Pairing: Austin/Ally
Prompt: I don't even know, man. It's just a lot of fluffily fluffy fluff. And also, the title rhymes hAH it just amuses my tired-to-death mind. Plus, I guess you could see this as a follow-up oneshot to a couple weeks ago's Kiss Me... or to forever ago's She's Back.
Notes: Ahhhh! Happy belated (way, way, way belated) birthday to my wonderful friend, Katie! She and I share the same birthday: November 14th. And Calum Worthy tweeted us a Happy Birthday, too, so I'm pretty much dead and buried and cremated in a jar somewhere (credit to Mary). Follow Katie on Twitter at rosslynchsexy (sounds like a Rossian, but I promise she's not:)) and Mary at WeAdoreRaura.
Also: This story features Mary (WeAdoreRaura) as Ms. Mary, Katie (rosslynchsexy) as Katie, Chloe (mileinsilence) as Ms. Chloe, Emily (Emily14R5) as Ms. Emily, and Mae (canttellfate) as Ms. Mae. I SWEAR THEY'RE NOT THIS CRAZY IN REAL LIFE... sometimes.
Disclaimer: I don't anything you recognize, and some things you don't. No copyright infringement intended.
Dedication/Shoutout: KATIE! You are so kind and lovely, and you're an amazing video-maker. I hope you had an amazing birthday, darling :))))))

Be a darling and check out the Author's Note at the end?

Copyright 2012 from-sabrina


It had finally happened; the destined-for-each-other couple got together.

And thank god, too, the whole school had been waiting for it for far too long. Especially Ms. Mary, the 11th grade Home Ec teacher who insisted on everyone calling her by her first name because she didn't want to be cold and impersonal. Everyone adored her, and snatches of "Ms. Mary is so nice" or "Ms. Mary is my favorite teacher" or "Ms. Mary is the best" could always be heard echoing through the hallways.

She had been rooting for Austin and Ally since the very beginning, and the two had always been favorite students of hers. Well, favorites and the most frustrating; back when they were still tiptoeing around their feelings like it was a bomb, she almost threw herself into her blender. Oblivious children and an overload of feels when they finally showed up at school holding hands, did that to her.

Austin and Ally themselves can't be any happier as they walk into school on Monday, basking in the after-glow that new couples always seem to have.

"So, you wanna go see a movie after school today?" he asks, leaning against the locker next to hers as she neatly puts away her things and grabs her books. His arms are folded casually and he exudes confidence, but he's nervous and it shows when he keeps throwing his hair to the side. Yeah, sure, they've gotten together, but now what? He doesn't want things to be awkward, and he definitely doesn't want her to regret kissing him back Friday night.

She laughs, a tinkling sound that makes his heart flutter— ew, who is he. "Austin, I know you're nervous. I can tell," she says, smiling knowingly. "But what's there to be nervous about? It's just you and me, y'know." She shuts her lockers and he grabs her hand, pulling her back towards him indignantly.

"What do you mean, 'just you and me'?" he exclaims. "I'm special, aren't I?"

She rolls her eyes and agrees. "Yes, yes, you're very special and all that."

Content, he wraps an arm around her shoulder easily, and remarks, "So, movie tonight?"

"Pick me up at six, Casanova," she jokes, leading into his chest.

"Will do, Pickles," he returns, grinning.

"What?! You get to be Casanova and I have to be Pickles?" Ally squawks indignantly.

Austin blinks, bewildered. "Don't you like pickles? Like, a lot?"

She crosses her arms. "Yeah, so?"

"So that means my cute couple name for you should be Pickles, right?"

"Ew, cute couple names. I don't even like you," she huffs.

"Uh huh, okay. It didn't seem like that when you were kissing me Friday night," he whispers, catching her wrist and pulling her to him. Her blush is inevitable, and it deepens to a darker red when he kisses her, tongue sweeping across the seam of her lips.

Agitatedly, she hits the locker next to her, aware that they're in a public space and they should stop before they get in trouble and god, this awkward man-boy-puppy can do amazing things with his mouth...

Finally, he pulls back, a carefree grin on his lips. "We're going to be late for class," he teases, and she hits him. God knows they shouldn't be making out so soon after they had gotten together, but a year and a half of sexual tension isn't going to just sit there without making itself known.

Walking into Home Ec, Austin can't help but think of how lucky he is, and suddenly his chest is very warm and the girl tucked into his side has never seemed more beautiful.

"What?" she asks, lifting her head up to meet his gaze when she feels his eyes on her.

"Nothing," he shakes his head contentedly, and pulls her closer to him.

"Oh my god, get married already," Ms. Mary groans from behind her desk, watching the odd pair coo at each other.

"Mary..." Katie, the teacher's assistant for Ms. Mary's Home Ec class, gently nudges the grumbling teacher. "Your obsession with those kids is getting a little unhealthy," she chides.

Ms. Mary snorts, turning to the young brunette girl. "Please, you're the one who pointed out their sexual tension to me. You're just as crazy about them as I am."

Katie ducks her head, blushing, but makes no move to protest Ms. Mary's comment, aside from a helpless, "Hey! It was distracting, okay? Their sexual tension was the biggest elephant in the room, and you know it."

"Are you two gossiping about Austin and Ally again?" Ms. Emily, one of the digital art teachers, cuts in, an excited smile on her face. Yusssss, Auslly! she cheers in her head.

"On some level, I think this could be considered pedophilism," Ms. Chloe, the other digital art teacher, remarks dryly.

"Shut up, Em, pedophilism isn't even a word," retorts Ms. Mae, a creative writing teacher.

"Uhm, is so!"

"Look, I'll show you! See, when I type it into the computer, there's a squiggly red line! That means it's not a word!"

"Your computer's messed up, then."

"... This is your computer."

Katie laughs, interrupting Ms. Mae and Ms. Chloe's banter. "I think you lose, Mae."

"HAH!" Ms. Chloe shouts triumphantly, leaping out of her chair and startling the class. Austin and Ally's head pop up from their tables, brows furrowed in confusion.

"What do you think they're talking about?" whispers Ally.

"I don't even know; I'm pretty sure they're delusional," replies Austin, but he's blushing as he remembers what happened weeks ago...

"Austin!" Hearing the voice, Austin inwardly groaned, knowing what was coming next.

"Yeah, Ms. Mary?" he answered warily, turning around to face the blender-toting teacher. She was crazy, as far as he was concerned. She liked to hint at "Auslly", whatever the hell that was, and was always pushing him and Ally together. That part, he didn't mind so much, because Ally's his best friend and she's kind and beautiful and amazing and talented and she smells pretty...

Whoa. Austin shook himself briefly then turned his attention back to Ms. Mary. "... just think you and Ally are kinda perfect for each other, y'know?"

At the mention of Ally's name, Austin's eyes widened. "W-What?" he stammered.

"I said, I just think you and Ally are kinda perfect for each other, y'know? No, don't give me that what-are-you-talking-about look; the whole grade knows you two are halfway in love with each other, anyways." Ms. Mary waved it off breezily, ignoring Austin's look of protest. "Except for her, she hasn't seemed to pick up on it at all..." She shook her head, exasperated. "My point it, you have to go do something! Go get her before it's too late!"

"Yeah, Ally's a pretty girl; I'm sure she had boys chasing after her already," commented Ms. Mae.

"Ms. Mae... what are you doing here-" Austin barely managed to get a word in edgewise before Katie cut in.

"C'mon buddy, go get your girl," she echoed Ms. Mary's sentiments from earlier. "Do something romantic!" she added, clapping excitedly like a child.

"You're a singer, right? Sing a song to her, or better yet, write a song about her!" exclaimed Ms. Emily.

"But that's why I have Ally in the first place-"

"Take her on a picnic!" suggested Ms. Chloe.

"- she's my songwriter 'cause I can't write songs-"

"Bake her a cake!"

"- a picnic, really?-"

"Draw her a picture!"

"- I can't bake-"

"Just do something!" All five women loomed over him threateningly as he crept back towards the door.

"But... I can't draw, either..." he protested weakly.

"DO SOMETHING!"

And he ran.

Austin lets out a wry smile at that memory; his teachers were crazy, yes, but he had gotten the girl in the end, hadn't he?

"Austin? What are you thinking about?" Ally's voice prompts him out of his thoughts, and he smirks.

"Oh, nothing."

Back near the front of the room at Ms. Mary's desk, the five women are still plotting.

"He needs to do something more romantic, now that they're together," decides Ms. Mary.

"Yeah, where does this boy think he's going, just acting normal like that?" Katie tsks, shaking her head.

"He's got a beautiful girl on his arm; he might want to show some appreciation," clucks Ms. Mae.

Ms. Emily laughs. "Whatever to that, I just want to embarrass them."

"Oh my god, yes please!" agrees Ms. Chloe.

"Alright then, I guess it's time to announce today's lesson plan," says Ms. Mary, and she's smirking. "Class, listen up!" She claps twice, and everyone quiets down. "Today, Ms. Chloe, Ms. Emily, Ms. Mae, and I are doing a group lesson, so instead of our normal 45-minute block, we get 2 hours!" Cheers go up as students get excited at the prospect of missing their others classes, and Ms. Mary smiles. "It's not going to be that easy, though... Today, you're going to do a project on the best thing that's happened to you- just in this past month, to keep your memory fresh. You'll make some culinary creation representing that event, write a few paragraphs on why you chose that event, and then a digital art representation of that event. We'll give you numbers, and whoever has your number is your partner. Rocks, paper, scissors, to see who gets to choose the event. Ready?" Ms. Mary smiles beatifically at her students, while they just blink back at her, slowly trying to absorb everything she's said.

Austin and Ally are coincidentally paired up, and they start their rocks, paper, scissors challenge as the five women murmur amongst themselves.

"I know we planned for them to be partners, but we never planned who would get to choose the event..." frets Ms. Chloe, wringing her hands.

"If Ally gets to pick the event, we won't be able to embarrass Austin!" complains Katie.

"What, do you have a personal grudge against him?" asks Ms. Mae.

Katie glares. "Uh hello, do we all remember what happened with Jeremy and him?"

"... but he got you two together."

"Shut up."

"Rocks, papers, scissors- YES I WIN!" shouts Austin triumphantly, taking a victory lap around the classroom, prompting laughter from the rest of the class and an eye roll from Ally.

"I totally let you win," she scoffs when he returns.

"Let your boyfriend enjoy his moment," he says, kissing her cheek. She has to remind herself not to melt into a little (pathetic) pile of Ally-goo. This wasn't fair, this wasn't fair at all; why couldn't she fluster him like he did her?

"Did you choose your event yet?" she eventually grudges out.

At first, he nods and opens his mouth to reply, but then freezes and slowly turns away from her. "Give me a second..." he says slowly and confused, she complies.

On one hand, the best thing that happened to him this month honestly was finally, finally, being able to call Ally his girlfriend and himself her boyfriend. On the other hand, he was a manly man, and manly men like him didn't just say sappy things like that... and most of his teammates on the football team were in this class with him!

With this in mind, he turns back to her. "Uh... yeah, I've chosen. The best thing that happened to me this month was... um... getting my new sneakers!" he declares with false enthusiasm.

Ally shrugs; boys will be boys. "'Kay. Why don't you start up on that digital art portion and I'll start writing? I'll come up with a... relatively believable reason as to why you were so excited to get your sneakers."

"WHAT?" Ms. Mae's voice thunders out to them, and Austin winces. He was hoping he wouldn't have to confront his teachers today. So close, yet so far. "You chose getting new sneakers as the best thing that happened to you this month?!"

"...Yes?" Oh, he's getting scared now, especially seeing how the other four women have closed in around him. Ally, that little traitor, is standing behind them, hands to her mouth and laughing.

Save me, he mouths.

She innocently mouths back, What? Sorry, can't hear you over the sound of your fear!

He frowns. What? Shut up, my fear doesn't have a sound!

She smirks. Your fear is so intense it does have a sound.

He has no choice but to concede defeat.

"... in fact, why don't you explain to us right now why you chose new sneakers as your event?" Ms. Emily is saying as he focuses back on the cluster of teachers around him. There's an evil glint to her eyes and he doesn't like it, no, not at all.

"Uh... because... y'know..." he tries, grinning winningly. "You know what I mean... right?"

"No." Ms. Chloe deadpans at him and he looks at her like I know what you're trying to make me do and I won't do it.

Girl please, is what her look says back to him.

"Because... sneakers are cool and..." By now, the exchange between Austin and the teachers has captured the attention of everyone else in the class, and they wait eagerly for him to finish his response. "C'mon, the guys in this room, help me out here. You know how awesome getting new sneakers is, right?"

A murmur of assent goes around the room from the guys, but then Cezar, one of his friends from the football team stands up and challenges him, smirking. "Sneakers are great and all, but getting the girl? It's even better, no matter how cheesy it sounds." He makes a dorky hand-heart to his girlfriend, Nicole, across the room, and she blows him a mocking kiss.

Austin only throws him a dirty look. Weren't friends supposed to help you out, not lead you to destroying your male pride? Ughhhhhhhh. Inwardly, Austin heaves a huge sigh. "Okay, okay, fine. Cezar, you got me, you asshole."

Cezar only grins cheekily back and Austin vows to give him a nice hard punch in the shoulder later. Or get Nicole's best friend, Kelly, to kick him in the balls; that would work, too.

"What I really meant for my best moment of the month- hell, even my year, because she's worth it-" Austin peeks over at Ally, who beams at him, knowing what's coming next. Good lord, her eyes are even shining; now he definitely knows swallowing his pride will be worth it. So he grins and continues, "The best moment of my year? Well... you see, I know this girl. Short, brunette, incredibly talented, adorkable, and kind of perfect... you might know her since she's in this class. Yeah, this girl finally kissed me after years and years of waiting-" He's really enjoying this now, embellishing his tale as much as he can. Might as well enjoy it before he gets teased by everyone.

"You only waited a couple of months, you jerk!" Ally calls out to him, and he shushes her.

"As I was saying, the beautiful maiden kissed the noble knight after he had waited many months- happy now, Ally?- and they lived happily ever after. Okay, not really. First, the noble knight made an incredibly romantic gesture to get the beautiful maiden to be his girlfriend-"

"You threw rocks at my window at 2 in the morning," Ally deadpans. Payback for flustering me earlier, she thinks.

"And then I played you a song from a boombox! I pulled a Lloyd Dobler on you, Ally, a Lloyd Dobler!" he tries, and the girls in the class coo. Satisfied with that response, he keeps going. "So the gesture worked and beautiful maiden swooned in his arms and then they lived happily ever after." The class erupts into cheers after he's done and guys are starting to tease him, but he's focused on Ally.

He pushes through his classmates and his teachers, finally reaching Ally and standing in front of her nervously. Maybe he went too far...?

"I typed down everything you said, so now we have the essay portion done," she murmurs, looping her arms around his neck. Typical Ally, he thinks. Then, happily, typical my Ally.

"That's great," he mumbles back, drawing her closer.

"One detail about your story, though," she goes on her tiptoes and he's practically swallowing her words, she's so close. "I don't remember ever actually swooning into your arms..."

"Let's change that," and that's the last thing he says before dropping her into a dip and kissing her.

"Oh my fish!" Ms. Mary's hands go over her mouth and she almost squeals.

"That was the most romantic thing I've ever seen," sighs Katie.

"Ally deserved it," retorts Ms. Mae, but her eyes are soft as she looks at the (still) kissing couple. They probably should do something about the PDA but... it was just sho kyut!

"Would you look at that, we managed to embarrass Austin and elicit a romantic gesture out of him, all in the course of half an hour!" Ms. Emily's tone is proud and she mentally gives herself a pat on the back.

"Definitely a job well done," proclaims Ms. Chloe, high-fiving each of her colleagues.

The same sentiment is running through all of their heads as they watch Auslly unfold right before their eyes: Oh my god, we rock.


A/N: Wow, that was a lot of fun to write! Now, I know I've been MIA for a long time, and instead of giving you all the gory (not really) details in a long Author's Notes, I'm just going to direct you to my new Wordpress post about it.

As always, there's a link to my Wordpress on my profile, or just type in .com into the address bar. The post I'm talking about is titled So I've Been MIA... and it's the latest post, so you should be able to find it pretty easily.

Kelly, Nicole, and Cezar, from Chapter 5 of All Those Glittering Lights made a cameo in this oneshot. They're real people; friends from Twitter. Kelly can be found at omggkelly, Nicole at rauralicious, and Cezar at CezarR5.

Also: Please check out All Those Glittering Lights? It's one of my Auslly multi-chaps, AU and set in the future.

Reviews are always appreciated :)

From,
Sabrina

P.S. Anybody around here experienced with working in the beta field? I just need someone who can proofread things and remind me to place italics (for emphasis) if I forget, etc. etc. It's not an urgent matter, but if there are beta's out there like that who are looking for authors... hello, I'm here :)