A Real Boyfriend Should...

Summary:

Troy comes across a ladies magazine labeling the expectations of the perfect boyfriend. Being Troy with his insecurities, he attempts to become the perfect lover for Gabriella. A series of extremely fluffy drabbles. TxG.

Disclaimer:

I do not own High School Musical, nor am I affiliated with anyone whom may work for Disney or High School Musical. Troy, Gabriella and any other recognisable characters are credited to their rightful creators, and in no way to I intend to class them as my own creation. I also do not own the film Ghostbusters. Credit to the rightful owners.

Authors Note:

This feels weird. I don't really think I should be updating right now... It is purely insanity fueling this new story. I wrote this literally today and I posted it completely raw. Aside from being scrutinised under the watchful eye of Ashton and Liv, it hasn't really been publicised. I read a note on Facebook which happened to be titled 'A Real Boyfriend Should' and I found it really beautiful. This fiction is inspired by that. I guess I should thank Liv and Ashton for reading this over in such short notice and Joyce and Tess for their moral support. There will be about 7 chapters to this story since it is a lot smaller than my other stories, just so you know. Reviews would be appreciated, but not forced. I love to read constructive criticism so if that's all you have to say, please review with that; it's what makes us writers better. Enjoy.

~ Tamy

P.S: Yes, I did delete this when I first published. I didn't like the layout. Sorry!

Point one – "Protect her when she's scared."

A Real Boyfriend Should...

If you asked Troy Bolton to describe how he saw relationships, he'd say sacred. It was the little things that counted; like saying please and thank you, holding a door open for his lover or buying her little gifts every now and again -- things he'd seen in the supermarket that reminded him of her. He did all of this and she was happy. She appreciated the sentimental value of every little thing he did for her but some days he felt it wasn't enough. Gabriella Montez was his source of happiness, his everything, and he wanted to prove that to her.

They were laying tangled beneath the sheets, hearts beating in time with one another. They had been in that position for a while and he was more than happy to stay there, just holding her close and taking in the scent of her shampoo. He was sure it smelt sweeter than all the flowers in The Garden of Eden.

The movie credits were still playing in the background, flashing the names of the people who had been involved in the making of the film. The film he'd brought just minutes after reading the column in the ladies magazine. It wasn't as though he'd intended to read it; it had caught his eye as he walked past and it just so happened that he'd acted on impulse. Picking up the issue, he'd scoured through until he'd found page 37.

"A real boyfriend should..." he'd read aloud.

Taking a deep breath and glancing around as to make sure he was not seen, Troy had skimmed through the seven points that the journalists had branded the most precious acts of love.

1. A real boyfriend should...protect you when you're scared.

His eyes had widened. Was Troy Gabriella's protector? Did he make her feel safe when she was afraid? He didn't know. Gabriella had always seemed fearless to him; he'd never really had the chance to guard her.

Troy wasn't quite sure what had possessed him to purchase 'Ghostbusters 2' that day but he reasoned that if he wanted to be Gabriella's protector, he'd have to find something to make her afraid in the first place. He knew his logic was rather...illogical, but nevertheless; that film was going home with him and they were going to watch it together.

Whatever it was that had made him buy it; fate, karma, any other type of eerie suspicion -- whatever it was, it had worked.

Gabriella had gripped his side in terror, her eyes widening with every twist and turn the film brought and Troy was there right by her side; coaxing her through. He couldn't deny there were times when he'd flinched and she'd looked up at him adoringly, indulging in the fact that he'd felt as nervous as herself, but as he'd whispered in her ear that all was okay, he'd felt her hands loosen their grip and she'd began to relax in his arms. Maybe, just maybe he was her defender when she was weak.

As they snuggled further into one another, Troy began to draw invisible circles on the exposed skin of her shoulder.

"Babe?" he asked gently, his breath colliding with her tiny nose.

"Yes, Troy?" she mumbled back, falling deeper into a slumber.

"Would you say I was your protector?"

She raised her head to meet his eyes with her own, a gleeful glimmer shining through. "Of course, baby. Although it was kind of adorable to see how nervous you were throughout that movie."

He scoffed loudly and pulled her back into his chest. Point one from the magazine...Epic fail. Maybe he'd be more successful with the other points.