'd be a big star. Helen throws him a huge party at The Premiere and everyone gushes over him for hours, and it should be a lot cooler than it is. The only entertaining thing about the night is Crazy Steve, who comes up to Drake and demands to know if they're on TV,

"No," Drake says.

"Well let me know when we are. I've always wanted to be on TV," Steve says.

"We're not going to be on TV tonight." Drake says.

"Well we should be. THE CAMERA LOVES ME!" Steve yells, running away. Sadly, Steve is instantly replaced by an ex-girlfriend who wants to know if any of the songs on Drake's album are about her. He's glad when Josh and Thornton sneak him out of the party hours before it's over.

July

Craig and Eric break up over the Fourth of July. It's messy and painful and Josh does his best not get involved, but it's hard when both of them call him three times a day. Eric says Craig is always in bad mood and Craig says Eric doesn't appreciate him and there is a lot of yelling. They drag up years of history and fight over who said what when, and who owns what, and what they're going to do about all the things they share, and it scares Josh. It feels so permanent and so adult. It's like watching a bitter divorce, and it's Craig and Eric and Josh really thought that they'd always be together.

Luckily, it turns out to be one of those occasions when Drake is surprisingly brilliant. Josh comes home, stressed and shaken after hours of trying to help Craig and Eric, to find Drake sitting on the couch in their room, guitar in hand. It's not an unusual site, but the smile Drake gives him when he walks in is brighter than usual, and his eyes are glowing.

"Hey," He says. "I wrote you a song today." He motions for Josh and pats the cushion next to him, and bounces as Josh sits down, looking excited.

"Yeah?" Josh asks, feeling better already.

"Yup," Drake confirms, and then he bites his lip and smiles his nervous smile, a smile no one but Josh ever sees, and he starts to play, and by the time he reaches the chorus, Josh knows they'll be ok.