A/N: While I work on a multichap to post later, here is a little bit of Auslly to keep my readers happy. Love you guys!
Disclaimer: I don't own Austin and Ally or anything else mentioned in this story. I just like sharing my ideas with others in story form.
The Right Time
. . .
Ally Dawson was going to turn 22 in a week. She was a successful singer songwriter with great fans and amazing friends. She, Trish, Dez and Austin moved to L.A. when they got out of high school and they all pursued their dreams. Dez was working his way into the movie industry. Trish still managed Austin and Ally along with several other artists. Austin was making music and acting, having caught the eye of some Hollywood people thanks to his work in Dez's short films. Ally sang but was focused more on writing music and she had already created a name for herself as one of the best in the business, collaborating with all kinds of artists and creating hits right and left. The four friends got together whenever they could and next week they were going to dinner to celebrate Ally.
On Saturday night Trish sat on the couch of Ally's apartment as they chatted over a take out dinner of pizza and soda.
"So, you just finished that song with Meghan Trainor, what's next?" Trish asked.
"I've had several calls and ideas pitched to me but only a few sound like a good fit. I'll decide which one to do this week." Ally said.
"And what about your personal life? There hasn't been much happening there lately." Trish pointed out.
Ally rolled her eyes at her best friend. "You know there isn't anything to tell. I've been too busy."
"You and Austin always say the same thing. Why don't you two go out again?"
Ally shook her head. "You know it doesn't work with us."
"What I know is that you two talk about each other all the time and it seems like you are both just waiting for the other. So do something already – make a move!" Trish encouraged.
"I don't think it's the right time yet. Sometimes I don't think it ever will be. I'm happy right now though, I have a good job and an amazing best friend." She elbowed Trish playfully.
"Yeah, I know, but Jace and I are talking marriage and I don't want to leave you alone." Trish said. "I had lunch with Austin the other day and he was talking about you. If I didn't know better I'd say he has a thing for you. Well, I do know better and I still think he has a very serious thing for you."
"I'm happy for you and Jace, Trish. But Austin and I . . . you know how complicated that is." Ally said. Trish opened her mouth to say something and Ally kept going. "You remember when we were sixteen and tried to date. Our first date was a complete disaster and you can't forget the whole 'Butch and Bitey' incident. Then the 'Steal your Heart' mess and how we stayed just friends. Prom and our other dates and breakups. Austin's career was almost destroyed by Jimmy Star when we decided to be together. The list goes on."
"I know." Trish said.
Ally gave her a sad smile. "We care about each other. That means more to me than anything, but we just don't work as a couple."
"I still don't get how you can be okay with this. You rarely date other guys and when you do it never goes beyond a second date. No matter how hard I try to help you never hook up with any guys. I mean come on! Don't you ever just want to grab some random guy and kiss him? You aren't getting any other action."
Ally shook her head. "I can't do that Trish - and that's okay. What works for others may not work for me. I can't explain really other than it has to mean something to me. I just can't do random hook ups like some people."
"Austin does." Trish points out.
"You only say that because it's what the magazines print. He told me he's only kissed a few girls since me." Ally insisted.
"Yeah, because he's really going to tell you about that stuff." Trish huffed.
"Trish." Ally scolded.
"If you had a one night stand would you tell him?" Trish challenged.
"I'm not going to have one so the question is irrelevant."
"But somehow, if hell were freezing over and you did have one, you wouldn't tell him. I'm just saying you might not know everything about him anymore. So why put your life on hold? You need to get out there and have some fun and find a real boyfriend for once. One that the ghost of Austin can't scare away." Trish said.
"When I meet the right guy to date, I will know it and I will date him and kiss him and when we are married we will do other things." Ally said.
Trish rolled her eyes. "You're so old fashioned. You read too many books."
"Thank you." Ally said, knowing full well that Trish hadn't meant it as a compliment. So she had traditional ideas about certain things. She wasn't going to back down or change her mind. She accepted Trish and her other friends for who they were and they could accept her just the same. Yes, she knew that Austin had kissed a few girls, and yes, some of his fans kissed him if he let his guard down, but she didn't count those.
"Besides: my love life isn't on hold for Austin, it's on hold for me." Ally said.
. . .
A week later Ally met Trish at a restaurant downtown for her birthday dinner. They were the first to arrive and expected Austin. Dez was stuck on a movie set in Vancouver and called Ally earlier in the day.
While they waited Trish returned to the topic of a week earlier. "I've been thinking. You're never going to move on until you face things with Austin and no matter what you say, I can tell you're still in love with him."
Ally scoffed. "I . . . we're . . . it's not. . ."
"You two are older now. You need to tell him how you feel about him. Just get it out there and see what happens." Trish urged.
"Tell who what now?" Austin walked up to their table, his mouth set in a grim line.
"Nothing." Ally answered quickly.
Then Trish covered for them. "I was just practicing my lines with Ally - I got a part in a movie Dez is going to do soon. I play the best friend of the lead girl and this is the part where I try to convince her to tell the guy she likes how she feels. See they're stuck in this weird limbo kind of place where they aren't together but they aren't apart either. And the best friend is kind of sick of it so she tells the girl to just talk to the guy so they can either have a real relationship or walk away and move on with their lives." Trish said, giving Ally a look when she finished.
"Oh. So is it a romantic comedy or something?" Austin asked.
"Or something." Trish muttered.
Austin sat down with them and took a quick glance at the menu. "Have you ordered yet?"
"No. We were waiting for you." Ally said and waved at their waiter.
Austin put down his menu and looked between Trish and Ally who was avoiding eye contact with everyone as she stared studiously at the menu. It was her favorite restaurant and he knew she had the menu practically memorized. The waiter arrived and took their orders.
"Well, congratulations on the movie Trish. You should have fun. I like being on set - there's always so much going on." Austin said.
"Yeah. So when does your movie come out?" Trish asked.
"Well, we wrapped last week, and there's 6 months of post production, so next year sometime." Austin answered.
"There's a lot of buzz about you and your co-star." Trish goaded him.
Austin grimaced. "There always is Trish. You remember last time, what two years ago now? People still try to ask me about that 'relationship'. You know it was all publicity. The same thing will happen with this one too. It's just part of movies. Singing and touring is much easier - then it is only rumors of me hooking up with fans, nothing lasting like this."
Ally shifted anxiously in her seat. "Poor guy." she muttered under her breath.
"Are you okay Ally? We're here to celebrate your birthday but you don't look very happy. What's up?" Austin asked.
"Nothing." she shook her head and managed a smile for him. "Just busy and a little stressed with work: the usual."
Austin reached out for her hand on the table and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Okay. Let's forget about work and everything else for a while and just have fun tonight. What do you say?"
"Good idea." she said but pulled her hand from his, fiddling with something inside her purse as an excuse. She suddenly didn't feel all that well and the conversation wasn't helping. Nor was his hand holding. He was so casual about that kind of thing with her and she was starting to think it didn't mean anything anymore. Maybe that's all it was for him, old habits and all.
Luckily the rest of the meal was more relaxed. The three of them talked about light things the rest of the meal like music or movies they like, funny stuff they'd seen online recently, places they still want to go to. With dessert they reminisced a little, talking about Ally's past birthdays and where they are now in comparison. Trish brought up her 21st birthday last year and how they all made her drink.
"It didn't stick. Since then I've only had a few drinks, usually at parties. But I've never gotten really out of control drunk or anything and I don't plan on it." she said proudly.
"I did once." Austin admitted. "Got smashed out of my mind after a show on tour. There were bets and I got competitive . . . it wasn't exactly the best moment of my life."
"After a show? But your last tour was when you were 20." Ally pointed out.
"Yeah, well most of the dancers and all the crew were over 21. They all bought the drinks and my bus became party central. We did some crazy stuff that night."
"I didn't know you drank underage." Ally said.
"It was tour: it wasn't a big deal." he shrugged. "I learned that I never want to get that drunk again."
Trish's words returned to Ally's mind. 'you don't know everything about him.'
"Well, I'm tired so I think I'm going to go home. Thanks for dinner." Ally said and stood up to leave.
"Don't you want to. . ." Austin began to suggest something.
"I'll see you." Ally cut him off and walked away. She went home with thoughts buzzing around in her mind. Maybe the image she had of Austin in her head was just an idea, a teenage girl's fantasy. She decided Trish was right and it was time to move on. No more cooking bacon with pancakes for him on Saturday mornings. No more waiting.
. . .
After her birthday, Ally distanced herself from Austin. When he called she made excuses so she didn't have to see him. Then she agreed when a guy at the recording studio asked her out. It was time to start dating.
Austin dropped by her apartment. She was busy writing a song.
Austin called. She had an appointment or somewhere to be and couldn't talk.
Austin emailed and texted. She gave short impersonal responses.
Two months later, one morning she makes bacon and pancakes out of habit. These were Austin's favorite foods. Of course he loved pancakes, he always had. But he had started requesting bacon also years ago after a failed concert of Ally's at Shredders Beach club which had involved a flying roasted pig landing on her.
Ally looked at the pile of bacon and stack of pancakes she just cooked. She wasn't sure how she could eat it by herself. She was startled from her thoughts by a knock at the door. She opened it to find Austin standing there, as if summoned by the smell of his favorite meal.
"Austin? What are you doing here?" she asked, her hand automatically brushed a stray lock of hair that fell from her ponytail behind her ear.
"You are so busy these days, it's the only time I thought I could catch you. And I know you get up early, even on Saturdays." he said with a smile. She stepped back and let him in.
Once inside he sniffed the air appreciatively. "Do I smell pancakes. . .and bacon?" he turned back to her as she began to follow him toward the kitchen so she almost bumped into him. He was a little too close and breathed her in. "Ally, you smell delicious." he closed the small distance between them, slipping a hand around her waist. His body stopped just shy of touching her, his breath moved her hair, tickling her cheek. His breath was minty and smelled of toothpaste. If she moved just a fraction they would be kissing. Her hands lifted to his arms and she gently pushed away from him.
"Jared." she whispered.
"What?" Austin asked, taking a step back and shaking his head out of a daze.
"I have a boyfriend, Austin."
"Pssh. I know that." he said trying to play cool.
"And you have Macy." she said.
"Macy? That's just movie stuff: we aren't really together. I thought you knew that." he was serious now.
Ally wouldn't meet his eyes and she went to the kitchen and began filling two plates. She had cooked too much for just herself anyway.
"Ally?"
"I always make too many pancakes. Old habit I guess." she said, carrying the plates to her table and sitting down at one of the chairs.
Austin wasn't going to let it go.
"You know how publicity works, Ally. We've been facing this kind of stuff since we were 15. Audiences like thinking there is something going on between the stars in movies, especially romantic comedies. It makes them feel like it's real or something and they eat that kind of thing up. So yeah, we pose for some pictures and let the rumors fly. I'm friends with all my co-stars and we hang out during filming so the jump isn't hard to make, but I never date someone I work with."
"I know." Ally mumbled grudgingly, remembering that she was the reason he created that personal rule. She took a bite of food before she could say more. Before she could remind him that they had stopped dating because of their professional relationship as teenagers. Before she could let him see how much that still bothered her. So she covered by putting the attention back on him.
"It's just really believable sometimes. And you look great with her." she said.
"Ally, come on." Austin whined.
"What? People talk. You are splashed all over magazines and websites. I know more about you from those than actually talking to you anymore."
"Are you serious?"
"What do you want me to do Austin?" Ally asked, exasperated.
"Well, talk to me for one, and then believe what I say instead of the stupid lies those magazines print. They just want a headline and to lure readers in. I'm famous and they use that however they want. You know their game. They used it on you too back when you were touring."
Ally was silent.
"What is going on with you lately? You hardly talk to me anymore and you've got this boyfriend. . ." Austin said.
"What's so weird about that?" Ally asked forcefully. "Is it really so hard to imagine that a guy could be interested in me and want to date me? Just because you. . ." Ally stopped herself there and stuffed a forkful of pancake in her mouth and looked away from him.
Austin's pancakes sat untouched. "Just because I what?" he asked slowly.
Ally shook her head. "Nothing."
"No. I want to know what you were going to say."
"No you don't."
"Yes, I do." He asserted.
Ally sighed and relented. "Just because you don't want me doesn't mean someone else couldn't." she said.
Austin stared at her while her cheeks burned red with embarrassment and shame. "Who says I don't want you?" he asked.
Now it was Ally's turn to stare. "What?"
"I thought you knew." He said.
"How? You never said it."
"We talked about it when we were sixteen and we both admitted the timing wasn't right."
"That was six years ago." Ally pointed out.
"I wrote songs for you. Whenever we were separated by tours or movies we always called and did video chats. I warned you about romantic scenes in movies I was in and I always told you there was nothing more to the relationships than work. I've been up front about everything with you and I never had a serious girlfriend because I've been in love with you the whole time."
Ally stared at him, mouth agape, trying to process this. "But Trish said. . . , and all the magazines, . . . and it's been six years."
Austin came around the table, kneeling in front of her so nothing could separate them. He took her hands and looked into her eyes, meeting her at eye level. "There was always something in the way: our careers, our schedules, just life sometimes. And I've been waiting for some sign that the time was finally right for us, that we were in the right place to finally be together. Do you have any idea how much crap the guys give me for not hooking up with every fangirl, actress or model who comes onto me?"
"Poor baby." Ally mocked him. He made a face which made Ally snort and she hid her face in his shoulder as they both laughed at this.
"They've got nothing on you Ally. You're my best friend, my partner, my songbird, my one and only."
"Austin."
"So maybe we need to make it be the right time now. You just need to break up with this Jared guy whoever he is and go out with me."
"Jared! Oh no! I almost forgot. What am I going to do?" Ally lifted her face from his shoulder and looked panicked.
"I just told you: break up with him. You haven't been dating him all that long so it can't be serious yet." he said breezily. Then he took her face in his hands and his intense brown eyes held hers. "Date me. Love me. Stay with me for the rest of our lives." He started to lean in to kiss her.
"Wait." Ally said, leaning back slightly.
"What's wrong?" Austin asked.
"I can't."
"What?"
"I can't kiss you until I've broken up with Jared. It would be cheating and I won't do that, I can't be that person." Ally said.
Austin chuckled and dropped his forehead onto her shoulder this time. He left a soft kiss on her neck and then sat back on his heels to look at her. "Only my Ally would stop me from kissing her after declaring my undying love." he reached out a hand and stroked her hair affectionately.
Ally grimaced. "I'm messing this up."
"No you aren't. You're being you and I love that." Austin said brushing his thumb along her cheek, greatly breaking down her resolve. "Just, please, break up with him today. I can't make any promises about waiting longer than that to kiss you. Like you said, it's been 6 years."
Ally stood up and went to her purse on the table beside her front door. She pulled out her phone and punched a button as she walked back to her bedroom for some privacy. Austin finally sat down to his now cold pancakes and began eating as he heard snippets of Ally's conversation, cancelling her date with Jared for the next day and telling him he was great but she wasn't interested in him anymore and he would find a great girl who deserved him one day. Austin knew he should feel bad for ruining a guys chances with a girl, but this girl was Ally and she was meant to be with him. It was that simple. Austin finally took his romantic life into his own hands.
Ally came back from her room looking sober and slightly upset. She put her phone back and as she reached the table again Austin stood and pulled her into a hug.
"Are you okay?" he asked after they pulled apart.
"I've never had to break up with someone before, not since you and I. . . it feels strange." she answered quietly.
"I wasn't exactly trying to listen, but it sounded like you let him down as nicely as you could." He said.
Ally shrugged. Austin put his hands on her shoulders and tried to get her to look at him. "Hey, come back to me."
"What if we're making a mistake again? What if I just ruined things with a really great guy?" Ally asked. "If you walk away again. . ."
"The only mistake we made before was that we didn't fight harder to be together. You don't know how many times I've wished I could go back and change that."
Ally looked at him. "Really?" she asked.
He nodded. "Can I kiss you now? I told you I can't wait too long."
"Yes." Ally smiled and nodded.
Austin didn't waste any time in capturing her lips with his. And for them both it was like finally coming home. Austin's arms encircled her, drawing her close but not close enough. She clung to him as she got lost in the sensation of kissing him, of being engulfed in fire after being cold and alone for far too long. He was both familiar and new because they had never kissed like this before, like nothing could ever rip them apart again.
It was a promise they both intended to keep.
. . .
Did you like it? Please review and tell me what you think. Thanks for reading!
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