A/N: This chapter took me a long while because I actually had writer's block. lol

I don't own:

HSM

I do own:

Derek

Samantha

Storyline

Chapter 24 – His biggest fear

Gabriella sat on the steps and watched a firework display that was being set off that evening. She was still in her bikini and sarong and was rubbing her hands together in the cold. Troy knew, literally, everything to know about her and that's what scared her. It scared her to realise that she had let Troy in all of the way. She hadn't meant to, she was quite happy for him to stay in Hollywood and be oblivious to her existence but knowing that he knew all of her secrets scared her because that meant she was vulnerable to Troy. Troy was capable of hurting her and she knew it.

"Hey." A voice said from behind her.

She turned around and saw Troy approaching with a large mug of coffee and a blanket. "Hi Troy."

"I thought you might be cold." He said, giving her the coffee and slipping the blanket around her shoulders before sitting next to her.

She took a sip gratefully and nodded. "I am. What about you?"

"I'm fine." He replied, taking the cup and taking his own sip.

She raised her eyebrows knowingly.

"Okay, I am a bit cold." He sighed, taking the edge of the blanket and placing it around his own shoulders.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" She whispered as a few more fireworks were set off.

Troy nodded silently. "Do you want to go bowling tomorrow?"

She turned her head and laughed. "That's random. But, yes. I'd like that. But, in the afternoon, we go swimming."

Troy nodded. "It's a deal."

They watched the fireworks quietly and Gabriella slowly rested her head on Troy's shoulder. "I wonder if we'd be as strong if I was older."

"I don't know. But, I'm glad you're the age you are." He whispered softly.

"You know Derek's planning on proposing to Sam." She said quietly, spotting her brother and Samantha on the beach, sharing a sweet kiss before turning their heads back to the fireworks.

"Really?" Troy asked sarcastically. "Never saw that one coming."

Gabriella giggled quietly. "I know. He's so in love with her. He puts on this act of being tough and fearless but I think his biggest fear is losing her."

"No." He replied quietly, his gaze still locked on the fireworks before turning to Gabriella. "His biggest fear is losing you. You see it in his eyes. When you're hurt...the look on his face...He loves you so much. I know that. Believe me, when he punched me, I got the picture."

Gabriella giggled quietly and kissed his cheek. "You know, it sounds childish and stupid but I promised him that when I get married, he'd walk me down the aisle. He's the closest thing I've got to a dad."

Troy nodded quietly. "I know, baby."

She stood up silently. "I'm going to go to bed. Are you coming?"

Troy smiled slightly and nodded, following her into the house.

"That was not fair!" Gabriella yelled half-heartedly through giggles as she threw a gutter-ball. "You tripped me."

"You'll get over it." Troy smirked, picking up a ball and lining it up. He was about to swing back when he saw Gabriella slipping her jacket off, innocent enough, right? Not to Troy. To Troy, that brief moment, where her tanned shoulders were being exposed, was going in slow motion. They had a lane right by a window and the sun was making Gabriella's brown curls glow beautifully. He swung his arm back unconsciously and let it go, only redirecting his attention to the lane when he realised he, too, had a gutter ball.

Gabriella giggled. "Well, Mr Bolton, revenge is always sweet."

His eyes widened. "You knew you were doing that!" He accused.

"Doing what?" She asked innocently. "I was only taking my jacket off. Anyway, my turn." She took a ball and walked over to the lane, taking a back swing and releasing the heavy ball. "Strike!"

Troy frowned. "I can't believe I got beat by a girl. A fourteen year old girl!"

Gabriella shook her head as she undid her shoelaces. "Maybe but it's just basic physics and geometry."

"So that's why I lost." He muttered, handing his shoes over at the counter and slipping his sneakers on.

Gabriella did the same and smirked. "Are you sure you graduated high school. From what I hear, it doesn't sound like you passed many classes."

"I did!" Troy defended as they left the arcade.

"Like what? You don't understand Spanish, you obviously don't get physics or geometry..." She rambled.

"How about ice cream?" He interrupted.

She stopped talking and grinned like a little girl. "Ice cream? Yes please!"

Troy chuckled and they approached an ice cream van. "Um, one ninety-nine and one...Brie, what do you want?"

Gabriella stared at the board before turning to the driver who was handing Troy his ice cream. "Can I have a strawberry ninety-nine with chocolate sauce please?"

The man nodded and handed her the cone. "Two twenty please."

Troy handed the money over and they started walking through the park. "So, we'll have this and then go swimming?"

Gabriella took a bite of her flake and nodded. "Sounds cool." She thought of something as she slowly ate her chocolate flake. "Hey, Troy?"

He turned his head towards her and gasped when the coldness of her ice cream came in contact with his nose. "Oh no, you didn't, Montez."

Gabriella shrugged, placing her cone in the bin. "Maybe I did...Maybe I didn't."

Troy placed his own cone in the bin and stared at her with raised eyebrows. "Really?" He then pounced on her, wrestling her to the floor.

Gabriella then rolled them over and grinned down on him. "Pinned you."

Troy pushed her off. "Let me up!" He then leapt on her again but, once again she pinned him to the grass.

"Pinned you again." She smiled cheekily.

"How do you know how to wrestle?" He asked, staring up at her.

"It's called having an older brother. When Rachel grows up, you'll be wrestling with her too." She smiled softly, leaning down and quickly brushing her lips against his cheek.

Troy dunked himself under the water and splashed around. Gabriella was sat on the dock and burst into giggles at the sight. "Troy, come on!"

"I'm drowning!" He spluttered, waving his arms around.

She shook her head and stood up, walking back and running, doing a cannonball into the cold water. "This is freezing!"

"I'll warm you up." He compromised, snaking his arms around her waist.

She rolled her eyes. "Working on your pick up lines?"

"I got that from Chad!"

"That explains it." She muttered, shaking her head.

He rolled his eyes. "He's not that bad."

Gabriella nodded. "He is, though." She smiled at him before kissing him sweetly.

He pulled back and smiled at her. "Man, I've got it bad for you, right?"

"According to everyone we know." She whispered softly.

Gabriella took a sip of her coffee and entwined her finger's with Troy's that were hung around her shoulder. "Oh, hi Derek." She said, noticing her brother and Samantha enter the living room.

Derek smiled at the couple who were cuddled up on the sofa. "How was swimming?"

"Great." Troy answered.

"What have you guys been doing?" Gabriella asked.

"We went to the movies and then had some food at a restaurant." Samantha explained.

"Cool. We're watching this and then going to bed." Gabriella explained.

"Cool. I'm going to get changed into my pyjamas and then we can watch something after you guys go." Samantha asked.

He nodded and kissed her before she went into the bedroom she was sharing with him. He was still staring at the door when he heard laughing. He turned and saw Troy and Gabriella laughing breathlessly on the couch. "What?" He asked incredulously.

Troy stopped laughing and looked at him. "Dude, you're hooked. And you're planning on making out with her."

"Says the man with a fourteen year old." He shot back, flopping down next to Gabriella.

"Touché." Troy muttered, turning his attention back to the TV screen.

Gabriella giggled, resting a hand on his chest. "Calm down, superstar."

Troy relaxed and sighed, stroking Gabriella's hair. "I know. I'm sorry, Brie."

She leaned up and kissed him sweetly. "It's okay."

Samantha walked back out and sat down next to Derek and rested her head on his shoulder. "So when does this finish?"

"Now." Gabriella sighed, giving the remote to Derek and standing up. "Good night." She smiled and walked into her bedroom and laid Troy's shirt and her shorts on the bed. She pulled the shirt she was wearing over her head and let her hair out of the pony tail. She jumped when she heard the door open. She turned around, holding her shirt to her chest and relaxed when she saw Troy. "Troy, you scared me."

He smirked, closing the door behind him and walking over to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled down at her. "If I know this was what I was going to see, I'd have come sooner."

She rolled her eyes. "Troy, I want my pyjamas on."

"Why do that when I'd take the shirt off again?" He asked cheekily.

She shook her head. "I'm putting my pyjamas on." She said determinedly as she grabbed her pyjamas and walked into the adjoining bathroom to change, torturing him.

She walked back out in his shirt and her shorts. Troy had stripped down to his boxers and was lying on the bed, sitting against the headboard. She placed her dirty clothes in her bag before crawling onto the bed next to Troy. "Hey." He whispered quietly to her as she settled in his arms.

She kissed his bare chest softly and smiled up at him. "Hey."

Troy stared at her beautiful face that was split in a small smile before taking her upper arms and pinning her to the mattress and smiling down at her. "Well, Montez, what are we doing tonight?"

"I guess something involving my boyfriend lying on top of me." She whispered, running her hands over his chest.

"I guess it does." He whispered before leaning down slowly and kissing her sweetly. The kisses got hotter as their tongues battled furiously for dominance. Troy's hands slowly pulled her shirt up and broke away to pull it over her head. His eyes widened when he realised she wasn't wearing a bra.

She realised it too and quickly brought her arms over her chest in protection. She looked up nervously at him and tried to move under him but he held her firmly. "Troy, let me go."

"Why? You're beautiful." He gently removed her arms and gazed down at her. "At least I think so." He whispered before kissing her gently again. He pulled back and looked deeply into her eyes. "I won't go all the way but if you don't like anything I do, just tell me."

She nodded quietly.

He started to softly kiss her neck and bit down on her soft spot. She gasped loudly and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close. He trailed down and started to kiss her breasts softly. He looked up at her and kissed her lips. "I love you so much."

She smiled and nodded. "I love you too."