Chapter 8
Christmas came around a lot quicker than Troy thought possible, it may have had something to do with the fact that he had been dreading it each year since his twins death. The morning of the departure date Troy was up and showered humming to himself as he checked all of his necessities were packed and ready to go.
Looking over at the double bed in his room he smiled Ryan was sleeping soundly his boxer clad bum poking out of the duvet, his mum walked into the room Troy looked over at her with a smile on his lips she smiled.
"He looks so adorable sleeping doesn't he." Troy said smiling fondly at Ryan.
"That he does." Sarah said. "You should wake him so he can get showered and shaved before we get aboard the plane." she said.
"I know." Troy said as she left the room another set of laundry on his and Ryan's luggage.
Troy walked over to the bed sitting down on the bed he pulled his boyfriends boxers down enough to expose some flesh and slapped it hard enough to shock the boy awake, "What the fuck." Ryan growled as his hand touched his bum. "What you do that for?" he asked.
"I had to wake you up some how you sleep deeply, you have time to shower and dress before we head to the airport." Troy said to him playfully ruffling his hair causing the blond to growl. "Your mad at me for slapping that lovely bum of yours when you need to be showering on you." Troy added with a look at the blond.
"Okay okay I am up but that hurt." Ryan said trying to role over but Troy stopped him he lowered the boys boxers just enough then kissed the spot he had whacked.
"All better." he said rubbing the spot.
"You can wait for me or join me." Ryan said.
"I'll wait we don't have time for that love." Troy said to him. "We are running late so no time to leisurely shower." Troy said to the blond.
"Cool I'll be ready in half hour." Ryan said.
"You got fifteen minutes Ryan I'm not kidding honey we need to get going shower and dress the rest of it you can do on the plane." Troy said to him.
"Does that include the mile high club." Ryan asked.
"I think my parents might have issue with that one considering it's a small plane." Troy said to his boyfriend who pouted.
"Not even a blow job." Ryan groaned Troy laughed as he left the room.
Troy walked into the kitchen with a smirk on his lips.
"Hey Troy Ryan up yet." Jack asked his son.
"Oh his up with a sore back side I slapped it to wake him up." Troy said.
"Ouch you have big hands." Sarah said to him. "Not to hard I hoped." she said to him.
"Of course not." Troy said to her.
Hsmhsmhsm
Troy woke up on the plane for a second time to find Ryan on his laptop playing some game he hadn't seen before, "Are we even close to being there yet?" Troy asked him eyes half open.
"We are landing in about ten minutes." Ryan said as Troy sat up wide awake.
"Good I need to go change into something more comfortable to the climate." Troy said as he disappeared into the toilet five minutes later he had a hat shorts and sleeveless t-shirt on and was smothering his legs face arms and neck in sun screen.
"You got enough on." Ryan asked.
"Yes." Troy replied with a smile as he got his sunglasses on.
The plane touched down Troy looked at his boyfriend and handed the boy some sunglasses, "You might want to put those on." Troy said to the blond.
Troy stood up while Ryan still unbuckled his belt nerves must have given him the shakes, Troy bent down to do it for him.
"You nervous?" Troy asked him.
"A little." Ryan said to him Troy place his hand on Ryan's.
"Don't be Ryan your going to be just fine." Troy said as the blond stood up.
They walked down the steps of the plane, Ryan immediately got a hit of the heat as Troy sighed in relieve at seeing the ground up close for the first time in way to long.
"Now if they could just invent a plane that takes less time to get to Australia than that one I would be so much happier." Troy muttered to Ryan who laughed.
"Bloody hell its hot." Ryan said to him as they headed for the limo waiting for them once they had gone through customs and security, people were already packing the luggage in the back of the limo. "Is that a airport thing?" he asked.
"No this is my nan and grandpa's personal limo." Troy said as he climbed into the back of the limo and the air conditioned confines of the car. "Jump in Ryan you can get some sleep while we drive to the house." Troy said to him. "I know you didn't sleep on the plane." he added his boyfriend giggled as he leaned his head on Troy's shoulder Troy wrapped a protective hand around his boyfriends shoulder hugging him closer.
"I forgot how hot this place is at this time of year." Jack said.
"You usually visit during the winter months dad that's why." Troy said to him with a smirk. "Its cooler in our summer here than it is in our winter." he added he could feel his boyfriends breathing slow.
"You not tired?" Sarah asked him.
"No I slept on the plane pretty much most of the way here before and after the stop over." Troy said to her.
"Ryan?" Jack asked.
"Doesn't like small spaces and was nervous." Troy said to him.
"Oh right." Jack said with a smile though he nodded in understanding.
Hsmhsmhsm
Troy prodded Ryan an hour later softly in the side but the blond responded opening his eyes to look hazily at his boyfriend, "We are here." Troy said to his boyfriend with a smile as the limo finally came to a stop.
"You can sleep in the house if you like." Jack said to Ryan who shook his head.
"You sure you must be exhausted." Troy said to his boyfriend.
"I'm sure, I'm good now, I need to get used to a strange new house before I can sleep in it even if I am tired." Ryan said as the limo door swung open Alexis head poked into the interior.
"Hey Troy you finally got here, and I finally get to meet the blond you never shut up about." Alexis said to him Troy laughed.
"Ryan this is my younger cousin Alexis, your have to excuse him though he has a deplorable amount of personality." Troy said as his parents laughed, the group quickly managed to get out of the limo Troy smiled at his grandparents as he was swept up into a hug from them. "Nana I need to breath." Troy moaned at her.
"You young man must be the fall that agreed to marry Troy." his grandpa said smiling.
"Yes sir." Ryan said.
"Welcome to the family, Alex should be here tomorrow." his grandfather said to them.
"Troy why don't you take this gorgeous hunk up to your rooms, change into something more comfortable then you and Alexis can show him the beach." his nan said to him.
"Come on Ryan you can borrow some of my beach clothes." Troy said to his boyfriend. "I have a whole load of stuff here." he added at the unasked question. "Some of which doesn't fit me any more but should fit you no problems." Troy added.
"Cool." Ryan said to him as they head up the stairs of the large house they could hear people talking in the lounge Troy knew to be the adults of the family while the house staff brought the bags and things into the house. "You have your own rooms here?" Ryan asked.
"They used to be mine and Matt's before the accident but yeah their just mine now. I had Matt's old room turned into a games room of sorts, Alexis is always updating it so that when I come here I have something to do other than sunbathe. We need to get you covered in sunscreen love, your burn with skin like that quickly otherwise." Troy said to his boyfriend.
"Can you help then." Ryan said with a smile.
"Sure let me get changed and I'll help you out." Troy said to him with a grin.
"What do you suggest?" he asked.
"Topless and a pair of shorts I have an old wetsuit in here somewhere if you want to try surfing." Troy said to the blond.
"I don't know, it sounds like a lot of fun so yeah sure." Ryan said Troy tossed out his old gear to him. "If it doesn't fit we'll sort you out tomorrow properly." Troy said to him Ryan nodded luck would have it that of course it wouldn't the clothes did just about but Troy was bigger than Ryan in all aspects.
"Oh well I will have to wait until tomorrow then." Ryan said to him with a smile.
"Your do fine love." Troy said. "I need to go down to the garage to get my board out of it." Troy said to him with a smile. "Your still be able to do it, your get wet though." Troy added as an after thought as they head out of their rooms.
Alexis was waiting for them as they arrived at the bottom of the stairs, "We'll see you guys later." Troy said to his dad.
"I got your board out of the garage and I brought my spare." Alexis said to them.
"We need to give Ryan lessons probably." Troy said Ryan nodded.
"I've never seen the ocean when we go away its always in land." Ryan said to him Troy laughed. "My parents are always about the business trips." he added at Alexis gob smacked look.
"Dude we have to change that." Troy said to him as he took him outside. "You can swim right?" he asked clearly perplexed.
"Of course I can swim." Ryan said indignantly.
"Ryan I am a water baby, I love the ocean until now I didn't think I knew anyone who had never seen the ocean." Troy said to his boyfriend as they picked up the boards. "Its like a ten minute walk, I'll get my 4x4 out and we can load the boards on top of that save some time. It has the added bonus of being able to take it down onto the beach." Troy said to Ryan who nodded. "You okay?" he asked the blond.
"I can't believe that we are here." Ryan said excitedly Troy looked at him but only saw excitement in his eyes. "I'm really cool have we got water or something." he asked.
"Jonah will have packed everything in my car." Troy said to him.
"Jonah who?" Ryan asked.
"Butler." Alexis said to the blond. "Nan insists on having staff at the house its to big for one person to clean apparently." he added Troy snorted.
"I love my grandparents but they are like your parents in that they want everything done for them it's a rich thing I guess." Troy said Ryan snorted. "Though I am rich and don't have that thing going on with me." he added. "I just have a boyfriend who insisted on replacing my entire wardrobe after one date." Troy said to his cousin who snorted.
"You so needed an update." Alexis said to him Ryan snorted.
"That is what he said to." Troy said shaking his head.
The drive was shorter than the walk with everything they needed to carry, when the car backed down the ramp onto the beach itself he killed the engine once it was clear of the ramp.
"I'm going to say hello to a couple of people." Troy said to Ryan. "You want to come meet some friends of mine." he asked him Ryan nodded eagerly. "Take your shoes and socks of." Troy said to his boyfriend who did as told before they both got out of the car.
"You got the boards Lex." Troy asked his cousin.
"Yes I'm fine I'll shout if I need a hand." Alexis said to him Troy nodded before taking his boyfriends hand and walking down the beach to where his friends were seated around the surf boards dotted around them.
"Hey Troy." Nick called standing up as a couple of others did like wise.
"Hi Nick this is my fiancé Ryan." Troy said.
"You changed your mind pretty quick." Nick said to him.
"I'm not going to live here permanently Nick, a relationship between us would never have worked past the summer." Troy said to him. "Nick was the first guy I ever kissed." Troy explained to Ryan. "He is the reason I told you what I did at the start of the year, he was the one who made me realize that I was living a lie." Troy said to Ryan with a smile on his lips.
"Thanks for that." Ryan said as he shook hands with Nick.
"This is Janice but we call her Jan, that's Jake his the man whore of the group, and that there is Mikey." Troy said introducing them all to Ryan. "This is Ryan guys." he added stating the obvious to them all. "This is his first time near the ocean so take it easy on him." Troy said to the group.
"Don't take it easy on me I want to learn." Ryan said growling playfully at his boyfriend.
"His the boss." Troy said to Nick who laughed.
"So I see." Nick said to Troy and Ryan who laughed. "Well Alexis said his lending you his spare board till tomorrow, we can get you fitted with one that suits you more than his does." Nick said Troy nodded. "Lets take you down the ocean dude." Nick said to him Troy grabbed his own board from Alexis who smiled.
Troy watched from a distance as Ryan took to the ocean for a first time, he smiled as his boyfriend gave him the thumbs up and approached from the side on his board.
"So what do you think?" Troy asked.
"Its warmer than I thought it would be." Ryan said to him.
"Yeah it can sometimes be cold but most of the time its quite warm." Troy said to Ryan as he sat up on the board feet dangling on each side. "So do you like it?" Troy asked his boyfriend.
"I love it here, and I've only been here a while." Ryan said.
"I did say you would." Troy said to him.
"So how do I get on this thing?" Ryan said.
"That's a secret you need to work on your own to manage that." Troy said with a wink at Alexis who was trying hard not to laugh as Ryan pouted and tried unsuccessfully to get on to the board Troy snorted before getting of his board and wading over to Ryan. "Here Ryan let me help." Troy said.
"I thought it was a right of passage." Ryan said to him.
"It is." Troy said honestly.
"Then I'll get it." Ryan said defiantly.
"Okay… Ryan love you." Troy said kissing his neck before returning to his own board. "I'm going to take a paddle honey you sure your okay?" Troy asked.
"Yeah I'll shout when I am ready." Ryan said. "I love you to." he said Troy turned an interesting shade of red as he said this before smiling shyly and paddle of to go with his friends leaving Alexis and Ryan alone. "Is this really a right of passage?" Ryan asked.
"Yes it really is, you have Troy head over heels Ryan." Alexis said to him.
"More like the other way around." Ryan said.
"He loves you, I haven't seen him that red since he and Matt were forced to bath with me when we were little, we got muddy playing in the local park and as punishment our nan mad us all get in the same bath." Alexis said to Ryan.
"Troy was embarrassed?" Ryan asked.
"His a pretty shy guy when it comes to new things, his twin was shyer than he is but his shy." Alexis said to him.
"Meaning what?" Ryan asked.
"Well I knew that he had a thing for you before he left this summer, he talks in his sleep and well your name came up a lot of times while he moaned in his sleep and it wasn't painful moans by the way." Alexis said to Ryan who blushed. "His always going to be the baby of the family who the adults treat like his going to break if they say the wrong thing around him." Alexis said to him.
"Yes it gets on his nerves." Ryan said as he managed to sit up on the board. "Why don't we let him enjoy himself for a while you can show me the ropes." Ryan said to Alexis. "I can get to know my fiancé's family better." Ryan said to Alexis who nodded smiling.
"You have brothers or sisters?" Alexis asked.
"Yeah I have a twin sister called Sharpay, she had a crush on Troy for years." Ryan said to Alexis.
"He mentioned her, called her a pain in the ass." Alexis said to Ryan who laughed.
"Was that before or after she outed him to the entire school." Ryan asked him.
"Before his words were a hell of a lot more harsh when she did that, he called me when he ran from the school on his mobile, his dad did some pretty impressive shouting when he saw the phone bill for his mobile." Alexis said to him with a grin Ryan laughed. "We may live in different countries but Troy and I are pretty close you know." Alexis said to him with a grin.
"I can see." Ryan said to him. "Your worried that I'll hurt him?" he asked.
"I worry about Troy, his a lot more sensitive than he lets on to peoples opinion of him, I know he loves you I am cool with that but you hurt him you and me are going to have some serious words." Alexis said to him Troy snorted as he approached from the side of his cousin.
"I will hurt my family if they keep trying to protect me from something that I don't need to protect against Alexis, Ryan proposed to me not the other way round, so back the hell of. Jesus you're a year older than me and you act like I am four." Troy said to his cousin annoyed. "If he hurts me the only person who is going to hurt him back is me got that." Troy said to him. "I have to put up with my lunk head brother being over protective I don't you." Troy said harshly to Alexis.
"I'm just watching out for you." Alexis said to him.
"And I don't need you to okay, what I do need is my family supporting my decisions. I chose Ryan not Nick who I know you would have preferred me to, you trust Nick but guess what we have a few thousand miles between us it wouldn't work. Leave my personal life just that personal to me Alexis, I love you I do but I won't put up with it." Troy said to him Alexis nodded. "Now are you ready to help me teach Ryan if his up to it." Troy asked.
"Can I talk to Troy alone for a minute." Ryan said to his friend.
"Sure." Alexis said to him leaving the two of them alone near the shore.
"He was just trying to do you a good deed." Ryan said to him softly.
"I know, my family likes doing it a lot, Ryan you have your parents and sister and grandparents to deal with and they don't treat you like you might break at a moments notice. I get that from my parents from time to time, I know that they care I know that they love, but I am ready have been since that trip to Matt's grave to move on." Troy said to him with a smile. "Zeke's dying reminded me and probably you and all that life is way to short to have regrets on what could have been's." Troy said to his boyfriend with a sad smile. "I could make a film of how badly my life went to hell since Matt, you came along and changed that." Troy said to the blond as he paddled up along side him.
"I haven't changed you, you changed me." Ryan said.
"Lex got something right about me Ryan, before I agreed to go on a date with you I was scared of what everyone including my parents would think of me. You gave me the strength to change my life for the better Ryan you just don't realise how big a role you have had in that, before the start of school this year I was still lumbering around with this weight on my chest." Troy said to him taking his hand in his own. "You're the best thing to happen to me in a long time, I'm ready to start moving on from New York Ryan. It took ten years of pain tears anger isolation what ever else, but I am ready that is because of you." Troy said to him with a grin on his face Troy placed his hand on Ryan's chest right where his heart was. "As much as your heart belongs to me mine belongs to you Ryan, I gave it to you willingly something your sister couldn't get from me or Gabriella for that matter." Troy said to him Ryan nodded his head.
"Thanks for bringing me here." Ryan said. "And thanks for giving me a chance." he added.
"Your welcome on both counts, its incredible here." Troy said.
"It is isn't it, so you going to show me how to do this." Ryan said kissing him softly on the lips.
"Sure thing." Troy said to him.
They spent the best part of the afternoon and evening in the ocean enjoying each others company before heading to the shore again Troy was smiling as they spotted that their friends had made a picnic area of sorts by the car.
"Jonah must have pack more than just our gear in the car." Troy said to Ryan as they sat down on the towels.
"Yea I said to pack a picnic for food." Alexis said to him. "I figured that we could eat here before heading back to the house." Alexis added.
"Cool dude." Troy said to his cousin.
"Your not mad at me anymore?" Alexis asked.
"No I am still mad at you, just that I am willing to talk to you now where as before I wasn't." Troy said to him.
"Fair enough." Alexis said as Troy grabbed a sandwich from the plate.
"Roo meat seriously." Troy said after a bite. "Ryan beware this is not roast beef." he said to the boy who took a bite and sighed happily.
They sat eating for a long time no one talked, "I should probably be getting back." Alexis said.
"I was going to sit here watch the sunset with Ry take the car back we'll walk back." Troy said to his cousin.
"Sure thing, I'll walk and let them know your be back later." Alexis said.
"Ta." Troy said as the boy walked up the beach out of site after a while. "We are in a great place to watch it you know." Troy said as he pulled Ryan to him hugging him as he sat between Troy's legs.
"Its just the sunset Troy." Ryan said.
"Trust me your like this." Troy said.
"Troy…" Ryan started.
"Um something on your mind?" Troy asked.
"Why me?" Ryan asked.
"Well besides being special, your cute funny you have a sexy body big cock…" Troy said the last one as he got an elbow in his side. "Okay the last one was a lie but the rest is true." Troy said Ryan giggled. "Your pretty special Ryan you just need to hear it more, your more your own person now than you were a year ago. As much as you have helped me I know I helped you from getting out from your sisters shadow." Troy said.
"Your right." Ryan said.
"Are you having second thoughts about marrying me Ryan?" Troy asked him.
"What no, I thought maybe you were. Your family is a big thing for you and I don't want to cause friction." Ryan said to him.
"You probably shouldn't have asked me to marry you then." Troy said tickling Ryan's side he started laughing. "Ryan we are never going to get everyone to approve but my parents love you Alex and Alexis loves you, we haven't spent a lot of time with my grandparents here or the ones in New York which we don't talk to at all at the moment so don't hold your breath on them agreeing with us." Troy said to Ryan.
"No regrets then?" Ryan asked Troy kissed his neck.
"No regrets at all, you wouldn't be here if I wasn't sure about things Ryan. I don't bring partners home to meet my grandparents every time." Troy asked. "In fact you would be the first, that is how they know I am serious about us. Now quiet down and watch." Troy said pointing out across the ocean as the sun was close to setting.
"I love you." Ryan said sighing happily into his boyfriends chest.
"I love you to now quiet and watch." Troy said.
Ryan and he sat for an hour before he heard the blond gasp in wonder and amazement, Troy laid a trail of kisses up his neck causing him to moan.
"Its getting late we should head back." Troy said looking at his watch.
"Yeah come on then." Ryan said as they got up. "We can come back tomorrow or the day after we are here for two weeks after all." Ryan said to him.
"I have to renew my scuba diving license it runs out soon." Troy said to him.
"You dive as well." Ryan asked.
"I did say that I was a water baby." Troy said.
"Something else I didn't know about you, your full of surprises." Ryan said.
"We have a boat in the marina that has a glass bottom, I thought we could take a look in a couple of days." Troy said to Ryan. "No better way to see the ocean if you don't have a license of something." Troy said to him.
"Sounds great." Ryan said as they tied the boards to the car roof Troy got up to check Ryan's knots. "I do know how to tie knots." he said.
"I know honey but I need to check that they will hold the boards." Troy said as he jumped into the drivers side of the car. "I don't trust anyone with my board, not even Alexis, you were tying mine up by the way and you did a great job." Troy said to him.
"I can understand that I think." Ryan said as they roared up the ramp slowing when they reached the top to check it was clear and continued on. "I can see why you love this place." he said.
"It is beautiful, your see why one day I want to live here by the time we are done here." Troy said to him with a grin.
"I can't wait." Ryan said his eyes filled with wonder.
When they pulled into the house drive way Troy spotted people out on the back patio, "They must all be outside tonight." Troy said to him as they walked into the back yard. His parents Alexis and grandparents both sets, Troy's eyes widened a lot at the sight of his other grandparents before being pulled into a hug by them.
"Hello Troy, Jack was telling us that you were in New York visiting Matt. You should have popped in." his grandfather said hugging him tightly.
"I didn't think I would be welcome." Troy mumbled Ryan was pulled away from them by Alexis.
"Let them talk." Alexis said in a whisper to his friend.
"Honey no matter what passed between your parents and us, we would never turn you away." his grandmother said to him. "You've grown a lot since the last time we saw you." she said kissing his cheek.
"I was nine." Troy pointed out to them she laughed.
"So how have you been?" his grandfather asked.
"You know I play basketball, golf, I gave up the choir when I was twelve, I met my fiancé who is staring anxiously at us." Troy said pointing Ryan out who was staring at them worriedly.
"Your dad was telling us you came out this summer." his grandmother said to him.
"That is Ryan." his grandfather said Troy nodded. "You have good taste son, I don't swing that way but if he makes you happy who are we to argue." his grandfather asked.
"How long are you guys here for?" Troy asked.
"Till you all go back, we are going to try and mend some bridges with your mum and dad and of course you, we want to celebrate your eighteenth birthday with you as well its not every day that your grandson turns eighteen you know." his grandfather said to him. "We all made some mistakes and the two people that mattered the most to all of us got hurt because of it, we made some bad choices." he added.
"If your let us we'd like to try and make it up or at least make peace." his grandmother said to him.
"I'd like that." Troy said his grandmother hugged him Troy let himself be hugged the relieve he felt softened his body language a lot and calmed his worry.
"Now why don't you introduce us to Ryan properly." his grandfather said to him.
"Sure thing, hey Ryan can you come over here." Troy said to his boyfriend who nodded making his way to them Troy took his hand in his own. "Ryan these are my other grandparents, nan pops this is Ryan my fiancé." Troy introduced them all.