"If All We Are is Just a Moment, Don't Forget"

by: singyourmelody

Disclaimer: Don't own Austin & Ally characters. Title is from "I Think of You" from the most recent episode, "Partners and Parachutes." This story picks up right where that episode left off. The songs mentioned are not mine either.

They're a couple now.

"It's kind of weird to say out loud, isn't it?" she asks as they head up to the practice room, the copy of Cheetah Beat that proclaims their new status in her hand.

"A little. I guess that makes you my girlfriend," he responds, closing the door behind them.

"Huh. Boyfriend," she says, testing it out, rolling it around in her mouth, memorizing the way her lips move to form the word.

"Girlfriend," he responds and she can tell he's doing the same thing.

"Yeah, it's definitely going to take some adjusting," she says, smiling and biting her lip.

"But we're here," he says.

She nods. "Yeah, we are." His grin matches hers, she notices.

"So, what do we do now?" he asks, sitting on their piano bench as she reaches for her book, flipping through the pages until she finds the list. As she speaks, she begins checking things off.

"Well, traditionally we would change our facebook statuses and then reset our speed dials. And then you would take me on our first date, but not until you talk to my dad. And then I probably should learn your locker combination and you can memorize mine and maybe your email password as well, because you never know when that might come in handy. And have you told your parents yet? Mine already know obviously, but we should definitely sit down and talk with yours and . . ." she pauses and looks up at him.

He looks terrified and she laughs.

"Austin, I'm kidding."

"Kidding."

"Of course." She turns her book around to show him her inventory list for the store.

"So you didn't make some sort of relationship checklist? We don't have to do all that stuff?" he asks, the shock slowly wearing off of his face.

"Of course we don't. I think the first thing, really the only thing we need to do is take it slow," she says, reaching for his hand.

He nods. "I can do that."

So, slow is a little harder than he thought.

He's staring at her lips and he really shouldn't, he knows this, but she is playing and singing and looking so amazing and sounding so incredible and he's a guy, okay? It's hard to stop anything once he's started doing it and watching her is no different.

"You're doing it again," she says, stopping her song.

"Doing what?" he says, in mock innocence, crossing his arms and propping them on the backwards chair he's sitting on next to the piano.

"Staring! How am I supposed to keep singing when you're looking at me like that?"

"Um . . . am I not allowed to look at you?"

She looks flustered for a moment. "No you are, it's just. . . I don't know. This is supposed to be our practice time, but when you're looking at me like that, it's hard to concentrate. Stop grinning! I know you are loving this," she says, shaking her head, a blush creeping over her cheeks.

He is loving this. He's loving that he can make her feel embarrassed and awkward and a little unsure because deep down that's exactly where he's at too.

"Fine. No looking," he says, closing his eyes, the grin still tugging at his lips.

He hears her sigh once, then inhale and he opens one eye just a bit to see her deliberating with herself.

"You don't need to do that. It's silly. I mean we should be able to look at each other without everything you know . . . just, it's just, uh. . ."

And then he doesn't hear anything because her lips are on his and his eyes fly open and she's kissing him, really kissing him, no Kira or Trish or Dez or anybody around. Just him and her and he kisses her back like he's dreamt of kissing her for so many hours. Her hands find their way up to his hair and his fingers are tracing her cheekbones and it's just perfect. That's always been the word to describe them, hasn't it? Him, her, music, together, it fits.

She pulls back after a moment, her eyes wide. "Um. . ."

But he shakes his head. "No 'ums.' We get to do that now."

She smiles and lifts up her hand to high five him. "Heck yes, we do."

He laughs and high fives her, but doesn't let go of her hand and he realizes that this is their new normal now and it's amazing.

Megan comes back (seriously, doesn't that girl ever go to school?) and presses them for information about their relationship. Where was your first kiss? When was your first date? When did you realize that you were totally MFEO? Insert squeal and flash photography here.

They are purposefully mum about it, which frustrates Megan to no end, but they decided ahead of time that if this was ever going to work, they had to keep some things to themselves.

"Does it ever bother you that I never took you on a real first date?" he asks as he's walking her home after her shift at Sonic Boom.

She shrugs. "I think first dates are for couples who are just getting to know each other. I see our first all-night songwriting session as our first date. And that time we went to the Zaliens marathon. That was a first date. That time that we sang together at the Halloween party. And that practice date we planned together. Those were first dates. Any time I got to know you in a new way, that was a first date for me."

He nods and looks at their intertwined fingers. "Well, now we're together and we're figuring each other out in a new way, so maybe we should do something special."

"Okay, what'd you have in mind?"

He thinks back to that practice date she had planned. "Silent movie and picnic in the park?"

She laughs. "No way."

"Why? I thought that was like your ideal date?"

"It's something I'd enjoy for sure. But I know you wouldn't. This date needs to be about both of us, not just me. We should plan it together," she suggests.

"Okay, but can I nix cloud watching?"

"Only if I can ban Zaliens."

"Even Zaliens 7? You said that one at least had a decent plot."

She shakes her head. "Having a plot that makes sense should be a requirement of every film, not an exception to be proud of, Austin. No Zaliens."

"Okay, so what do you want to do?"

"I have an idea."

Two days later, they find themselves waiting in line at Gary's Go-Karts.

"So do you have any experience driving?" he asks as they watch the go-karts go zipping by.

"My dad's been giving me lessons."

"Really?" he asks. "I didn't know you were working on getting your license."

"Well, by lessons I really mean lesson. As in one, where I almost crashed into a tree, so he decided we should go back to basics. . ."

"Meaning?"

"He's forced me to watch like six hours of instructional videos and practice with a cardboard steering wheel he created."

"Ouch."

"Yeah," she replies. "This is why this is so perfect. I have a need for speed and I am gonna kick your butt."

"Huh. Want to make a friendly wager about that?" he suggests.

"I'm listening."

"Loser buys ice cream," he says pointing to the nearby ice cream shop.

She shakes her head. "Not enough."

"Oh really?" he asks, surprised.

"Loser sings song of winner's choice at the Karaoke Bar over there," she says.

"You're on. How do you feel about Lionel Richie anyway?" he asks.

"Not as bad as your gonna feel about a little Paula Abdul," she says.

"You're so going down, Dawson," he challenges, as they strap in.

He's wrong, of course.

She wasn't lying about her need for speed and she easily beats him.

"Best two out of three," he demands, but it doesn't matter because she wins those too.

As she pours over the book of song selections, he orders french fries and mozzarella sticks and brings them to their table.

"So, what's my punishment?"

"I can't decide. 'I Will Survive,' by Gloria Gaynor or 'Dancing Queen' by Abba?"

"I hate you," he states.

"No you don't," she says, grinning.

And really, he doesn't. Quite the opposite actually.

"What happened to Paula Abdul? I sort of know that song she sang with the cartoon cat."

She nods. "Paula it is then." She walks with him up to the DJ. "He'll be singing 'Opposites Attract.'"

The music starts and he begins rapping M.C. Kat's part.

I'm M.C. Kat on the rap so mic it
Here's a little story and you're sure to like it
Swift and sly and I'm playing it cool
With my homegirl, Paula Abdul

When he gets to Paula's part, he runs down into the seating area and grabs her hand, pulling her up on stage with her.

She shakes her head no, but he hands her the second mic and she rolls her eyes before singing.

Baby, seems we never ever agree
You like the movies
And I like TV

He chimes in:

I take things serious
And you take 'em light

Before she sings back:

I go to bed early

He sings:

And I party all night

Their voices come together:

Our friends are sayin'
We ain't gonna last

Then just her:

'Cause I move slowly

He responds:

And baby I'm fast

She steps closer to him:

I like it quiet

He leans closer too:

And I love to shout

Before they sing together:

But when we get together
It just all works out

She says:

I take two steps forward

He sings:

I take two steps back

Together they harmonize:

We come together
'Cause opposites attract
And you know-it ain't fiction
Just a natural fact
We come together
'Cause opposites attract

Opposites attract

They finish the song and run off stage and she gives him a little push so that he stumbles a bit before she says, "I hate you for doing that!" But her eyes are twinkling and he laughs and kisses her and their ridiculous song and her momentary anger and their fried food is all forgotten.

He walks her home that night and stops her under a streetlight a short distance from her house.

"What are you doing?" she asks, as he pulls her close and wraps his arms around her waist. She places hers around his neck.

"This has been the best date ever."

"Yeah it has."

"But I wanted to do one last thing."

She looks around them. "Okay. . ."

He reaches in his pocket and pulls out his iPod earbuds. He places one in his ear and hands the other one to her, gesturing for her to do the same.

He hits play and as the sounds of Bon Iver's "re: Stacks" floats around them, they begin to sway back and forth, a perfect rhythm.

They dance in silence for a most of the melody, her head resting below his.

"Is this your nomination for our song?" she asks, her eyes softening at the idea of something that is solely theirs.

He nods and softly sings to her "This is not the sound of a new man or crispy realization. It's the sound of the unlocking and the lift away. Your love will be safe with me."

Her eyes dart up to his then. "Your love will be safe with me, too."

She kisses him gently and he decides he never wants to leave this moment.

He arrives at her house twenty minutes before school with a soy cinnamon latte in his hand.

"I believe the term that they use here is hero. Or maybe lifesaver," she says, as he holds it out to her.

"Well, I know how late we were up writing last night. . ."

She takes a sip. "Mmm. So good." She reaches up and brushes some hair out of his eyes. "Thanks for being the best boyfriend ever."

"Boyfriend, huh?"

"It fits better now, right?" she says, closing the door behind them as they walk onto the sidewalk. It's been several weeks since he sang to her at the Sonic Boom and everything is starting to become routine.

"True. Didn't you see me introduce you to that new producer guy as my girlfriend? That's progress," he states.

"I did. It was a good moment," she says.

"A great moment even."

"Very . . . defining?"

"Labeling?"

"Eww. I hate the whole labels thing," she says.

"I know. I mean, you're kind of stuck with me for the rest of forever, so you might as well get used to it now. No labels necessary," he states.

"So maybe I should call you my leech, then?" she suggests, teasingly.

He takes hold of her latte and moves behind her, before wrapping himself around her so that she has to stop walking.

"So Ally, if I was your leech, do you think I'd be stuck on you like this?"

"Austin. . ."

He adjusts his body so that he's now hovering over her. "Or maybe like this?"

She sighs and turns so that she is facing him. She grabs one of his arms and one of his legs and propels him upwards so that he's on her back. Slowly she begins walking. "I think this position is probably more accurate."

"Hey! You don't always carry me!"

"Well, what are you gonna do about it?"

He squirms so that she lets go of him and with one quick motion he scoops her up and tosses her over his shoulder and begins walking.

"Austin! Put me down!'

He ignores her.

"Austin. Are you drinking my latte? I can hear you sipping! Put me down!" she demands.

"Say I'm not your leech."

"Austin. . ."

"Ally. . ."

"Ugh, fine. You are not my leech. You're my boyfriend and I care about you, but I would care about you a lot more if you would put me down and give me back my latte."

He obeys and sets her down in front of him.

"Now was that so hard?" he asks, smiling.

"You think you're so charming, don't you?" she asks.

"No, I know I am."

She punches his shoulder. "You're lucky I lo- care about you."

His eyes grow wide and so do hers as she realizes what she almost said. It's too soon for that.

She turns and keeps walking and he follows and within a few minutes they are at school but her words are still hanging in the air around them.

She finally turns to face him.

"Sonic Boom after school?" she asks and he nods.

"Meet you here at 3:00?" he asks and she nods.

The bell rings and she turns to head to her first class, but he grabs her arm and stops her. She doesn't turn towards him, however, so he just steps forward and whispers in her ear, "I lo-care about you too."

He doesn't see her smile and bite her lip as he walks to class, but that's okay. There will be plenty of time for that later.

Thanks for reading and reviewing. Love to all.