Okay so I know I still have a story waiting to be updated, but I just had an idea for this, opened a new document, and started writing. This is what developed from my random thoughts and I hope you all can give it a chance. Thanks so much for reading and Happy Holidays to everyone!!!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with High School Musical or it's characters.

The weather matched the mood perfectly. Lightning filled the sky and the thunder shook the entire house threateningly. The sound of doors slamming and stomping feet blended with the raging outdoors. Each move she made was as aggressive as the storm and with a purpose. An outsider who had just entered the war zone would know she was pissed.

This routine was getting old…

"Your such an asshole! Why do you ALWAYS do that? We were just TALKING." She yelled at the figure standing outside her bedroom door looking more dangerous than usual as the lightning heightened her enraged mood.

"Gabriella Please. He was looking at you like you were offering him a key to the hotel across the street. DO NOT try to tell me differently." He yelled with as much force as she had used against him.

"Troy we were talking about the fucking weather when you walked over. How the hell is that in any way sexual or suggestive? PLEASE. Enlighten me." She demanded

"STOP YELLING first of all. If you wouldn't immediately get so defensive I wouldn't be suspicious."

"What have I ever done to make you suspicious of my conversations or actions. I've ALWAYS been loyal to you and you know it. STOP BEING SO DAMN INSECURE!" Her chest was now heaving from the anger that had built up in her body. It was only a matter of time until the bomb inside her ticked til explosion. The car ride home was deadly silent and enough to tell her things would be explosive as soon as they had made it inside. She was tired of his constant accusations. "Troy…we've been together for five years. I don't know what I can do to convince you otherwise. I can't…I can't do this anymore." Her eyes fell to the floor after her confession too afraid to see his reaction.

"Woah. Woah. Woah. Gabriella. Please. Baby you don't mean what I think you do right?"

"I'm sorry Troy, but I need some time to figure out if this is what I really want." She finally looked up to meet his gaze. His eyes had pools of salty tears waiting to escape his eyelids and she immediately let her own fall before looking down to the ground once again. "Please Troy. Just…just give me some time."

He raised his hand to her cheek and raised her face to meet his gaze, silently pleading with her for forgiveness. She held his stare as he stood at her door debating his options. He knew he could get her to break down and let him in if he really wanted to, but what would that solve? He'd remain insecure about her past confession and the fights would continue. He knew they had been fighting a lot lately, but what couples didn't at certain points? They were just going through a rough patch at the moment.

He went to tell her I love you and that he would wait for her but was met with her door. He laid his head against it, trying to picture what she was doing at that moment and if he had had that power he would see that she was in the exact same position, their hands touching the same spot on the door.

It had been a long six months.

Each day that he hadn't been in unmemorable. She couldn't tell you what she did yesterday, let alone the past six months.

She was getting desperate…to hear his voice, his laugh…anything. Her entire body felt empty and her heart had lost it's once energetic beat. She could almost feel the pressure on her chest where he would lay his head and then brag that he could feel it speed up once he touched her. And it was true.

Only he had that effect on her and she knew it. She picked up her cell phone for the millionth time that day and stared at his picture I.d. that went with his number and giggled to herself. He had been messing with the camera the moment she showed him her hip, cool, new phone. Her words, not his. After several attempts to take her picture he finally settled for using it on himself and had made the most ridiculous face he could come up with at the moment and had pressed OK. She used it for blackmail after that.

Memories like this haunted Gabriella everyday. Especially the last one she had of him….

This was a mistake. The moment she had muttered that she needed a break from the relationship her heart had dropped to her stomach and then shattered to millions of tiny pieces. She had wanted him to beg her for forgiveness and bang on the door until it was impossible to deny him any longer, not let her close the door on him and then never see him again.

As that thought raced through her head for a second time she violently swung open the door and raced down the stairs to catch him before he left. They couldn't be separated on such bad terms.

"Troy! Troy! Troyyyy!" she yelled as she searched in and out of every room hoping to see him patiently waiting for her like he usually did, but he was nowhere to be found. The lightning offered her light in every room as it lit up the night sky like it was daytime.

Finally figuring out he was no longer in the house she ran to the front door and outside to see his car at the end of her long driveway, pulling away and out of her life. She broke out into a sprint hoping to catch his attention before it was too late. This couldn't be the end. She refused to believe it.

But as the car drove further and further away her thoughts became a crushing reality. Knees buckling and eyes red from all the tears she let herself soak in the rain and the sobs escape her body. It felt like the rain was trying to replace the flowing tears that never ceased.

What did she just do?

A year had now passed, but he had developed a routine.

He left the TV on every night so that he immediately was met with the daily news to hide away any unnecessary thoughts that would cloud his mind if he let himself think for too long. He'd leave the door open in the bathroom so he could continue to hear the news over the shower.

When he went to his job every morning he kept himself busy with paperwork and fooled everyone into thinking he was content with his life. He was a successful businessman, had his own place, and was living the single life. Most men admired his status, but Troy hated everything about it. What was the point of success and a home if you had no one to share it with? And being single?….That was the worst. He had once had his entire life planned out and it started and ended with the beautiful Latina he had laid eyes on several years ago.

This was why he couldn't let his thoughts wander. It immediately depressed him. As the months had passed he had realized how much he truly needed her, but never had let himself pick up the phone, too afraid of rejection and more heartache.

It had taken 9 months to finally build enough courage to step outside his house. With constant encouragement from his friends he finally went out to the bar with them and let them pick out potential girlfriends. Each girl they mentioned, he denied, finding some flaw in her appearance or personality. The truth was that no girl would ever match up to the one he had had and he wouldn't settle for less.

Would this feeling ever go away?

She was going to be late and her boss was going to kill her.

This would be the 3rd time this week, but once she realized what the date was a couple days ago her normal timely schedule went down hill.

She rushed into the coffee shop, quickly ordering her bosses drink and hers while impatiently standing off to the side, pulling her hair up into a quick messy bun since she hadn't had the chance to style it that morning. Once she tucked her shirt in and fully slipped on her heels she took the coffee that was just placed on the counter and took off towards the door, head down trying to balance her coffees and briefcase at the same time.

She had made it all the way to the door before slamming into someone's chest, spilling the coffee all over herself and whoever she had run into. "Shit! I'm so so sorry. I um…I'm gonna be so late for work…but listen I'm really really sorry." She hurriedly explained while trying to dab off the other persons shirt, not meeting his shocked gaze.

"Gabi?" he questioned quietly to hopefully not startle her anymore. She froze instantly recognizing who the voice belonged to and then daringly looked up to meet the questioning voice.

"Um…Hey…Troy." she finally got out, too much in a daze to get out a complete sentence. He was right here. In front of her. How did you breath again?

They stood in front of the door staring at one another trying to see if this was real. The awkward silence was soon too much for her and before she knew what she was saying she blurted out, "Do you want to come over tonight?" She laughed to cover up her uneasiness before continuing "I mean…you know to catch up…and stuff." He nodded his reply and that was enough confirmation for her before she took off out the door without looking back.

"Shit."

She didn't know if he was actually coming or not. It was already 8:00 at night and the dinner she had made for the two of them was now long forgotten and cold. What had she gotten herself in to? Why did she even have to ask him to come over? He looked the same, obviously still very much attractive, and his eyes still had the same effect of melting her heart. Nothing had changed on her part. She was still madly in….her train of thought was taken away as the door bell rang.

"Alright Gabriella. You can do this. You dated him for five years before and it's only been a year. You can do this." she quietly talked to herself as she made her way over to the door.

As she opened it she was met with his charming smile. "Hey Gabi." She immediately swooned

"Hey Troy." she whispered and then just stared at him

"Um…are you gonna let me in?" He laughed

"Oh yea. Sorry! You know where the living room is. Make yourself comfortable."

"Nervousness doesn't suit you Gab and you have nothing to be nervous about. It's just me." He said shutting the door for her and backing her into the door, both arms raised and blocking her in. He had made his decision on the way over here that if he wanted her back he needed to be forward. He had to take a risk now that she had once again suddenly entered his life the one day he had let his mind wander about her. He chalked it up to fate which led to this approach. She wasn't complaining.

With her back still facing him she felt him lean his body against hers before whispering in her ear "Breath baby."

It did the opposite. Her body stiffened more than it was before and he chuckled into her hair, keeping his head in the same position he inhaled the vanilla scent of her shampoo. "Mmm…you smell as amazing as I remembered." He leant down to her ear again nibbling lightly before running his tongue along the outer edge. Her breath hitched and she hadn't pushed him away. So far so good.

She turned around in his arms and immediately lifted hers to his shoulders to pull herself up, wrap her legs around his waist, and crash her lips down to his waiting ones. Tongues met and soon passion was building. He slammed her back into the door and lowered his head to her neck, sucking violently, leaving his mark. She was his. She would always be his. He eventually let her body slide down his before they both ran towards the stairs, stumbling over each step and laughing the entire way.

As they made their way to the top of the steps he tackled her to the ground, growling and she screamed before laughing along with him again. He stayed where he was by her waist and met her stare and held it as he slowly unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down her legs. She was shaking with anticipation. He started at her ankle and kissed his entire way up her leg before making it to her inner thighs. His tongue slowly traced its way up her inner thigh before skipping over the body part begging to be touched the most.

She shook her head at him before laying her head back against the carpet as he continued to suck and tease her right above her panties. He stood up and took her by her hands to pull her up while she quickly went to work on his pants and then his shirt throwing it carelessly to the side.

They finally made their way to the bedroom and continued making love well into the night…sounds of satisfaction filling the heated atmosphere

He had never felt so peaceful. And after months had passed of them being separated he never thought he'd feel this way again. His arm was slowly drawing circles on her bare back, both glowing from their reunion.

"Troy" she said drowsily "Don't leave me ever again…please?"

"Believe me baby I feel the same way. I love you Gabriella. Never stopped." he said sincerely

She looked up and met his stare and both made a silent promise to never let the other go again. "I love you too… Forever."

"Good…because I need you. Sorry it took so long to figure that out."

"I need you too."

Time had given them the chance to realize what they really had in the other and after a year apart they had found each other again and realized that needing and loving someone overlooked any type of fights in the past. It wouldn't go back to normal right away and they still had things to work out, but just knowing that they needed each other was enough for now.