Home, Sweet Heart
Chapter 1: The Home (1/3)
A/N: Slightly AU as it ignores Kira's existence yet Austin & Ally still shared a kiss... Or two or three or twenty. And basically it ignores the Auslly arc all together (minus the kiss at the end of Chapters).
Austin's twentieth birthday had just passed and he found the perfect post-birthday celebration; apartment hunting. For the past two years of his life, he had been on and off the road touring, recording his second album (his third about to begin recording), and flying between L.A. and Miami.
As much as Austin loved L.A., his heart still belonged to Miami; a place where he still felt grounded. That was why, in all the trips Team Austin needed to make to the famous city, they stayed with Ally's Aunt Sally. They usually only stayed for a few days but because of Jimmy's insistence, Austin decided an apartment in the city would be a good decision. Dez and Trish went to college in L.A. during the year, staying in dorms nearly all year round, and Ally decided to take a year off from Juilliard to help with Austin's third record, planning to stay at her aunt's house.
"Dez, you here?" Austin asked into his phone as he stepped out of the airport.
"HEY AUSTIN!" the blonde boy heard to his left. Turning his head, he laughed, seeing his best freckled friend jumping up and down in a purple, orange, and blue outfit, his suspenders bouncing against his legs.
"Dez!" Austin exclaimed, ending the call and rushing towards his friend. "Hey man! How's UCLA?" Austin asked as he hugged Dez tightly.
"It's great! I just created a short film about a Yorkie terrorizing the city of Miami and then going up against Claws!" Dez announced excitedly as they made their way to his Prius. Austin only laughed, remembering how his character of Troy got killed off in the Claws sequel.
"You got a copy for me?" Austin asked as he threw his bags onto Dez's backseat. The ginger boy suddenly grabbed a DVD from the pocket of his pants.
"Of course!" he exclaimed happily.
Austin settled in the car next to his best friend. They had grown and matured a lot since their teens, but their friendship was still the same. They had grown closer and even though they hadn't seen each other in three months, it felt like only three hours had gone by.
Dez and Trish both agreed to still be a part of Team Austin, being able to do their part as much as they could while in California. Both had joined him for his tours, taking online classes while on the road, Trish even brought a mannequin on the bus so she could work on her fashion designs. It turns out that she worked just as well as Austin's personal stylist too, although Ally would refine it to Austin's exact taste.
Dez pulled his car up to a cluster of large apartment buildings and condos. "Thanks Dez, I'll just drop these off and we can start straight away!" Austin said as he grabbed his bags from the back seat and made his way up a pathway to one of the floor condos. Ringing the doorbell, he waited on the doorstep until a small, brunette woman opened the door.
"Austin!" the old woman exclaimed, pulling him into a quick hug before rushing him inside.
"Hi Aunt Sally, I missed you!" Austin bent down to kiss the elder woman's cheek before sauntering down the hall. "Thank you again!" The woman just laughed and waved him off.
After the many trips to Los Angeles and staying at Ally's aunt's place, Aunt Sally became an aunt to them all. She welcomed them any and all times.
Austin continued down the hall until he got to Ally's temporary room in the condo, knocking slightly before opening the door. A smile graced his features as he found Ally asleep at her desk, face head down in her songbook. Dropping his bags to the foot of the bed, Austin gently picked his best friend up in his arms, laughing as she lolled her head into his chest. He placed her onto her bed and grabbed a spare blanket he knew she kept in the closet and draped it over her.
"I'll see you later, Als," he whispered to her sleeping figure, kissing her forehead before leaving and softly shutting the door behind him.
Aunt Sally stood at the kitchen counter, chopping vegetables for the dinner she was making that night. "Leaving already?" she asked, hearing Austin make his way towards the door. He turned on his heel, smiling at the woman.
"Uh, yeah. Dez and I are going apartment hunting for me." Aunt Sally chuckled at the mention of the red headed boy and nodded her head.
"Be back for dinner."
"Wouldn't miss it for the world, Aunt Sally!" he exclaimed quietly. "Ally's asleep though. I'll see you later!" he said, waving goodbye before exiting the condo and leaving Aunt Sally smiling fondly at the thought of how he treated her niece.
Three days. Austin had been apartment hunting with Dez for three days and nothing. His best friend had insisted on them doing it themselves, claiming a realtor wouldn't help them find what he wanted. Except, everything Dez picked out wasn't what he wanted either.
Dez had a unique style in nearly everything, including homes. He had suggested a particularly bad part of Los Angeles quite a few times because it had "character". Austin didn't agree as he nearly ran for his life out of there after him and Dez had gotten threatened by a couple of thugs. Sure he had muscles and could probably beat them up in a fist fight if needed but the media would have a field day... And the thugs had knives and guns. Dez found the experience rather thrilling, smiling happily as their lives were threatened, and whispering, "Isn't this so cool?!" to Austin repeatedly.
On the other hand, Dez also picked out very modern apartments, some with just windows as the walls or ones with holes of random shapes in the walls to see into other rooms. The blonde singer quickly shook his head at these too.
Austin sat on Aunt Sally's couch, waiting for Trish to come by. Considering Ally was still swamped with a few things besides songwriting, he wanted to give her a break. Plus, Trish knew what he liked, yeah? She would help him find something!
Austin slammed Trish's car door shut and grumpily put his seatbelt on. Four days with her and he still had nothing. Trish had quite a taste too, a very expensive and large taste. Everything she picked out for him to look at would cost him more money than he'd like to spend and had more rooms than he needed. He didn't need six bedrooms and four full bathrooms and a half bath, which he quickly learned the difference of because of her. Though in fairness, her picks weren't as bad as Dez and were closer to his style.
Groaning, he threw his head back against the headrest as Trish excitedly came back to the car, plopping down into the driver's seat.
"Wasn't that apartment the best?! It was gorgeous and gigantic!" she squealed, starting the car. The apartment was all white, with glass windows overlooking a cliff into the water. Austin hated it. "Could you imagine the hot Hollywood parties you could have there?"
No, Austin thought bitterly. If he was going to be living in L.A., he wanted to have a quiet escape, a place to claim his own without having hundreds of people clambering in every weekend.
The ride back to Aunt Sally's place was quick and quiet, minus Trish's mumbling about what theme the welcoming party should be. He exited the car as fast and as politely as he could, for she did take her time to attempt to help him.
"Austin, what's wrong?" Ally asked as she stood at the stove, watching as the boy frustratingly threw his coat on the rack. In the back of his mind, he liked the image of Ally greeting him when he got home, living in the same space with her. However, his mind was too focused on the failed tasks at hand.
"Trish and Dez haven't helped me at all with apartments," he mumbled into his hands as he sat at the table.
"Do you want me to go with you?" she asked hesitantly while stirring a heated pot.
"Ally, you're tired and swamped, I don't want to wear you out more," he said, his tone soft.
The brunette girl shook her head. "It's like a break for me! I love house hunting!" Her happy squeals filled the room as she started bouncing in excitement. "We can start looking after dinner!"
Aunt Sally, a realtor for the past twenty years (much to Austin's surprise), had been recruited to help. Ally told him about a website she had access to that had all apartments, condos, and houses up for rent or sale. The three of them had sat at the cleared off kitchen table crowding around Ally's laptop.
"What kind of apartment are you looking for?" Aunt Sally said as she pulled up available apartments in the Los Angeles area.
Austin bit his lip. "I want a place that has room. But not enormous. I hope it can have at least two bedrooms, so people can visit. But I also don't want a crammed kitchen. Maybe three bedrooms would be better so I can turn one into a music room! And it needs to be by a park, because I love the park. Plus, I've been thinking of getting a dog so I'll need an apartment building that's cool with that AND a park nearby. I don't want it in a bad area though," Austin finished with a shudder, causing the girls to look at each other and laugh. Ally thought for a minute before she leaned over the table, closer to Austin.
"Have you thought about a house? You could rent one but I suggest actually buying it."
"Als, have you seen the house prices in L.A.? I have money but I don't want to spend that much."
"What about outside of L.A.?" Ally suggested with a shrug. "I mean, as long as you're close by then you're good. It doesn't necessarily have to be in L.A."
"That's a good idea," Aunt Sally said, pointing to Ally. She turned her head towards Austin, graying brown hair bouncing against her chin. "And by what you're describing, it'd be cheaper in the long run to buy a house, especially if it's outside of L.A. What do you say?"
Austin paused, looking between the two, and sighed, nodding. "As long as it's not too far from here!" he added in as he looked closer to the laptop, sneaking a glance at Ally who seemed to be the only oblivious one at the table.
Aunt Sally, practiced at real estate, had set up a number of houses to look at while Ally searched open houses. Austin had been woken up early the next morning when Ally called out that the pancakes were ready. In record time he ate, showered, and dressed, ready for the long day ahead.
The group gathered in Aunt Sally's car, sharing a collective groan at the cluster of paparazzi at the gate of Aunt Sally's development. Apparently a few realtors at the apartments he had looked at prior had tipped off paparazzi about what he was doing.
"It's okay Austin, none of the houses we're going to today know it's you coming," Aunt Sally said once they were free of the mob. Ally, who sat in the passenger seat while Austin sat in the backseat, turned to look at him.
"I'm really sorry, Austin. We'll try to make this quick," Ally whispered to him. Austin sighed and nodded. One of the reasons he had switched to the house idea so quickly was that Ally brought up that he'd have more privacy than in an apartment building. And as one of the most popular rock stars of the time, he needed and deserved his privacy.
The group was on their fourth house and by now, all Austin really focused on what Ally was doing. He watched at how Ally was easily fascinated by some things yet critical of everything. She took precautions, making sure not to be wowed by the pretty looks before she could ask the tough questions concerning the foundation, plumbing, etc. Austin shared a look with Aunt Sally, both of them seeing her aunt in her.
"Austin, your phone's ringing!" Ally called to him on the other side of the room as he looked out the window into the incredibly small backyard. Earlier in the day, sensing his distraction by technology, Ally took hold of it from him.
"You can answer it," he responded, shrugging. He smiled softly as he heard Ally sigh.
"Hi Mrs. Moon!" Ally exclaimed in happiness. Even though he had his back to her, he knew a smile was present on her face.
Austin learned early on that Ally had a few weird and dorky quirks like hating when people spit in her sink while she brushes her teeth and liking things like books and calculus and alliteration, just to name a few. She liked when people called them "Austin & Ally" and she, as Austin noticed when he first became friends with Ally, loved calling his parents Mr. and Mrs. Moon. Ally's alliterations always brightens her day.
(Hey, he tried. (For her, a smaller part of his mind said that he pushed back because he didn't even say it out loud so how could it be for her? Exactly. HA!))
"Your son is currently analyzing the tiny backyard," Austin heard Ally say, seeing through her reflection in the window the quick look she shot towards him. He chuckled to himself. "Alright, I'll keep you updated. Have a good day, Mrs. Moon. Bye!" Ally finished the conversation cheerily.
"Mrs. Moon, huh?" Austin said as he approached her. She simply rolled her eyes, squealing when Austin came up to her side and wrapped her arms around her. Since finding out about her love for alliterations and how that tied in with his parents, he teased her mercilessly whenever he could.
"Austin!" Ally squealed again as Austin nuzzled his nose against where her jaw and neck meet, a sensitive spot Austin had learned about during one hug long ago.
The blonde boy kept nuzzling his nose against it while saying, quite loudly, "Mrs. Moon! Mrs. Moon! Mrs. Moon!" their laughed echoed around the dining room, only to be cut abruptly when the owner of the house had coughed. The two looked up at the woman who instantly became very starstruck once she registered who the two were. Austin unwrapped his arms from Ally's body and both blushed as Aunt Sally appeared.
"I'm sorry but we have a few more houses to look at. Thank you for your time," Aunt Sally said, shaking the hand of the woman whose eyes seemed frozen on the musical duo.
Austin and Ally sent quiet thanks, still blushing, as he placed a hand on her back and gently urged her out the door.
Clouds had appeared during their eighth house, one of the open houses Ally had picked. The rain started as they exited their ninth.
"One more house?" Austin asked the two. He had a good feeling about today, like he was going to find it. Aunt Sally just sighed, looking out the windshield being cleared of the rain by the wipers as she drove, and Ally turned to him with a frown.
"Neither of us have any other houses. These were the only ones we could get into today and the only ones with open houses." She bit her lip as she looked at him. "I'm sorry, Austin."
He only sighed in disappointment but nodded his head understanding. It had been a few hours since they left so maybe it was for the best. They could rest up and look at the others tomorrow.
"Aunt Sally! Turn right!" Ally said suddenly. Aunt Sally, as if expecting this, had expertly made a right turn and sent Ally a questioning look.
"What's wrong Ally?" she asked her niece, curiosity laced in her voice. Austin leaned forward, looking out the windows though he didn't know what for.
"Just keep going straight. Okay, stop in front of the light brown house!" she said. Aunt Sally slowed her car down to a stop and parked the vehicle. Austin rushed to look out the window.
The house only had one floor but it seemed cute. It was on a large property with a nice sized front yard and mostly had a deep backyard. But the thing he noticed most was on the lawn stood two signs, one that said "For Sale by Owner" and the other saying "Open House!"
The rain pelted the window shield, slowly sliding down as Ally turned to Austin with a hopeful smile. Her smile widened as she saw how he face lit up more and more every time he took in something new about the house. "It's a bit spontaneous and none of us planned it but would this work as the last house?" Austin nodded excitedly, feeling that this would be 'the one'. He quickly jumped out of the car, swiftly missing the mud by the curb, and stood up straight on the grass. The rain didn't matter much to him but his excitement was getting the best of him as he bounced on the heels of his feet, ignoring the existence of the rain.
The second Ally got out of the car, he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the front door as quickly, and gently, as he could. The two early stumbled into the house, stopping on the mat to politely wipe off their shoes and sharing a laugh.
"Hello?" a voice called out uncertainly. Around the corner, from down the hall, a person emerged and froze as she spotted two people in the foyer. "Oh, hello," she said again, a quiver in her voice. She was nervous, because rarely did someone come to an open house in the rain, and she wondered if the duo was here to fool around in a bedroom (Unfortunately, it would not be the first time for her). Her breathe caught when she recognized the pair as the two celebrities her daughter admired and she smiled softly.
"You're like a horse out of the gate!" Aunt Sally said as she made her way into the house, having already closed up her umbrella.
Austin smiled as he looked around the foyer. The house, when he immediately entered, wrapped him in a sense of "home". The other places were just places, somewhere to live. But here, it was so much more. While the other places felt empty, this house felt warm, comforting, welcoming.
Aunt Sally introduced herself to the realtor, Darla as Austin would learn, and Austin began to wander off, pulling Ally with him as he hasn't released her hand yet.
"Ally..." he began, looking around one of the three bedrooms. "This is it," he said with a soft smile and a glint of happiness in his eyes. Ally smiled wide and threw her arms around his neck, finally letting go of his hand, and quietly squealed. He didn't hesitate in the slightest to wrap his arms around her and jokingly twirl her in the midst of his happiness.
When he placed her down, he left his hands on her waist as one of her hands rest on his shoulder, the other on his arm. He's briefly reminded of their first kiss, and a number of others they had. It's been years since the first one and he still felt the tingles. As he looked in her eyes, he remembered this past New Years when he couldn't even wait until midnight to kiss her. The two had built up a high amount of tension throughout the years, deflating tiny bits through the quick passionate kisses they had shared at random moments before moving on.
(Because a relationship brings drama which leads to breaking up which ends with their friendship never being the same and him losing contact with her.)
But as they stare into each other's eyes and share a smile, he doesn't care. Just standing here with Ally in one of the bedrooms feels like home. And he knows this is it.