Disclaimer: I really really really really really really really really really don't own anything.

Summary: Austin is sick and tired of seeing couples together at Christmas and hates the fact there's nothing he can do about it. Or is there? AustinAlly. One shot. Merry Christmas!

A/N: Hello! Enjoy one of probably a few Christmas one shots! (One of three?) I still have two more half-written one shots that will be (hopefully!) up in the days before Christmas, and another Christmas one shot that I have an idea for, so keep looking out for me! :)

Recommended listening song: Over My Head (Cable Car) - The Fray. It's what I was listening to when I wrote this c:

Also: I apologise for the probably numerous amount of spelling errors and grammar mistakes. I have a new laptop and am only just getting adjusted to the keyboard :)

because nobody ought to be all alone on christmas

:::

Austin could not do this anymore.

He refused to even try to do this.

He was sitting in Miami Mall, while all the blinding lights twinkled around him; the tinsel was so vibrant and close to the chair he was sitting at he almost felt as if it was snaking around him, suffocating him. He was supposed to meet Dez here ten minutes ago, and if this overpowering feeling kept up Austin would be leaving before long.

He loved Christmas, really, but this year it was just so hard.

He looked to his left and noticed a guy he knew from school, sitting across from his girlfriend, both of them drinking hot chocolate.

The same boy noticed Austin's glance and nodded, Austin raised his eyebrows back and gave a friendly smile when said girlfriend waved at him.

They then proceeded to promptly get lost in each other's eyes and forget that anyone else ever existed.

Austin shook his head bitterly.

It was just so difficult to get into the Christmas spirit when you had no one to share it with.

Just as Austin was about to get up with a sigh, Dez came running towards him, a whirlwind of bright red hair, eccentric clothing and a flurry of snowflakes.

"Hey buddy," Dez said, sitting down and unwinding his scarf from his neck. "Sorry I'm late."

"S'cool." Austin mumbled, even though it kind of wasn't. "Where were you?"

Dez's cheeks immediately coloured and Austin was pretty sure it wasn't from the cold. "I was with Trish."

Austin almost withheld his comment for his friend's sake.

Almost.

"Oh, with Trish now are we?" He raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"Oh shut up." Dez said, swatting his best friend with his scarf. "I could say the same to you when you're with Ally, but there's no point because you can't be teased."

"And why can't I be teased?" Austin asked with a confused frown.

Dez looked at him openly. "Because there's nothing to tease you about. You're so in love with Ally it's not even a fun idea anymore, it's just a fact — the truth."

Austin gave a small pout. "I'm not in love with Ally."

"Dude, you're so in love with her I'm surprised she's not like, drowning in your supply of love or something." Dez laughed at his own little joke.

"Shut up, that's so not true."

Dez gave Austin the significantly raised eyebrows look, which Austin could have read from a mile away. Dez was silently looking at him, his facial expression screaming, Seriously Austin, seriously? Austin's body slumped under the gaze.

"Fine, so what if I do like her? It's not like there's a lot I can do about it."

"Of course there is." Dez said, looking at his friend strangely and crossing one leg comfortably over the other. "You should ask her out."

"No way." Austin replied instantly. "No way jóse, nah ah. Not happening."

Dez just shook his head with a small smile.

At Dez's next words, Austin placed his head in his hands and groaned. "Dude, you are way in over your head."

Austin watched Ally from the doorway of Sonic Boom before he went in. She was chatting idly with a customer over a red guitar, obviously giving the best advice, because everyone knows Ally gives the best advice ever.

When she's thinking straight, that is.

When the customer finally wandered off, and Ally was back behind the counter, Austin hopped onto it himself.

"Hello." He said with a bright grin.

"Hello." Ally said smiling whilst finishing writing something in her book.

Austin looked around the shop. "I like the Christmas decorations."

"Really?" Ally said hopefully. "I just put them up but I didn't know if they were right or if they—"

"They're perfect." Austin said, silencing her. "Just right. Not too little, not too many, sometimes they can be too intense."

Ally blushed prettily. "Thank you."

"I got a headache from some earlier, while I was waiting for Dez."

Ally looked at him, surprised. "You showed up early enough to actually have to wait for him?" She laughed at his narrowed gaze and he pushed her shoulder lightly.

"I've never been late since I gave you that diary and I announced Austin & Ally time as a thing, so you can shush." Austin said, tapping her nose.

No matter how bitter, angry or upset he was, something about being with Ally made him feel more at peace with himself.

"So Dez showed up late, you were blinded and headache-y, anything interesting happen?"

"Just talking about couples at Christmas time. And how neither of us are part of a couple."

"Oooh." Ally said, leaning both elbows on the counter and looking up at him from where her head rested on the palms of her hands. "Talk about anyone in particular?"

"Trish and Dez." Austin said fondly. Ally giggled. "And he tried to bring up someone with me, but eh."

"Eh, hey?" Ally said easily. "Who's the lucky girl then, c'mon, spill." Ally poked his side with her hand.

"It doesn't matter."

"I respect that." After all, it had been her who secretly harboured her feelings for Dallas for the longest time. Plus, she had her book. Secrecy was something Ally had come to respect, and that was one of the many reasons Austin trusted her so much.

"She's amazing though." He said, looking right at her. "She absolutely not perfect and I love it. I can't even describe her, everything would be too cliché and awful. She's just brilliant. She's one of those girls, you know like, when you read a post on Tweeter or something? And the girls in the post seem so perfect and then the caption says I wish real girls were like this. Well she's like that. She's so awesome that people don't think she exists, but I have the privilege of knowing her."

"Wow." Ally says with a soft smile but a slight pain in her eyes. "She seems wonderful. Lucky you."

"Lucky me." Austin says and licks his lips pointedly.

"She's all I think about."

Ally scrunches her nose and Austin immediately senses her discomfort and internally cheers. Jealous. "I'm happy for you Austin, but you know you're way in over your head, don't you?"

"Yeah." He says, "Yeah I do."

"Trish." Austin whines as she stands in a movie theatre booth. It's her latest job. "I'm lonely." She's currently selling tickets but people seem to be avoiding her booth in favour of the ones next to it.

Austin heard a lady saying it was because of the atrocious customer service.

(He also heard her say that it was because there was a whiny boy standing with said atrocious employee and people were sick of hearing him whinge. He promptly ignored the lady and stuck his tongue out at her when she wasn't looking.)

"Austin." Trish mimics from behind the glass. "Go and bug Ally or something. Leave me alone."

Austin rolled his eyes. "I've already spoken to her, I nearly ended up admitting I'm in love with her, so I don't want to go back there." He shut his eyes and dramatically leaned his head back on the glass.

"And why would that be such a bad thing?" Trish said with a tone. "Gosh, you two just need to get it together already! I mean even me and Dez—" Trish promptly cut herself off and Austin pumped a fist in the air in victory.

"Aha!" He shouted. "I knew there was something going on. I am such a genius."

It was Trish's turn to roll her eyes. "If Ally was here she'd be swatting you by now."

"If Ally was here I'd be thinking about other things apart from my awesomeness." Austin said laughing.

Trish smiled deviously. "Fair enough."

A customer braved Trish's booth and Trish gave the girl a discount because she was feeling particularly festive. Austin smiled — Trish wasn't really all bad.

"You should just ask her, though." Trish said when she was done. "I mean, now's the perfect time, it being Christmas and all."

"Thanks but no thanks." Austin said shaking his head. "I'm not ruining anything at this happy time of year."

"But Austin you have to do something sometime," Trish said, starting to get frustrated. "You'll go insane otherwise. Where's your infinite confidence got to?"

"I don't know." Austin muttered. "But it's not here and I don't know what to do about it."

"Austin Moon nervous over Ally Dawson, never thought I'd see the day." Trish commented idly.

"Shut up Trish." He said, glaring at her half heartedly. "Not helping."

Trish pounded her fist on the till's desk. "Austin please go get your sorry butt over to Sonic Boom and tell Ally how desperate you are for her."

Austin looked behind him, self consciously. "My butt isn't sorry."

"It will be if you don't go and find Ally." Trish said darkly. "Now go, be off with you, I don't want to see your pouty face anymore, it offends my eyes."

"My face could never offend anyone's eyes." Austin says haughtily. "You're just sour because you have to wear the ridiculous Christmas hat." He laughed, cackling at her through the glass.

"I swear if you don't leave now I will beat you when I get out of this thing." Trish said honestly. Austin, still laughing, backed away and held his hands up in surrender.

"Okay, okay. I'm going. I better not regret this."

"You won't." Trish said simply.

Austin let out a long breath and massaged his temples before he started to walk away. Trish didn't miss any of the stressed body language and couldn't help but roll her eyes once more.

"Austin!" She called. He turned back to look at her. "You're in way over your head."

He just sighs tiredly and walks away.

Stupid Trish, Austin thought. She put me up to this.

Austin knew that wasn't really true, but everything was easier when it was some else's fault.

He stressed himself out more and more as he walked towards the daunting Sonic Boom. His mind played him different scenarios of how everything could go so badly wrong and he wrung his hands together at the thought of it.

By the time he reached Sonic Boom's doors, he was so wound up with the anticipation he thought he may burst.

"Hey Ally." He said, jitters in his voice as he approached her. They were on opposites sides of the counter.

"Are you okay?" Ally says as a greeting. He nods frantically and Ally's concerned frown deepens. "Are you sur—"

"There's something I need to tell you." Austin cuts her off.

She looks at him openly. "Okay. Tell me."

"It's you." He says and then bites his lip, eyes shifty and wow he didn't realise he'd put such nice shoes on this morning.

"I don't get it." Ally said, the frown on her face turning to confused and he looks up to see the dazed look in her eyes. She comes around the counter to stand beside him.

"The girl, I was talking about earlier, it was you. I was talking about you." He's aware that he's basically repeating the same thing over and over, but his brain has kind of stopped processing things and he's got the same set of words he wants to say whirling around in his head but he can't quite seem to force them past his lips.

"Me?" Ally says. There is shock on her face but her eyes scream HOPE, I HOPE IT'S ME, and then he bursts.

"Look, I mean, I know it could jeopardise our friendhsip but I really didn't plan on telling you at this particular moment in time, it just kind of happened and—"

"Austin—"

"—I mean Dez and Trish were both pushing me to tell you because they want us to be happy, which I get, but there's a lot of pressure in telling you how I feel. Plus I kept seeing all the happy couples together and I couldn't help but think that could be you and me and then that made me more upset and stressed and put more pressure on me to just tell you—"

"Austin—"

Everything's coming out in a rush but he can't stop now, he just can't. "—and I'm way too deep, over my head I can't stop thinking about you all the time and especially now that it's Christmas I just want you to be mine so I can make sure we kiss under mistletoe and buy you the perfect present and just love the feel of you by my side and wow this is so nerve-racking."

He paused a minute to look at Ally, who was smiling softly.

"You're forgetting," She said with laughing eyes, "That I'm the person who talks a mile a minute every minute, so I understood every word you just said perfectly."

She walks close to him and gently runs her hand down his cheek. "Everyone knew I was head over heels for you, but you, Ally."

"I guess they did." She says thoughtfully. "You know that mistletoe thing?" Ally asks and Austin nods. "Let's do that now, just minus the mistletoe. We can find some later." He laughs and then kisses her.

When they pull away, she says, "What am I thinking, getting involved with you?" Her tone is playful and he beams, thinking of the perfect thing to say in response.

"You must be in over your head, Ally."

"How many times have you said that, or had someone say that to you today?" She asks fondly.

"Five, six?" He replies.

She smirks and he kisses her nose.

"Merry Christmas, Austin."

"Merry Christmas."

A/N: Bleh, ending, but otherwise I thought this was okay. Kind of a slightly angstier one with a happy ending. The next one should be happy and cute and fluffly, as I normally in.

Please review! If you review it means I know you're interested in this and what I'm doing with my writing, and that gives me motivation. Reviews make me happy too! :)

-— Sophie.