A/N: So, this is chapter 14. I hope you like it. I did and so did ZZ9PluralZAlpha. Ummm...I'm working on Troy and Gabriella right now so I'll probably be uploading that next :)

Don't own HSM x

Gabriella stood there in shock. Here she was, wearing only a huge t-shirt, her hair was horribly messed up and she knew her cheeks were stained with tears. And he wanted to talk? She knew he wanted to talk about the kiss and didn't know what to do. She could fake being sick; her appearance backed that excuse up. But, she knew Troy and knew that despite what happened between them, he'd just want to help her get better. Maybe it was quicker to get it over with. "Now?"

Troy nodded. "If that's possible. I mean, I can come back."

She shook her head and stepped aside. "It's okay and you can bring your shoes in. I won't make you keep them outside."

Troy smiled sheepishly as he stepped inside. "I didn't want to make your carpets filthy."

"Why? Because I'm a neat freak?" she joked half-heartedly as she shut the front door.

"You said that, not me," he exclaimed, holding his hands up which waved his shoes around a bit.

"Eew!" she cringed. "Your shoes smell."

He chuckled and set his shoes on the mat by the door. "Of course they do. I where those shoes while breaking horses in. Do you know how hard that is? Of course they're going to smell." There was a short silence before he sighed. "Why are you crying?"

Gabriella led him into the lounge and pointed to the TV where a Spanish soap opera was playing. "The doctor's her son and she doesn't know and her husband is going to propose to her sister. It's so sad."

Troy nodded slowly. "Right…Maybe it's a woman thing." He noticed that a duvet was crumpled on the floor and junk food covered the coffee table. "Are you okay?"

She sat down on the couch and nodded as she brought her knees up to her chest. She pulled the t-shirt over her legs so that Troy couldn't see anything. "Yeah," she whispered. "I came home from work and wanted to get into my pyjamas. Well, it's not really classed as pyjamas."

Troy sat next to her and chuckled. "I never thought of you as a football fan. Much less for the Giants."

She smiled coyly at him. "I got into it while I was at college. I bought this at one of their games except they didn't go small enough."

Troy raised his eyebrows. "See? I told you that you need to eat more. I'm a Jets man, myself."

She released a weak giggle and nodded. "I guess. You want to talk about Friday, don't you?" she asked quietly.

"We have to," he replied.

She nodded as she reached for the TV remote and turned the TV off. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"What?" Troy exclaimed. "Why are you apologising?"

She lifted her head and shrugged. "Don't you want me to?" she whimpered.

Troy rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Well, not if you don't want to."

"Not really," she admitted as a blush made its way up her neck.

"Why did you kiss me?" he asked softly, looking into her eyes.

She swallowed and fiddled with her fingers. "Because it felt right." He knew, just like she did, that it wasn't the whole truth.

"I liked it," he said quietly, trying to save her as much embarrassment as possible. "Shall I tell you why?"

She shrugged as a tear leaked from her left eye. "I guess."

He reached for her hand and held it in both of his as tears gathered in his eyes. He lifted her knuckles to his lips before he turned to her, nerves taking over his body. "I love you," he whispered.

Gabriella's face drained of colour and her eyes widened. Did he seriously just say that? Yes, he did. Although Gabriella had wasted the entire weekend fretting over whether he would say that or not, now that it was here, she didn't know what to think. The last time a guy had said that to her, she'd ended up moving to the other side of the country. Then again, she reminded herself, this is Troy. Not Austin. Austin is gone. He isn't coming back, not with Troy around.

She swallowed and let tears roll down her cheeks. She knew Troy was waiting for a reply but she could find her voice. She'd spent the whole weekend wanting to talk to Troy but she was too scared to. And now, she actually was and he'd just told her he loves her. And her brain was malfunctioning again. Why was it always around him that her brain decided not to tell her voice box how to work?

Her lip quivered as tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn't believe it. She honestly couldn't. She'd been wearing her Giant's t-shirt and wrapped up in her duvet, watching a Spanish soap opera and eating junk food. She'd been crying, her emotions mixing in with her reaction to the plot of the opera, and her hair was messy. And now, Troy Bolton had just confessed his love for her.

It was completely unprofessional. His dad was her client. If they started a relationship, and it seemed inevitable at this point, Jack could get accused of so much more than simply having an affair with Lucille. But, it probably wouldn't be Meaghan being paranoid. Her attorney could accuse Jack of using Troy for…things. Her brain malfunctioned again as she failed to think of anything Jack could possibly want through Troy but it was a liable accusation considering she was his lawyer. She knew that Jack didn't want anything from her, just her help.

She cleared her throat and felt Troy's hands wrap tighter around hers. "You mean that?" she asked in a squeak.

Troy moved one of his hands up to brush her hair from her face, his fingers brushing over her cheek. "Yeah. I've fallen in love with you and I don't think I can climb back out. But I don't want to. Kelsi said that you were thinking about leaving after you settle my dad's case. If you are, I need you to know that I love you so much and…I guess if going back to Silicon Valley is the right thing for you, then go."

She leaned into his touch, her eyes locked onto his. "I won't go," she whispered, "if you kiss me."

He smiled over at her as he moved the hand he had on her cheek to her neck. "I love you, Gabriella Montez," he murmured as he leaned closer and kissed her gently.

She let her feet slowly touch the floor and felt his hand release hers and grip her waist tightly instead. She slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling them closer together. She pushed the doubts to the back of her mind and concentrated on being in Troy's arms and the sweet caresses his lips were making on hers. She fiddled the hairs on the back of his and felt him smile against her lips. She pulled back and immediately connected their eyes. "I love you, too, Troy Bolton."

He pulled her into his lap and smiled widely at her. "Good," he whispered. One arm was wrapped around her and he rubbed gentle circles on her back. His other hand was resting on her leg, drawing invisible patterns on her exposed skin. "I love you so much," he mumbled, resting his forehead on hers.

"Don't worry, I know Kaden's possibly the most important part of this and I understand that. He won't be forgotten," she said softly, smiling shyly.

He nodded and held her even tighter to his body. "I hoped you'd say that," he whispered. "You're really good with him and the first night we met, at the shindig…that was the first time in three years I even looked at another woman. Then I couldn't stop thinking about you. Then you told me everything and I just ended up falling for you." He chuckled quietly to himself.

"When I came down here, I wanted to get away from everything. I didn't know what to expect. And I didn't expect…you. Everything you've done for me, I can't thank you enough. I love you," she whispered as she gave him a watery smile. Her fingers continued to play with the hairs on the back of his neck, sending sparks of pleasure through his veins.

"You can thank me by kissing me," he murmured and sent her a smirk.

She giggled and leaned into him more to give him another kiss. Their lips moved together rhythmically and easily as their tongues danced together sensually. Her arms tightened around his neck as she sighed happily into his mouth. She relaxed visibly into his embrace, feeling Troy's protection and love overwhelm her entire body. She felt Troy's fingers still making shapes on her leg, moving from just above her knee to higher up her thigh. She felt so safe with him. He wasn't holding her too tightly or touching her too quickly. He was using gentle touches, as if she was the most fragile thing on Earth.

He moved his kisses away from her mouth and kissed his way along her jaw before moving down to explore her neck and collarbone. He moved his hand in soothing circles on her back. "Gabi, you're absolutely gorgeous," he muttered as he lifted his head and looked deeply into her eyes. He lifted his hand from her leg and brushed her dark curls from her face. "Gabi, when I first heard you were coming down here, I was scared. The last thing I needed was another complication, after everything I've been through, and everything I've put my family and friends through. And yet, somehow, you just made things simpler. Not easier, but simpler."

She nodded tearfully and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "I love you," she whispered before she stood up and bit her lip. She offered her hand to him. "Will you come with me?"

A smile slowly spread across his face as he realised that this was what everything had been leading up to. Ever since the shindig. Every moment they spent together was simply leading them to each other. He briefly wondered if God had taken Ellie and had Gabriella have a miscarriage simply so that they'd find each other. He clasped his larger hand around her small one and nodded as he stood up. "I'd love to."

She giggled and began leading him back through her house and up the stairs. They were acting like teenagers who had been left alone in a house for the first time. They were racing up the stairs and laughing together. Gabriella felt Troy squeeze her hand as they reached her bedroom. She turned to him and licked her lips nervously. "What?"

"We don't have to do this," he whispered.

"I want to," she said strongly. She bit her lip cutely as she pulled him into her bedroom.

They made love slowly, taking their time to experience the love they'd both been holding in practically since they met. Troy had been worried. He hadn't even kissed a woman in three years; much less make love to one. But, Gabriella enjoyed every second of it. Afterward, they lay together, their legs entwined, under the sheets.

Troy turned to Gabriella, leaning up on his elbow to look down at her. "You know I love you, right?"

She nodded, a tired smile pulling at her lips. "Yeah, of course I do."

"I hope you know I still love Ellie and I always will. That won't go away," he confessed.

She nodded with understanding. "I get it. I love you, too."

He leaned down and kissed her gently. "Good." He lay back down next to her and held her close to his chest. "You know, I think for a Valedictorian-come-vet and a freaky genius lawyer girl who got into Columbia, we waited way too long for this." He chuckled, leaning down to nuzzle his nose into her neck.

She giggled and nodded. "I guess."

It was now roughly about six thirty and Gabriella could see light from street lamps spilling through her window, bathing the both of them in silver light. She saw the first stars and thanked them that she'd found Troy. She appreciated Troy's confession of still loving Ellie. She wanted him to be honest with her and what he had told her meant a lot to her. She was okay with it. She couldn't stop him from loving anyone, especially his wife – no matter if she's alive or dead. As long as he loved her, too.

A shrill ring suddenly pierced the blissful silence, making Troy groan into her neck. "Troy, honey, is that your phone?"

He nodded and sat up. "Yeah. One second, baby." He reached over the side of the bed for his jeans. He pulled his cell phone out and glanced at the caller ID, his eyes widening. "Shit." He flipped his phone open and held it to his ear. "Dad, I'm sorry. I know I'm not there. Can you just cook Kaden some dinner and look after him tonight?"

Gabriella tapped his shoulder and sat up, holding the sheet to her body. "Go to Kaden. I don't mind," she whispered, running her fingers through his hair.

He covered the mouth piece with his hand. "I'm not leaving. Tonight's about us. It's about you. I will not leave."

"He's your son," she said sternly.

"He's been in my life for three years," he whispered. "Yes, I love him more than life itself but, I love you, too. And we've only known each other for a short while. Please let me stay."

She reluctantly nodded. "Fine. I could do with some company anyway." She smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek. She wrapped her arms around his torso and leaned her head on his shoulder.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and smiled down at her as they both lay down again. "Mike, put Dad back on…Hey, Dad…Please just do him some dinner…Does it matter where I am?...Oh, you guessed that I'm at Gabi's…Dad! I'm not answering that question… Bye!" He hung up and then switched his phone off, dropping it over the side of the bed.

Gabriella rolled over so she was lying on her stomach, her chin propped on his chest. "What did he ask?"

"He asked if Kaden was getting a sibling." He chuckled quietly. "He also said he wondered what the faint banging was that he could hear."

Gabriella's eyes widened and she suddenly buried her face into his chest. "Oh, my god," she released a muffled whimper.

Troy's face fell. "Gabi? Gabi, baby, what's wrong? It's just my dad. I mean, he's just teasing. He didn't mean anything by it. If anything, I'm glad. He sounds happy that we finally overcome this whole kiss thing."

She giggled weakly but shook her head. "It's not that…exactly." She lifted her head, letting him see her blush. "It's Friday. I have a meeting with your dad and Meaghan and her attorney. I mean, after the comment about the banging… Troy! Stop laughing."

"I honestly think you're overreacting. Do you know why?" he asked as reached up to stroke her cheek.

She propped her chin on his chest and sighed gently. "Why?"

"He'll get so worked up over the meeting, he'll forget about the comments. I promise. Come on, let's just enjoy tonight," he murmured as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist.

* * *

Troy woke up to the quiet sound of a screen door opening. Maybe he should've woken up when Gabriella moved. But, he didn't. He sat up and ran his hand through his hair. If someone had come to him, even three months ago, and said that he'd fall in love with Kelsi's best friend, his father's lawyer, and make love to her, he'd have laughed in their face and said that it was downright ridiculous. He'd never thought he'd ever fall in love with a lawyer…but the heart works in mysterious ways. He only knew one thing: his love wasn't going to end any time soon.

He climbed out of bed and pulled his boxers up. He noticed the robe from the back of the bedroom door gone and wondered what to do. She probably left to be by herself. But, he loved her. He didn't want her to ever think she had to walk away from him. He set off down the stairs and went through to the back of the house and, as predicted, saw the screen door pulled open. He stood in the doorway, looking at Gabriella wrapped in her light blue robe, curled up on the wooden swing bench.

She cracked a smile. "You can come over, you know." She twisted her head to face. "I don't bite."

He walked over at sat down next to her, creating movement on the swing. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Will you hold me?"

He smiled and opened his arms, accepting her tiny body which leaned against his. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Do you regret it?" he asked quietly.

She twisted her head to face him. "What? No. Why would you think that?"

"I don't know. You left me and wondered if…maybe…" He trailed off, not wanting to say it again.

"Troy, honey, I loved it. It was the best decision I ever made. I swear," she whispered, leaning up to place a lingering kiss on his lips before she rested her head back on his shoulder. "I couldn't sleep and I've been tossing and turning for half an hour but I didn't want to wake you up. I guess that didn't work."

"Don't worry. I'm a single dad. I learnt how to wake up easily in case Kaden needed me," he explained. "So, do you mind me asking why you couldn't sleep?"

"I was thinking about everything," she whispered. "I was thinking how you are so incredibly different from Austin. In your character and how you make love to me. I was thinking about your dad." She lifted her head to look at him. "I was thinking about you. You know at the shindig? When you came downstairs?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"I was shocked. You looked so incredibly gorgeous. More so than Austin, which I honestly thought was impossible. I was acting like a schoolgirl. My mouth was hanging over and Sharpay had to tell to shut it. She said that I didn't have to feel guilty about feeling something for another guy. I guess I didn't expect to feel so strongly for anyone after what happened. But, I do," she whispered.

Troy smiled softly. "I get it. Dating women…It wasn't something that had occurred to me after Ellie passed even though I could. I mean, women look at me all of the time."

"They can't now. You're mine," she said softly.

"I know. You're mine, too. So, are you okay?" he asked quietly.

She nodded. "Yeah. I was just thinking how much you changed everything. When I moved down here, I just wanted to be near my friends and when I got your dad's case, I was surprised. When I met you…I was blessed."

"Cheesy much," he teased.

"Shut up," she mumbled. "It's true."

"I know it is. Because I feel the same." He pulled her even closer.

"You know when you first said you love me? I doubted it because of your dad. You know, I'm his lawyer and everything. But, then you kissed me and I knew it'd be okay. But, I need you to be aware of what Meaghan could accuse your father of. I'll need to tell them so that they know. I'm not going to lie. But, your father is at risk," she said softly.

Troy nodded solemnly. "I know. But, if I let you go because of this stupid divorce, he'd quite happily kill me twice over."

She giggled. "Ryan definitely would."

"I have to ask one thing: do you honestly trust me?" he whispered, brushing his lips across her forehead.

She nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Yeah. Why?"

"We may have rushed into this, I don't know what you think. But, I love you so incredibly much and I won't hurt you. At least not on purpose. Hey, I'm a guy. It's a miracle I remember my own birthday, much less other people's. And anniversaries just complicate things. I always forgot mine and Ellie's," he exclaimed.

Gabriella sat up more and smiled up at him. "Tell me about her. I know she's a part of you and I want to know all of you," she murmured. "What was your first time making love like?" She lowered her eyes when he stayed silent. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that. I'm sorry."

He stroked her hair gently. "Would you like to know? I haven't talked about it to anyone except Ellie. It's nice to talk about her like this. Would you like to know?"

She nodded shyly. "Yes, please."

He sighed softly. "We were both virgins, you know. I'd only ever had one other girlfriend and that's why I was so nervous about telling you how I feel. It was our one year anniversary. I wanted to go all out and extravagant for her, but she didn't like things to be over the top. So, I settled for a movie night. Her parents were out of town visiting her grandparents. So, we were curled up on the sofa watching The Lion King. Don't laugh. It's a good movie. It wasn't planned. I mean, we'd never talk about it before. But, it felt so…"

"…magical," she whispered, turning away.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed in surprise. "Is that what it felt with Austin?"

She folded her arms and sighed, leaning her head back to look at the stars. "No," she muttered. "I was talking about you." She swallowed and closed her eyes. "When he proposed, I thought he was the greatest thing in the world. All I wanted that night was Austin. But, he was the first guy to touch me like that." She paused, wrapping her robe tighter around her. "He made me feel like I was lucky to get any pleasure out of it. But, I didn't know any different. I thought that was how it was for everyone. I mean, I'd never even done anything by myself…if you know what I mean." Her cheeks graced a gentle pink. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked at him. "But, when we were upstairs in my bedroom, making love, I felt so peaceful and loved. Every time you touched me, you were so gentle and caring. You always asked if I was okay. You have no idea how much that means to me."

Troy leaned forward and kissed her gently. "You never have to see him again, okay? It's over. You have me now."