DISCLAIMER: I do not own High School Musical or any related characters.

A/N: I've been dying to write a first kiss one-shot and I kinda came up with this while I was away as well, so enjoy!

By Moonlight

Gabriella Montez was curled up on the end of a lounge, calmly observing the familiar chaos that was a party. Thoughtfully, she sipped her drink and cast her gaze around the room, searching for familiar faces. To her amusement that first two people she saw were Chad and Taylor, who appeared to be in a heated discussion about God knows what in a corner of the room. As she watched Gabriella had to admit that seeing Chad cower under her friend's ferocious stare was enough amusement to last a lifetime. She remembered vaguely that Troy had told her Chad liked girls with some fight, but looking at them now Gabriella could just see Chad thinking he'd gotten more then he'd bargained for when he'd asked her out.

Shaking her head slightly, Gabriella looked away from the argumentative couple and cast her gaze around. What she saw nearly made her choke on her drink. Gabriella blinked a couple of times to make sure that she wasn't seeing things and then settled to observe the dancing couple. Although she'd thought that Kelsi had had a thing for Jason, Gabriella was proved wrong as Ryan spun her tiny brunette friend around on the dance floor. After recovering from her initial shock Gabriella admitted quietly that the two were well suited. Ryan's melodramatic nature and Kelsi's quietness seemed to balance each other. Seeing Ryan without his twin made Gabriella wonder where Sharpay was.

Looking around the room, Gabriella grinned as she saw a decidedly rumpled, and by the looks of her, immensely happy Sharpay walk into the room. Followed by an ecstatic looking Zeke. Who took Sharpay's hand and led her onto the dance floor. Sharpay, to Gabriella's surprise, neither resisted nor tried to show him how to dance floor. Instead she followed Zeke's lead, laughing as he made an awkward movement with his feet and nearly tripped over. Gabriella giggled and then stopped as she felt someone watching her.

Curios she looked around the room again, and was immediately captivated by bright blue eyes that twinkled at her. Just looking at him made Gabriella's stomach twist in every way imaginable and her breathing to become irregular. It was just like out of some terrible romance novel, but at the moment Gabriella couldn't care less as the blue eyes released her and she was allowed to look away. Something that she didn't want to do. Instead Gabriella watched him talk to Jason. She watched as his hair fell into his eyes as he laughed at something that his friend said, the way his mouth turned serious and then suddenly opened in laughter. Slowly her eyes drifted downward and the first thing she noted was his arms. Having discarded his jacket he was left in his wife beater, this alone had every girl in the room, including Gabriella, pulse racing. Gabriella could see that they were as muscular and strong as everyone had told her. She shivered slightly as she remembered how they'd felt around her. Sighing she looked down at her hands and then back up and did a double take. Troy was gone.

"So enjoying yourself Montez?" Gabriella uttered a little scream as Troy sat down next to her. He laughed and put a friendly arm around her shoulders. Gabriella tried not to shiver at his touch and then grinned at him.

"After that little scare, I'm not so sure anymore." She replied and Troy chuckled rubbing the back of his neck.

"Sorry, but you're easy to scare." He said and Gabriella laughed hitting his shoulder.

"Okay, maybe I can be easy to scare. But that still doesn't excuse you from ruining my enjoyment of this party." Gabriella said and Troy raised his eyebrows at her.

"You're kidding me right? You're enjoying yourself sitting here all alone with no-one to talk to?" Troy asked sounding incredulous and Gabriella laughed again at his incredulity.

"Yes. Is that so hard to believe?" she asked and Troy shrugged.

"Not really." He replied and they were both silent for a moment. Gabriella allowed herself the luxury of moving closer to Troy, he responded unconsciously tightening his arm around her.

Gabriella looked at him and noticed that he seemed far away. His blue eyes were dark and thoughtful and Gabriella could tell that he was deep in thought about something. Smiling her head dropped to rest on his shoulder and Gabriella was stunned when he didn't notice.

"Hey Wildcat, you going to remember I'm here anytime soon?" Gabriella asked softly and Troy's head snapped around to look at her and Gabriella felt her stomach flip as she saw how dark they were. It made her realize that his eyes nearly always reflected his mood, they changed so suddenly and it left her off balance most of the time.

Troy stared at the girl next to him, trying to figure out what she was looking at. Gabriella shifted and Troy tightened his arm, he liked the way she was nestled into him and even though he'd been thinking about moving, he just wanted to have her in that position for a few moments longer. It pleased him when she settled back into him.

"Come on, I want to show you something." Troy said after a moment and Gabriella bit back a groan as he moved.

"This'd better be good Troy." she muttered and he grinned at her.

"Oh it is." He assured her and grabbed her hand. Gabriella smiled at the people who greeted her as Troy led her out of the room and up some stairs.

"Troy, where are we going?" Gabriella asked as she heard the noise of the party fade slightly. She wasn't entirely comfortable with the fact that she was alone with Troy.

"Relax Gabriella," he said and Gabriella found herself relaxing despite her nervousness.

Troy opened a door and led her into the room. Gabriella immediately tensed when she realized where she was. He'd taken her to his room. Her stomach knotted as he let go of her hand and turned the lights on low. For a moment Gabriella forgot her nervousness as she took in his room. It was a complete bomb. Clothes were everywhere, she could actually see a shirt he'd worn a week ago lying on the floor, his bed was a complete mess sheets and blankets were twisted together at the end of it. His desk, or what Gabriella presumed was his desk, was barely visible. Gabriella could see his sports bag lying on top of everything and held back a giggle.

"Finished checking out my room?" Troy's voice caused Gabriella to look over at him, blushing she realized that he'd been watching her in amusement.

"Well, it's definitely not what I expected." She replied picking her way through the mess and over to where he stood by the window.

"Mmm-hmm, well your room was exactly what I expected." Troy said and Gabriella raised her eyebrows at him.

"So we came all the way up her to compare how clean our rooms are, did we?" she asked and Troy laughed.

"No." he replied and opened his window. Gabriella stared at him as Troy balanced on the sill and then she watched as he hoisted himself up onto the roof.

"Troy! Troy, what are you doing? Are you trying to kill yourself?" she yelled looking out the window, she heard him chuckle and looked up.

"Come on Gabriella." He said looking down on her; Gabriella looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Y-y-y-you want me to come up there?" she stuttered and he nodded.

"Yep, look it's easy, all you have to do is stand on the sill, like I did and I'll pull you up." Troy said sounding confident, biting her lip Gabriella debated between the two images that had forced there way to the front of her mind. The first being her slipping and crashing to her death, the second actually getting up there and being there with Troy.

"Alright, let me get my shoes off." Gabriella said after a few moments silence. She didn't see Troy's grin of triumph as she ducked back into his room and discarded her heels.

"If I lose my balance and fall and die, I'll come back and kill you in your sleep." Gabriella said as she hoisted herself onto his window sill. Troy chuckled and Gabriella gulped and looked down, suddenly very aware of the fact that she was wearing a dress.

"Trust me Gabriella." Troy said as she balanced precariously on the sill. She looked up at him and Troy grinned.

"Troy can you pull me up now?" she asked glancing down again. Troy held in his laugh and reached down, hooked his hands under her arms and hoisted her up to him. Gabriella uttered a small scream as she dangled in the air for a split second and then she was on the roof clinging to Troy, her knuckles white.

"You know; if I'd known you were afraid of heights I wouldn't have brought you up here." He said and Gabriella would have hit him if she hadn't felt like she was going to fall.

"It's not funny," she said and he laughed.

"Gabriella, you're not going to fall." Troy said and Gabriella blushed, wondering how he'd read her mind and instead let go of him and found that she had perfect balance.

"Come on." Troy grabbed her hand and led her over to where the roof dipped together. Leading her down the other side, Gabriella found herself on something that resembled a path.

"What is this?" she asked quietly and he shrugged.

"I don't know, I found it a couple of years ago and I always come up here to think." He replied and Gabriella smiled at him.

"Highly reminiscent of the rooftop, wouldn't you say?" she asked and he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I guess you could say that." he agreed and she hugged herself, suddenly feeling awkward.

"Look up." Troy's voice was soft as he spoke. Gabriella stared at him and then did as he said. As soon as she saw the sky she gasped. The sky was an array of brilliant lights on display, the backdrop a deep blue, almost black. The moon was at its highest and its shine was soft and romantic.

"Its so clear." She breathed after a moment.

"I know." Troy agreed, his mouth becoming dry as he looked at her. She was standing in a pool of moonlight and it somehow enhanced her features. Making them more surreal, more mystical, and more romantic.

Gabriella looked back at Troy and tried to not to giggle at how awkward he looked. Standing there, hands stuffed into the pockets of his white tracksuit, looking at the moon. He must have heard her thought, she thought as he looked back down at her and smiled.

"It's gorgeous Troy." Gabriella said softly, her eyes shining with happiness.

"So are you." Troy found himself replying and immediately wished her had thought before he'd spoken. Gabriella had gone an intense shade of red and was studying her feet.

The awkward silence that followed Troy's statement, left Gabriella's feeling a mix of emotions. She was amazed that Troy had said that, but at the same time she was terrified to take his words for face value and she felt so warm every time she replayed those words in her head.

Troy stared back up at the sky and silently wished he hadn't opened his mouth. Now she was going to think that he liked her a lot more then he let on. Which he did, but she wasn't meant to know that.

"Troy? We should probably get back to the party." Gabriella said softly after a few minutes of the silence. Troy's eyes snapped up to meet hers and Gabriella noticed that they were as dark as before. Her breath caught in her throat as he moved towards her slowly.

Troy's measured steps, and pockets, kept Gabriella from seeing his shaking. He was still riding on the high that winning the championship had given him. But he wasn't sure that this high could make him brave enough to do something he'd wanted to do from the first moment she'd smiled at him.

Gabriella tilted her head up to meet Troy's gaze. It was so soft and determined. She hardly realized what was happening as he lifted a hand from his pocket to take hold of her chin, sending shockwaves of emotions through her. It was like he wanted to keep her from moving away from him.

Troy kept his eyes on Gabriella's until her eyes fluttered close and their lips connected for the first time. It was everything that Gabriella had imagined. It was slow and unhurried; he didn't push or make her uncomfortable. He was just testing the waters. Making sure it was okay with her. His lips were so soft and tender. It was……perfect.

Troy slowly pulled away from her, the pleasant tingling in his lips telling him it definitely wasn't a dream. Gabriella's eyes fluttered open to meet his and she smiled at him.

"That was……nice." she said dreamily and Troy knew that if she'd been thinking properly the compliment would have been much more eloquent. But he'd settle for that.

"Mmm-hmmm." He replied and Gabriella smiled as he let go of his chin and wrapped his arms around her pulling her in for another kiss.

'By moonlight. Definitely worth every interruption.' Gabriella thought dazedly before losing herself completely in the kiss. The moon shining down softly upon them.

A/N: When I was writing that, it felt like I was writing something out of a bad romance novel. Anyway, it was fluffy, I think it was cute. Hey whatever, as long as you guys liked it!