Okay, so, thank you so much to everyone who has read and reviewed my latest multi-chapter, Geek Chic, it means a lot to have you all like it and give me your feedback!
I hope you like this, I got asked agesssss ago to do a one-shot based around this or another song by Hedley, Heaven's Gonna Wait, and since them I have developed a complete obsession with the group, so yeah...definitely give this song a listen, like seriously, and anything by Hedley because ngl, it's all perfect :)
Disclaimer: I own nothign but the plot line but if you think this is absolutely shit...I don't own the plot either, I didn't even write this :L
Kiss You Inside Out
Ally hummed quietly to herself as she wandered around her lounge, half-heartedly picking things up and trying to straighten up the room before her friends arrived. She was too tired to really care, though, and when the doorbell went and the apartment still looked like a bomb had gone off in it, she just sighed and trudged over to the door to pull it open, smiling wanly at Trish.
"Ally! Oh God, it's been way too long since I last saw you! I swear, I almost forgot what you looked like!" the curly-haired girl exclaimed, pulling her friend into a hug, melodramatic as always.
"You're exaggerating. But it is good to see you It's been too long." Ally sighed. Trish frowned at how downhearted her best friend sounded.
"Why do you sound so low?"
"I'm just tired, Trish. I mean…never mind, I don't want to waste our time together complaining. Let's just focus on us. Dez and Austin should be here soon, although they'll most likely be late." She said. Trish nodded, glancing worriedly at her friend, and following her into the lounge.
Her eyebrow's shot up as she took in the state of the room.
"Okay, now I know there's definitely something up. We're going to sit down and we're going to talk about what is wrong with you." She said sternly, shoving an empty pizza box and a pair of shoes onto the floor. Ally didn't even flinch, taking a seat beside her friend, worrying Trish further.
"Look, Trish, I'm okay. Really."
"No, you're not. Why are you so tired?" she asked, voice caring, as she took in the deep circles around Ally's eyes and the way her eyelids drooped with exhaustion.
"I'm just working a lot, and with University too…I don't have much time for sleep."
Once Austin, Ally, Trish and Dez had all finally graduated from high school, they'd all passed up any opportunities to further their education due to the success of Austin's first album and the promise of more to come. And for a while, things had been great. Austin was raking it in, and his best friends were getting their fair share of the profits.
But then disaster struck. Austin's parents were in a car accident on the way to LA to visit their son. His father was fine, but his mother fell into a coma. He put his career on hold to spend as much time with her as possible, hoping that maybe his presence would help her recovery.
Unfortunately, it didn't work, and four months after the accident, Mike Moon signed the papers and they turned off the life support. Ally had held Austin through the sleepless nights as he cried and cried and cried. She'd stroked his hair as he mumbled about how it was his fault, how he hated himself. She'd stayed by his side even as he screamed at her, told her he hated her, that he wanted her to leave. And she'd tucked him into bed and kissed his forehead when he finally ran out of energy.
But even after the funeral, even after he'd managed to stop crying every time his mother was mentioned, his passion for performing had disappeared, leaving him along with the tears and the anger.
So Team Austin had disbanded, Dez investing his savings into a movie, which was a relative success. But without his friends by his side, the freckled boy lost his determination and instead got a job as a sales assistant. Trish latched onto another young star in the making and made millions when the girl rose to world stardom.
And Austin…he'd made enough in his short period of super fame to keep him going for life, and he still got royalties every time his music was played, so he never bothered getting a job, spending his time in his lavish apartment, working out, watching TV, eating and working out more. The last time Ally had seen him, she'd been unable to deny that he looked good. Without a job to go to, he had plenty of spare time to focus on his image, despite being out of the public eye.
Ally had done the opposite. She'd applied for Law School and gotten in easily. Throwing herself into her studies, she also applied for a waitressing job on week nights and Saturday's to help pay for her education. For a while, things had been okay, but as time went on she began to realise that her life had taken a turn for the worst. She barely had any time for a social life, having not dated anyone since Dallas back when she was still in high school. She was even pushing her closest friends away, not by choice but simply because she didn't have time to see them.
And lately her boos had become more demanding, making her work longer hours as business in the restaurant picked up, meaning that by the time she got home and completed any assignments she had, she'd get around four hours sleep before she had to be up again for school.
And it was this she explained to Trish.
"Oh God, Ally. You need to stand up for yourself! Are you being paid for these extra hours?" Trish demanded. Ally looked away, shrugging noncommittally, which Trish took as a 'no'.
"Look, Als, if you're not being paid for this and you're not offering, it's not right. You should just tell him no!"
"It's not that simple, Trish. If I say no, he'll fire me, and I need the job or I won't be able to pay for school."
"Well, why don't I loan you the money? You can pay me back in time, but at least you'll be set for school and there's no time limit on when you have to pay me back." She offered. Ally shook her head.
"I can't let you do that, Trish."
"Ally, I'm a fucking millionaire. You're insulting me by refusing."
"I'm sorry Trish, but I can't do it."
"But-" Trish's latest protest was interrupted by the doorbell going, and Ally instantly jumped up and practically ran to the door, yanking it open and grinning at her freckled friend.
"Dez! I've missed you so much!" she squealed, throwing her arms around him. Dez hugged her back, smiling into her shoulder.
"I've missed you too Ally." He replied, smiling, although she could detect a hint of sadness in his words. She frowned, wordlessly asking what was wrong. He sighed.
"Austin isn't coming. He said, and I quote; 'They're better off without me. I'll just stay here and mope, as usual'." He explained. Ally sighed, rolling her eyes.
"You know what? I'm sick of this. He's always moping about, acting like he's some kind of leper. In the past year, we've all arranged to get together thirteen times, and he's actually turned up four times. Well, you know what? Fuck this. We're all his friends, and we all love him, and there's no way I'm letting him get away with this. I'll be back soon, guys. Please don't kill each other while I'm gone." She sent them one final pleading look before grabbing her jacket and rushing out of the building and to her car.
…
An hour later, Ally found herself on her best friend's doorstep, inwardly debating whether or not to actually knock. Eventually, she took a deep breath in and jabbed on the doorbell. What felt like hours later, she heard a quiet scuffle from inside and the door creaked open. Austin looked at her, face brightening and then darkening as he realised that she was probably angry.
"I can explain." He muttered. She snorted, pushing the door open and striding inside, looking around and coughing at the smell of burning. Alarmed, she ran into the kitchen. Thankfully, nothing was on fire, but there was a saucepan in the sink full of something black and crispy and still slightly smoking.
"Austin, what happened?" she asked, appalled. It wasn't just that; the entire kitchen was a mess. There was weeks' worth of dirty dishes piled up haphazardly around the room, and where there were no dishes there was leftover food, most of it looking rotten and smelling disgusting. She sighed loudly, turning to look at her friend.
"You know what? You, Austin Moon, need help. I'm taking a few days off school and helping you sort yourself out. You can't go on like this; living like some kind of hermit. It's not on, not when you could be Austin Moon, superstar, doing the thing you love and earning millions." She said seriously. Austin briefly considered protesting but he could tell Ally wasn't budging, so he shrugged and then stepped forward to engulf her in a hug. She relaxed into his embrace, relishing the feeling of his toned body moulding to the shape of her own soft curves, wishing that she could go back to the time when hugs like this were a daily occurrence.
"Right, come on. First we're gonna get you dressed in something that doesn't look like you dug it out of the trash. And then we're going to clean up."
…
A week later, Austin's luxury apartment was exactly that; luxury. The kitchen was spotless, surfaces gleaming like they'd never been used. The lounge room looked like something out of a show home, and his bedroom was neat and orderly. The only thing that looked even the slightest bit out of place was Austin himself; his rumpled hair and creased clothes, (he literally had no non-wrinkled clothes due to his apparent phobia of ironing), made him stand out in his own home.
"Okay, now you need to clean yourself up, okay? Go get a haircut and buy an iron. I'll teach you how to use it if you want, but I'm not a housewife, you can iron your own clothes." She informed him sternly.
Four hours later, Austin was relaxing in front of the TV, hair freshly cut, while Ally slaved away in front of the ironing board.
"I can't believe I'm actually doing this. I've barely even seen you for the last few years, yet you still have me wrapped around your little finger." She sighed, unable to be annoyed as he smirked up at her.
"It's 'cause you love me." He grinned cockily. She rolled her eyes fondly.
"Yeah, I do." She breathed. He froze, looking up at her. Realising what she'd just admitted, she blushed, looking down.
"I mean, as a friend. I love you because you're my best friend." She stammered, nervous. She looked up, surprised to see that he was stood right in front of her.
"Do you love me, Ally?"
"Yeah, yeah I do." She admitted. He smiled, leaning in. She gulped. Everything inside her was screaming at her to stop him. They were friends, nothing more. But she was frozen, unable to move. At least, until the smoke alarm went off, making them jump apart. She turned off the iron, grimacing at the blackened hole through the middle of Austin's shirt. Lifting it up, she was shocked by the sudden wave of nostalgia. This was the shirt he had been wearing when they first met, a blue and black stripy one. Dropping the shirt, she hurried over to grab her coat from where it was thrown over the sofa.
"Ally, wait! Where are you going?"
"I have to go, Austin. Look, this week has been really fun, but I can't stay here forever. I have a life to get back to, and I can't just keep holding onto the past. I miss you, Austin, and I miss what we used to have. But things have changed, and we can't just hold on to us. I'll see you, Austin." She smiled sadly, pecking him in the cheek gently before leaving the house.
She didn't even look back.
…
Things started going better for Ally after that. Despite her protests, Trish paid her university fees in full, and Ally spent the next few weeks spending the time she didn't spend working at Trish's house, thanking her profusely for it and promising that she'd pay her back. Trish refused to let her keep her job, too, however, so Ally had to settle for waiting until she had graduated and could work full time before she could even consider paying back her friend.
She spent the last year of Law School much the same as she had spent the first years, and somehow, she made it through. When she finally graduated, there was no big party. But Trish, Dez and Austin took her out for a meal, and they spent the evening talking and laughing and being nostalgic.
And then, a year later, Ally was working in a high-powered law firm, earning more than she could have dreamt of.
And she was extremely shocked when, one evening, none other than Austin Moon turned up on her doorstep.
"Austin! What are you doing here?" she greeted him in surprise. He beamed at her, throwing his arms around her.
"I haven't seen you since you graduated, Als. More than a year ago. I figured it was about time I visited my best friend!"
"Oh God, I can't believe how long it's been…I've missed you." She sighed, not realising how much she meant it until she said it. Things had been…different between them since their almost-kiss. Even on her graduation night, things had been awkward and strained. Obviously, Austin had decided to let that go, and by arriving on her doorstep and hugging her so tight she could barely breathe, he'd made Ally decide to let it go too.
"Well come on in, I'll make you some coffee."
"No, Ally, wait." He said, grabbing her wrist and turning her around. And suddenly, they were chest to chest and they were both breathing a little harder and it felt a lot hotter in there than it had before.
"What?" she breathed.
"I didn't come for coffee. I came because I've tried so hard to forget about my feelings for you, but even after a year without seeing you, you're all I can think about. I came to tell you that I'm in love with you Ally, and I have been since High School. I think that if my mother hadn't passed away, and I was still famous now, I would have eventually told you and maybe we could be something now. But…things went wrong, so wrong. And I can't take it anymore. I hate being away from you. I love you so much it hurts when I'm not with you." His voice was strained and with those last words, tears forced their way out of the corner of his eyes.
Ally was speechless for a long moment before yanking her wrist out of his grip and hurriedly backing away from him.
"We've known each other for so long…why did you wait until now to tell me?" she asked, voice quiet and angry.
"I…I don't know…"
"Just go, Austin. I need to…I need to think."
"Will you at least call me?"
"I don't know." She said honestly, refusing to meet his gaze. They were both silent for a few moments, and then he sighed loudly and left, slamming the door behind him.
Ally waited until the drone of his car engine had faded to nothing before collapsing on the ground and dissolving into tears over the love she could have had for all these years, rather than the hurt and pain of wanting him, if the man she was so in love with had grown some balls sooner.
…
It was a Tuesday when she heard it. She'd just finished typing up her latest report and was making herself a coffee in the kitchen when she read the text from Trish.
Put ShowBizz Radio on and Turn. It. Up. X
Curious, Ally did what she said, smiling apologetically at the confused faces of her four colleagues in the room.
That was Justin Bieber with Beauty and A Beat, and next up is a brand new song from an old superstar who kinda dropped from the scene for a few years. You may remember him, he rose to superstardom in 2012 with hits like 'Not A Love Song' and 'Heartbeat'. But he's finally back, with a brand new song written himself, and he's actually here with us right now to say a little something before the world premiere of his new song. So, without further ado, this is Austin Moon.
Ally froze, barely able to process what she was hearing. A new song. From Austin.
Erm, hey everyone. I'm Austin, although you already know that, so…
She snorted at his awkwardness.
This is a new song I wrote about a week ago, and I didn't really have the guts to send it to the producers 'cause I was so scared my time was over, that I'd just get laughed at. Then I realised that I've spent enough time being afraid over the last few years. So I told myself to grow a pair and man up. My producer listened to the first line and called me up, telling me to get my ass into the studio. It was time for me to come back. And hopefully you like it, and hopefully I can come back. I'm sorry I was gone for so long, I let my fans and everyone else down. But I'm here now, and this song, the first I've ever written myself is for, ironically, the girl who usually writes my music and the girl, or woman now I guess, who owns my heart. I hope you can forgive me, Ally Dawson. Because I love you. This one's for you.
Everyone was staring at Ally, who was still frozen to the spot, barely able to breathe. One of her colleagues walked over and turned the radio up even more as the opening beat played out.
I don't know if you're ready to go
But I'm willing to take you girl
I will feel every inch of your skin
And you know I can rock your world
I won't be the calm in the storm you're looking for
I'll be the shipwreck that takes you down
I don't mind if you lie in my bed
We can stay here forever now.
Ouuu oohhhhh
Turn off the lights
Take off your clothes
Turn on the stereo
Ouuu oohhhhh
Give up the fight
I'm in control
Why don't you let it go.
Yeah, I wanna know you inside out
I'll spend my life trying to figure out
Just close your eyes and shut your mouth
And let me kiss you inside out.
I don't care if you steal all my air
we can breathe in together as one
it's all right if you're here every night
waking up with you in the sun
we start with an hour and we find we waste the day
kicking back with the love we found.
I don't mind if you lie in my bed
we can stay here forever now
Ouuu oohhhhh
Turn off the lights
Take off your clothes
Turn on the stereo
Ouuu oohhhhh
Give up the fight
I'm in control
Why don't you let it go
Yeah, I wanna know you inside out
I'll spend my life trying to figure out
Just close your eyes and shut your mouth
And let me kiss you inside out.
let me love you, let me love you
let me love you babe.
let me love you, let me love you
let me love you babe.
let me love you, let me love you
let me love you babe.
let me love you, let me love you
let me love you babe.
I don't mind if you lie in my bed
We can stay here forever now.
Ouuu oohhhhh
Turn off the lights
Take off your clothes
Turn on the stereo
Ouuu oohhhhh
Give up the fight
I'm in control
Why don't you let it go
Just let it go.
Yeah, I wanna know you inside out
I'll spend my life trying to figure out
Just close your eyes and shut your mouth
And let me kiss you inside out.
I wanna know you inside out.
I'll spend my life trying to figure out
Just close your eyes and shut your mouth
And let me kiss you inside out.
Rather than being embarrassed by the obvious innuendo's in the song, all Ally could do was stand there and feel her insides melt at just how goddamn sweet that was, and it took all she had to walk back into her office, grab her bag and calmly and coolly exit the building, when everything in her wanted to forget everything and run over to the radio station which, luckily, was based down the street. (Not that that was the reason why Austin chose that particular station for his premiere, of course)
She reached the front doors of the building and ran inside, trying in vain to remain composed as she asked the lady at the front desk if Austin Moon was still in the building. The woman, however, was a blundering idiot and didn't help Ally at all. It didn't matter, however, because amidst all the foot-tapping and typing, a certain blond boy walked out of the elevator and stopped dead at the sight of the woman he loved.
"Ally?" he asked, voice hopeful. She turned to him, grinning, and ran over to throw her arms around his neck and legs around her waist.
"I love you too." She whispered in his ear. He grinned, looking her in the eyes, and then, finally, after all those years…he kissed her.
And yes, he definitely kissed her inside out.
Review? Be nice? :)