Summary: She has a boyfriend. He's still attached. He has been for years. She has no idea how he feels. Will she ever know? Because he's slowly beginning to give up.
Disclaimer: Austin and Ally is not mine. Don't own a thing but the plot.
A/N: This is for Alesia. It's based completely off of Say Something by A Great Big World & Xtina.
AU: They are a little bit older. I prefer maybe twenty-one or twenty. Either. But they've known each other for years.
She was his pride. The one thing that made him undeniably happy. She understood him. He could boast to himself about how amazing of a person she was. She was of value to him. Sometimes when he thought about her, it was riveting at how much she actually meant to him.
The only problem was, he couldn't have her. Seemingly, that had always been the one problem.
He can't exactly remember how he got these feelings. But he did, and he couldn't deny that if he wanted to. She was such a refreshing bundle of energy. She made his days brighter and she was the one reason, he still had hope.
He was sure he was in love with her. He had convinced himself that ages ago. It was scary how fast it happened. All the girls before were the same but she was different. She stood out to him. Like a majestic statue. She was worth everything to him and she had no knowing of it.
This had been going on for years. How he felt was always in the shadows. He tried his best to show it. Oh trust him, he did. After a while, the effort wasn't worth a try anymore. He didn't want to put his selfishness in front of her happiness. She deserved the world. Even if he couldn't provide her with it. Even if, he never would be able to. He was too selfless. She was his home and if having a spot as a friend in her life was all he could have, he'd take it.
He didn't want to become a defeatist. Yet, the urge was slowly becoming too overwhelming to resist. She had someone else and from the looks of it, she was genuinely happy. He couldn't take that away from her.
He remembers being there for her through all her failed relationships. Sticking by her side while she questioned herself every day 'am i not good enough?' or 'am i even worth it?' He wished so badly that he could tell her how he felt right there at that point. But it was risky. He wanted to tell her she could light up the sky or that she was priceless. That to him, she was everything. That she should hold her head up high because he loved her to the moon and back. That her life was his life. That no matter what happened, she was worth more than every damn thing in the world.
But whenever he tried, he found himself chickening out. He was reluctant and he absolutely hated being that way. He looked at himself as a wimp. Someone who was too afraid of denial. Too scared to be rejected.
Some days he wondered, if he could ever be honest with her. Hold her in his arms as they stayed up all night, talking about the randomest things. Life, dreams, opportunites, their future. Then he'd wake up and still be able to call her, his.
...
She didn't even know why she continually stuck around. She can't remember the last time she smiled. Or the last time she actually meant what she said to him. He was horrible. She hated him.
Everyday she stayed, it became her demise. She could no longer pretend to be amicable. He completely drained her spirit. She didn't want to think about the incident anymore so she tried dropping the subject from her mind but it wouldn't fade.
She was sitting at the table in the mall's food court, waiting on a friend. That's what triggered the arguement. He didn't like it when they were together. She didn't were friends long before he came along. She wasn't just going to drop him like that. Their friendship came as a package deal when they began dating. Yet he still chose to act like a complete arrogant bastard.
"Hey, Ally!" She heard from a few feet away as she looked up to see no other than her favorite blonde.
She tried her best to seem less tense as she straightened herself in her seat. She gave him her best smile as he approached the table.
"Hey, Austin." She greeted back and he took a seat across from the nervous brunette.
He immediately noticed her demeanor and worried flashed in his eyes. "You okay? You seem a little...off." He explained, trying his best not to sound too concerned.
Ally shook her head. "I'm fine." She answered. Her hands laid motionless in her lap.
He knew she was lying but he chose to ignore it. He didn't want to be too much trouble. So he briefly dropped the subject. At least for now.
Ally suddenly spoke up after a few moments of uninviting silence. "So..I was writing this new song and I wanted to know, if you wanted to hear it?" She began. "I mean, I know we were supposed to be having lunch together but besides the fact if you want to skip, we can go adhead to the st-" She continued to babble on before Austin cut her off.
Austin, as if on instinct, nodded before standing. "Come on." He stated as he cautiously grabbed her hand. He didn't want to invade her personal space but she apparently didn't mind.
She stood up also, never letting go of the blonde's hand. He began to pull her in the direction of her father's store. She was on break for a while. Her shifts lately weren't that bad and she was fairly happy about that. Well, other then the fact that she had to go home to him. It was okay.
The stopped in front of the glass doors, as Ally pulled the keys out of her bag. She quickly unlocked the store's door before they jolted inside. Austin casually walked to the steps that led to the practice room but Ally didn't follow.
When he finally realized his friend wasn't behind him, he turned his body to see her standing at the counter. He rose an eyebrow as he made his way back down the steps.
Ally's face was now emptied in her hands. She was still. She looked almost vulnerable and like something was really getting to her. Austin made his way to the counter also and stood right across it from her as he grabbed her hands from her face.
Her wrists now layed in his two strong hands and suddenly she felt a little fragile in the knees from the contact.
"Hey," He cooed solemnly. "You okay?" He rubbed her elbow a little and she chuckled a little as she nodded.
"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about something." She mentally cursed herself for letting this take over her mind once again. "I just wish I could forget about it but I can't."
Austin's mind began to pick up ideas of what she could've been talking about. "Want to talk to me about it?" He was interested, of course. Something was personally bothering his best friend. The girl he loved. Of course he was going to be concerned.
"No." She sighed. "Let's just write the song."
Austin was hesitant but agreed. "Just know you can still tell me anything, okay?" He confessed. He wanted her to know that. He had always been there for her, from the beginning.
He noticed a deep red mark on her arm. His hand moved up a little to touch it and she flinched slightly. He swiftly removed his hand from the bruise and immediately rose his eyebrows as he spoke. "You wanna tell me, how that happened?" It was a pretty deep bruise. Like someone has purposely done it to her.
She nodded and regardly tried to dodge his previous question; deciding it was her problem to deal with. Not his. "It's nothing, just burned myself this morning." She said a little flustered but he obviously didn't seem to notice.
"Oh and...I appreciate that." She admitted softly and leaned up a little to give his cheek the lighest yet firmest kiss. "I know, I can count on you." She then removed his hands from her wrists as she moved past him and towards the steps.
He stood there for a second. A little dumbfounded. Had that really just happened? Ally momentarily cleared her throat to get his attention and he snapped out of it.
"You coming, pancakes?" She questioned. Pancakes was a nickname she gave him a while back. Hers was pickles. It ws sorta an inside joke between them.
Austin nodded before taking a breath and following his best friend's tracks up the steps.
...
She was driving down the road. She had no idea where she was going. Anywhere but back there.
She couldn't believe him. He actually had done the impossible. She hated herself so much for it. How could she let him defy her of her dignity like that? How could she not have elicited his fake 'good" guy persona sooner?
She soon found herself parked at the drive way of Austin's house. She quickly pulled her keys out of the ignition and closed the door to her convertible. She dashed to his door, banging on it as if she was a maniac.
Seconds, later she could hear groaning and someone yelling 'I'm coming!" along with the stomping of feet. Suddenly the door pulled open and she sniffled a little as it took him a few seconds to finally notice her state. He had on a simple white muscle shirt and his usual pajama pants. His hair was dishelved but that was his last concern. She was his priority right now.
His eyes widened. Her face was completely bruised. He noticed the redness in her face and the way her eyes looked quite swollen. Her lip was completely busted and she looked like a diaster.
He gulped and pulled her inside; closing the door in the process. He pulled her to his arms as she hid her face into his side.
She cried for minutes. He felt like it would never end. They just stood there for a second as he cupped her face in his hands. His thumb lightly tracing over a fallen tear, as he wiped it away.
She calmly bit down on her lip to try her best to muffle her small cries. When his finger gradually traced over her lip, she whimpered and his face softened. He couldn't believe someone would do this to her. But he had an idea who, he just needed confirmation.
"Who did this, Ally?" He asked as softly as he could, her face still in his hands.
She sighed and with the look in her eyes, that gave him everything he needed to know. He was going to kill him. How could he lay his hands on her, better yet why did he do it?
He dragged her to the living room and sat down onto the couch. She sat down beside him. He smiled a little at her as her eyes twinkled a little in the darkness. He leaned over to cut the lamp on beside them on the end table.
"I'll be right back," He assured her as he stood up to go upstairs. He needed to grab some esstentials. And by esstentials he means, his first aid kid.
Within a few moments, he was back by her side. She felt a little cold so she leaned over to him. After deciding against her head, she moved up a little to level herself onto the blonde's lap.
It caught him off guard but he didn't mind. She turned over so her legs layed on the couch and she was sitting slightly sideways in his lap.
He began to go to work on her face, as he dabbed her lip with a bit of peroxide. She winced a little here and there and tried her best to smile. It was cute to him but he had to stay focused on the real issue at the moment.
After a few minutes of silence, he was done. He leaned a little closer to her to lightly press his lips to the corner of her mouth to make it 'feel better.' She snorted a little. He also kissed the lids of her eyes and her cheek. She just smiled throughout it.
She was now currently, laying her head down on his head as his arms were safely around her. He quietly hummed in her ear and she sighed contently. She felt okay.
His hand rubbed her back rhythmically as he tried his best to calm her down. She played with the fingers of his other hand, quietly. He watched her below in curiousness as she was occupied.
He spoke up. "So, you want to tell me what happened, now?"
She still looked down, quite infuated with the softness of his hand. "Uhm...sure." She said softly.
"How long has this been going on?" He asked.
She shrugged. "I've lost count...but it's never lead up to him hurting me in anyway, I promise. I-I don't know what happened...he just assaulted me out of nowhere."
Austin's face began to redden at the explanation. "Why would he do something like that to you? You've done nothing wrong."
She gulped a little and looked up to him. "Because...well.." She started. "You." She said a little quieter than needed.
"What?" He didn't exactly hear what she said.
"You..." She replied a little louder than before so he could hear.
"He's jealous." Austin guessed which he was sure was true.
She just nodded and sighed. "I tried telling him but he wouldn't listen. This time it all just got out of control. I should've dropped him the second it happened the first time. I'm so stupid. I shouldn't have brought you into this." A tear began to fall from her eye and Austin immediately shook his head.
"No. Don't say that." He hugged her tighter. "I want to be apart of this."
Ally smiled gloomily. "You don't have to say th-"
Austin cut her off. "I mean it."
Her smile faltered and she looked into his eyes. She could tell he was completely serious.
"And I swear, If I even see that guy. He's dead." Austin grunted in annoyance. Ally couldn't even disagree. She didn't want anything bad to happen to the guy. She pulled Austin closer and traced the outline of his chest with her finger.
"Thank you." She breathed out.
Austin looked down. "No, need to thank you."
"No," Ally shook her head. "Thank you for everything. For always being there. No one's ever been able to keep up with my baggage like you have. Thank you so much."
Austin smiled. "I'd do anything for you. You know that."
Ally bit down on her lip nervously. "You know...I've noticed some things."
Austin furrowed an eyebrow up. "What?"
"You like someone..." She suggested, facing her bestfriend. "Don't you?"
Austin's face grew nervous and he laughed a little awkwardly. "What...no..." He drifted out.
Ally rolled her eyes. "What's her name?" She pleaded slightly.
"You really wanna know?" Austin tested her, smiling gently as always.
Ally nodded simply and crossed her arms.
"Her name's Ally." He stated, getting straight to the point.
Ally jumped a little at the sudden confession before it hit her. "Wait, what?"
Austin snickered; the smile never leaving his face. "It's you."
She smiled lazily. "Has it always been?"
"Of course."
"I'm sorry...I didn't know." She began to apologize.
Austin shrugged. "Doesn't matter...I got it out. That's all that matters."
"Would it help...if I felt the same?" She said a little shyly.
Austin jolted his eyes towards her. "What?"
Ally snorted before leaning forward and pressing her lips onto his. He didn't resist or even hesitate as he returned the favor.