Hey friends. Here we go, as promised the next instalment. Again it's a little shorter, but to be honest I kind of like dragging it out like this, and it isn't feeling forced to me yet or anything.
Obviously I own naught. I love you all, hopefully you like it.
Of fucking course.
That's the only thing going through Austin's mind.
Of course they have to be at a goddamn carnival. As if this entire week isn't already, and he has no doubt will continue to be, something out of The Notebook, they have to be at a carnival.
Nothing helpful ever happens at carnivals. At least, nothing helpful ever happens in relation to getting over a relatively gigantic, and unrequited, crush on your best friend.
And so, Austin's had it up to here.
All day, Ally's been walking around, with her perfect hair, and her perfect body and her perfect face.
Except the thing is, Ally isn't perfect - her hair's a little messy and knotty from the wind, she isn't all sharp curves and obvious muscle toning like the girls Austin usually likes, and she even has a pimple today.
Which literally makes things even worse. because she's not even at her best, and yet he still can't help but find her irresistible. He's relatively sure he'll die once he sees Ally all dressed up for the town-charity-gala thing they have to go to in a few days time.
Don't go there Austin. That's dangerous territory, he tells himself.
So, Austin's had it up to here. Not only is he forced to spend time with the girl who could possibly be the love of his life, his veritable soulmate, if you will, (if those exist, and he's never believed in that stuff at all, but spending more and more time with Ally is beginning to make him less certain), not only that, but he's been taking her around his home town, watching her face light up and giving that little giggle of hers every now and then at some dumb joke he makes up just to please her. Not only has he been watching Ally's every tiny move and dying just a little bit inside because even when she's clumsy (she very nearly overturned an entire stall at the markets today) she's so goddamn adorable, but he's been kissing and hugging and holding and joking and leaning and generally being far too close to Ally all day for him to remain sane.
Austin doesn't think it's really fair for someone like her to even be alive. In fact, he's 99% positive that Ally was placed on Earth just to torment him.
So Austin's had a tough day to say the least. And then of course (of fucking course) Jace came up with the brilliant idea of going to the carnival that night. And Austin had been very vocal in his negative feelings towards the idea, at least until Ally's face had lit up like a Christmas tree and he'd folded like a house of cards (he's past the point of even trying to convince himself that it was just because that's what he would do if he was actually dating her, and they're still faking obviously).
And here they are. At a carnival. Lights all around. Two hours to kill before they all meet up for the fireworks and Austin will kiss Ally all romantically (dying a little inside all the while) to convince his parents that he's dating her.
God, he's not even enjoying pretending to date Ally anymore. He's sure he would, but somehow things got muddled and now it's all just too painful to be pleasing.
They go their separate ways from Austin's family, and Austin can feel it in his whole body when Ally moves away a little, putting a more platonic distance between him. He almost aches, all he wants is to draw her close to him and kiss her. All he wants to do is smooth her hair out of her face and win her teddy bears and nuzzle into her hair, drowning himself in the smell of her strawberry shampoo and vanilla body lotion.
So he does the only part of that which he can. He drags Ally to a stall (revelling in the feel of her hand in his, even though it's been that way for the majority of the day) and wins her the biggest teddy bear he can. He watches her blush (and loves it) and watches what looks like some kind of inner battle as she looks down at the teddy. She shakes her thoughts off and shoots him a grin.
"I'll love him with my entire heart, and I'm going to name him Russell."
Austin chuckles and falls a little harder. "Really Ally? Russell? Is that… a good name for a teddy bear?"
Ally pouts and looks at him through her eyelashes and Austin immediately back tracks.
"On second thought, Russell is absolute perfection."
Absolute perfection? What the fuck?
He turns quickly away and they while away the time at various stalls, letting the sounds of the carnival wash over them. They go on rollercoasters together (and Austin gets to hold Ally for a second while pretending to purely platonically comfort her), they chat about everything and nothing, and Austin forgets about the look in Ally's eyes, he forgets about the fact that he's in the stickiest situation of his life, he forgets that he's in unrequited love with Ally, and he forgets about everyone else in the world for a little while. Instead, he lets himself be totally and utterly steeped in Ally's presence, and let's himself enjoy just the two of them, just Austin and Ally, the way it's supposed to be.
That is, until they climb onto the ferris wheel and (like every cliche chick flick that Ally and his mother have forced him to watch) get stuck at the very top.
Of fucking course. Just his luck.
Ta-da! Hopefully you like it, sorry I would have made it longer and finished the night, but I was really tired and not feeling it that much (I've been working tonnes this weekend) and so I thought I'd leave it here for now and give you something in a couple days time.
Reviews make me happy, and to all of you who have left me them, I adore you, and I also adore all of you who are reading this, it honestly means so much more to me than you realise.
Continue being absolute gems, have a fantastic day and all the love :)