A/N: The song for this chapter is "Faithfully".

Enjoy. For those of you who don't read author's notes, there is only one more chapter after this one. Thank you for reading, as always.

"I think it's time to get going."

The words never stung so hard, nor left such a jab in her heart. Gabriella looked up, befuddled, at her best friend. Pulse quickening and desperation bubbling in her stomach, she quickly shook her head, "No, no you guys don't have to leave yet, do you?"

The wary glance Taylor sent Jason from across the couch did not go unnoticed by Gabriella, even if her breath began to escalade with desperation causing her to break away from reality. While seated upon the ground, she pulled her bare legs closer to her chest to keep from splitting in half. After an excruciatingly long minute, Taylor tore her gaze from him and smiled sadly at her, "Gabriella… it's going on eight and all of us are dead tired from last night."

"Are you kidding? Everyone looks alive as ever!"

As she survived the scene, this denial was furthest from the truth. Jason's eyelids were fighting to remain opened and stared at the television that glimmered in the darkness. Chad was sprawled over the couch, snoring loudly. Taylor's eyes were bloodshot and Sharpay was lying pathetically on the floor with a pillow covering her blonde curls. The only one unaffected was the man seated in the chair that provided as her back rest, with his jean covered leg mere inches away from her bare arms. Troy was erect, yet not uncomfortable. It made her pores tingle with desire to be so close to him. She didn't want any of them to leave, especially him.

"Gabs, we're all tired and slightly hungover," Jason confessed and rose to a stance, "It's time to head back to the… hotel."

Taylor then took that as the cue to gently shake Chad's shoulder. Gabriella, however, was unconvinced. Leaping to her feet, the carpet rumbled beneath her and stirred a slumbering Sharpay. There was both bemusement and slight fright when Gabriella took a step forward, her voice trembling, "Are you guys bored? Because we could get a poker game going or something… Oh! I think I have Catch Phrase in the closet." She hysterically began to rush towards the door of her room, but was quickly captured by the bicep.

Spinning her around, Jason took her shoulders in his grasp and forced her to look up at him, "Gabriella. We're going to be back tomorrow. We need to go."

Frantic, Gabriella shook her head, "No… no you can just stay here…"

"Gab." Another voice, a beautiful voice, hummed in her ear. She quickly whirled her head around, slapped Jason's cheeks with her curls in the process, and felt lightning surge through her toes as the backs of Troy's fingers delicately ran down the surface of her arm now that he was standing, "We're not going anywhere, alright?" He cooed – the intensity of his eyes was overwhelming. She was thankful Jason was holding her upright, for her legs became jello.

Gabriella deliberated this for a brief moment, weighing the chances of whether or not he would keep his promise. Finally, she sighed and gazed through her lashes at Jason once again, pleading, "You promise you'll come back first thing in the morning?"

Flickering his sights towards Taylor once again, Jason smirked before collecting her into his arms. Gabriella could feel the burn of two lasers into the back of her head when the photographer's lips pressed to her forehead, but had it bothered him, Troy remained silent. Fluttering her eyes closed, Gabriella looped her arms around his torso and Jason tucked her head beneath his chin, rocking her back and forth ever so slightly. She could feel his hands rub down her back soothingly, as though silently confirming his promise to her.

Tipping her head to his chest, Jason pushed back a heap of her curls before she looked up at him once again, "I promise. You can't get rid of me, babe. I'm like an annoying thorn."

Through everything that had happened back in New York and now into Los Angeles, Jason Cross had been loyal to her side. From the moment he poked fun at her stained blouse, the two had become inseparable. She had confided in him through the journey of discovering Troy's past, he had cried to her when Kelsi broke up with him two months ago. They had grown a bond that would never be replaced. They weren't comparable to siblings, since siblings liked to rip each other's throats out – they were closer. The distance would not falter this; Gabriella was certain that they would remain in their teasing phases through the rest of time. And she honestly didn't know what she would do without him.

Gabriella smiled widely, "But you're my favorite thorn."

Jason scrunched his nose, "You damn well know it."

The other hugs she received were slightly less dramatic – Sharpay could barely stand on her own and Chad kept it short and sweet, along with Taylor. She attempted to prolong their departure by offering food or getting sweatshirts for the ninety degree weather outside her door, but Taylor was insistent on hurrying them out. Before she was truly ready to take on the task, Gabriella found herself turning around and her breath sucking in when she caught sight of Troy staring at her longingly.

She felt like a little girl when he approached her with a sad curl upon his lip - too afraid to turn off the lights at bedtime. Although she knew they were present, the others were lost in her apartment.

"I'll just see you tomorrow, then?" His eyes twinkled when he spoke, the lines creased in the corner of his lids.

Gabriella said nothing, but instead squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want him to leave, he couldn't.

"Night Gab." Troy parted, grazing her cheek with the back of his hand.

The moment he stepped away, a sudden surge of love burst through her veins. She couldn't let him go, no matter if they were together or not. She felt desperation rush to her heart, a fire in her chest. Her eyes flew open and she shot her arm out, catching his wrist. He recoiled, surprised when she tugged with strength. Towards the door, Taylor gasped and Jason began to snicker triumphantly, but it was unheard as Gabriella stared up at him.

"Stay." Gabriella hissed, though it wasn't cynical. It was raw, powerful, and pleading – begging.

Troy's mouth hung open agape. She could tell he was struggling to find the necessary words to convey the fight within, but he was speechless. Gabriella herself was surprised by her forwardness, but allowing him to walk out the door seemed like a much more deadly option than her mortification.

"Gab," he swallowed, "I-"

"We can set up a bed on the couch." Gabriella interrupted, breathless, "Troy, I just… please. I don't want to be alone."

Troy looked down at their connection on his arm, as though it would reveal the most ethical answer. Her heartbeat punched against her chest, wildly. Chewing upon her lip, she counted the number of seconds before Troy's eyes flashed upwards, hot and passionate.

"You guys can take my key." Troy announced loudly before reaching for his jeans pocket, making Gabriella's toes go numb and her heart melt like butter. She was too drunk off his words to question why they would need Troy's hotel key if they had their own.

Gabriella turned around to see all of they, with the exception of unconscious Sharpay, were beaming brightly at the two of them. Jason, however, shrugged with a wicked smirk, "No need, man. I stole it an hour ago."

"And I grabbed some clothes for you while we were at yo… the hotel." Taylor confessed proudly, the clear planner of the group, "They're in Gabriella's closet."

"You did what?" He asked, perplexed.

Gabriella and Troy looked at each other at the same time, dumbfounded, realizing they had been set up.

"I told you you'd want your privacy!" Jason sung as he ripped the door opened and wiggled his fingers, "Be safe!" He called before the door slammed to a shut behind, leaving Troy and Gabriella standing, shocked.

It was going to be a long night.

Gabriella had never wanted anything more than she wanted Troy Bolton that night.

However, with this want, there were so many layers that didn't quite make it black and white. The first, the obvious, was the burning pulsation between her legs that craved to be filled. It was the most primitive of wants, the most simplistic that caused her to cross her legs in a pretzel style as she sat upon the floor as he propped his elbow upon his knee and leaned against the couch – a midway between vertical and horizontal. This desire was mild, however, compared to the inferno that scorched in her heart. She wanted him. All of him, they way they were just a few months ago in the blissful city of Albuquerque. The emotional attachment, once again, was all she needed. She refused to listen to her physical desires unless she knew that he was not about to escape on her. She would never have a one night stand with Troy Bolton – he meant too damn much to her.

"I'm serious! The guy just totally wiped out on a banana peel. I swear to god, it was like a cartoon." Gabriella giggled uncontrollably as Troy threw his head back in laughter, tears beginning to collect in the corner of his eyes.

"God, I would have killed to see that." Troy stated, not even bothering to screen the irony of his comment

Gabriella timidly glanced downwards at the piles of cardboard boxes that created white and red mountains a few feet away from them. The aroma of Chinese takeout still filled the steamy apartment, even if the bay window had been opened to filter the balming Californian air. She wasn't sure how long they had been sitting on the ground, which was slightly idiotic since the couch was plainly open, but she didn't care. They had never been typical, therefore the position reflected the balance of their relationship, for lack of a better term, one Gabriella would never trade away.

"So you basically know everything that ever happened to me since I moved out here." Gabriella said, looking up through him through the flutter of her lashes, "What has happened in the past three months with you?"

Troy let out a breath that sounded like a laugh, "Your life has been much more exciting than mine has been."

Gabriella smiled, though her stomach was panging with anxiousness, "Nope, I'm tired of talking. It's your turn."

"Demanding." He joked, sticking out his tongue.

Rolling her eyes, she unconsciously scooted closer to him, admiring the way the golden light highlighted the bronze in his face, "Troy, don't make me get the laptop out to Google you."

It was strange how easily she was able to joke about the task she had sent out to do while in New York. She would have expected, had it been anyone else, they would have felt being left alone was awkward or uncomfortable. But after ranting about their traitorous friends' scheme of banishing them to each other, Gabriella commented of how hungry she was. Troy had rolled his eyes, teasing her of her love of food, and called the local takeout restaurant. The atmosphere was easy with zero tension between the two ex-lovers. As it was supposed to be.

"Don't waste your time." He snickered, "seriously, Gab, nothing exciting has really happened. I've been getting pulled to tux fittings and shit for the wedding." Gabriella blushed, imagining how incredible he would look in a black suit.

"Jason says even Zeke is acting psychotic."

Troy snorted, "On his good days. The current debate is who should be his best man. Sharpay and his brother John don't get along, so he wants to please her." A roll of the eyes, "I swear to God, I can't figure out why the hell he wants to marry her. I mean, being friends with her is tough enough."

Nodding, she remembered sitting in the coffee shop back in New York and remembered the story of Sharpay's desire to have him in her manicured clutches. It made Gabriella slightly smug, that all these females had wanted him at one point, but Gabriella had snatched him. Of course, the cockiness quickly faded – she didn't even know if he was dating someone else, but she did know that he certainly wasn't hers. Not anymore.

"You got my email about the Warriors, right?" Troy asked, making conversation more than boasting.

She saw the shimmer of cockiness and pride that he had held when he was in high school as he spoke. Gabriella nodded eagerly, "Yes! Congratulations, by the way. Making it to the championship is an amazing feat."

"Thank you," his hand skimmed over the white carpet, "They're going to be great next year too. It's too bad I won't see 'em."

A memory of reading he had resigned from his post as coach flooded her brain, "They're going to miss you."

He shrugged, "They'll be fine. And Leo's headed to Duke. He's going to shine."

She sighed and gazed up at him warily – choking on her words before they came out, "I still don't get why you aren't going to coach next year."

A long, drawn smirk drew over his face that was anything but sad – the opposite of what she would have expected. Simply shrugging his shoulders, Troy watched her every move as he spoke, "I think it's finally time for me to leave that part of my life behind. With me finishing school for the year and everything a few weeks ago."

Her fingers crossed each other, feeling a rush of a flush again, remembering how much he shined in college, how he could have experienced the greatness Leo would undoubtedly receive. Troy noticed her coyness, for he sent her a warming grin, "Um…are you, I mean, never mind-" Gabriella struggled to speak the words that she so desperately wanted to ask, but figured it wasn't her place.

Troy tilted his head curiously, "Ask me." His eyes shined brilliantly.

"Are you seeing anyone?"

Instead of being taken aback of the candidness, Troy simply looked down with a smile, "No, at least not right now," the look he gave her after the statement made her stomach flip, "Are you?"

"No." Gabriella responded hurriedly, adding, "I mean… not presently."

"Huh…" He mused, inching the slightest bit closer to him without subtly.

There was another question – one that Gabriella had been curious about since he first arrived on her doorstep with a magenta bang in his clutches. In fact, it had been longer than that. Gabriella had been consumed with the thought since the fateful night that she last saw him in New York – the night that should have been celebrated in victory for her discovery, but it was the furthest from. She unconsciously picked at one of her curls, avoiding him.

Of course, Troy noticed. His fingers gently lifted her chin to his line of vision, "You're quiet." His hand never left her skin as it shifted towards her cheek, gingerly caressing with his thumb. The response was overwhelming – the temperature prickled beneath her.

"I just – I want to ask you something… but I don't want to offend you."

"Try me." He murmured; his face closed the distance between them ever so slightly.

"Are you and Alicia better now?"

His response was unexpected – Gabriella had assumed he would have beamed with happiness that they had reconnected or he would have shoved her away in anger for bringing it up. Instead, however, Troy's face left no hint of extreme emotion. He was neutral, only halting his ministrations because the question was not anticipated. That didn't change how she felt. Gabriella continued to hold her breath.

"The last time I spoke to her was that night." He answered.

Gabriella, despite how much she disliked the lawyer, took hold of his wrist in comfort, cupping his elbow as it slid down.

"I don't even know what to say." Gabriella confessed, staring down at the ground.

"It was for the best. Our friendship was too fucked up, and I hope she's happy somewhere else with someone else."

"I'm sorry." It was meaningful, given the situation., "that must have been hard for you."

"It was a rough week." He confessed - his voice was tight and intense.

Troy picked back up where he left off and began to caress her once again. The feel was hypnotic. It was a strange sensation. In the summer heat, his tips felt as though they were ocean waves rolling over the beach. Yet, lava plundered beneath the surface, steady and powerful, shifting the build and shape of the earth in its path. Her eyes fluttered closed, reveling in what made this touch different from what she received from others. This had its own signature, one that could and would never be replicated by anyone else she would ever encounter. It was his, only his.

"You okay?" Troy whispered softly, brushing his thumb over her lips by accident. Gabriella jumped, but a good kind of jump, an electrical kind of jump.

She opened her eyes and stared up at him, dark eyes boring with affection. Troy matched her intensity as she swallowed and squeezed his elbow tighter, "I'm fine. I promise."

"Then what is it?" He barely spoke; it was a breath, instead.

Gabriella dropped her head, coyly, "Um…. It's just that… this," another pulse on his arm, "I missed this."

There was a sudden shift in Troy, like a light switch had been flicked on. His face was illuminated and golden, and suddenly close, "Yeah?"

"But it shouldn't." She said quickly to keep from her embarrassment.

She looked up at him again, feeling the smolder of cerulean burn into the core of her bones. Nothing was ever awkward between the two, but the seconds that ticked away were both excruciating and blissful. Troy didn't stop his delicate strokes, but instead cupped her cheek just beneath her eye. Gabriella felt a magnetic pull raise her to her knees, equal to his height. Troy flickered between both of her irises with a small curl of his lips. She wished that this moment would never end, but she also begged that the anticipation of what was about to occur would cease. Her entire body willed for her to scoot closer, breathe harder, and love inexorably.

"You're right, you shouldn't." His breath was hot, fire spilling over her nose and forehead.

"Definitely not." She was inches from him, mere centimeters from where she belonged.

"Then I guess," he paused, curling his hand around the back of her neck and making her breath hitch, "You shouldn't miss this either…"

His lips were both familiar and uncharted at the same time. Gabriella gasped into his mouth, remembering the feel. Not only had she not kissed him in over three months, but she hadn't kissed anyone. It only took a brief moment to reacquaint herself with the task, however. Troy's lips were tender and careful, though every second that passed left a wake of intensity. Gabriella soon found their mouths lingering longer upon each other, his bottom lip between hers, his tongue running against the corners of her suppressed smile. It was a perfect mix of sexy and sweet, with love sprinkled on top.

The restrain, however, only lasted a few minutes. Soon, Troy's hand reached into the nest of her curls and wound his fingers through each spiral, bringing her closer. Gabriella's body began to ache with desire to press every inch of her against him, to rediscover the curves and crevices of his muscles and limbs. Gabriella's hand cupped his elbow as he pulled away slightly; his eyes were half opened and shining with adoration. It was she who initiated the kiss then, tilting his jaw downwards to grant him a deeper access into her. Their mouths opened in synchronization – a slow waltz of lust.

She didn't think – not about where she was or who she was for that matter. All she was concerned of was to bring back the fantasies that she had dreamed of so many nights while she was gone. The way his hand ran down her side and sent shivers down her spine or the taste of passion on his lips was resurrected. Her life of newspaper clippings and recorders was gone; all that was important was how long this dream would last until she would awaken again, very alone.

Finally, Troy pulled away, but not far enough. He gazed upon her, his eyes reflective of a midnight sun. Gabriella hung with her mouth unhinged. Slowly, steadily, Troy pushed back her freshly cut bangs with his forearms before encircling her into his muscles, "Come here…" He whispered longingly.

Before Gabriella knew what was happening, his large hands hooked her bare thigh over his hips so she was straddling his waist. His lips sprinkled kisses down the side of her neck to initiate the dive of her hands into his scalp. The intimacy of the curve of his hips with his back against the couch and his knees raised behind her was unbearable. She was completely consumed in his grasp, as though he was claiming her as his.

But was he?

Despite the rush of need that surged through her body, Gabriella's mind suddenly began to function again. Although the sensations Troy sent rolling down her spine were overwhelming, she had a brief memory of what the weeks after she left Troy had been like. The pierce in her heart, though it was completely disappeared, left a ring of a ghost. She could suddenly recall the nights she spent, crying to herself until she was too exhausted to continue. The thought of reliving the tears, if he left, would be unbearable. Troy Bolton lived in New York, away from the glitz and glamour of LA. Would one night be worth her heartbreak?

She then remembered her promise to herself – she would not have a one night stand with Troy Bolton. She loved him too damn much for that.

"I missed you, so fucking much." He mumbled before kissing her soundlessly again.

It took every ounce of strength to detach her lips from his and pull away, her eyes burning with longing and hidden tears. Her hands rested on his shoulders as he pushed back her hair again and attempted to continue where they left off. Gabriella, however, placed her fingers upon his lips and softly halted him, "Troy…" Her voice croaked.

The rejection suddenly dawned. Troy, although not recoiling, suddenly went placid. Gabriella gnawed upon her lip, kicking herself mentally for the hurt that washed over him. She could feel it – the way the makeshift backrest of his knees stiffened and his hands clenched possessively in her hair.

Troy had a sad smile on his face when he dropped his head to stare at where they were joined, "I shouldn't have assumed…"

Gabriella shook her head. Her fingers gripped his bangs and forced up to look upwards, into the burn of her eyes, "I'm sorry… Troy, I'm so sorry." The way he clawed at her back, hanging onto any moment possible made her wish to retract the words so desperately. She slowly ran circles into his scalp as he pressed his head against her shirt covering her chest, hiding.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." he whispered, pressing his lips against the curve of her neck, whether he was consciously aware he was doing it or not was irrelevant, "I should I figured you would have… moved on…"

"It's not that I don't want to do this," Gabriella promised, bringing his head back upwards again to meet her smolder, "I just can't do this knowing that it's just one night. It would… it would hurt too much. Losing you once… I can't do it again…"

She felt a rush of pink upon her cheeks when she realized what she just confessed. In that time, however, she missed the sparkle that exploded from his eyes at the words. Sighing, Gabriella attempted to lean backwards to dismount him to keep from making a mistake, but Troy's hands gripped tightly against her sides, keeping her in place. She furrowed her black eyebrows, perplexed by his insistency to hold her. It was then that she noticed the increase of his breath, working the courage to never flicker from her.

"So… if this," his forefinger, trembling, motioned the connection between them before returning them to her waist, "wasn't just a night? What would it mean?"

Gabriella didn't understand – wasn't he returning back to New York as soon as the rest of the gang stepped on the plane as well? Why was he putting her through this torture to confess her feelings and break her heart all over again? But the glimmer of hope that shined in his eyes indicated that something more was occurring.

Falling into the trap of his features, Gabriella swallowed, her voice shaking, "It would mean… I wouldn't want to be without you ever again."

Troy cupped either side of her face, the yellow glow from above making him appear more alive than he ever had before, "What if I told you I wasn't going back to New York?" Troy hurried as he spoke fiercely.

Gabriella was speechless, breathless. Reality was unable to be grasped upon. This was certainly a dream, a fantasy she had conjured in her hangover. This was a joke – there was no other explanation for the sanity of it. It was simply a sick and masochistic taunt to keep her from being happy. But Gabriella couldn't help but linger on his words, pretending for a brief moment that they were true and what it would mean. She matched his pants, far more intense than the struggles for air she had had while kissing him. The emotion that grew within, the pleads were overwhelming. Gabriella felt dizzy.

"I'd say you're lying." Gabriella hissed, a desperate kind of hiss.

Troy ignored her, "What if I told you I've been living in LA for the past two weeks? That the gang is in my lease instead of a hotel?"

She froze; Jason had been so persistent about being sure they stayed at an apparent hotel, "I'd tell you to stop shitting me." Tears flooded her eyes, happy tears.

He was staying.

He brought her forehead to his, massaging the nape of her neck, "What if I told you I had an interview at an office today as a PT and got it?" His smile rushed over his cheeks, leaving no room for fibs. It then made sense, the reason he was so dressed up that morning. An interview made much more sense than a gym visit.

The tears finally began to slip down her cheeks as she fought back both a sob and a smile. The word was stopping around her, and all that was left was him.

"I'd say I don't believe it."

"What if-" he whispered, "what if I told you I've never been in love with anyone the way I am with you?"

Gabriella didn't hesitate.

"I'd say I love you too."

When they kissed this time, it was much different than they had a few minutes before. An explosion of lightning was neither as hot as their lips. It burst – with love imploding between her toes and up to her heart. This wasn't out of lust, this was developed from the very depths of her soul, holding adoration with each probe. They weren't racing time, they weren't in a hurry to save the moment together for lonelier times. The longitude of the flick of their tongues and the strokes of their bodies were purposely slowed to celebrate. Nothing could break them apart.

Therefore, when Troy thrust upwards too hard and Gabriella toppled onto her back, crashing into the carpet with a loss of balance, he merely snickered and wiggled carefully to hover over her.

Gabriella grinned ridiculously, gripping the sides of his face as he balanced on his forearms to keep from crushing her, "Is this real? Are you staying here?"

His nose nuzzled hers, "If you'll have me."

"On two conditions."

Troy pecked her lips, "Name 'em."

Gabriella's hands ran down the muscles in his arms, raising goosebumps, "You promise me that there's nothing more to your past that you haven't told me."

Although some may have felt offense to this, Troy snickered instead, "I swear on my basketball, there's nothing more to it," his lips hung mere inches over hers, "And the second?"

"You'll buy me a Hello Kitty pencil to match my pen."

The sound of her giggle was silenced by the smacking of his lips against hers.