Title: Heartbreak Melodies
Summary: No matter how hard she tried to forget him, no matter the logical reasons behind her leaving, Gabriella couldn't forget the way Troy made her feel. The way she would light up when he smiled. The way she would melt at the sound of his laugh. And the thing that made it the hardest? Troy refused to let her move on without a fight.
Rating: T for occasional strong language and sexual references.
Disclaimer: All ideas written below are original and are not examples of plagiarism
A/N I've had this chapter in a state of almost-completion for ages, but just didn't have the time to make edits, so thanks to Mya for helping me finally do that *hug*! I really like this chapter and hopefully you guys do too :D. Will have the next one up soon (hopefully *blush*) Also, got a few PMs asking if I planned to continue Power of Three; I have a chapter ready that's almost complete as well, it's just finding the time to finish it off but I haven't stopped writing that story ;) Oh, to those of you wondering: The Script f*!%ing rock in concert and Mark f*!ing swears like no ones f#!ing business looool
You touch these tired eyes of mine
And map my face out line by line
And somehow growing old feels fine
I listen close for I'm not smart
You wrap your thoughts in words of art
And they're hanging on the walls of my heart
I'm Yours - The Script
As early as it was that Tuesday morning - ridiculously early, as far as Gabriella was concerned - Gabriella had defiantly refused to turn up to work giving the impression that she had slept for less than four hours that night. If made, the assumption would be far from incorrect; it was true that Troy had kept her up into the early hours of the morning. The two had been engaging in activities that she really thought it inappropriate for anyone but the two of them to know, and for that reason, she wanted to guard against any accusations being made in regard to her tiredness, and so focused solely on her reflection, being meticulous her in application of the required make-up (including mascara and eyeliner to open her eyes and blusher to lift her colour).
So focused had she been, that she had not noticed the way Troy leaned against the door frame, his heart fluttering at the adorable pout she was wearing as she gave herself a once-over. Gabriella Montez had a myriad of expressions that Troy had seen over the years. There was her shy, reserved smile where her eyes would flit about with doubt while the spark in her eyes betrayed her inner zeal and intelligence and all round amazingness - this, Troy had received on many occasions when he and Gabriella had first met - there was also the expression when anger or even strong annoyance consumed her. This was most frequent when the two found themselves in the midst of an argument. The fire in her eyes at these times, Troy found overwhelmingly sexy; which was why the majority of their spats ended with Troy suddenly lunging at her and stripping her of all clothing, whenever they were in a space even remotely appropriate. Of all of her many expressions, Troy's favourite remained the pout of concentration, as he had termed it, where her perfectly arched brows would knit into one while her plump, kissable lips, jutted outward while she focused admirably at which task had consumed her. Yes, that would definitely, always be his favourite.
It was when Troy sighed contently that Gabriella's attention was drawn towards him for the first time. Their eyes met in the mirror, and even the mere reflection of the other's gaze, not even half the power of the real thing, sent a shock through both Troy and Gabriella's bodies with the loving intensity they saw in the other. Gabriella quirked her eyebrows, looking quizzically at Troy, in regards to the lazy grin spread across his face, his and his protruding cheekbones.
"You see," he began softly, still smiling gently at the beauty across the room, whom was faced away from him, still watching only his reflection. "Each morning, I wake up wondering what I possibly did in my past life to have gotten such a beautiful angel as you as my girlfriend, in this one. When I watch you, it makes me realise that I haven't been dreaming; you are actually mine." He tried to refrain from grinning goofily and thus looking like his nerdy fourteen year old self, but, as hard as he tried, his joy just could not be contained. His smile split his face in two.
It was not the first time Troy had spoken along these lines, but, nevertheless, Gabriella found herself overwhelmed by emotion. Had she not been due into work in a little over an hour, she was sure she would have lunged into his arms, smothering him in adoring kisses; instead, she settled for a deep blush across her appled cheeks as she spoke teasingly. "Charmer."
Pushing himself from the door frame, having a striking resemblance, Gabriella thought, to Danny Zuko as he did so, Troy shrugged, covering the bathroom floor in three large strides until he was behind her; his arms wrapped around her waist and his body flush against her. Their eyes again locked in the mirror, and Troy placed his lips torturingly close to Gabriella's left ear lobe. With each word, his lips brushed against the shell of her ear, causing her to shiver lightly. "Eh, that may be," he confessed easily. "But, I only speak the truth when I'm talking to or about you," he explained in a low, husky murmur, "So you can rest assured that you, Gabriella Montez, are definitely, without a doubt, out of this world."
Gosh, the way he was speaking to her, the way he was looking at her and touching her...God it would just be so easy to...Gabriella shook her head, and twisted her lips to the corner. "I have to go to work, Wildcat," she sighed not having to expand.
"Are you insinuating that my presence distracts you, Miss Montez?" Troy responded with a cocky grin as he thought of her getting all hot and worked up without the possibility of a release. This was a situation that he could more than identify with, as it was one that he himself had found himself in on countless occasions when they had first met, almost a year before Gabriella became aware of, and was comfortable and trusting enough, to fully take advantage of the sexual arousal that would consume Troy even at the most innocent of gestures on her part.
"You know exactly what you do to me," Gabriella reprimanded. "Stop teasing, it's not fair!"
"Not fair but most definitely fun."
"Fine, tease if you want, but maybe I'll just go home tonight after work instead of coming around," she suggested with a deviant smile as Troy squinted in the attempt to judge her seriousness. He decided to quit while he was ahead, just to be safe.
"Come on, baby," he flattered, as he turned her around and planted a loud kiss square on her lips. "You know I love you."
"That's what I thought," Gabriella smirked triumphantly, loosely throwing her arms across his broad, naked shoulders.
Troy was careful not to hug Gabriella too tightly, not wanting to crease her clothes, but at the same time, feeling her body in such close proximity to his, made his every limb tingle with excitement and expectations, and while they engaged in a short, loving exchange, Troy silently reprimanded the male reflexes that were causing him to stiffen within his boxers, telling them to calm down because the only chance of him getting a release was if it was a manual one - and that wasn't half as fun.
"Do you need a ride to work?" He offered, still holding Gabriella in his arms by the bathroom sink.
Stroking the back of his neck, Gabriella shook her head in reply; "It's fine. I need to get my car washed anyway so I may as well drive today and do it after work." Just before Troy had time to offer once again, Gabriella cut him off, seeing his lips twitch and knowing from experience what was going to be said. "Troy, seriously, I'm fine. Besides," she exclaimed with excitement. "It's your day off. You should just relax and enjoy it; anything planned?" She asked enticingly, feeling as though she was living vicariously through Troy. While Troy was relaxing on his day off, she would be on her feet for the majority of the next five hours, teaching a class of rowdy thirteen year olds. For that reason she decided to mentally imagine Troy's free hours as her own.
"Well," Troy exhaled, glancing up to the bathroom ceiling, "after you leave, I'm gonna...yep, it was a hard choice to make, but I'm gonna go back to sleep," he said in mock seriousness. "I reckon I'll crash until...I don't know...about one thirty, two, and then I'll have a shower and go meet Chad, you know, go have some beers or whatever." He wiggled his brows teasingly at Gabriella's pained gaze. "Hard going isn't it?"
Gabriella didn't respond but for a hard smack to Troy's chest, to which Troy responded with an outraged cry and a glare.
Finishing up in the bathroom, Gabriella then proceeded to move around 'their' apartment, gathering the last of her things - purse, keys, lip gloss - and double checking the contents of her bag to ensure she had everything for her day. The tiredness threatened to overwhelm her to such an extent that she was certain if she had realised at some point during the day that she had forgotten notes or books of any importance, she would simply collapse in her classroom in a heap of irrational tears.
Once she had checked her bag three times over, she went and sat on the arm of the sofa near where Troy was standing, and wrapped her arms around his waist, lacing her fingers together behind his back. "My dad's planning something for my Mom's birthday," she began, smiling as Troy held her around her waist also and lightly kissed her forehead. "He wants to do like a bigger thing than he did last year and have most of the family and her friends. I've been looking into flights and everything, so I can get an idea of...well...you know." She glanced up Troy, an uncertainty in her eyes that threw her boyfriend, causing him to furrow his brows. "You're coming, right?" She attempted to ask casually.
"Ooh," Troy chuckled, "are you slyly asking me, Gabriella?"
Gabriella giggled with embarrassment and blushed a little while she rolled her eyes. "Yes," she conceded, "I am asking. Are you coming?"
"Gabi," Troy sighed, shuffling his feet a little closer to hold her tighter.
"What?" Gabriella pouted, sensing his resistance - and, being honest, having predicted it. "You've always come before." She softly drew her finger down his bare chest, directly between his pecs, which caused him to shiver. She didn't want to - preferably - but desperate times call for desperate - and somewhat cheap - persuasion tactics. For good measure, she pressed her plump lips against his left pectoral and smiled inwardly as she felt it tense suddenly at her touch.
"Things were different. I mean, we...you know, that last few months."
Exhaling loudly, Gabriella rolled her eyes while staring at Troy incredulously. "Yes, Troy, we broke up and got back together - it's known to happen between couples, Troy it isn't a big deal. Why does that effect you coming?"
"Because your Dad's probably gone back to hating me now that I hurt you," Troy said bluntly.
Gabriella couldn't help but laugh heartily at Troy's reasoning, and as she giggled (much to Troy's confusion) she stretched up slightly and pressed her lips lovingly against his. "Baby, my Dad doesn't hate you. He never did. Besides, you can't solely blame yourself for us breaking up before."
"Well, actually you can," he corrected with sarcasm. "'Because, you see, if it hadn't been for my weird insecurities and then me keeping them from you, you wouldn't have gotten hurt and if you hadn't have gotten hurt, you wouldn't have left. Sure, there are many ways your dad could look at it, but pretty much all of them come down to me being a dick who doesn't deserve you," he huffed. "Oh, and by the way, your Dad did hate me."
Gabriella waved her hand dismissively in reference to the beginning of his statement. "I'm not going to keep telling you that you're wrong about that, so if you want to wallow in self-pity then go ahead; just don't do it around me because it's real depressing," she said bluntly. "But..." she sighed, "maybe... maybe you're right and maybe my Dad did hate you for a brief period -"
"Two years," Troy spluttered in a fake cough.
"But, in his defence, you were my first boyfriend - I hadn't even had one of those stupid dates you go on when you're thirteen and then you came along and..." Gabriella smiled wistfully with a sigh, "...and I pretty much fell for you right away. When I met you, it was the first time he had to acknowledge the fact that I was growing up...that eventually, I'd be going to parties where there was alcohol and I'd be dancing with you," she said softly with a smirk. "And kissing you," she pressed her lips against his naked chest. "And, most likely, towards the end of high school, kissing and groping you in a manner inappropriate for all public places other than a high school party..."
"And then finding a room with me at said parties and doing unspeakable things." A hum rumbled in Troy's throat as he grew ever excited at the vivid memories. He gulped, his throat seeming to tighten in synchronicity with his groin. He tried to edge ever closer to Gabriella, wanting to tease her by pushing his hardness against her knee, but she knew his games too well; bringing her arms from around his waist and sitting her hands on his waist to keep him at a safe distance. "Maybe I can* see why he hated me, after all," he conceded with a chuckle.
"So you'll cut him some slack and come home with me," Gabriella asked sweetly with a cocked head and batting lashes.
"Hey, you did that on purpose! You know I can't say no to you if you ask when I'm horny and my brains all frazzled."
"Is that a yes?"
"I'm mad at you and I don't want to talk to you any longer," Troy said in mock annoyance as he shifted from her grasp and walked away, head high in the air. "Just let me know when you want to book because I'm not having your Dad say how you even had to pay for the tickets to see your own mother. Is there anything else, Montez?" He continued.
"I'm glad you're coming," Gabriella smiled as she headed towards the door with her bag over her shoulder and her folders tucked under her arm. "Because I already spoke to your Mom and she says she'd love to be there," Gabriella said, trying to clamp her lips tightly together so as to not display the huge grin that was trying to break through.
()()()
Later that afternoon, having gone back to bed when Gabriella had left and not waking up until a decent hour, Troy reclined partially with his legs outstretched beneath the outdoor table he and Chad sat at. They spoke about nothing and everything, laughed and almost cried with hysterics, munching heartily on burgers and sipping at beers as the afternoon sun streamed down on them.
"So..." Chad encouraged as he swiped the light brown napkin across his mouth. "You and Gabi are really back on track, huh?" Chad smiled, happy for his best friend to be back and resembling the friend of his youth. When Gabriella left, it had really been as though part of Troy had left, also; had withered, dying at the sound of that door clicking shut. He had barely spoken, had been forced to eat and was contented to live in squalor until his friends had given him a kick up the backside and demand he pull himself together and reclaim at least a semblance of self respect and dignity. As much as it wasn't easy, eventually he made an effort to re-emerge himself into something that shared a faint resemblance to a human existence. Even so, even with him utmost efforts, he just had not been the same; his fire and passion had died - his spirit just wasn't in it. Now, however, Chad almost felt as though he had experienced time travel as he sat lunching with his old friend. He had missed him.
Troy couldn't help but sigh. "We are," he grinned, unashamed at the way his happiness portrayed itself through a goofy smile. "And...you can go back to giving me shit for 'being a woman' if you want but...I don't care." He shook his head. "It's...it's like everything perfect now you know, because, like, we're both on the same wave-length. And I mean exactly the same; we're not hiding anything now and it makes it so much better that we're just...completely connected." He nodded solemnly with his mouth forming an upside down smile as he affirmed his statement in his head.
"Well, good on you, dude," Chad said exuberantly with a sincere smile. "I'm happy that you two are good again." He tongue flicked over his lips before he pursing them together in hesitation. "What you and Gabs had back in high school...it always scared me, right?" Troy nodded. Unlike others Troy knew in high school and the early years of college, Chad had never attempted to discourage his and Gabriella's relationship. Although at times he did worry that the relationship's intensity caused Troy to rearrange basketball on his list of priorities, he had never suggested that Troy end it with Gabriella as he knew better than anyone just how much she had meant to him. "But, now...I think I get it. It still wouldn't have been for me; I'm glad I've really had a chance to figure out who I am before committing to a relationship like that but I get how..." he glanced up at Troy and glared at the way his friend was looking at him, with his brows raised expectantly and his grin amused.
"Hey, don't stop, dude, I really want to hear this."
"What...what I mean is that, I really care about Taylor," he admitted. "I know it hasn't been that long, but whenever I'm around her, or if I just hear her voice or think of her..." he smiled dreamily. "I get this crazy feeling, dude. I feel like she's...she's my girl. My one." His admission...hearing his own words aloud, vibrating through the air, somewhat stunned Chad himself. He felt with those words, he made a final, definite transition into manhood.
Troy also found himself slightly aghast at Chad's words. Chad...Chad wasn't one for thinking he was in love while in relationships in high school or even college. He had been adamant in his belief that real love couldn't be found until both parties truly knew themselves and had their fingers firmly grasped around life. While he was not considered, by even his harshest critic, anything approaching a slut, but he had never had a serious girlfriend, and had spent his college life dating, with only a few exclusive girlfriends during that four year period; those relationships coming to an end when the females grew tired of his refusal to say those three special words.
But now here he was, with endless opportunities before him, finally in love and Troy couldn't help but wonder where the years had passed. He was contemplating the intricacies of marriage and Chad was really, truly, falling in love. At times, Troy felt only mere days separated their twenty-five year old selves and them as two little kids; Troy; stringy hair, flopping over his eyes, short, skinny and gap-toothed, and Chad with crazy curls bouncing around his face with big sparkling eyes. At times like this, he felt it was a gap of a million years. Sometimes he yearned for simpler times when his main concern was growing that extra two inches so the bigger guys at school wouldn't see him as prime bait, but at other times - times like this - he revelled in it, loved life, wish he'd lived more of it and couldn't wait for what was to come.
()()()
Almost three weeks after the subject had first been broached; Troy and Gabriella shuffled into aisle seats fourteen and fifteen of row J and prepared for their flight to Albuquerque for Gabriella's mother - Ana Montez's - fiftieth birthday. While the young flight attendant was giving the standard script on flight safety - seeming as bored at saying it as the passengers accustomed to flying, did hearing it - Troy pulled Gabriella further into his side.
"D'you reckon anyone actually remembers to stay calm when they're retrieving their air masks while they plummet to their death as the plane crashes towards an ocean?" he pondered mischievously with a smirk.
"Troy!" Gabriella admonished, craning her neck to get a glimpse at the attendant, hoping she hadn't heard Troy's sarcastic remark.
"You know it's true," he insisted. "Everyone'd be scared shitless and losing their fucking minds to remember any of this." He waved his hand carelessly, as though erasing each of the attendant's words as they floated through the air.
Gabriella rolled her eyes before hesitatingly reclaiming her spot within Troy's arms, perfectly moulding into the side of his body. Neither spoke for a little while, drifting into their own worlds while those around them settled into their seats, shuffling about, arguing over trivial matters and sorting through their hand luggage, retrieving the items that would aid them through the four hour flight.
"What would you do if you were about to die?" Gabriella questioned suddenly.
She wasn't facing Troy; her head was still lying on his chest facing the seats in front of them. Troy pulled back, stunned, wanting to see her face as he wondered why on earth that question had just left her lips. "What?" He asked incredulously. "Way to kill the mood, Ella."
"Troy, answer the question," she implored. Troy had sparked her curiosity with his previous comment, and now she couldn't let it go."If the engine suddenly failed, what would you do?"
"They have back-up engines, babe. One failed engine wouldn't cause the plane to crash," he replied in a smart ass tone that Gabriella couldn't stand. "You know," he said after a short pause, "I'm a little worried that we're taking this trip that proves just how great we're doing and you're asking me about death."
"Stop being an idiot. Say the engine and all the back-up engines failed, and then...then the wings snapped off and the cockpit caught fire and you didn't have a chance in hell of surviving. What would you do?"
The silence between them was thick. Troy suppressed the urge to make another wise crack when he saw the firm line of Gabriella's mouth and her imploring eyes flittering between each of his in anticipation. He sighed and licked his lips. "I'd tell you that I love you," he finally responded in a low, husky voice.
The intensity in his eyes made Gabriella's mouth run dry, her heart jump against her rib cage while her lips trembled; it seemed her nerve ending were going crazy and she was trembling all over.
Troy reached out and stroked the side of her face before gently pushing a few stray locks of hair behind her ears. "I'd tell you that I love you," he reaffirmed, "and I'd tell you that I'd wait for you."
Fearing she would get too emotional and not about to burst into somewhat irrational tears amongst a cabin full of strangers, Gabriella quickly blinked away her rapidly forming tears and bit down on her bottom lip. Troy sensed the struggle she was having with her emotions, and, in a comforting gesture, pressed a soft kiss against her forehead, pulled back and winked at her. She slowly smiled and nodded in thanks before reclaiming her position; her arm laying in his lap and her head snuggled into the warmth of his chest. Their fingers tangled together and in many ways, they felt like teenagers again.
They were wrapped up in one another and consumed wholly by the other's presence and falling ever deeper in love. Sometimes the intensity of their emotions caused an unsettling fear to niggle within them: maybe they were too young? Too inexperienced? But nevertheless, they allowed themselves to keep falling. Neither were completely sure of where they were going to end up in life, or the path they were going to take to get to the vague place they saw often in their dreams that was representative of the future, but one thing they were both sure of was that they were happy. From there, they were content to let the rest unfold.
xxxx
Due to some confusion when they had first arrived at the airport in California, Troy and Gabriella landed in Albuquerque nearly three hours earlier than they had planned. This made for the perfect opportunity to surprise Gabriella's parents, and so they headed to Gabriella's childhood home without alerting her parents to the fact that they had arrived on Albuquerque.
Neither Troy nor Gabriella had the time to visit half as much as they would have liked, and so each time they scored a chance to return to the place of their earlier years - and the town where their love had first blossomed - they cherished it: driving from the airport to Gabriella's home, with wide, excited eyes as they pointed out places that were significant to their youth, as a tourist would gesture towards landmarks they had seen on tv and in brochures and had dreamt about one day visiting. A short thirty minute drive saw their cab pull up to the Montez family home and trying to be as quiet as possible under Gabriella's orders, Troy unloaded their small suitcase and hand luggage from the car, while inhaling deeply so as to keep himself from telling Gabriella that the wild jingling of her door keys was far more likely to be heard by her parents than the low shuffle of bags that she was reprimanding him for.
Troy tipped the cab driver and nodded in farewell, and followed Gabriella up the driveway. When Gabriella inserted her key into the lock which proceeded to click open, the two then entered into the warmth of the home; scents of dinner still swirling through the air. The sound previously emitting from the television was cut off and hushed voices ensued. All the while, Gabriella bit her lip firmly to stop herself erupting in giggles.
Still, the voices continued, sounding panicked and then finally the voice of Carlos Montez filled the hallway, sounding firm and brave. "Who's there!" He demanded. Gabriella giggled into Troy's chest. "Whoever's out there: I have a licensed firearm in here and I'm not afraid to use it!"
At that, Gabriella erupted into melodious giggles. "Daddy, you wouldn't even know how to load a gun," she spluttered, and almost immediately they heard the sound of clambering footsteps, before both Carlos and Ana Montez appeared.
"Gabi!" Her mother squealed, running towards her only daughter and enveloping her into a hug. After squeezing Gabriella half to death Ana relinquished her hold on her, pulling back to glare at her daughter. "¿Crees que es divertido, bueno, para asustarme de esa manera? No se ríe si me había dado un ataque al corazón!"
"Soy mamá lo siento, nunca la intención de asustarlo - fue una sorpresa," she replied sheepishly. After receiving a light smack from her mum, Gabriella was released completely for her mother to turn her affection towards Troy had had been standing nervously with his hands shoved into his pockets.
"Troy!" She called out as she engulfed him in her much smaller frame. "It's been too long," she chastised as she pulled back, holding his smiling face between her palms. "Look at you - you're looking a little thin in the face," she scolded upon inspection, "but I'm glad the two have you have put that nonsense behind you." Troy nodded eagerly.
While Troy and Gabriella's mother quickly caught up, Gabriella had greeted her dad, their exchange going in pretty much the same way in which Troy and ..'s had; with Carlos repeatedly asking Gabriella if she was both happy and healthy. Then it was Troy's turn to greet her father. The two men stood across from one another and Gabriella observed the way Troy squared his shoulders while all the while his fingers where twitching ever so slightly.
And suddenly, Troy was seventeen years old again: afraid of screwing up, afraid of embarrassing himself and afraid of being judged. He cleared his throat when Carlos extended his hand, and offered an almost resentful greeting by curtly speaking his name.
"Troy."
He jerked his hand forward to meet that of the older man's and shook his hand as firmly as his nerves would allow. "Mr Montez."
The two observing women darted their eyes between the men and then back at each other and shared a knowing look: it was going to be a long few days.
A/N Hope that was an enjoyable read! Please review! Nikki xoxo
You touch these tired eyes of mine
And map my face out line by line
And somehow growing old feels fine
I listen close for I'm not smart
You wrap your thoughts in works of art
And they're hanging on the walls of my heart