Crutches

"Troy!"

"What?" Troy shouted back, the tip of his pink tongue was poking out of the corner of his mouth in concentration.

"Do you want anything from the kitchen?" Troy Bolton's mom shouted from the kitchen.

Troy rolled his eyes before pausing the Xbox game, he was currently playing, "No thanks mom! I'm not an invalid you know," He said through gritted teeth, resuming the game.

"I know, sweetheart." The older ladies voice quietened down as she walked through the hall and into the living room where her second eldest son was sitting with his left leg covered in a white cast and propped up on a cushioned stool.

"Where is everyone?" Troy asked, not taking his eyes of the flat screen which sat a good few feet away from him.

"Your dad has gone for a teacher training day, Dylan's upstairs with some friends, Dale's out with Summer, Kendall's at an extra cheer practise and Tyler is asleep." His mom listed off, taking a seat next to her son.

"Oh, are Dylan's friends staying the night?" Troy asked, rubbing his eye with his fist quickly.

"Yeah. Gonna be a full house tonight Troy boy," Lucille Bolton smiled, ruffling his hair.

"Mama." Troy grumbled, shooting at the last couple of people before the stats of that game popped up.

"Gabriella should be here soon."

Lucille grinned at the side of her son's face, "Is she now?"

Troy narrowed his eyes at his mother, "Yes. I haven't seen her in a couple of days," He pouted, "Don't like it." His bottom lip jutting out.

"N'aw. My little boy's in love," Lucille teased, the grin growing on her face once Troy let his forehead fall onto her shoulder with a blush.

Troy groaned, "Mom." He lifted his forehead off her shoulder and scratched his chest.

"It's cute."

Troy pouted and scrunched his eyebrows together like a toddler would do just as the door bell rang and his expression softened, "Mom, door!" He said quickly, gently pushing his mom off the couch.

Lucille let him push her gently and she stood up, brushing her hands down her jeans as if to straighten out any creases, "No need to push." She muttered, making Troy grin at his mother. She rolled her eyes once more and walked out of the room.

After a couple of minutes, Troy pressed to start button on his controller frowning as he must of mistaken the person at the door for his girlfriend. He shrugged it off, now concentrating on the game after his thoughts had wondered and caused him to be shot several times in the head. Troy rolled his shoulder's trying to get out the tension there hating that all he did was sit down because he wasn't completely used to having crutches yet. He heard a few thuds of footsteps coming down the stairs in his house and saw the door of the living room open in the corner of his eyes quickly ripping them away from the television for a couple of seconds to see his younger brother and a four of his friends walk in and plop themselves on the couches.

"Yo." Troy greeted, pausing the game and setting the controller next to him.

"Hey bro, where's Gabi?" Dylan questioned, not sitting next to his brother knowing that when Gabriella came Troy would want to sit next to her.

Troy shrugged, "She should be here soon."

"She staying the night?" He asked again, slouching in the chair.

"I think so. Decide later on, she has all her shit here anyways." Troy let out a small laugh at the first time she ever really realized how much she had at her boyfriend's house. Although they had only been together for eleven months.

"You're still with that Montez chick?" One of Dylan's friends asked, his jaw dropping.

Troy looked at the boy he wasn't sure he had seen before which was weird because Dylan tend to have the same friends over and over and treated their house like their own. Troy realized that the boy must known his from school.

"Yeah," Troy nodded, pressing his lips together to try to stop a smile from popping onto his face.

There was a small knock on the living room and then the door opened, gaining all six boys' attention. One of them gained a huge grin and another had a small smile of his face once they saw who it was.

"Hey you." Troy cooed, placing his hands next to him on the couch ready to push himself off.

"No, no, no. You stay put." Gabriella Montez ordered, pointing her index finger at him before giving Dylan a quick hug and a greeting.

Troy watched the exchange with a smile before Gabriella walked over and took the spare place next to her boyfriend.

"Hey." Gabriella smiled, raising her index finger again but this time tapping the bare skin which the v-neck tee showed off.

"I haven't seen you in forever." Troy grumbled, leaning forward grabbing her around the waist with his strong arms and tugging her into his side.

"Two days, Bolton." Although Gabriella rolled her eyes at his behaviour she sunk into his arms, cuddling into his side, laying her feet on the large stool with Troy's broken leg.

Troy placed his lips to the top of her head, his nose pressing against her scalp, "I missed you though." His arms circling her head so she couldn't see earning a small squeal.

Gabriella pried his arms from her head but let one of them wrap around her shoulder's and the other lazily rub her bare thigh due to the pale blue summer dress she had on. She slowly drew patterns onto his bicep which partly strained against the material of his tee, tracing a finger down the single vein that ran down in upper arm showing his strength even though he was only nineteen.

"I missed you too."

Troy smiled softly down at her, his big, rough hand reaching up to tilt her chin upwards. The smile never left his lips as he puckered his thin lips slightly and pressed a soft kiss to her full, glossy ones. He felt her lips tug up into a smile as she kissed him back eagerly, digging her finger tips into the back of his neck.

After a minute, Troy pulled back from the kiss with a small noise from the separating lips and bent forward to kiss her chin.

"Permanently scarred." Dylan grumbled.

Troy scoffed, the arm that was around his girlfriend began to toy with the thin strap of her dress and the other rubbed the back of his head, "Bro, you've walked in on me doing things with Gabriella so kissing in front of you can not be that bad." Troy chuckled.

"Oh my god! Troy!" Gabriella exclaimed next to him, her cheeks getting a slight tint of red.

"You can't remember?" Troy said, oblivious to why his girlfriend squealed the way she did, "A couple of months ago when we were in my room and I had my finger-" Gabriella looked at him wide eyed, clamping her small hand over his mouth.

"Troy Alexander Bolton, you finish that sentence and my fingers will be in your eyes." Gabriella hissed at her boyfriend.

Troy's thick eyebrows shot up which gave an amusing image to Dylan and his friends. Troy poked his tongue between his lips and licked her hand causing Gabriella to quickly retract her hand and wipe it on his tee.

"Ew. Troy you're so gross." Gabriella pouted, standing up and walking towards the other door leading to the open plan area of the dining room and kitchen.

"Gabriella, baby. Where are you going?" Troy asked, his head tilted back against the top of the couch and toward her with a grin on his face.

"Away from my disgusting boyfriend."

Troy chuckled lightly, knowing she was teasing him but he also knew that she was embarrassed and when she's embarrassed she has to walk away to save a little of her dignity. Unlike any other girl who would just bury her head in their boyfriend's chest, cutely. Troy loved her the way she was even though at times she wasn't at all lady like.

"You guys do realize she's not gonna talk to me for the rest of day but she will stay here. Just to make me beg for her to talk to me. I know how that girl ticks."

"Troy!" Dylan exclaimed, scrunching up his nose at his brother.

"Dude, no! That's not how I meant in."

After a good ten minutes talking to his brother and his brother's friends he hoped Gabriella would of got over it and chilled so Troy shook his head before reaching beside the couch for his crutches and placed them either side of him and awkwardly got up off the couch. He let out a breath of air, thanking god that he didn't fall over.

"This is a pain in the ass." Troy grumbled as he moved himself out of the living room and into the kitchen where he knew his girlfriend would be chatting to his mom.

He was right. Once he entered the kitchen he saw his mother standing up preparing some sort of food ready for later on in the day and his gorgeous, dark-haired girlfriend sat on one of the bar stools at the island in the middle of the fairly large kitchen. He knew that she would of offered to help his mom and to which she obviously declined and instructed her to sit down because she was the guest.

"Hey guys," Troy said, hopping along with his crutches.

"Troy Bolton, what are you doing in here?" Lucille exclaimed, turning around and pointing her knife at her son.

Troy raised one hand, "Whoa. Put the weapon down." He joked.

Lucille rolled her eyes and turned back to the counter, ignoring her son but she silently listened to the young couple's conversation with a small smile.

"Hey baby." Troy cooed, hopping over to the island to stand in front of his girlfriend.

Gabriella didn't reply and looked down at her finger nails, pretending to check the colour of them hadn't chipped. She picked at the side of one just so she didn't have to look at her boyfriend.

"I know you're joking around but you're going away tomorrow and I haven't seen you in the last couple of days as it is. I have to cope another two weeks without you." Troy whispered, slightly aware that his mother was only a few feet away from them.

Gabriella looked up into his eyes and flicked between the two blue pools and a flicker of something shone in her eyes which Troy didn't recognise, "Shouldn't have said what you said to Dylan and his friends then." She hopped down off the stool. "Lucille would you like me to check on Tyler for you?" Gabriella continued knowing Troy had difficulty getting up the stairs and wouldn't likely follow her.

Lucille glanced over her shoulder at the couple who usually were always in contact and raised one eyebrow, "Sure, thank you."

Gabriella gave her a small smile, not looking at Troy while she walked out of the room. Mother and son heard the small patter of feet going up the stairs before they spoke.

"So what's going on between you two?" Lucille asked, turning back around as she heard Troy sigh from behind her.

Troy awkwardly got onto the stool Gabriella was previously sitting at, "I may have told Dylan and his friend something, I shouldn't have done and now Gabriella's pretending to be pissed at me… Well I thought she was pretending but usually if I say something serious she'll just talk to me but she blanked me." Troy sighed, his lips slightly pouting.

"First of all, watch your language and second of all. What exactly did you say?" Lucille wondered out loud still not turning around.

Troy licked over his bottom lip, bringing it into his mouth, "Just stuff." He shrugged, not really wanting to talk about his sex life with his girlfriend to his mom. "I can't even go upstairs without help. I think she's actually angry at me."

"Never know when to keep your mouth shut. Do you Troy Bolton?" Lucille commented, turning around.

Troy shrugged and picked at the cast that closed in his leg, "I'm not gonna see her to two weeks and it sucks. I barely get to see her anyway, like we've met up twice in the past month and a half. Is it supposed to be this hard?" Troy asked, looking at his mom desperately.

"Hey, it's ok." Lucille said, walking over to her boy, "You and Gabriella. You love each other, right?" Troy nodded and Lucille continued, "It may be hard now with you doing your exams at college and Gabriella going hers at high school but one she gets back from vacation. You two have got the whole of summer together and then your both at the same college in the fall. I promise you that this will probably be one of the best summers of your life with her."

Troy bit the inside of his bottom lip, "I know that, I do. The past couple of months has been hectic and I love her to bits. I always- excuse my language- but I always fuck up when she's around me like I don't know how to act normal around her. It sounds so ridiculously cheesy and cringy but it's true. And she laughs about it most of the time but it was different just. I don't know why but something about the look she gave me kinda freaked me out." Troy said getting quieter and quieter throughout his speech.

"I don't know what's happening between you two but you obviously need to talk so hop up them stairs somehow and talk to her." Lucille instructed, pulling her son's shoulders closer to her so she could wrap her arms around him and hug him.

Troy hugged her back, "Thank you mom." He smiled at her genuinely while she helped him down off the stool.

"Don't say something stupid!" Lucille called after him all she heard was Troy chuckle and she didn't see the shake of his head as he slowly and very carefully walked up the stairs.

After a minute or two, Troy was up the stairs and he hopped over toward Tyler room, pushing the door open only to find her not there, he frowned. Troy walked all the way down the hall to his room on the left and pushed the door open only to find her not there. His frown deepened while he looked around his room, the frown softened when he saw his girlfriend sitting at the chair on his balcony with one of his college sweatshirts on keeping her warm.

He placed the crutched on his bed and literally hopped over to his balcony, gripping the chair she was in and bent down to place a firm kiss on the top of her head.

"Hi." He simply said.

Her head tilted up with a blank look on her face, "You're so stupid. Where the hell are your crutches?" She said, emotionlessly and stood up, gesturing for him to sit down.

"On the bed." Troy lowered himself on the chair and raised his leg on the small table. "Sit," He instructed softly, patting his lap.

"I'll hurt you."

"No you won't."

Gabriella looked down at his lap then to his face, a small frown on her face the whole time and went to straddle his lap carefully. Troy's arms wrapped loosely around his girlfriend's hips. The slim beauty raised her right hand to his face and toyed with his lips, not once the look on her face shifting.

Troy playfully sucked her index finger and bit it gently, "I'm sorry for what I said but I know you. I know that isn't the only thing bothering you."

Gabriella stayed quiet for a few more seconds, adjusting her hands so they now both laced together behind his neck, messing his hair slightly.

"Gabriella."

"How many girls have you been with?" She asked, quietly.

Troy frowned but knew she needed the truth for some odd reason, "How many have I had sex with?" She nodded, "Six, including you. You know that."

"I've only been with you."

Troy didn't understand how this linked with how he had a big mouth, "I know baby. I love that. I love knowing that no one has seen you the way I have."

Gabriella still remained expressionless which was killing Troy, "Don't you want someone experienced? Or have no girlfriend so you can have lots of one night stands to brag about with your friends."

Troy clicked. His girlfriend thought that he wanted to have one night stand with any random girls with no feelings and no strings attached so he could go back to his friends and give them the dirty details without feeling bad for telling his friends. She knew that he didn't brag about their sex life to his friends but did tell them a little when they have a particularly good round. She knew he cared about her and respected to much to go telling the world their dirty secrets. But she thought he wanted that when he really didn't.

"You are so crazy." Troy smiled softly, "I don't want random girls and have meaningless sex with them. Now I've had meaning full sex with the girl I love, I don't want anything different. Please believe that. I don't give a shit about Chad and everyone knowing about our sex life." He arms tightened around her hips as he looked down and thought about how cute she looked in her dress and his baggy sweater.

"Are you sure? Because I don't plan to leave you any time soon so your gonna have to put up with an inexperienced eighteen year old." The first bit of emotion he saw she a small smile that played on her lips and wanted to be made bigger.

"If that's inexperienced, I can not wait for twenty years down the line." Troy grinned, being totally truthful.

Gabriella blushed slightly, ducking her head, "You're such a jerk." Troy knew this was her attempt at getting out of the heavier subject onto a lighter, happier one.

"I love you too, my little sugar dumpling." Troy joked, letting his head fall forwards to connect with her's softly to start a playful Eskimo kiss.

Gabriella broke into a fit of giggled, pulling back from her gorgeous boyfriend, her head tilted back as she laughed and her arms made their way around his neck. Troy grinned at the giggling girl and nuzzled her neck, hugging her close to him.

Gabriella adjusted her head so it was cuddled up next to his head, his head dug into her neck and her collarbone. She pressed a couple of kisses on the shell of his ear.

"You ok now? Are you back to the laid back Gabriella?" Troy asked with a smile, pulling his head back just to look at her pretty face.

"I'm good." She said simply, not letting the grip around his neck go so their faces were inches apart.

"I hope you appreciate me coming all the way up here just to make up with you." Troy teased, his fingers started to play with the hem of his sweater which rested just above her behind.

"Hardly a long way, Bolton." Gabriella softly tugged at the back of his head.

"Ouch." He joked, "I was for someone who is crippled. You made me this way anyway so you should be carrying me somehow up those dreadfully steep and long steps." Troy fought back the urge to laugh at the disbelieving look on her face.

Gabriella let out a loud, sarcastic laugh, "Not my fault."

"So your fault."

Gabriella raised her perfectly sculptured eyebrows, "No. You falling down the steps at the park trying to save your basketball from going into the lake is not my fault."

Troy leant back against the chair and placed both hands behind his head, lacing them together, "If you didn't knock the ball out of my hands then it wouldn't of gone down the steps."

"If you weren't showing off, spinning it around on your little finger then I wouldn't of had the urge to knock it off." Gabriella prodded to solid chest after every couple of words.

Troy shook his head, having no comeback to that yet so he rolled his tongue around in his mouth before saying… "Urges to knock me off?" Troy smirked.

Gabriella scoffed, "You have urges to do that not me. I just do it now and again to keep you happy." Gabriella shot back.

"Ouch again, Montez." Troy brought one hand over his chest.

Gabriella grasped his bicep to push him slightly to which Troy tensed and grinned when her grip tightened.

"Like that, huh?" He grinned a lopsided smile.

Gabriella sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, not taking her eyes of his face, "You just think you more muscular than you are."

Troy ignored her comment, "Admit that you love I'm a good foot and a bit taller than you, that I have muscles and your tiny. I know you love when I go all cave man." The twinkle in his eye appeared when he knew he was right and Gabriella had no way out of it.

Gabriella licked her lips quickly, giving them some moisture and let go of his arms, "You have insanely good arms, I'll give you that but you're no cave man."

Troy pouted slightly, "If I was able, I'd pick you up right now and throw you on my bed and show you crazy manliness but I can't because this stupid cast."

Gabriella giggled and leant down to press a kiss to his lips, her hands going back around his neck, tangling together with some of his hair.

Troy leant up and tugged her down, whispering in her ear, "I wish I could make love to you before you go away and the only thing that's keeping me from ripping this fucking cast off and doing just that is that I know how amazing the sex is gonna be once you come back."

Gabriella giggled, "One, you can't physically rip off your cast and two I don't need you to do that to me to show me a good time. I love just being here with you and your family. Seriously Troy."

Troy let out a big breath, "Yeah. I was talking to my mom about us downstairs."

"Oh yeah? What do you say?"

"That I wasn't sure how we're going to last after we've only seen each other twice in the past couple of months." Troy whispered, reaching his hands up to her own and gently prying them from his neck so their hands could lace together.

"We're gonna be fine. After this vacation we have the whole of summer and then I'm going to the same college as you in the fall." Gabriella smiled, tilting her forehead onto his, "We're gonna be fine." She repeated.

"That's literally exactly what my mom said." Troy mumbled, after a minute's silence he spoke again, "I don't wanna lose you."

"You're not going to, babe."

"Serious Gabriella. I don't want to lose you ever. I love you so much, it scares the shit out of me sometimes."

"It scares me too."

Troy closed his head for a second, "But we are gonna be ok. More than ok. You know why Miss Montez?"

"Why?"

"Because," He grinned, tickling his sides with his hands still laced with her's, "You owe me the biggest kiss. Ever. Because you broke my leg."

Gabriella grumbled but laughed, "Shut up, loser."

"The loving words of Gabriella Montez." Troy chuckled and cupped her cheeks, rubbing the pads of his thumbs along her cheek bones and at the side of her nose.

Gabriella couldn't stop her giggling as she wrapped her small hands around his wrists. Troy started to lean in and he attempted to kiss her through her giggling but when he playfully bit her bottom lip. Her laughs came out loud and more uncontrollable so Troy just joined her in her laughing even though he had no idea what either of them were laughing at. Her laugh was contagious.

So sorry for any mistakes. This is my first go at this so please be nice but honest. I appreicate any ideas on what the next one shot should be about and how I could improve my writing. Thanks for reading!

I have a few vague ideas like.. 4th July, A fun fair..