Hey everyone, thanks for taking the time to read this story! However, gonna be completely honest with you here: I have never seen a full episode of Austin & Ally. I know. Shoot me now. But, I just happened to stumble across and Austin & Ally fanfic one day, and I just fell in love with the characters and the stories I read about them, plus I also had a basic knowledge of the show having seen repeated adverts for it on the TV. So I decided I might as well take a shot at writing one myself. Also, this is my first story on this website so I apologise if it's not very good!

Obviously, this is just how I've chosen to interpret the characters and they may not necessarily match up completely with those in the TV show (like I said I've never seen a whole episode). Any feedback, comments and suggestions would be entirely welcome, as well as any suggestions for how you'd like to see the story progress.

Also obviously, I do not own Austin & Ally in any way, shape or form.

So without further ado, here's the story! I hope you enjoy…

Chapter One

Introductions

Ally Dawson loved her life. She was young (aged 22), she had her own apartment in Miami where she was brought up, she had her best friend Trish who she could rely on if she needs help, and she loved her job, which was working at her Dad's music store, Sonic Boom. Well, she loved it most of the time… sometimes it was a little slow… But nevertheless, she still got to spend lots of time with her Dad, Lester, as family had always been very important to her. She couldn't be happier – or at least that's what she thought.

It was mid-January, so despite Miami's normally warm weather it was still generally quite cold out. It was a Monday evening, and Ally and Lester were gradually preparing to shut up the shop for the night. "So, Ally, you got any plans for tonight?" Lester asked his daughter, casually.

"No, nothing really. I need to stop by the grocery store on the way home, though." She replied. This was not uncommon for Ally. Unlike the typical 22-year-old woman, she didn't really see the appeal in going out partying and clubbing until dawn. She had always been more of a recluse, far preferring a sit on the sofa with a mug of hot chocolate enjoying a nice book. "Do you need anything, Dad?" She asked him.

"No, I'm okay thanks Al" He replied. "But are you sure you're not gonna go out? You know, loosen up, have fun, meet some new people?"

"Ugh, Dad, I know where this is going." Ally groaned, "Dad you know I'm happy as I am. I don't need to find a boyfriend." Because of her shy and reclusive nature, Ally generally struggled putting herself out there to make new friends. And even more so with boys. As a result, Ally had never gone on a single date and had never had a boyfriend.

"I know that, sweetie, but it hurts me to see you single still. You've always been so beautiful, why don't you just put yourself out there?" Lester had always been very respectful about his daughter's… issue… surrounding boyfriends, but it secretly worried him considering how lots of women her age were happily in love, or at least had been before in their lives.

"Okay, Dad, I really don't want to have this conversation with you again." Ally mumbled, wishing her Dad would stop trying to interfere with her love life and just let her be happily single.

"I'm sorry, Ally, I don't want to put any pressure on you," Said Lester gently, fearing he'd made his daughter mad, "but even Trish has a boyfriend. Doesn't it bother you when she can't hang out with you because she's on a date, so you're left all alone?"

"Dad, you really don't need to worry about me," Ally reassured him, strolling over to him. "I've got all the love I need for you." She kissed him on the cheek and then collected her coat and purse to leave. "I'm off now, I'll see you tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Alright, hon." Replied Lester. "Love you."

"Love you too Dad" She replied as she strolled out the door and through the mall, out into the chilly winter air. Despite everything her Dad said, Ally was perfectly happy being single. It just seemed to make life so much easier for her. Of course, she thought it would be nice to have a boyfriend, but it definitely wasn't one of her essential life goals. And so she continued on her own to go and do her shopping before returning to her apartment.

Having done her grocery shopping, Ally pulled out her phone to check the time. It was 8:30. Hmm, I'll just grab a quick Starbucks, she thought to herself, I could really use one to warm me up, God it's cold out here.

Fortunately, the nearest Starbucks was just across the road from the grocery store, so she walked across the road and into the welcoming warmth of the coffee shop. It was relatively quiet in there, only a few people scattered around various tables in the café. "Good evening, how can I help you?" Asked the woman behind the counter, cheerfully.

"Uh hi, can I just get a medium black Americano to go, please?" Ally asked, fumbling around in her purse to get out her money.

Ally paid, waited for her drink to be made and collected it. She took a couple of steps backwards before turning to walk out the door, but when she turned – WHAM – she walked straight into someone's chest. Her coffee and groceries went flying and she tumbled, landing in an undignified heap on the floor. "Oh my God, I am so sorry!" A gentle voice called out to her as she sat there, trying to come to terms with what had just happened. "Here, let me help you up." The voice continued, and a hand appeared in Ally's face offering her assistance getting up.

Looking up, Ally found herself staring at what she could only recognise as the most beautifully handsome face she had ever seen in her life. She was looking at a man, around her age, with perfect blond hair and incredibly deep brown eyes which she found herself lost in. She also noticed that his dress sense was impeccable: white high-tops, dark blue slim jeans, a navy and white striped t-shirt, and a nice jacket.

She remained sat there for a few seconds, mesmerised by the beauty of this stranger, her cheeks getting redder and redder by the second. Once she realised how stupid she looked, Ally quickly looked away from his deep eyes and gently said "Oh, I'm so sorry" sheepishly as she took his hand and stood up, brushing herself down in a desperate attempt to retain some level of dignity. "I didn't see you there."

"Oh no, it was my fault!" Replied the blond quickly. "Oh man, look what I've done!" He muttered, looking around the coffee shop floor at the scattered vegetables falling out of the grocery bags and the spilt coffee everywhere. "I am so, so sorry!" He repeated, expecting her to be seething.

"No, it's fine, no harm done." Ally replies calmly, still blushing.

"At least let me buy you another drink," He offers, already crouching down to try and pick up some of Ally's groceries and put them back in the bags.

"No, no, it's fine, honestly!" Ally reassures him, joining him on the floor to gather the food.

"No, really, I insist. It's the least I can do," He says, reaching out and touching her arm. At this Ally blushes even more, she can't believe that this amazingly handsome man is offering her a drink, let alone touching her. She makes the mistake of looking into his eyes, and immediately gets lost in them. After a few seconds of her just staring at him, he begins to worry he's making her uncomfortable and swiftly removes his hand. "Excuse me, miss? Are you okay?"

"Hmmm, what, no I'm fine!" Ally stutters, suddenly breaking out of her trance and feeling like an absolute idiot. "Are you sure you want to buy me another one? I can get one myself..." She began.

"No, no, of course! It's the least I can do!" The man responds, smiling at her with his perfect white teeth. "What was it?"

"Oh, it was just a small black Americano. Thanks." She replies gently, smiling meekly back at him. She told him it was a small so he wouldn't have to buy her a medium, she felt kind of guilty even accepting a small from him. However, he could tell from the size of the cup rolling around on the floor that it was a medium, so he turned to the woman at the counter.

"Hi, can I please get a medium black Americano and a large Cappuccino to go?" He asks confidently, digging around in his pocket for his wallet.

"Of course," the woman on the counter replies. "What's the name?"

"Oh, the Cappuccino's for me, Austin, and the Americano's for…" He pauses, turning to Ally for her name.

"Ally" She says softly, with a small smile on her face.

"Ally." Austin finishes, turning back to the woman.

He paid for their drinks and they waited until they were ready, in a comfortable silence. They collected them from the counter and walked out of the shop, side by side. "Which way are you going?" Austin asked Ally as they walked out the door.

"Oh, I'm just heading back to my apartment in Aqua Plaza, down that way." She said, pointing down the street, expecting him to say he needed to go the opposite way.

"Woah, what a coincidence!" Austin said, shocked. "I live in that building to!" He said excitedly. At the look of shock on Ally's face, he explains "But I only moved in about a week ago. Which apartment are you in?" He asks as they start to make their way down the street together. "If you don't mind telling me, that is," Austin added quickly. "I know some people don't really like sharing that information with people they just met. I'm in 702."

"No, it's fine," replied Ally calmly. "it's always nice to meet the neighbours. I'm in 710."

"Oh we're on the same floor!" Austin exclaims. "How come I've never seen you then? I thought I'd met everyone on our floor."

"I guess I'm just rather quiet, really." Ally said quietly, embarrassed at her own lack of any socialisation. She only really left her apartment to go to work.

It wasn't a very long walk, and they made pleasant small talk most of the way, chatting about the people on their floor, how nice the views were, all the normal things that you would. They were about halfway back, and had just fallen into a pleasant silence, when a fairly large gust of icy cold wind arrived, catching both of them off guard. Despite her coat, Ally was starting to get rather cold, as the coat itself was rather thin. It wasn't long before she started noticeably shivering. "Here, do you want my jacket?" Austin offered kindly, unzipping it and holding it out to her.

"Oh, no thanks, I don't want you catching a cold or anything." Ally replied, even though she did desperately want the extra warmth it offered.

"No, don't worry about me," Austin reassured her, "I've just moved from Seattle, up north, so I'm used to the cold." He added jokingly. He was in fact completely lying; he'd only moved from Orlando and was bitterly cold too. He just wanted to give a good impression to Ally.

"Okay, if you're sure. Thanks." Ally replied, not entirely convinced but also glad to be slightly warmer. She held her hand out for it, but Austin wasn't there anymore, having moved behind her to put it over her shoulders. As he did so, his hands gently grazed against her shoulders. Even this tiny bit of contact made Ally blush tremendously, but she just passed it off as being because she was cold. The jacket did the trick, though, because she was now much warmer.

They continued the rest of their walk in comfortable silence, with just the occasional few sentences being passed between them about nothing in particular. Ally was happy just to be in the company of a man so handsome and kind, and Austin was equally happy to be accompanying a woman as beautiful and sweet as Ally. Though, obviously, they wouldn't outright say that to each other. They'd only just met, after all.

When they walked through the front door of the apartment building they both sighed in relief at the rush of warm air that greeted them, glad to be out of the cold and into the comforting warmth of the lobby. They ambled into a lift and Austin hit the button for the lift to take them to floor 7. They stood opposite each other in the lift in warm silence, each of them glancing at the other when they thought they weren't looking. Whenever their eyes met accidentally, Ally would blush like crazy and look away, and Austin would just smile gently and glance away.

When the elevator dinged and the doors opened, they stepped out into the carpeted central area of the floor, enjoying each other's company for a few more seconds. Just as the silence was on the verge of becoming awkward, Austin cleared his throat and looked at her. "Well, thank you for letting me walk with you." He said kindly, smiling softly at her.

"Yes, o-of course," Ally stuttered, blushing again. "and thank you for the coffee. And for walking with me." She replied nervously.

"Oh yeah, I'm sorry again for walking into you." Austin said, looking down at his feet, embarrassed.

"No, that's fine; I wasn't looking where I was going." Ally was quick to combat him. Maybe a little too quick, and she inwardly face palmed.

"Here, let me walk with you to your door." Austin offered gentlemanly. Ally blushed again before accepting and they began walking down the corridor side by side. They stopped outside Ally's door and she turned to face him.

"Well, thanks again." She stammered nervously, trying desperately hard to appear normal even though inside she wanted to just run inside and slam the door before she could say anything to embarrass herself. She fished around in her purse for her keys and picked them out.

"No problem at all." Austin said sincerely. He considered going for a peck on the cheek but then quickly decided it was too soon and he didn't want to creep her out or anything.

She turned her key in the lock and opened the door. Just as she stepped in she heard Austin's voice again. "Oh, Ally?" He called out, "Could I have my jacket back please?" He asked quietly, a small smile on his face.

"Oh, yes! Sorry, I forgot." Ally stammered again, blushing as she shrugged off the jacket and handed it to him. "Thanks."

"No problem, miss…" He then paused, waiting for her last name.

"Oh, Dawson." Ally replied sweetly.

"Well, goodnight Miss Dawson." Austin said gently, smiling gently at her. "I guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah. Goodnight Austin." Ally replied sweetly, before closing the door with a small wave. She then sank against the door onto the floor, not believing what had just happened. Outside, Austin smiled to himself for a second outside her door before walking off down the hallway to his own apartment.

Wow. Ally though to herself. Wow. Austin thought to himself. Ally started doubting herself. Should I have invited him inside? She wondered, before deciding she'd made the right decision. No, I don't want to come across as desperate or anything. Besides, there's no way someone like him could ever have a crush on a freak like me. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to try and make anything happen with Austin – as she said to her Dad, she was perfectly happy single.

But no matter how much she tried to deny herself, Ally knew deep down that she was hoping to see Austin again soon. She just couldn't get those eyes out of her head.

Checking her phone she realised it was now 9:10, and Ally wasn't quite ready to go to bed yet. She was just about to go and get her book when her phone rang. It was Trish.

A: Hey Trish, what's up?

T: Hey Ally, just calling to say sorry again I couldn't come see you at Sonic Boom today.

A: Oh no worries, I understand.

T: It's just I know I normally do and I didn't feel good about bailing on you, I didn't want you to feel lonely having to walk home on your own.

Trish didn't live in the same building as Ally, but she lived a few blocks past it so she could normally walk Ally home anyway.

A: It's okay, I wasn't on my own in the end.

T: Oh, is your Dad staying at yours?

Ally chuckled to herself.

A: No, no, I just ran into someone at Starbucks. Literally.

T: Oh, who? Do I know them?

A: No, I don't think so. I didn't know them until this happened.

At this point Trish could tell that Ally had done something stupid.

T: What did you do? She asked teasingly.

A: Umm… I may have walked into him by accident and dropped everything?

T: Him!?

A: Oops.

Although Trish was her best friend, Ally still didn't ever really talk to her about boys. Trish tended to be a bit like Lester when it came to trying to persuade Ally to find a boyfriend asap. Any mention of the word 'boy' or 'him' leaving Ally's mouth and Trish was instantly trying to pry details about this guy, with the aim of persuading her to try and get together with him.

T: Ally, you ran into a guy!? Was he hot? Did he buy you a drink? Do you like him?

A: Trish! For God's sake!

T: Sorry, Al, but seriously, was he hot?

A: Umm… you could say that…

T: Did he buy you another drink?

A: Yeah. I didn't want him to but he insisted.

T: Did he walk you home?

A: Yeah, turns out he lives in the same building as me… on the same floor. She immediately wished she hadn't said this.

T: You're neighbours with a hot guy who bought you a drink? JACKPOT!

A: Trish, shut up! Nothing's gonna happen from it anyway.

T: Al, don't you see what an opportunity you have here? Go for it!

A: Oh just be quiet Trish, there's no way he could ever like me. She was starting to get annoyed at this point, but Trish didn't pick up on it.

T: Oh my God, Ally's going to finally get a boyfriend!

A: Trish, stop, what's wrong with you? I'm not going to go out with him!

And with that she abruptly hung up on Trish. Ally was normally a very sensible, calm woman, but she had a short temper when it came to being teased or interrogated, especially about boys. She instantly regretted hanging up on Trish, after all she did just want the best for her. But she couldn't be bothered with calling her back and knew her feisty friend wouldn't be too upset about it. She'd probably see her the next day anyway.

Still slightly annoyed about her small argument with Trish, and not really in the mood to eat because of the Starbucks, Ally decided simply to get ready for bed and just relax and read her book. Which she did, before falling asleep at 10:30, happily dreaming away, her conversation with Austin playing in her head over and over. Wow, I'm such a loser sometimes she thought to herself, giggling.