I was in the mood for a fluffy Christmas fic and this is what came to my mind.

This story is a stand-alone written originally for the December Challenge #9 at idontdance. But it can also be seen as some sort of future sequel to my story "Scarred".

I hope you enjoy.

The Greatest Time Of The Year

Chapter One

It was the second to last day before the Winter Break and you could feel the Holiday spirit all around East High School. Tacky Christmas garlands decorated the halls, bright-colored banners screamed "Happy Holidays" in every direction and tons of mistletoes adorned every other doorframe so that you had to be careful where you stood unless you wanted to be kissed on the cheek by silly giggling girls without a warning.

Chad Danforth usually didn't mind all the fuss everyone made about Christmas; he rather liked it. In fact he was one of the very few boys who could also be seen lurking in a doorframe, ready to surprise whoever happened to stop by with a quick smack of lips followed by a cheeky grin.

It had been part of his well-camouflaged plan to plant furtive kisses on his secret boyfriend's cheek just to be paid back for the public embarrassment later.

Which was what Chad had been hoping for all along.

Whenever the coast was clear Ryan would hastily drag him into an empty classroom for a not-so-impromptu make-out session that Chad really enjoyed and looked forward to every day.

But not today.

Today Chad managed to enter the classroom exactly in time with the bell announcing the beginning of the lesson. Without so much as a glance at anyone he slumped into his chair, a gloomy expression twisting his handsome features.

"Hey, what's up man?"

His best friend Troy Bolton had turned around in his seat and looked at Chad questioningly.

But the dark-haired boy just shook his head and whispered:

"Later!"

Ryan watched the exchange from his seat a few feet away and frowned. Something was obviously troubling his boyfriend but what?

Last night, during their standard "good-night-call", everything had still been okay. Chad had been his usual good-natured sexy self; flirting and promising a proper make-out session for next day's lunch break.

Through the entire Math class Ryan kept watching Chad for clues as to what was troubling him but although the jock sought out his eyes more than once and managed a sly smile every now and then Ryan just knew that something was definitely not right.

He had to wait till the first break though to get the chance to talk to Chad. And he wasn't the only one.

As soon as the bell rang Troy turned around in his seat again and just when Ryan had made his way over he heard the last bit of Troy's question:

"… like your puppy just died. So, what's up?"

Chad threw a miserable glance at his best friend and then his eyes met Ryan's who'd come to stand next to him.

"Oh, damn! It's just… my mom is ruining all my plans for the Winter Break, that's all!"

"Why, what did she do?" Troy asked.

"She wants us all to spend Christmas with her new boyfriend!"

Chad pronounced the last word like some acid poisoning his throat and Ryan had to smile at that; the word reminding him of how happy he was to be able to call Chad that, though only secretly because Chad still hadn't come out officially. Just a few of his closest friends knew of his relationship with Ryan, like Troy and Gabriella, Taylor, Kelsi and Sharpay – though the last one wasn't exactly what Chad would call a friend, she just happened to be Ryan's twin and so of course she knew about them.

Ryan zoned in on his boyfriend's complains again.

"I mean, I'm really happy for her that she's finally dating again and Tom's a great guy… I like him I guess but…" Chad threw a helpless look around, "… why the hell does he have to make us spend Christmas in Pallanah?"

"Where?" Troy asked frowning.

"Pallanah," Chad replied gloomily, "some small fucking nest I-don't-know-where!"

"It's a holiday resort near Colorado Springs," Ryan surprised the two boys with his prompt answer.

"Huh?" Two stunned faces looked up to the smiling Drama King, question marks in their eyes. "How do you know?"

Ryan had trouble suppressing the wide grin that threatened to split his face. This was just too good to be true.

"I know because my family happens to spend every Winter Break there skiing. Actually we're gonna be off to Pallanah on Friday."

"What?" Chad shouted surprised and jumped from his seat. He stared at Ryan and stuttered:

"You're… you're gonna spend… Winter Break… skiing?"

"Yeah," Ryan shrugged.

"And you're telling me this NOW? Two days before? I mean… I made plans for us and you…" Chad stopped in his tirade and glared at his boyfriend, oblivious to the scene he was making. Several other students were already staring at him and Troy looked as if he wished to be elsewhere right now.

"I'm sorry, Chad," Ryan said quickly, equally single-focused on Chad and not caring about who'd overhear them. Chad had made plans for them? How sweet! But now he was mad at him for not telling him about his skiing trip. Damn! Ryan quickly went on:

"I guess I kind of forgot about it. It's just so… usual, you know? I've spent every Holiday skiing with my family and it's nothing special anymore. I just didn't think…"

Chad interrupted forcefully: "Right! You didn't think! Why should you waste a single thought on spending time with me?"

"Guys," Troy shouted and stood up to end the secret lovers' argument with outstretched arms between them. "First of all: calm down, you're making a scene!"

He watched Chad and Ryan finally remember that they were not alone and continued with a grin:

"And second: you realize that you're acting completely stupid, don't you?"

"Stupid?" Chad growled, "Troy, how can you say that? You know that… I mean," he lowered his voice and whispered, "how would you feel if Gabby told you oh-so-casually that she'd spend the entire Holidays elsewhere without you?"

"But Chad," Ryan tried to interrupt but the agitated jock went on:

"No Ry, that's how it is!"

"No, it's not!" Troy threw in. God, Chad could be so dense sometimes! "Chad, you're gonna spend your Winter Break in… Pall… whatever! And Ryan, too! So both of you will be there! With your families! Does that ring a bell somewhere under those thick locks of yours?"

Troy watched amused how the gears in Chad's head started to turn and his friend's face changed from furious to stunned first and then…

… then the other shoe dropped.

"Oh!" Chad mumbled embarrassed and threw a sheepish look at Ryan. Just like Troy the blond boy had been waiting patiently for the penny to finally drop.

"Exactly," he smirked with arms crossed over his chest; the very picture of self-confidence and good-natured superiority.

"So you're gonna be there, too. That's… great," Chad managed to say while he fought in vain to blush.

"You think?" Troy and Ryan asked in chorus, grinning simultaneously.

Troy clapped his best friend on the shoulder before he turned and headed for the door.

"Come on you two, lets go! You can make plans for oh-so-serendipitly meeting in the snow later!"

Ryan chuckled and followed Troy out into the halls. Chad trailed after them slowly; his head suddenly filled with thoughts of him and Ryan, tumbling down a snowy hill, surrounded by frosty snowflakes and cozily wrapped in each others arms.

Maybe his mom's Holiday plans weren't so bad after all?

Three days later, on Saturday morning, Chad helped his mother stuff all their bags and suitcases into the back of her boyfriend's SUV, whistling happy Christmas tunes and trying to hide the grin that seemed to spring forth whenever he thought about the upcoming Holiday trip.

In more or less six hours Chad would be in the same place where his boyfriend was spending the Holidays, too.

What a lucky coincidence it was!

Alyssa Danforth watched her eldest son smiling happily (again!) and couldn't stop but wonder what had brought on the sudden change. When she'd first announced that Tom had invited the whole family to spend Christmas at his cabin in Pallanah, Chad had looked as if the world would end. He'd been angry and devastated but he hadn't wanted to say why.

And now? He was whistling Christmas tunes, for crying out loud!

Something was definitely going on here, something she was determined to find out.

If she didn't know better she would say it had something to do with a girl. But when she'd confronted Chad with her suspicions this morning at breakfast he'd instantly denied anything. And she believed him, she simply knew when he was lying. She was his mother after all, and mothers knew stuff like this!

Chad hadn't been lying but… he was definitely hiding something!

Well, she would watch him closely for the two weeks of vacation and perhaps, at the end of it, she would know better.

And boy, was she right about that!

Nearly five hours later Chad wasn't happily whistling anymore. Instead he was staring stoically out of the car window and tried not to listen to his two little brothers' constant yammering.

"Mommy, aren't we there yet?" the six-year-old Linus asked for what seemed to be the hundredth time and Chad let out a deep sigh.

"No honey, not yet!" Mrs. Danforth replied with a patience only a mother could summon up.

Chad blocked out the whining voices and lifted his eyes to the blazing white clouds flying over the blue sky. He thought with badly suppressed envy how great it must be to make the trip to Pallanah by plane like Ryan had.

The Evans' had left Albuquerque immediately after school yesterday… and when Chad thought immediately he meant it quite literally.

When Chad had descended the front steps of East High with Ryan walking by his side he'd suddenly stopped short and gaped wide-eyed at the parking lot in front of them.

A CHOPPER!

A bright red chopper with the Evans' company sign had been waiting for the twins, ready to take them to the Evans' private airport where all the Evans' private jets were waiting. All, as in more that one!

Chad had been staring from the chopper to his boyfriend and back and Ryan had chuckled and had closed Chad's fish-imitating mouth with a gentle caress of his hand. And then Ryan had looked around quickly and, positive that every student's eye was on the chopper and not on them, had kissed Chad briefly on the lips.

"See you in the snow tomorrow," he'd said for goodbye and then he'd made his way over to the chopper.

Chad had replied nothing but had kept on staring, mesmerized by the gorgeous image Ryan had presented. The blonde had climbed into the back of the chopper with a grace only a dancer could possess. A dancer who'd done this a thousand times before.

Well, being an Evans Ryan probably had.

Chad came back from his daydreams reluctantly and looked at his watch. He was about to ask his mom how far away Pallanah still was when he realized that it would make him no better than his annoying brothers. So he kept his mouth shut and tried to imagine all the wonderful things he and Ryan would do in the next two weeks.

Ryan looked around his posh private suite desperate to find something to do. But he'd already unpacked and all his clothes were stashed away in the big walk-in closet. The thirteen, no… fourteen different hats he'd brought along for the vacation were placed neatly on the shelves solemnly made for this purpose.

There was nothing more for him to do.

Well, of course Ryan still had the opportunity to go out and have a look around the club like Sharpay was currently doing. She'd wanted him to tag along like every other year but this time Ryan had refused and after a brief tantrum Sharpay had simply shrugged and left.

Ryan didn't want to tag along and besides… he knew the club inside and out; he'd come here for the Winter Break since he'd been eight!

The Evans' family was a well-known authority at the "Season's Sports Resort" and though Ryan's parents didn't own it (like Lava Springs), most times it didn't feel different than being at their Country Club at home. Well, apart from the snow of course. This was home, too.

Ryan sighed, plopped down onto his king-sized bed and threw another look at the clock.

Was it still too early to call Chad? Maybe the Danforth's (Ryan didn't know the last name of Chad's mom's boyfriend and by the way, the majority of them was called Danforth, right?), okay, maybe they had arrived already?

Ryan picked up his cell and looked at the display. No message from Chad.

Damn, he missed him!

Which was, of course, ridiculous because it hadn't even been a whole day since he'd said goodbye to his boyfriend. Ryan had to smile when he remembered Chad's stunned look at the sight of the helicopter on school grounds.

To him the sight had been nothing new… well, okay, not that he'd be picked up by a helicopter everyday. Just… a couple of times. But Chad had looked stunned to say the least. Exactly like that time last summer at the Country Club, when his dad had arrived at the golf course brought by a chopper as well.

Like a child in a candy shop.

Damn, thinking of Chad's cute expression made him miss his boyfriend even more and so Ryan finally gave in and dialed Chad's cell.

The buzzing sound of his cell pulled Chad from his musings and he quickly took it out of his pocket.

"Hello?" he asked with a glance at his mom who had turned around from her position diagonal in front of him.

"Hey, it's me!" Ryan's voice was like music in Chad's ears after the constant whining of his brothers.

"Hey you!"

"Aren't you there yet?"

Chad had to stifle a laugh. Now Ryan sounded exactly like his brothers.

"No," he replied, "not yet!"

"Damn, I miss you! And I'm bored. But more missing-you than bored!"

Chad smiled affectionately and could feel a blush coming on. No matter how often Ryan said those cute little things, he hadn't gotten used to this yet. And hopefully never would.

"I…" Chad quickly gulped down the 'miss you more' he'd been about to say but with another glance at his mom settled for: "Me too."

Ryan chuckled and said: "Let me guess, your mom is listening to everything you say."

"Well, what do you think?"

"Okay, so… I'll make this quick. No hot sex talk on the phone this time."

Chad couldn't think of any reply that wouldn't give him away completely, so he waited silently for Ryan to go on:

"But… you'll have to make it up to me once you've finally gotten your cute ass up here."

God, could Ryan sound any more sexy? Chad felt his jeans tighten just listening to that velvet voice. He gulped and forced out:

"Be sure that I will!"

"Good to know, I will think of something to occupy my time till you're finally here," Ryan said suggestively and Chad could hear him moving on something soft and then there was some clothes-rustling heard over the phone.

Oh God, was Ryan doing what Chad thought he was doing?

"What…" he choked out, "what are you doing?"

"Oh," Ryan smirked lazily, "getting a head-start!"

"Don't you dare!" Chad growled silently and caught his mom staring at him in the mirror. Oh damn, now he was in for something. She wouldn't let this go till he'd told her who it had been on the phone. So he could as well say it, right?

"Ryan, I…"

"Okay, okay! Call me when you're here!"

"I will, bye!"

"Bye, sweetie!" Ryan couldn't stop the endearment from coming out.

Chad grinned and then hung up. He put the phone back into his pocket and…

"Who was that, honey?" His mom asked friendly curious.

"A friend, Ryan." Chad replied promptly. Ryan was his friend after all, wasn't he? Just not some friend but… a special one. But still a friend!

"Ryan? Ryan Evans?" his mom asked further.

"Yeah."

"I didn't know you were suddenly friends with… that kind of people."

What was that supposed to mean? Did his mother know that Ryan was gay and was it bothering her?

Chad had to ask: "What kind of people do you mean?"

"Oh, you know…" Alyssa Danforth actually blushed, something Chad had never seen in his life. With a sideways glance at her boyfriend Tom she continued:

"People like… the Evans'. Rich people. Albuquerque's finest so to speak." she clarified.

Chad let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Oh, that! Ryan actually isn't like that. He's… okay," he answered and actually managed not to blush at the understatement. Feeling suddenly daring he added:

"Well, he gets picked up from school by a chopper but other than that…"

"What?" his mom shouted incredulously.

All four passengers of the car gaped at Chad when he simply shrugged good-natured and Tom finally commented smiling:

"Some friends you got there, Chad!"

"Yeah, I know!" Chad grinned back and thought about what he would do to Ryan as payback for making him have this conversation.

"I can't believe you lied to me, Tom!" Alyssa scolded furiously.

"Oh come on, Ally!" Tom pulled his girlfriend close and continued: "You never would have come if I'd told you we weren't going to my cabin but to the high-class holiday resort I happen to own."

"Damn right you are, I wouldn't!"

Chad looked up at his mom from where he was sitting on the plush couch of what had to be the most spacious suite he'd ever seen.

This living room had to be at least twice as big as theirs at home and there was marble and gold-stitched edges everywhere.

And Tom owned this? All of this actually?

On some level Chad could understand why his mom was so upset right now. She'd thought they would spend the Holidays in a cozy cabin somewhere and not… here!

When Tom had pulled the SUV up to the high-classed "Season's Sports Resort" it had dawned on Chad and his mom equally quickly that something wasn't the way it should be. After a small pause Tom had come out with the fact that, yes, he was actually THE Thomas Mayweather who owned several hotels and holiday resorts all over the country.

Tom had told Chad's mom that he was in business; in the hotel business actually… but not… this!

So Chad could somehow relate to his mom's anger.

He'd been through something similar no three months ago. His and Ryan's first real date.

Ryan had wanted to surprise him with dinner in some fancy high-classed restaurant and… well, high-classed was not something Chad had any experience in.

There had been seven forks and knifes for him alone on the table!

Chad had already felt completely put off by the surroundings and he'd held Ryan responsible for his embarrassment over not knowing which fork to take first.

His only help in preventing a complete disaster had been the fuzzy memories of a movie line he'd once heard: "Take it from outside to inside and everything will work out fine!" or something like that he'd remembered the guy from "Pretty Woman" say.

Chad had taken the advise but it had still been an embarrassing evening throughout.

And now Chad's mom must feel like this somehow, like she was completely in over her head. His family had never been poor but… well, their meals never had seven different courses (let alone seven forks) and they didn't cruise around the country in private jets like Ryan was used to.

So on some level Chad could easily relate to his mom's feelings. But on the other hand… come on, was all this really that bad? Chad knew that his mom secretly longed to for once not look at each and every penny twice! Who wouldn't?

And this suite… I mean, look at all this! Would it be a shame for her to admit that this was what she'd dreamed of all her life?

He said so to her as well and his mom looked from her son to her boyfriend and back and then…

"Okay, okay!" she smiled finally, "I admit it, this is… wow!"

Chad grinned and Tom dared to pull his girlfriend back into his arms again.

"But you still should have told me sooner! I mean…" she broke off and pulled at her sweaty blouse, "I don't have anything to wear for this kind of place!"

"You can buy everything you'll need, honey!" Tom promised and pulled her face up for a gentle kiss.

Chad groaned and stood up from the couch quickly.

"I'll just…" he smirked and motioned to the door that led into the halls, "… you know, go. Leave you two to… whatever!"

Tom simply nodded not breaking the kiss but his mom turned her head away slightly and said:

"You do that, honey. And take Miles and Linus along, yeah?"

"What?" Chad gasped. Shit, he'd wanted to meet Ryan but with his brothers tagging along…

"You could have a look around the club! You know, a long and thoroughly look around, hm?"

Chad let out another groan but nevertheless went to a different door that led to the boy's room and called out:

"Hey there, monsters! You wanna go explore the club?"

"Thank you!" his mother mouthed silently before she was pulled into another kiss.

Chad forced a smile onto his face. He really was happy for his mom to have found such a wonderful boyfriend but…

… hadn't he one as well?

What about his own wonderful boyfriend who was doing God-knows-what right now waiting for him to call.

Ryan wouldn't be thrilled when Chad had to bring his little brothers along, would he?

No, Chad didn't think so.

So it would be better if he'd give Ryan a fair warning before barging into his room with two kids, right?

Chad pulled out his cell and quickly hit the one on speed dial.

"Yeah?" came the sleepy voice of his boyfriend after five times ringing.

"Hey there, sleepy-head!" Chad smiled and gently pulled his youngest brother Linus on his arm towards the elevator. The nine-year-old Miles tagged along silently.

"Chad!" Ryan answered, awake at once, "you finally made it?"

"Yeah, we did. Listen, dude… we might have a small problem!" Chad started cautiously.

Ryan knew instantly that Chad wasn't alone; he never called him "dude" when he was free to speak his mind. Nevertheless Ryan couldn't help but tease:

"A SMALL problem? Don't be too humble, Chad. It's not THAT small. And does the size really…"

"Ry," Chad sighed exasperated.

"Okay, sorry. What is it?" Ryan stopped the innuendo at once, now slightly worried.

"They are in fact two small problems named Miles and Linus!"

"Oh, your brothers?" Ryan asked while he could hear a distant "Hey, I'm not a problem!"

"I've to bring them along for now, mom asked me to show them around the club!" Chad grumbled.

"The club?"

"Oh yeah, you don't know yet: the good news are we're actually at the same club for the whole time!"

"Really?" Ryan asked astonished. "How, I mean… I thought you said something about a cabin? And how can you afford… ugh…" Ryan broke off, unsure how to address the money-issue. He'd never been comfortable to talk about money others didn't have. He had no problems with being rich himself, it was just… Ryan had never had a boyfriend who wasn't and that's why he didn't know how to address the subject without hurting Chad's feelings. Or his pride rather.

But Chad didn't have any issues whatsoever, he simply chuckled and said:

"I know what you mean, Ry. Mom would never be able to pay for all this but… well, it's all Tom's, so…"

"It's his, what do you mean?" Ryan wanted to know though he had a distant feeling that he knew already.

"Turns out Tom owns this place, among others!" Chad laughed embarrassed.

Ryan gasped loudly. "Your mom is dating Tom Mayweather?"

"Yeah, you know him?" Chad asked while he managed to shove his brothers into the elevator before the doors closed again.

"A little," Ryan stated. It wouldn't do to tell Chad ALL about how well acquainted he was with Thomas Mayweather, would it? Or, well, with the man's son would be even more accurate. No, Chad definitely didn't need to know that!

"Ryan, are you still there?" Chad suddenly asked when the line had been silent for a few seconds.

"Yes, ugh…" Ryan tried to get a grip on himself, "where are you now?"

"In the main lobby, I guess. Man, this place is huge!" Chad gasped when he made his way out into an entrance hall as big as the school cafeteria (but ten times more posh of course).

"Okay," Ryan said determined, "stay there, I'll meet you in a few minutes, okay?"

"Okay," Chad nodded, "oh, and Ryan?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry for… you know, with my brothers and all… I'm sorry that we won't have some alone-time." Chad had made sure to whisper the last part so that his brothers wouldn't hear.

"Hey, it's okay Chad. I really wanna meet your brothers. And by the way, not everything has to be about sex, right?" Ryan answered back, already on his way to his closet.

"No? And this coming from Mr. It's-Not-A-Proper-Date-If-You-Don't-Put-Out!" Chad laughed.

"Hey, it wasn't me who came all over my hand after only five seconds!" Ryan piped up.

"No," Chad smirked not the least bit embarrassed about that, "it took you what, … eight seconds after all? And ten at the second time?"

"Ha, ha!" Ryan grinned and added evilly: "Well, at least I actually managed a second time, unlike others who simply started snoring in the backseat!"

"Shut up and come over here, okay?" Chad laughed.

"Right, already on my way! See you!" Ryan said and a second later the line went dead.

Chad pocketed his cell and looked around for his brothers.

"Hey, we're gonna meet a friend of mine, okay?"

TBC

I had to stop for now but the second part will be up in a few days. Look out for it and in the meantime tell me what you think, okay?