Ally's P.O.V.
She was jolted back to the land of the living, when several drops of hot coffee splashed onto her thigh.
She looked up, startled, prepared to yell some sense into whatever idiot was responsible, only to find the cup of simmering cafeine an inch away from her nose. Her eyes connected with those of her ex-bestfriend.
"Well?" the Latina appeared impatient and fidgety as she thrusted the coffee closer to Ally. "Are you going to take it or not?"
In her semi-delirious state, Ally's hands closed confusedly around the hot drink. "Thanks," Her voice was raspy from disuse.
Trish merely rolled her eyes. "Don't thank me. If it was my decision, you wouldn't even be here."
Ally ddn't let the icy tone disuade her. "No,"She shook her head as she sipped at the scalding beverage. "I mean thank you for taking care of them," She gestured with her head over to where Austin's family was sleeping awkwardly in the hospital chairs. Dez was snoring with his mouth open, Kalei snoozing against his shoulder. Kainoah and Keenan were doing a head bob of sorts, and the others seemed somewhere in between. Other than the cleaning lady near the vendor, Ally and Trish appeared to be the only ones up.
Just a fraction, Trish's eyes softened. "No problem. They sort of became my family anyways."
She turned to go. Allyfelt something pull in her chest.
"Trish wait."
The Latina paused and cocked her head. Ally hesitated just a moment,before moving the magazine off of the chair beside her. "If you want..." She trailed off, unsure of Trish's hatred for her.
To her surprise, Trish didn't even say a word as she plunked down in the seat beside her.
They sat in awkward silence for a minute, nothing but the blurry noise of the radio playing softly in the background, and Ally's tentative sips to break the heavy silence. Finally Ally mustered up the courage to ask, "So, you and Dez huh?"
Trish didn't smile.
She didn't even look up from her glossy magazine. "Yup," She popped the p. "What about it?"
"Nothing!" Ally immediately denied. "I mean... I was just surprised. That's all."
"Yes, well," Trish's voice was more tired than icy, "Lots of things changed when you left Ally. You really ought to stop being so surprised about them."
Ally found herself agreeing, though she didn't voice it aloud. Instead she asked, "How long has the drinking been going on for?"
Trish's eyes stilled on the page she was reading. "Not long after you left, though it wasn't always this bad. Thalia deals with the bunt of it anyways."
"Thalia?" Ally questioned surprised. "But she's-"
"The sanest of all of us," Trish finished bitterly. "Says a lot, huh? She's been a lot more stable since her dad finally got put away."
Ally spoke the truth when she said, "That's good to hear."
Trish nodded minutely. "Yeah," Her voice was soft. "It is."
Another beat of silence passed before Ally ventured, "So. How long have Thomas and Annie been a thing?"
"Annabeth," Trish automatically corrected. "She hates being called Annie."
the smallest smile played across Ally's face as she sipped her coffee again. "Of course. Annabeth."
"They aren't together," Trish said with a finality that surprised Ally. Her head shot up as her gaze zoned in on the young teenagers. Due to the lack of seats, Annabeth was sitting on Thomas's lap, her face buried into his chest to hide her red eyes as she slept. Thomas's own head lulled back and forth in sleep, though his arm stayed secured around Annabeth's shoulders. To anyone it would've appeared they were a couple.
"Are you sure?" Ally asked dubiously.
Trish scoffed. "Positive. Thomas is too much of a wuss to ask her out. So for now they're still bestfriends. Probably better that way anyways."
Ally frowned, and she was partially lying when she said, "I suppose."
"Yeah," Trish's voice was distant as she stood up. "Well, I suppose I should go talk to the press before the world thinks he grew another head or something," She referred to Austin. "See you around."
She left without a second glance back.
Ally sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. The blonde pieces tickled her vision, and she couldn't help but wish it was it's natural brown again. Perhaps she'd make an appointment once everything cleared up.
White noise from the radio fuzzed into a station. A man stated the weather, before the tell tale thrum of a base line softly came from the speaker to Ally's left. Her skin crawled as Austin's voice came from within. His first line matched perfectly with the way Ally's body responded.
Hearts beating faster...
Ally bit her lip and scolded herself. It was pointless for her to bemoan what she had lost, as she had been the one to throw it aeay in the first place. But that thought still didn't help her from hurting. Nor did it mean she cared any less for the man dying in the room nextdoor. The thought of Austin's ruptured liver made her sick. Although she wasn't sure if she was more queasy because it had happened, or because she was partially to blame.
Might need some surgery...
Her stomach turned. She hadn't heard this song, so she presumed it was a fairly new one. While she never outright listened to his songs after she left, she always eventually stumbled upon them. He was just too famous not to.
Natural disaster, you're taking over me...
Ally sighed, running her hands over her face and through her hair for the umpteenth time. She had thought she could handle this - seeing Austin and the kids again. Their family. She had thought she had let go of the past enough to interact with them without a care.
But she had been wrong.
And now she was drowning in her mistakes.
And I st-st-stutter, vision b-blurry...
And she found herself agreeing with his next line,
There ain't no other that brings me to my knees...
Ally found herself struggling for breath as she stood up, walking a ways down the hallway. Images flooded her mind as they seemed to be doing frequently as of late, and she found herself pulling at her shirt collar, wobbling on her feet. She only made it a few more steps before leaning heavily on the white wall, and sinking to her knees. She took a deep breath to clear her mind, though to no avail.
And it gets so hot whenever we're alone...
She knew why this had been happening. All evidence pointed towards it despite what she told herself. However, Ally was stubborn, and quite insistent.
But I can't say I'm in love, No I won't!
She casted a glare over her shoulder, where the radio was still blaring softly in the background. At one time she loved love, it was the heart of her songs, her life, her being. But that had been before she had been tainted, and twisted. Exposed to the real world, and forced to give up, ironically, to protect her love.
But she had realized too late, that she had given up more than she had ever bargained for.
I don't know what love is...
Ally found the song transporting her back in her memories. She closed her eyes, the pristine tile of the hospital floor turing into the rough upholstery of Austin's first car. She could feel her nerves as her hands curled around the steering wheel for the first time.
And then Austin, the boy she loathed at the time, smiled at her.
What was more, he believed in her.
And that made all the difference.
But I know I've never felt like this
Your kiss is magic,
Like a circle, yes it's perfectness...
The car transformed into the attic room at the old Miami orphanage. Even after sixteen years, she could still feel the soft pressure of Austin's lips as she gave her first kiss for a book. It had been reckless, it had been brash, and most of all, it had been incredible.
She wished more than anything that she could put it all in the past, and be with Austin and the kids again. Her heart yearned for the things lost, because the most painful part of it all, was that it was possible.
And I can say yes...
A tear rolled down Ally's cheek.
Tore you in two...
Too much had happened for Ally to be the one to cross that bridge again. As childish as it seemed, Ally knew that Austin would have to be the one to make any sort of move. She owed it to him after crushing him the last time.
You say it first, it's easy for you...
Oh the irony. Originally she had been hesitant to be with Austin, because she didn't trust him not to hurt her. And yet in the end, she had done all the hurting herself.
So why did she still crave him?
Even I know that it's true,
I can't say I'm in love...
She needed to do something, speak to someone, do anything to get away from that blasted radio, and Austin's stupid song. Pushing herself to her feet, she walked across the hall to the door to his room. As her hand rested on the handle, her confidence flitted away for a moment. Perhaps this wasn't the greatest idea.
P-paranoia, it's running through my veins...
Ally gritted her teeth as the song echoed softly, reflecting her thoughts. Refusing to be intimidated by some flimsy lyrics, she pushed open the door to Austin's room, perhaps a bit harder than was necesary.
She regretted it when his form moved on the bed.
Stomach in her throat, she went to leave quietly, immediately deeming her idiotic act just that - idiotic, when a voice groggy with sleep called out, "Ally?"
She cursed the fact that her knees went weak, and foiled her escape plan. Her brain began to wonder just when everything started going wrong. The stupid song, which she could still hear, answered that for her.
I got to know ya, that was the end for me...
Well that was putting it aptly. She pasted on a smile and turned towards Austin.
"Hey," She said lamely. "Sorry I woke you."
"That's okay," His voice was raspy from disuse, and Ally found herself fighting another wave of tears. Twenty-four hours ago, she had feared that she wouldn't have ever heard his voice again. Now it was almost mocking her. "How's everyone doing?"
Ally found herself smiling slightly as she sunk into the chair by Austin's bedside. This close she realized that another body was curled up beside Austin's, and she noticed with a start that it was Peter.
"They're all good," Her voice was quiet. "Tired and worried, but good."
Austin's voice was almost silent as he asked, "And you?"
And I know I've got you holding on to words that I can't say...
Ally surprised herself by admitting, "Better now that you're awake."
And everything you feel fo me, just know I feel the same...
Her smile faltered slightly as Austin's song filtered into his room ever so slightly. She struggled to change the topic and distract herself. "How are you feeling?"
Austin chuckled slightly, causing Peter to bury his head farther into Austin's chest. "Like I've been run over by a truck," His raspy voice finally answered her question. "Though I've been informed I'm actually doing tremendously."
Ally laughed slightly. "I'm sure."
Eventually her smile faded, and his did to. They stared at eachother, though it was quite with awkwardness. As the seconds ticked by, Ally found herself biting her lip, wanting to tell him why she left. But the words stuck in her throat like glue, blocking her air passage, threatening to choke her on nothing. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she just found herself smiling softly at Austin instead.
And despite being broken, lost, and betrayed, Austin smiled back.
Yeah this is love...
Her hand found his and their fingers twined silently, hardly disturbing the sleeping boy betweened them. And in that moment, they weren't angry exes, and heartbroken singers. They were bestfriends.
Austin and Ally.
I'm starting to realize that it's true...
His hand squeezed hers, almost in reassurance, which she found almost ridiculous as he was the one in the hospital bed. His smile was soft in the early light.
"I don't know why you left Ally," His words were quiet, sincere. "And I doubt I'll ever be able to understand your reasons. But I want you to know that I am glad you're here, even I don't always seem like it."
I'll say it first only for you...
Guilt, sickness, and overall pain twisted into some resemblance of a pretzel in Ally's stomach. "Austin-"
"No, please listen," Austin cut her off. "The point is, I still care about you. I don't like it when you cry - I wanna see you smile. Be happy. Even-" His voice faltered momentarily, "Even if it's without me. Even if it's not because of me."
His words blew her away, cracked any last defences she had standing. His eyes were no longer focused on her, though their own tears fell past his delicate features, and into the hair of an unawarst Peter.
And that's when Ally knew. And for the first time in ten years, she voiced what she had never dared to say.
"But what if I still want it to be you?"
There's only one thing left to do...
Austin's hand tightened on hers. He gave her a small smile, that made her realize all that she had missed. And though neither said it aloud, the final words of Austin's hit single filtered in around them, voicing what they couldn't say. What was more, it was enough for both of them.
Because it was true.
Baby I love you.
*Peeks around corner*
PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!
Hiya guys... so, long time no see eh? Hehe, sooooooooooooooooooo sorry about that. I've just been EXTREMELY busy, with little inspiration. Buuuuuuuuttttttttttttttt... R5's new album gave me a bit of a boost :) Anyone else comletely LOVE it?! As you can probably tell, I Can't Say I'm In Love is my favourite song off of the new record, hence why I used it tonight in this chapter.
And on the plus side, in the next chapter things are looking up! We get to see Austin and Peter's detox. Any requests?
Q. Where do you get your inspiration?
A. Honestly? Mostly real life. As I've noted before my friends and I are pretty idiotic, and we create some pretty amusing situations that I transfer into my writing. Though it also depends on the work. For fanfiction, obviously something related to the fandom. But some fandoms will inspire others even. My biggest 'inspirational' fandoms I guess you could say, would most likely be Marvel, Austin and Ally, Percy Jackson, and of course, Sherlock Holmes. And then of course there are the inspirational people such as R5 and Tom Hiddleston. So it really depends on what I want to write.
Q. Will Ally ever feel the consequences of her actions?
A. In a way I think she's starting to. Eventually the gravity of what she's done will hit her, I just don't know when yet :)
Also, I know some people wanted interaction between Ally and Austin's parents, and I'm sorry that I couldn't get it into this chapter! I'll aim for some conversations soon though I promise!
On another note, I'd also like to give a HUGE shout out to one of the guest reviewers going by Lady. Thank you so much for all your sweet comments on my fics - I'm glad you've enjoyed them so!
Anyways, just a heads up to... unfortunately, Oh Yeah Totally Hormonal is on temporary hiatus until I hit another bout of inspiration, which will probably be whenever I get around to seeing the new MI (Seeing as how the forth inspired the fic in the first place ;D) And don't expect an update too quick on this one either, as I'm going on vacation in Europe for the next three week. But I'll definitely try and pop out a chapter or two within the month, so bear with me please!
Thanks again for everyone's support, and I hope you all have a fabulous August!
-AAG1D over and out.