Chapter 54

Disclaimer: I do not own High Scool Musical or any of its characters.

December 14 Saturday

Maria left for work early Saturday morning, claiming she needed to finish up some paperwork without the usual distractions of a busy office. In truth she wanted to give the young couple some alone time. She knew that between Basketball, scholastic decathlon, and dealing with their friends and family's reaction to their marriage that they'd had very little time to themselves. So she'd talked to Troy as he came in from his morning run, informing him that she had lunch plans with a friend and would likely be home after 3pm.

Troy grinned as Maria left the house then bounded up the stairs and rushed through his shower hoping to be able to climb back into bed with Gabriella before she woke up.

Inwardly cheering his success he wrapped his arms around her and gently drew her close. She turned in to his embrace and gave him a small kiss on the lips.

"I didn't mean to wake you" he apologised.

Mmmm it's okay, aren't you going to run today?" she asked sleepily.

Troy laughed "I just got back, you looked so comfortable I couldn't resist."

Gabriella shook her head knowing that Troy normally felt energised after his run and wouldn't want to sleep.

Her suspicions were confirmed when he leaned in and started kissing her.

She kissed back enthusiastically at first, drawing back when she felt his hands slide up under her shirt.

Troy felt her withdrawal and removing his hands he propped himself up on one elbow.

"Gabriella?" he asked, concerned that he'd upset her in some way.

"We can't Troy. My mum.." she began to protest.

"Left for work as I got back from running. She said she'd be home around three" Troy told her smiling.

Gabriella didn't react for a moment, and Troy thought he had some idea what the problem was.

"Gabi" he hesitantly said "I meant what I said before we got married. If you're not ready to make love again then it's okay, we can wait. I didn't mean to push you. I just felt like cuddling up and spending some quality time together. I'm sorry I got carried away" Troy apologised.

"Troy you are the sweetest man in the world." Gabriella sighed hugging him. "But you're wrong I do want to make love..."

"But" Troy interrupted knowing from the hesitancy in her voice that there was more to it.

"I don't know" Gabriella said "I still feel awkward about it, I want to but it just doesn't feel right."

"Is it being here in your mum's house? Or is it that it's day time and not dark in here?" he asked trying to find a cause so he could hopefully solve the problem.

"A bit of both I think. You are sure mum's not home" Gabriella asked.

"I promise you Gabriella I wouldn't lie about that. I don't want her to hear us either" Troy reassured her blushing at the idea.

"I think that's kind of part of the problem" Gabriella commented seemingly randomly.

"Huh?" Troy asked totally confused.

"It feels like we're sneaking around; worrying about our parents overhearing us. Like we know we're doing something wrong." She hoped he understood because she wasn't sure she could explain the way she was feeling.

Troy nodded thoughtfully "Yeah I understand what you mean but I don't know how to change it. I'm not comfortable with the idea of someone hearing us especially not our parents, so it pretty much has to be while Maria's out. Would it help if we weren't here? If we went to a motel, or made out in my truck?"

"No I don't think so. It still feels too..." she trailed off unsure what she was trying to say.

Troy thought for a moment "Too planned out perhaps. Last weekend we deliberately set out to have sex so that the marriage couldn't be annulled, and since then we've both been so busy. Maybe we shouldn't try to have sex, and try to just enjoy making out and if it happens it happens because that's what we both want at the time, and if it doesn't happen then we'll have enjoyed ourselves anyway" he suggested.

"You don't want to have sex?" she asked incredulously.

"Teenage male here Gabriella" Troy said dryly, "of course I'd like to have sex. Last weekend was amazing. For me anyhow I know it wasn't so great for you." He looked embarrassed and uncertain.

"I want you to be comfortable with what we do. We have forever there's no need to rush this. Let's just relax and try to enjoy making out and see how we feel later. No pressure to go further than you're comfortable with I promise." He leaned in to kiss Gabriella again and this time she returned his kisses with enthusiasm.

As she kissed him Gabriella could feel Troy becoming aroused, but unlike before their marriage she didn't feel uneasy about this and pulled him closer enjoying the feel of his body against hers. Her nightie had ridden up around her waist as Troy's hands moved over her back and his boxer clad erection pressed into her bare stomach.

Troy suddenly moved away rolling onto his back, all his muscles tensed, gritting his teeth. Gabriella was shocked by his sudden rejection.

"Troy what's the matter? Did I do something wrong?" she asked.

"No Gabi being with you like this is wonderful. I just need a minute, I was about to lose control."

Gabriella ran her hand through his hair and kissed him on the cheek.

"Oh okay" she said. "You want more than this?" she questioned uncertainly.

"No Gabi, whatever you're comfortable with is fine. I don't want you to do anything you're not 100% sure you're ready for."

Troy's hadn't managed to will his erection away at all and he realized that he was going to have to deal with it before he embarrassed himself. He sat up swinging his legs over the side. Gabriella caught his hand before he could leave. "Troy?" she asked quietly.

"Gabriella I need... please let me go and deal with this... I'll be back soon..."

Gabriella blushed as she realized what he'd been about to do but refused to let his hand go. "Troy you don't have to leave to take care of it. Just let it happen it's okay."

"You're sure?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm not ready to have sex but I don't want you to feel that you have to hide this from me. Come back in to bed and kiss me or I'll follow you in to the bathroom" Gabriella said teasingly.

Troy laughed at her his face bright red "I'm not sure which would be more embarrassing. You watching me wank or coming in my shorts" he said uneasily.

Gabriella smiled slightly at his embarrassment. "Surely coming in your shorts should only be a problem if you didn't intend to do it, or weren't able to clean up afterwards before Mom got home. The sheets need washing today anyhow and I'll put everything straight in the wash afterwards" she said encouragingly.

Troy climbed back into bed and gathered Gabriella back into his arms and rolled so that he was lying on top of her. Kissing her passionately he gave a small thrust against her stomach then stopped looking in to her eyes. "Are you sure this is okay?" he asked quietly searching for the truth in her eyes.

Gabriella smiled in answer and thrust against him her pubic bone providing exquisite friction. Troy began to thrust against her more forcefully, kissing her fiercely until the lack of oxygen forced them to part. He soon reached his release. "Gabriella... my love...Oh...Gabi..." he groaned spilling his semen in hot gushes over her belly.

Unfortunately his embarrassment returned as he regained his senses, "Gabriella I'm sorry..." he began to apologise. Gabriella put a finger to his lips to stop him. "Troy I enjoy seeing you like that, knowing that I can do that for you. There's nothing to apologise for I wanted it to happen. I agreed remember" Gabriella said reassuringly.

Troy looked at her surprised. "Do you want me to make you come too?" he asked her sleepily.

"You don't need to Troy. It's not something that should be taken strictly in turns" she protested.

Troy smiled "Are you saying that you don't want to do it, or that you don't want me to feel forced to? Cause I like making you come too, you know?" he said with a huge slightly dopey grin.

Gabriella smiled at him "You're almost falling asleep. I would like to try it again one day but not today. It seems too awkward talking about it" she said blushing.

"So you want me to just do it one day when we're alone and making out without asking you first? Are you sure? I don't want to push you into doing anything you don't want to do." Troy asked sitting up to better concentrate of the conversation. He was worried that he was misunderstanding Gabriella and afraid of doing the wrong thing and destroying the trust they had between them.

"Yeah I'm sure. I know you won't push too far Troy. I trust you and I'll ask you to stop if I don't feel like it. I just can't talk about it first, it's too awkward." She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Now lay back down and sleep."

"We need to get cleaned up a bit first" he said blushing. He got a washcloth out of the bathroom and warmed it up, taking it in to Gabriella. He pulled the quilt of her and gently washed her stomach before getting a clean pair of pyjamas out of the drawer and handing them to her. "I know you don't want me to undress you Gabi, but you'll be more comfortable in clean clothes" he said as he left the room. Gabriella was touched by the way that he had cared for her cleaning her up and the way he'd remembered and respected the way she felt about not getting undressed in front of him, and not used the fact that she needed to be cleaned up as an opportunity to push the issue. She quickly changed and climbed back into bed to wait for her husband to come and cuddle up.

Troy took a quick shower, then pulled on clean boxers and slid into bed beside his sleeping wife who immediately turned and snuggled up against him.

Several hours later hunger got the better of them and drove them from their bed. Troy dressed quickly and stripped the bed, putting the sheets and dirty clothes on to wash before beginning to prepare breakfast while Gabriella showered. He sang softly to himself as he started to make Gabriella's favourite pancakes. He knew that Gabriella was expecting toast and cereal which had been one of the three meals Troy could successfully prepare a week ago, (the other two being mac and cheese from a packet and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches).

Troy knew that if he and Gabriella were to survive living away from their families and off campus next year, then he would have to learn to cook and to be more independent. His mother had always spoiled him in that respect, the only household chores he'd ever had was to keep his room sort of tidy and to mow the lawn occasionally. He'd approached Maria the day after he'd moved in letting her know he wanted to pull his weight around the house but had never been taught any of these skills and asked her to teach him what he needed to know. Asking his mother in law for help was difficult and he felt like he was betraying his Mom but it turned out to be one of the best things he could have done. She quickly showed him how to use the washing machine and drier, giving him a checklist to make sure he didn't forget to separate the colours, or use the wrong settings.

Then while Gabriella had been so busy each night with scholastic decathlon training Maria had been teaching him how to cook simple things. He had a long way to go but now could be trusted to use the frypan safely, to follow directions on a packet, and not risk setting the kitchen on fire. The lessons had also helped Troy and Maria get over the awkwardness remaining from the time she'd banned him from the house and demanded that he stop seeing her daughter. They had now resumed their former comfortable relationship and were well on the way to considering each other as truly part of their family.

The surprise on Gabriella's face when she came downstairs and saw the pancakes waiting for her was worth all of the effort it had taken to find the courage to ask for Maria's help and the hours he'd spent learning. Troy knew that he probably should have asked his mother for cooking lessons rather than Maria, but whenever he'd tried to help in the kitchen at home his mother had quickly taken over and sent him out to set the table or something.

"Wow Troy I didn't know you could cook, or did mum make them for me before she left this morning?" Gabriella asked suspiciously.

"No I made them, your mum has been teaching me how to cook a bit so you won't have to do it all when we move to California next year" Troy said grinning.

"Mum's forcing you to learn to cook?" Gabriella asked shocked that her mother would force the issue like that.

"No I asked her to teach me. She taught me how to use the washing machine and drier, and says that she'll show me how to vacuum and clean the bathroom too. I want to know how to look after you."

"Troy that is so sweet but how can you have had all these lessons without me knowing anything about it?"

"Well mostly she's taught me stuff while you were at Taylor's practicing for the decathlon" Troy explained.

"So it's you that's been washing all my stuff. I thought mum had taken pity on me because I was so busy with scholastic decathlon or was feeling guilty over leaving."

Troy laughed "I think she does feel a bit guilty over leaving you. That's why she's put so much time and effort in to teaching me how to look after you."

"Well she's certainly succeeded, these are delicious Troy." Gabriella complimented him.

Troy blushed pleased with her compliment.

Troy was in a relaxed mellow mood as they joined the rest of the gang at the movies that night. That morning had gone well if not exactly as Troy had hoped. The tension between he and Gabriella had disappeared and they were now comfortable with their new more sexual relationship.

He went along with the girls' choice in movies and therefore found himself watching Twilight. At the pizza parlour after the movie he and the guys laughed at the girls gushing about how Edward was the most perfect boyfriend.

"He wants to drink her blood, what's so perfect about that?" Zeke asked them.

"He's fascinated with her because he can't tell what she is thinking. You get angry at me when I don't know what you're wanting from me." Chad exclaimed.

"I don't want you to be able to hear everything I'm thinking. I just want you to be a little less obtuse." Taylor shot back at him.

"He's a stalker. He climbs up and in her window every night and spends all night sitting watching her." Ryan put in.

"Does that make Troy a perfect boyfriend too? He used to climb in Gabriella's window every night." Jason asked.

The other boys cat called and laughed as Gabriella and Troy blushed.

"Hey I never snuck in and spent all night watching her like that. Gabriella always knew I was there; I didn't peek in on her like a pervert I knocked as soon as I arrived and Gabriella invited me in, she always knew if I was staying or not. If she was asleep and didn't answer I left straight away. I wouldn't do what Edward did, it's kind of creepy" Troy defended himself.

"Jason's right you were the perfect boyfriend." Gabriella smiled at him while the other girls sighed and the boys groaned.

A/N: Thankyou to Wildcats2016, Kiara and Pumpkinking5 for your ongoing support.