TITLE: Smash Into You
AN: Yes, another fic. Expect it to be short, like, six chapters long? I'm backpacking at the moment - posting this while waiting for a night bus from Warsaw, Poland to Vilnius, Lithuania - so therefore, updates happen when they happen. Follow my travel blog at wwwdotlightsallfadeddotcom and/or via the twitter handle lightsallfaded if you're interested in following my travels around Europe and the USA.
To clarify, I have no plans to discontinue or not finish The Simple Need or my Someday series. I appreciate the continued interest. If I was to choose to discontinue, I would update my profile accordingly, and likely add an AN chapter to the fic to let you know.
DEDICATION: To Michelle & Aaran, with love.
1. Freshman
Gabriella was a whiz with numbers. She had a photographic memory and a recall of dates and figures unlike anyone that Troy had ever met in his life. It had gotten to the point where Troy kept a diary, and would note down dates that might potentially possibly one day be of importance. He'd learned his lesson when he'd forgotten the three month anniversary of their first kiss – she didn't try to make him feel bad about it, but when she'd shown up at school with a token gift of a bag of Hershey's Kisses to commemorate, she'd succeeded in making him feel like a douche. Troy didn't like feeling like a douche.
Freshman year of college was hard on both of them. They were adjusting to new lives, new schedules, making new friends – and yet trying to make sure they still had time for one another. At the worst of times, two months passed without seeing one another, even though they were living just 32.7 miles apart, as Troy would remind her constantly. He'd had a string of away games and timing just hadn't worked for them. Finally, they were able to schedule time for one another, with Troy coming down to Stanford. Gabriella's roommate had plans to be out of town, so not only would Troy and Gabriella be together, but they would be alone.
When Troy arrived at Stanford University, a tear stained Gabriella opened her dorm door for him. It was obvious to him that she had been crying and that she was trying to cover it up.
"Babe!" he exclaimed, voice filled with concern. "What happened?"
"Nothing," she insisted, lower lip trembling, yet finding herself feeling the need to be surrounded by his loving arms, holding her close. They stood together in the still open doorway, just hugging, for over a minute. Finally, she pulled back, sniffling and wiping at her cheeks as she picked up the duffel bag he'd dropped at her feet, moving it over to the foot of her bed. He closed the door behind her.
"Why don't you just tell me now? Because we both know you'll tell me eventually, so let's just skip the prying."
Gabriella's lower lip jutted out childishly for a moment, which he found utterly adorable.
"It's embarrassing. And I'm scared you'll be mad."
"Maybe I'll surprise you."
She sighed, glancing down at her feet which were covered with red and white polka dotted socks.
"I got my period today," she finally admitted. "And... I was really upset with myself, and embarrassed that I was upset, and of course worried that you would be upset... and then about twenty minutes before you arrived I just burst into tears."
Troy stared at her, dumbfounded.
"Babe... fuck... for someone so smart, you can be so stupid sometimes."
Her eyes widened with surprise at his reaction.
"I mean, yeah it sucks – you and I both know I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been looking forward to... you know. But I'm not here for that! I'm here for you."
She felt another tear sliding down her cheek, which she hastily tried to wipe away before he saw it.
"No more tears! We can watch movies and eat popcorn and talk late into the night just like I know you love doing."
"Now I'm crying because I feel bad for doubting you," she said tearfully.
"I think you're partly crying because you get hormonal during your period," Troy chuckled.
She pouted. "I do not get hormonal!"
"Wouldn't you rather blame all this craziness on hormones than on ration?" he asked, making an excellent point. "Now. Do you wanna watch a movie? Dianna won't mind if we use her TV, will she?"
Gabriella shook her head. "She gave me explicit permission before she left this morning."
"Awesome. Now. How about you pick out a film, and I'll go run to the store and get some snacks?"
She nodded and Troy blitzed it to the campus store, literally running. He navigated his way around the junk food aisle with a basket, stocking up on comfort foods and threw in a box of chocolates. His eyes lit up when he saw a small card and gift wrap section, picking up a gaudy gold bow. The cashier was a guy about Troy's age, and he eyed the items as he packed them.
"Girlfriend mad at you?" he asked conversationally.
Troy laughed. "Girlfriend having a bad day."
"Cute. Well good luck."
Troy took a moment in the hallway before knocking on her dorm door to kneel down with his grocery bags, affixing the bow to the chocolate box. Satisfied with his handiwork, he knocked on the door. A moment later she appeared, looking slightly less tear stained than earlier.
"Hope you're hungry, because I bought out half the store," Troy announced.
"Looks like it," she laughed, glancing at the two bulging bags.
"I got ice-cream, I got chips, I got candy, I got crackers and cheese and dip..." he announced, as he unpacked the items onto the small table next to the small fridge/freezer combo which Gabriella and her roommate Dianna shared. "Oh, and, the best of all..." he pulled out the box of chocolates, presenting them to her with a grin. "Chocolate."
Her eyes went a little misty as she accepted the outstretched present.
"You are so amazing," she murmured, finger toying with the bow. "Did you know, this is the first time you've bought me a box of chocolates?"
"No! Impossible," he declared, his brain searching back, thinking over past events and anniversaries. He'd bought her heart candies for Valentine's Day, and he remembered presenting her with a wrapped up Baby Ruth bar one day, but he could not recall an occasion with a box of chocolates. "Maybe you're right."
She smiled broadly. "A milestone."
"Is this the type of day you'll remember in a year's time as being important?" Troy asked her.
She'd pondered, and nodded. "Possibly."
"Will you expect me to buy you chocolates on this day, every year, forever?"
"Maybe every six months," she considered with a cheeky smile.
"Don't push it," he warned with an equally cheeky smile.
It was nine months since they'd first made love. Nine months since the day they'd been entangled in one another on the bucket seat of his truck, as they took a break on the drive back to East High School after he'd whisked her away from Stanford to come back to East High for the Senior Year Musical. It had been a passionate nine months, with the distance serving to make things even more heated each time they met up and had the opportunity to see and touch and taste one another. During that time, they'd met up once in San Francisco, enjoying the solace of a private room in a dingy youth hostel. Most of the time, they'd visited each other in their college dorms and left ribbons and socks on the door handle.
More often than not, it was Troy who made the trek down south to visit Gabriella. She would insist that it was her turn to visit him, but he was chivalrous and more often than not, coming to Palo Alto allowed them more privacy. Gabriella's roommate had started dating a junior, who had lucked out and had a private room – so Gabriella could simply mention to Dianna that Troy was coming down for the night and Dianna would wink and make herself scarce.
One week before that special nine month anniversary, Dianna had a fight with her boyfriend, and the plans shifted around, with Gabriella making her way up north and across the bay to visit Troy. She loved visiting him – she loved seeing him interact with new friends, being a part of his new life. In particular, she loved watching her man play and there was a big home game on the Friday night. She blew off an afternoon tutorial – sending off an e-mail to her lecturer about a migraine – and headed up north to Berkeley.
Troy had made sure she had a good seat in the stands. He'd offered to organise for her to sit with some of the other players girlfriends but she declined. She was always careful to wear neutral colours, her own college loyalty not quite allowing her to deck out in Cal blue and gold. Usually she would wear red and white – truthfully she didn't care too much about the outcome of the game or how the rest of the team played, she was there just for her Wildcat. He wasn't on the starting line up, but he tended to get a decent amount of match time for a freshman rookie – there was no doubt that basketball was in Troy's heart, that he'd made the right decision to make sure it remained a part of his life.
After the game finished, she hung out where all of the other basketball groupies would wait – the girlfriends and friends and family and 'superfans' who wanted to catch a glimpse of the guys as they emerged from the locker rooms. She'd tend to twirl her T necklace around her finger somewhat nervously, feeling somewhat left out. She'd been introduced to some of the other girlfriends but they all went to school at Berkeley and she was completely left out of the loop, so she was content to wait to the side. It was worth it in the end. This trip, she'd missed seeing him before the game. They'd caught each other's eye during the game while he was sitting on the bench, a broad grin and a wink from him and a kiss blown down to him. But it didn't make up for the two weeks it had been since seeing each other. He came barrelling out of the gym, about a minute behind the rest of his team. Gabriella was feeling slightly worried but the look of elation on his face when he flew into her awaiting arms made it all worthwhile.
"I... missed... you... so... fucking... much," he gasped between kisses being showered on her lips.
"You did so well tonight Wildcat," she gushed. "Leading point scorer of all the non-starters, from both teams!"
He beamed. "That's why I was just behind the team – coach pulled me aside for a quick congratulations pep talk. He was impressed."
"That's so amazing."
"It was tight in the end though – so glad we pulled it over the line! I had my lucky charm with me," he said, giving her a wink and pulling her in for another kiss.
"I wouldn't have missed it for the world."
He glanced down at the duffel bag she had by her feet, and reached down to swoop it up. "Come on, let's get rid of this."
Hand in hand, they began the stroll in the direction of his dorm. "Do you mind if I quickly ring my dad?" Troy asked.
"Sure, of course! Go ahead," she encouraged him. Gabriella knew that Troy and his dad had emerged from their conflict at the end of senior year at East High with a really good relationship. Troy would call him over most games, to go through the highlights. Evidently Jack was expecting Troy's call and had picked up the phone nearly straight away.
"Hey old man," Troy greeted him. "You saw? Oh it was live... of course you Tivo'd it as well." Gabriella tuned out a little as Troy began to go over some of the detailed statistics, instead taking in their surroundings, people watching as other students walked around campus. She heard her name and tuned back in.
"Gabriella is here this weekend, she came for the game tonight..." Troy's eyes widened at his father's response and he glanced at Gabriella. "Dad! I... yes. Okay!" A few more moments and Troy's face softened into a smile. "Tell mom I said hi, okay? Talk to you soon, bye."
"What did he say?" Gabriella asked. "Just then, when you went all... high pitched and red faced?"
"He asked if we were being safe," Troy said, rolling his eyes.
Gabriella gasped, her own cheeks heating up. "Oh my God, seriously? How embarrassing!"
"I'm choosing to pretend that never happened," Troy said, with a slight shudder. They rounded the corner and arrived at Troy's dorm, and headed toward where Troy's room was on the third floor. It was co-ed building, but a male floor. When they were at the second floor, Gabriella gestured down the corridor. "I'm just going to use the bathroom."
"Do you want me to wait?"
"No no, I know the way," she said with a smile.
After using the facilities and freshening up slightly – it had been a long trip up and she felt a little gross from having been standing in close quarters in the stands – Gabriella headed up to Troy's dorm on the third floor. She loved his dorm room. Troy's freshman year roommate was an enigma of contradictions, a surfer who wanted to major in marine biology named Roger. He'd grown up with a vegetarian 'whole food' loving mother and according to Troy, was using his college years to rebel – they kept a supply of two minute noodles and mac and cheese and microwavable pizza. He was the guy who brought the beer bong to the dorm parties. The one piece of behaviour he'd brought from home was being immaculately clean. Other girls talked about how boys' dorms always had a distinctive smell. What Gabriella loved about Troy's freshman year dorm room was that it was all him. His deodorant, his body wash, his 'lucky' basketball socks. Roger's side would be perfectly organised and neat, no shirts sticking out of the drawers or boxers lying on the floor. The only boy odour in the room was Troy odour, an odour she didn't mind at all.
She knocked before turning the handle; he'd left it unlocked for her. It had hardly changed since she was there last – there was still an assorted pile of books on his desk, the same photo of all their friends from prom and Wildcat memorabilia. He had made a little effort, scooping up any items of clothing that were on the floor and tossing them into his laundry hamper. He'd taken the liberty of pouring her a drink, which he gestured to her – he'd bought a bottle of diet coke and put it into the fridge he and Roger shared in anticipation for her visit. He'd set her duffel bag with a couple of changes of clothes and her toiletries next to his bed, and he sat on the end waiting for her.
"I poured you a drink," he said, gesturing to the desk. "I think Roger has some vodka if you'd like me to add some, it's up to you." They had talked about stopping by one of the parties that night – it wasn't really Gabriella's scene but sometimes he knew that if she was going to go, she'd like to have a drink before she went to loosen up a little. She also didn't always feel comfortable drinking the jungle juice they would have at the party, not knowing exactly what was in the concoction.
Gabriella locked the door behind her with intent, set down her purse on his desk, and went over to stand in front of him. He watched with curiosity as she straddled his lap, one knee kneeling on either side of him, and pressed a kiss to his lips – soft at first, but then deepening.
"I don't feel like going to the party. Is that okay?"
He trailed his eyes up her body, allowing his hands to run up her sides, taking in her bust which was presented right in his direct eye line, before looking up into her eyes.
"What do you wanna do instead?" he asked, lips curving.
She pressed her lips to his again in response, her hips grinding into his lap, awakening his penis. His hips bucked slightly, his hands eagerly continuing with their caress of her body, with a quick squeeze of her breasts.
"Is Roger going to be around tonight?" she murmured by his ear, biting the lobe gently.
"Don't you worry about Roger."
Gabriella and Dianna had an honesty system – a quick text saying, "hey, my boyfriend is coming over..." and a reply back saying, "I'll be at the library until 11pm, have fun!" and they were sorted. Troy and Roger didn't opt for such a form of communication, instead, they'd set up a sock arrangement, almost as a joke at first. A sock hung on the door handle was like a "do not disturb" at a hotel, or in college dorm talk, it was saying "come back later, or else." Troy had hung the sock a couple of times, each time apparently Roger hadn't actually come back to the dorm anyway. Roger tended to forget to put the sock on the door – call it a part of his free loving background, but it didn't seem to bother him what state Troy saw him in. Troy had mentioned to Roger in passing conversation that Gabriella would be around on the weekend. Roger had nodded in understanding.
Nonetheless, Troy rose from the bed, Gabriella giggling as he retrieved a white sock from his drawer and quickly went over to the door, slinging it over the handle before he turned back to Gabriella, a grin on his face.
"Now... where were we?"
Neither was particularly concerned with taking their time – it wasn't like over summer when they'd be sneaking in a rendezvous with the fear of parents coming home in an hour. Instead, they were both feeling the needy hunger to devour one another. Clothes were stripped and tossed to the ground, the main light switched off and just Troy's bedside lamp left on. They teased and licked and stroked and caressed each others bodies, working up one another into a frenzy. Troy hovered over her, having grabbed a condom at a point that was unknown to Gabriella and she didn't really care to figure it out in that moment. There was nothing like the feeling of his hard length sinking into her depths, and the feeling of that union was only intensified the first time that they made love after not seeing each other for a little while. She clutched to his strong shoulders, legs wrapping around his hips to pull him in tighter as he thrust into her, obeying her murmured demands for him to go harder.
Caught in the throes of passion, neither of them heard the click of the door unlocking. It was only when the blinding light from the main hallway flooded into the room that either of them registered that someone had entered the room. The moment was a blur.
"Oh... fuck, dude!" Roger exclaimed, hand flying up to cover his eyes.
Troy's reflexes were pretty sharp, managing to reach for and yank up the comforter that was strewn at the end of the bed.
"I didn't see anything, I swear!" Roger said, his eyes covered and facing into the corridor. "Well I saw your ass but that's it, really!"
"Get the fuck out!" Troy yelped.
"Yep... going... bye!"
Troy glanced back at Gabriella, whom he had pulled out of but was laying beneath him in shock. She had pulled the pillow which had been beneath her head to cover her face. He eased himself to her side, squeezing beside her in the single bed, and allowed the comforter to cover them both.
"Babe, it's okay," he assured her.
"That didn't happen, that didn't happen," she breathed.
"Why don't we just finish and..."
"Finish? Now?" Gabriella said, flabbergasted.
"Well..." Troy's erection had softened but it hadn't completely deflated – he was still pressed against his naked girlfriend, after all. "Yes. I mean... He'll stay far away for a while now, that he knows what we're doing. So we're guaranteed privacy."
"But he knows what we're doing!"
Troy cocked his head at her. "You tell Dianna when we're going to be having sex."
"That's different."
"How is it different?" Troy asked. "Doesn't it occur to you that maybe I think it's a little weird that Dianna knows?"
"Dianna doesn't make a big deal about it though. It's not like I tell her exactly when we're going to be having sex, I just mention you're around and it is implied. Roger, on the other hand, is going to come back in here in a few hours and say all teasingly, 'Hey guys, how was your night? Have fun?'"
Troy laughed. Gabriella kind of did have a point. He could only hope that maybe Roger could contain himself in Gabriella's presence and save the teasing ribbing for when they weren't in mixed company.
"Troy, it's not funny. I'm mortified here!"
"I'm not exactly happy about it either, but it's happened. We can't go back and change it. The world didn't end. And to be honest, we've probably done really well to not get walked in on before now! We shouldn't let this ruin our time together."
From the look on Gabriella's face, he was pretty sure he was going to have to deal with his not quite deflated erection himself.
For their twelve month anniversary, Troy was determined to ensure that there would be no repeats of the catastrophe that had occurred – Gabriella never could quite look Roger in the eye again. It just so happened to coincide with right before their freshman year finals, and he managed to convince Gabriella that she should take 24 hours off from her insane study regiment to distress. He booked them the nicest hotel he could afford in San Francisco – which wasn't all that nice, but it was nicer than a youth hostel, more private than either of their dorms, and they were together, which was all that really mattered.
She'd been hard to convince to get there, but once they arrived and christened the room, she was glad they were taking the time to enjoy one another and to celebrate their love and how far they'd come.
They lay under just the thin white sheet, strewn covering parts of their entangled limbs. She was spooned into his arms as they lay together, dozing, simply basking in being together and being close.
"If I'd been in Albuquerque, do you think we would've made love after prom?" Gabriella suddenly asked him, as he gently rubbed his thumb over her hip.
"I... I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been hoping," he confessed, feeling a little embarrassed.
"I'd thought about it," she admitted, which appeased his worries a little.
"You had?"
"Yeah, I had."
"I guess we were ready. We loved each other and... it felt right. Even before you deciding to go for the honors program, the way we were both thinking about us... it was more than high school, you know?"
"We did it before I knew you were going to come to Berkeley though," she mused. "I guess... I just wanted it to be you. Even if you'd gone to U of A and things had been too hard and it didn't work out for us... there's no one else that I wanted my first time to be with."
He gazed into her eyes. "I love you," he said tenderly.
She didn't reply. She didn't need to.