'Tis the Season
Summary: Follow Troy and Gabriella through several holiday seasons, as their relationship with one another grows and changes. Fluffy AU Troyella fic.
Disclaimer: I do not own these wonderful characters (or any part of the HSM franchise)...I just love them like the rest of you. :-) I also do not own any Christmas songs, their lyrics, their rights, or the artists who have performed them...in case you actually wondered. ;-)
Author's Note: Just...thank you! :-) And, I hope the year's off to a great start for everyone!
Chapter 7 - 'Tis the Season...To Share
"Hang all the mistletoe
I'm gonna get to know you better...
This christmas
Presents and cards are here
My world is filled with cheer and you...
This christmas
And as I look around
Your eyes outshine the town, they do
And this christmas, will be so special for you and me, yes it will be"
.
"Yeah, mom, our excursion leaves in half an hour. You guys have fun on yours! We'll see you later for dinner!" 17-year-old Troy assured cheerfully.
Lucille and Maria looked back and forth between their children skeptically. "Well, okay...we will. You two have fun too! Be good! See you later!" Lucille responded. Maria echoed her statements and Jack and Eduardo just waved and ushered their wives in the direction of the tender that was waiting to take them ashore so that they could begin their Grand Cayman excursion to Stingray City Sandbar, the Turtle Farm, and other island sites. The two families had decided to take a Christmas cruise this year since it was really the last year their kids would be living at home and they thought it might be nice to do something special and fun. The parents hadn't really anticipated that they might be leaving their two very seriously in love children (who were certainly no longer children) alone for five hours, on the second day of their cruise, with two very empty staterooms at their disposal. Of course, said children were supposed to be going off ship on their own beach excursion soon enough.
Troy and Gabriella smiled and waved as they watched their parents disappear down the corridor. Grinning at each other, they headed back toward the lobby, passing all the elaborately decorated Christmas trees displayed there, before reaching an elevator. They took it to an upper deck, where they moved to the railing and looked down to see their parents getting on their tender. They held hands and watched as the last passengers got onto the smaller boat and as it began to move away from the ship. They continued to watch until it was well on its way to the island's dock.
Once it was, they looked at each other excitedly and turned in unison to head back toward the elevators. Waiting for one to arrive, they squeezed each other's hand and tapped their toes nervously against the floor. Looking up when they heard the ding of an elevator arriving, they stepped inside the now open doors. They were the only occupants of this particular elevator car and, hoping to keep it that way, they quickly pushed the button for their floor and then the button to close the doors more immediately. As the doors slid shut, they turned to each other eagerly and Troy's free hand came to entwine itself in Gabriella's hair. Gabriella's free hand came up to grip at Troy's shirt and tug him toward her. Coming together in an impatient kiss, they vaguely felt the movement of the elevator downward through the ship. Troy's body moved forward, pressing Gabriella's into the wall. Lost in their kiss, they didn't notice when the elevator stopped at their floor. They only noticed once the doors opened and they heard an uncomfortable throat-clearing sound. Pulling themselves apart in a haze, they turned to see a father with his two little girls, apparently waiting for an elevator to take them up to one of the pools. Troy smiled sheepishly and Gabriella's cheeks turned crimson as she just tried to hide her head in Troy's arm as they hurried from the elevator down the corridor leading toward their rooms.
Arriving in front of them, Troy turned to Gabriella questioningly. "Um, your room or mine?"
Gabriella smirked. "Cheesy, Bolton."
Troy grinned. "Cheesy maybe, but still, which one?"
Gabriella looked thoughtful for a second. "Mine," she answered, turning to open the door to the room she had been sharing with her parents with the key she produced from her pocket.
Troy followed her into the room happily, he placed his hands on her waist and turned her so that she was facing him again before capturing her lips in another passionate kiss, pressing their bodies into yet another wall.
"Door," Gabriella gasped a minute later, her eyes flashing to the still slightly ajar room door. Troy turned to shut it fully, when Gabriella's voice stopped him. "Wait! Put the Do Not Disturb sign up," she urged him.
Nodding, Troy did so and then shut the door and turned the locks on it as well. "Good?"
"Good."
And with that, the two gravitated toward each other again. This time, however, they kissed while moving further into the room. Reaching Gabriella's bed, they sunk down onto it and continued their frantic kissing. Troy pulled back a minute later, looking down at his girlfriend, who was staring back up at him with the most alluring look. "You don't think your dad will be able to look over at your bed and just know, do you?"
"They are so not going on their excursion," Lucille stated, nervously biting her lip. They were still riding their tender to shore.
Maria nodded, sighing. "They have gotten way beyond cozy lately."
Jack and Eduardo just watched their wives as their brows scrunched up with a bit of worry and their feet twitched nervously.
"Yeah. Just the way they look at each other and Troy's gotten more confident. He seems to always want to be touching her in some way...holding her hand, resting his hand on her lower back or looping his arm around her shoulders or her waist, pulling her down to sit on his lap. I think...I mean, I'm sure he probably wants to do more...probably already has done plenty..." Lucille trailed off, staring out at the water and then back down at her hands.
"Do you want me to kill your son when we get back to the ship?" Eduardo asked with a bit of exasperation, a half serious, half humored expression on his face.
"No," Lucille answered sheepishly.
"Well, then let's just enjoy our day. We've worked hard all year and we've earned this vacation and this day of fun in the sun."
"Eddy's right," Jack chimed in. "The kids are good. They're smart. They'll be okay."
"They will. We've raised them well," Maria agreed softly. Having had enough discussions with Gabriella regarding love, sex, and her future, she did feel confident that no decision would be made lightly.
"And, besides, denial is good for the soul," Eduardo said with a sardonic grin. "Let's just pretend they're still eight years old."
Chuckling, Jack concurred. Looking to their wives, the two husbands waited until they saw the small smiles gracing their faces, saw them look at each other and nod, and heard them both say "Agreed."
As their tender pulled up to the dock, they stood and waited to de-board with the other passengers, ready to enjoy the day and do their best to just be Maria, Eddy, Lucy, and Jack, not the parents to two hormonal and completely gaga for each other teenagers.
"Troy, no...and let's not talk about my father...or any other parental figures right now, please."
Troy's lopsided grin made an appearance as he considered what she'd said. "Good point."
Gabriella smiled up at him as he looked down at her with complete adoration before bringing his lips down once more to join them with her own. His kiss soon moved from her lips to her jaw to her neck, where he paid particular loving attention to the spots he knew evoked shivers of pleasure in her. Gabriella clutched at him, enjoying the sensations, before reaching her hands down to find the hem of his shirt and tug it upwards.
Troy allowed her to remove it and to take control with her own kisses, enjoying the sensations himself. He soon divested her of her shirt as well and, as hands roamed and mouths did too, they eventually found themselves lying there, unclothed, nerves tingling with pleasure and anticipation. "Are you okay?" he asked her softly.
A small smile lit her face in response as she searched his eyes. "Yeah...we've done all this before, Troy."
"I know...just...are you sure? I mean, we can just do as we've been doing if..." He stopped as he saw her head moving back and forth confidently...pointedly.
"No, Troy. No more waiting. I want...all of you. I'm sure."
Her words stirred his blood, perhaps even more than any of the prior caresses and kisses had. He loved her. He wanted her...all of her, as she did him. If one thing was meant to be, this surely was. He cupped her cheek with his hand and covered her mouth with his, kissing her with all the passion he felt. She held nothing back in her kiss either and both found themselves moaning into the kiss, feeling the heat within them rise to an even higher level.
Troy had already retrieved a condom from his jeans pocket earlier and set it out on the nightstand. Now, pulling back, he reached for it and rolled it on. Lowering himself to her once more, Troy held Gabriella's eyes as he entered her. He saw her wince a moment later and paused as she took a few breaths before nodding for him to continue. Once they were fully joined, he paused again to allow her to adjust to him, taking the time to revel in the sensations himself. He moved his lips over her cheek and neck and shoulders, loving her so much in this moment where she was so fully giving of herself to him.
Gabriella felt the pain she knew she would, but she also did not deny that there was an innate pleasure in being this close to Troy. She knew he felt it too. She also knew he was fighting himself to maintain control for her benefit. He had always taken care of her and would be the last to hurt her. That is what, in part, had made her feel safe in her decision to try dating him and to explore what more could be between them. Now, a year later, she had absolutely no regrets about that decision. Troy was still her best friend, but now he truly held her heart. And she held his, and she wanted to give him every pleasure, every joy she could. Taking careful breaths, she did her best to relax. She ran her fingers through his hair and brought his head back up to her so that she could kiss him and communicate in that way that she was alright, that she loved him, that she trusted him. And then, tentatively, she moved against him, silently wincing once more but sending him the message that he didn't need to wait anymore.
Troy took heed of her message and began to slowly allow himself to move, to embrace the new sensations and let his body lead him. Alternately kissing her, resting his head in the crook of her neck and just breathing in her scent, and grunting into her skin as he experienced the pure pleasure of being with her, Troy was more himself than he had ever been...and he was more hers than he had ever been before.
As the rhythm of their lovemaking continued, Gabriella's pain eventually turned to discomfort and then finally something she could describe as good. And, as she could feel and hear and see Troy's pleasure escalating, she felt powerful and heady and like his pleasure was spurring on her own. Gripping him more tightly, she brought her lips to his neck and shoulders and then leaned up and kissed his lips, all the while feeling the heat and sensation build within her.
When Gabriella began to hold more tightly to him and to more actively kiss and caress him, Troy knew something was changing. When he heard the soft moans escape her, the relief he felt was palpable, and his body seemed to respond even further. And, when he heard his name uttered on her lips, he felt as though he owned the world.
Holding each other's gaze, they saw every emotion that crossed the other's face. They felt the intensity of these precious moments. This was how they were meant to be, how they'd always been meant to be. They both felt their pleasure heighten to a place neither had experienced before and they clung to each other helplessly as it did, lost in it and in each other.
Still breathing shakily minutes later, they separated and Troy discreetly disposed of the condom in the bathroom trash receptacle before returning to lie down by Gabriella's side. She turned to face him and curled up into him, his arms naturally wrapping around her, his hands gently stroking her back.
"Gabi...I'm sorry I hurt you," Troy said quietly.
Gabriella propped herself up so that she could look at him reassuringly. "I'm okay, Troy. It didn't all hurt. It...well...I'm glad...that we did it, I mean."
"Me too," Troy said, with a small smile. "I just hate that it hurt you."
"Yes," Gabriella said slowly, thoughtfully, "but then...well, then it felt...it was...you felt..."
"Good?" Troy supplied for her, a hopeful and curious expression on his face.
"Yes," she breathed, looking at him sincerely. "Did I...I mean, was I...?"
"You felt amazing," Troy answered in a husky tone, his arms tightening a bit more around her. "Really, Gabi, I've never felt that way before. And, I'm glad...I'm so glad it was with you."
Gabriella felt the wetness behind her eyes and blinked happily. "I am too, Troy. I can't imagine this with anyone else."
"Well, good...don't start trying to," Troy said playfully.
"Not a chance," she said huskily, leaning down and placing a short kiss on his lips.
Troy looked up into her eyes and saw all that he could ever want. "I love you, Gabi," he said, his voice rough with emotion.
"I love you too, Troy...always," Gabriella responded, running her fingers through his hair and gazing at him with such adoration and pride and sincerity that Troy felt his heart swell even further with his love for her. Their lips came together once more in a long, slow, loving kiss, a kiss to seal the love they'd spoken and expressed there that day, a kiss to seal this precious memory for both of them for the rest of their lives.
Some time later, they roused from the pleasant sleep they had fallen into. Troy pressed his lips softly against Gabriella's forehead. "We should probably get ready and head in to the beach to at least have some truth to our excursion," he said softly.
Gabriella sighed. "I know. It was a good idea to say the beach bum one. We don't really have to have learned anything in particular then and we can go snap a couple pictures on the beach and we're golden," she finished with a smile.
"Yep, I thought it was rather brilliant," Troy said, grinning.
"I guess you can be brilliant if you're motivated, huh, Bolton?" Gabriella teased.
"And you weren't motivated, Montez?" he said, pulling her flush against him meaningfully.
"Still am," she said, a bit breathlessly.
Troy searched her eyes. "What are you saying?"
"Just that...we still have hours left to head in to the beach, snap a few pictures, and then get back here and get ready for dinner before our parents are back."
"True..."
"And tomorrow's a day at sea, so we'll likely have to behave ourselves then." Troy groaned a bit at this, causing the corners of Gabriella's lips to twitch. "So..."
"So..."
"We should take full advantage of the time we have today."
"Are you sure, Gabi? I mean, do you need time to heal?"
"I suspect you have healing powers," she responded playfully, tilting her head and brushing her lips against his tantalizingly.
Troy's breath hitched. "I'm serious," he said, the concern in his voice evident.
"So am I," Gabriella said, looking into his eyes until he could see it was so. "Make love to me again, Troy."
As had nearly always been the case, Troy could not refuse her. Nor, did he want to. So, he captured her mouth with his and held her body close and proceeded to make very good use of the remainder of the time spent within that lovely little room.
And their parents found them later outside the dining room, dressed in their dinner finery, looking sun-kissed and glowing, and happily chattering on about how beautiful 7-Mile Beach was and how crystal clear the light blue water was...and they chose to listen intently, looking at the digital photos Troy and Gabriella had taken of themselves on the beach with interest. They then all moved on into the dining room, passing the ship's cheerful carolers while making their way to their table, where Jack, Lucy, Eduardo, and Maria took turns sharing all about their own adventures with the stingrays and the turtles. They all knew this cruise and this Christmas would be special and memorable for each of them for different reasons and they chose to be okay with that. They were all together for this blessed holiday, as they had been every year and hoped to be for years to come, and that was the most important thing.
Author's Note: So, if you've read some of my other stuff, you may believe me when I say that keeping this from going full-on "M" was quite challenging for me. ;-) But, that was kind of my purpose...I really want to keep this story more sweet and innocent. I suspect, however, I'll be saving up some "non-innocent" for some other upcoming stories. LOL! I wasn't sure if I was going to do this chapter but Troy and Gabriella sort of told me it was necessary...heh heh...anyway, hope you enjoyed it. Up next: What happens once they go off to college? Hmm...
