A/N: As it seems to have slipped my mind in the previous chapters, I must point out that I own nothing but the basic plot. If Troy and Ryan were mine, "High School Musical 3" would have been R-rated.

Warnings: Slash, sexual content between two males

Song Lyrics: Underlined Italics

Chapter 5: Here

Ryan and Troy strolled side by side through the park, the brunette's hand protectively enclosing the delicate hand of the blond.

"When's the last time you were outside, Ry?" Troy prompted casually.

"When Shar and I went back to school shopping about a month ago." He could sense Troy's shock but the brunette said nothing to confirm it.

Instead, he stated calmly, "That's a shame. You're one of those people that sparkles in the sunlight."

Ryan blushed self-consciously, wondering how anyone could ever consider that he possessed even a shred of beauty. Still, somewhere inside he had been longing to hear words of such a nature from the other boy.

If the other park goers saw the two boys' hands intertwined, they paid the interaction no mind.

The sounds of children laughing and frolicking merrily as they played games of long forgotten youth such as tag and Frisbee filled the air around them.

"Sharpay, Zeke!" Troy called as he and Ryan re-entered the Evans mansion through the front door.

"Shar?" Ryan joined in. "You here?"

When they received no answer, the two seated themselves on the couch in the den.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Ryan offered.

"Sure, I'd love to."

At Troy's smile, Ryan set off for the movie library, determined to find something entertaining, romantic, and unique. Something that Troy hopefully hasn't already seen a million times.

With a smile, he retrieved his selection and promptly returned, producing it to Troy.

"'The Pebble and the Penguin'," the athlete read. "I haven't seen that movie in years."

"It's sort of cheesy," Ryan pointed out, "but I like it, and I think you will too."

Putting the disc in the blue ray, the two boys settled back against the sofa and the blond selected the "play" option off of the disc menu.

After the opening narration, Ryan watched recognition flicker in Troy's eyes during the opening number, which he was already humming under his breath. "I know this song!" the taller boy remarked excitedly.

The smaller boy bit back a chuckle. On screen, a book opened the movie's title printed across its front. It contained the sheet music for the piece. Taking the top line, he sang the female part at a mezzo piano dynamic in his velvety alto-tenor.

One perfect pebble

Following his lead, Troy sang along with the male voice.

Just one humble stone

On the next line, the rough tenor baritone of the basketball god blended with the smoothness of the theater king's voice. Despite having never dueted with one another before this instance, the contrast in their singing styles allowed their voices to miraculously harmonize, producing a beauty that all pairs and groups strive to achieve but few ever do.

But, oh what a stone

Can do

Ryan led with the female part.

It means that I have

One love forever

And one love alone, Troy finished the phrase.

The focus of their gazes shifted to one another and their dynamic crescendoed into a meaningful mezzo forte.

I can't believe this! Ryan told himself, his heart thudding.

Troy himself was fairly incredulous but neither of them had any regrets. Whether the song's intentions held any truth for them remained to be seen. Either way, they weren't backing down now.

A now and forever

With you

The two of them watched the movie, singing along with the songs that they had a vague recollection of the words for. By the movie's finale, they were belting out the end of version of the movie's main theme, "Now And Forever".

Don't be daft. Only in movies do people sing love songs when they're in love. In spite of his thoughts on the contrary, Ryan couldn't ignore the way Troy's eyes were glued to him, the way he didn't want that searing gaze focused anywhere else.

Switching back to regular TV, the two of them began watching an episode of "Phineas and Ferb" on the Disney Channel.

"Isn't Ashley Tisdale too old to be playing Mitchell Musso's love interest?" Troy asked.

"Probably. That's why Perry's my favorite."

"I know," the brunette smiled. "Perry's the shizz."

Shaking his head, the blond smiled back.

"Doofenschmirtz should seriously quit the villain gig," Troy went on. "He's so lame."

"Especially with the names of his "evil inventions"," Ryan put in.

"I know, right?" Troy cried, displaying that childish earnest that warmed his companion's heart. "The dude adds "inator" to everything even if it already has "inator" on the end!"

Turning back to the TV, the two of them saw the "Squirrels In My Pants" rap where Phineas's older sister Candace literally had squirrels in her pants. After a verse, Candace, voiced by Ashley Tisdale would yelp in time to the beat "Squirrels! Squirrels!" making Ryan wonder why the two of them were parked on the sofa watching the cartoon in the first place.

Tilting his head to the side, Troy made a stunning observation. 'Ryan have you ever noticed how much Candace sounds like your sister?"

The blond blinked, but before he could reply, the orange haired girl gave another yelp of "Squirrels! Squirrels!" in a voice that was all too reminiscent of Sharpay's.

Simultaneously, the pair burst into laughter, their bodies shaking with the expression of amusement. They laughed until their stomachs began to ache, relishing the experience. Ryan hadn't laughed that hard since summer began. As the wave of glee began to simmer down, the head of the male Evans twin once again found itself resting on the shoulder of the brunette athlete.

"Thank you for today," Ryan murmured softly. His jaws parted in a yawn. Troy made him feel so safe, warm full, content. Those were sensations that had not been his to experience in so long. "I really appreciate it." His eyelids felt like weights, making it so difficult to keep his blue orbs focused. A welcomed haze slid over his state of consciousness. It was hard to concentrate, to keep his train of thought intent. His arm draped across the other boy's firm chest as he struggled to get the words out that were thickening, slowing with need for something that his body had been deprived of. "I love spending time with you." He was slipping away, control of his motor skills abandoning him. "Troy, I love you."

The blond fell silent, his breathing pattern steady and even, his chest rising and falling gently.

"I love you, too, Ry," Troy confided, shifting his weight so he could more comfortably support the smaller boy. "Get some sleep, okay?" He whispered, stroking Ryan's smooth cheek. "Lord knows you need it."

Reclining, he laid his cheek against the armrest, Ryan's sleeping form strewn across his chest. He had spent many long hours awake last night, tossing and turning as he tried to think up ways to deal with the beautiful boy's predicament and to set him back on the track that he had been horribly derailed from. If I want to help him, I need a better understanding of what goes on inside his head. He let out a yawn himself. I need to prove to him that I care about him, that he deserves love and that I'm going to be there for him. The night before, sleep had proven futile because Ryan was on his mind, now that the angelic blond was laying snuggled against his chest, safely out of harm's way for one stitch in the fabric of time, Troy let himself be at peace and sleep soon took him as well.

Troy's hand closed around Ryan's stiffened length, pumping in brisk, powerful strokes. Throwing his head back, the blond emitted uninhibited moans of raw, carnal covetousness. The atmosphere was thick, hazy. He wanted everything; his pain, his bitterness, his identity, his sanity, to be washed away in this liberating tidal wave meant to consume him. His hips thrusted forward, countering the motions of the athlete's hands. Each thrust felt so good, so fulfilling…

The haze slowly lifting, Ryan came to and realized that the motions to accompany those wonderful sensations were directed not at the jock's hand, but at his denim clad thigh. His face red, the blond performer was mortified and mortifyingly hard. Shifting his weight, awkwardly, he attempted to settle back into the comfort of Troy's body without further stimulating the arousal bunched up uncomfortably in his trousers.

Beneath him, Troy let out a groan. Ryan tensed in terror of discovery. Another groan passed out of the athlete and the performer wondered… Am I losing it… or was that…amorous? The muscles of the brunette tensed up and then relaxed. The heat between Ryan's legs only intensified. Troy stirred, stretching out as best he could under the lightweight of the other boy. Taking notice of his companion, he greeted him with a soft easy "Hey."

"Hey," Ryan murmured back. The brunette's tanned face was also rather flushed, his sitting position awkward as if concealing something…

"How was your nap?" Troy broke into Ryan's thoughts.

Removing himself from on top of the golden boy, Ryan answered, "It was alright, I guess." His loins gave a twinge.

Troy nodded. "That's good to hear." He lifted his gaze to the sun window. Fiery streaks of pink and orange shot across the sky. "What time is it?"

"I'm guessing it's about six or seven."

"Great, there's still time."

What was Troy talking about?

Scooting in next to the petite blond, the athlete's voice dropped to a huskiness. "I'm a genie, you're my master. And I'm going to grant you any three wishes you want."

"Troy…" Ryan's brows knitted together, his heart heavy with piercing melancholy. If the beautiful golden boy wished to take advantage of him, he wouldn't resist. I won't. I can't. Troy took Ryan's hand and every remaining fiber of the boys' resistance shattered. "Kiss me," Ryan pleaded, his voice scarcely above a whisper yet ringing in the basketball god's ears with such desperation it made him dizzy.

He obeyed. How could he not? The brunette kissed the blond hard and full on the lips, drinking in his scent, his pain. He would take it all in. Ryan was not refusing him so Troy would not refuse any of the things the boy was offering. They fell back onto the couch, the brunette's tongue slipping into the fair actor's parted lips with ease. Ryan clung tightly to Troy, moans rising up in his throat. His index finger traced the back of the taller boy's neck, the shape of his shoulder blades, the curvature of his spine; all of them a polished, toned golden shade. It was so lovely. Purrs of ecstasy ascended from Ryan's creamy ivory throat. He arched back, allowing Troy to decorate his neck. To leave his marks of ownership on him. He was in nirvana. The golden boy allowed him to kiss at his throat as well before rubbing their bodies hot and flushed together. Troy grunted, rocking his hips into Ryan's to get the boy going. He tugged the theater boy upright once more, giving him encouragement between gasps for air. 'That's right, Ry. It's okay." His breath hitched in his throat.

Ryan stared at the other boy's Adam's apple, his blue eyes darkened with intense lasciviousness. Troy removing his cap, putting it safely on the back of the couch and then guiding him with his fingers tangled in his short blond hair was just what he needed to convince him that it was okay to proceed with the actions necessary to make his fantasies real. To give him something to hold onto when all was said and done.

Just as Troy had, he picked a section of flesh on the boy's neck and began suckling, his hips bucking forward in a constant, beauteous, maddening motion. Groaning and yelling, they wrapped their arms about one another, holding on tight as they brought each other to climax.

Holding one another, the pair sat on the porch, requiring no jackets to repel the chill of the night air other than each other's company.

Ryan lay against Troy's shoulder, his hand intertwined with the brunette's tanned appendage. He could feel the vibrations thrumming within the boy as he spoke. "I don't want to go back to school either."

The blond felt only faint surprise. 'Troy," he murmured, raising his head and looking into the jock's ocean blue eyes, his sky blue eyes misty. "Is this all a dream? When I wake up am I going to be cold and alone again? I wish that I could stay here wit you forever and not have to worry, or think or feel anything but you until I die."

Troy gave him a look, his eyes filled with a deep sadness.

It tore Ryan up to see that look on the face of the object of his fantasies. The male that he had always treasured from afar. Hatred for himself boiled inside of him. He clenched his fists, hoping that his nails would break through the skin; praying that the pain would rid Troy of that expression, that haunted look of guilt and bewilderment. That's your fault! His brain roared. You upset Troy! You ruined it! You ruin everything! Tremors wracked form as he internally cursed his own existence. Arms wrapped about him, incapacitating the vows of death his brain screeched at him. The violent shuddering died as his fragile shell was pressed tightly to the firm muscle and warmth of Troy Bolton's body.

"I'm not going anywhere," Troy swore.

In the state of confusion and disorientation Ryan's mind was in, the words were at first unclear.

"Ryan. Hey, Ry, look at me. I'm not going anywhere," he repeated. "Ryan? Come on, I mean it."

The glaze over the blond's eyes evaporated bringing them into focus on the other boy's frantic expression. Seeing the sincerity in Troy's eyes clear and true, Ryan's lower lip quivered and he melted against the brunette's solid form, shaking with a sob he wouldn't permit himself to release.

"Shh," Troy soothed the blond, rubbing his back in a consolatory fashion. "I'm here. I'm here, Ry."

The sun sank below the horizon and night descended on Albuquerque, coloring the sky a deep blue. Troy's pink lips crashed against Ryan's red lips in fervent need. Moans laced the night air and the two re-entered the home to escape the evening chill. Summer was ending.

Hoisting Ryan up, Troy carried the delicate performer up the staircase to his sleeping quarters. Laying Ryan on his bed, the brunette athlete proceeded in undoing his own fly.

"What are you doing?" Ryan breathed, his chest heavy with desire. His swollen erection was smothered by the denim that enclosed it.

"Granting your wish." Troy took hold of the blond's slender hands and guided them toward his waistband so the obstruction of his trousers could be properly disposed of. Leaning in, he began sucking on an area of pristine ivory flesh.

Letting out a beautiful sigh, a soft moan, Ryan was at peace. The fire of self-hatred doused, for the moment by Troy's presence. He's here with me. And for now in this stitch in time, that's all that matters.

A/N: Next chapter school starts! Stay tuned!