The Heart Speaks
Summary: She may not hear him, but seeing him is music to her ears.
Pairing: Austin & Ally
Genre: Romance, Friendship
Rating: T
The truth was that she wanted him to leave.
Badly.
A few times, she even opened her mouth to tell him so. He was in her corner of the library. He was sitting on her seat. He had to go. But she didn't say word because a) it was impolite, b) it was selfish of her, and c) she hasn't had a face-to-face conversation in years.
Swallowing her words, Ally Dawson hugged her books to her chest. Taking a deep breath, she made her way to her usual corner. The corner that was now currently occupied. Come on, she chided herself as she hesitated once again. Are you going to let some boy keep you from enjoying your afternoon?
No, she decided.
The boy looked up as Ally sat in the empty seat next to him. His eyes are gorgeous, she realized, almost startled. Although she had no plans of saying anything, she felt her tongue twist into a gigantic knot. And so is his smile. And his dimples.
Blushing at her own thoughts, Ally took a moment to realize that the boy was talking to her, his mouth forming what looked like a greeting. A sharp jolt of panic struck her as she rather hastily gestured to the earphones she had plugged in a few moments before.
I can't hear you.
The boy nodded, signalling that he understood. But did he really?
Not at all, Austin Moon thought to himself as the girl awkwardly sat down. Even on the chair, she positioned herself so that the maximum possible amount of space was between them. Okay. She obviously doesn't want to talk.
With that conclusion, Austin forced himself to return back to his own studies. Five seconds later, his textbooks were forever forgotten as his gaze returned back to the brunette next to him. "God, Austin," he could almost see Trish roll her eyes at him. "You're such a boy."
"I can't help it!" Austin almost wanted to snap back. Of course he was a guy. That being said, of course he would be interested when a pretty- gorgeous, even- girl is less than a yard away from him. Perfectly normal for someone his age.
In the most innocent way possible, Austin was a flirt.
The earphones, which the girl didn't seem to be removing anytime soon, were just a minor setback. Austin's eyes lit up. Digging into his backpack, which was lazily resting by his feet, he pulled out a pack of post-its. Scribbling a few words down, he hesitantly glanced back.
The girl didn't seem to notice the attention she was somehow gaining. At least, not yet.
Smiling, Austin gently peeled of the post it from the rest of the pack. In one swift movement, he stuck it on the girl's lap, which was currently occupied with a thick binder. That got her attention. Her head snapped up, as if Austin just gave her a bomb.
Ally couldn't help but glance at the boy, who was merely grinning. He gestured to the note that was posted to her binder and mouthed what looked along the lines of read it.
Curiosity won out as Ally quickly looked down. She didn't know what to expect. No one, especially guys like him, even bothered to give her a second glance. It took Ally a moment to realize that this was real. That yellow post-it was right there. And for her.
But sprawled out in somewhat of a messy handwriting was: What are you listening to?
Ally's eyes widened in surprise. Why would he even care? she thought to almost asked him that herself. The boy narrowed his eyes in confusion. And only then did Ally realize that she was staring at him. Almost subconsciously, she adjusted the earbuds in her ears.
Austin was starting to realize how stupid his move was. The girl wasn't answering back. She only stared, as if she couldn't believe he had the nerves to ask her that. He thought the question would be a good conversation starter, but now he wasn't too sure.
His heart sinking to his stomach, Austin glanced down at his pack of post-its. Sorry, his hand lightly scribbled out on the blank note. He ripped it off and was about to deliver it when something landed on his chair.
A pink post-it.
Austin turned to see the girl watching him carefully, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. His face broke out into a grin, which seemed to ease her nerves slightly. Picking up the post-it, it read in nearly perfect handwriting, Something special :)
The next day, both were fairly surprised to see each other at the library again. "She's wearing earphones again," Austin, who was hoping to have a verbal conversation with her, thought. But unlike last time, the girl didn't seem to hesitate sitting down.
Slightly boosted by the thought, Austin quickly took out his post-it notes. He already knew what he was going to say. In a matter of seconds, the brunette was reading the yellow post-it that Austin not-so-discreetly placed on her lap.
Fancy meeting you here.
Ally couldn't help but smile. Glancing at the boy, she was almost stunned to see him staring right back. She felt her stomach erupt into butterflies, which seemed so determined to make their way into every part of her body.
Balancing her binder on her legs, she pulled out her own post-its. Even from the position she was in, Ally could feel the boy's gaze on her. She was really getting tired of calling him that.
Erasing what she had written previously (I come here everyday), Ally quickly replaced it with 'what's your name?' Peeling it off of the full pack, she was about to stick it onto his chair when she felt the note gently get taken from her hands.
Five seconds later, she got her answer.
Austin Moon. Yours?
Ally blinked as she read the response. "Austin Moon," she couldn't help but test out the name under her breath. It suited him. Not 'the boy'. Austin Moon.
Fiddling with the pencil in her hands, Ally paused before replying.
Ally Dawson. Nice to meet you.
After his time at the library, Austin went straight to the dollar store.
And he bought every pack of yellow post-its they had.
Hi.
Austin was almost shocked to see a note already waiting for him. And so was its owner. Ally glanced up as he sat down in his (usual) seat. She almost shyly pointed towards her pink post-it, which he nearly crushed with his rear end.
Smiling, Austin pulled up his backpack, which was stripped from its usual textbooks and binders. Instead, he had refilled it with those yellow post-its. Opening up a new pack, he grabbed a pen and wrote: Hey. Long time no see.
Ally rolled her eyes as she read his response. What are you doing here?
It took Austin a moment to come up with a decent reply. Studying? Nope. Research? Why use books when you have a computer? Read? In his dreams. To be 100% honest with himself, the reason he was here was for the one and only Ally Dawson.
He definitely wasn't going to be saying that.
After another minute of thinking, Austin finally ended up writing: Stuff.
Ally almost burst out laughing as she read his note. Stuff? she asked. Austin shrugged innocently as he got the message. No wonder he was so intent on coming to the library. He had the vocabulary of a picture book.
No more post-its were exchanged between the two for what seemed like forever. Ally- being engrossed in her studies and Austin- desperately trying to figure out what to say next.
It was as awkward as if they were actually talking.
Finally, Ally saw a flash of yellow land on the edge of her seat. From where she was, she could vaguely make out the words: Tell me about yourself. In a way, it was almost stalkerish. And maybe it would have been if was anyone other than Austin Moon.
I'm 17.
Same.
I'm an only child.
Twinning.
Ally giggled out loud at that one. Austin blinked, never actually hearing anything come from her lips before. Her laugh is gorgeous, he realized. In fact, it left him dazed for who-knows-how-long. He almost didn't notice that he had received the next note.
I like pickles.
Pancakes overrule.
My middle name's Marie.
Monica.
What?
My middle name's Monica.
This time, Austin didn't have to strain to hear Ally laugh. Her hand went up to cover her mouth to muffle her giggles. Austin groaned as her attempts to remain expressionless failed. Don't laugh, he whined inwardly as he passed her the note. It's not funny.
Sorry. But seriously, is it really?
Austin sent her a pointed look. Ally shrugged, smiling innocently.
Neither of them knew how long they sat there, exchanging post-it notes back and forward to each other. But they knew how it ended.
See you tomorrow?
And Ally replied with a short, yet confident nod.
The next day, their conversation wasn't nearly as long.
Can I have your number? Austin had asked.
The answer was no. Because she didn't have one.
What are you listening to?
Ally couldn't help but roll her eyes playfully. Austin had been asking her the same question every time they've seen each other. No matter what they would be talking about, he always managed to slip it in. Annoying? Somewhat.
But Ally couldn't have told him to stop.
Something special.
With the same question came the same answer.
Austin made a face, as if saying, I knew that already. Ally didn't bother to give any extra information. He asked, and he got her response. She didn't think it would ever get more elaborate than that. Not until she was ready.
Austin posted another note onto her lap.
Can I listen?
Ally's eyes flew open in shock. That was a new one. In fact, it was as if he had asked the forbidden question. Can he listen? She couldn't say no. But at the same time, she was never going to say yes. So she settled with: I'm embarrassed.
It was the truth.
Austin glanced at Ally, who suddenly wouldn't meet his eyes. He opened his mouth, but almost instantly snapped it back close. Don't be, he scribbled down. Austin was about to hand it to her when his hand suddenly contracted, crumpling the note into a tight ball.
He couldn't have told her that.
Where was he to know if he was right?
2 hours.
120 minutes.
7200 seconds.
It took Ally forever to rearrange everything in her room. Her parents thought she was crazy. Her desk, bed, and bookshelf were hastily pushed to the side along with the rest of her possessions. They were furious.
But it was worth it.
Ally found herself facing an empty, blank wall.
3 hours.
180 minutes.
10800 seconds.
Time flew by as Ally cleared her binder, which were filled from beginning to end with yellow post-its. She couldn't bring herself to throw them out.
It would been quicker if Ally hadn't stopped herself. Every note she picked up, she couldn't help but read it. Because every one of them were in Austin's handwriting. And the blonde made her laugh. Smile. Feel something. The problem? Before she met Austin, Ally couldn't remember the last time she did any of that.
Grabbing a large roll of tape, Ally bent down at the very bottom of the wall. And transformed it into a sea of yellow.
She liked music.
Austin didn't know why it was such a surprise to him.
Yet when he entered into the library, he was almost shocked to see Ally on the computer. No books. No binder. Austin didn't even see any of the familiar pink post-its. Just the computer and- of course- earphones.
Ally looked up as he approached, giving a slight nod in greeting. Before Austin could even return the gesture, her focus was immediately back into her computer screen. Whatever she was watching, she obviously loved it.
Eyes wide.
Mouth dropped.
Face glowing.
Austin knew what passion looked like when he saw it.
Sitting down in his seat, Austin was able to see what caused such a reaction. It was a video. Of someone playing the piano. What song the guy was composing, Austin didn't know. He didn't think Ally knew herself- her earphones weren't plugged into the computer.
It was completely silent.
Both of them watched as the pianist ran his fingers up and down the black and white keys effortlessly. Ally- in complete awe- and Austin- wondering why they were watching a musical composition without the actual music.
When it was finally over, Ally opened up a blank document, a smile still wide on her face. She gestured excitedly for Austin to look. Once she got his attention, she typed out: wasn't that the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?
Seen? Maybe not. Heard? Maybe, if Austin actually heard it.
And that was exactly his response.
Ally frowned, almost hurt. And Austin immediately regretted ever writing the words on paper. Before he could apologize, Ally nudged him gently in the ribs, pointing to her computer screen. You don't need to hear it to know it's beautiful.
"You're right," Austin said out loud. Five seconds later, his exact words were down on a yellow post-it. Ally seemed almost pleased by his answer.
You can tell by the way how he plays that it's something amazing, Ally went on, The way his fingers move over the keys. The look on his face.
Austin smiled and nodded as Ally glanced at him, almost as if she was waiting for confirmation. As she continued to type out her thoughts, Austin looked down at the yellow post-it that was still resting on her lap.
You don't need to hear it to know it's beautiful.
You're right.
But he wasn't talking about the music.
By the time the week was over, Ally needed a chair to reach the top of her wall.
You would never think buying post its would be embarrassing.
It was.
Especially if you're practically taking the whole store with you.
The dollar store Austin went to didn't have any shopping carts. Or baskets. Which meant that he had to try and hold every single pack of post-its (and there were a lot) in his arms. That being said, the journey to the cash register wasn't a pretty sight.
The cashier watched Austin, almost amused, as he hobbled over. "Having trouble there?" he asked, smirking slightly. Very funny. Austin scowled, not-so-gently dumping the post-its onto the counter.
"Holy-" the cashier jumped back as a few of the packs dropped at his feet. "What did you do? Buy the whole store?" Without waiting for an answer, he began to ring up Austin's items. "You might be the most expensive customer this shop has."
Austin shrugged. "You better start restocking because I'm coming back."
"So tell me Post It Boy-"
"Don't call me that."
"-what do you plan to do with all of this?"
Austin felt a smile start to grow on his face. "It's for someone."
"Lemme guess. Girlfriend?"
"Someone special."
She was late.
Austin squirmed in his seat, glancing at the clock above him. Only three minutes passed since he last checked. There was no sign of Ally.
He looked around the library. Behind the bookshelves. He asked librarians if they've seen her. Austin even stood by the women's bathroom for fifteen minutes in hopes that a familiar brunette would come out. No one.
She was very late.
It took a while for Austin to realize that there was a possibility that Ally simply wasn't coming. This, of course, was hard for his brain to process. The truth was that Austin didn't know what to do.
The empty chair laughed at him.
Austin slumped in his seat. Five more minutes, he decided.
He ended up waiting ten.
When Ally finally did come, Austin tried not to lurch out of his chair. But he did anyway. In fact, he nearly crashed into Ally in the process. The brunette jumped back in surprise. But unlike the other times resulting from his idiotic moments, she didn't smile.
Or laugh.
Or giggle.
Or roll her eyes at his stupidity.
Instead, Ally handed him a pink post-it note.
Austin felt his stomach twist, not knowing whether to feel afraid curious. He glanced at Ally questioningly, who sat down in her usual seat. She stared back with wide eyes, waiting patiently for him to read her note.
And after a moment of hesitation, he did.
Do you want to hear what I'm listening to?
If anything, that was the last thing Austin expected to see. He re-read it. Then re-read the re-read. It was actually there. He looked down at Ally, who was watching his expression carefully. Her face showed that she wasn't kidding.
Maybe Austin nodded a little too enthusiastically.
Standing up, Ally removed her earbuds from her ears. Austin didn't quite understand why she was so nervous, but he didn't question it. Ally hesitated for a moment before gently placing them in his ears. The hairs on Austin's neck stood straight up as her hand accidentally brushed his cheek in the process.
God, he was falling hard.
The real question was what was coming out of those earbuds. Austin had his suspicions. And now, finally having them in his own ears, it only confirmed them. To say that he was surprised would have been a lie.
What did he hear?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Ally bit the insides of her cheeks nervously as a look of understanding passed through Austin's eyes. He took the earphones out, carefully handing them back to her. Ally tried not to snatch them back. Austin began to reach down for a post-it, but immediately decided otherwise.
Instead, he stood up.
And dragged Ally right with him.
Wherever he meant to go, it took them a while. Austin led Ally through the continuous aisles throughout the library, constantly backtracking or stopping to see where they were. Every once and a while, he would pull out a book. One glance at the title and Austin would messily push it back into its original spot.
Finally, the two of them came to a stop. Austin's eyes scanned the bookshelf before them. Ally couldn't help but follow his gaze. Pulling out a book, Austin propped it against the wooden shelf at eye level.
Ally caught a glimpse of the title.
Sign Language for Beginners.
After skimming a few pages forward, Austin turned to face her. The Alphabet, it read at the top of the page. Ally watched, almost frozen in shock, as he slowly spelled it out, his hands fumbling as he struggled to form the letters.
Y. O. U. R. E.
S. T. I. L. L.
B. E. A. U. T. I. F. U. L.
A/N: Hi guys! I'm back :D I'm really sorry I haven't been able to update my other stories due to my HORRIBLE writer's block. The good news? After writing this one-shot, I think I finally found some inspiration to write new chapters :D Anyway, thank you all for checking out my new story! I hoped you liked it!