#Precious cinnamon roll that is too good for Gabriella Montez and the Wildcats' crap.

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Tired Troy and his cookie || High School Musical 3: Senior Year

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Her fingertips ghost over his cheekbones, follow the curve of his brows. It's something like reverence, and his breath catches, jagged and broken- I've been found- behind his Adam's apple. Fawn whispers, "I can't believe she never told you you're beautiful."

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I would just like to tell you that talking with you about Zac singing in HSM made me decide to watch it! I’ve only made it through the first 30 minutes, but yeah. Zac is cute as ever. :)

Ahh, I almost feel bad for inspiring someone to subject themselves to that film. >///< Zac is incredibly precious in it, but I must warn you that if you feel any level of emotional attachment toward his character, Troy, you are in for a very long, frustrating ride.

Proceed with caution. Especially if you choose to finish the trilogy.

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Troy Bolton & Fawn Lynn

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I’m not sure if you’re still into that particular pairing. But. Tryan for the heart emoji asks? Please?

I do not ship Tryan, anymore. But, I will give it a go, just for you, Anon.

��: Who is more affectionate in public? In private?

They're both about equal levels of affectionate in public. Ryan is a bit more daring and handsy, and Troy can be somewhat shy, but they're both tactile people who appreciate the value of touch, and tend to end up holding hands, or with one of them resting his chin on the other's shoulder, wherever they are.

In private, it's definitely Ryan. He knows that his boyfriend is pretty much the most attractive person to ever exist, and he's not at all afraid to express it, especially when it makes Troy blush so hard, his ears go bright red.

♡: Who is the bigger romantic openly? secretly?

Troy. Bouquets of roses for Ryan after every show, taking him outside of the city limits to stargaze, surprising him with his favorite California-style grilled chicken salad for lunch during a break in rehearsals, spontaneous dates to scenic vistas, effortlessly voicing the sweetest romantic sentiments that make Ryan's smallest contributions feel seen, heard, and valued... Troy is the walking epitome of classically romantic, and Ryan's Old Hollywood and Classic Musical-loving heart can't get enough.

❥: Who is more likely to plan something big for Valentine's Day?

Troy.

ღ: Who is more likely to initiate hand-holding in public?

Ryan. He likes to make sure that everyone is aware that Troy is his, and they can look but they can't touch.

💕: Who is more likely to make huge declarations of love in front of other people?

Troy. Though, he has gotten to be just a bit less bold about it, in the years since Gabriella.

💘: Who developed a crush on the other first?

Ryan. He saw how all of the girls at East High swooned over Troy, heard all of the gushing comments, and even though he was determined not to be that gay theater kid cliché, Troy called Chad off when Chad was making fun of one of Ryan's hats, during sophomore year, and apologized to him by name- "I'm really sorry about that, Ryan", and Ryan fell head over heels.

💝: Who spends more time (possibly overthinking) what presents to get the other?

Troy. It's hard to get a gift for someone who already seems to have everything that money can buy. (Well, aside from a normal childhood. But appointments with a therapist to discuss how Vance and Derby's near single-minded focus on appeasing Sharpay resulted in Ryan feeling forever overshadowed and inferior aren't exactly the most romantic present.) Not to mention that there's a bit of anxiety, early on, that one misstep will send Ryan fleeing for the hills, just like Gabriella.

Ryan, on the other hand, has an easy enough time assisting Troy in getting new parts to help his vintage Ford pickup run smoothly, buying him clothes that suit his style instead of trying to change it, and listening intently to find out if there's anything Troy may need that he's been doing without.

💓: Who initiates most physical contact?

Ryan.

💌: Who is more likely to send cutesy texts to the other?

Troy's not much of a texter and prefers to have verbal conversations over the phone, so it's Ryan. He likes to send strings of emojis, flirtatious (and occasionally corny) lines, and quotes from plays and his favorite poems.

Troy saves all of them until his phone runs out of space.

💟: Who spends time reading their zodiac compatibilities?

Ryan. He knows that astrology is a pseudo-science and predetermines absolutely nothing, but he always checks his- and Troy's, and Sharpay's, and Kelsi's- daily horoscope, and various people's Zodiac compatibilities-- for the fun of it.

💙: Who is more protective?

Troy, when defending Ryan from homophobia and other forms of prejudice, cruelty, and bigotry.

Ryan, when defending Troy from himself.

💚: Who tends to get sick more often? Who is better at taking care of the other?

Ryan has the weaker immune system, and tends to power through rehearsals until he's on the verge of collapsing. Troy's bouts of sickness are usually brought on by stress as a result of chronic anxiety.

Troy is better at taking care of Ryan, if only because Troy's mother actually looked after him when he was sick, so he picked up the basic knowledge of rest, chicken soup, crackers, tea, Sprite/7-up, and blankets and cold cloths applied to the forehead from her.

Despite having no such prior childhood experience to learn from, Ryan tries his best to look after Troy. Even though he does panic and call for emergency services, one time very early on in their relationship, when Troy is unable to keep any food down and his heart rate is way, way too fast. After that incident, and a few sessions of joint therapy, Ryan learns how to handle Troy's anxiety, and talk him through a vicious attack, so they never reach that point of severity again.

💜: Who said "i love you" first? or, if neither has said it yet, who is more likely to say it first?

Troy says it first, backpedals immediately, fearing that it's too much too soon, even though it's been nearly five months, and surely that's enough time, more than enough time to-- and nearly has a full-blown anxiety attack. Once Ryan is able to calm him down, Ryan gently combs Troy's hair out of his face, looks him in the eyes, and tells him, "Of course I love you, too."

💛: Who believes in soulmates?

The belief was dampened, a bit, by his prior experiences with Gabriella and the scars she left behind, but Troy still very much believes that people come into each other's lives for a reason, and everyone has a person out there who is just right for them.

Ryan's too cynical to buy wholesale into such a concept, but he does get a little bit misty-eyed when Troy confesses late at night, underneath a sea of stars, that he thinks he and Ryan were meant to be, they just needed time and the right circumstances to bring them together.

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Thank you very kindly for asking. I hope that these answers prove satisfactory. ❤

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A kicked puppy.

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“Without you, there is no show.”

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The friends who’ve been there all along just like...

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“We used to come here as kids-- we’d be ten people. Spies, superheroes, rockstars... We were whatever we wanted to be whenever we wanted to be it. It was us, man.”

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The High School Musical fandom doesn’t deserve you.

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you know what’s weird? in hsm2, Gabriella is mad at Troy for prioritising his future. in hsm3, Gabriella leaves the fucking state for her future and then gets mad at Troy for being upset,,.

Oh, it’s not just weird. It’s one of the most outstanding examples of the utterly appalling double-standards held by both Gabriella and the Wildcats, and the narrative, as well as the stunning hypocrisy demonstrated by both of the previously mentioned parties. 

If Troy does Thing A, it’s bad, and wrong, and Troy is a “jerk with new shoes” and a “new Troy”, who “bails” on and “blows off” his friends and intentionally misses dates. 

If Gabriella does Thing A, it’s “the right thing to do”, and absolutely no one vilifies her, or calls her out on it. Instead, they simply sulk around, missing her, demoralized in her absence. And, naturally, it’s totally okay for Gabriella to not bother telling Troy about her acceptance into the Stanford Freshman Honors Program, then string Troy along for two weeks with promises of flying back to Albuquerque to attend the prom with him and “all of [Gabriella’s] friends”, only to bail and dump Troy over the phone just two days prior. Not because Gabriella was distracted or caught up in other things, like Troy was when he missed the staff softball game and burgers in the kitchen at Lava Springs, but because Gabriella couldn’t “be a little adult”. 

Remember:

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So I started watching hsm2 again, and the part where Troy and Gabriella are talking on the golf course really annoys me now cause Troy's trying to explain why he is willing to work with sucky manager, and Gabriella just brushes off his concerns with a comment "oh you'll get a scholarship" forgetting how different sport vs academic ones are. Troy does try to explain it but again Gabriella just brushes him off. Like aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh

It’s incredibly frustrating. I once saw a tag on a fanfiction over on Archive Of Our Own, offering forth the claim that “Troy and Gabriella have such a healthy relationship because they know how to communicate”, and I was floored.

I’d like to know what version of these films that author watched. In every movie, it’s as though Troy’s concerns, doubts, and insecurities go in one of Gabriella’s ears and right out the other. 

Troy tells her he just wants to be “a guy”. She laments him not being her “fairy tale”. 

Troy voices his concerns about his fast-approaching future and doubts that he can get a scholarship on his own merits. Gabriella brushes these concerns aside and expects Troy to turn down an opportunity for a scholarship, purely because she feels that he’s neglecting her and betraying her trust by fulfilling a promise that he was essentially blackmailed by his employers into making. 

Troy confides in Gabriella that he may not want to go to U of A, next year, as he’s had offers from other schools and is “really listening”. Gabriella outright refuses to tell Troy about her acceptance into Stanford’s Freshman Honors Program, decides that she maybe she’ll go to U of A, next year, and is annoyed with Troy when he asks her why she kept her acceptance a secret from him. 

It’s as though the two of them operate on entirely different strata. Their priorities and objectives never align once they become a couple, and when Troy attempts to open the door for healthy communication, Gabriella seems to shut it in his face. 

It’s utterly unbelievable that we’re supposed to buy these two as “meant to be”, with a “one in a million” relationship that’s like “catching lightning” in a bottle. 

You have my deepest condolences for attempting to trudge through that infernal mess, Anon. 

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Troy + Favorite Outfits- High School Musical 2

Bonus Redhawk Jacket (because screw what Gabriella, Chad, and the Wildcats think. He rocked that look and deserved that jacket.)

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Troy + Favorite Outfits- High School Musical

Bonus detail of the flowers on his dress shirt from the first gif:

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For Reference Purposes,

Gabriella, over the course of a school year and a half:

- Frequently uses a condescending, patronizing, and even aggressive tone of voice with Troy, and makes at least one joke about his appearance: “Nice tie. Your shoes don’t match, though!”

- Refers to Troy by a nickname (Wildcat) that serves to remind him of the pedestal he's been unwillingly placed on by his father, peers, and surrounding community, even after Troy has confided in her his desire to just be “a guy”. Personally, I believe it would have said a lot more for their relationship if Gabriella was the only person who refers to Troy as “Troy”, but, wouldn’t you know, that person is Ryan. 

- Holds Troy solely accountable for things he was backed into a corner and manipulated into saying- "No one forced Troy to say anything"- even after Taylor confesses that she and the Decathlon team "knew Chad could get Troy to say things to make [Gabriella] want to forget about the callbacks".

- Expects Troy to get her a summer job when he playfully dubs himself her “summer activities consultant”: “I hope one of those activities will include a job”.

- Dismisses Troy's concerns about his future and turns the conversation back to herself: "So let's just focus on right now! 'Cause I've never been in one place for an entire summer."

- Assumes Troy is cheating on her because she sees him doing his job as the junior golf pro by assisting Sharpay with her swing, and never takes Troy aside to address these concerns.

- Guilts Troy for accepting opportunities that have been offered to him at work ("Italian golf shoes, new clothes, golf carts… it's crazy stuff. Hard to keep track of it all, I bet"), and befriending the members of the basketball team at the university Troy's father wants Troy to attend ("'The guys'? Oh. You mean those tall people").

- Lectures Troy on promise being a "really big word", but then goes on to break every promise she makes, such as breaking up with Troy after having him promise that they'll be together all summer and returning the symbol of that promise (the T pendant necklace), and refusing to fly in to attend the prom with Troy even though she accepted his invitation ("In every language; oui, si, ja, yes"), and extensively planned to make an appearance.

- Accuses Troy of changing into a new person- "It just doesn't seem like new stuff. It seems like a new Troy"- because he's prioritizing his future.

- Uses Ryan to toy with Troy's feelings and make him believe that she's moving on because Troy, in her mind, neglected her.

- Refers to Troy as a "prize": “What’s the prize? Troy?”

- Takes her anger at Sharpay banning employee participation in the Lava Springs talent show out on Troy, hefting more guilt trips and accusations at him.

- Dumps Troy for caring about his future- "The club talent show is a big deal to Sharpay, and, evidently, for your future. So, it's cool. Make it happen. Wear your new Italian shoes”- and not giving her a summer she deemed worthy of remembering: “I want to remember this summer. But, not like this, Troy.”

- Has to be forced by Taylor to return to Lava Springs for her reunion with Troy. A reunion that Ryan orchestrated.

- Nudges Troy, glaring, for so much as implying that he might have dated someone before her.

- Sincerely laughs right along with Zeke, Jason, and Chad, at Troy's name being called as the fourth applicant for the Juilliard scholarship, then chastises Troy for being reluctant to admit to his love for performing.

- Stares blankly and apathetically when Troy draws a complete blank for his plans for his future, and, once again, turns the topic of conversation back to herself when Troy tries to discuss college with her.

- Is utterly apathetic to Troy's situation with his run-down truck that requires constant maintenance in order to function, even laughing as Troy, half-joking, tells her, "If my truck breaks down because I'm spending all my time onstage, it's your fault".

- Stubbornly refuses to tell anyone other than Taylor about her acceptance into Stanford's Freshman Honors program, despite Taylor repeatedly urging her to do so.

-Is annoyed with Troy when he asks why he was the last to know about the Freshman Honors program (he had to find out about it from Sharpay), providing "Because I knew what you would say", as her justification for withholding this crucial information from him.  

- Tells Troy to his face that she “always” does “the right thing” in spite of all of the things I’ve previously mentioned, while Troy is selflessly encouraging her to go ahead and accept her admission into the Freshman Honors program and, essentially, leave him behind. 

- Moves to California, 1,053 miles away, while Troy is at school, so she won't have to face him.

- Calls Troy two days before the senior prom to dump him over the phone. Mind you, she had a time window of two weeks to do this, but spent that time window stringing Troy along with false promises, and even went so far as to schedule a flight and pick out Troy's tux and, presumably, a corsage.

- While dumping Troy, she complains about how hard the relocation has been for her- "It's taken me two weeks to get used to being away from you, away from East High and all my friends"- with no regard, at all, for how difficult her absence has been on Troy, who basically shut down without her and now has to act opposite the girl who spent a large chunk of their summer vacation sexually harassing him.

But, “OMG, RELATIONSHIP GOALS”, am I right?

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Ryan giving Troy the compliment that absolutely no one else bothered to give him.