I know this was meant to be a one shot, but I felt for ending it so sad. So, here ya go, friends. Let me know what you think :)
Hope you're all having a good new year!
(And the song I used is "Into Your Arms" by The Maine. Rad song and rad band that you should all check out.)
He messed up.
He knows that.
He never intentionally meant to miss the award show. It's just that he was working so busily in the studio on his new album and more specifically, a song he had written for her.
And he wanted to sing it to her after the award show and after her win because he knew she would win
But he lost track of time and fell asleep and he wakes up and it's two in the morning and the show has been over for hours.
"No, no, no" he mutters to himself, as he feels like the world's biggest screw up. And douche bag. And he's certain that the brunette has a few choice words that she would like to call him.
He hastily dials her number.
"Hi."
Austin breathes heavily, because he knows she's mad. He knows she's upset and he doesn't blame her, because he messed up. Because he promised he'd be there.
"Hey," he lets out a shaky breath. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it," he says lamely.
He doesn't offer her an explanation, but he knows she deserves one. But explaining things would mean telling her how he felt, because of the song he wrote for her.
And right now, he isn't sure he's ready for that anymore.
"I'm sorry too." She hangs up.
And all he hears is the dial tone.
"No, no," he repeats, this time angrily.
"No," he says sternly, throwing his phone across the room.
It's been almost a month since their phone call.
A month since she's talked to him.
And that hurts a little bit, but he knows he deserves it.
And he's angry at himself, because he isn't sure she'll forgive him this time. Because this time he broke a promise and he knows how much promises mean to her. And how much the award had meant to her.
It's three in the morning, so, he rules out rational thinking, because he's angry and he's upset. And he needs to fix this.
And he forgets about how scared he is to tell her how he feels. He grabs his guitar and it takes him another hour, but he writes her a new song.
And then he gets into his car and floors the gas pedal all the way to her house.
Because he's going to fix this.
It's almost four in the morning and Austin knows that Ally is probably going to want to murder him (even more so than she already does, really) because it's too early for this nonsense.
But he knows if he waits any longerp, it will be too late.
And he's almost lost her too many times and he knows this will be the last straw. Because oh, boy, did he screw up this time.
He throws the guitar behind his back and climbs up her familiar trellis, praying to God he doesn't fall.
He reaches her small window, in one piece, and he slowly pushes on it, hoping it's unlocked.
And it is, and he would pump his hand in the air in victory, but he's too scared of falling right now, so he makes the mental note to do it later.
He throws one leg over the window sill, anxiety filling his stomach.
"Ally," he whispers once he's sure that he's inside.
"Ally," he says again, seeing her turn to face him.
The brunette's chocolate eyes squint at him, confused. Her eyebrows furrow together and she sort of juts her head out, gawking at him, because why is he here? "Austin," is all she says.
"I'm so sorry, Ally."
"I know."
"I just... I was writing this song for you and I wanted to sing it to you after you won, but I fell asleep and I woke up at 2am and... Damn, I'm just so sorry, Ally," he sighs, unsure if this is getting through to her.
"Austin," she whispers. "It's four in the morning. You should go home."
And he knows Ally fairly well and he knows this is code for "Leave, because I don't want to discuss this" but he's sticking his ground, because he's not giving up without a fight.
"I'm not leaving, Ally."
"You should," she says, this time a little more sternly, throwing herself out of bed and standing in front of the boy who towers over her in height.
"I'm not," he simply states. "This isn't the song I originally wrote for you," he says, ignoring her pleas for him to leave.
"It's sort of an apology," he confesses, sincerity in his hazel eyes. "Because man, did I mess up."
"It also stands as a confession song," he blurts out, looking at the floor.
"Confession?"
"A line in the song is, 'I'm falling in love, but it's falling apart,'" he states as if it's the most normal thing to say. "Because, well... I messed up and if I don't fix this, I'm going to lose you and this is all gonna go to crap and fall apart."
Her breathes hitches in her throat, because falling in love?
But she smiles a small smile that's just big enough for him to see. And it's enough for him to continue.
He strums a few chords, keeping his eyes locked on hers.
"There was a new girl in town," he sings quietly. "She had it all figured out. And I'll state something rash. She had the most amazing..."
Her mouth falls open. "Austin!" she playfully smacks his shoulder for being inappropriate.
And he laughs as he finishes the line. "...smile."
She blushes, embarrassed.
"I bet you didn't expect that," he shrugs, as if he's carrying a real conversation. "She made me change my ways. With eyes like a sunset, baby... And legs that go on for days."
She giggles, trying to stay mad at him, but she really can't.
"I'm falling in love, but it's falling apart," his cheeks turn a bright pink shade. "I need to find my way back to the start. When we were in love, things were better than they are. Let me back into... into your arms."
She feels a tear welling up in her eyes.
"She made her way to the bar. I tried to talk to her, but she seemed so far," he gives off a faint smile, remembering the first day they met. The day that changed his life dramatically. "So out of my league; I had to find a way to get her next to me."
And she doesn't believe it. He had felt so strongly towards her for almost three years and she never noticed.
"Oh, she's slipping away," his voice cracks when he sings the truth he'd been avoiding for so long. Ally was quickly slipping away and he didn't know if he could stop it.
"I always freeze when I'm thinking of words to say. And all the things she does makes it seem like love. If it's just a game, then I like the way that we play," he winks at her, making her giggle.
"Let me back into your arms," he finishes the song, staring at the girl in front of him.
"Austin, I..." she stops herself, not knowing what to say.
He had hurt her pretty badly, but here he was, confessing his love for her at four in the morning, and she felt the same way, but she was so scared that he'd make more empty promises.
But a month away from him had been literal Hell, because he was her other half and neither of them had planned to fall in love with one another, but here they were.
"You didn't show up. You broke your promise and I was so hurt. It meant so much to me and you didn't show up. And then you didn't event try to fix it until a month later," she chokes back a pained sob. "How do I know you won't hurt me again?"
He thinks it over for a second. "You don't know that," he admits. "But I can't keep going on with my life pretending like you don't exist, Ally. You mean too much to me for me to do that. I know I messed up and I know it's probably far too late, but I need you to know that I am so in love with you and I don't ever want to hurt you again."
And she believes him, because yeah, he messed up. He wasn't there. But he is human he made a mistake and how could she deny this apology?
"I..." she freezes. She's still so afraid. "I'm scared."
And he knows what she means. He knows that she loves him too. And that's why she's scared.
"I am too," is all he says before taking his guitar off and kissing her. Kissing her like it's the last thing he's going to do for a really long time.
And she kisses back, smiling against his lips.
And the broken bits of her heart come back together.
And she knows.
She knows he's always going to be there.
