A/N: I'm back! If you're one of my readers for The Day The World Stopped don't worry, I'm still working on it I just needed to balance out the sadness of that story with a little fluff. To any new readers, this is only my 2nd fanfic so be gentle…but constructive criticism is always welcome. Ok, a few notes important to the story:
1. Like The Day The World Stopped this story will be told from Troy's point of view unless otherwise noted.
2. This is a Tryan (Troy x Ryan). You have been warned. If you don't like the pairing, please click the back button on your trusty internet browser. On that note, this is my first Tryan so I would greatly appreciate suggestions on how I could improve my writing in this genre.
3. Troy's thoughts will be in italics.
4. And finally, the standard disclaimer applies. I don't own High School Musical. If I did, it wouldn't be appropriate for Disney;).
Thank you for reading this hideously long author's note. And now…on with the story.
Tempting Fate
I found myself distracted by the stunning sunset that was making itself known outside my window; the pinks and purples dotting the sky like paint on a canvas. It was Saturday night and while my friends were at a cast party commemorating the final performance of the winter musical Grease I, Troy Bolton, was sitting at the desk in my bedroom pouring over the East High playbook. Such is the life of 'The Basketball Guy'. The big game against West High was exactly nine days away, as illustrated by the big red mark that my Dad had put on the calendar as a reminder.
Like I could ever forget.
Since it was my senior year, Dad expected nothing short of perfection from me. "Your future is riding on it Troy" he'd said at breakfast that morning. He took great pains to point out every college scout at our games and he even took the liberty to speak to a few of them on my behalf. He had also taken the time to sit me down and let me know, in no uncertain terms, that a mediocre performance in the West High game would result in a decrease in offers from Division I schools…and he wasn't about to let that happen. Alas, I was stuck in my room memorizing new plays while my friends were out celebrating and being normal teenagers. I just want to be a normal teenager. No basketball, no expectations. Just normal.
Anyone who peeked into my room would think that I was a devoted student of the game but, in truth, the playbook had been forgotten hours ago. My mind kept wandering back to the musical, remembering how much fun it had been to do something that didn't involve a ball, referees, or college scouts. But most of all it challenged Dad's plans for me and I reveled in the fact that I had finally gotten up the courage to defy him. I auditioned in secret after practice one afternoon and won the part of Danny Zuko. Sharpay, with her long blonde hair, was a natural choice to play my love interest Sandy while Gabriella had been awarded the role of Rizzo. We had so much fun goofing off at rehearsal, which drove the meticulous Ms. Darbus absolutely insane. I have to admit, though, it was a little awkward to have Sharpay playing my love interest considering that the real-life object of my affection was her brother. My Ryan.
Ryan has always been known as the quiet drama geek who followed Sharpay's every step but to me he was the sweet, sensitive boy who had my heart wrapped around his little finger. We had known each other since first grade when I moved to Albuquerque from San Antonio and ended up in Ms. Doherty's class with him and Sharpay, but we didn't actually start hanging out until our Freshman year at East High. It had started out as a typical friendship but it didn't take long for us to realize we both wanted, no needed, to take it to the next level. Ryan made no secret of the fact that he was gay and, deep down, I'd always had inklings of doubt about my own sexuality. I came out to my friends not long after Ryan and I started spending time together; he was an integral part of my life and I never wanted to hide him from them. Everyone had been great about it and we were able to show affection at school without receiving too many awkward glances or rude comments. It was heaven. But, as they say, fairytales never last. At home I was still Troy, the handsome, straight basketball captain. Athletes, particularly those who lived in the home of Jack Bolton, weren't supposed to be gay.
We had to hide and I had to 'play it straight' for nearly a year before I finally came clean to my parents. I was shaking like a leaf as I stood in the living room facing them that October night. Ryan, ever the protector, held my hand the entire time as I spoke the words "I'm gay" for the first time in front of the two people whose approval meant more to me than anything in the world. Surprisingly, both of them had been perfectly fine with my admission, not even batting an eye as I shared a relief-filled kiss with my love right in the middle of the living room. My Dad can accept my sexuality but he still has issues with the musicals. Odd.
My jaunt down memory lane was interrupted as the sound of knocking reverberated upstairs. I glanced at the clock, wondering who could possibly be; it was only 11:00…I didn't expect the cast party to be over for another few hours. After all, Sharpay was hosting tonight and any party hosted by an Evans never ended before sunrise. Evans parties were things of legend. Running downstairs, I barely had time to open the door fully before Ryan stumbled inside. A very drunk Ryan.
I took a step back to catch him as he barreled towards me, finally closing the distance between us and lacing his arms around my back for balance. "Trrrooooy" he slurred. Oh God, this is going to be a long night.
I laughed. "Hey you" I said, kissing his lips lightly, "what are you doing here…is the party over already?"
He shook his head slowly before lifting it to attack my neck with wet, sloppy kisses. "No but I missed you."
Ignoring the building waves of pleasure coursing through my body as his mouth met my skin, I slipped one finger under his chin and lifted his head away, forcing his eyes to meet mine. A look of pure confusion was written across his face but I couldn't let him do this. We'd been through this before and I knew the alcohol was controlling him; at this moment there was not a rational thought in that pretty blonde head. Plus, I think there's some unspoken rule that says it's in bad taste to take advantage of a drunk boyfriend.
His eyes were still on me, demanding to know why I'd put an end to his pleasure. "Ry, are you drunk?"
He nodded, bobbing his head up and down like a little boy who just won a big prize at the carnival. "Yes."
"How many did you have?"
He held up four fingers and began counting "1…2…3…4…5…6"
He wasn't just drunk, he was plastered! Oh Ryan.
I nearly fell over. "Six!" I stammered "Ry, two drinks usually put you under the table…what were you thinking?"
He just stared at me. "I miiiiissseed you."
I pulled him close kissing him fully this time, tasting rum and vodka as our tongues met. I broke the kiss a few seconds later as a terrifying thought crossed my mind.
"Ryan Alexander Evans, did you drive here?"
He wouldn't meet my eyes, he could never lie to me when he was drunk, but I got the answer I was seeking as I looked past him and saw his blue convertible in the driveway.
Oh God.
I lightly pushed him away from my body, putting my hands on his shoulders to hold him in place. Had he been sober, the look on my face would have told him all he needed to know about how furious I was. But, as I looked at him, I noticed that his eyes were slits as he fought against the power of the alcohol to keep them open.
"Ry, you know that's a very stupid thing to do" I started "very very stupid."
Even though I was scolding him, deep down I was thanking God that our houses were only two blocks apart. I didn't want to think about what could have happened if he had driven any further.
My lecture was obviously lost on him; he was currently interested in caressing the drawstring of my sweatshirt with his finger. I could see he was about two seconds away from falling asleep in our entryway so I picked him and started toward the stairs. Time to put my love to bed. As I carried him he balled my t-shirt in his hands, laughing madly as the sensation of the fabric met his fingers.
"Ryan" I shushed him gently "you need to be quiet sweetheart, you're gonna wake up my parents."
He looked up at me sleepily, slurring his words softly as he spoke. "I sorry."
He's so adorable when he's like this, so innocent and vulnerable.
I couldn't help myself. I leaned down to kiss him, grinning as he continued to laugh against my lips. My tongue darted out to tease him, wetting his lips before disappearing inside my mouth again. Not wanting to lose control, I gave him one last quick peck as we came upon the door to my room. Crossing the threshold, I laid him gently on my bed and went to work removing his clothes, replacing them with a pair of pajama pants he'd forgotten last week.
Less temptation that way.
The whole time I had been getting him ready for bed he continued to laugh and squirm, the alcohol obviously creating a very happy reality in his head. As I walked away to change my own clothes I stopped for a second to listen to the sound of his soft giggles.
My happy boy.
Pajama pants on, I walked back over to the bed and laid down next to him. He was quiet and I assumed he'd finally slipped into a hazy slumber so I was caught off-guard a minute later when I felt him climb on top of me, not stopping until our bodies were flush together and his head was resting just below my shoulder.
I laughed. "Comfy?"
He didn't answer, responding only with a contented sigh. I moved my hand, smoothing his blonde hair away from his eyes as they slipped shut and he finally gave in to sleep. He was still squirming ever so slightly as I gently massaged his back; so I turned to the only method I could think of that would calm him. Placing a calming kiss in his hair, I began to sing softly.
Yeah... Your
love is like a river In
all of creation Your love is like a river Never
thought that love could feel like this Your love is like a
river
Oh
yes
Ohhh..yeah..
Can this be true?
Tell me, can this be
real?
How can I put into words what I feel?
My life was
complete
I thought I was whole
Why do I feel like I'm losing
control?
I never thought that love could feel like this
and
you've changed my world with just one kiss.
How can it be that
right here with me
there's an angel?
It's a miracle...
Peaceful and deep
Your soul is like a
secret
That I never could keep
When I look into your eyes
I
know that it's true
God must have spent...
A little more
time
On you...
A little more time, yes he did baby
All things great and small
You are the one that
surpasses them all
More precious than
Any diamond or pearl
They
broke the mold
When you came in this world
And I'm trying hard
to figure out
Just how I ever did without
The warmth of your
smile
The heart of a child
That's deep inside
Leaves me
purified
Peaceful and deep and
deep
Your soul is like a secret
That I never could keep
When
I look into your eyes
I know that it's true
God must have
spent...
A little more time
On you...
on you, on you, on
you, you...on you, on you, on you, you.. ohhh...
on you, on you,
on you, you...on you, on you, on you, you.. yeah...
and you changed my world
with just one kiss.
How can it be that right here with me
There's
an angel?
It's a miracle...
Peaceful and deep peaceful and deep
Your soul is like a
secret
That I never could keep
When I look into your eyes
I
know that it's true
God must have spent...
A little more
time
On you...
on you, on you, on you, you..
God must have
spent...
A little more time
on you
on you, on
you..you...you..oooh..yeah
A little more time
on you...ohhh
I whispered the last line, hoping that my song had reached him in the depths of dreamland.
"Goodnight, Ry" I murmured. It didn't take long for me to succumb to the exhaustion plaguing my body; taking care of him was hard work. But, at the moment, I couldn't think of anything I'd rather be doing.
HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM
I woke up an hour later as I felt my blonde security blanket move. Blinking against the darkness, my eyes focused on him stumbling toward the bathroom that was attached to my room.
Uh oh, why do I get the feeling I won't be sleeping for the rest of the night?
I got up quickly and walked to the bathroom, sitting down behind him as he heaved into the toilet. Revenge of the alcohol was in full swing. I rubbed his back soothingly in attempt to relax his tight muscles. He shuddered under my touch, letting out a pathetic whimper that made my heart lurch. Even though he was the cause of his current misery I still hated to see him in pain.
"Troooy" he whined, words still slurring.
"What sweetheart?"
"I hurt." he whimpered.
Noticing that he had stopped throwing up for the time being I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him down to my lap. "I know, baby" I whispered " I know."
So there we sat for fifteen minutes, in the middle of my bathroom floor as I held him and whispered sweet nothings in his ear; a lame attempt at helping him forget the pain that was undoubtedly wracking his body. Eventually his head dropped to my chest and the incessant whimpers that had been escaping his lips ceased. I kissed his cheek before lumbering into a standing position, pulling his limp body up with me as I did so. I scooped him up and made my way slowly back over to the bed, laying him down gently against the warm sheets. As I stood over him, his eyes popped open and he gave me that look that, even in his inebriated state he knew could make my knees weak…the puppy dog eyes.
Ryan's puppy dog eyes were famous. We could be in the middle of a fight and he'd flash me the eyes and it would all be over. It probably wasn't healthy for the relationship to let him have that power over me but I didn't really care. One flash of those eyes and I'd give him whatever he wanted, they were his weapon and he knew it. Now he only used them when he wanted one thing…sex.
Must resist. Must resist.
"Ryan, no baby" I started "you're still drunk."
He just continued to stare at me, his blue eyes pleading as I waged an inner-battle with myself about whether I should do this. The combination of the puppy dog eyes, and the knowledge that he wouldn't sleep until he got what he wanted, made my decision for me…unwritten drunken boyfriend rule be damned! I moved to lay down on the bed, scooting over to him and propping myself up on one elbow.
"Alright Ry, you win" I said softly "but just kissing…nothing more."
He looked at me seriously, slowly shaking one finger like a librarian telling people to be quiet. "No sex."
I laughed, kissing his forehead softly. "Nope, no sex."
With the ground rules set I slid down the bed slightly so I would have better access to the area I wanted to shower with kisses. I intertwined my fingers with his, massaging his hand gently with my thumb. I grinned as I heard a soft "uhhhh" escape his lips, not knowing if it was from pain or a consequence of the small pleasure I was inflicting on his hand. Afraid that he would get anxious if I didn't start the promised kissing soon, I moved to attack his stomach. Leaning down I placed soft, gentle kisses in a circle around his bellybutton before moving up to pleasure other areas of his firm stomach. Using my free hand I traced a heart on his sensitive skin and then plunged my mouth down to fill the invisible shape with kisses. He let out a deep moan and it wasn't long before I felt him start to squirm against my lips. Casting a glance downward, I saw his ever-growing erection straining against the soft fabric of his pajama pants. Giving my lips a break, I put my fingers to work tickling their way up his stomach and chest. He loved being tickled and I knew it would bring him the release he desperately wanted. I continued the torture, tickling all the way up to the spot over his heart. I stopped and rested my hand there, feeling his steady heartbeat underneath my fingers. Gently lowering my head, I placed slow, feather-like kisses over his heart. That was all he needed and I heard him laugh blissfully as his release came. It was like music to my ears; I loved to hear him laugh and knowing that I was the cause of it never failed to make my heart soar.
I love you, Ry. So much.
Placing one final kiss on his chest, I crawled back up the bed and slid my hands under his back, moving him over so I could sling his legs over the side of the bed to move him into a sitting position. His eyes were wide open now but he said nothing as I removed his pajama pants, which were now soaked with evidence of the pleasure he had just experienced. I quickly replaced the soiled pants with a pair of my own, standing him up briefly to hoist them over his slender hips. When we sat down again his head flopped onto my shoulder and he gazed up at me with his mesmerizing blue eyes.
"More." he said softly, sticking out his bottom lip in an adorable pout.
I laughed, shaking my head. "Uh uh, it's bedtime."
He turned the pout on full-force and his voice started to get louder as he pleaded once again. "More…more…more."
This is one of the reasons I hated it when he got drunk; he never stopped until he got what he wanted. My normally sweet Ryan became impossible to reason with. Picking him up, I laid him down on his pillow but he quickly propped himself up on his elbows, swaying back and forth at the feeling of being semi-upright. I groaned, moving over to straddle his waist. I gently pushed his shoulders against the bed holding him in place and forcing him to lay down.
"C'mon Ry," I cooed softly "can you go to sleep for me?"
He tried to fight me but eventually gave up when he realized I was too strong. When he calmed I moved to lay down next to him once again. My hand immediately went to his hair as I gently brushed it out of his eyes. I could see that he was fighting a losing battle against sleep and I knew it wouldn't be long before he found dreamland again. Before he could succumb completely to his dream world, I gently moved his body so that his head was resting on my chest. He liked to call me his 'Favorite Pillow' and I knew he would smile when he woke up in the morning, even if he had no clue where he was now. It didn't take long for his eyes to slip shut as I continued ghosting my fingers across his forehead and hair. For awhile I sat there watching him sleep, loving this moment but dreading what the morning would bring. My mind kept wandering back to that instant when I saw his convertible in the driveway and the horrible realization hit me that he had indeed driven in his compromised state. Like most teenagers he had a tendency to think he was invincible but, perhaps worse than his naivety, he was an Evans…he'd been taught that money could buy his way out of anything. So he was sometimes reckless, not thinking before he did things; this being a prime example of that very trait. And I loved him, more than life itself actually, but I knew that each time he went on a reckless streak he was risking a downfall and tempting fate.
I just hoped I would always be there to catch him.
A/N: And there you have it, Tempting Fate. A little Tryan fluff with a serious message thrown it. At the risk of sounding like a walking MADD commercial…don't drink and drive. I know this story might not be very good based on the very high bar that has been set by my fellow writers for the Troy x Ryan pairing, but I wanted to try my hand at slash and this was in my head so I wrote it. Reviews are always appreciated. Thanks!
Oh, and I don't own the song Troy sang to Ryan. That belongs to NSYNC.