The night before Gabriella left for her new life living in LA, Troy and Chad took her out for dinner at a fancy restaurant. The boys had been keeping a secret from Gabriella, which was probably quite cruel - they knew she'd be desperate to find out that they were now a couple.
"Here's to Gabriella." Troy raised his glass above his head, Chad and Gabriella copying him. "And her new life as a rock star."
"Calm down." Gabriella grinned. "We'll see."
"Also… the separation of USA's golden couple." Troy pouted, and Gabriella laughed.
"USA's golden couple?!"
"Albuquerque's golden couple?" Troy grinned. Gabriella shrugged, and nodded.
"I'm gonna miss you guys." Gabriella sighed, the three of them clinking glasses.
"And…" Troy cleared his throat, grinned at Chad, and looked to Gabriella.
"What?" She smiled.
"Albuquerque's new golden couple…"
"Oooh, who?!" Gabriella said, her gossip radar beeping loud and clear.
"I can't really say…" Troy said.
"Troy! Tell me!" Gabriella desperately instructed him.
"It's not that I can't tell you, I just can't say it. Out loud. Here."
Chad grinned at Troy, who grinned back. Gabriella looked from one to the other, desperate to know the secret they were clearly both in the know about.
"Okay, Gabi. We can't say, but… Let's just say… it all started in a little city called New York…"
Gabriella let a wide grin spread across her face, as she went red with pent up excitement.
"Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed, quietly. "You guys are a couple now? Officially?"
"Yup." Chad smiled. "We're gonna give it a go and… see what happens."
Gabriella grinned, looking at Troy, who looked happy but slightly embarrassed, and she looked back at Chad.
"You should move in."
"Oh, Gabriella, uh..." Chad stammered, disbelieving the awkward situation Gabriella had just created. "It's really… and we just…" He glanced at Troy who was giggling slightly. "I don't think so."
"Chad really needs to live close to college." Troy nodded, before bursting into giggles.
"Okay…" Gabriella laughed. "It's too soon. But just remember, you guys know each other better than you know yourselves… you're skipping a huge part of relationship development…"
"Whatever." Chad sighed, feeling kind of beat from the stress that Gabriella purposely fabricated.
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The next morning, Troy took Gabriella to the airport, before seeing her off. The both of them cried a little, not for the benefit of any photographers that inevitably lurk in the airport, but genuinely for the loss they both knew they would feel soon enough.
"Bye, you." Gabriella smiled through her tears. "Take care of Chad."
"I'll let you know all the gossip, I promise." Troy smiled, hugging her close.
"This is so silly!" Gabriella laughed, wiping her tears away. "I don't wanna go. But I'll see you soon?"
"Bet on it." Troy smiled. "You'd better go. I love you."
"Love you too."
Troy kissed Gabriella with surprising passion, before she left him, standing alone, tears flowing from his eyes. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. He dialled.
"Hey."
"Chad, man, you have any free time today?" Troy said, trying not to let the tears choke him. "I've got to see you." He sighed.
"Gabriella gone, huh?" Chad replied softly. "Are you at the airport?"
"Yeah."
"Come to my dorm. By the time you get here I'll have just finished classes before lunch. And that gives me a few minutes to fix myself up for you." He said with an audible smile.
"Okay." Troy laughed. "See you soon, Chad."
"Can't wait."
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Troy cleared his throat, and knocked on the door to Chad's dorm.
"Hey!" Chad said, opening the door. "Come in."
He stepped aside to let Troy in, and he shut the door. Before Troy knew what had hit him, Chad was squeezing him close.
"Are you okay, Troy?"
"I think I am, Chad, thanks." Troy smiled to himself. "But…"
"What, what is it?" Chad asked, pulling away, looking worried.
Troy put his hand inside his jacket and pulled out a crushed rose.
"I got you a flower." He said in a baby voice. "And you broked it."
Chad let out a grin on his otherwise apologetic expression.
"Aw, I'm sorry." Chad smiled, approached Troy. "I love it." He kissed Troy on the cheek, and took the rose from his hands. Troy turned slightly pink.
Chad got on his knees, and pulled an old suitcase out from under his bed.
"You know what I'm gonna do with this?" Chad asked Troy, holding up the crushed rose.
"No…" Troy said, clearly trying to think.
"I'm gonna press it." Chad smiled, opening the old suitcase to reveal probably hundreds of issues of Sports Illustrated. Chad lifted up a big pile, placed them on the floor, and then picked up another pile. He picked up two pieces of paper from his desk, lay one on top of the thin pile of magazines still in the case, put the rose on it, and placed the other piece of paper on top of the rose.
"I don't even know what I'm doing." Chad grinned.
"Yeah right." Troy teased.
Chad picked up as many magazines from the floor as he could, and hovered them over the flower. He let go, piling the stack on top. He then filled it back up with the rest, and closed the suitcase.
"Now," He smiled, pushing the suitcase back under his bed. "When it's done, I'm gonna frame it."
Troy tried to think of something teasing to say, it was his natural instinct when talking to Chad. The old him desperately wanted to tease him, but the new him couldn't help but admit it was incredibly sweet.
"Aw." Troy giggled, hugging Chad as he stood back up. "Thanks for letting me come round." He smiled.
"No problem." Chad grinned back, daring to touch Troy's hair, which was surprisingly soft.
"So, you wanna go out for lunch?" Troy smiled, pulling away from the hug and looking at Chad.
Chad just shrugged.
"Or… we could stay here…" He said, teasing his own hair with his fingers.
"Interesting idea." Troy nodded, and smiled. "And do what?"
"Get to know each other a little better?" Chad said, gently taking hold of Troy's wrist.
Troy started to laugh.
"Chad." He rolled his eyes through his laughter.
"What?" Chad said, also now starting to laugh.
"What kind of a line is that to say to somebody you've known almost your entire life, seriously?"
"Sorry." He grinned. "But I've never been in this situation before, have I?"
"I guess not."
Troy linked his fingers with Chad's, enjoying the feeling of their bulky knuckles locking comfortably together.
"Neither have I." Troy shrugged.
"Yeah, maybe not this exact situation. But you've… you know. Kissed a guy. Touched a guy." Chad blushed slightly. "And, you know…"
"Oh…" Troy raised his eyebrows. "Oh, no, me and JP never… We never…"
"Oh." Chad said. "So you've never…"
"Chad." Troy smiled. "My first time with a girl was special. And with someone special. My first time with a guy is gonna be the same."
"So…" Chad shrugged, looking at the floor. "Am I special?"
Troy smiled to himself, before tipping Chad's chin up so that their eyes locked together.
"How can you even ask that question?"
Chad shrugged.
"You're one of the most special people to me in my life. Gay or no gay, you always have been special. You know that."
"I guess so." Chad started to smile. "I know what you mean, I feel the same." Chad's eyes shifted uncomfortably, Troy smiled. "Gay or no gay," Chad grinned, "I've always loved you, man."
Troy's smile grew until it was stretched right across his face. He pulled Chad close, and squeezed him until he almost couldn't breathe.
"I love you too." Troy said into Chad's ear. "Always have and… always will."
Troy buried his face in Chad's neck, and there the two of them stood for a few minutes, in silence. Troy gently ran his fingers through Chad's curls, as Chad's hands were gently massaging the back of Troy's neck.
"Over the years," Troy started, with a contented sigh, "We've got to know each other pretty well. As well as best friends should. But it goes deeper, and I want to give myself completely to you." Troy planted a kiss on Chad's neck. "I hope you'll let me."
Chad pulled Troy away from him, and looked him deep in the eyes.
"There is nothing I want more."