AN: I have no idea where all this inspiration is coming from but I have been writing non-stop. Here is the continuation to both One Last Cry and Afraid. I'm not very good with fluff, much more adept to writing angst and drama but I hope this makes up for all the angst in the other two one-shots. Written in both Troy's and Gabriella's POV, I hope it isn't too confusing. And, yes, this is a Troyella reunion. Enjoy. Inspired by Five Times August's Better With You.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Better With You
Gabriella sighed loudly as she stood in front of a familiar red door, occasionally glancing back at her car, the only one that occupied the driveway. She was glad that his parents weren't home, fearing that if any arguments might escalate, it would be better if Jack and Diane weren't there to hear it.
She had been standing in front of the Bolton household for what seemed like forever now, but in reality, it has only been ten minutes. Just standing there and finding the courage to ring the doorbell, but coming up short every time her hand neared the doorbell.
"I can do this. He is worth it. I can do this." I mumble to myself.
Lifting my hand, I cautiously ring the doorbell. I hear a muffled voice from behind the door, then a loud noise followed by a string of curses.
"Abi, pick up your toys", I hear Troy shouts followed by an adorable, "Ok, Twoy".
The door opens revealing Troy in his usual basketball attire: a white shirt and his gym shorts, proudly showcasing his buff bod. Damn, I miss his arms. I shudder. 'Now is not the time to be fantasizing about Troy, Gabriella.' I admonish myself.
"Sorry about th-...Gabriella?" He rubs his eyes, thinking that maybe I am a figment of his imagination. I don't blame him; it has been thirty days, fifteen hours, twenty three minutes since I last saw him, but whose counting huh? Certainly not me.
I meekly respond with an awkward hi and a wave.
"Hi. What are you doing here?"
"Ummm..." Before I even get a chance to actually respond, he interrupts me and points at the box beside me.
"Huh, is it time to start returning our belongings to the appropriate owner now?" He says in such an uncaring manner.
Looking at him, I can see what Taylor was talking about. He may look normal but underneath all that, he has bags under his eyes. His hair is less than perfect. His once lucent blue eyes have lost its sparkle and his smile seemed force and tense.
"Can I talk to you?"
"What else is there left to say, Gabriella. You made yourself crystal clear the last time. I don't think we need a repeat performance."
I wince. Gabriella. I never realized how much I miss Troy calling me 'Brie'. Now, when he says 'Gabriella', it sounds so apathetic and callous.
Oh, boy. I guess Taylor was wrong. Troy is not going to welcome me back with open arms and a smile on his face. But who can blame the guy? I did hurt him after all.
"Please, Troy." I plead, pulling out my puppy dog eyes hoping to achieve a certain effect.
I see him hesitate before fully opening the door and signaling me to come in. I pick up the box and hand it to him once we get in.
"It's for you. Umm, about two months ago, I ordered this from the internet, sort of like a late congratulatory gift for winning the championship. It came in about three weeks ago."
He opens the box, looks over its content and stares right at me.
"How? I've been looking all over for this..."
"My mom had connections in all the right places, I guess. She helped me get in touch with this basketball collector and he offered me a good deal for it."
Before he could say anything, Abigail Bolton, Abi for short, comes running towards me.
"Gabwiella, Abi missed you." She looks up, her hair in pigtails and is motioning me to pick her up.
I warily look up at Troy and he shrugs.
I pick her up as I say, "Hey you. How's my little button huh?"
"Abi's good. I tied by shoe today, awl by myself."
"Awww, I'm so proud of you."
She smiles and gives me a wet pucker on the cheek.
"Abi, Spongebob is waiting." Troy says and leads me and Abi to the family room. I set Abi down by the couch and watch her as she laughs at something Spongebob says.
"Come on, let's go to my room."
We head over to Troy's room, making a quick detour at the foyer to collect the box. Before reaching his room, he hands the box over to me and says, "Thank you. But I can't take it."
"No, Troy, it's a gift. Please, take it. I mean, what am I gonna do with a basketball ball? Its value is just going to be wasted on me. You know that."
He gives me a tentative smile and utters a soft, "Thank you."
"So, is that the reason you're here? To give me this?"
"Yes and no."
"Okay, speak."
I start to play with my skirt. I couldn't look him in the eye so my eyes just wander around his room.
"Messy as ever, I see."
"Brie"
I suddenly look up.
"You called me Brie." I'm starting to feel teary-eyed. It's been weeks since he called me that, it's been way too long.
"It's your name, isn't it?" he says, trying to downplay the magnitude of that particular endearment.
I became more nervous. I had this all planned out in my head. Knock on Troy's door. Check. Give Troy his gift. Check. Proclaim my undying love and ask for his forgiveness. Harder than I thought.
"I... I..." I couldn't find the right words. For the first time in my life, I couldn't find the words to tell him that I love him. How hard can it be to say, 'Troy, I've been an idiot. I'm sorry and I love you.' How hard is that?
"I don't have all day, Gabriella. I have to help Abi with her homework. Give her a bath."
"You don't have to be such a jerk, Troy."
"What do you want Gabriella? Are you here to stomp on my heart again? To blame me for all your woes? To rant about my stupid drunken night?"
"I'm here to say I love you," I hear myself shout, "I love you Troy Bolton. I'm not here to crush your heart again. I'm not here to place blame on you again. I'm here to tell you that I love you, Troy Bolton."
Troy was looking down at me with the most inscrutable expression. He says nothing. It seems he is making this harder for me.
With my heart hammering so hard, I start to fidget and ramble, "That day, you said that I didn't fight for us. That I was just throwing away our relationship. You're right. You're right. I was scared Troy. For the first time in my life, I have finally opened up myself fully and I'm not gonna lie, what happened hurt like hell but you're worth it Troy. You're more than worth the pain and the tears. I love you and I'm not running away anymore, not from you, not from us. I'm here."
Tears are running down my face and at that moment, with Troy standing there showing no emotion, I was truly afraid. It wasn't the same fear that I felt when Troy cheated on me. It was different, much more intense. I was afraid that he won't take me back. I was afraid that it's too late. That I hurt him too much for him to accept me back.
Blank. A crying Gabriella is standing in front of me, spilling her guts out and it's blank. My mind is blank. And, boy, right now, is a very bad time for my mind to stop functioning.
To say I was surprised to see her today is an understatement. I didn't expect to open the front door and see Gabriella Montez, looking as angelic and beautiful as always, standing there. I was momentarily stunned upon seeing her and a wave of sadness comes over me. I miss her but that feeling was quickly overtaken by anger and pain.
Throughout that little exchange between Gabriella and my baby sister, I was feeling a lot of emotions. My eyes followed her as she talked to Abi, watching her closely and trying my hardest to understand what she was doing here. After thirty days thirty days, fifteen hours, twenty five minutes, not that I was counting, what the hell was Brie doing here?
I was already thrown off the loop with Gabriella's sudden visit when she threw me off the loop again by giving me the one thing that I was missing in my basketball collection. I was speechless. I didn't know if I should give it back, considering our situation and all, but I really wanted to keep it. In the end, I offered to return it of course, but Brie, convinced me otherwise. Just imagining that precious collectible collecting dust at Brie's attic is more than enough for me to accept her gift.
I am getting a headache.
"...but you're worth it Troy. You're more than worth the pain and tears..."
Damn. I inwardly start jumping up and down as I hear her say that but that moment of happiness slowly crumbles down when I realize what an asshole I've been ever since she got here.
"I'm sorry Troy. For giving up like that. But you have to-"
I kiss her senseless. I kiss her like there's no tomorrow. I kiss her, telling her all she needs to know in that kiss. I have to say, my brain's timing in impeccable, if I do say so myself.
Troy is just standing there. I have to pull out the big guns.
"I'm sorry Troy. For giving up like that. But you have to-"
He interrupts me. And boy, is it a good interruption. He reaches out, pulls me towards him and starts kissing me.
I'm in complete and utter shock. I can't understand what's happening... I mean, I know what's happening but it just doesn't make any sense. I thought he was still mad given his stoic expression but here we are, kissing like we haven't kissed in forever, that's true since it has been thirty days... gawd, I miss his kisses.
Troy Bolton is kissing me. His arms are around me, holding me so tightly that I have a feeling that my belt will leave an imprint on his stomach. I can feel his heart beating as I run my hand across his chest. I am weak in the knees and if it hadn't been for his arms, I would have fallen to the floor.
The kiss ended when both Troy and I were in apparent need of air.
He lifts his hand, his fingers gently curling around my chin, lifting my face up to his. I feel my cheeks warm up and I swallow nervously, idling playing with his shirt.
He leans his forehead into mine, and with as much love and tenderness in this voice, he whispers, "There's nothing to forgive Brie. In fact, I should be the one who should be asking -"
I bring a finger up to his lips, stopping him and saying, "I'm so over this whole, 'I'm sorry', 'No, I'm sorry' thing. I just want to move on."
"Oh, move on we shall. I f-ing missed you Brie," He gives me a tight hug, "You have no idea."
"Oh, I think I have a clue". I smile as he plays with one of my curls that fell on my face.
"I love you Gabriella Montez."
"I love you too Troy Bolton."
And as we stand there, in the middle of his room with Spongebob Squarepants floating in the background, I can honestly say that nothing has ever felt so right. Being in his arms, knowing that we're going to be fine and that we're both happy, everything is perfect. It even seems like a fairytale ending, with Sharpay as the evil witch and Taylor as my fairy godmother – my train of thought is once again interrupted by his kisses. Not that I'm complaining, right now, we have thirty days of no kissing to catch up on.
I hope you guys enjoyed that. I hope it was fluff-y enough.
Comments? Suggestions?