Christmas Three Shot! I know I'm kinda late for the whole Christmas thing but I was forced into an evening of fake smiles and family members that treat me like I'm five. Trust me, I would much rather be writing for you than listening to my aunt talk about how pretty I'll look when I hit puberty. I'm fourteen. My self-esteem gets lower every year.

I hope you had an amazing holiday and a very happy new year! This is my late Christmas present to you because you guys are so flawless and perfect. Happy holidays!

xoxo :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Austin and Ally. All credits go to Disney.

I shoved my way past a hoard of angry shoppers as I reached the double door entrance of the Sonic Boom. I groaned running a hand through my tousled hair that was still wet from this morning's shower. I pulled a set of keys from my purse and I instantly felt the heap of people push against me. I gasped, barely able to hold onto the keys as I felt an elbow nail me in my side. A sharp heel of someone's boot slammed against my foot and I yelped in pain. I whipped around shouting some not so lady-like words at the crowd before turning back to the door. I placed the key in the lock and opened the door in one swift motion. As soon as the door opened the shoppers pushed and elbowed their way past me rushing into the store like a stampede of bulls. I shrieked, jumping quickly to the side in an attempt to not get flattened like a pancake. I fell to the ground as the stampede attacked the display of instuments. By the time I gathered myself and stood steadily on both feet there was already a line at the register stretching out the door of the store. I sighed in exasperation and forced a merry smile on my face as I dragged my slumping body to the counter.

Don't you just love the holidays?

I sighed as I rubbed my temples glaring up at the hundredth customer in front of me. In these past hours I've had to deal with a various amount of customers that always had a problem they needed help with. I've already dealt with twenty different crabby old ladies looking for an instrument that was appropriate for their twenty nine grandchildren, and numerous adults that couldn't tell the difference between a cello and a guitar. What kind of person waits until Christmas eve to do shopping anyways?!

"I told you-" I muttered bitterly at the man in front of me,"-the guitar picks are free, you do not need to pay for them!"

"Okay," the man said nodding his head in understanding although I knew he really didn't. "So what would the total be again?"

I threw my head back and groaned before slamming my head against the counter multiple times. Eventually I just left my head resting on the cool surface as I sighed in aggravation.

"Sir, the guitar picks are free. So why don't you gather up your twenty picks, which I still don't understand why you need so many of them, and get your ass off the line!" a young male voice shouted clearly just as frustrated as I was. I heard the scattering of the plastic guitar picks being swept from the table and low angry grumbling of the man in front of me.

I lifted my head up with a small smile on my face prepared to thank my savior. I looked up at the man in front of me stumbling backwards slightly at how close he had become. His hands were pressed against the counter and he was leaning over it as he eyed me. I blinked at his alarming attractive appearance and tried very hard to keep my eyes on his face instead of his biceps that showed even through his flannel button up. His disheveled blonde hair hung slightly in his big glossy brown eyes. I coughed looking around the counter for my water bottle to quench my strangely dry throat. "Thanks for-"

"So here's the deal?" he said leaning over the counter even more. I raised my eyebrows at him, somewhat angry for being interrupted and also extremely flustered at his close proximity.

"The deal?" I repeated.

"I don't usually do any last minute shopping but this time it wasn't my fault. See my girlfriend, Cassidy, was supposed to be on vacation with her family in Vermont for the holidays. So I figured since I won't see her for the Christmas I can buy her gift later on when the mall isn't a rampaging mess of people. Then her dad fell of the roof as he was hanging Christmas lights, don't worry he's fine just a few broken bones," he added on when he noticed my horrified expression. "So now she can't go to Vermont and she's deciding to spend her Christmas here with me. That would be awesome, if I hadn't already told her that I bought her a gift so that leads me to where I am. I really need your help to get my girlfriend a last minute gift except it can't seem like I bought it last minute," he finished with a large much needed gulp of air.

I blinked at him rapidly trying to decide whether I should call the cops on this babbling boy in front of me. "Um...I'm not sure how to reply to that?" I said extremely perplexed as to why this stranger would suddenly tell me his life story.

"I really need your help and I know you're busy but I'm desperate," he pleaded putting his hands together as he begged.

"W-What am I supposed to help you with?" I stammered looking at the ruggedly handsome boy with crazy eyes.

"You're a girl right? You know what instruments girls like!" he exclaimed triumphantly as if he had just cured cancer.

"That's really offensive," I mumbled still not being able to understand when I got put in this position.

"Look-" he broke off to duck his head and look at my name tag. He smirked as he read, "-Ally, I really need your help and I really don't know who to ask."

I looked up at his large doe eyes that were filled with hope. I sighed feeling myself waver from his intense pleading look alone. "But-I just..." I groaned coming to the conclusion that I was going to succumb to his gaze anyways. "Fine," I muttered through gritted teeth. His entire face lit up from the grin stretching across it. He let out a relieved breath and gave me a truly genuine smile. I unconsciously smile back before holding up a finger telling him to wait and turning around.

I looked down at the sleeping latino on the floor behind the counter. I rolled my eyes as I gently poked her with my ankle boot. She shifted in her sleep but doesn't wake up. I sighed jabbing her side a couple more times until I resort to full-on kicking her. When she still doesn't wake, I groaned kneeling down and ripping the blanket off her body.

"I wasn't sleeping, I was checking the inventory!" she blurted finally jolting awake. She looked around frantically, her wild black hair flinging all over the place, until her eyes landed on me. "Oh it's just you," she said suddenly realizing where she was.

"Trish can you handle the line for me while I go help I customer?" I asked.

"Ally," she whined. "You told me to come here to keep you company not work!"

I rolled my eyes at her. "Yes, because you were doing such a good job at keeping me company," I deadpanned.

"I'm not working," she said pulling herself up to her feet.

"Come on Trish! I have to help-" I paused knitting my eyebrows together. I turn to face the boy still leaning against the counter watching us in amusement. "What's your name again?" I asked.

"Austin," he supplied.

"Thank you," I said to him before turning back to Trish. "I have to help Austin pick an instrument," I told her.

She looked confused for a second but a suggestive smirk makes its way onto her face. "Oh I see," she smirked motioning between us with her finger. "You go help Austin," she said putting air quotes around the word help. I stared at her as if she had gone crazy until it clicks.

"No! No!" I denied shaking my head quickly.

"No, I get it," she said with a sly smirk. "He's cute," she whispered as she walks by me to the counter. She sends me a not so subtle wink making my face heat up even more than it was.

"Trish! It's really not-" I try to deny but I'm cut off by Trish again.

"Ally what are you still doing here when you can be with your lover!" she shouted so the whole mall can hear. I groan my face turning as red as Santa's suit as I repeatedly slam my head against the counter. After the first few slams my head stops hitting the hard table and instead I feel something soft and smooth against my skin. I pause wondering when the table started smelling so good. I looked up to find Austin grinning delicately at me. His palm is on the spot of the counter where my head was hitting.

"Are you okay?" he cautiously laughs not sure whether to be funny or worried.

"I'm fine," I frowned in confusion still looking at his hand. "What were you doing?"

He shrugged pulling his hand back to his side. "I didn't want you to ruin such a pretty face with a gigantic purple bruise."

I looked down at my boots desperately trying to hide the mass of pink seeping it's way onto my face. I ignored Trish's implying smirks from the corner of my eye and motioned for Austin to follow me to the displays. "I'm sorry about Trish," I mumbled as we walked over to the instruments.

He laughed and I instantly smile at the warm sound. "It's okay," he shrugged again.

"It's just Trish is..." I sighed not knowing how to finish the sentence.

"Special?" he offered.

I smiled nodding my head in agreement. "Yeah. She's definitely special," I grinned.

"Yeah, I have a friend that's special too. They would actually make a pretty good couple," Austin chuckled.

"Okay. So your girlfriend-" I cringed as the word leaves my mouth. "-do you even know if she likes music?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. She said she was a band once back in high school."

"You know most guys would go to a clothing store to get a girl a gift," I said shaking my head solemnly at him.

"I was going to but then I passed the music store and I really love music so..." he trailed off his voice becoming a whisper.

"...so you used buying your girlfriend a gift as an excuse to poke around instruments," I finished for him. He sheepishly nodded his head and I resist the urge to giggle at how adorable he looks when he's embarrassed.

"Do you think I should've gone to a clothing store?" he asked panicking slightly.

"No!" I shook my head. "Never buy clothes for your girlfriend. If you even get one size too big, she'll think you're calling her fat. If you buy one size too small, she'll think that you're trying to change her and make her be skinnier. Either way, you lose."

"See! I knew there was a reason to come to you for help!" he beamed at me. "What about jewelry?"

"I guess that's okay, but you would have to know her taste perfectly. How long were you guys together?"

"Um," he scratched his chin as he thinks. "We've been together since we were seventeen so...five years."

"Well you don't even know her well enough to decide whether or not she likes music, so I doubt you could pick out jewelry," I muttered still loud enough for him to hear.

"Hey! I know my girlfriend!" he defended.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Really? What instrument did she play in her band?" I asked.

His smug smile faltered as he heard my question. "Wha-you're the employee! Shoudn't you be telling me what she likes?" he stammered as he desperately tried to recover.

I raised my eyebrows at him, heedlessly letting a smile slip onto my face. "What about a guitar?" I asked picking one up from it's stand. "Does she play?"

"I'm not sure," he said scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Do you know anything about your girlfriend?" I sighed putting a hand on my hip.

"She likes the color purple," he shyly grinned.

"I have a purple steel-string acoustic guitar. I don't have a purple classical acoustic, but I personally pefer the steel-string because it-"

"-has a more mettalic sound," Austin finished for me reaching out and grabbing the guitar in his hands. He propped his leg up on the bench and strummed the guitar. He closed his eyes and played a melody that wasn't familiar.

I smiled at his serene expression. "I didn't know you spoke music," I said smiling at him. He grinned snapping out of the trance he was in.

"Why would you? We just met," he teased handing the guitar back to me.

I smirked fully prepared to defend myself with a witty comeback when a loud crash from the opposite side of the store disrupted us. We both whipped our heads to find the entire display of violins knocked onto the ground. A little boy stood nearby with a red violin in his hands. He smiled awkwardly at all the attention he had caused before dropping the instrument and running out of the store. I groaned as I stomped over to the display. I got down on my hands and knees as I began the grueling task of putting every violin neatly in its place. I reached for a violin only to find a calloused hand gripping it already. I looked up, my eyes trailing up the arm, until I reached the face. Austin was bent over on his knees carefully gathering the instruments in his hands.

I smiled at the gesture before returning to my side of littered violins. "I hate Christmas," I muttered under my breath as I examined a violin for any scratches.

"What?!" Austin shouted from beside me. I dropped the violin and flinched at the noise it made when it came in contact with the floor.

"Austin! You made me drop the violin," I yelled delicately picking it up and checking for bruises.

"Did you just say you hate Christmas?" he whispered as if that was the worse crime ever committed.

I sighed, standing up and dusting myself off. I placed the violins on the side, reminding myself to have the display case fixed later. "Can you pass me those violins?" I asked to a gaping Austin.

He stood up and placed the violins next to mine. "How could anyone possibly hate Christmas?" he asked incredulously with that bewildered look in his eyes.

"You don't understand," I groaned. "You don't have to deal with annoying customers every year, or listen to the same old boring Christmas songs that replay over and over. I mean, I understand that it's Christmas but I really don't need to listen to Santa Baby play on the radio for twenty four hours straight! You don't have to go to a relative's house that you only see once a year and put on a fake smile while they pinch your cheeks and complain about you being twenty two and still single. It's infuriating."

"I guess that does explain the complete lack of decorations in here. But it's still Christmas! It's a happy holiday," he whined sounding very much like a five year old.

"The only reason you say that is because you have nothing to worry about. I bet that you never have to cook or clean or deal with old ladies that find the bassoon a hip instrument. The only reason you like Christmas so much is because you still think like a kid," I argued.

"Is that a bad thing? There is nothing bad about Christmas! It's the best holiday in the world," he grinned.

I rolled my eyes walking back over to the guitars with him tagging behind me. "There are plenty of bad things about Christmas. It's a brainwash holiday. The companies trick poor suckers like you into buying gifts for people. Did you know that Christmas is the most money-making holdiay of the year? Christmas is just something buisnessmen invented to cash in more money than they already do," I bit back. I held up the purple guitar silently asking him if he wanted it. He gave me a small nod before following me to the check out counter.

"Oh I get it," Austin said the look of pure horror turning into one of understanding. "You just don't understand the true meaning of Christmas."

I scoffed, "I just told you the true meaning. The only meaning for Christmas is to make money."

"Wow," Austin whistled. "That is just sad. So young and so screwed up." Austin heavily sighed putting a hand on my shoulder pityingly.

"Excuse me?" I said while picking up his hand inbetween my fingers and plopping it on the counter. "How am I screwed up?"

"You don't believe in the true meaning of Christmas," he sighed looking down on me in that sympathetic way again.

"There's nothing to believe in," I muttered picking up a case from under the counter and gently placing the guitar inside. I picked up the lid and placed it over the case making sure to buckle in the latches while doing so.

"There's plenty to believe in, and I'll show you," I smirked. I tore my eyes away from the case to look at him. My eyebrows raised at his eager expression.

"You'll what?"

"I'll make you believe in Christmas again!" he beamed slapping his credit card on the counter fervently.

"No," I answered without missing a beat. I picked up his credit card and swiped it through the machine before handing it back to him. I was careful to elude his obnoxiously convincing eyes as I did so.

"Come on, please," he begged leaning over the counter to get closer to me. Has this boy ever heard of personal space?

I backed away still trying hard to not glance at his eyes that I'm sure resemble a puppy at this point. "I barely know you," I fought back.

"My name is Austin. I like pancakes and I'm fun," he shrugged. "What more do you need to know?"

I rolled my eyes and looked around the room, surprised to find it completely empty. I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. It was way past closing time. I smirked as I shoved the guitar into Austin's unexpecting arms and pulled him by his shirt to the door. "As much as I would love sitting here all day talking about Christmas with you, we are closed," I smiled pushing him out the door and closing it quickly.

"But Ally-" he shouted from outside.

"Sorry I can't hear you!" I shouted prancing back over to the counter. He frowned at me before sluggishly walking away. I sighed, an overwhelming feeling of guilt washing over me. I place my head in my hands and let out a very loud audilble groan.

"Ally?"

I turned around facing my dad who stood at the top of the stairs.

"Is everyone gone?" he asked looking around the empty store.

"Yeah, it's safe to come out now," I chuckled.

"Oh thank god," he breathed bounding down the stairs with his suitcase in tow. He stopping infront of me and gave me a small smile. "Are you sure you don't want to come with me to Aunt kate's?"

I scoffed, "Trust me dad. I'm positive."

"Who are you going to spend it with? No family, no friends, no boyfriend," he muttered the last part quietly.

"Dad! I told you that I'm fine being single," I groaned returning my face to it's previous position in my hands.

"I know you are," he said although we both knew he wasn't. "But you're twenty two years old, Ally. You're not getting any younger."

"Gee thanks dad," I deadpanned.

"Whatever happened to that nice Ethan boy I set you up with?" my dad asked suddenly hopeful again.

"Dad! There was a reason mom was the one who had to ask you out, you absolutely suck at romance," I grumbled recalling the hideous nights spent with that obsessive, abominable boy.

"Ethan was a very nice man," my dad defended himself proudly.

"Oh yeah, he was real nice. I'll make sure to remember that the next time I have to call the cops from Ethan breaking into my house and taking pictures of me while I'm asleep!" I sneered sarcastically.

"He was just trying to be memorable."

"I caught him sniffing my panties and stealing my jewelry," I said with a blank expression on my face.

"Ally, what did I tell you about leaving your jewelry where people could easily find them?" he reprimanded.

"Seriously! That's the part you decide to focus on!" I yelled throwing my hands in the air in annoyance.

"He couldn't have been that bad could he?"

"He was mentally unstable! The only reason I got out of that toxic relationship was because I told him I was moving to Yemen!" I shouted frantically wishing my dad to understand.

"You told him you moved? Oh that explains why he thought you were out of town at last years Christmas party," he mumbled.

"You talked to him?" I asked fearfully. My dad gave me a pained look and reluctantly nodded his head. "Oh god, dad, please tell me you didn't," I breathed paling quickly at the apologetic look he gave me.

"Ally Wally!" a painfully familiar voice shouted from behind me.

"Oh god," I moaned my face turning a ghastly shade of white. Two arms grabbed my shoulders, spinning me around and pulling me into an extremely awkward hug. My arms were frozen at my sides and my eyes were wide open. "Ethan," I said not even trying to sound enthusiastic. I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him away from me forcefully. He stumbled backwards but the creepy smile stayed plastered on his face.

"Ally! You still smell so good," he sighed with a sleazy lick of his lips. I winced reminding myself to take at least ten showers when I get home tonight. "Why didn't you tell me you were back in Miami?" he asked although it was easy to tell his mind was elsewhere. He never looked me in the eye, instead he chose to eye my entire body hungrily making me feel like a piece of meat.

"I-I-Uh" I stuttered taking the time to glare at my dad who had mysteriously gone quiet during this horrendous exchange. I looked at Ethan with his dark greasy hair and facial expressions that seemed much to forced. I moaned mentally deciding how much a one-way ticket to Yemen would actually cost. There are many things a sane person would do in a situation like this. They would turn the guy down, they would make up a fake boyfriend, or they would find a bunch of ways to be unappealing to that man.

I, on the other hand, am not a sane person. So I did the first thing that came to mind.

I ran.

I sprinted down the corridor praying that I could somehow make it to my car in these ankle boots. I wailed once I heard the heavy footsteps behind me and my name being called out numerous times. My shrieks of terror filled the empty mall as I made a beeline for the parking lot. I pushed the doors open and ran out into the crisp Miami air. I ran over to my car hearing his footsteps in the distance as I stopped in front of the door. I cursed suddenly realizing that I had forgotten my purse in the store. I placed my head on the roof of my car as I began to write my will in my mind. Ethan is going to kill me and keep my body in a cooler so he could look at it everyday. I whimpered mentally writing my father out of my will. My thoughts were disrupted as I heard the screeching of car tires. I looked up to find Austin sitting in his car smirking at me through amused eyes.

"Need a getaway?" he asked thoroughly entertained at my displeasure.

"Yes!" I shouted too elated to glare at him for his amusement. I reached my hand to the door when it suddenly locked. "Austin!" I whined looking over the roof of the car to see Ethan running across the parking lot towards me.

"I will only let you in this car if you agree to let me make you believe in Christmas," he grinned.

"What? Austin! No, let me in," I shouted pulling uselessly at the handle.

"Not until you agree," he bargained.

"Ally-bear! Where are you going?" Ethan shouted his boice coming closer.

"Tick tock, tick tock," Austin hummed from the car.

I groaned releasing a storm of curse words in my mind at what I was about to get into. I sighed venomously glaring at Austin. "Fine! Just open the door!" I screeched.

He grinned eagerly unlocking the door and allowing me to get it. "Welcome to the best day of your life Ally-bear," he mocked.

"Drive," I spat viciously as I glared at him daring him to argue with me.

He laughed pulling away from the deranged Ethan an onto the road. I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw Ethan's figure getting smaller in the distance. I looked over at Austin who was smiling widely as he stared at the road. I squeezed my eyes shut mentally and physically preparing myself for what I was about to get into. I opened my eyes and looked over at Austin once again. He had his eyes fixed on the road and he was humming a song quietly under his breath. His eyes twinkled with mischief but at the same time I saw a glimmer of hope and playfulness floating around in there. I grin played at his lips as he gently hummed a unrecognizable tune.

I turned my head to face the window as I tried to hide my own smile that unintentionally made it's way onto my lips.