Disclaimer: The characters you recognize here are not mine, never have been, and never will be. I make no profit from this and I'll put them back where I found them when I'm done, promise. :-)
Warnings: None at all really. Sort of funny and fluffy, but I don't describe much, just mention it a little bit ;-)
Summary: "I feel so disgusting when I'm ill." "You are never disgusting." Ignoring him, she says, "I know I look it too. I'm sorry." "I like you either way, stop apologising." / Ally is sick, and of course Austin is there to take care of her. Auslly oneshot.
Author's Note: I was watching an episode of Pair of Kings after school the other day, and it gave me this idea :-) I think boys are so sweet when they look after girls when they're sick, aw! Oh yeah, and I'm not really keen on Ally's dad. I don't know if that's just me, it's just the way he leaves her in the shop on her own all the time, especially as Ally's mum is absent. I'm sorry if this isn't your view, but Austin agrees with me too here, just had to say that :-) Now, on with the story!
Sidenote: Oh by the way, I'm really sorry the tenses seem to be switching between past and present, don't honestly know how that happened but there you go now, it's done.
Side-Sidenote: I wonder does anyone actually read all of my ramblings?
Please excuse any spelling errors. Thanks.
in sickness and in health
:::
"It's okay, I'm fine, I'm fine." Ally waved him off as he followed her around the counter and towards the violin rack that Ally's father had asked her to rearrange. "I've just got to do this and then I'll erm," She paused to concentrate, "then I'll take a break afterwards, I promise."
Austin gave her that look, it's what she had called 'sceptical' but there was nothing he could do for now, Ally was a stubborn person after all. He watched as she continued to rearrange the shelf and sighed because she really shouldn't even be at work. "Ally, where's your dad?"
Ally looked lost for a moment, like she'd forgotten where she was, but then she collected herself and said, "He's at a convention, not sure what for though."
Austin could hear her voice cracking and saw her eyes getting a little dazed every now and again.
"But Ally you're sick." He stated.
She was about to protest, but suddenly sneezed instead. "I am not..." She said feebly and they both knew that it was a lost cause, but she continued to protest. "I told you I'm fine okay."
"No it's not okay." She just sighed and turned her back to him, going back to the shelves. He didn't say anything, just watched her.
Austin knew it was going to happen before it did. He saw her body wobble slightly and the next thing he knew he had his arms full of Ally. She had been just about to move a violin when her vision went blurry and she felt the world kind of spin around her. "Whoa there Ally, you are definitely not okay."
"I'm fine." He heard her mumble but completely ignored it. Honestly, he thought to himself, she's too stubborn for her own good sometimes. Sitting her on the counter, he politely ushered the remaining people out of the shop and walked back over to her after locking the front door.
"What are you doing?" She asked groggily.
"Look Ally, you're too sick to work. You're collapsing here. So I'm in charge now okay? Your stupid dad isn't here to look after the shop so we're closing it, then I can look after you properly." She was about to say something in protest, but he silenced her with, "No arguments."
"Don't call my dad stupid." She said instead. His eyes softened.
"I'm sorry Ally, you know I like your dad. It's just you've been showing signs of being sick for days and he must've known but he just left and he makes you run the store by yourself and it's just not fair for you." Ally just nods because he's right and she does feel awful.
"Okay."
He blinks. "Okay?"
"Okay."
"Good." Austin smiled. He went to lock the back door and came back to find Ally sleeping on the counter. Smiling again, he gathered her in his arms and carefully carried her up to the practice room. "There," he said quietly. "Safe and sound."
Now he just had to get everything he would need to look after her.
She sat up quickly, disorientated and immediately leaned over the sofa and into a bucket that had been conveniently placed there. Austin immediately pulled her hair back and sat with her until she was finished.
"I-I'm really sorry about that Austin." She whispered hoarsely. "I mean, I didn't want you to see that.
"Hey, hey, hey, that's what I'm here for, right?" She hesitantly looked up at him and gave a weak smile, which actually looked more like a grimace, but it was something nonetheless.
"I feel so disgusting when I'm ill."
"You are never disgusting."
Ignoring him, she says, "I know I look it too. I'm sorry."
"I like you either way, stop apologising."
She smiles at him and says, "Thank you; you're a really good friend Austin." And in an instant her eyes were closed and she was back to being fast asleep, her breathing evening out into a steady rhythm that relaxed Austin.
He stroked her hair lightly and whispered, "I know, I'm a nice guy."
"Achoo!"
"Tissue?" He asked smirking. She took it gratefully and relaxed back against the sofa. It was now four, and they'd closed up the shop at eleven. At least she's had some more sleep now, Austin thought.
"Could you get me a blanket please Austin? I'm a little cold."
"Sure." He draped a blanket over her outstretched body and sat back down next to her.
"Could you open the door? I'm kinda warm now."
"Um, okay." Ally placed the blanket over her legs instead of her chest as Austin opened the door.
"Would you mind getting me a drink?" Ally asked sweetly.
"Of course not." Austin hummed and poured a glass of orange juice for her. I'm so lucky to have him waiting on me like this, she thought.
Bringing it over to her, she said, "Actually Austin, I wanted water." His expression turned stony and she giggled happily. "I'm joking, Austin, this is perfect, thank you." He laughed and sat back down next to her, draping the blanket across the both of their legs, so they were both snuggled close together under the blanket. "I have to keep myself entertained somehow." She said grinning.
"And you do that by ordering me about, figures." He grinned right back at her.
They sat in silence for a while, wrapped up in each other while Austin hummed meaningless tunes and Ally opened and closed her eyes, blinking slowly and repeating the action. He liked to watch her out of the corner of his eye. Austin's not sure when he started doing that but he can't remember not doing it, and he's been watching her ever since.
As he gently rubs his thumb comfortingly over the palm of her hand, he's aware this is not a bestfriend gesture, but she's not saying anything so neither does he.
When she talks, he notices she's in the eyes closed stage of her whatever it is she's doing and smiles openly because he can. "You're being really sweet today, Austin."
She opens her eyes and they're slightly bloodshot but also wide and earnest so he thinks they look pretty anyway. He taps her nose once and she giggles happily, a noise that he's become used to over the period of time they've been friends. "Honestly, no one's ever looked after me like this before."
"I would say it's my pleasure, but seeing you sick isn't really making me happy." She chuckles as he crinkles his nose and the only thing going through her mind is cutecutecute but she doesn't ignore it, because she's so used to that feeling now.
"I'll be alright soon; I don't want to be any trouble."
"Oh you're hardly any trouble, just hard work really. Ordering me about all over the place, I get tired too you know." She whacks his arm and he laughs because he doesn't mean it, not really. He sees her shiver and immediately gets up to close the door, coming back and wrapping them up in the blanket again.
He sits normally and she stretches her legs out over his, almost on his lap, but not. If she moved any further forward she could easily snuggle into his chest. "Comfortable?" She knows he's smirking but she answers anyway.
"Yes thank you."
"Good, wouldn't want you to be feeling any worse than you are." He says with a smile, a lopsided one at that.
"Stop it." She says clearly. "Stop being so perfect... I could just kiss you right now." And it just like that it slips out. He feels her tense and knows he must too, because well, that wasn't really supposed to happen.
"Um, what?" Austin says anxiously.
"N-Nothing." She fumbles over her words. "Just f-forget I said anything." It should be really awkward, but neither moves from their position, comforted by the warmth of the other. Austin relaxes a little, feeling slightly braver.
"No, go on; tell me what you're thinking."
"Austin, don't make me make a fool out of myself." She says groaning and he really doesn't mind when she buries her blushing red face in his t-shirt.
"I'm not, just tell me."
"I want to kiss you right now." She mumbles. "Is that want you want to hear?"
"Actually, that makes me quite happy." Ally's head snaps up abruptly and she coughs violently. Austin pats her on the back gently until she calm down.
"Do you mean it?" her eyes are wide and glassy.
"Als, I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."
"Okay, good." She looks a little coy, but mostly happy. "I'd love to kiss you right now, but I don't want you to get sick."
He smirks. "You'll just have to wait for these perfect lips then won't you?"
"I guess so." She sighs and actually does sit in his lap this time, burying her head into his chest and his smile nearly consumes his face because she's snuggling and he knew Ally was adorable, but this is almost too much.
"I promise when you're all better, you can have a piece of the Austin."
He sort of knows he deserves the swat on the arm he receives.
"Okay you guys, I get it, you're together now, but could you please refrain from making-out in front of me every chance you get?" Trish grumbled whilst Austin smirked. Ally had turned a deep shade of red, but still grinned and held onto Austin's hand firmly.
"Well I promised Ally, that when she was all better, she could have a piece of the Austin."
Trish smirked. "Well real men kiss their girlfriends anyway, regardless of the fact they could get sick."
"I wouldn't expect Austin to do that for me." Ally says automatically.
"I'm just saying." Trish says and shrugs. "Well, you two can enjoy your smooch fest; I'm going to go to my new job."
"She hasn't got a new job." Ally says to Austin and Trish's back, "She's going to look for Dez."
"So what if I am!" Is the immediate and snappy reply. Laughter reverberates around the room.
As Austin and Ally walk hand in hand up to the practice room, (thank God it's Ally's dad's shift) Austin starts to speak. "You know, there is a good reason I didn't kiss you when you were sick."
"Austin, you don't have to prove anything to me. So what, you didn't want to get sick? That's okay. Ignore Trish."
Austin shrugs. "But she was right. And I would've kissed you..." They come to a stop beside the sofa and his arms encircle her waist whilst hers snake around his neck, to play with the tufts of hair at the nape fondly. "But you see, if I'd have done that, then I would've been sick. Then we both would've had to wait longer to kiss and make-out, as it were."
"Austin, it's kiss and make-up."
"I know, but we don't need to make-up, we need to make-out." This makes her giggle and he smiles down at her, looking at her with those fond eyes and that slow, careful, lopsided grin.
"Well, I guess if that's what the doctor orders." Ally says as she leans up.
"Oh, it definitely is." Austin says flirtatiously as he leans down.
A/N: Yeah, so there you go. I always start my fanfics on my phone, in the notepad section, and then end up finishing them off on my laptop, weird huh? Anyway, hope you all liked it! I never know whether they're being OOC or not. Probably, but Austin is sickly (adorably) sweet in the show, so why not here? I also added a bit of Trez if you squint :-)
Thank you to all the people that read and review, I cannot stress how happy you make me, and how much of a confidence boost you give me. Please continue! Hahaha :-)
- Sophie.