There must have been a reason to why Troy Bolton went to the Hillside that night, faith knew that Gabriella Montez would be there wondering about what was going on with her life and it was meant for them to talk and finally get it over with. He was supposed to get his act together and finally settle down with the kind of girl he'd wanted since he turned fourteen, and Gabriella was just that girl. For him it wasn't just the looks, it was everything around them the atmosphere and the feelings that mattered so much if even more. His heart was beating for the girl and he wanted to be with her for as long as she would accept him.
"So when are you picking up Gabs at the airport today?" Chad asked as Troy and he sat at a table in the corner of Rocky's restaurant eating breakfast together.
"Dinner time."
Those answers weren't new to Chad. Ever since Gabriella's agent had called and told her that she needed to be in Hollywood the next day for some meetings, Troy had been like a machine answering with only a few words each time. If he wasn't on the phone talking or texting he would be in his own little world, thinking about his girlfriend.
Troy had insisted on coming with her to LA, and for a while it had seemed as if he was going too, but in the end he turned out to stay in Colorado waiting for her to come back again, at least she'd promised she would be back. He'd never found the place he called his home this boring, nothing seemed to occupy his thoughts enough to stop thinking about the brunette for one minute, he didn't really talk to anyone and he didn't do much good at the job either. He just couldn't function without her. He knew it was stupid but he couldn't do anything about it, he was drop dead head over heals in love with her and he wanted nothing else than for time to pass so he could go pick her up and don't let her leave for the near twenty-four hours again.
"Why do I even bother," Chad mumbled again and turned his attention completely to the sports magazine in front of him, blocking out his best friend to be in his own world if that was what he wanted. Suddenly he felt a soft hand slide over his shoulder and he looked up to see his girlfriend slide in to the seat on his left.
"Still not talking?" Taylor asked and nodded towards Troy who hadn't even noticed that they had gotten company at the table.
Chad just shook his head and didn't look too happy about his friend's behaviour. So he was sad and missed Taylor when she wasn't with him but he didn't go around moping like a fucking dead man. So maybe Troy hadn't ever felt like that before, missing someone that much, but he could still act like a human being and shave and actually try to be nice.
Troy didn't want to admit it but he was kind of afraid that Gabriella would have forgotten about him and the good times they'd had together while she was back in LA. He knew that he couldn't compare to all the glamorous underwear model guys and actors and all that shit back in her business and he wasn't sure if he wanted her to be around them with the risk of finding someone that was so much better than him. He knew that he hadn't been the coolest or most popular guy for her but he'd changed now and he wanted to be with her so much his heart almost ached.
He checked the time for the hundred time that day. 2:26pm.
"God," he muttered and ran his hand through his hair for the millionth time. Why did time have to be so cruel sometimes? Gabriella's plane would land at 5pm and Troy would be there 4:59 sharp to see her walk off the plane. He hadn't planed anything special for the evening because he didn't know how tired she would be, he was just going to be there for and with her and give her whatever she needed.
He needed to kill some time. That's what he needed and he suddenly remembered something Gabriella had told him once. "If you don't have anything to do sometime you can just take your snowboard and go down the hills, that is so awesome." Well, sure he'd thought about that before she'd even came to the place but he remembered everything she'd said by now and only that.
True to the words he had gone down the hills three times by the time he watched the clock turn three and he still couldn't do anything but think of Gabriella. He even thought he saw her a few times just so it turned out that it wasn't her but someone that didn't even have the same hair colour.
Finally back inside his house and going crazy he tried to call the number he'd learned quickly, but didn't get an answer at all. So at least she was on the plane, if she hadn't turned her phone off to trick him. "Oh come on, Troy. Can't you at least try to act like a normal person? Of course she's on the plane." He thought to himself.
Turning his steps towards the kitchen he decided it was time to make something for himself to eat. The least he could do was to make sure that he didn't faint when his gorgeous girlfriend stepped off the plane and in to his arms.
-
"Okay, dude, let's get you out of here." Keys in hand and beanie and sunglasses on Troy was escorted out of his living room and out of his house. "Just please make sure that you don't kill yourself while driving. Drive safely and think of it like this, if you drive safely there it's a bigger chance that you get there in time and actually alive to see her. Can you do that, buddy?" He earned a nod and he just shrugged, thought it would be enough because at least he showed that he'd heard what he'd said.
Troy drove several kilometres over the speed limit but didn't seem to realize it, and not that he would have to wait longer at the airport instead.
Gabriella who was one of the first ones to get off the plane placed her big hand baggage on her left shoulder and followed the couple that had stepped off before her towards the exit and the baggage claim. Her stomach was filled with butterflies; she was excited yet scared to see Troy again. They had left each other on such good terms that she didn't want anything to have changed now that she was back, but she knew that that was almost always the case.
Her eyes scanned the small crowd that was formed around the exit to the claim, looking for those broad shoulders and muscled frame. She took a few steps away when she sensed that everybody else arrived behind her and felt a few eyes on her, but not the ones she'd hoped for. What if he'd forgotten that he was supposed to come and get her? But how could that be when she'd talked to him just minutes before the plane lifted from LAX.
Gabriella was just about to pick up her phone where she stood a bit aside when she felt an arm snake around her waist and heat filled her entire body, she didn't need to scream because there was only one person in the world that could make her feel that way with just a simple arm around her frame.
Troy watched how Gabriella first froze when he sneaked his arm around her from behind and then relax. He was sure it was her because he'd gotten to know that body not only when she used to walk away from him but also when she'd started to turn to him and they'd spend days and nights together. When she finally turned around her eyes shone like the moon on a beautiful night and her entire face lit up in a gorgeous smile. He couldn't help but do the exact same when she flung herself at him, her arms clinging around his neck and his went around her waist in the tightest embrace he'd ever experienced.
The two lovers hugged each other for a long time. Troy stroke Gabriella's hair and kissed her temple over and over. "I missed you, so much." He whispered and tightened his grip on her if that was even possible. Gabriella only stroke the hair on the nape of his neck with her face snuggled in to the crock of his neck and mumbled something in reply, but he could feel her head nod a bit and her lips on his skin told him that she felt the same way back.
After many more minutes they finally pulled apart but didn't let go of each other that easily. Troy stroked the side of her face tenderly while Gabriella's hands were on his other between their bodies. Her lips felt hundred times better than he'd remembered before she left and he couldn't help but let his tongue snake over her bottom lip and eagerly enter when she opened her mouth a few centimetres. The kiss was not heated or rushed in any kind of way, just a simple kiss yet that meant so much to the both of them that neither wanted to let go when the need for air came.
"God, I missed you." Gabriella mumbled when they'd finally pulled apart and rested her head against his, her arms around his waist not wanting to let go.
"Me too, Brie, me too." He kissed her forehead one last time before he scoped up the bag that she'd let go of as soon as she'd turned around, and placed it on his right shoulder while his other arms never left the place it had around her waist. "How was everybody back home?" It was a casual question as he turned their steps towards the exit and the parking lot.
"Pretty boring, actually." Gabriella replied and laughed a bit when she saw how a pleased smile spread over her boyfriend's face though he tried to hide it. "And why were you so late anyway, young man?" She smirked when Troy cringed a bit and rubbed his neck obviously not too pleased with the question as they got in to the car and he drove them out of the slightly chaotic airport.
"Well, I ehm don't really think you want to hear it."
Gabriella laughed at this. "You're so bad, Bolton. Sure I want to know, come on tell me."
"Uhm I got held up." He tried to avoid the real reason and also to make eye contact with his smart girlfriend because if he did there would be no going back and he would just tell her straight out why he was late even though he'd waited for this moment ever since he left one week earlier.
"Oh, was the traffic bad?" She seemed a bit suspicious since she told him over the phone earlier that there could be traffic and he needed to leave home earlier than usual.
"Uhm no not really."
"Okay, then what? Come on, Troy, don't be all sneaky on me when I've missed you so much this week and haven't been able to think about anything else than you really. I dreamt about you too, you know," she paused and leaned towards him a bit, placing her hand on his thigh on purpose. "And what you could do to me."
He groaned and tried to focus on the road in front of him instead of the hand that moved over his thigh up and down, he was dead meat.
"I got held up by the cops because I drove a bit over the speed limit, okay?"
The black Audi was filled with laughter when the words were finally out and Gabriella couldn't help but think how it was funny. Though at the same time it was adorable how he wanted to reach the airport fast because he thought he'd get to see her sooner if he did.
"You know, it's not very nice of you to laugh at something like that. After all the reason why I did it was you, so it was your fault." Troy huffed, working hard to not show the smile that wanted to spread over his face. He always wanted to laugh when she did, it as like poison, but a good one of course.
Gabriella finally calmed down but the smile didn't leave his face and she bent over to give him a quick peck on his cheek. "I'm sorry, Troy. It's just that you should know that even if you get to the airport earlier you'll just have to wait longer there."
"That's what the police said too."
Gabriella burst out laughing again. "And he was right. But did it go okay; did you get a ticket or anything?" She asked, a bit concerned if she'd caused him to get in trouble.
"Well, yeah I lost my license but other then that, no," he replied sarcastically, yelping when Gabriella hit him playfully and then giggled. "Hey, watch it young lady, you do want to get back alive don't you? And even if you don't, I do so it would be nice of you do not use violence towards the driver then."
The laughing didn't seem to come to an end too soon. "God Troy, when did you start to get so dramatic," she laughed.
"Since my girlfriend took off for Hollywood and all those underwear models and doll bastards." He couldn't help but let it out, it was the truth he was so scared that she would find someone better than him, he was just happy she sat in the car with him.
"Believe me when I tell you this, Troy. None of those doll bastards are as good as you. They are either gay or evil or players and the good ones are already married and live happy lives with kids and wife. You have nothing to worry about."
For a few seconds, Troy took his eyes off the road and looked at Gabriella beside him; it was one of those moments where you could see the truth in the others eyes, something he'd never believed before. He smiled lovingly at her and took a hold of her hand and turned his attention back to the road, feeling even better than he'd felt before.
Troy told Gabriella to go rest while he made dinner, and she had gladly obeyed. It had been a long week when she was gone, and she was planning on telling Troy everything about it later. She appreciated that he hadn't pushed her in to telling him what was going on, he'd trusted her to tell him when she was ready and that meant so much for her. Now that almost everything was solved she wanted to tell him what actually drove her to come to Croascount on vacation.
Out in the kitchen, Troy cut different vegetables and fried meat, peeled the potatoes cut them and put them in the oven and made sauce. There was something different knowing that his beautiful girlfriend was lying in his bed upstairs, it made him want to achieve something and do everything better. His life felt like it had a meaning again and it was fun working in the kitchen again.
When everything was finally done, Troy lit some candles and poured two glasses of whine and put them back on the table he'd set earlier. Hoping she'd gotten some rest, he then walked up the stairs and slowly cracked his door open to not wake her just yet.
Gabriella's face looked peaceful when he slowly sat down on her side, the covers up to her jaw and her hair spread out on the pillow under her. He almost didn't want to wake her up, but knowing that she needed to eat, he softly placed a kiss on her forehead not wanting to wake her up too abruptly by shaking her. Gabriella's eyes twisted a bit and she slowly started to stir. A smile crept up on her face when the most amazing blue eyes stared down above her.
"Hey, sleepyhead." Troy said in a low voice, there was no need to shout or talk louder; it was just the two of them, finally again.
"Hi." She smiled up at him and gladly kissed back when his lips met hers softly.
"Dinner's ready," he said when he pulled back, stroking a strand of hair away from her face and down towards her collar bone.
A yawn escaped Gabriella and she stretched her body as long as she could. Her muscles felt kind of sore after the flight even though she'd sat in first class and her seat was bigger. It was something with flights that she just didn't like, it was so small and there was always someone who was sick coughing and snuffles, flight attends running back and forth, crying children panicked parents and so on. There was times when she flied in a private jet, and even though she knew that it sounded very bitching and diva like, she just couldn't help but like those small private planes so much more.
Troy watched Gabriella as she stretched out under his covers. Her toes peaked out from the covers and she wiggled them to wake them up again. He could barley make out her body under the thick covers and he had to strain himself to not rip them away and take her then and there. It was still amazing how he had managed to get this woman all to himself.
"Come on, sleeping beauty, let's go." Troy took hold of her hand and helped her out of the bed, she stopped to stretch one last time and then she walked right behind him down the stairs. When they got to the bottom she snaked her arms around his left one and rested her head on his shoulder as they entered the kitchen.
Gabriella took in a deep breath when she saw what he'd done. Candles were lit and two plates with food on was standing with two glasses of whine in front of them on the small kitchen island, tightly together so there wouldn't be a chance of them not being near each other. It was simple, yet so sweet.
"You did this while I was asleep?" she asked, looking up in his face with a soft smile on her own.
"Yeah." He smiled down at her and nodded, and Gabriella rose on her tip toes and kissed his lips softly. Her hands stroke his cheeks tenderly and she couldn't help but smile in to the kiss too, she was happy to be back again and not in LA.
"You're amazing." She smiled up at him and pecked him one last time before he helped her to sit down and then sat down on his own chair.
-
A few hours later, Troy and Gabriella was standing on the big balcony with their arms around each other. The night had been wonderful, they'd ate an amazingly good dinner that Troy had cooked for her and then they'd taken a bath, spent a few hours in the bedroom and now they were standing here staring out in to the dark night. Troy's face was soft and relaxed while he rested it against Gabriella's. He could feel the small box in his left pocket and thought about it, he wanted her to have it but he wasn't sure that she'd take it. Their thoughts were on different ways, but at same time they were still thinking the same. What would happen when Gabriella had to return to her life back in Hollywood for good? What would happen to their relationship that they'd started to build ever so slowly? Troy knew she had came here for a reason, though he didn't know why, but he knew that she would tell him when the time felt right and he was ready to wait. But he couldn't just ask her to move here, she had her entire life back in LA and it wasn't fair to any of them if he was so selfish to ask her.
But did he have any other choices? He couldn't imagine going through life without her by his side anymore, they'd started this and he could not and would not allow it to change just because they practically lived on different sides of the country. Hell, he would even consider moving to LA with her if he had to.
Similar thoughts were running through Gabriella's head. What would happen when her agent called again and said it was time to come home. Could she afford staying here? Sure she did, she'd earned enough money through the seventeen years she'd been in acting business to give up work and still live healthy and by her own requests. But did she want that? She didn't want to sit at home day out and day in doing nothing but gardening and cleaning the house, she wanted to do what she loved; act. She wanted to work and make her own money. But she wanted to be with Troy too. God, she loved the guy with his arms around her, something she'd really had not expected when she decided to go on this vacation.
What if she moved to Colorado to live with Troy? Did it really matter where she lived because she would have to go away when she was going to film a new movie either way, she might as well live with him when she could then. But was that what he wanted? Did he really feel as strong for her as she felt for him? Her heart wanted to stay, her mind wanted her to stay, her whole body wanted her to stay and her heart ached only by thinking of leaving him again.
"Troy…" she began.
Troy tightened the blanket around her shoulders and kissed her forehead, mumbling a quiet "yes" in to her soft hair. She didn't really need the blanket, because her body was warm inside by just being near Troy and his embrace but Troy refused to listen to her and he'd wrapped the thick brown and white blanked around her. The last thing he wanted was for her to catch a cold and get sick now that she was back with him again.
"I…" She truly didn't know what she was going to say. There was so much she wanted to tell him, so much she wanted him to know and yet she couldn't quite say it. "I just wanted you to know that…" Was she really going to say it? What would she do if he didn't feel the same, how was she going to act? But then again, she thought, she only lived once and if Troy didn't feel the same then that's shame on him and too bad for him, he'd be a fucking player who didn't even deserve to be standing on this balcony in this beautiful night. However, a small feeling inside of her told her that she should just go for it, something would make it worth it and there was nothing to fear, so she went for that feeling. "I just wanted you to know that I liked you a lot, and I think that deep down I always did. Because it was impossible not to like the snowboarding lift helper with the sexy body and beautiful eyes…"
Troy couldn't help but look down at the brunette beauty in his arms with horror in his eyes, where was she going with this? Was this when she was going to say that she didn't want him anymore and everything about the doll bastards she'd said earlier were just a joke and she was taking the first flight home. And he couldn't help but notice how she'd said liked.
"I love you, Troy."
His almost closed eyelids snapped up and he jerked back, but still not letting go of her, just enough so he could look her in the eyes. Had he just heard what he thought he had? Had Gabriella just told him the words he'd been thinking of the entire week when she'd been gone. Could she possible love him the way he loved her, maybe it was a dream.
"What…?" His voice trailed off to a whisper. He carefully dig his hand in to his pocket and held the blue box secretly in his hand, maybe she would take it.
Gabriella smiled at how adorable he looked almost like he couldn't believe his own ears. "I love you." She said again louder this time, courage from his expression.
Troy finally seemed to understand what she'd said, realized that she meant him and only him. His face lit up in a beautiful smile that could light up the entire sky. His eyes sparkled. The ring in his pocket burned in his hand and it was almost as it told him to take it out and give it to her. Finally, after a week of thinking, pondering and just wanting her to take it, the small ring was out from his dark pocket and he held it hard in his hand.
Gabriella sensed that he did something and when she looked down she saw that Troy held something really hard in his left hand, almost like he held on to it for his life. "Gabriella." She let her eyes leave the mystery in his hand and wander back up to his beautiful eyes, they still shone like crystals.
"I love you, too."
It was like fireworks exploded inside of her. Like the feeling you get on New Years Eve, seconds before the clock rings in the New Year and the fireworks in the sky explodes in to all these beautiful colours, the feeling of leaving something behind taking a step forward and starting all over knowing that you could do it exactly how you wanted it to be; only this was thousands of times better.
"And I want you to have this." He finally showed her the ring in his hand, praying for his life that she would take it and not laugh out loud straight in his face.
Gabriella's eyes widened when she saw the ring.
"It's not an engagement ring or anything like that." Troy hurried to tell her. "It's just something to show you that you're mine and nobody else. Because I want you to be only mine, I can't stand not knowing when you're away if some guy is going to steal you away from me, it's nearly killing me."
Gabriella smiled warmly at him. "You don't need to worry, Troy, I'm all yours." Troy returned the smile and Gabriella held out her hand, asking him silently to put the ring on her finger and he gladly slid it on on his left ring finger. Together they admired it and Gabriella saw the words "you & I " engraved on it. "Thank you," she said. "It's so beautiful."
They shared a passionate kiss and hugged each other even closer than they had did before, turning their heads once again out over the view from his balcony. No words needed to be said, because they knew that wherever life would take them they would just have to figure it out together and take it as it came. They couldn't figure everything out right at this moment, some things still needed to be worked on but as it was at just that moment they could do nothing but be together and have hopes for the future, believing that they would solve it together.
And as Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez finally stood together at the balcony at last, watching Colorado and its beautiful city lights far, far away their eyes glued to the same space over the mountains, small flakes of snow started to fall. No one noticed that it was starting to get really cold and the blankets didn't fight the cold anymore, but they swore on that they could see a snowflake that was the shape of a heart.
THE FREAKING END
A/N: So yeah, it's time for goodbye. I'm sure some of you dislike me very very much right now because I ended it here, but let's face it I'm not a long-story writer I just can't write long stories through I love to read them. I like where I ended it and it looks almost exactly like I've planned all along. So, THANK YOU to all of you who've supported me through this, you deserve every single good word that the english language has and you all rock my socks! I'm so glad I finished this and please let me just say this, if you're going to say how disappointed you're that I ended it here and you wanted to see how their relationship were going to develop then No, please don't do it. This story was all about how they were getting there and I wanted the end to be like this, almost like you can fantasy youself about what will happen next. Now, I might make a small sequel, but that'll be out in the summer. I'm going to fight through the last weeks of school now, pray for me that I'll make it and then there's a loooong awesome break to come. So, once and again, Snowing Heart Flakes might be over, but will Three Steps be enough for our young lovers to actually find each other? With love mates/ T.