A/N- hey guys I just wanted to say that the masked ball was supposed to be a one-shot only but silly me forgot to mention that. As a lot of you have requested more I have now turned it into a two-shot but this will be the last chapter so unfortunately your not gonna be getting anymore-sorry. Thank you for reading and reviewing i really appreciate it! xxxx
A sudden knock on his door made Troy jump in his seat and he noticed the clock read half six. His heart started palpitating as he wondered if it could be Gabriella. Wiping his now sweating palms on the back pockets of his jeans; he made his way to the door, pausing at the side to pull on his beanie, trying to pull it down as far over his face as he could. Opening the door to reveal no-one, Troy poked his head out and looked left and then right down the corridor. It was all empty and he frowned in puzzlement before shutting the door. He'd just sat back down when another knock reverberated around the room and once again he jumped in surprise. Rising to his feet, he made sure to adjust his beanie before answering the door and looked on in shock as he caught two boys running down the corridor away from him laughing and shouting obscenities as they went.
Slamming his door shut hard, he'd only made it a few steps before there was another knock. This time he rushed back, flinging the door open and nearly pulling it of its hinges.
"Just leave me alone!" He roared, the blood pounding in his ears at the rage he felt and it took him a moment to gain focus before realising it was actually Gabriella standing in the corridor. Her eyes began to well up and she looked scared at his threatening tone of voice and intimidating posture towering over her.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he apologised, shrinking down so their difference in heights was less noticeable and he stood back to show he wasn't going to lash out or anything. "These young kids kept knocking on my door and running away," he explained, his head dipping as he realised his face was now on show to her in broad daylight and the fact that he'd let some stupid kids get the better of him.
"Yeah they ran past me and dropped-" she stopped speaking and hid her hands behind her back as she realised she shouldn't have said anything. She could tell the boys had bothered him deeply and she had been initially scared by his outburst, but she could tell it was all for show. She could see by the way his eyes showed more humiliation than anger and his hands were slammed into his pockets rather than balled at his sides.
"What did they drop?" He asked, not missing a beat. It was only now that he realised she'd actually returned to see him. He'd never seen one of his dates past the first one. He'd never had to worry about second dates and now his nerves began to get the better of him. He could feel his face blush and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
"Oh, erm, some gum," she explained weakly, pushing the poster of Quasimodo from the hunchback of notre dame into her back pocket and making a mental note to destroy it later. There was no need to upset him further and if any poster was to be used to describe him it would be Prince charming she thought as her eyes swept over him. He was wearing dark blue tight jeans that rode quite low on his hips, with a tight white t-shirt with long sleeves that moulded over his arms and accentuated his big biceps and muscled forearms.
"Come in," he said, remembering they were still standing there awkwardly as he opened the door wider and watched her as she gave him the once over. He realised he was holding his breath in case she turned away and left instead of coming in. His breath whooshed out as she nodded and grinned up at him before making her way into the living area. She quickly sat down on his sofa, fidgeting around until she got comfortable and waited for Troy to join her.
"You came back?" He asked, as he sat, turning his face slightly so she could only see his right hand side.
"I said I would, didn't I? Plus, I actually couldn't wait to see you again," she admitted, making him turn to face her completely in surprise at her very frank and honest words. She was smiling at him and he couldn't help but notice the little dimples in her cheeks and the mesmerizing sparkle in her beautiful brown eyes making the butterflies erupt in his tummy and the heat to race through his body.
"You…couldn't?" He stuttered, at a loss for words.
"I'm sorry that I had to leave this morning but I needed to get to work and you were sleeping so peacefully that I didn't like to wake you." Troy grimaced and shook his head slowly.
"What?" she asked.
"I just don't like the idea of you watching me sleeping, seeing my face, waking up to see this," he stated, pointing to his face before pulling his beanie further down and casting his eyes away in shame. How could he ever compete with the perfect, handsome guys out there? Someone as beautiful as Gabriella deserved to wake up next to somebody perfect, not somebody deformed like himself, he just wasn't good enough for her.
"I'm not gonna lie, it was quite a shock and something I never expected to see but last night I had the time of my life and you made me feel so special. I thanked God last night before I fell asleep for letting me meet you. For bringing you into my life."
"Wow," he whispered, penetrating Gabriella with his blue gaze. "I bet you weren't thinking that this morning," he added, his gaze now challenging slightly, waiting for her to confirm his suspicions.
"No. I was shocked yes and angry that you didn't tell me, that you didn't feel comfortable enough to confide in me. But I was still thankful that I'd met you, I still wanted to see you again," she replied, twisting and rolling the bottom of her floaty top around between her fingers.
"Tell me something. Were you repulsed when you saw my face?" His directness knocked her for six and she took a moment to wonder if she should tell him the truth or try and embellish it slightly.
"I wouldn't say I was repulsed, as I said it was a shock but I guess it initially made me feel slightly sick, but only for a moment and it was only because I haven't seen anything like that before," she replied honestly, hoping her confession didn't hurt him, but if she was going to have a relationship with this guy and she truly hoped she would get that chance, then she wanted to be truthful from the very beginning.
"Well I can't blame you there," he replied, making her smile at his tone of voice and his acceptance of her admission.
"You haven't seen me first thing in the morning yet. Without my make up on; you might be wishing I hadn't returned," she joked, her eyes sparkling and once again she was blown away with how comfortable she was in his presence. She had never felt so relaxed and at home with a guy before. She had a feeling that she could do anything in front of him, make a fool of herself even and he wouldn't judge her or make her feel silly. She could just be herself.
"Does that mean I might get the pleasure of seeing you first thing in the morning?" He asked hopefully, his face taking on a puppy dog expression, making Gabriella's stomach flutter with excitement. She didn't know nearly enough about Troy and she wasn't sure what anyone would say about her seeing him but she was already falling in love with him and right now, that's all that mattered to her.
"I think it's looking possible," she quipped, pouting her lips at him flirtatiously. "But you have to prove your worthy of my affections."
"How do I do that?" he asked, licking his lips as she edged closer to him.
"Firstly, by being comfortable in my presence," she whispered, slowly and deliberately taking her time to reach up to place her hands on his beanie. "Which means no beanie," she added, waiting for him to stop her but when he remained still she gently pulled it off, his hair sticking up messily but adding to his adorableness and making her heart beat faster.
"I'll try, but you might have to be patient with me. I'm kinda not used to anyone seeing my face fully. Someone wanting to see it, even," he said, his hands shaking slightly in hers and she knew he was nervous at being on display. So she tightened her fingers and brushed soothingly against his fingertips with her other hand.
"I'm not going anywhere," she promised, her head tilting up and her eyes fluttering closed as she waited and hoped for Troy to kiss her and give her awaiting lips what they'd been aching for since last night. All day the thought of his lips against hers, his naked flesh rubbing against hers and the feel of his hands over her body had her yearning for him all over again.
Troy couldn't believe that the most beautiful girl he'd ever set eyes on was sitting here telling him that she wanted to date him, looking at his scarred face and was now waiting for him to kiss her. Maybe dreams really do come true, he thought as he gently framed her face with his hands as he connected their lips into a slow and passionate kiss. Gabriella's whole body sparked with electricity at Troy's contact and she gripped his t-shirt in fistfuls, her body pressing into his as much as she could, her body buzzing and her mind hazy as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Grinning into the kiss, Troy heard her moan softly at his irresistible onslaught.
Pulling away slightly for air, Gabriella rested her forehead against Troy's gently and loved the fact that they were breathing in unison. She slowly lifted her hand up to his face and ignored him as he tried to flinch away, instead she placed her cool fingertips onto the red skin, gently brushing across from his cheek to his ear and up to his forehead. Troy couldn't breathe out at the effect her touch had on him. Nobody but himself and the staff at the hospital had touched his face since the accident and he'd resigned himself to the fact that it would be like that forever. Yet now this little ball of perfection called Gabriella had blown into his life and the unexpected kept on happening to him.
"You didn't wash off my lip print," she observed, noticing the mark had faded but still remained on his cheek.
"Actually I did. It stained and I can't rub too hard on my skin," he informed, making her close her eyes in shame.
"Oh god I'm sorry, I didn't think," she groaned, her head falling onto his shoulder so she could hide her ashamed face. Troy's shoulders began to shake causing her own to as well as his laughter gripped him.
"Stop laughing," she admonished, wrapping her arm around his neck and gently playing with the hairs there.
"It's ok," he told her, tilting her head up to look at him. He waited to see the repulsion on her face at the close sight of him but he never saw it and he was beginning to realise that she might never look at him like that. "I'm stamped as yours properly now, right?" he smirked, pecking her tenderly on the lips.
"Correct," she giggled, the sound once again lightening his heart and soothing his pain.
"I'm sorry if I scared you before," he apologised, knowing he never ever wanted to be the cause for a fearful look to cross her face. He wanted to be her protector and he wanted more than anything to make her happy.
"You're a big softie, I know that," she stated, straddling his lap as her fingers linked behind his neck. Leaning in slowly as her hands slipped up into his soft messy hair she kissed his bottom lip before gently sucking it into her mouth. His hands trailed down her back and under the white cotton vest as he ached to touch her skin and the contact made her skin tingle, forcing her to grind slightly in his lap. "In fact I take back the soft part," she groaned as she ground her hips once again, the pleasure giving her goosepimples as he crashed his lips into hers hungrily.
****
5 months later:
"Ok that's the last one," Troy informed Gabriella as he placed a heavy cardboard box on the floor, rubbing his back as he stood up and surveyed the large hallway littered with tons of boxes.
"Thanks, tiger," she replied, reaching up to rid him of his beloved beanie and ruffling his hair affectionately.
"I wish you wouldn't call me that," he complained half heartedly, pulling her into his chest tightly, his arms hugging her waist as he kissed her head.
"Well I wish you'd stop covering your face with that beanie but you always do, so get used to it, tiger." Gabriella breathed in his gorgeous scent as she hooked her fingers into his belt loops and relished at the feel of being in his strong arms. The butterflies in her stomach were ever present at his close proximity and even though it had now been 5 months, every kiss and touch felt as exciting as the first time and every time they made love it felt as amazing and as mind blowing as the time before.
"Fine have it your way my little peacock," he retaliated, grinning down at her as she mock scowled.
"Do I seriously look like a peacock?" she asked, secretly loving any nickname he gave her and squirming with pleasure as he started rubbing her back in circles.
"No! Peacocks are male anyway. But it reminds me of when I first met you. Plus peacocks are so beautiful and it goes without saying that you are," he complimented, lowering his head to capture her lips into a slow and sensual kiss, their tongues dancing a familiar pattern, making Gabriella's knees go weak.
"What did I do to deserve you?" she whispered against his chest, peppering kisses to his clothed body.
"I ask myself that same question everyday, baby."
"Everyday? I thought I was the only one that did that," she said sweetly, guiding him into her new empty living room and sitting him down on the sofa. The only piece of furniture in place. Gabriella had finally decided to spread her wings and fly from her parents nest to take the plunge in buying her own house. It was hard work and she was very tempted to ask Troy to move in with her but she didn't want to spoil things between them. He was getting more confident around her, but there was still some days when his insecurity showed and he would try and hide his face. He still barely went outside and thought she was mad to want to be seen in public with him but he was getting there and she was willing to go at his pace, willing to do anything to make him feel like he was just like everybody else, that he fitted into this world as much as her.
"I guess we make a good match then," he smiled, linking his fingers through hers as she sat down beside him. It still amazed him that she willingly chose to sit on his left hand side. Everyone given the chance would sit at his right so they could see his good profile, his good side. But Gabriella didn't mind which side she sat at. She would spend all night sitting on his left side, only seeing his 'ugly' side and she'd talk, laugh and kiss him like there was nothing wrong. She was the first and only person to ever make him feel like he was normal and for that and many other reasons he was completely and utterly head over heels in love with her.
"I guess we do," she agreed, giggling and resting her head on his shoulder, their entwined hands laying in his lap as he played with her fingers and smiled at how happy he had felt since she'd literally waltzed into his life. "So can I invite anyone else apart from Chad and Taylor to my house warming?" she asked him, her arms now circling around his waist as she snuggled in closer to him.
"I'd prefer if you didn't," he replied honestly, once again not wanting to meet anyone new. Taylor he had made an exception for since she was Gabriella's best friend. But he hadn't even met her parents for shame that they would want someone better for their only daughter.
"But I want to show off my hunky man to everyone I know," she whined, reaching up to kiss his neck. He groaned as she tried to work her womanly charms on him but he knew without a doubt that she was telling the truth about wanting to show him off and that did wonders for his ego.
"Maybe your parents then," he relented, smiling insanely as he was rewarded with a giant screech before she bounded into his lap like an excitable puppy.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she gushed, kissing him over and over again.
"I hope I won't be a disappointment to them." He began but Gabriella placed a finger to his lips to stop him putting himself down any further. Gently kissing either side of his mouth she rubbed her nose against his and hugged him tightly.
"Troy they'll love you like I love you," she stated before giggling wildly. "Not exactly how I love you obviously, because that would be just plain weird," she laughed, making him grin back at her and ease his worries with her carefree nature. "But they will love you, I can guarantee it." Before he could kiss her senseless like he wanted to, she jumped off his lap and dashed to one of her boxes. He groaned at the loss of her body in his arms and cursed her boundless energy that meant she never stayed still for too long.
"While you're in a good mood, I thought I'd tell you we've been invited to another masked ball," she said, handing him the invite before straddling him once again, a package remaining in her hands. She could tell he didn't like the idea but she knew the masked part meant that it would be the only event he would be willing to leave the house for. "Here- I got you a new mask for the occasion," she said, handing him the brown wrapped parcel and grinning excitedly. "It's just like your other one but a full mask this time."
He opened it up and pulled out the white heart shaped mask. Light blue glitter swirls mixed with dark blue sequins danced across the surface and eyes and mouth holes were cut away so that his blue eyes contrasted with the colours.
"A full mask, is that so I'll be hidden away?" he asked, berating himself for letting his old securities resurface in her presence.
"Oh my god no!" she exclaimed, gripping him around the neck and tears springing to her eyes as she realised she could have hurt him. "I just wanted it to be slightly different to your last one, plus I don't want all the women at the ball trying to take you away from me. I get jealous you know and I don't want them fancying you."
"You mean you don't want them seeing my good side?"
"Any side Troy, every side of you is beautiful. I wish you would believe that. I don't want them to see any side of you-you're mine remember, I stamped you," she grinned, sweetly knowing that he was so attractive and he could get many admirers if he wanted to.
"I think your safe peacock, everybody runs away from me."
"Not everybody Troy, not anymore. I'm here to stay," she confirmed, kissing him passionately until all his insecurities melted away. As she pulled away regretfully for air she gazed at him with her lust filled brown eyes and a sly grin spread across her face as she fought for breath.
"What?" he asked, pulling her back in as his lips kissed their way down her neck, gently sucking at the pulse and causing her to moan loudly in his ear, making him harden instantly.
"Just thought since it's tradition in a new house, we could christen every room," she whispered, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up and his hands grabbed her waist, flipping her onto her back and pinning her beneath his hard muscled body. "Seems like we're starting in the living room then, tiger," she moaned as his skilled hands began stripping her of her clothes and his hot, passionate mouth stripping her of her senses.
