Ryan watched as Troy played basketball with his friends, there was something strangely hypnotic about how they all moved it was almost as if they were dancing. "You look happy," Gabriella sighed looking over at Ryan. The two hadn't really spoken since their last heart to heart. Ryan had given her what she had asked for – space. It wasn't his fault that she seemed to be wherever he and Troy was.

"I am," Ryan said a little uneasy.

"I'm glad." Gabriella smiled. "Honest, everything has worked out for the better, I see that now. And I am happy for you, both."

"Thanks," Ryan smiled.

"So... you've officially quit the drama club?" Gabriella asked. Kelsi, Sharpay and Taylor stopped talking ready to listen to the soon to be argument they knew was about to happen.

"Yeah, what do I need to do post a bulletin?" Ryan asked sarcastically.

"No. I think you should stop being stupid." Gabriella sighed.

"I'm not being stupid," Ryan said pointedly.

"You love drama club!" Gabriella insisted.

"I really wish everyone would stop telling me what I love!" Ryan said loudly causing the game to stop. "You know a year ago you didn't even know me so what gives you the right to feel so involved now?" Ryan said angrily. "I quit the drama club because I wanted to. It has nothing to do with any of you so why don't you all just leave me the fuck alone." With that Ryan grabbed his jacket which was on the floor and headed into the house. Without saying anything Troy threw the ball to Chad and ran into the house.

"Ryan... wait up." Troy said jogging to Ryan before he reached the front door. With his hand on the handle, Ryan stopped and turned around. Troy was a little surprised to see silent tears running down his boyfriend's face.

"Please, I just want to be on my own, Troy." Ryan said sadly.

"You're sad." Troy said softly moving closer. Ryan just shrugged. Troy got close enough to pull Ryan into a hug, the blond boy fitted perfectly in his arms and he buried his head in the crook of Troy's shoulder. "Come on, let's go upstairs." Troy took Ryan's hand and led him upstairs to his bedroom.

"Why don't people believe me that I don't want to be in the drama club?" Ryan asked weakly.

"Because every one can see it on your face when you're on stage that you love it." Troy smiled, running a hand through Ryan's hair.

"I do love it." Ryan smiled. "But not the being on stage part."

"Then what is it that you love?" Troy asked.

"Remember last year, when you stole the musical?" Ryan laughed. Troy nodded. "And you were such a bad dancer that I thought God actually hated me."

"You swore a lot that term." Troy smirked.

"But then you got it, slowly but surely you started to learn how to move in time to the beat and that was because I showed you. Seeing you and everyone else learn dances that I created, that right there is what I love. It doesn't matter if I'm on stage, it never really has. Acting and singing that's always been Sharpay's but she's always needed someone to be at her side to you know keep her grounded. But dancing that's always been my dream. And teaching dance classes two hours a week might not seem important to someone else, Troy. But to me that's it. That's my dream and it's in my hands."

"I understand," Troy smiled. Because he did understand. Troy knew that if Ryan was to tell that to everyone else that they too would understand.

"I just wish people would stop thinking they know everything about me, when they don't."

"One day I want to be able to say I know everything about you." Troy smiled.

"I hope you never do." Ryan laughed.

"Why?" Troy asked with a raised eye brow. "What are you hiding?"

"Lot's." Ryan smiled cheekily. "But if you knew everything about me, and I knew everything about you than there would be no mystery, and we'd get bored of each other." Ryan smiled. "As long as we're constantly finding new things about each other, everything will be good."

"You're right, always are." Troy smiled.

"I learned a new thing about you today." Ryan smiled as he placed his head on Troy's shoulder.

"Oh yeah?" Troy asked surprised, they hadn't really seen each other much today.

"Yeah." Ryan smiled. "When you shoot a basket or what ever, you smile. Not a cocky 'yeah look how wonderful I am' smile, but a private smile and I think it's your cutest one yet."

"I smile?" Troy asked, he hadn't even realised himself.

"Yeah just a small quick smile that turns into a wicked grin when Chad or Zeke pats your back."

"And here I thought you only watched me when I played because of my sweaty muscles." Troy joked.

"That too." Ryan grinned.

-x-

Thursday night, Troy picked Ryan up at the community centre, he had dropped him off there two hours ago. Ryan had said there was no way he was driving his very expensive car and parking outside a community centre for two hours and Troy had laughed at him but agreed to pick him up. Troy waited an extra ten minutes and watched as smiling children walked out of the centre with their mums and dads, boys were smiling pretending that dancing wasn't that cool, but the girls were proudly showing off what they had learned as they walked and they all looked extremely happy with themselves and Troy felt proud. His boyfriend had done what he had always wanted. He was living his dream.

Ryan walked out, well Troy decided that the better term would have been skipped out. He spotted Troy and headed over to him a wicked grin on his face. "Man, that was amazing." He smiled as Troy wrapped his arms around him and kissed him softly.

"The kids looked like they had fun." Troy smiled, explaining what he had seen as he waited.

"Really?" Ryan grinned. "They were really good. I thought I'd have to shout, but turns out I'm just as amazing as I thought I was." Both boys laughed as they got into the truck.

"And completely modest too." Troy said sarcastically as he started the engine.

"I'm so happy." Ryan smiled.

"I'm glad." Troy smiled.

"Can we stop some where?" Ryan asked. "I feel sort of I don't know high right now and I don't want to be sat in a car."

"Okay I know just the place." Troy smiled. They drove to one of the parks in town, and Ryan recognized it as the park he had told Troy about his black eye. He smiled and Troy grabbed his hand and led him to the very tree they had sat under.

"This place is beautiful." Ryan smiled. He hadn't really noticed it before.

"It's our place, it's always going to be beautiful to me." Troy said and Ryan couldn't help but smile, it was rare for Troy to speak so romantically. "This is the place I realised I liked you."

"It is?" Ryan asked a little surprised.

"Yeah." Troy grinned. Ryan smiled and settled into his arms, his head going against Troy's head and arms wrapping around each other. He placed a soft kiss on Troy's neck as he continued. "Remember when you cried? And I held you a bit like this. Right then that's when I realised I hated seeing you sad. I wanted to make sure you would never cry like that ever again, I wanted to make sure I was never the one to make you cry only smile."

"And you kept your promise." Ryan smiled.

"Good. Because you have a beautiful smile." Ryan blushed and kissed Troy softly on the lips. "We're going to be okay." Troy stated.

"We're going to be perfect." Ryan corrected. "Everything is looking up." Troy could only agree. "Sharpay and me are speaking again. Gabriella and me made up, Kelsi isn't mad at me any more. I get along with your friends, and I never really figured I'd like counciling but I do it really helps. All the pieces of my jigsaw are fitting together."

"I used to think there was something always missing." Troy said as he ran his fingers through his boyfriend's hair, he liked how it was getting long now so his fingers could tangle into it. "But now, I've found what makes my life complete." Troy didn't really care how cliched he sound. He pulled Ryan in for a soft kiss and promised himself that he would never ever let that missing piece go.

THE END