Hi lovely's! Here's my first one shot with my favorite couple ever.
I don't own HSM, the characters or the song :(
Enjoy!
December 31, 2005
"Someday you guys might thank me for this….. Or not."
Those were the words the MC had spoken as he walked off stage, unbeknownst to the couple before him that, this very moment, he would be the one to change their lives forever.
December 31, 2018
13 years.
4,748 days.
That's how long it had been since Troy and Gabriella had stood in this very room.
Troy had played college ball and ended his career with a blow to the knee. He now was a budding physical therapist whose heart stopped every time she walked into the room
Gabriella had whizzed through college and helped Troy with his injury, waiting on him hand and foot, until he was healed. She had fallen into a job at a law firm and was quickly making her name known as one of the youngest, successful lawyers in their city. She still blushed every time those blue eyes fell on her.
Troy held a drink out to Gabriella, suddenly thankful that it was no longer a "Kid's" party they were attending. He had already taken a shot to calm his nerves. There was something about being here again that whipped his stomach into a frenzy.
His eyes drifted to the chocolate brown haired angel to his left. Tonight, he couldn't get enough of her. She was intoxicating. Maybe it was that soft green cocktail dress and those gold heels she was wearing, maybe it was her golden brown eyes staring longingly at him, maybe it was just that feeling of pure bliss he had been having ever since their loving morning. He wasn't sure, but he could hardly contain his emotions and he knew Gabriella sensed something was up.
It was like a sixth sense. Everything he felt, she felt. The joy of graduating high school. The fear of going off to college. The sadness when his prized, white, beat-up truck finally turned over for the last time. The pain when his knee blew out, ending his career playing the game he'd loved for so long. The long, drawn out process of recovery afterwards. She felt every single emotion he did.
So the fact that Troy was nervous, made her nervous.
She could tell by his fidgeting. The sandy brown haired man beside her could not sit still. He had been fiddling with the shot glass in his hand for the last five or so minutes and she'd had enough.
"Troy." She said softly and pried the glass out of his hands. "Babe, what's going on?" His blue eyes met hers and she felt an overwhelming amount of love when he kissed her hand, wrist and arm.
"Nothing, just a little warm is all." He replied and tried to focus on making his knee not bounce so much. "Probably the shots." He shrugged and quickly downed a small glass of water to try and calm the waves of panic.
No such luck.
He didn't know how much longer he could hold out. He kissed Gabriella's cheek and excused himself to the bathroom, where he splashed some cold water of his face. "Damn it, Bolton. Get yourself together." He mumbled to his reflection in the mirror. He took a few, unsuccessfully, calming breaths and straightened his light blue button up before exiting the bathroom and making his way back to his night's companion.
"John, this is my boyfriend, Troy. I'm sure you remember him." Gabriella introduced Troy as he stepped back into his rightful place it her side. Troy slid his best poker face on and shook the man's outstretched hand before him.
"Ah, yes. I just knew you two would be back. It's not every day you get to watch two soul mates meet." John chuckled and held his hand out to Troy.
"Nice to see you again, John." Troy smiled at the man, doing his best to not slip up.
You see, what Gabriella didn't know, is that Troy and John were well acquainted. They had been in contact for weeks leading up to their trip, planning out this night. Making sure everything went as planned.
The three of them made small talk an Troy and Gabriella made sure to thank John for that night 13 years ago. He was the reason they were together. The slightly intoxicated couple finished out their song and John jumped back on stage.
8 minutes
John's eyes slid over to Troy's with mischief written on his face.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have some special guests with us tonight. 13 years ago we threw two shy and awkward teenagers on stage and made them sing. We thought it'd be fun. 13 years later they've returned and I'd like to do the same thing to them." John winked at the couple and let out a laugh at Gabriella's mortified expression.
"Miss Montez, may I have this song?" Came Troy's deep voice from beside her. He held out his hand with a pleading look in his eyes. This had to go perfectly.
Gabriella blushed and gave him a shy smile as she slipped hand into his and let him lead her onto the small platform.
6 minutes
Troy looked over at John and pointed at him to start the music.
It was like the world momentarily moved in slow motion. Gabriella's face brightened when she heard those first few chords. Their eyes locked. Troy's body was on fire.
"Livin' in my own world, didn't understand That anything can happen, when you take a chance…"
Troy gripped his microphone, needing something to stabilize him as her melodic voice flowed from her mouth.
"I never believed in what I couldn't see I never opened my heart (Ohh) to all the possibilities, ooh
I know that something has changed Never felt this way
And right here, tonight This could be the start of something new It feels so right to be here with you, oh And now, lookin' in your eyes I feel in my heart(Feel in my heart) the start of something new Oh, yeah"
She had no idea.
"Now who'd have ever thought that, mmm We'd both be here tonight? Oh
Yeah, and the world looks so much brighter (Brighter, brighter) Oh, with you by my side (By my side)"
Gabriella couldn't take her eyes off Troy. There was something about him when he was performing that drew her in and held her captive. Her skin tingled where his hand touched her cheek to brush a curl behind her ear and her breath caught momentarily at the love that was written all over his face. It was like waves were crashing over her and she couldn't breathe.
"I know that something has changed Never felt this way I know it for real
This could be the start of something new It feels so right to be here with you, oh And now, looking in your eyes I feel in my heart the start of something new"
Memories were whizzing past Troys head. The moment they met, their first day at school, their first summer, their first kiss, graduations, their first time, their first night living together, all up until the moment they stopped on this stage tonight.
"It's the start of something new It feels so right to be here with you, oh And now, looking in your eyes I feel in my heart"
Gabriella didn't know it yet, but their families and friends slowly started to come out of the crowd to surround the stage.
3 minutes
"That it's the start of something new It feels so right (so right) to be here with you, oh
And now, lookin' in your eyes (Lookin' in your eyes) I feel in my heart (Feel in my heart) The start of something new (The start of something new) The start of something new"
The last chords rang out and the sound drowned out as Troy dropped to his knee and pulled a ring from his pocket and spoke into the microphone.
"Gabriella Marie Montez, will you please do me the honor and let me spend the rest of my life with you? Marry me?"
He held the ring out in front of her with a shaky hand.
2 minutes
Tears filled Gabriella's eyes while her hand flew to her mouth. Her heart was in her stomach. Here was the most beautiful man in the world on his knee in front of her and it was his honor to spend his life with her? Hardly. How did she get so lucky?
She bent forward as the tears fell down her cheeks and kissed him. "Yes!" She whispered against his lips and let him slide the ring on her finger.
Cheers erupted from the crowd, and only then, she saw their parents and Chad, Taylor, their former wildcats and a few friends from their college years. Her eyes flew back to Troy's with a look of disbelief "How?!" She managed to ask, to which he only replied with a cheeky grin and a shrug of his shoulders.
30 seconds
Troy pulled Gabriella close and rested his forehead on hers as the clocked counted down the last few seconds of 2018.
"Hey babe? This is the start of something new." He whispered and kissed her as the crowd cheered out As the clock struck midnight.
And a Happy New Year it would be.
Thank you so much for reading! Please start out my new year right by dropping a review :) Happy 2019!