Opened Skies ~ An Auslly Fanfic

The End

It's many, many months later. Almost enough to constitute a year.  I'm exhausted, for all the right reasons, because in the seats behind me, Dez and Trish are continuously arguing about only God knows what at this point, and Austin is snoring so very lightly to my left, and I'm on my second flight in twelve hours. I don't think I've ever been more content.

And it's almost ridiculous how things just sorta work out. Even if they sure as hell don't come easy. I've got earbuds in and I'm listening to piano solos because those are currently my favorite. I could fall asleep, but there's a something in my mind telling me to stay up, and so I busy myself with lyrics and mental songwriting and somewhere between eleven PM and a whole lot of piano everything suddenly becomes real.

I don't know what it was before. A dream, maybe. Probably. And now I've woken up to find that reality is no less absurd, yet absurdly better. The strange realization is making me laugh out loud, and anyone around me who isn't asleep is staring, but I'm pretending I don't notice. I accidentally wake Austin up.

"What's so funny?" His groggy voice slurs.

"Everything. And nothing. I'm sorry, go back to sleep," I tell him apologetically. He shrugs and sits up a little straighter in his seat.

"I'm awake now, it's okay." He tries to stifle a yawn. "What's so funny?" he repeats.

"The way things play out for us. I don't know, it's a funny thing." I'm laughing again, and I can't stop. Austin is rolling tired eyes in my direction, but he takes my hand and mutters,

"You're beautifully insane."

"Get used to it. I'm gonna be a senile old lady by the time I'm twenty-five."

"I wish I didn't doubt that. Lucky for you, I've got a thing for old ladies."

"I wish that wasn't so disgusting. But...I'm serious now." Austin's eyes lock with mine as he waits attentively. "I'm gonna make insane decisions."

"Hundreds."

"You're gonna think I'm crazy."

"Like I don't already."

"And you'll slap the sense back into me, and somehow, we'll make it work, Austin."

"I've never been more sure go anything in my life. Sometimes I'm gonna doubt you."

"That's how I'll know you're functioning properly."

"And sometimes I'll doubt everything. And then you'll slap some confidence back into me. That's just how we fit."

"I'm glad we had this discussion," I mumble, closing my eyes and resting my head on his shoulder. "What if the airplane crashed right now and we hadn't?"

"Ally, that's such a horrible thing to say."

"Isn't it? I'm too tired to care. It's my turn to sleep." Austin kisses the top of my head and I open my eyes for a moment to smile up at him, before my eyelids gain a pound a second, and I really am dreaming.

~

"Let me tell you something, Ally," Trish leans over to say. We've both woken up early, I because I'm not all that used  to sleeping somewhere new every couple of nights,. Trish isn't usually up before me, and so even though we've been sharing countless hotel rooms, I never really talk to her much.

Now we're both on the balcony, seated around the tiny dining table, and I'm waiting for her to continue. "I'm only twenty-four, but sometimes even then you can be certain about things. And I think I know that you're never gonna find another Austin Moon as long as forever. Don't ever let that go." She's staring at me with such a powerful gaze, and her five years of age on me allow her to be wise. I'd be an idiot not to agree with her, even if disagreeing never once crossed my mind.