Disclaimer: As much as I wish I did, I don't own Troy or Gabriella.
AN: Thanks for the incredible response to the last chapter. You guys are amazing and I'm glad so many of you are enjoying it. If you can, please review; I love to know what you think of the story and any ideas you have to make it better. Huge thanks to Dani for betareading this chapter in such short notice. You're amazing.
Point three - "When she's stressed, comfort her and make her happy."
A Real Boyfriend Should
When Gabriella wanted something, she put her heart and soul into getting it. She believed that with a bit of confidence and the right attitude, she could achieve anything. It wasn't that Troy didn't agree with her exactly, he just hated seeing her getting all worked up about studying.
Letting out a loud, exasperated sigh, Gabriella threw her pencil across the room in frustration, only to pout as she watched it land under her cabinet at the other side of the room. Burrowing her face between her hands she mentally composed herself before taking a deep breath to calm her down. Clambering out of bed and looking down towards the floor, she took a lazy step forward before hitting something hard – Troy's chest.
"Looking for this?" he asked, amusement evident in his voice as he held the pencil in the air.
"Mhm." She mumbled, not bothering to look up and instead nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck.
He sighed, rubbing one hand comfortingly down her back, while embracing her with the other. "Maybe you could take a break?"
"No," she groaned, closing her eyes and attempting to pull him closer.
"Brie, I love you...I really do, but you need to stop being so hard on yourself. You could pass this exam with your eyes closed if you had to."
Biting her lip, she looked up at him and smiled. "I love you too." She paused, taking in his smile before continuing. "And thank you for having so much faith in me...but I don't have that kind of faith in myself, so I'll go for another 30 minutes and then we can do something together."
Content with her response, Troy let her continue on in peace while he planned something he knew would take her mind away from the stress.
Point three - "When she's stressed, comfort her and make her happy."
Boiling the kettle, Troy smiled. He was glad he'd finally paid attention to those lists – it had given him the confidence boost he needed and he felt as though he was finally giving her the love and devotion she deserved. He poured the boiling water into the cup of chocolate powder and added milk before checking the time. It had been 29 minutes and 49 seconds since he'd last bothered Gabriella, and this time he was determined to make her take a break.
He kicked the door gently with his foot and it opened, revealing his girlfriend furrowing her brow as her pencil scratched away at the worksheet. Settling the cup down on the bedside table, he sat down next to her.
"Baby..." he warned as he saw her purposely hide her face away, ignoring him and continuing on with the papers.
When she didn't respond, he snatched the worksheet from her hand and put it out of her reach; much to her dismay.
"Trooooooy!" she whined.
"Nuh-uh" he responded, rubbing his nose against hers in an Eskimo kiss. "You said 30 minutes and by my watch, it's been 33 minutes and 15 seconds."
Pouting, she knew she was fighting a losing battle and so she agreed to making the most of the rest of her night. "What are we going to do then?"
"I am going to use my expert hands to de-stress you," he teased, wiggling his eyebrows.
Gabriella blushed furiously before rolling her eyes at him. "I'll repeat myself. So, Troy, what are we going to do tonight?"
He chuckled. "As I said, I am going to de-stress you...by giving you a massage."
Her face lit up as she grinned. "You'd do that for me?"
"Sure. It's not a big deal, babe. Just relax and enjoy the sensation." he challenged her innocent personality, smirking one again.
Not bothering to respond to his innuendo, she shifted between his legs and relaxed her shoulders. As he rubbed his hands into the crevices of her neck and shoulders, releasing her of the tension, he brought his head down to whisper sweet nothings into her ear.
"You feeling better?" he asked sweetly, rubbing his hands down her arms and then back up again until he reached her shoulders.
"Mmm. What was I stressing about again?" she asked, sweetly.
He chuckled softly. "That's my girl."
Troy laid back on the bed, pulling Gabriella down with him and wrapping his arms tightly around her. The embrace brought warmth to both bodies and he was sure no matter who or what tried to disturb them at that moment in time; neither would move from the position they'd found themselves in.
Point three? Another A+, even if it did hinder his manly reputation, slightly.
