Author's Note: So, I'm way too old to be obsessed with a Disney Channel show, but I make an exception for Austin & Ally because, let's face it people, those two crazy kids belong together! Anyway, the A&A fandom led me to this B-E-A-U-tiful web site, and I have been reading everyone's fics for weeks now. After Ross spoiled that Ally wouldn't be going on tour with Austin at the end of S2, this idea jumped into my mind, so I decided to get it out. I've never really written fiction before, but I felt inspired, and this is the result. I really hope you all like it, as I had a lot of fun writing it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally.

When he didn't find her at Sonic Boom, Austin searched furiously through the rest of the mall, absently brushing past the people in the crowd. He was only looking for one face. And all he could think of was the look on that face the night before at his tour kick-off party…

She had tears threatening her eyes as she pulled him into a hug and told him that she couldn't go with him on tour. Rationally speaking, he understood why: she had her dad, and Sonic Boom, and her own album to think of. She had spent so much time helping make his dream a reality that she needed the summer to focus on her own. But, just because he could understand it rationally didn't mean it didn't hurt like hell. He couldn't imagine going on his first big tour without his songwriter, partner, and best friend (sorry Dez) by his side.

She said that she owed it to herself, and also to him, since she would have never been able to get to this point without him. She said she would still write songs for him. She said she was so happy for him and made him promise that they would talk on the phone or Skype whenever he had the chance while he was gone. She said the three months would go by in a flash and she couldn't wait to hear all of the crazy tour stories when he returned. She said she would miss him. Then she said 'goodbye'. He watched her walk away, taking a piece of him with her…

Out of his thoughts and back to reality, it was like some imperceptible force was guiding him—each footfall a literal step in the right direction. As he turned a corner around a street musician playing a somewhat peculiar, albeit beautiful, rendition of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," he saw her. He knew it was her before he ever saw her face. She was just sitting on a bench, writing away in her book—a book that helped her write the songs that put them both on the map; a book of secrets, thoughts, dreams, and everything else that she couldn't say aloud. He wondered in that moment if the book contained any secrets about him…

Despite her constant warnings not to, he read that book once. In retrospect, it was a dick move on his part. He knew how furious and hurt she would be if she found out. But back then, it wasn't in Austin's nature to think before acting. His life was all about the moment and living squarely in it. The act of reading the book may have led to a major misunderstanding between them, as well as him looking like a taller, blonder version of an Oompa Loompa for a not insignificant period of time after, but it also led to a defining point in their relationship: friends and partners, always.

Admittedly, a lot had changed between them since that exchange over a year ago. They wrote more songs that led to more amazing videos by Dez that led to even more acclaim for Austin. After that came a contract with Starr Records and Ally's decision to stay with Team Austin in Miami, despite her full scholarship to MUNY. Through the photo shoots and interviews and performances that followed, they grew closer, until one or both of them would sacrifice anything for the other's happiness. Until they realized that the feelings between them were not just those of friendship, but also of mutual respect and love. Looking back now, he couldn't believe he was so blind to the truth for so long. If he'd only realized sooner, then maybe they wouldn't be here now…but no. He couldn't waste any more time on "what ifs".

He approached the bench where she sat writing and took in the sight as if to burn it into his memory. He noticed the rich chestnut waves that fell down her back, slightly bouncing with each turn of her head. He noticed her narrow shoulders, vaguely hunched over her book, making a lost attempt at concealing her scribbling. He noticed her delicate hand, reaching over to scratch an itch on an ankle that was bobbing up and down in time with the street performer's song. He noticed the blue cotton of her sundress clinging stubbornly to her shapely leg, as if it too just wanted to be close to her.

As he came around to face her, he hesitated momentarily, trying to organize his thoughts into something resembling coherence. It was then that she looked up suddenly from where she was writing and caught him staring. "Austin?! What are you doing here? I thought you left for the tour hours ago," she stated, giving him the 'confused Ally' look he knew so well.

With that look (and the smile that followed), Austin completely lost his train of thought. Coherence is overrated anyway, he thought silently, and opened his mouth to speak, not really knowing what would come out. He was surprised when what came out were English words, formed into actual sentences. "I did. I was on the bus, we were driving down the interstate, and all of a sudden I got this really bad feeling."

"Oh no. You didn't eat any more of Dez's cooking, did you? You know as well as I do that's always a risky proposition. Especially if he uses his 'special sauce', which is, I believe, just horseradish and chocolate pudding," she said, screwing her face up to show her disgust with Dez's self-proclaimed culinary prowess.

He laughed momentarily at her playfulness, and was overcome once again at how she seemed to smile with her whole body. "No, no. It wasn't that kind of bad feeling. Trust me, I learned to stop being Dez's official tastetester after the whole Zalien brains fiasco."

"Zalien brains? What are you talking about?" she questioned.

"Oh, um…it's not important," he said, smiling awkwardly and trying to sweep her question under the rug. He forgot that she wasn't there for that. That was when he needed advice from Dez about her…before it all fell apart. "So, getting back to what I was saying, I had this bad feeling…a feeling like I forgot something. So, I got up and I took inventory of everything I packed, trying to put my finger on what was missing. Guitars? Check. iPod? Check. Variety of sneaker choices? Check. Plenty of extra underwear? Check. I had gone through everything I could think of, and nothing seemed to be missing, but the feeling just wouldn't go away."

He paused, noting that as he ticked through his mental list, she slowly inched toward the front of the bench. She was hanging on his every word. "I told everyone that I needed a few minutes, so the bus driver pulled over at the next rest stop. I grabbed my acoustic and headed off the bus. I walked around for a while, mindlessly strumming, playing different chords with no rhyme or reason, hoping that either the feeling would go away or that playing would somehow expose whatever was causing it. And, guess what? It worked!" he exclaimed, throwing his head back and his hands to the sky in victory. After a beat, he realized he probably looked like a total idiot, so he lowered his arms, regained his composure, and looked back down at her.

As she looked up at him, he could already see the confusion coloring her expression before he heard it in her voice. "O-kay? Wait…what worked?! Did the feeling go away, or did you figure out what was causing it? Bottom line it for me…what are you doing here when you're supposed to be halfway to Texas right now?"

He took a deep breath and finally sat beside her on the bench. She turned her petite frame toward him and smiled, silently urging him to get to the good part. He was debating stretching the story out a little longer, seeing as she seemed so engrossed by it, but then he thought better. He was stalling and he knew it. If he didn't say it now, he would have turned around the bus for nothing, and he couldn't leave for three months with this hanging over his head. So, he screwed up his courage and just said it. "I figured out that I'm ready."

Her face fell slightly. He didn't know what kind of answer she was expecting, but he could tell that it wasn't the one she got. Her eyebrows quirked up slightly as she quietly asked, "ready for what?"

"I'm ready for you."

With that simple statement, he saw it dawn on her…the recognition clear in her sparkling eyes. Before she could speak up, he continued. "When I was walking around that bus today playing my guitar, it started as just messing around. Playing with the chords and seeing what sounded cool. Eventually, I realized that I wasn't just playing random chords…I was playing a song. I was playing "I Think About You"…I was playing our song, Ally. Once that realization hit me, all I could think about was you, and memories of you came back to me in waves: the first moment we met in Sonic Boom; the first song we wrote together; the first time we danced together; the first time we performed together; the first time we hugged; the first time I held your hand; the first time we kissed." He chanced a glance down to her mouth after that last one and thought he could still taste her cherry lip gloss. He wrung his hands in an attempt to reign in his nervous energy.

"As the memories flooded my mind, I realized that all of the most precious moments of my life are completely and totally wrapped up in you. When I'm not with you, nothing good feels as good. You make everything better. You make me better.

"And before you say anything, I know that when we tried this before, it didn't work. I mean, with Elliot and Kira in the picture, it was already complicated before it even officially began. Once it did begin, things weren't much better. And, I think at the time, you were right…we weren't ready. But, in that rest stop parking lot outside the tour bus today, I realized, in no uncertain terms, that I want all of your firsts to be with me, Ally. You were what I forgot. So, I'm ready."

There was so much more he could say to convince her but, as it was, he already felt like he was rambling. It wasn't like him to word vomit. In fact, that was much more Ally's style. Ultimately, he said what he needed to say, and now the ball was in her court.

Reviews are appreciated! Thanks for reading!