A/N: I know it's been a while, but I had complications that I needed to solve before writing again. I was pretty busy with work and my laptop was screwed up for an unknown reason… to resume it all, I lost everything I had on it, haha. For a while I just sat there and waited for a miracle to happen and everything I had just show up again magically, but it never happened. So yea, I lost stuff from school and my stories and work related papers… anyway, if that wasn't enough to drive me crazy, I moved to another house and my life was still messy till two days ago. At least my house is bigger now and the swimming pool too, what is great cuz its hot these days!

Hmm I had this chapter complete, but now I had to write it all again so I don't think it will be the same from what I wrote previously… and If I don't use the same words or whatever from the preview I sent you, that's the reason why: my memory sucks. Good news though, I'm on vacations, so I'll try and hurry up the next chapters for you all since I have nothing else to concentrate on right now.

Take care!

- M

Disclaimer: I don't own HSM or Keri Hilson lyrics.

"If you ever kept a secret from the one you love,
This is what it feels like.
If you thought that I was perfect,
You were wrong, I'm far from that.
There's one thing that I've done to you,
That I regret."

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO.
AUGUST 23, 2008.

I want you inking me.

The seconds seemed to pass like decades as Gabriella stared deeply in Troy's blue orbs, the palpitations of her heart echoing in the room so painfully loudly, embarrassing herself immensely and sending a tone of faint pink to her cheeks, ears and side of neck. Emerson seemed to realize the tension between the two adults that stood in the same place for more than five minutes already, just staring at the other with an awkward expression, as if they moved the gaze away the world would end.

Gabriella Montez knew the father of her daughter never ceased to amaze her. Troy Bolton had the power to play with her emotions and send her knocked to her knees every time he was around. She couldn't help but feel like an innocent seventeen year old girl that was afraid to lose him again to her neighbor, and not the confident and mature twenty year old woman she was now.

She was afraid that only by touching him all the love she tried to avoid these years would rush back to her body involuntary, mixed with one of the shockwaves he constantly provoked on her body. However, the craving for touching him again, to have him close to her body at least one more time was intoxicating her soul. She wanted to let her hand stroke his beautiful features, her fingertips to tangle on his soft floppy hair… Gabriella wanted to drown in his perfection for one more time.

The hunger to have him was powerful, but the idea of losing him after admitting that Emerson was his daughter and that she lied to him was devastating and heart breaking, because even though she knew he was not hers, she couldn't bear to lose him forever. What if Troy didn't want to forgive her for her mistake? What if he decided to punish her and go away just like she did with him three years ago? She wanted him in Emmy's life. Truthfully, she knew that she wanted him in her life as well, she wished to see his gorgeous face every day and hear his husky voice forever. Gabriella craved for eternal connection and even if that meant Troy would only be in her life because of Emerson, she was fine with that, as long as she could still feel so good and protected around him.

The possibility of Troy never trusting her again was surrounding her body like a cold winter breeze and messing with her senses. What if that was it for the two of them, for their family and for her baby? What if he got mad and decided he didn't want their daughter in his life after everything she kept away from him?

Their hypnotic gaze was interrupted by the soft hand of their daughter as she stepped in the middle of them, smiling her famous toothy smile and looking up at them with her huge hazel eyes adoringly. "Mo sleep, Twoy" she raised her tiny hand and wrapped around Troy's large thumb, "Help Mo…"

Gabriella surprised herself once again for not being jealous of her daughter asking for Troy's help instead of hers like she always did. On the contrary, the fact that the two of them were getting along well made her heart swell with pride and love, and erased all the insecurities of Troy going away after knowing the truth. The way he treated the baby was enough to certify her he would always be back, he'd never leave her.

She found herself again watching as the two interacted; the way Troy tickled their baby's stomach and the way she didn't let go of his hand not even for a second, as if her life depended on it. She sighed involuntary as she rubbed one hand on her face, knowing that she'd have to talk to Troy tonight, she couldn't risk keeping the secret from him any longer or else she'd end up exploding… literally.

"Gabs?" she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around swiftly, her eyes watering immediately as she saw Kelsi looking at her with confused eyes, "Hmm… why Troy's with Azzy? I thought you wanted—"

She shook her head furiously, interrupting her friend before she could finalize what she wanted to say, "I changed my mind" she whispered her answer, "He deserves to know, Kel… Emerson deserves him in her life…"

Kelsi frowned deeply, her hand leaving Gabriella's arm, "You're sure? Will you be okay if you tell him the truth?"

Gabriella nodded, "I hope I will" she admitted, "Troy wants me to tattoo him, Kelsi" she breathed through her mouth, "Can you feed Emerson for me?"

"Sure" she clapped her rhythmically, walking towards Troy and Emerson in the corner of the room, leaving her still very affected friend behind. Troy stood up from the floor with Emerson and Mo securely in his arms and clutched the baby against his muscular chest, his heart beating fast, already anticipating his daughter would be taken away from him again. "Relax Troy, she just needs to eat"

"Oh…" he nodded his head mechanically, but his grip on Emmy was still tight.

"Azzy, you're hungry?" Kelsi asked and the toddler looked back at her, nodding fervently up and down as she rubbed her stomach slowly before gazing with the corner of her eyes at the cat in Troy's arm, "Mo hungry too and Momma…" she tilted her head to the side to look at Gabriella and her chestnut hair fell in her eyes adorably, "Momma eat with me"

She walked towards the rest of the group, a small smile playing on her lips as she looked at her daughter, "I'm gonna eat later tonight, okay baby?" Emerson threw herself in Gabriella's arms and hid her face into the crook of her neck, "I still have to work"

"But momma…"

"Ellie, if you want you can eat with her…" Troy said calmly, his gaze intently on his two favorite girls, a smile forming on his lips automatically as he watched Emmy whining sweetly at her mom, but Gabriella shook her head promptly, "We have to talk…" she closed her eyes for a second and reopened, trying to smile back at him, "do you want to kiss her goodbye?"

He didn't even think about what she asked before he was already nodding his head and embracing not only Emerson, but Gabriella as well. She flinched immediately as his strong arms wrapped around her body and his masculine cologne filled her nostrils pleasurably. Closing her eyes, she avoided the urge to moan at the proximity of the father of her daughter and the only man she ever really loved and for a minute she just stood there, letting him hold them and surround their bodies with the heat, sending her problems and fears far, far away.

"Goodnight kitty cat…" Troy whispered against Emmy's head, but his eyes were locked on Gabriella's peaceful expression in his arms. Smiling, he didn't let the opportunity of touching her longer escape and clasped their hands together as Kelsi cleared her throat, visibly uncomfortable with their public display of affection. He ignored Gabriella's shocked expression with a hint of amusement, her mouth dropping open and eyes slightly widened as his thumb caressed the back of her hand was priceless. However, he scoffed loudly when Kelsi retrieved the toddler from the middle of them and stormed to the back of the store, going upstairs rapidly.

"You two are living upstairs?" he asked with clear indignation and Gabriella snorted, letting go of his hand and turning around to walk to the back of the shop and where the tattoo's beds were. What was the problem of living on the second floor of the house? The apartment was good enough for the two of them, the rooms were spacious and the kitchen excellent. The living room and bathrooms were good enough for just the two of them and Gabriella was happy to call it home. "You should move to a bigger house, where Emmy could have a back yard to play"

"Not now, Troy… maybe in a couple of months" she said impatiently, running one hand through her shiny hair, "We just got here a week ago. It can wait"

Her hand traced the bed Troy would be lying in a couple of minutes and she turned around, leaning against the edge of it as she took off her rings and then crossed her arms across her chest for Troy's delight, "Do you have something you'd like to tattoo?"

He stepped closer to her, his tongue touching his bottom lip in an almost sensual caress that made Gabriella wish she was his tongue for even a second to trace his gorgeous thin lip, and flicked his floppy hair out of his eyes. She clenched her jaw promptly as she felt the God like aura that always surrounded Troy weaken her knees. Wanting to converse and try to regain her senses, she raised a hand to massage her forehead, attempting to ease the tension he proportioned to her, "Your hair is longer…"

Troy laughed lightly, one hand running through his soft hair as he nodded his head, ecstatic she was paying attention to him, "I know, I'm lazy…" he shoved his left hand inside his pocket to hide the fact he was trembling with anxiety and the right one he collected a folded paper, "I think I need a woman to take care of me"

You, maybe, he thought to himself. Her ears perked up at his last words and her heart tightened at the idea of another woman that wasn't her at his side, being with him every day, taking care of him and enjoying his company.

Cut it out, Gabriella, she warned herself, He's allowed to have girlfriends.

She breathed deeply through her mouth and pointed to his right hand, "What's that?"

"Oh yeah" he offered his hand and opened his palm to her to get the piece of folded paper, "My tattoo"

Course it's his tattoo, she sang song to herself, unfolding the paper slowly and taking a good look at what he wanted inked to his skin, "you did this yourself?" he nodded and she found herself amazed with his ability to draw, "That's really good, but I'm afraid I can't tattoo you. I only do things that have meanings… this here" she licked her bottom lip, frowning, "It makes no sense"

He looked at her, a fake shocked expression on his face, an amused smile curling up on his thin lips, "If I prove it does make sense, you'll ink me?"

Gabriella bit her lip, her eyes rolling involuntary, "Explain to me"

Troy smirked as his hands gripped the sides of her body and she flinched for the second time in less than an hour, "Troy… what are you—"

"Shush, Ellie…" his husky voice was as low as a whisper and he could feel the hair in her arms raise, "Do you remember when we were together, baby?" he didn't wait for her to reply before he continued, "I felt like I was in flames every time you were around. Only your presence was enough to warm my body," his right hand began travelling up and down the side of her body, caressing so gently her skin she felt the need to ask him for more, "and when I held our baby in my arms for the first time" she looked up at him at the sound of our baby coming from his lips, "I felt that heat so powerful that my cold body craved for it again…" he leaned closer to her, his eyes closing for only a second before he stared into her brown orbs again. "I still feel it when I touch you. I'm feeling it right now. I want your warmth and Emerson's in my body… I want it back because I don't like being cold" he cupped her cheek with his large hand and ignored the hunger to possess her as their bodies brushed against the other.

Then he felt the same way she felt? She wasn't the only person that felt constantly cold and had the urge to hold Emerson every second of her day just to heat up her body?

"Meh… you don't know what I'm talking about" he shook his head and stepped back, rubbing a hand across his face, "It just makes sense to me"

It makes more sense to me than you think, she wanted to clarify that he was not alone in the coldness department, but she didn't find the strength to voice her words. Instead of it, she went with the logical, "Okay, I'll do it"

"Sweet" he clapped his hands together before pulling his black shirt over his head in a swift movement, and Gabriella felt the force of the world hit her again. Why couldn't he be like her last client? Chubby and disgusting? Why did Troy have to look so good? His abs were better than ever, his arms were so beautiful and his hairless chest screamed for a few love bites. "I want it here" he patted the side of his stomach and she nodded reluctantly, "Okay, lie down and I'll be right back"

He nodded his head up and down as he lay on the bed, his heart beating so fast and so loud that this time he was the one worried about Gabriella hearing her effect on him. He stared at the ceiling impatiently, humming quietly to himself as she got his draw ready to be inked.

"You're scared?" Gabriella's voice was soft and distant and echoed slightly along with her footsteps as she walked around the shop in search for the material she'd need to ink him.

"No" he said quickly. Truthfully, Troy was extremely excited because tattooing something that would honor Gabriella and Emerson felt right. "I'm calm"

"Hmmm" she raised a single eyebrow as she stopped in front of him and pulled her hair up in a ponytail. Putting latex gloves on, she stepped closer to Troy and rested her two palms of hands on his stomach. Troy couldn't help but moan when she forced him on his side to clean the spot he had chosen to get a tattoo, incredibly amazed at the sensations her touch evoked on him. She squeezed her bottom lip in between her teeth and applied the flash with the outline of the image onto his skin, "I have to admit it's the first time I'm tattooing someone flames"

Troy chuckled, "I'm glad I'm your first"

She rolled her eyes, but a small smile formed on her puffy lips as she thought about Troy being her first love and man, too. "Here?" he raised his head and checked out the spot with a thumb up, "No colors?"

"Nope… make it dark and it's good enough for me"

"Okay" she clicked her tongue, "I'm using a machine to lay the ink deep into your skin, so it might hurt a bit, but try not to move" her fingertips lingered on the side of his body and she sighed deeply in an attempt to stop the shaking from her hand. She turned on the machine and the needle made the first of many tiny wounds, a red trail of blood coloring her gloves and his skin.

Troy squeezed his eyes shut and frowned. For a minute she wanted to forget she was the artist and she was supposed to act professional, and hold him in her arms, just to send that painful expression away, "You're alright?"

He bit his bottom lip and nodded his head slowly. It was obvious even to himself that he was shaking, that he was nervous and that he definitely seemed to be in pain. He had to admit that the outlining of the flames hurt a little, but it was not excruciating. It was something deeper that made him uneasy.

"You're tense, Troy"

Of course I'm tense, he yelled to himself, knowing it was the most natural thing in the world. She was fucking touching him after three years. They were in the same place without fighting, they no longer ignored each other, her hands were so delicate working on his skin, her ponytail tickled his chest every now and then ever so gently and sent fireworks down his spine.

So yes, he was allowed to feel nervous and break out in cold sweat if he wanted.

Because he was fucking happy to be in this position right now. Because she was fucking sexy when she worked. Because the woman he fucking loved, was inking on his skin something that for him meant more than any name he could tattoo on his body. And lastly, because, even though he always imagined being so close to Gabriella again, he never really thought this could happen.

And it was happening.

And it was giving his life new meaning.

And it was filling his heart with hope.

"I'm more than fine" he certified her, opening his eyes again and trying unsuccessfully not to flinch when her fingers tugged on the waist line of his dark jeans to pull it down slightly. His legs started to tremble and his arms stiffed beside his body. Fuck, that's so embarrassing.

"Troy—" she complained under her breath, her hand resting on his arm firmly to steady him as she pressed the needle to his skin one more time, "Do… not… move"

"Sorry" he mumbled embarrassed, thankful she was looking at his stomach and couldn't see the blush on his cheeks. If you talk to her, you won't think about fucking her, his mind warned and he nodded his head to himself, wetting his lip as he opened his mouth. What to talk about?

"I heard you moved to Santa Fe after graduating." Actually, he had made Jason discover it all for him, and after a lot of time pressuring the right people, he achieved his goal. "Why?"

"My mom…" she started slowly, cleaning the blood from his skin and continuing to trace his flames, "She opened another shop in Santa Fe"

"Oh, I thought you didn't want to see me"

"That too" she admitted promptly. "I was hurt... Staying here just hurt me more" she sighed and her hand tensed a bit as she talked. For Troy it was like a little sharp knife was teasing his skin, but he deserved it for doing what he did to her. "Not anymore though, I'm over the pain, I think"

"I'm sorry Ellie. I was young and immature and–"

"You were" she agreed, nodding her head, "But we all make mistakes, right?"

"I guess" he shrugged, but mine made me lose you. He watched as she turned off the machine and prepared a dark grey ink, turning it on again rapidly and switching to the filling-in of the flames. This time it didn't hurt at all. Troy had no idea if it was because his body was already used to the needle by now or if the adrenaline of having this conversation with Gabriella made it painless. He observed fascinated as the flames darkened in his skin and she worked quietly on her masterpiece. "El?"

"Yes, Troy?"

"You still have it?"

She looked up at him, "have what?"

"My name on your body…"

Gabriella sighed and went back to filling the flames, "yeah"

"Why? I mean, why after I cheated on you?"

"Because…" she swallowed, getting lost in the filling-in for a few minutes, thinking of how to put everything she felt in words to explain why she didn't get rid of the tattoo. The thing was, she thought about it once or twice, but she never had the strength to actually erase it from her skin. It was painful to have him on her, but even more to watch him disappear. "It's part of who I am"

Was that a good or a bad thing? Troy wasn't sure about it and he was really afraid to ask, so he decided to just wait in silence for her to finish the tattoo, something she promptly did. As soon as he realized, she was turning off the annoying and noisy machine and cleaning his tattoo. Gabriella took off her gloves and threw it inside the garbage can near the ink bed with a swift movement. Rubbing one hand against the other, she approved the image with a nod of her head, "Troy?"

"Yes?" she motioned with her hand that he could sit down and he did it, taking a look at the tattoo, smiling automatically at the perfection that was inked to his skin, "Excellent"

"I'm glad you liked it"

Gabriella covered the side of his stomach with ointment and a white bandage and instructed him clean the tattoo off and keep it moistened a couple of times a day with lotion. "It might itch a bit… just so you know"

He nodded, still amazed by the confident feeling the tattoo gave him, "Thank you"

"Troy?"

"Hmm?"

"You were right" Gabriella's voice shook a bit as she spoke and she rubbed one hand across her forehead as she tensed up. He finally looked from the tattoo to her and raised his eyebrows, "About?"

"Emerson…" she whispered her beloved daughter's name, "she's your daughter"

The confirmation was there and was everything Troy expected to be. Gabriella never cheated on him and the baby was his. He wasn't mad, because deep inside he was sure his kitty cat was his, having the words fly from her lips was simply to make her accept out loud the fact that they were a family and he was the father of her daughter and he'd always be there for the two of them. He just needed to know why. He thought he knew why, but his insides craved to know the real reason she lied to him, the reason she planned to keep his daughter away from him her entire life, "Why did you lie?"

She locked eyes with him, her expression blank and her pained eyes filling with tears, "do you really wanna know why?"

He kept silent and that was enough confirmation for Gabriella. "I was disappointed Troy, more than hurt, I had lost the trust I had in you. For so long I waited to fall in love with a guy the way I fell with you and the first opportunity you had, you gave up on what we had" her voice broke and she swallowed hard, trying to contain her emotion, "It wasn't even for someone important, it was just Sharpay Evans, you know? And I still loved you, even after this. I still wanted to hold you and promise everything would be okay even if I was not okay. So I needed you to be far from me while I healed. I wanted you to suffer without me, to see what you gave up" she immediately burst into tears, sobbing profusely and looking helpless as a child, "I was selfish and immature as well and I'm sorry… I know it wasn't right, but I wanted to protect myself and Emerson. I couldn't take her being hurt if you decided we were not enough for you…"

"Baby…" he whispered her pet name, shaking his head in negation, jumping off the bed and closing the gap between them. "I was the one that didn't deserve you two" he raised his hand and wiped her tears off her face, "I fucked up… I'm sorry"

Gabriella covered her face with her hands and cried louder, and Troy wanted nothing more than kill himself for making her cry. He wrapped his arms around her and held her against his body, as though he could save her from her own pain. That exact moment, he couldn't help but think of the words his grandmother always used to say when he was a kid, Amor Vincit Omnia… love conquers all. If their love was strong enough to make them so connected even three years after being apart, after believing in lies and hurting the other, they could work this out. He wanted to try to be with her. They could be together again if they wanted. He could get her trust back. He'd do it even if it was the last thing while alive.

"Everything will be okay now, baby" he whispered hoarsely, "I'll make sure you forgive me"

She rested her forehead against his chest and he kissed the top of her head, "Aren't you mad at me?"

"No" he certified her. "Just do me a favor…"

Gabriella lifted her chin as Troy bent his head to look at her, their eyes locking in an intense gaze. He ran his thumb on her cheek, wiping her tears and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead. As he looked down again, his hot breath tickled her mouth and she felt goosebumps. She closed her eyes and felt his lips move delicately against the side of her head as he spoke, "Hurry up and trust me already" he sighed and continued, "because there's nothing more I want in this life than to be with you again"

"I know it's no excuse but,
I'm only human and young at that,
So I'm gonna make mistakes,
And hope you understand."

A/n: Ok, tell me what you thought about the tattoo! :]