Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical 2 or the characters in it.

AN: Set during High School Musical 2, after Ryan and Chad face off in baseball. You know the song I Don't Dance.

Chad watched Ryan laugh with his team mates. He glanced back at Kelsi and Gabriella, "I'm going… back" he told them practically running away from the baseball field.

As he was running back to work he ran into Troy. "Hey Chad" he kept running, "Chad! What's up?" but he was to busy running to hear Troy. Running from Troy, running from the questions, running from Ryan and his growing feelings for him.

"Chad!"

The voice that called his name wasn't Troy's. It was the voice of his ghost, his angel, the object of his love.

"Chad" he was getting closer, "Chad" and then he was there. Standing in front of him was a panting Ryan.

Watching him heavily breathing Ryan only made Chad think of the things he could do to him to get the same effect. "What's wrong?" he looked so concerned.

"Nothing…nothing really" Chad's heart was breaking watching the beautiful and talented boy fret over him.

"Chad, please, tell me" Ryan's pleading puppy dog eyes wore him down. He looked away bracing himself.

Meeting Ryan's worried eyes, Chad sucked in a fortifying breath "I love you" his face flaming from embarrassment he turned and ran.

Standing there in complete shock Ryan could only watch as Chad ran away from him.

Chad loved him.

Chad. Loved. Him.

Troy came up beside him, "Did he tell you what's up?" Ryan looked over at Troy.

East High's golden boy wasn't looking at him but at the mountains behind the resort.

"He told me a little" Ryan hedged.

"What's a little?"

"His feelings" Ryan answered simply, "He told me he loved me"

At Troy's shocked look Ryan knew that Chad wasn't one to talk about his feelings. It must have taken a lot of courage to tell me, he mused.

Chad burst into the kitchen out of breath. The running had been refreshing from the turmoil that was inside him. Chiding himself he tied his apron on and went to work.

But he couldn't escape Ryan. He was there, in the restaurant. "Chad" he called softly, his plea falling on deaf ears.

But in the end he had to face the cause of his heart ache. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything, Chad." He refused to look at him. "You shocked me. I… I thought that you only thought of me as a friend." He took a breath, "I've loved you for so long. I'd given up on hope that you could ever return my feelings. That you could ever love me"

Chad finally looked up at him, "You love me?" he whispered his voice soft and filled with so much emotion.

"Yes"

"Then what are you doing sitting there? Kiss me"

Ryan knocked over the chair in his hurry to kiss Chad.

Chad pulled Ryan into him arms, their young bodies pressed together as their lips met in a sweet kiss of promise.

A cough behind them broke the spell. Their lips left yet they remained in each others arms. Turning they saw Ryan's father, Ryan's face went up in flames. Chad couldn't suppress the laughter at the look on Ryan's fathers face, and looking at Ryan blushing furiously he had to pull him closer, snuggling into him.

Ryan glanced at him, a smile gracing his face. "Ryan, why don't you and your friend come to dinner tonight?" Ryan glanced back at Chad who nodded. Looking back at his father he nodded too.

"Good, good. We'll see you both then" and with that he turned on his heels and started walking away. Stopping he turned back to them calling, "And go do that somewhere private, would you?"

They burst into laughter. They were still laughing as Ryan lead them out of the restaurant. They were in the lobby when Chad stopped. Ryan, stopping when Chad tugged his hand, fell on Chad as he turned. Righting him Chad took advantage of Ryan's fall to claim his lips.

All thoughts fled as they surrendered to the passion. Braking apart they hurried to Ryan's room.

Ryan went in first, while Chad heisted on the threshold. "I've never done this before" he confessed looking Ryan in the eye.

"What? Never been in another boys room?" laughing Chad entered. "Don't worry I have." Ryan told him as he pulled Chad to him. They fell on the bed in a tangle of arms and legs, their mouths connecting.