The Kissing Booth
Drake Parker/Josh Nichols | PG-13 | 9600 words | 17 March, 2009
Betas: As usual, this fic could not be possible without abusing_sarcasm, who is in all things, awesome. A convo with her also inspired this fic. Go figure.
Warnings: None. Well, the boys are maybe 17 going on 18...senior year of high school.
Spoilers: After MCD&J.
Summary: Josh completely ruined the kissing booth for Drake.
Notes:
w00t! Second D&J fic! Yay! *dances* Anyhow, this was...half fun and half a pain in the ass to write. lol. I hope you all like it. I'm a sucker for adoration of any kind, especially when my stuff gets quoted back to me. Over the last week, I've officially lost all forms of modesty, so please ignore my blatant attempts at getting you to comment. :P Again, much love to Cam, and all my peeps over at the reptile_room. I have to admit, some of our Drake vs. Josh kissing convos got some cameo time in this fic. :D
***
Josh could hear his brother's pounding footsteps long before Drake burst through the door. "Hey! Josh! Hey, Josh, look at this!"
Josh looked up from his history essay. "What's up, Drake?"
"This!" Drake said, shoving a bright pink flyer in Josh's direction. Josh stood and took it in his hand.
Bold black lettering shouted out phrases like "1st Annual!" and "Food, Fun, and Games!" The date was February 14th, and it was an all day-event at the school.
"Okay...what is it?"
"The Valentine's Day Fair! It's a fundraiser for the school. They're going to be posting flyers everywhere to get people to come out."
"Cool! Do you want to perform there? Do you need me to talk to the Principal?"
"Nah, I already talked to him. I've got us playing at the dance that night, see?" Drake got up on his tip toes to look over the flyer and point out the dance announcement at the bottom. "This is just a flyer to get interest for people to help out."
"So?"
Drake gave him a look that said he seriously wondered who the smart one really was. "So...I thought we could help out! Look, see, there's a kissing booth!" He smiled excitedly, like he just found out Zero Gravity was back in town.
Josh dropped his arms to his side. "Drake," he said in exasperation.
"What? Come on, Josh! A kissing booth would be fun!"
"For you, maybe, you....you serial kisser!" Josh went back to his desk and slapped the flyer down on the table before resuming his seat and trying to refocus on his essay.
"Josh," Drake said, coming over to pick up the flyer and pat his brother on the back. "Do you even know how much money we'd make the school if we helped out at the kissing booth? We'd break the bank! Besides...Shelly Winters is gonna be helping out there...and I've always wanted to kiss Shelly Winters," he finished wistfully.
Josh turned to his kissing-obsessed brother. "Drake, you can't kiss the other kissing booth kissers. Besides, do you remember what happened at the Galleria when you were Santa a month ago? You kissed one pretty girl, and then all the other girls, yes, even the not-so-pretty ones, wanted to kiss you too. If people are paying for it, you'll have to kiss them, regardless of how pretty they are."
Drake's face fell to a puppy dog pout for a moment before springing back, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. "You can kiss the ugly girls, and I'll get all the pretty ones."
Josh stared at Drake for a moment, feeling completely astounded. "You disappoint me as a human being," he finally said, turning back to his essay.
"Oh, come on, Josh! I'll let you kiss pretty girls, I promise!"
"Why do we both need to do this? Don't they have a ring toss or something I can help with?"
"Because, we're brothers. And we do everything together."
Not everything, Josh thought. "I wasn't aware we kissed together, Drake."
He could feel Drake roll his eyes. "Please, Joshie? For me?" Josh's heart gave a sharp pang at 'Joshie', and he looked over to Drake. "I'll show you my tummy..." Drake offered, pulling up his shirt and rubbing his stomach, to which Josh cocked an eyebrow.
"What is wrong with you? That offer's never worked on me, why would it work now?"
Drake let his shirt fall, shrugging. "I dunno. Never hurts to ask."
"You are one strange little man."
"I'm not little."
"Vertically challenged, maybe."
"Ha ha. So, come on, man, you gonna help a brotha out?"
Josh rolled his eyes, knowing he was going to regret saying, "Yeah, sure. Whatever. Now go away, I need to finish this essay for tomorrow's class."
"Yes! It'll be fun, Josh, you'll see!" And just like the whirlwind he was, Drake left the room, leaving with exactly what he wanted.
Josh sighed, wondering when it would ever end.
***
It was a sunny, gorgeous day, something not horribly unusual for Southern California, even though it was halfway through February. There were booths set up all over the school track, adorned in pink and red and white, hearts dangling, and sparkly glitter all over the place. It was like a Pepto Bismol nightmare, Josh thought, and he normally had no problem with Valentine's Day, despite never having really spent them with anyone. Not even Mindy, he realized belatedly. They had never managed to be together during February. But he was usually happy sitting at home making Fudgie Boos to share with his father or working at the Premiere, watching all the happy couples share popcorn and candy and soda, disappearing into the dark seclusion of the theatres to neck while whatever movie they paid nearly twenty bucks each to not see played on the silver screen.
He currently stood in the Kissing Booth; a red, wooden structure of torture. He was surrounded on all sides, Drake to his left, and two girls, Shelly Winters and Janet Hill to his right. It was still early – the fair would be opening up in a few minutes, but Josh was nervous. He'd only ever kissed Mindy – and Drake, if he allowed himself to count Oprah-induced insanity – and didn't really like the idea of kissing tons of girls, even if it was a school fundraiser. Who knew where these girls' lips had been? What if they didn't have proper oral hygiene? Or had just eaten onions? Or had some kind of sore, which was likely caused from kissing the wrong sort of person?
What if Josh just plain sucked at kissing?
Drake was bouncing on the balls of his feet, like an excited pup. This was easy for Drake, Josh thought. The boy had kissed more girls than existed in their school. He was in his element, and Josh was so far from it he felt like puking.
"Hey, you okay?" he heard from his right.
Josh started, turning wide-eyed to pretty, blonde, Shelly Winters, who looked just perfect in her little red sweater and matching plaid skirt, her white socks just barely reaching her pink-kissed knees. Her hair was perfectly straight, her cheeks rosy, and her glossy lips were quirked up in a worried smile.
"Er...No. Not really," Josh admitted.
Shelly placed her hand on his forearm and smiled. "Don't be nervous. You'll do fine. It's not like we're French kissing these people. Just little pecks on the mouth," she said reassuringly.
Josh felt just a little better. Shelly was nice. "Thanks."
"Should we all maybe practice anyway?" Josh heard Drake say from behind him and inwardly groaned.
Shelly tilted her head, looking past Josh to Drake, and Josh didn't even have to look to know that Drake was giving her his 'you know you want to' smile, paired with a quirked eyebrow that made him just a little bit dangerous. Girls like that, Josh thought. That 'danger' that Drake somehow had but didn't really possess, which Josh hadn't the slightest idea how to achieve in the first place.
With a shrug Shelly said, "Why not?" and to Josh's utter astonishment, she turned towards him, placed her hands on his cheeks, got up on her tip toes, and pressed her glossy lips against Josh's.
He heard Drake take a sudden breath behind him, and instantly felt guilty, but Shelly was leaning into him, and moving her lips against his, and he found his hands automatically going to her waist, his eyes fluttering closed. Her tongue swiped a little line across his lower lip, and he tilted his head and opened his mouth, and pulled her closer, his own tongue teasing just inside her mouth. Her mouth tasted sweet, like some kind of fruit, and her skin smelled nice.
There were some sputtering kinds of noises catching in Drake's throat, but Shelly just kept kissing him, and Josh found it a little hard to ignore.
"Hey - dude!" Drake finally got out.
Josh broke away from Shelly's rather talented mouth, feeling a little dazed. Drake grabbed him by the arm and turned him around.
"Josh! What do you think you're doing?" Drake actually sounded a little upset.
Josh wiped the sticky gloss from his lips with the back of his hand. Gross. "Getting kissed by Shelly Winters."
"Dude! I wanted to kiss Shelly Winters! You know I wanted to! I told you so!"
Josh just blinked at his brother. "I'm sorry, Drake. I wasn't expecting her to kiss me. You can go kiss her now, if you want," he said, still a little dazed, moving to the side and gesturing Drake over to Shelly, who was whispering in excited tones to Janet.
"No way, man! I don't want your seconds!"
Okay...that kind of hurt. "Oh, I'm sorry if I spoiled her for you!" Josh bit back, feeling the guilt from kissing Shelly dissipate under his brother's insanity.
"Well you did!"
"Drake, that's just ridiculous," Josh said. "You kiss dozens of girls in a week, and it's not like you're the only one they've kissed! So how does my kissing Shelly make her 'spoiled'?"
"Because it just does," Drake insisted, crossing his arms.
"Are you guys all ready over here?" they heard and turned to see one of the fair coordinators.
"Yes, Mrs. Peabody," Shelly said, smiling brightly and looking to Janet to share a giggle.
"Boys?" Mrs. Peabody said, looking to Drake and Josh, who were scowling and had their arms crossed over their chests.
"...Yeah," Drake finally said, turning away from Josh.
"Okay, then. Put some smiles on those faces, boys! It's Valentine's Day! And no one wants to kiss a grumpy face!" With a broad smile, Mrs. Peabody toddled off to help open the fair.
Josh turned to his brother. "Look, Drake, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen, it just sorta did."
"Yeah, whatever."
"Drake-"
"Smile, Joshie!" Drake said with false enthusiasm, and maybe a little spite. "Here come our first customers!"
And just like that, Drake slipped back on the charm like a second skin, leaning suggestively forward as a pretty girl came up to him. She gave him a dollar and received a special minute-long Drake-kiss in return.
This was going to be a long day.
***
It was high noon, and Josh was starting to sweat. He'd spent the last three hours watching Drake make-out with dozens of pretty girls, some rather heavily, while briefly pressing chaste kisses to some older ladies and a few dorky girls as if it hurt a little to do so. Josh had his own fair share of pretty girls and older ladies and dorky girls, but never gave anyone anything but a close-mouthed peck on the mouth. It was like Drake was trying to prove he was the better kisser or something by making out with as many girls as possible, right in front of his brother. Or maybe just to show Shelly that she made a bad decision, seeing as many girls came back numerous times, and always left a little dazed. Josh didn't really ever understand Drake's motives for anything, so he tried not to think about it, and just chatted with Shelly and Janet when things were slow, while Drake just sulked in his corner like a kicked puppy. It'd be adorable if it weren't so pathetic.
Josh really just didn't understand his brother.
At one point, Jessica Spencer came up to the booth and stood between Drake and Josh's lines, looking puzzled.
"Why is Drake sulking?" she asked.
Janet rolled her eyes. "Shelly kissed Josh."
Jessica tilted her bobbed head. "So...is Drake jealous of Josh, or of Shelly?"
Janet and Shelly burst out laughing, and Drake's sulk deepened, his brow going dark. Josh blinked, trying to figure out just what Jessica meant, and oh...there it was. Wait – what?
Jessica Spencer smiled and stepped up to Josh, laying her dollar down on the table. "I'd like a kiss, please," she said, and Josh looked at her like she was insane for a moment before stepping up and leaning forward to kiss her. It was a quick peck on the lips, like an exclamation point, but Jessica had other plans and pulled Josh back, massaging his lips with hers before saying goodbye with a swipe of her tongue.
Josh jerked back and blinked when she let go of his cheeks.
"Bye, Josh," Jessica had said, his name laced with all kinds of things Josh was sure were called, 'solicitous'. He shivered, slightly uncomfortable.
Drake had mumbled something under his breath then, adjusting his arms, which were crossed over his chest.
"What was that, Drake?" Josh asked.
"Nothing, kiss-stealer."
Josh rolled his eyes. His brother was such a baby.
They were taking turns getting lunch; Drake and Janet were back at the booth and Josh was currently sitting across from Shelly at a picnic table, looking at his corndog with intense disinterest.
"Do corndogs offend you, Josh?" said Shelly, and Josh looked up to meet her brown eyes across the table.
"Sorry?"
"You're looking at that corndog like it's personally offended you."
Josh sighed, setting his corndog back down in its paper wrapping. "Sorry, just got something on my mind."
"Is it Drake?"
Josh tiled his head as he watched Shelly munch on a fry. "You're not dumb."
The blonde blinked. "Gee, Josh, you sure know how to make a girl's heart go pitter patter."
Josh ducked his head, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that-"
"That I've actually got some brains, unlike most of the girls Drake likes?"
"Uh...yeah."
Shelly smiled and leaned forward. "I may be no Mindy Crenshaw, but I'm smarter than your average bimbo with legs and lips, Josh. I just don't look it."
Josh smiled, staring into her brown eyes. They sparkled with humor in the way Drake's liked to, minus the wrinkle in his nose and the freckles on his cheeks.
Clearing his throat, he said, "Can I have a fry?"
Shelly pushed the tray over. "Sure. Can I ask you something, though?"
"Anything," Josh replied, dipping a fry in some ketchup.
"What is it with you and Drake? I mean, you guys are really close, right?"
"Yeah, I guess so," Josh said, shrugging.
"So was he upset that I kissed you because I kissed you instead of him, or because he was jealous?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, what Jessica said kind of made me think. For two guys that seem like they're on complete polar opposites of the social circuit, you guys are..."
"What?"
"Kinda hot together."
"Huh?" Josh said rather coherently, he thought, given the information that just reached his ears.
Shelly held up her hands. "Just listen to me for a second. I'm not blind, Josh. I kissed you because you're drop dead gorgeous, and part of your appeal is that you don't realize that. Part of Drake's is that he does, and he can use it to his advantage. I'd kiss him, but what would I be? Another notch on Drake Parker's belt. He's hot, but he's not that hot."
Josh was trying to figure out if he should blush at the compliment or defend his brother's honor.
"Now, before you go trying to defend Drake, I just wanted to know if you'd ever noticed how you two are with each other. For being so different, you two seem awfully close. And I'm not the only one who's noticed."
"Shelly...I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at," Josh said patiently, honestly confused.
Shelly sat back and tilted her head to the side, as if trying to figure out a particularly difficult puzzle.
"Rumor is you two share a room."
"Yeah, we do. So?"
"I know where you live, Josh. There's no way that house doesn't have enough space for you two to have separate rooms."
"Well, yeah, we have a guest room, but my dad keeps his train set in there, and-"
Shelly laughed. "A train set? Honestly? Oh, lord."
"Hey!" Josh said, indignant on his father's behalf.
"Okay, okay. Anyhow, what I'm getting at is, don't you two ever...I dunno... Isn't it awkward sharing a room with your brother?"
Josh shrugged, feeling more confused by the minute. "Not really. It's been that way ever since I moved in, four years ago."
"But don't you guys ever...you know, have girls over? Or..."
"Girls? Uh...no, not really..."
Shelly raised an eyebrow. "Not even Drake? Wow...that's surprising."
Josh picked up his corndog. "Well, after Drake got accidentally married to my e-pal, Yuuka a few years ago, our parents have been pretty strict about girls being in our room. We just hang out with them downstairs."
Shelly crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Uh-huh."
"What?"
"Oh, nothing. Just... Okay, how do I put this.... Don't you two ever feel the need, to...you know...take care of certain things?"
"Girls give me headaches just as much as Drake does," Josh muttered under his breath.
"What?"
"Nothing, nothing. Shelly, I don't really know what you're getting at," he said as he bit into his corndog.
Shelly huffed. "Boys. So dense. Okay, let me be blunt, then. Don't you two need to jerk off every once and a while?"
Josh was never more hateful of corndogs than at that moment. He sucked in a quick breath, the partially-chewed dog getting stuck in his throat, and started coughing, trying not to choke.
"Whoa, easy there, Tiger," Shelly said, standing up and coming around the table to pat Josh on the back.
It hurt, but he managed to swallow the bit of corndog, take a swig of his soda, and resume coughing to clear his throat. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?" Josh asked, knowing he heard her perfectly well.
Shelly had the grace to blush, resuming her seat across from him. "It's a natural thing, Josh. Everyone does it."
Josh had, 'Well, I don't do it!' on his tongue, when he realized what he was about to admit, and promptly shut his mouth. It would have been a lie anyway.
"So?" he managed after a moment.
"Well...what, don't tell me you guys don't do it," Shelly said.
Josh felt sticky with sweat and uncomfortable. "Well...we do. I mean, I do...but never when Drake is there..."
"And he's never woken you up?"
Man, she was pushy and invasive. "Um...I'm kinda a heavy sleeper," Josh mumbled, really wanting to drop the subject. Thinking of Drake 'jerking off 'as Shelly so eloquently put it was bringing up images he'd rather not think about too much.
"Hm." Shelly had a strange frown on her face, and then a second later shrugged it off and went back to eating her fries.
"'Hm'? That's it?" Josh said, feeling somehow cheated out of something.
Shelly looked up at him. "What? What do you want me to say?"
"I don't know! You were obviously trying to get to something."
"Yeah, I guess." She shrugged again and took a sip of Josh's Mountain Fizz. "I just thought...you know, you guys are so close, and share a room, and are horny teenage boys..."
"And...?"
Shelly rolled her eyes and stood, grabbing her leftover food and napkins. "Josh, if you're not getting my point by now, then it's probably best I don't tell you." And with that, she went over to deposit her trash. "I'm going back to the booth. Coming?"
Josh looked down at his half-eaten corndog. "Uh...in a minute."
"Okay, see you there." Josh watched as Shelly walked away, her cute red outfit blending in with the surroundings, her blonde hair shining in the bright sunlight.
Josh sat there, corndog forgotten, trying to figure out what the whole conversation had been about. Shelly was trying to say something about him and Drake. About how they were close. Which, they were. Closer than Josh had ever thought they'd get. For a long time, even after Drake's initial acceptance of their sudden brotherhood, Josh was worried Drake would never see him as anything more than a dork, and they would never really be brothers, whatever that really meant. Josh honestly didn't know, now that he thought about it, considering he was an only child.
If he thought about other brotherly relationships he'd seen, he'd have to admit that living with Drake was more like living with your best friend. They didn't quite have the "brotherly bond" the way siblings that had grown up with each other had, but Josh didn't see a sibling bond with Drake and Megan, so he wasn't really sure what that was either.
Drake was just this guy; this really cool guy Josh had always admired, had always wanted to make laugh, and it took a while, but he think he managed it, even if Drake still acted like Josh was the hugest dork ever. Josh supposed he really was, but that was just the nature of them: Drake was the rockstar, the one everyone loved and wanted to be like, and Josh was the dorky sidekick, the only one really close to the rockstar; the only one who actually got to see what Drake was really like when he wasn't in the spotlight.
Drake was, and always had been, like a puppy. Josh used this metaphor often, but it was true. He had almost no attention span, and pretty much did whatever he wanted, taking the scolding when it was given, and then two minutes later doing whatever he wasn't supposed to be doing all over again. He was the kind of guy who liked being happy, liked being loved, and went to whoever was most willing that give him the most attention.
Josh was like the older, wiser dog, except sometimes he felt really dumb when faced with things like Drake's experience with girls. That was one thing Drake would always have over him, and Josh was okay with that. He didn't exactly see the appeal in kissing any girl that crossed his path, and he really didn't understand how Drake did it so effortlessly, how just saying his name to a girl got him kissed. But such was the mystery of Drake Parker, and Josh was just happy knowing the little things, the things that some random girl that might have experienced how well Drake kissed would never know.
Like how Drake always showered in the morning or how when he'd get too hot in the middle of the night he'd kick his sheets down to the end of his bed in his sleep. How Mocha Cola, Mountain Fizz and root beer were the only sodas Drake would drink, and how he liked orange juice over any other juice, and only drank milk if it was directly out of the carton. How he had a predilection for bananas, rarely eating any other kind of fruit.
Or how he tended to wear long sleeves even if it was hot out, because he didn't think girls would like the freckles on his arms, but never seemed to notice that if he spent too much time out in the sun, the freckles on his face would turn dark and everyone would know how freckly he was anyway.
Like how Drake's slim body was so easy to pick up and spin around in a hug. Drake still wasn't the most huggable type of person, and Josh liked to think that their hugs meant something, since Drake never hugged anyone else but his girlfriends, and look how long they lasted.
Or how when he kissed girls, he always kissed them the same way; going in slowly, pulling them in close, and massaging their lips until they were tingly and numb. Well, Josh didn't know how their lips felt afterwards, but Josh had seen Drake make out enough to make a guess.
Thinking all these things, Josh realized that perhaps he did know what Shelly was trying to get at...that there was just something different about his relationship with Drake. It was more than friends, and not really brothers, but...what? Just because Josh was actually observant didn't mean that he was obsessed with his brother. You live with someone for four years, share a room with them, go to school with them, see each other every day, you start to notice some things, that's all.
Besides, Josh thought as he stood to throw away his half-eaten lunch, it's not like Drake ever noticed those kinds of things about Josh.
***
Would this day never end? Drake thought as he slumped lazily against the side of the wooden booth, crossing his arms over his chest. He should have worn long sleeves. His freckles were starting to show from too much sun.
He watched as Janet kissed Bobby Fischer on the mouth, her short brown hair getting tangled in his glasses as the breeze blew it around. With a few good tugs, she was free, wincing and rubbing the sore spot on her scalp. She took Bobby's dollar and apology with a tight, "Thanks," turning to deposit the dollar in her money box.
Drake nodded to her. "Stupid Bobby Fischer, huh?"
"What? Oh...no, he's alright," Janet said, rubbing her head. "A little dim and could definitely use some contacts, but he's good people."
Drake shrugged. "So, hey...you wanna make out?"
Janet looked a little offended, which was just weird. "Excuse me?"
"You know. You...me...lips touching, it's this whole new thing," Drake said, punctuating his words with his hands and a smile.
Janet chuckled. "Give me a dollar?"
"What, I have to pay?" Drake Parker never paid for anything.
Janet smiled. "Well, this is a kissing booth."
"But we're both in the booth. We shouldn't have to pay! Besides, Josh got to kiss Shelly, and he didn't have to pay!"
Janet rolled her eyes. "Still hung up on that, are you?"
"What?"
"Drake, Shelly knows you wanted to kiss her. You want to kiss everyone."
"That's not true! There's lots of people I don't want to kiss." Like that girl in the mall during Christmas.
"Then why'd you ask me to kiss you?"
Girls, sometimes, through some type of 'girl magic', made Drake feel incredibly dumb, which was not a feeling Drake liked. "Because you're pretty and we've never kissed before," he said, feeling like this was a valid argument.
"No, Drake. You asked me to kiss you so you could show Josh that his kissing Shelly doesn't bother you. But Josh isn't here. So I don't know what you would be trying to prove."
Drake frowned. "I wasn't trying to prove anything."
"Yeah, okay. Whatever. You've got a customer," weirdo Janet said, nodding to the person standing in Drake's line.
Drake turned. "Gah!" he exclaimed, jumping back.
Kale Bradley, a skinny but good-looking boy in his class, was standing on the other side of the table.
"Hey, there, Drake," Kale said, flicking his blond hair out of his eyes and smiling a way-too-perfect smile. His blue eyes had a look in them, which Drake knew very well. It was the look that Drake gave girls when he wanted something and knew he was about to get it, just by charm alone.
"Uh...Kale...hi! Um...what are you doing in my line?" Drake asked, running his fingers through his hair nervously and looking over to Janet, who was trying not to laugh, and failing.
"Well, Drake, I'd like a kiss."
Drake felt his stomach fall a little. "Sorry?"
"You're in a kissing booth. And I'd like a kiss."
Drake felt his face go numb. "Um...then why aren't you in Janet's line?" Drake asked, gesturing to Janet, who was currently kissing Jock Branson, the dumbest jock – pun completely intended – in their school.
"Because I'm gay," Kale said.
Drake blinked. "Really? You're gay?"
Kale nodded, his expression hardening a bit, as if he were preparing for some bad news.
Drake chuckled nervously. "Well, isn't there some rule about that? There's gotta be some rule, right?"
Kale frowned. "What, about being gay?"
"Yes! I mean no! I mean...um, don't we, as kissing booth people, have the right to refuse service? We do, right? Don't we, Shelly?" Drake asked the blonde, who had just returned from lunch.
"This isn't a restaurant, Drake," Janet said, putting Jock's dollar in her box. "Just kiss him; it's not going to kill you."
"But...I'm not gay," Drake said, a whine in his voice.
"Are you homophobic or something?" Kale accused.
"Homo-what? You mean those cavemen?"
Josh appeared behind him. "Not Homo erectus, Drake. Homophobic. Means you're afraid of gay people."
"Hey, I'm not afraid of nothin'!" Drake said, whirling on his brother accusingly.
"Then kiss the boy!" Shelly said, smiling wide, obviously laughing at Drake. Drake didn't want to kiss Shelly Winters anymore. She liked to kiss dorks, even if one of those dorks was his brother, and make fun of Drake Parker, and no one got away with that except Grammy and Megan.
"But..."
"Oh, Christ, Drake, I'll do it, if you're going to complain," Josh said, stepping forward.
Drake blinked, staring at his brother. "Wait, Josh, man, you don't have to do that..."
But Josh was doing it. Drake watched in fascinated, abject horror as Josh took Kale's dollar, smiling, and leaned over the table. Their lips met, and Drake saw it – saw the moment when it could have ended in a chaste meeting of lips that anyone would have brushed off, and into that dangerous territory of an actual kiss.
Josh tilted his head ever so slightly, and Drake saw Kale's eyelashes flutter against his cheeks in surprise. They pulled back, not quite breaking the kiss before pressing their lips together again, and again, and then again. But everyone was standing, staring at Josh and Kale, and this was too intimate, it was too much – everyone could see – and Josh was exposed, and he was going to be known as a boy-kisser, and Drake had to stop it.
Josh had just opened his mouth slightly, his tongue darting out to lick Kale's lips when Drake came up and pushed at their shoulders.
"Alright! Josh, you don't have to do this, man!"
Josh pulled back and blinked, a flush coming over his cheeks. He even licked his lips, and Drake saw something in Josh's eyes change irrevocably, feeling himself grow very self-conscious of the feelings roiling around in his own chest. It felt something like what he felt when he saw Tori kissing that other guy, but that would be jealousy, and who did Drake have to be jealous of here?
"Wow," Kale said, standing straight. "That was... Nice going, Nichols," he said, smiling genuinely.
Josh blushed. "Thanks, Kale. You too."
"Wait," Drake interrupted. "You liked that?" he asked Josh.
Josh shrugged. "It was a good kiss."
"And you didn't mind kissing Josh?" Drake asked Kale, confused.
Kale's smile turned into a smirk. "No, not at all..." he said, licking his lips and looking over at Josh's wet mouth.
Drake just stood there, completely confused. Boys just kissed out of the blue and liked it? And Josh – the dorkiest person in the world, was a good kisser?
"I'm a better kisser than Josh," Drake challenged as Kale turned away to let the next person in line get their kiss.
The blond stopped and turned back to Drake. "Oh?"
"Yeah. I bet you you'll like my kiss better than Josh's."
Josh pulled Drake aside. "Drake, what are you doing?"
"I'm gonna kiss that dude! I'm gonna prove that I'm a better kisser than you!" Drake punctuated his claim with a finger in Josh's chest.
"Ow..." Josh said, rubbing the spot. "Drake, I never said I was a better kisser than you."
"Yeah, but Kale did, and I'm gonna prove him wrong!" Drake stepped towards Kale, who was standing there, arms crossed over his chest, that smirk still in place.
"Why does it matter? Drake, he's never even kissed you. He never said I was better, just that it was a good kiss."
"Don't care!" Drake said, slapping his hand down on the table. "Give me your dollar, Bradley."
Everyone was staring again, but Drake just tuned them out. Even Josh who was still protesting in his ear. Kale pulled another dollar out of his wallet and handed it over to Drake, who shoved it in Josh's face.
"Put that in my box, will you?"
"Drake..."
"Shut up, Josh. Okay, Kale, let's do this."
Kale rolled his eyes and put his hands flat on the table, leaning forward. After just a second, Drake did the same, tilting his head as he moved in.
It'll be just like kissing a girl, he thought, his eyes closing completely, a breath away from his lips touching another guy's.
It was a little jolt, Kale's soft lips pressing against his, but after a moment, he realized it wasn't any different than kissing a girl, except for the nagging information that he was kissing a guy.
Then the kiss changed. Kale tiled his head a little more, and Drake's hand automatically came up to cup Kale's jaw, which was not like a girl's at all, but in fact somehow harder and maybe even a bit unshaven. The kissing seemed more aggressive too, which was unlike what Drake was used to from girls, who seemed to like him setting the pace, but it wasn't unpleasant, he decided, and then Kale's tongue swiped a little path across Drake's lips, and Drake jerked back, surprised.
Kale smiled, that damn smirk in place again, and Drake glared. "I never said tongue was okay."
Kale shrugged. "Your brother didn't seem to mind. Besides, how am I supposed to make a proper decision on who the best kisser is if I don't get the same experience kissing you both?"
"Josh didn't use tongue," Drake argued.
"He was about to," Shelly put in, a little breathless sounding, as Josh said, "Yes, I did."
Drake looked at his brother in shock. "Dude, you'd actually admit something like that?"
Josh shrugged. "Well, I did. But why does it matter?"
"Because it does, Josh. It matters a lot!" Drake said, unsure of why it really did matter. It just did.
"So, Kale," Janet said, leaning over. "Who was the better kisser? Drake or Josh?"
Kale tilted his head, his gaze unfocused, looking above their heads. "Hm... Well, skill-wise, I suppose Drake, but," he said, as Drake broke out in a smugly satisfied grin, "I'd have to pick Josh."
Drake's mouth fell open and his shoulders dropped. "What? How? Why?"
Kale's smirking was getting awfully annoying. "Because," he said, leaning forward, "he actually didn't mind kissing me. And, it was really good. Gave me butterflies."
Josh blushed, looking embarrassed, and Drake just watched as Kale kissed the air next to Shelly's face. "See you later, Shell."
"Bye, hun," she said, smiling.
"Oh, and Josh?" said Kale.
"Yeah?"
"If you ever, you know, want to kiss without an audience, give me a call." Kale winked at Josh and then walked off, looking like nothing more than some random boy in the crowd, no saunter in his step, or flamboyant movement in his arms.
"Um..." Josh said, obviously unsure what to say.
"Well!" Janet said, clapping her hands. "That was interesting."
"Yeah...interesting," Drake said, still a little dazed.
"Well, boys, we have customers waiting...don't want to cause a hold-up, do we?" Shelly said, and Drake decided he really, really didn't want to kiss her. Ever. Even if she was really pretty. She obviously consorted with strange boys with no kissing taste, on top of kissing dorks and making fun of Drake. He just knew she was laughing at him right now, and that was just not cool.
Some guy from their class stepped up to Shelly. "That was gross, man," he said under his breath, and Shelly took a step back.
"Do you have a problem with two guys kissing?"
"Yeah. It's gross. I didn't need to see that." He sneered at Drake and Josh. "I always knew you two were fairies."
Drake had some kind of half-formed protest on his lips, and Josh yelled an indignant "Hey!", but it was Shelly who slapped the guy across the face.
"What the hell?" the guy said, touching his cheek.
"You know what?" Josh said, his brow furrowed and his nostrils flaring. He was really angry, Drake realized. "I think we do have the right to refuse service."
"You can't do that!"
Josh leaned forward, placing his hands flat on the table. "Well I just did. Get out of here, Karl."
"I'm a paying customer!" Karl exclaimed, getting angry.
"We don't care. Leave."
"I wouldn't want to kiss any of you fairy-lovers anyhow!" Karl said, storming off.
Josh let out a breath. "Sorry, everyone," he said to the small crowd around their booth.
"Yeah," said Janet. "Let's get back to business. Four lines, everyone!"
As everyone decided which line they wanted to be in, Drake turned to his brother. "Dude...I'm going to go get something to eat. Watch my line?"
"Er...yeah, sure dude, no problem. It's your turn for lunch anyway. Hey, Janet! You should go to lunch before it gets too crazy here," Josh said.
Janet broke away from her current customer. "Oh, yeah. I am a little hungry after all that excitement. Thanks," she said to her customer, putting the payment in her box. "Come on, Drake. Where do you want to go for lunch?"
Drake followed her out of the booth. "Actually, I think I'm going to go for a walk. Eat without me?"
"You sure?" Janet said, sounding concerned.
"Yeah. I'll meet up with you in a bit."
"Okay..." Janet said, giving him a little wave and walking down the promenade towards to food carts, disappearing into the crowd.
Drake took off in the opposite direction, towards the parking lot. He pulled his keys out of his pocket and jangled them in his hand, walking towards his Ford Galaxie. He climbed into the stifling hot interior, and immediately rolled down his window, letting some of the breeze carry in, pushing his hair off his forehead.
Drake knew he wasn't one to really think about anything beforehand...it wasn't that he didn't know the consequences of his actions, he just preferred to experience rather than worry about every little thing he did, and what impact it would have on his life. Besides, he was lucky, things rarely didn't go his way.
Except when he hung out with Josh.
Nothing ever turned out the way he thought it would when he was with Josh. Like today. Today was supposed to be easy – Drake would spend the whole day kissing girls with his brother by his side, then he'd get to perform in front of everyone, which was always the highest high you could ever get without drugs, and then he'd maybe make-out with a pretty girl in the back of his car, and go home. No dates, no commitments, the perfect Valentine's Day.
But then Josh had to go and kiss Shelly, and that just hurt. Josh knew Drake wanted to kiss her, so why did Josh have to kiss Shelly back? He could have just backed away. Oh, and then, instead of kissing pretty girls all day, he had to kiss dorky girls and older ladies – gross – and even more disturbingly, a guy. But he'd had to prove he was better than Josh because he'd always been better than Josh at the kissing stuff. It hadn't been terrible, but Josh had still won, and that made no sense at all.
How was Josh a better kisser than him? He had almost no experience. He'd kissed only Mindy before today, well, if you didn't count Susan, that cheating slut from a few years ago. And other than all the pecks on the mouth he was giving today – did the man not even know how to kiss properly? – there was no logical reason that Josh could kiss better than Drake. There just wasn't. What did Kale know anyhow? He liked to kiss boys.
Which was maybe the problem. Kale was judging them as a boy, but maybe girls liked different things. Maybe boys liked to kiss differently than girls, so Drake really was a better kisser than Josh. According to girls at least. But shouldn't Drake be the best kisser at kissing both guys and girls? There was just something wrong if Josh's kissing was more liked by guys. Though they really didn't have a good, unbiased girl to judge and balance this whole thing out.
Determined, Drake got out of his car and a stalked back into the fair.
He'd show Josh just who the best kisser was. To both girls and guys.
***
Sauntering back into the booth, Drake pulled Josh away from having to kiss a pudgy girl with glasses.
"Drake! No need to grab!" Josh said, shaking Drake off.
"Josh, I think we should have a contest."
"A contest? Of what?"
"A kissing contest."
Josh stared at Drake for a moment. "Drake, you've lost your mind," he said, turning back to the pudgy girl, who looked a little impatient.
"No, man, just listen to me for a moment. I've kissed a lot of girls, right?"
"Yeah...so?"
"Well, you haven't. And we've both only kissed one guy-"
"Two," Josh interrupted. "Me and you, remember? On my birthday last year."
"Yeah, whatever. Anyhow, I was thinking that we both need to get a panel of judges, both girls and guys, and kiss them all, and then find out who the best kisser is." Drake smiled, his logic flawless.
"Drake, I will not have a kissing contest with you!"
"Josh!"
"Drake, no."
"But-"
"No." Josh turned back to the pudgy girl and kissed her for a full minute; Drake thought he even saw a hint of tongue.
Drake sighed, feeling rejected. He went back to his place at the table, opening up his line again. Josh didn't get why being a good kisser was so important, but it really was. Drake was just going to find some other way to prove that he was a better kisser than Josh.
***
By 5:30, Drake still hadn't figured out a good way to prove that he was overall, a better kisser than Josh. They'd spent the rest of the afternoon kissing girls, and a few even asked Drake what it was like to kiss a guy. News spread fast, it seemed.
But Drake didn't want to be known for kissing guys. He wanted to be known for being a great kisser, and liking girls, thank you very much. Thankfully, no more guys asked for kisses, though there were a few dodgy looks from some nerds in the girls' lines, which made him shift his weight around. Josh didn't seem to notice. Typical.
The fair was closing down; the dance was going to begin at 6pm, and Drake's band was the first to go on; he had to go get ready.
"I've got to go get my guitar and meet the band to set up," Drake said, leaving the booth without waiting for a response.
"Wait! Drake!" Josh called after him, catching up with his brother's quick pace through the dwindling crowd.
"What, Josh?" Drake said, his voice short.
"Well...don't you need my help?"
"No, I think I can manage."
"But I'm your manager," Josh said, following Drake out to the car.
"Well, I don't need your help right now. Just go back to the stupid kissing booth."
"Drake, what is your problem? You were the one that wanted to do the kissing booth so badly. I'm sorry if it didn't turn out like you planned, but I was there, I did it with you, so what are you so upset about?"
Drake opened the car door and popped open the trunk. "I don't know," he mumbled, grabbing his jacket from the backseat and slipping it on.
"What?" Josh asked, following Drake to the trunk, where his guitar and amp were packed away.
"I said, I don't know. I don't know! I have no idea why I'm pissed off, but I am."
"Drake, this isn't about the better kisser thing is it? Because I hardly think that Kale Bradley is the authority on such matters-"
"It's not Kale Bradley. It's not the better kisser thing."
"Drake, you suck at lying."
"I do not!"
"You do with me," Josh said, smiling softly.
"Whatever."
"Well, then, what is it really?"
Drake leaned forward, bracing his hands on the rim of his trunk. "I'm used to being good at things," he started.
"Yeah, you usually are."
"And I thought I was the best kisser..."
"So it is the better kisser thing."
"Yeah, I guess it is."
"Drake, man, if makes you feel better, I have no intention of trying to dethrone you as best kisser."
"But you have, Josh. I mean, with guys, at any rate, and that's just..."
"Really fucked up?"
Drake chuckled dryly. "Yeah. But why? Why did Kale think you were better than me? You don't have the same amount of kissing experience...I should be the clear choice."
Josh shrugged. "I'm as stumped as you, dude. Kissing Kale was kind of a bizarre experience. And I'm not looking forward to the rumors that are going to be spread about us by Monday."
"Dude, you didn't have to do that," Drake said after a minute.
"Drake, kissing Kale really wasn't a big deal for me. I've kissed you before. You'll get over it too."
"What? No, no, no, that's not what I'm talking about. Besides, you kissing me is different," Drake said quietly.
Josh bit his lower lip and Drake's gaze was drawn to it. Josh ducked his head and looked up at Drake, which was a feat, considering their considerable height differences.
"Then what are you talking about?" Josh said.
"About that guy, Karl. You didn't have to, I dunno, defend me or whatever."
"Hey, I was defending both of us. All of us. That guy was a jerk."
"Yeah, but you didn't have to say anything. I would have taken care of it."
"What, and mess up your pretty face? Naw, bro, it's okay," Josh said, smiling. "Besides, what are brothers for?"
Drake smiled. "So you really think I'm pretty?" he said, fishing for compliments.
Josh rolled his eyes. "Yes, Drake. You're the prettiest boy in our school. Happy now?"
"Heh. Maybe. I'm still a better kisser than you."
"Well, I have evidence that says otherwise," Josh said smugly.
"Oh, you wanna bet?"
"Yeah, I wanna bet!"
Drake wouldn't be able to tell you what really happened next – who moved first – but they were both there, right in each other's faces, and then their lips were touching in a fierce kiss, not really any room to breathe or move. Drake felt Josh's hand behind his head, the other around his waist, and it was kind of weird, kissing someone so much taller than him, but his own hands were fisted in Josh's jacket, pulling him in as close as possible.
Josh sucked a breath in through his nose, and the kiss softened as he exhaled, their heads tilting of their own accord. Josh's lips were warm and soft, his whole mouth demanding Drake's attention, and Drake's lips parted before pressing in again. Josh's tongue was flat and wide, sweeping across Drake's lips in invitation, and Drake, probably against his better judgment – if there was such a thing – let him in, letting him explore for a second before trying the shift the control of the kiss back in his favor. Josh didn't give up easily, but when he did, Drake slowly pulled out of the kiss, his eyes fluttering open when they broke apart, unaware that they had even closed.
His entire mouth tingled.
"That shouldn't feel that good, should it?" Josh asked against Drake's lips, his mouth still shiny from their kiss.
"I've...gotta go," Drake said numbly, jumping away from his brother and grabbing his equipment out of his trunk, slamming it closed and walking away as quickly as he could.
Feeling somewhat lightheaded and something like butterflies, he sucked in his lower lip and tasted Josh, and realized it hurt that Josh didn't try and come after him.
***
Josh had stayed by the car for several minutes, trying to figure out what had made him kiss his brother. Because it had been him. He had just done it, and Drake followed willingly, it seemed. And then it ended, and Drake had never looked so scared or confused in his life.
And like the idiot he was, Josh had to say something, and Drake had bolted, and hadn't looked at Josh since.
After realizing the huge mistake he had made, Josh followed Drake's footsteps over to the stage, standing to the side and trying to look helpful, without actually being helpful. Drake obviously didn't want Josh anywhere near him. Josh didn't blame him, but it still hurt.
It looked like Drake had managed to shake off what Josh had done, though, or at the very least, pushed it far enough out of his mind that he was able to perform just as well as any other show. The concert went off without a hitch. The girls, single or otherwise, were going crazy as usual, the boys all staring in jealousy, even while rockin' out to Drake's brilliant tunes. Hell, Josh was jealous. How could Drake pretend like he didn't just make-out with his brother? That it hadn't been amazing?
Unless it hadn't been.
That was the root of Josh's fear, he realized. That Drake thought kissing Josh was the most disgusting thing he'd ever done. That Josh was a horrible kisser. And not that it mattered to Josh that he be the best kisser ever, but having shared a kiss with Drake, Josh would be lying if he said that Drake's opinion didn't matter. It always mattered.
This whole kissing business was giving him a headache. He just wished the whole thing had never been brought up.
After Drake's set, Josh silently helped the band pack up, shaking Julio's hand and giving Backhouse a one-armed hug. They all seemed to notice that something was up between the Parker-Nichols brothers, but thankfully had the decency to not ask them about it. Drake was riding the high of the concert, and not even Josh wanted to break that by opening his arms and saying, "Hug me, brotha!" in his usual way. It just...didn't seem right.
They stayed for the rest of the concert, and Josh tried not to hover around Drake, but he didn't know how to keep from torturing himself, watching Drake pose for pictures with fans, sign autographs, and letting any girl who would hang all over him. He had to turn his head as he watched Drake kiss Melissa Lycroft. That had kind of hurt, but Josh didn't want to really think about why.
As the concert wound down, and Josh lost track of Drake, he decided that he'd just go wait by the car for his brother to show up. He always did eventually. Unfortunately, that's where Josh found Drake, making out with Melissa in the back seat of the car.
Feeling inexplicably angry, he knocked on the window, startling them. "Drake! I'd like to go home now!"
Drake scowled, said something to Melissa before kissing her, and then got out of the car, shoving the keys into Josh's chest. "Fine. You drive."
The ride home in the car was nearly unbearable. It seemed like there were miles of bench seat between him and Drake, and Josh hadn't any idea what to do about it. They pulled into the driveway, and Josh cut the engine, the lights shining off the closed garage door going dim. Josh blinked rapidly to let his eyes adjust to the darkness of the driveway. He pulled the keys out of the ignition, and the jangling of the metal was loud in the stifling silence of the cab.
Josh glanced over to Drake, who was looking out the window into the darkness. There were no street lights near their house, but the porch light cast strange shadows through the bushes around the walkway, and Josh could see Drake's face reflected back against the glass of the car door window. His eyes were darting around like he didn't know what to focus on, and his jaw was set. Drake's hands were playing with the zipper on his jacket, and under Josh's gaze, his knee started to bounce slightly, as if restless.
Josh opened his mouth to say something and closed it about five times before finally settling on, "I know you hate me right now, but I don't regret it. I'm just sorry that it's fucked everything up."
Drake finally turned to him. "Josh, what are you talking about?"
"About kissing you. I don't regret it. I wanted to. I'm just sorry it means things aren't right between us."
Drake looked puzzled. "Josh..."
"No, just listen," Josh said, putting up a hand. "I know you like girls. I know we're brothers – stepbrothers. And I never thought about kissing you before, okay? But we both just kept talking about who was a better kisser, and Shelly was there with the 'you and Drake are soooo close' thing, and I dunno. I guess I got caught up in it, and I'm sorry. But I wanted to, and it was a good kiss – no, a great kiss – but it won't happen again."
"Oh," Drake said softly, looking down at his hands.
"Yeah. So you don't need to worry about me. I'm not...gay or anything. I don't really know what I am," Josh said, playing with the keys in his hands. "I just want things to be okay between us."
Drake swallowed. "They are."
"Oh. Okay. Good. I hope this doesn't make you think I'm weird-"
"Josh, I've always thought you were weird," Drake said, the corner of his mouth upturned.
"Oh? Well, that's good then. Because it really won't happen again. I claim temporary insanity."
"What if it wasn't temporary?"
"What do you mean?"
Drake turned to Josh, turning his body and curling a knee up on the bench. "What if I want it to happen again?"
"Huh?" said Josh, always a fine example of eloquence.
Drake scooted across the bench seat towards Josh, looking – dare Josh think it – nervous? He was looking down at Josh's hands tangled in the keys, his dark lashes fanned out across his cheeks, his freckles standing out against his pale skin from the sun. His left arm was lying across the back of the seat, and it took Josh a second to realize, but his brother was putting the moves on him.
Drake. Was hitting on his brother, Josh. Whoa.
"I said, what if I want it to happen again? The 'you kissing me' thing?"
Josh gulped. "You...you actually want to?"
Drake shrugged, but he was still having trouble meeting Josh's eyes. "Like you said, it was a great kiss. I mean, we still don't know who the best kisser is. I think...we ought to try and figure it out. For the sake of girls everywhere. And guys," Drake joked, darting a cute smile up at Josh.
"For the sake of girls..." Josh said absently, still not entirely sure he was processing what was happening, thinking it must be some hidden brain-fantasy gone wild.
"Yeah," Drake said, looking at Josh's mouth and licking his lips.
Josh followed Drake's tongue, watching it wet that fuller bottom lip and replied under his breath, "Don't forget the guys," as he slid a hand up to cup Drake's jaw and kissed his brother full on the mouth.
After five of the longest seconds Josh had ever experienced in his life, they both seemed to relax into the kiss, and breathed together, their lips parting and joining again in slow, easy movements. The arm Drake had draped over the seat came down to press against Josh's chest, his hand trying to find purchase in the fabric of his jacket.
They sucked in a breath together, and Josh's other arm snuck beneath Drake's jacket to his waist, pulling him closer, keys forgotten and falling to the floor. Drake moved in, as close as he could, his knee touching Josh's, overlapping it, and his free hand came up to Josh's face. Josh felt the hint of Drake's tongue against his lips and answered it with his own quest for admittance. They complied at the same time, their tongues sliding smoothly against the other and into each other's mouths.
Josh ran his tongue along Drake's palate and felt him shiver in his arms, and pulled him closer still. Josh tilted his head and explored Drake's mouth deeply, running the flat of his tongue along Drake's perfect teeth, tasting every inch of Drake's mouth he could reach.
Drake was arched against him, his knee falling between Josh's, as Josh leaned forward, almost pushing Drake back in his enthusiasm for the kiss.
Drake finally pulled back and blinked at his brother, looking rather dumbstruck.
"Um..." Josh murmured.
"Do you think we need more practice?" Drake asked, breathing hard. "You know, to make sure we know who the real best kisser is?"
Josh nodded, staring at Drake's mouth, which was wet and swollen. "Uh-huh," he muttered, and leaned forward to nibble on Drake's lower lip. "Just to make sure."
"Okay," said Drake, kissing Josh again in that slow, self-assured manner he had, and Josh let him take control.
Josh was pretty certain, but he had a feeling the award for 'best kisser' would go to both of them. As soon as they could stop kissing long enough to decide.
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