DISCLAIMER: I do not own High School Musical or any related characters.
A/N: Okay, so I know I said that 'Out Of My Element' would be updated soon and I promise, I promise it will. But I liked the idea of this one-shot although I'm not entirely sure how this'll turn out. I suggest that you listen to 'I Dare You To Move' By Switchfoot the version from 'A Walk To Remember' when your reading this, it might help set the mood.
Daring You To Move
He was watching her again. She could feel his eyes on her back, watching her movements as she reached for a plastic cup and poured some punch into it. She wished he would stop doing it. She hated it when she turned and all she could see was those blue eyes that spoke to her in a way that nothing else could. She hated when she was in class and she looked up and got completely lost in them. She didn't even know how he'd spotted her. The gym was so crowded with teenagers dancing, talking and laughing. It amazed her he'd even known she was there. Sipping her punch, she turned and found that she couldn't find the expressive blue eyes she knew were watching her. But then again, the gym was only lit by flashing lights and a large disco ball that most of the student population considered slightly cheesy, there could be a reason that she couldn't find him.
Her eyes flicked over the dancing students, becoming amused from time to time at how some of the students were dancing together. It was like watching an under five's sporting game. Everybody just go for the ball, or in this case, the centre of the dance floor. For a moment she allowed herself the indulgence of being completely and utterly grateful that she was a good dancer and probably never looked like a fish out of water when she danced. Then she returned to her search for the deep blue eyes that caused every emotion imaginable to stir in her with just one look. For a moment she wondered if she really wanted to look for him, to become immersed in those eyes and to allow herself to fall even more in love with him then she already was. Because she'd told him, and promised herself, that they would just be friends. Just friends. But that hadn't stopped the feelings that rushed through her every time he glanced at her or when she turned in class and discovered him watching her. God, she wished that he wouldn't watch her. She wished that he didn't feel more for her then just simple friendship. She wished that she didn't feel more for him then just simple friendship. And she wished that she could feel his lips against hers for more then a second. More then how long they were pressed up against hers for the musical.
Abruptly, she set down her punch and knew that she shouldn't have come to this stupid dance. She shouldn't have come because she'd known that she'd spend the entire night turning down dances, subconsciously looking for him and wishing that she'd pretended that she was sick just to get out of coming. She was jolted out of her repetitive wishing when the loud hip-hop music came to sudden halt, startling her and the students on the dance floor.
"Okay, so you can all kill me later. But I think that we should slow it down a bit, so everyone grab a partner!" She rolled her eyes as the students eagerly paired up, now she really didn't want to be there. Closing her eyes briefly, she prayed that this dance was going to be over soon and that she could go home and pretend that she hadn't even known he was there, simple as that and as soon as she opened her eyes again, nothing was simple.
He was weaving his way through the dancers towards her, his blue eyes making sure that she didn't move. It didn't help that he looked good. Dressed in a black suit, with a white shirt and black tie he manage to make every girls heart stop. His hair, darker then it used to be because of a dying incident that involved both her and Chad, was tousled and it somehow made his blue eyes darker. More intense. She felt her breath catch in her throat as he stopped in front of her and gazed at her more intently then he ever had before.
"May I have this dance?" He asked quietly and she hesitated wondering if she really wanted to dance with him, to lose herself in him. But he knew the rules, she knew the rules and she allowed herself to take the hand that he had offered. She permitted him to lead her out onto the dance floor, ignoring the looks that some of the students were giving her. She heard the music start and he turned to her and pulled her close, his arm wrapping around her waist and his hand taking hers. She slipt her arm around him and allowed the music to wash over her.
"Welcome to the planet, welcome to existence, everyone's here, everyone's here…" she closed her eyes and allowed herself to melt into his body and flow with the music. She could feel his breath on her neck and reveled in it. Her head was resting on the curve of his shoulder and with her forehead against his neck.
"Everybody's watching you now; everybody waits for you now, what happens next, what happens next…" She barely realized that a small circle had formed around them and that their friends and all the other students who knew them were watching them, waiting for whatever was going to happen next.
"I dare you to move, I dare you to move, I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor…" With delicacy that surprised her, he spun her out, keeping his eyes on her and only her. She felt her dress sway at her movements, the silky black material flowing with her body as she spun back to him.
"I dare you to move, I dare you to move like today never happened, today never happened before…" His forehead was resting against hers and she found that nothing else mattered except the way her body fit into his and his hot, steady breath on her cheek.
"Welcome to the fallout, welcome to resistance, the tension is here, tension is here…" God, his lips were so close, so close that she knew if she moved even the slightest her lips would meet his and everything that she had said over the past months would become meaningless.
"Between who you are and who you could be, between how it is and how it should be…" Her eyes drifted shut as the words washed over her. God, they sounded so true. A whole new world was opening up to her, a world where she could be this close to him and not have to guard her feelings, a world where she wasn't afraid of getting hurt, a world where she could love him freely.
"I dare you to move, I dare you to move, I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor…" She wanted this to end almost as much as she didn't. The world that was opening up to her was terrifying her and, as her eyes drifted open, she saw it in his eyes.
"I dare you to move, I dare you to move like today never happened, today never happened before…" She found herself getting lost in those eyes, those eyes that spoke to her more then any words could, that stripped her of any pretences, any acts, until all that was left was who she was.
"Maybe redemption has stories to tell, maybe forgiveness is right where you fell…" Redemption. Was that what he was doing to her? Was he trying to redeem her for doing nothing? Was she asking for forgiveness for saying those things and then acting against them?
"Where can you run to escape from yourself? Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go? Salvation is here…" Those eyes were watching her, reading every emotion passing through her ebony eyes. Waiting for her to run like she had so many times before……but this time she couldn't. She had no where to run and they both knew that. Her savior, her salvation was watching her.
"I dare you to move, I dare you to move, I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor…" She closed her eyes again, hoping that maybe this was a dream and she would wake up in her bed, feeling disappointed, alone and safe. Instead of swaying to the music, feeling vulnerable and stripped bare.
"I dare you to move, I dare you to more like today never happened, today never happened, today never happened, today never happened before…" Suddenly it was over. The lights were on and the world that she had been caught in with him had disappeared. She took in a sharp breath and stepped away from him, only to find her hand still caught in his. She looked at him, wondering if she should pull her hand away from his and find Taylor and Chad, so they could take her home.
"I'll take you home." His voice was quiet as he spoke and she found herself nodding, her turbulent and contradictory emotions keeping her from talking. Silently, she followed him, her fingers still entwined with his, completely unaware of the looks that the students they past were giving them. Her eyes were trained on the back of his head as they weaved their way through the students; her thoughts were an incoherent mess as he led her to his car.
She stared out the window as he drove, letting the familiar route soothe her slightly. She glanced over at him and then bit her lip and looked away. The feelings that he had stirred in her before, surfaced as he glanced at her and their eyes met. The defenses that she'd managed to build up in the few minutes that he wasn't looking at her, tumbled down again as his eyes stripped her of them. She felt the car stop and managed to tear her eyes away from his. She knew that he would walk her to her door and got out of the car slowly, smoothing her dress as she stood.
Neither spoke as they walked up the footpath towards her front door. He was close to her, but avoided touching her and she was grateful, she could say good night and go into the house. Nothing would be said or done and she would convince herself that what she had done months ago was right. Stopping at her door, she turned to thank him for taking her home and the smile, the guarded, contrived smile that she gave him all the time, was to accompany her words, faded as she met his eyes.
The concentrated, steady look would have caused anyone to step away but she didn't. She couldn't. She was completely immobilized as his hand came up and slipped beneath the silky curtain of curls that covered the back of her neck. She gulped as she looked into his eyes. His beautiful cobalt eyes that were challenging her. Daring her to move. Daring her to feel more then she allowed herself to feel. Daring her to act like the dance had never happened.
When she didn't do anything, only begged him to release her, her chocolate eyes pleading with him. He closed the space between, capturing her mouth in a soft, gentle kiss, more devastating then any other kiss he could have given her. She clung to the lapels of his jacket, refusing to respond, refusing to give. And then he demanded it. He demanded a response; he demanded what she could give and she found herself giving in. She released the lapels of his jacket and slid her arms around his neck. Her response to his demand was uninhibited and she pressed herself as close to him as she could, her mouth opening and allowing his tongue entrance. This was more then she'd wished for, this was everything that she'd wanted, everything that she'd been afraid of. Slowly he broke away from her, still holding her close and rested his forehead against hers.
"Good night Gabriella." He whispered quietly and she looked at him, leaning in only to kiss him again, softly and slowly, to savor his taste, before allowing her arms to slide off his neck.
"Good night Troy." She said and he smiled gently, before shoving his hand in his pockets and walking down the path to his car. She watched him go before slipping inside. Biting her lip, she leaned against the door; she closed her eyes and slid to the floor.
"I dare you to move like today never happened, today never happened before…" She sang quietly and knew that nothing would ever sound so true. Because if today never happened, she'd never have discovered the world that was just beyond the one she was in, she would have never to guard her feelings when she was close to him again, she could love him freely now and not have to worry about it. She knew that whatever she had said months ago, about them being just friends just to protect herself didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered except the way his eyes had looked at her, daring her to move.
A/N: Wow, I'm absolutely positive that none of that made any sense. So sue me. Anyway, I hope you guys liked it!