A/N: Your patience is ever appreciative. I totally had the motivation to write too, my brain just can't find the words. Anyway, I do want to apologize again for the long a/n in the last chapter: so yeah, I'm extremely sorry! (- now those who don't read this a/n anyways, will see it too)

Timeline: we got four chapters left guys. However, so I can land on an even number, I'm going to push it to five (somehow)

David-El: I am so very sorry I've been unable to respond to your reviews. You've reviewed several times and I've highly appreciated it but I can't seem to be able to contact you, so I'm doing it here. Thanks for your support, and to your latest review the answer is: the issue hasn't been addressed yet to the first, and yes to second (if u take out that 'or' part).

I tend to advertise once or twice, so here's something if you have extra time on ur hands. I personally find humor in it, but perhaps it can be taken seriously. So thanks HeonisticRainbow, whoever you are, for adding to our fandom. FF is being a little stupid right now, so if the link doesn't show up, put the beginning address for youtube on there, and add the ending part.

/watch?v=NQLwgmQj4C4

Chapter Twenty-Five: Forgive and To Get

Troy found Ryan in one of the dancing studios several mornings later, practicing yoga. It seemed that was the morning ritual, for there hadn't been a day that had gone by where Troy woke up to find Ryan still asleep beside him. If Troy saw the blonde boy at all in the morning, it was later when he returned from his exercise.

"Don't you ever get lonely," he asked. Ryan opened his eyes, startled.

"Oh, hey," he said, smiling a little before unraveling from the Lotus pose. "What are you doing here?"

"Breakfast wasn't that good today," he replied, walking closer to him. "I thought you had yoga with a class." He looked around the empty studio, not sure how Ryan could stand the silence.

"I do," he admitted. "But…I don't know… I like this." He gestured around him. "It's quiet."

"Yeah, and so is a cemetery," he said, laughing as he plopped down next to him. Ryan pushed up a smile and shook his head.

"So how are you?" He inquired. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah," Troy allowed. "I'm not used to silk sheets though." Ryan chuckled.

"And you give me crap for not being 'normal'," he said. "Well, you're the oddball in my world now." Troy nodded.

"I guess you're right," he allowed. "But the majority of people aren't rich, so you're still weird." He then nudged him playfully before resting his hand on top of his. "But that's why I like you." He then brought his hand up to his lips and kissed it.

"I can see why you and Gabriella dated for so long," Ryan commented. "You're such a romantic."

"Just one of my charms," he answered brightly, flashing him a wide smile.

"Your ego pushes it though," he told him. "My god." Troy smiled a bit, but as soon as it started to fade, he switched the topic.

"Ry, can I ask you for a favor?" He wondered.

"Anything," Ryan replied.

"I know you've already done so much for me," he said. "But do you think you could get my stuff?" Ryan raised a brow.

"Your stuff?"

"From my house," he explained. "Some of my things hold sentimental value, you know."

"Yeah, sure," he said, understanding what he meant now. "I'll do it."

"You sure?" He asked. "Because I can get Chad to do it too, you know."

"No, I can do it," Ryan assured him. "You sure you don't want to come with, though?" Troy didn't look at him as he shook his head.

"It's a bit soon," he said. "I'm not sure I'm up to it yet." Ryan nodded.

"I'm real sorry about all this," he stated quietly. Troy waved him off.

"Come on, Ry, it's not your fault," he insisted. "And you were right: we just got to keep moving on." He then wrapped his arm around his boyfriend's waist, forcing him to sit closer. "Plus I have you." He then kissed the top of his head. Ryan blushed in his embrace before kissing him back.

"Is there anything in particular you want me to pack," he asked.

"Yeah, I'll make a list later," he replied. "Right now I just want to spend time with you."

"So I won't be finishing my yoga?"

"Nope," he answered as his lips met Ryan's. Ryan smiled into the intimacy, using the hand that wasn't already interlocked with Troy's to keep his face from leaving.

x x x X x x x

Ryan sighed as he took his keys from the valet. He had to admit, this task Troy asked him to do was not his favorite, but if it somehow balanced his guilt, he was willing to do it.

"Hey," the voice came from behind as he opened the driver's door. He turned and found Sharpay standing in front of the Lava Springs entrance, oversized sunglasses blocking her eyes.

"I thought we were done talking," he said softly.

"Ryan, can I just – "

"No," he interrupted coldly. "Don't you get it, Shar? I said I was done." He turned back towards his car.

"Oh, and I'm the bitch," Sharpay said sarcastically. "I just came to tell you that – " she hesitated, for her next words felt like acid on her tongue as well as a sign of weakness, "I'm sorry." He looked back at her.

"You're apologizing?"

She crossed her arms over her chest, still rather uncomfortable with the situation.

"Well, I said it, didn't I?" She questioned. She stepped towards him. "I have to face it, Ry: you're my brother and no matter how mad I can get at you, it can't be forever. I just wanted to make sure that we're still good."

He nodded, thinking it over. "I guess we are."

"Good," she said pointedly. "Because I was starting to worry about you. You've been so… different lately. I don't know if Julliard is turning you into a bitch or what, but you haven't been my kid brother."

"Shar," he reminded her. "We're twins."

"I'm still older," she insisted. "Anyway, I guess I was just…jealous. I mean, you knew I had been pining after Troy since, like, ever. And now all of a sudden, you get him. I just – you didn't even tell me you guys were even interested in each other."

"I know," he said quietly. "I'm sorry about that." They were both quiet a moment. Sharpay even looked like she was using her brain in deciding what to say next.

"You remember that chick flick movie we watched," she wondered. "It was called 27 Dresses and it was about that girl who was always the bridesmaid, but never the bride. And she was in love with her boss who wasn't interested in her and started dating her sister instead. Remember that?"

Ryan nodded, a smile toying at his lips. "It had James Marsden in it."

"You still have a thing for him," she asked, noticing the glazed look in his eyes.

"What? He's still hot," he argued. "Even if he is like twenty years older than me." She rolled her eyes.

"Anyway," she continued. "That's what I felt like: I should be happy for you but instead I felt like I got shot." Ryan felt that twinge of guilt hit him again.

"I'm sorry, Shar," he stated. She let the words hang in the air for a while before sighing, seeming to get rid of all those feelings.

"Well, it's over now," she said, her normal overly confident personality shining through again. "You're still my brother and I can't lose you to something stupid like this. I mean, how can I ever go shopping again if you're not there to critique me?" He laughed, shaking his head at her comment.

"So where are you going," she asked, turning her attention towards the vehicle. "I thought we had some time left before you go back to New York."

"Oh," he said, reminded of his duty. "I have to get Troy's things from his house."

"Why?"

"Were you not paying attention," he wondered. "I told you, Troy's kind of banned from the house right now. So he asked me if I could go pack his stuff, so I said yes." Sharpay shook her head.

"What a baby," she remarked.

"Look, it's my fault he's kicked out, so this is the least I can do for him," he explained.

"It's not your fault that he's gay," she pointed out. "So quit beating yourself up and let's go." She advanced towards the passenger's side.

"You're coming with?"

"Ryan, they think you turned their son gay," she said tersely. "You don't want to go alone."

x x x X x x x

"I forgot how poor Troy was," Sharpay commented when they pulled up to the curb. Ryan looked back at her, his expression puzzled.

"Shar, his family is like middle class," he corrected.

"Exactly," she replied before exiting the vehicle. Ryan sat for a moment, dumbfounded, before following her out.

"I don't even know what I'm supposed to say to them," he admitted, lagging a few steps behind his sister.

"Quit worrying Ry, it just makes things worse," she retorted. Reaching the door, she rang the bell. Ryan fumbled with a button on his shirt while they waited for someone to answer.

It wasn't long until Lucille came to the door, pushing up a smile for the visitors.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"Yeah, we're here to pack up Troy's things," Sharpay answered. "I'm Sharpay Evans, and this is my brother Ryan." She gestured towards him with a flick of her hand. Mrs. Bolton nodded, Ryan's name registering in her mind.

"All right-y then," she said. "Come in." Sharpay came in and Ryan muttered a thanks for both of them.

"His room's upstairs, right," Sharpay asked. Lucille nodded, although her eyes seemed a bit distant.

"Would you like something to eat," she asked. "I've got cookies in the kitchen."

"No thanks," Ryan declined, heading for the stairs. "But thanks for offering." Lucille gently put her hand on his arm, stopping him from leaving.

"Is he staying with you?" She asked quietly. Ryan looked at her, finally taking notice in the weariness of her face and the quiet desperation to hear that her son was okay. Family seemed to mean more to the Boltons than it did to the Evans'. In Ryan's experience, family was just a hollow word used to describe the people he lived with or had as parents. But just looking at Lucille, he knew it meant everything to Troy. It was a special bond and no matter the situation, a part of it still remained.

Ryan nodded softly in answer to her question. "Yeah, he misses you guys," he added before heading up the stairs, where Sharpay was already going through his stuff.

"All right," he said when he came into the room, looking at the slip of paper Troy had given him. "Troy says he's got some boxes in his closet leftover from when he came back from Berkeley." He turned in that direction and grabbed a few of them. Sharpay paid no attention as she looked through his trophies.

"Hey, Shar," he summoned. "Can you pack up his clothes?" He tossed her one of the boxes and assigned himself to packing up pictures and scrapbooks. This task wasn't as hard as Ryan initially believed it to be, although there was a sort of eerie silence between his sister and himself as they continued to pack. Silence was never Sharpay's strength, but yet she seemed quieter than he was.

His attention soon drifted to the window that peered out on the backyard. Sure enough, Ryan caught sight of Jack Bolton shooting hoops on the basketball court. However, no matter how many balls he shot, not one of them made it in the basket.

Ryan bit his lip. Like father like son.