DISCLAIMER: I do not own 'High School Musical' or any related characters.

A/N: I'm not exactly sure what to say about this little one-shot, just that it's probably going to be fluffy! In case anyone hasn't read my latest one-shot 'Let Yourself Go', fluff and cuteness hasn't exactly been my strongest point lately. Anyway, enjoy this!

Midnight Swim

He leaned in closer and closer to her. Her breath caught in her throat as the anger and passion in his eyes, the eyes that haunted her since he had arrived in her life a few months before, deepened into a look that she had only dared dream about. Her eyes fluttered shut as she felt his lips descend on hers, so different from all the other times he'd kissed her because this time he meant it. He meant the way he was kissing her; he meant the words that had been spoken in a fit of rage and it was all directed at the simple girl with an underlying integrity and beauty that few saw and believed in. He really, truly loved that girl, the girl that she was without even trying, the girl that smiled when she knew that things were only going to get worse, the girl that was completely and utterly his. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, almost as if she was afraid it wasn't real and his arms tightened around her as he reassured her that it was real. She sighed as his mouth lifted from hers and his forehead rested upon hers, slowly she opened her eyes and looked into the eyes that caused every emotion possible to swirl in her, she smiled as he looked at her seriously, knowing exactly what was coming. His mouth opened to tell her without anger and a warm feeling surged through her as the rawness of his voice coming through his lips formed into the words –

"You know, if I'd known you really were into reading romance novels, I would have bought you one for your birthday." Gabriella Montez jolted at the sound of Troy Bolton's voice and snapped her book shut as she realized that he was leaning over her shoulder and looking curiously at the book she had been reading. Turning to him, Gabriella desperately tried to erase the image of the main characters in her book, one who look surprisingly similar to Troy and the other who closely resembled herself, kissing on the seashore from her mind.

"Troy, I told you that I wanted a new book for my birthday, I even gave you the name of my favorite romance author," Gabriella said exasperatedly as Troy vaulted over the back of her couch to settle himself next to her and tug the book she'd been reading out of her grip.

"I know. But I went into the bookstore and I couldn't remember the author's name, so I ended up getting you that thing that's currently clawing your mother's favorite chair." Troy said and nodded toward the tiny black kitten, whom Gabriella had christened Midnight, entertaining himself by trying to sink his claws into the thick material of her mother's armchair.

"Troy Alexander, that thing is my kitten, who won't be alive anymore if Mom comes home and sees what he's doing. Midnight, puss, puss, come here." Gabriella called in a reassuring voice and the kitten turned his head, studied her for a moment and then decided that he would do just what she wanted him too. Gabriella smiled softly when the kitten jumped onto her lap, curled up and was instantly purring as she ran her hand over his black coat. Turning her attention back to Troy, who was currently reading the back of her book, Gabriella turned bright red at the look on his face and hoped to God he didn't try and read a few pages.

"Her eyes met his and she was instantly lost, they were so deep and intense, from that moment Katherine Gordon's life was not the same," Troy read aloud and Gabriella went even redder as she watched him struggle with laughter.

"Troy, give me my book!" She said and made an attempt at snatching it out of his hands. Troy grinned and lifted it out of her reach.

"I'm not finished Brie," he said and then looked at the book and continued reading, "he was only meant to be there for a few weeks, a month at the most, and the thought of falling in love with someone never entered his mind. Until he walked into the small coffee shop and saw the one woman that made his heart stop with a single look. From that moment, he had to have her, no matter what it took. And you're actually reading this?" Gabriella blinked at Troy's question, her mind trying to adjust to the fact that he had stopped reading the blurb of her book and was speaking directly to her.

For a moment, she just stared at him. Her eyes sweeping over the shorter, darker hair, he'd obtained a few months before, which fell into his eyes and down over his straight nose and cheekbones to his mouth. The same mouth that had come so close to kissing her so many times, the same mouth that she desperately wanted to taste, the same mouth she badly wanted to feel against her own. Shaking her head slightly at her thoughts, Gabriella wished, not for the first time, that she and Troy were more than friends because the fact that they weren't made times like these, when he was sitting so close to her and she could smell his cologne, which meant that he had been playing basketball and had had a shower, and was well aware that if she moved slightly, she'd be pressed up against him and would be able to feel the body that so many girls at East High would die just to do. Biting her lip slightly, Gabriella turned her attention to Midnight, who was butting her hand with his head in an attempt to catch her attention.

"Of course I read it. I like reading things like that, in case you've forgotten." Gabriella teased him and Troy grinned at her, the quick, gorgeous grin that caused Gabriella's heart to skip a beat. She sent him a grin of her own and turned her attention back to Midnight who had let out a meow that demanded attention.

Troy looked at the girl beside him, smiling slightly as he watched her lavish attention on the kitten he'd gotten her for her seventeenth birthday. She was beautiful; there was no denying how gorgeous the girl beside him was. Her rich, tumbling brown curls fell down her back and Troy knew that his habit of winding those curls around his fingers was because of his adoration for her hair. His eyes wandered over her high cheekbones and cute nose, before settling themselves on her mouth, in particular the lips that he had been denied for so long. There was just something about her that had made the fact that he hadn't kissed her annoying him so much more than it should have. Maybe it was the fact every time he tried someone, in particular two certain best friends who he had wanted to hit several times repeatedly, would come along and interrupt them. Maybe it was the fact that every single time he tried and was stopped; she looked as disappointed as he felt or maybe it was the fact that every time she was asked out by someone he wished that he could walk up to her, kiss her in greeting and than wrap his arms around her and pull her so close to him that the fact that they were once best friends never entered someone's thoughts.

"Hey Troy, why are you here?" Gabriella's questions snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked at her and shrugged.

"Well, I was at Chad's and then Taylor came over for their 'study' session," Troy made commas with his fingers and Gabriella giggled. "And I had a feeling that I didn't want to be sick to my stomach today, so I went home had a shower, escaped being roped into looking after Abbey by saying I had to see you and than I actually decided to come and see you." Troy said and Gabriella poked his stomach.

"Glad I'm just an excuse when you need it." Gabriella said and Troy grinned sheepishly and shrugged.

"No, not really, I was actually going to come and see you tonight, it just kind of happened a little earlier than I had planned," Troy said and Gabriella raised her eyebrows at him. "Anyway, moving on, why do you like romance novels so much?" Gabriella looked startled at the question and Troy grinned slightly as he watched her think about her answer carefully before she spoke.

"I dunno," Gabriella shrugged and Troy shot her a disbelieving look and she relented. "Okay, it's just that I've never had any of it happen to me, well never anything remotely romantic anyway. So I guess it's the fact that I can imagine it all happening in my head and I get a glimpse into something like it happening. That and it's a really good break from reading all the books I'm meant to read." Gabriella said and Troy looked at her thoughtfully as he allowed her to tug the book out of his hands.

"Hmm, right, now I have a question," he said and it was Gabriella's turn to grin at him.

"That's never a good thing." She teased and Troy sent her a lazy smile that he was well aware had her pulse jumping.

"So you say. Anyway, I want to know exactly what romantic thing you've imagined happening." He said and then made a face at how strange the words sounded. Gabriella froze at his words, not entirely surprised that he knew she'd imagined something romantic happening but absolutely stunned that he'd asked about it.

"Um," She said and he shot her a look that she knew meant he would see through anything she said and that she wouldn't be able to avoid it. Sighing she frowned and shrugged, still slightly embarrassed about what she was about to say.

"Come on Brie." Troy said and Gabriella glared at Troy.

"Fine, it would be in middle of the night, a really clear night too, no cloud cover so we could see the stars," unable to believe she was saying this, Gabriella glanced at Troy who was listening, how intently she wasn't aware of. "And we'd be in a pool, the water would be warm. We'd be skirting each other while we swam, too afraid to make a move and then he would swim over and wrap his arms around me," Gabriella's face took on a dreamy look as she saw it happening right before her eyes and imagined being wrapped in Troy's arms in the middle of the pool. "And before I could ask what he was doing, yo-he would kiss me and after a few moments, pull away and whisper that he loved me before kissing me again." As soon as she stopped and the dreaminess had left her, Gabriella went bright red and avoided looking at Troy, unable to believe that had left her mouth, especially the way she had nearly said 'you' instead of 'he'.

Troy looked at her thoughtfully, his mind mulling over what she had told him. He'd been listening intently and had heard her slip of tongue and that left him feeling slightly cocky as he realized that she'd been imagining him in the place of a fictional character. He grinned slightly and then decided to speak.

"Hmm. Well, I have to get out of here," Troy said suddenly, glancing at the time, the half formed plan in his mind beginning to take a full shape as he thought about what she had said. "But, I'll see you later, alright?" He asked, turning his attention to the brunette who nodded; her concentration on smoothing the fur on Midnight's back.

"Sure, say hi to Abbey for me." Gabriella said with a small smile and Troy nodded absently.

"Will do. Talk to you later Brie." Troy said and left before Gabriella could recover from the embarrassment of telling him something like that and her slip of tongue. Sighing, she lifted the kitten, who had begun to clean himself and looked into his face.

"I think I just made a fool of myself Midnight." She whispered to him. The kitten looked at her, in what Gabriella took as bland curiosity, before meowing and rubbing his face against her cheek. Gabriella giggled, settled him back down on her lap and reopening her book.

HSM-HSM-HSM-HSM-HSM

Troy let out a breath as he pulled himself over Gabriella's balcony railing without any major mishaps. Landing with a muffled thump, his eyes roved the house hoping that no lights would turn on and he would find himself in a lot of trouble with his parents and Ms Montez. Sighing in relief when nothing happened, Troy opened Gabriella's balcony doors, well aware that she always forgot to lock them at night, and slipped inside. Grinning slightly when he saw Gabriella, who he could tell was only drifting between sleep and conciseness. Moving swiftly, Troy walked over to her and poked her. She murmured something and pulled the covers over her tighter, hearing purring Troy looked at Midnight, who had his eyes open and was examining. Grinning, Troy poked her again and Gabriella groaned.

"Whoever you are go away." She snapped and he poked her again.

"Come on Brie, wake up I want to show you something." His voice had her shooting up. Gabriella blinked away sleep and stared at Troy, who was looking at her with raised eyebrows.

"Troy, what on earth are you doing here?" She snapped at him and he shrugged, before walking over to her drawers and pulling one of them open.

"I told you I'd see you later today, its still today by the way, it's about eleven thirty." He added as he pulled out her swimsuit and turned back to her. Gabriella stared at him and then rolled her eyes.

"Okay, now what are you doing here?" She asked and gave him an odd look when she saw what he was holding. Troy grinned and threw her swimsuit at her. Gabriella stared at it as it landed on the bed and then looked back at Troy.

"Get changed, Brie, we're going to go for a midnight swim." He said and Gabriella stared at him, her mind working to figure out what he was talking about. When she couldn't, she eyed him and then gave in. Curious as to see exactly what he was going on about.

Ten minutes later Troy was in a fit of laughter as Gabriella tried to climb down the tree outside her room. Standing there looking after her, he couldn't help but snicker at the fact that she was desperately trying to find the branch he was sure was there.

"Troy this is not funny!" She snapped at him and he shrugged, looking around for a possible solution.

"It's a little bit funny," he said and got the impression that she was glaring at him before sighing, "okay, Brie, just jump and I'll catch you. You're not exactly that high." Troy said, well aware that she would be silent for a few moments before agreeing.

"Fine, but you'd better catch me Bolton or I will seriously hurt you." She threatened and Troy laughed as she jumped. He caught her with ease and Gabriella stared at him, wondering exactly how he had managed to defy gravity and not buckle under her weight.

"You're really light Brie, do you know that?" He asked and she slapped his chest as he dropped her onto the ground.

"How can I be? You practically force feed me every time we eat together, which is nearly every day." She said and he grinned and shrugged.

"I know. Come on," Troy tugged her hand and Gabriella willingly followed. Wondering exactly where their midnight swim was going to be.

Troy glanced at her and grinned when he saw her deep in thought. That was something about Gabriella that held a point against any other girl. She looked cute thinking, even cuter when she was trying to figure something out and couldn't quite get it. Seeing their destination approach, Troy reached for her hand and entwined their fingers, knowing without looking at her, that the look of concentration was gone from her face and a blush and small smile had replaced it.

"Tro-oy, where are we?" She asked as they slipped through a gate. Troy sent her a grin before pulling her up and over another fence. Gabriella grabbed his neck as he lifted her down from the fence and then turned around to give her a look at the pool they had arrived at.

"Doesn't matter where we are Brie, we're here already." He said with a grin and placed her on the ground. Gabriella stared at him as Troy stripped off his shirt and threw it to the ground.

"Are you sure we're allowed to be here?" Gabriella asked and he shrugged.

"I wouldn't know would I?" He replied and she gaped at him.

"Troy, this is a really stu-" Gabriella cut herself off when she felt Troy's hand traveling up her sides, the material of the t-shirt she wore, moving up her body. Involuntarily, Gabriella's arms lifted in the air and Troy pulled the shirt up and over her head.

Her shirt joined his as Gabriella gulped. The entire mood of this midnight adventure had changed with a simple gesture, it had gone from playful to serious in a matter of seconds and Gabriella took a deep breath as she felt Troy's arms encircle her waist. Looking up at him, the look in his eyes caused a shiver to run down her side. They were so, so blue, so intense and sure. Tentatively, her hands lifted and ran down his arms, over the smooth skin and hard muscles and then back up again. Without a second thought, Gabriella allowed Troy to pull her to the edge of the pool. Slowly, his arms unwound from her and he dived in. She watched the fluid motion in appreciation, before diving in after him when he came up and looked at her. His look more convincing than any words.

When she came up for air, he was still there, watching her as she ran a hand through her drenched curls. As soon as she looked at him, he dived under again and Gabriella bit her lip when she felt him come up behind her. He was so close she could feel his breath on her neck and she closed her eyes, before sinking into the water and gliding away from him. She resurfaced and met his gaze, there was a hint of amusement there and she blushed as she looked down. Hearing a soft splash, Gabriella looked up only to find Troy no where in sight. Biting her lip, she looked around and than let out a soft scream when he surface directly in front of her. Looking up at him to scold him, Gabriella's froze as she felt his arms slip around her. Briefly, her mind flashed to what she had told him that afternoon and it all clunked into place right before he pressed his lips up against hers.

Gabriella melted on the spot. Her own arms slid around his neck as she pulled his closer and returned the pressure of his lips. Troy, in return, kissed her with more vigor and deepened it. Gabriella's arms slipped down from his neck and instead a hand rested on his neck as her other arm slipped around his upper body. Pulling away, Troy drew in a long breath as Gabriella's eyes opened slowly.

"No interruptions," She whispered and Troy nodded the thought of kissing her again becoming more and more appealing as she licked her lips slightly.

"I love you Brie." He said, sounding so sure of himself, Gabriella's knees buckled and the water around them rippled in response. God, this was exactly what she'd imagined and the fact that it was real made it all the more perfect.

"I love you too." She whispered and Troy smirked slightly, before kissing her again. After a few moments, Gabriella pulled away again.

"You're going to have to ask me about my fantasies more often." She said and Troy grinned at her, before shrugging.

"Nah. I'm just going to have to take you for a midnight swim more often." He replied and Gabriella giggled before pulling his lips back down to hers again. The fact that he'd listened to her as romantic as their midnight swim.

A/N: Ahh, fluff, as nauseating to write as it can be to read. Anyway, I hope you all liked that! I think there's going to be a Trevor/Corrie one-shot up soon too, I'm not sure, I have to finish it. Anyway, I hope you all liked it! Sorry it wasn't that little, it was about seven pages.