The Guitar

Title: The Guitar
Pairing: Josh/Drake
Fandom: Drake & Josh
Theme: # 22, cradle
Disclaimer: I do not own Drake & Josh. I get no money from this. Just happiness, which is better. This is pure fiction. I don't even know Drake Bell or Josh Peck. I made up Glen, though. And Carly is one the Drake & Josh show.

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Drake Parker was never the type of guy that liked things serious. He had issues with commiting to one girl. He had problems with cheating. He was way too impulsive. He wasn't cut out for any of the crap he'd got himself into.

Things didn't always go the way you planned them to.

"I guess my lucky star burnt out..." Drake whispered as he closed the door to the small room. He stared around at the pale blue walls and the small white dressers. He glanced at the table, a few rubber ducks sitting in a line atop. Several bottles that Drake didn't bother to look at the names lined a shelf above the table along with a couple other tubs of something or another.

His head turned to the far corner and his eyes met with the thing. The thing that he remembered from the time he was seven.

A crib.

He had to admit it was cute. There were long white posts. Silver latches and a thin matress lined with white sheets and a small blanket and pillow. Drake dared to step closer, his socked feet making no sound against the carpet. The sound of his jeans brushing against themselves sounded almost deafening in the room. He bent down, gingerly leaning on one of the railings. He tried to invision things to come, though, as he stared down all he saw was Megan.

She was so tiny when his mother had brought her home. Her dark hair and even darker eyes were beautiful. Drake would never admit it out loud, but Megan was the second girl he fell in love with. His Mom was the first.

Smiling, Drake remembered how his mom had refused to let him hold her. He was seven, he could handle it. Drake knew this, so late at night he would sneak into his sister's room. He'd shudder at the purple that seemed to be everywhere tip-toe to the crib. He'd quietly lower the front of the crib, small arms reaching out for the bundle tucked beneath the purple blankets. He'd scoop his baby sister up into his arms and sing to her.

Megan liked being sung to until she was three. Then she'd start protesting. Megan never had terrible twos. Megan had terrible threes. She started pulling Drake's hair at three. Sure, Drake didn't help since he was almost ten and thought it was funny to tickle her until she couldn't breath or steal her teddy bear and hide it.

Drake turned his head at the sound of the door opening and a tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes stepped into the room, carrying several baby type items. "Oh...you must be Drake."

Forcing a smile, Drake nodded. "That's right...you're...Glen?"

The man nodded and extended a hand. Drake mentally winced at the other man's strength but didn't show it outwardly.

"She said that you'd be up here. Do you like the room?"

Drake nodded, but he wasn't really listening when the man started talking about how he still planned to paint the room and how he had to change the litterbox all the time. Drake's attention got snapped back when the door opened a second time.

There she was. She was still as beautiful as she was five months ago. Her long dark hair down over her shoulders in large curls. Her eyes, bright and pleased. Her legs were still long and something most women would envy. Her curves were still looking perfect and her voice sounded just as heavenly when she said hello.

Really, she looked perfect. Drake couldn't remember why he had let her go, though, it was just what Drake Parker did. He played the field. He dated lots of girls and lived the life of a typical nineteen year old rockstar. Only three things had changed about Carly. She wasn't dating Drake anymore. She was dating, engaged actually, the surfer-looking Glen guy. And her middle was about twice the size it was when Drake had broke up with her.

She stepped forward and gave Drake a kiss on the cheek before stepping over to Glen, who put an arm around her.

Drake looked at them pitifully. Thanks to him, they would never have a happy family. He would always be there, lingering. If the baby had his eyes, it might not be that bad. Carly had brown eyes, too. Though, if by some odd chance the kid had red hair...Carly and Glen were screwed.

People would know. They'd see red hair and wonder. They'd wonder about if Carly's parents had red hair. When they found out they didn't, that'd be another strike. They'd wonder about Glen. Strike two. They'd remember the wannabe rockstar Carly was with before Glen. Strike three.

The world would know about his mistake.

Drake sighed. "Hey...I've gotta head back. The room looks great." He said, clapping his hands together. "Feel free to call me if you guys ever need anything." It was best if he just left them alone. If he forgot everything about them and about her and about the thing in her stomach. It was better if he went home and didn't let himself look at the kid.

He left without much else. A smile and a goodbye and he was driving down the road home. Carly was going to marry Glen once the baby was born. They were going to be a happy family. Things were going to be fine but this would linger over his head forever. Carly said she didn't want a dime from Drake. That she just thought he should know. She wanted to give him the option of being there. He'd always wonder when he saw a kid somewhere with brown eyes and redish brown hair.

Drake shook his thoughts away. He still hadn't told Carly if he wanted to be in the kid's life or not. Drake Parker wasn't the best role model. Still, to think that he'd do something so stupid and not own up to it was incredibly stupid. He had to do something, right?

Drake stepped into the apartment he shared with Josh, groaning and curling up on the couch once he made it there. He sighed and closed his eyes as he felt the cushions dip by his feet. He didn't roll over when hands lifted his legs and tugged the straight or when his feet fell on jean clad thighs. He didn't even open his eyes while his sneakers were pulled off.

"Was it that bad?"

The voice could only belong to one person. Josh Nichols. Drake Parker's step brother and roommate and friend and...everything. Josh Nichols was Drake Parker's world. Josh was like air or water or food and everything else all combined.

Josh was like Drake's guitar. The thing he used to help him express himself. The thing that always listened and never judged. The one thing that Drake could never actually get rid of. The thing Drake back home to. Josh was the million reasons why Drake felt every emotion available to man and possibly a few others. Without Josh, Drake knew he'd explode and fade away like a powerful chord played through an amp.

"What did she have to tell you?" Josh asked curiously, doing something to Drake's pants that involved tugging and smoothing but Drake didn't bother to look down and see exactly what that was.

"It was bad..." Drake said, finally moving of his own will. He rolled onto his back, staring at Josh before moving his arms out, signaling he wanted a hug.

Josh never seemed to mind and carefully maneuvered himself over his brother, arms tucking at each of Drake's sides. His cheek rested against his brother's while Drake wrapped his arms tightly around Josh's neck.

Drake tilted his head, letting his lips ghost over Josh's jaw and he smiled faintly when he felt Josh fully relax ontop of him. Having Josh lay on him was something Drake could never explain. Josh was heavier than Drake, but it was far from a painful or awkward thing. Josh being with him like this made Drake forget about every other girl in the world.

"It'll be okay." Josh said. Josh gave up on trying to read Drake a long time ago. Drake would always chase the girls. He'd always get them without trying. Drake would always come home to him. Josh had no clue why Carly had called. He remembered the way her and Drake were serious.

He wondered if they were going to get back together.

"Josh...I'm pregnant."