DISCLAIMER: I do not own 'High School Musical' or any related characters.
A/N: Okay, here is the second part to my one-shot. There's a possibility that I'm going to turn this into a three-shot because I think I can round it off nicely with a third part, but, I'll see how this goes. I hope you enjoy it!
Just One Night
He'd fucked up. He'd seriously fucked up. He knew to other people it might not look like he'd fucked up, it probably would have looked like the perfect beginning to a lasting relationship and for once, Troy desperately wished he was one of those people. He wished that when Gabriella came down from her shower he could kiss her and then help her prepare breakfast, snatching kisses in between the preparations before going back into the living room where they had spent the night together and feeding each other whatever it was they had prepared together. Wishing was about as far as he was going to get. Because that scene, the one he could picture all too clearly in his head, was of a couple without complications, a man that didn't come with baggage. Not that he would ever consider Grace baggage. But last night with Gabriella, he hadn't thought about complications or baggage or what was going to happen the next day when they woke up. All he'd thought about was the feel of Gabriella as she moved beneath him; the taste of her as his lips had traveled over her body countless times, discovering new things with ever journey he'd made, the soft moans she made every time he found a new spot to exploit. But now, now that the one night he'd allowed himself with her was over, now that he was thinking rationally he knew he'd seriously fucked up.
How the hell was he meant to tell Gabriella that it was just one night? What the hell was he meant to say to soften the blow that was coming to her? 'I'm sorry Gabriella, I lost my head and spent the night with you when I promised myself I wouldn't because I knew that if something happened between us I'll screw it up like every other relationship I've had hurting not only you, but my daughter as well.' That would go down well with her. Closing his eyes tightly, Troy leaned against the sink and thanked God that Grace wasn't awake yet. He didn't want his eighteen-month old daughter listening to an argument that she probably would never understand and he didn't think he could deal with looking after he if she witnessed him and Gabriella fighting over something that Troy knew shouldn't have happened. It didn't help that in the back of his mind, Troy knew he could avoid the whole confrontation, if he'd just accept the fact that Gabriella felt the same way he did. He knew too that part of the reason he never wanted to be involved with Gabriella was that she was younger than he was and would never want the burden of being tied down to someone. He knew that if he entered a serious relationship with her and then she got the urge to go and see the world, it would be over. She couldn't see the world with a boyfriend and his daughter in the background, it didn't work like that, which was another reason he hadn't made a move on her. She didn't deserve that, she didn't deserve to travel the world with the knowledge that there was a boyfriend and a little girl who thought of her as a mother, waiting back home.
He had to tell her that nothing was going to happen beyond what had happened last night. He would explain to her that he couldn't do that to her or to Grace, he couldn't risk losing her anymore than he could risk losing the fact that she had, more or less, become Grace's mother. Letting out a breath, Troy opened his eyes and felt his resolve weaken instantly as Gabriella stepped into the kitchen, dressed in one of his dress shirts and a pair of his boxers looking like she hadn't just stepped out of the shower, but had tumbled out of bed as well. As soon as she saw him, a smile spread across her face and she walked over to slip her arms around him and bury her face in his bare chest. Troy closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her despite what he'd decided only moments ago.
"Good shower?" He asked, sniffing her hair and feeling his stomach turn as he realized that she'd used some of his shampoo.
"Uh-huh. Good shower. You do realize that your showers are better than the dorm ones, right?" She asked, pulling back slightly to tilt her face up to look him in the face. Troy let out a soft chuckle and ran a hand up her back.
"Of course I do. I went there remember?" He teased her, feeling himself fall into that pretense that was beginning to feel all the more real as he Gabriella stood on her toes to kiss him quickly.
"Ah yes, how could I forget? The coach over there cornered me the other day to rant about how you still are the best player he's ever coached." Gabriella grinned at him cheekily and Troy narrowed his eyes at her tone.
"Oh yeah? What'd you say?" He asked, slipping his hands beneath her shirt and beginning to draw circles on her back.
"That he can't have been coaching long if he thought you were the best player he's ever coached…TROY!" Gabriella shrieked as he poked her and she jumped before bursting into giggles. Troy laughed at her and poked her again, loving the giggles that were spilling from her mouth as she slapped his chest.
Troy gripped her sides tightly as she tried to squirm away from him and swallowed as he realized that if he'd been anyone else, he could do this as often as he wanted. Before he could stop himself or even consider if what he wanted to do was smart, Troy's lips came down on hers hard and he felt Gabriella stiffen in shock before she was kissing back just as desperately as he was. Pulling back, Troy gripped the bottom of his shirt and yanked it up and over her head before kissing her again. As her hands slid up into his hair, Troy's own slipped to her thighs and he lifted her onto the bench, not caring that they knocked the phone of the bench as he hoisted himself up on top of her. Keeping one hand on her thigh, Troy balanced his weight on the other as he pulled away from her lips and skimmed his lips down to her neck and sank his teeth into the curve of her neck. Hearing her moan, Troy bucked his hips once, grinning when she whimpered, as he lavished attention on her neck before going back up to her lips. He groaned against her lips when she wrapped a leg around his waist and nipped his bottom lip. Vaguely, in some far corner of his mind, Troy knew what was going to happen, he registered that he probably would never be able to stand in the kitchen and not remember what was happening and somehow, that thought strengthened and he pulled back.
"Troy…" Gabriella groaned as he looked down at her. Her eyes opened and Troy sighed as he saw the same look she'd been giving him all night, allowing himself one more kiss. Troy ran his hand up and down her leg a few times before he spoke.
"We need to talk Brie." He said quietly and watched as panic flashed through her brown eyes before he slithered off her and picked up his shirt, handing it to her as she sat up and pulled it on.
"What do we need to talk about Troy?" She asked, fingering the hem of his shirt as he looked at her, wondering once again how the hell he was meant to tell her nothing could happen.
"Us. Last night." He said and sighed when her eyes dropped from his. God, this was hard, it was harder because he could tell just by looking at her that she knew what he was going to say.
"What about last night?" Gabriella asked quietly and Troy took a step away from her, wishing he could gather her in his arms.
"Ba-Gabriella, it can't happen. We can't happen." Troy said and closed his eyes as he spoke. "Gabriella, you have no idea how important you are to Grace. In her eyes, you're her mother and you know that just from what happened last night." He continued and opened his eyes to find her gaze on him.
"But why can't we be together? Why is that stopping you?" She asked and Troy stared at her, watching as she made a movement to reach out to him and then clenched into a fist as he let out a breath.
"Because if we become involved I'll screw it up! I alwaysscrew up my relationships Gabriella! If we become involved, God, if we become involved and I screw up. I'll hurt you and you won't be able to face me and what would that do to Grace? Huh Gabriella? Do you honestly think that I would risk losing the only mother my daughter has because I wanted her?" Troy's voice rose steadily as Gabriella sat there and watched him, her own anger steadily growing as he ran a hand through his hair and waited for his answer.
"Doyou honestly think that if we become involved and you hurt me that I would just abandon Grace when I know how much I mean to her? And what honestly makes you think that we wouldn't work? What makes you think that I wouldn't stick around even if you did make a mistake like any other human being?" Gabriella spat at him, jumping down from the bench and staring at him fiercely. Troy looked at her and closed his eyes as he saw the hurt in her eyes, nearly made invisible by the anger in her voice.
"Wouldn't you? Gabriella, I know you love her but if I really hurt you and trust me, I probably would. Would you be able to handle being in the same state as me let alone the same house?" Troy yelled and Gabriella shook her head at his words, glaring up at him furious and hurt.
"Damn it Troy, why are you so sure you'd hurt me? Why are you so sure that I would abandon Grace if you did? What makes you so sure that this is wrong? What the hell is your reasoning behind it all?" Gabriella shouted at him and Troy groaned at her words, his anger bubbling up and over as she stood there and stared at him.
"Grace is the reasoning! For God's sake Gabriella, every reason I've thought of links back to my daughter!" He yelled at her and Gabriella rolled her eyes.
"What other reasons have you thought of Troy? What else have you thought of?" She screamed at him and Troy wanted to strangle her then and there, both completely forgetting that Grace was upstairs.
"You're twenty-one Gabriella! You're twenty-fucking-one! I'm twenty-seven! Jesus, you're twenty-one and after you've finished college you're going to want to leave the States. You're going to want to travel! Do you really think you want to go and travel around the world with a twenty-seven year old boyfriend and his daughter holding you back from having the time of your life? Does that really appeal to you?" Troy shouted, gripping his hair as she stared at him and his words sank in. Troy felt his stomach revolt violently when he saw a tear spill down her cheek and drip off her chin. The silence in the kitchen was deafening as Troy watched another tear slide down her cheek and knew that if he thought he'd fucked up before, nothing was compared to this.
"W-what if I love you? What if I don't want to travel? What if I just want to stay here with you and Grace and that nothing else matters to me apart from you and Grace?" Troy felt his heart wrench at her words and knew that there really was no what if in her questions.
"Gabriella-" He started and she shook her head wildly, cutting him off.
"No. Please Troy, what if it was like that? What if last night was the start of something we both want?" She asked and Troy swallowed as more tears spilt over and silence once again descended on them.
"They're just what ifs Gabriella." He said quietly and more tears spilt down her cheeks. "Last night, I asked myself why I shouldn't take something I've wanted for so long and so badly, for just one night. Gabriella, you have no idea how much last night means to me. You don't-" Gabriella interrupted him before he could continue and Troy looked at her and felt his own eyes become moist as he looking into her hurt face.
"What about me Troy? Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to touch me like that? Do you know how long I've waited to meet someone I love before I gave myself to them fully?" She yelled at him and Troy froze, everything inside him turned to ice as her last sentence sank in. Gabriella herself seemed to freeze and choke on the words that were about to come out as she looked at him.
"You…you were a…" Troy trailed off as Gabriella let out a gasping sob and backed away from him, her eyes wide with hurt as she realized Troy hadn't known. Troy just stared at her, unable to think as he watched tears stream down her cheeks and drip off her chin.
"Oh my God. Oh my God." She whispered and Troy took one step towards her, one step as he realized how screwed up the argument had become and she shook her head at him, her breathing erratic as she looked at him.
"Gabriella…" Troy trailed off as he realized he didn't know what to say and she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand.
"Troy, I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She said and Troy looked at her and caught a glimpse of the heart he was breaking in her eyes before she tore from the kitchen. He stood there, unable to move, unable to eventhink as he stared at the spot Gabriella had occupied only moments ago.
She'd given herself to him. She loved him. He'd fucked her over because he thought he was doing the right thing. Troy felt his legs beginning to give way and he sank against the bench, covering his face with his hands as he heard the front door slam and echo through the house. What the hell had he just done? Had he really thrown away the perfect girl for him and his daughter because he thought he was going to hurt her? Had he really told her that she didn't want to be involved with him because she was twenty-one and would want to go traveling once college was over? Had he really not listened to her when she'd said that nothing mattered to her apart from him and Grace? Troy slammed his fist against the cupboard below the bench and heard would splinter as he did it again and again. Furious at himself because he really had seriously fucked up. What was he going to do? He'd not only lost the women he loved, God, he hadn't even told her he loved her when she'd told him twice, but he'd lost Grace's mother. Grace was going to wake up and expect to see Gabriella instead of him. She wouldn't. Troy didn't even know if she would see Gabriella again and he slammed his fist into the cupboard again, ignoring the pain that was shooting through his arm as he ran a hand through his hair and, for the fourth time since he'd turned thirteen, fought tears.
Running his hand through his hair again, Troy took a deep breath to try and calm himself and then jerked when he heard Grace's loud cry from upstairs. Ignoring the fact that he was bleeding, Troy immediately started upstairs to Grace's room. Forcing himself to not look into the living room as he past it, knowing that a blanket and some pillows were spread out on the floor a painful reminder of what had happened during the night. Taking the steps two at a time, Troy opened his daughter's door and saw her sitting up in her crib, tears staining her cheeks as she saw him and raised her arms towards him. Troy strode over to the crib and lifted her out, ignoring the blood that was dripping onto her yellow pajamas, bringing her to his chest and holding onto her as she nestled against him. Turning his lips to her head, Troy planted a kiss on her head and heard her giggle. The innocent sound brought a weak smile to his lips and Troy stood there, holding his daughter to his chest and wishing he could take back the past half-hour. He didn't want that to happen, he wanted to be downstairs making pancakes with Gabriella like she'd suggested and kissing her every once in a while as they enjoyed their time before Grace woke up. He wanted Gabriella to know he loved her and that it wasn't just one night.
"Daddy screwed up baby-girl. Daddy really screwed up." Troy whispered into his daughter's ear and Grace didn't make a sound, sensing her father's distress. Instead she opened her mouth and smacked her mouth onto his cheek, in a kiss that had Troy grinning. Troy rubbed a hand up her back and sighed. He needed to see Gabriella. He didn't care that she probably needed space, he needed to see her and he intended on doing so.
Troy heard the doorbell ring before he'd even flicked open the paper he'd only bothered to get when he'd calmed down enough to bring Grace downstairs and feed her. Glancing at the clock he frowned, who the hell wanted to see him at one o'clock in the afternoon? He only wanted to see one person and Troy had promised himself that he was going to drive over to her dorm when Grace had woken up from her nap. He'd thought up till using Grace as a buffer and then his mind had gone blank. He didn't know how to make what had happened okay, he knew that it was going to take a lot of work to make up for what had happened and the more he thought about it, the more Troy realized that he had been becoming close to giving in. Hearing the doorbell ring again, Troy groaned and stood up heading out of the only room on the first floor that didn't remind him specifically of Gabriella and walking towards the front door. Running a hand through his already disheveled hair, Troy twisted the doorknob and opened the door freezing for the second time that day as his eyes met brown ones he hadn't seen since eight-thirty that morning.
"G-Gabriella." He choked out and stared at her. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face was puffy, she was dressed in a pair of tracksuit pants that were too big for her and a shirt that she looked like she was drowning in. Her hair was up in a ponytail and her arms were folded tightly across her chest as she looked at him.
"Hey Troy. I, uh, I'm here to look after Grace so you can get to training." Gabriella said and Troy closed his eyes as a look came into her eyes that reminded him too much of his daughter and he nodded.
"Oh yeah. Right. Come in." Troy moved aside and Gabriella stepped inside, glancing around and shifting from one foot to another. Troy knew she was uncomfortable and let out a breath. He had to talk to her now, while Grace was asleep. Reaching out, Troy touched her arm and winced when she flinched at his touch.
"Hey. We need to talk." He said softly and Gabriella spun around to glare at him, the vulnerability in her evident as Troy's hand dropped away from arm.
"About what? This morning? Yeah, Troy. Let's talk about this morning! Let's talk about the way you made love to me all night, all fucking night, and then decided to tell me that nothing can happen! Let's talk about the way your reasons are all tied up to your daughter, who you know I love to bits, who you know I would do anything for! Let's talk about the way made a decision for me that I'd already made for myself! Let's talk about the way you broke my heart, Troy. Let's talk about that!" Tears had started almost as soon as she had and Troy winced at her shrill words, hearing the pain and anger in them as she struggled to gain a hold of her emotions.
"Yes Brie, let's talk about that." Troy moved closer to him as Gabriella stared up at him, as if lost for words. She took a step back when she realized how close he was becoming and held up her hands as if to push him away before he got too close.
"I don't want to talk about that Troy!" She exclaimed and Troy didn't respond. "I don't want to talk about the way I made a fool of myself this morning. I don't want to talk about the fact that it hurt the moment you opened up your mouth to tell me nothing could happen between us. I don't want to talk about the fact that I'm in love with you and you don't love me back! I-" Troy cut her off before she could start ranting again, taking a quick step closer to her as she looked up at him.
"Did I at all say that I didn't love you back this morning?" He asked and Gabriella stared up at him as if lost for words, before she shook her head and brushed away a tear that spilt over.
"No. But you implied it. You didn't want me this morning Troy. You didn't want me there. And you really didn't want me after I told you I was a virgin." She said and Troy shook his head at her words.
"No, I didn't imply it. If I did, I didn't mean too. Gabriella, you have no idea how much I wanted you to be here this morning. As for the virgin thing, I was shocked. Did you honestly expect me to be anything but shocked after what happened during the night?" Troy asked, wanting to touch her, just to touch her, and refraining from it as she closed her eyes at the question.
"I thought you knew." She whispered and wondered where all her fight had gone as she reopened her eyes to look up at him. Troy shook his head and sighed.
"No. I didn't. Gabriella, do you know how long I've wanted to be with you like that? Do you know how many times I've questioned my reasoning behind why I haven't done anything about my feelings for you? Do you know how many times I've walked through that door," he gestured towards the front door, "and heard you in the kitchen, singing along to the stereo and let myself pretend that you were my girlfriend and that we did this every night?" He asked her gently, not wanting to get angry because he knew she needed to know how much she meant to him. Gabriella looked up at him and Troy was reminded of a small, lost child who was willing to latch onto the person that stopped to talk to them and he hoped to God that Gabriella would latch onto him.
"Then why did you say what you said this morning? Why did you not want me in the position for real?" Gabriella asked desperately and this time, Troy did touch her. He slid his hands up her arms and back down again as he looked at her.
"Because I really thought I was doing the right thing. I really thought that all those reasons were good ones-" Gabriella cut him off with a shake of her head.
"So you honestly thought that if you got involved with me and then hurt me I wouldn't stick around for Grace, if not for you? You honestly thought that because I was twenty-one I would feel burdened if I ever decided to go traveling?" She asked shakily and Troy ran his hands up and down her arms again, nodding as she stared at him.
"Yeah I really did. Gabriella, I didn't want to hurt you anymore than I wanted to hurt Grace and I figured, around the time that I fell for you, that if I stayed friends with you, just friends, none of us would get hurt and Grace would be able to keep you as her mother." Troy said quietly and Gabriella sighed, moving closer to him as they both saw a major flaw in his reasoning.
"What about you? Didn't you consider yourself while you thought that out?" Gabriella asked softly and Troy closed his eyes and shook his head.
"No I didn't. I thought I could handle having you only as a friend. I just…didn't want you and Grace to get hurt because of me." He sighed and Gabriella let out a weak laugh at his words.
"Well, you really fucked that one up didn't you? I mean, you hurt me Troy. You really hurt me." Gabriella said her voice becoming quieter as she became serious. Troy acted on instinct rather than sense when his forehead dropped to rest on hers. It was beginning to become clear.
"I know." He whispered and felt Gabriella's hand slide up towards his elbows. "I'm so sorry Gabriella, so, so sorry. I thought I was right. I thought that I could handle having you for just one night and then treating it like it shouldn't have happened." He whispered and Gabriella moved her body closer to his, her eyes gazing up into his as he spoke.
"I meant what I said this morning Troy. I really did." She murmured and Troy felt his stomach turn at his words.
"Which part?" He said, raising a hand from her arm and pushing a curl behind her ear. Gabriella sighed.
"The part where I said nothing mattered but you and Grace." Gabriella said softly and hesitated before she continued. "I meant that Troy. I-I don't want to travel and see the world if I can stay here with you and Grace. I don't care about our age difference or the fact that you probably will hurt me, I don't care. You and Grace are the only things that have mattered for a long time." She said quietly and Troy closed his eyes as the words washed over him, this time he listened, this time he accepted what she was saying.
"You matter Gabriella. Not only to Grace. But to me too. You matter to me so much and I'm sorry about this morning. I really am." Troy said and Gabriella nodded gently, gripping his arms tightly before she closed her eyes.
"I love you Troy." She whispered and felt him relax at her words. For a moment she thought he wasn't going to say anything back and felt foolish for half a second before he replied.
"I love you too. I love you so, so much." Troy murmured and Gabriella closed her eyes at his words.
Neither moved and Troy found that he didn't need to kiss her to seal what he'd just said, he was happy standing there, leaning his forehead against Gabriella's and holding her arms. If just one night had given him Gabriella then he should have taken just one night a long time ago.
A/N: Hmmm, not sure about the ending. I hope you guys liked it though, I will consider another chapter. But if I can't be bothered than I can't be bothered!