It almost took me a week to finish this even though I intended it to be short oops.

This was inspired by a real life experience. By my friend on Twitter, actually. We were direct messaging back and forth because she was frantically asking for help. It was wonderful. Hey Nic, I hope you never see this. :)

Enjoy! I don't own anything but the plot!

"How's this?" Ally placed the peach camisole over her body, facing the mirror but asking her best friend for his opinion. She compared it with another, darker camisole. Her brown eyes observed at her reflection in the mirror, not sure if it was a better fit.

"I think I like the other one better, but hey, it's your choice," Austin said casually, not sure why shopping was such a big thing. He wasn't really paying attention, but dark blue did look better on Ally than peach.

"Honest option?" Ally asked again, twirling around once. She glanced back down at the shirts in her hand, missing the way her blonde best friend smiled at her.

"I like the other one better," Austin replied simply, the small smile dancing on his lips.

And that's how she bought her dark blue shirt. Ally held her bag on one hand as she and Austin continued to go window shopping. On lazy days like this, where Sonic Boom didn't get much business, she and Austin would just roam the streets of Miami with nothing on their shoulders.

Ally liked this quality time she got to spend with Austin. It wasn't time where they poured their hearts into writing songs or when she scolded him for eating in the store, no. It was quality two-best-friends-going-shopping time. It was an enjoyable routine of theirs.

And, okay, maybe she did have a long-time crush on her best friend. But honestly, who wouldn't have a crush on Austin Moon? It started out as a small thing that she kept under control, but Ally wasn't sure if she could control that anymore. As cliché as it may sound, don't all best friends fall in love?

Don't answer that.

But he was still Austin and she was still Ally. Nothing has changed. And nothing ever will.

"Hey, Ally! Check this out!" Austin called. Ally snapped out of her little daze. Her eyes located where Austin was; right next to a table full of vinyl records.

"Wow! Is that a Jackson Lowe record?" Ally asked as she laid eyes on the shiny black record. Austin nodded excitedly as he sorted out the records. He was so fascinated by them. It was adorable.

"I'm gonna go inside," she told Austin. He nodded, but continued to sort through the pile of timeless vinyls. Ally shrugged to herself, pushing open the entrance door of the store.

Ally walked into a thrift shop, feeling particularly excited to see what she would find. Thrift shops held the most fascinating and interesting things.

Ally walked around the store for a bit, looking at the extensive fashion choices as well as jewellery and accessories to go with it. She glanced around as she found a dress for cheap that looked adorable. Ally found a mirror and placed the dress to her body, liking the way it looked.

Ally continued to sort through the clothes on the racks. Thrift shop finds were always unique and different. It was like going through a treasure chest.

As she was sorting through a rack of t-shirts, she felt warm hands cover her eyes. Grinning to herself, Ally tapped her foot and waited for the—

"Guess who?"

There it was.

"Austin, you seriously—"

"Aw man! How'd you know?"

"I know what your voice sounds like?"

"You do, don't you."

Ally rolled her eyes at her blonde-haired best friend who just removed his hands from her eyes. She turned around as he practically shoved a vinyl right into her face. Her eyes widened at the sight.

"Jackson Lowe's Greatest Hits," she read; and then squealed. Ally had been looking for this record for ages. She took it from Austin's hands and just stared at it for a while.

She flipped it around, looking for the price. And when she did, her brown eyes bulged out of her head. She licked her lips nervously.

"Thirty-five dollars," she read. That was quite the price, as she had already spent quite a number on her camisole earlier. However, as she was about to turn around and return it to Austin he gripped her hand.

"Do you like it?" He asked, his expression neutral. Ally frowned, but nodded her head anyway.

"Yeah, I've been looking— hey!" Austin suddenly started dragging Ally towards the check out. Ally watched as the cashier rung up the vinyl and Austin paid without question. Ally frowned as he handed her the plastic bag with the thirty-five dollars worth of old songs.

She just looked at him. He shrugged before scratching the back of his neck, trying to clear the awkward tension.

"Thanks, Austin," she started. "But you really didn't have to."

"I wanted to," he replied, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks. If she hadn't known Austin for years, she might've missed the way his cheeks lit up. Ally grinned at him before she gave him a big hug.

"Thanks," she mumbled against his chest. His heartbeat was fast, but she oddly found comfort in it.

"You're welcome," Austin chuckled, his face buried in her hair. They detangled themselves before making their way to the exit of the thrift store.

"Maybe we could go get some ice cream or something?" Austin said once they left the thrift shop. The little bell at the top of the door chimed, indicating someone entering or leaving. Ally rolled her eyes at her best friend. Ice cream this, ice cream that.

"You and your ice cream," she mumbled as they walked towards the ice cream shop, just right down the street from the thrift store. Austin ordered up Cookie Dough for himself, and Fruity Mint Swirl for Ally. She watched as the people in the background worked on their cones, swirling the dairy onto the waffle cone.

"You better let me pay this time," Ally told him as the cashier rung up the prices of their cones. Austin grinned and shook his head playfully. His messy blonde hair became an even messier mess, if that was possible.

"No can do!" He pulled out the exact amount of change needed for both cones before Ally could even blink. She grumbled as they left the dairy parlour.

Ally liked days like this. Where Austin would insist, where she would argue. He was only trying to be a gentleman, but sometimes she just wanted to be the bigger person and pay for the both of them. Or for herself. She didn't need him to be a gentleman all the time.

But it was a good feeling having someone there for you. It left a warming feeling inside of her.

"Thanks for the ice cream," she told him as they sat on a park bench slurping away at their melting dairy. The blonde grinned at her, throwing an arm around her as a kind of side hug. Ally pushed him away however, for fear her ice cream was going to cause an accident.

"Hey, that hurt!" Austin protested, clutching an arm to his chest, a wounded feeling plastered on his face. Ally grinned before shoving him again, playfully. What she didn't know what that his grip on his ice cream was very loose.

"Shit!"

Austin's ice cream cone landed right on her lap, where her shorts and skin met. She gasped at the sudden cold feeling, shrieking a bit too. Austin stared with wide eyes as Ally mirrored his expression.

"Austin!" Ally cried as the dairy began to melt in the scorching Miami heat. Austin stared with wide eyes before chuckling a little.

"Shit! Sorry All—"

The top of Austin's head was met by a cone of Fruity Mint Swirl. Austin stared, once again, with wide eyes as the ice cream dripped down the sides of his face. Ally stuck her tongue out at him, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Hey! No fair, mine was an accident. And technically, you caused it too!" Austin whined. Ally stuck her tongue out again before Austin deliberately dipped his hand into the pool on her lap and flung it at her.

"Austin!" She shrieked as the ice cream got all over her. Ally licked her lips at the Cookie Dough dripping down her cheeks. Austin grinned at her before sticking his own tongue out.

"I'm gonna get you," she grumbled. Before Austin could even register her words, Ally came barrelling towards the blonde boy. Austin sprung up onto his toes and dashed away, ice cream flying behind him from his hair.

Ally chased her best friend around the park, stranger staring at them as if they were crazy. And she silently agreed with them. Two almost-college students with ice cream all over them running and screaming around the park. She almost ran out of breath laughing at her own thoughts.

Suddenly, she collided with Austin's chest. Squeaking, Ally lifted her head to see Austin smirking down at her. She furrowed an eyebrow in confusion before she felt his arms circle around her waist.

Shit.

Austin's hands tickled her sides. She laughed hysterically as his fingers found an especially ticklish spot on her body. She heaved for breath as Ally dropped to ground, taking Austin with her. He was tickling the life out of her; as it was getting harder to breath, almost impossible.

"A-Aus-Austin! Stop, stop, stop!" She shrieked. Austin grinned, bringing his face closer to hers. His hair was matted by the drying ice cream, the scent of Fruit Mint Swirl radiating from it. Ally huffed as he finally stopped, leaving her lungs aching for air.

"You look so squishy sometimes," he mumbled. Ally snapped her head at him, wondering if that was directed at her. Instead, Austin's head was looking somewhere else, as if he were talking to himself. She blushed. Did he think of her as someone adorable and squishy? Or maybe just squishy as in she had no muscles, in which she would slap him for that comment.

They sat in the grass for a while before Ally suggested they cloud watched. Austin grumbled but she knew inside he liked the relaxing time too. Side by side, they watched the clouds a for a while. She secretly stole some glances at her best friend who was falling asleep. Unbeknownst to her, he was not falling asleep, but was also stealing glances at her.

"It's getting late," he murmured some time later in which he actually did wake up from a little nap. Ally nodded her head, helping herself up. The ice cream stains on her clothes were suffering.

She realized her legs were asleep. Ally stumbled a bit before accidentally grabbing Austin's arm. She blushed letting go but Austin grabbed her arm again to help her steady herself. Ally smiled gratefully at the small gesture.

After staring at her for a few more seconds Austin suddenly bent down. "Hop on."

Ally let out a laugh as she got on Austin's back, gripping his shoulders to steady herself. Austin grabbed her shopping bags for her, like a gentleman."Don't drop me!" She gasped as he pretended to trip. She buried her head into his shoulder; the two laughing the whole way home.

...

Ally changed into suitable sleepwear as she flung her dirty clothes into a basket, debating to do the laundry tomorrow. She also took the liberty of trying on her dark blue camisole. It was a perfect fit.

She flopped down onto her bed, spending a little time to think before she pulled out her laptop. Ally liked to waste time doing nothing in particular on her mobile computer.

She scrolled through random posts. Her favourite blog at the moment was Miami H8er Girl's. It was hilarious! The girl would hate on the most random things in Miami. And this week, she was currently ranting on about the surfboard shop; Billl's Surfboards.

Ally sighed, humming along to the tune that flowed through the room. It was calming, yet she knew that the artist was anything but calming.

Her phone signalled her of an incoming text. She hopped off her bed and grabbed her phone from her bedside table, getting a nice stretch in the process. Returning to her original spot on her bed, Ally pressed open her phone.

hey

Austin.

hey

your still up?

of course

wow, ally dawson awake past eight on a school night!

i'm rolling my eyes at you right now

i know

Ally smiled at their familiar conversation. On some nights they texted for hours and hours on end; even facetimed. This was what best friends were supposed to do right?

so what are you doing?

Ally read the text Austin had just sent her. She smiled, texting him back immediately, wanting to know what his response was.

listening to the vinyl you bought me
it's brilliant

Ally waited excitedly for his response. She debated on his answer, mentally seeing if she really knew Austin Moon.

what?
you're listening to it without me?

oops

not fair :(

Ally laughed out loud. Point for her however, since she already knew what he was going to respond to her.

hey, you bought it for me
i can do what i want

ouch
i feel the sass

Ally laughed out loud again. They spent the next half an hour texting back and forth playfully. Of course they were both flirting, but hey, how would they know that?

you free friday night?

Ally furrowed her eyebrow in confusion as the sudden question popped up. They were just having yet another debate about pancake toppings when he sprung the question on her. Ally moved her fingers across her phone.

yeah, what for?

katy perry concert
two tickets
wanna come?

The brunette squealed out loud before quickly texting her best friend back. Her fingers were not cooperating with her brain, however.

omh
dskjgfrh
uyes
YES

okay geez calm down

She rolled her eyes. Katy Perry! Of course Austin had done surprises like this before; Bruno Mars, carnivals, fun beach days. If Monica wasn't his middle name, Surprise might suit him.

Or Louis.

Ally shook her head, instant messaging her best blonde buddy back.

thanks!
you always do these huge gestures for me and all i do is spill ice cream on you

it's okay
i like doing big gestures for you

Ally blushed. Deep down, the feels inside of her were constantly doing back flips and three sixties in her stomach. She brushed off the tingling feeling, returning her attention to her phone.

so whatcha doing?

texting you
you?

texting you too

who would've thought

whatever austin :p

you love it

Ally sighed out loud, typing in something without sending it. She stared at it for a while, wondering if he knew. She wanted him to know, but at the same time; she was scared. Her thumb hovered over the send button.

Sighing again, Ally proceeded to delete the message. That is, until she felt a tickle up her nose that she couldn't control. Ally sneezed.

i love you

Shit.

Shitshitshitshitshitshit. Ally watched in horror as her message displayed right in the middle of their text. Her heartbeat picked up, palms began to sweat. How was she supposed to explain this? How does one un-send a text? Ally frantically dialled the number of none other than Trish de La Rosa. Trish always knew what to do.

"Damn it, Trish!" Ally screeched once Trish picked up. Trish cursed once before yelling over Ally's own profanities.

"What? What is so important that you call at twelve in the damn morning?" Trish hollered back. Ally pulled her phone away from her ear, rubbing it gently. She scowled once before answering her fuming Latina best friend.

"Um, okay. Shit. Uh, how do you un-send a text?" Ally asked, praying to the heavens that this was possible. She waited, and waited, and waited for Trish's reply. She was met by snoring on the other side of the line.

"Trish!"

The noise of someone falling down the stairs was heard.

"What?" Trish snapped angrily.

"How do you un-send a t—"

"You can't!" Trish replied in a snappy tone. The Latina huffed as Ally began to hyperventilate, breathing into the line. Trish just muttered a departure before cutting off the line, leaving Ally to her own devices.

Ally licked her lips as she felt the sweatiness of her palms. Maybe he hasn't read the text yet. Or maybe he fell asleep. Austin hadn't replied yet, so that meant he must've fallen asleep right?

Ally didn't dare to check her messages, for a fear that it would indicate that he had read it. She was better off hyperventilating knowing that he may or may not know.

Seconds passed. And then seconds became minutes. And minutes became half an hour.

Ally laid in bed, her pillow over her eyes. She had screwed up big time. Fucking sneeze. She breathed in deeply, trying to figure out an explanation for Austin when she faced him in person tomorrow at school.

Fuck, and the day was so great too! Everything they did together was already written down in her secret book; stored away for a rainy day. She groaned, thinking her life was over when suddenly her phone buzzed, indicating an incoming text.

Fast as lightning, Ally fumbled for her phone on her bedside table. The screen revealed who the text was from.

Austin.

Ally breathed in deeply. In out, in out. Her fingers shook as she opened up her messages, reading the words Austin sent to her.

i love you too

Her heart literally stopped. Ally read the simple sentence over and over again, making sure she wasn't seeing things. I love you too. She blinked a few times, her heart racing; beating out of her chest.

i have for a while now
i just didn't know how to tell you

Ally was trying to calm down her breathing. He loves me too! Ally squealed out loud at the realization. A wide smile spread across her face as she texted him back, her fingers still shaking from her sudden burst of anxiety. However, Austin beat her to it.

you're still breathing right?

jkegjverjm
jnsdj
yues
YES

good
i want my girlfriend to be alive, not dead

girlfriend?

ally dawson, i'm in love with you

Ally squealed into her pillow, fighting off the butterflies in her stomach. Her palms were still clammy, yet she knew that if Austin were here, he wouldn't care. He'd tease her about it, even when she knew his hands would be clammier.

She finally did it. Admitted to her best friend that she was in love with him. And found out that he was in love with her. She screamed out loud into her pillow again, a smile plastered wide across her face. She'd have to thank her nose for the sneeze later.

and austin moon, i'm in love with you

Ta da! I'm sorry if you got confused with who was who with the texting thing. I didn't know if I should add the names of the texts, but I got lazy, so. Please excuse the messy texting layout. :o

And I know it seems without plot at the beginning. That's because I needed for them to have a good time first, hah. Wow, I'm finding fault everywhere. :x

Please leave a review and tell me what you think! Have a happy day!