(delaney's outfit for this chapter)

The atmosphere at Sonic Boom buzzed with energy as Delaney perched on the counter, chatting away with Ally and Finn. The three shared a look when suddenly Austin and Dez walked in with Austin pushing Dez, who sat in a cart with a stuffed manatee as he made trumpet noises while Dez waved at people.

"I guess now is the time where I ask, what are you doing?" Ally questioned, furrowing her eyebrows at the boys.

"At this point, I learned not to question anything they do." Delaney told her as she watched them with amusement.

"I'm practicing my parade wave." Dez replied with a grin and jumped off the cart.

"Since Dez is a cheerleader, he's gonna be on their float in the homecoming parade." Austin explained.

Finn nods in realization, pointing at Dez's cheer uniform he had on. "That explains why you have that on." 

"So what's the theme of the cheerleader float this year?" Ally inquired.

"Funny you should ask." Dez leans against the counter with a smirk, pointing at himself. "I'm the one building it. The theme is gonna be 'The ocean world or habitat, if you will, of our mascot the majestic Marino high manatee, sometimes referred to as the sea cow.'"

The trio stares at him with a look. Finn shakes his head. "That's a long title, dude." He pointed out.

"Yeah," Delaney agrees. "It's like a whole paragraph. How are you gonna fit that on a banner?" She added, stifling a laugh.

Dez shrugs, waving a dismissive hand. "Details, details. The important thing is that it captures the essence of our school spirit, right?"

"Sure," Finn quips. "If by essence you mean 'confusion,' then yeah, you've nailed it."

"Ally, I have some big news!" Trish's excited voice fills the room as she rushed inside, holding a magazine. "I just got off the phone with Ronnie Ramone. He wants you to write a song with Gavin Young." She turned the magazine around to show Gavin's face on the front of it.

Delaney raises her eyebrows, tilting her head to the side. Her interest was piqued. Gavin Young was a new young country artist that quickly rose to fame. "Whoa, seriously? That's amazing, Ally!" She grins at her friend. She was proud of her and excited for her. "Wow, he's really cute." She muttered, taking the magazine from Trish to get a closer look at him. She missed the fact that Austin's body stiffened and his smile dropped when she said that.

"Gavin Young, that hot new country singer?" Dez questioned with a grin.

"No, Gavin Young, that hot new...I'm gonna try to steal him as a client, country singer." Trish smirked.

"I don't know. I'm not sure if I want to work with him." Ally admitted.

"Why not?" Austin spoke up.

"I'd be doing all the work. He's just some pretty boy who probably knows nothing about music." Ally responded.

"You don't know that." Trish assures her. "We happen to know a guy who's proven that being pretty doesn't mean you're not talented."

"Thank you, Trish." Dez chimed in when he walked by her. Trish glances at him with disbelief. "I was talking about Austin."

"Thanks." Austin smiles. "And Trish is right. I think you should work with Gavin." He now stood by Delaney, leaning against the counter by her. Their sides brushed against each other but neither one moved to pull away. Delaney had Finn give the magazine back to Trish since she couldn't reach Trish and Finn was closer.

"Really?" Ally asks with surprise. "You don't mind me writing with someone else?

""No, it's only one song. And it'd be good for your career." Austin reassured her.

"Yeah, if he needs help with writing a song," Delaney cut in with a smile. "I can help him out." She offered, making Austin's heart flutter at her offer as he smiled at her.

"You're right. Okay, Trish. Tell Ronnie I'll do it." Ally turned to Trish, a smile forming on her lips.

"Great, I'll call him." Trish responded, excitement clear in her voice.

"While you do that, I'm gonna practice my parade wave." Dez grins and started waving. Trish started waving too which caused him to raise his eyebrows. "Oh, are you working on yours too?"

"No, I just want you to leave. Buh-bye." Trish confessed, continuing to wave at him.

Delaney snickered along with Finn, shaking her head at the pair. Austin couldn't help the small smile that crept up his face at the sound of her laugh. He felt a wave of butterflies erupting in his stomach. It's amazing how she could make him feel that way so easily.

****

Later that afternoon, Delaney had been hanging out at Sonic Boom while Austin went to go see if he and Ally could work on their song. She eventually went to go check on Austin and Ally, surprised to find Gavin Young in the room with her friends along with Trish and Finn. Finn had already been in the room hanging out with Ally before Austin and the others came in. Delaney had to admit, Gavin was even better looking up close. 

"Wow." She mumbled to herself as she looked at him. He must've heard her because he looked up and smiled at her.

"Hi, you're Delaney, right?" He greets, his voice friendly and welcoming with a country twang. "I'm Gavin Young, though considering by your expression I can tell you already knew that. I'm a big fan of you, by the way." He added, surprising her.

"Uh, y-yeah. Hi, and thank you, it's nice to meet you." She said, slightly stumbling over her words as she was flustered. "I'm a big fan of yours, too."

"Really?" He asks, seeming genuinely surprised. "That's really nice to hear." He added with a warm smile.

Delaney couldn't help but smile back at him and tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. She was starting to understand why everyone was so fascinated by him. There was something about him that drew her in. Besides his good looks, maybe it was his charm or his confidence, but whatever it was, she couldn't look away. Gavin then turned back to Austin and continued talking with him since they had been talking before Delaney came in. Overlapping chatter filled the air as they talked about the texture cream they used on their hair. Delaney rolled her eyes and chuckled. She wasn't surprised they were having that conversation at all. Trish cut in, interrupting the boys. 

"Uh, guys. Ally and Gavin have to get to work. See, that's the kind of manager I am. Sign with me and I'll keep you focused." An amused look formed on Delaney's face at that. She had a feeling Trish would try to get Gavin as her client."

Uh, thanks, but I already have a great manager. And it would just break his little heart if I left him." Gavin replied with an apologetic smile.

"Ugh, do you really want to be repped by a sensitive crybaby like that?" Trish grimaced as she shook her head.

"Okay, Gavin." Ally chuckles, guiding Gavin over to the piano. "Songwriting can be complicated so I'll keep it simple for you." She gestured over to a easel she set up with a board that had the major pentatonic scale on it.

Gavin looks at it with confusion. "Uh, what's with all them black dots and lines and stuff up there?"

Ally looks away with a grimace. "Oh, boy, it's worse than I thought."

Gavin shakes his head and grins at her. "Aw, I'm just kidding. I know that's a major pentatonic scale. I've been studying music theory since I was three."

Ally glances at him with wide eyes. "Okay, wow. Then this is gonna be fun. I've never worked with anybody who knows as much about music as I do."

"What about me?" Austin said into a fake cough. 

"You okay, Austin? You out to get that cough checked out." Ally told him sympathetically. 

Austin's shoulders slump in defeat as he frowned and looked at Delaney for help. She sympathetically patted his shoulder and gave him a warm smile. She noticed though out of the corner of her eye Finn looked a bit tense, maybe even jealous at seeing Ally and Gavin being so close and comfortable with each other. She hoped he was okay. She knew he had a crush on Ally, so it had to be hard for him seeing the girl he liked so happy and cheerful with another guy.

****

(delaney's outfit for this part of the chapter)

On Friday night of that week, Delaney was in her room getting ready for bed. She had gotten a text from Finn saying he had a good time at his lacrosse game. He had an away game and his team had won, so that put him in a good mood.

She was now changing into pjs before she climbed into bed. She had already cleaned her face and brushed her teeth, so she was ready for bed. She had gotten underneath the covers when she heard a knock on her window. She perked up, smiling when she saw Austin outside her window.

She got out of bed and walked over to her window, opening it. "Austin." She greets him with a grin. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Laney." Austin grins, climbing into her room. "I'm sorry, am I bothering you?" He asked, hoping he wasn't. He needed someone to talk to.

"No, no. You're fine." Delaney assures him and sat down on her bed. "You can come here anytime, you know that." 

"Yeah, I know." Austin sighs and he sat down by her, leaning against the headboard. "Okay, so, I know I shouldn't worry about this, but I'm worried that Ally will start writing songs with Gavin instead. 'Cause they were already working on another song today and she asked if we could work on my song tomorrow. What if she likes writing songs with him more than with me?" He rambled. He couldn't help it. He felt insecure.

"Austin." Delaney said, stopping his ramble and putting her hand on his knee to comfort him. "Ally loves writing songs with you. She'll always love writing songs with you. That won't ever change." She tells him, squeezing his knee. "This is just a great opportunity for her and her career so I'm sure she's gonna want to take advantage of this."

Austin looks over at her, biting his lip. "You don't think she'll want to write with him more than with me though, right?" He asks, not wanting to let go of that thought. He knew it was irrational, but he couldn't help it. "'Cause I-I don't think I could do it without her." He pauses before adding, "If that does happen, maybe you could work with me. 'Cause we're a great team and we've written some awesome songs together before. We never put them on the internet before, but we could. Plus being with you makes everything better."

Delaney couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. Her heart skipped a beat at his suggestion and butterflies swarmed her stomach at his words. She agreed with him. Being with him made everything so much better. And writing songs with him? She liked the sound of that. She loved writing songs and working on music. And doing that with Austin? Even better. He was right. She almost forgot about those songs they wrote when they were younger. "That does sound like a lot of fun." She said with a nod, a thoughtful look forming on her face. "Of course I'd be honored to work with you, Austie. But let's not jump to conclusions, okay? Blondie, I'm sure you've got nothing to worry about."

Austin's smile grew at her response. His worries seem to be forgotten when he was around her. Just like she was always there to lift him up, she was also good at reassuring him and easing his worries. "Thanks, Laney. I hope you're right."

"I'm always right, you know that." Delaney teased with a playful smirk.

"Yeah, yeah." Austin chuckled, rolling his eyes. He was glad that he was able to confide in her about his worries and that she was always willing to listen and help him.

"Now, can I ask why you came through my window and not the front door?" Delaney asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

He shrugs, grinning at her. "I always climb through your window. Plus it's more fun that way." He says, leaning a bit closer to her with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "And it's like our little secret, you know?"

Delaney couldn't help but chuckle at his response, shaking her head fondly. "Fair enough," She replies with a playful grin. "Just promise me you won't fall and break your neck one of these days, alright?"

Austin's grin widens, enjoying their banter. "I promise," He responds, holding up his hand in a mock solemn gesture. "Scout's honor."

Delaney rolls her eyes and giggles, shaking her head again. "Now, since you're here, did you want to hang out for a bit? Maybe watch a movie or something?"

Austin's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "That sounds great," He answers eagerly. "As long as it's not one of those cheesy rom-coms you always make me watch."

Delaney feigns offense, placing a hand over her heart dramatically. "Hey, those rom-coms are classics," She protests. "I know for a fact you secretly like them, no matter what you say."

Austin's cheeks tinted pink at her words. She wasn't wrong. He did like the cheesy rom-com movies they watched together. In fact, he loved them. He was just embarrassed by that fact, but she knew how much he enjoyed them. "I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree." He finally conceded grinning cheekily.

Delaney laughs, nudging him with her elbow playfully. "Fine, we'll watch a different movie," She decides, picking up the remote and switching on the tv. "But if I remember correctly, you liked 'Love Actually'. And you even teared up when we watched it."

Austin groans, his face growing warmer. "Yeah, well, it was a good movie, okay?" He retorts defensively. He couldn't help it though. The movie did make him emotional. It was one of the few romantic comedies that had a decent storyline and he was a sucker for a happy ending. "And you're one to talk, you were practically bawling by the end of it."

Delaney's cheeks flushed pink as well, knowing she couldn't argue with him. "Okay, okay, fair enough," She replies. She settles against the headboard, pulling her hand away from his knee much to his disappointment. They both had immediately missed the contact, but neither one of them said anything. She scrolls through the list of movies before finding one she likes. "How about this one?" She suggested, clicking on it.

"Yeah, that sounds good." Austin nodded, smiling softly at her. He had no idea what the movie was, but he didn't care. As long as he was with her, he honestly could care less what the movie was.

Delaney smiled, turning the volume up a bit and then set the remote down. She got comfortable, grabbing the blanket and laying it across her lap. Austin took the hint and laid down, resting his head in her lap. Delaney's smile softened and absentmindedly ran her hand through his hair. This was the position they often were in when watching movies or shows together. They were both comfortable with it and enjoyed the closeness.

The two watched the movie in a comfortable silence, occasionally commenting on something they thought was funny or interesting. However, Austin was unable to focus on the movie completely. His attention was primarily focused on the feeling of Delaney's fingers running through his hair. The gentle touch made his heart skip a beat, butterflies fluttering in his stomach. He had to force himself to keep his eyes trained on the screen, not wanting her to realize how affected he was by her actions.

Delaney's eyes were glued to the screen, but she was distracted by the soft weight of Austin's head in her lap. She tried to focus on the movie, but her thoughts kept wandering. The feeling of his blonde locks between her fingers sent a rush of warmth through her body. Her eyes traveled down to his face, taking in the sight of his soft features. The light from the tv cast a faint glow over his skin, making him look almost ethereal.

Her gaze lingered for a moment longer before she quickly averted her eyes, feeling a blush creeping up her cheeks. She mentally scolded herself for being so obvious, but she couldn't help it. After all, she did have a crush on him. And who could blame her? Austin Moon was quite the catch. Delaney shook her head slightly, trying to clear her mind and focus on the movie once again. She could feel her heart rate increasing, and she hoped that Austin wouldn't notice. If he did, he didn't mention it. However, his thoughts were consumed by the same thing. So he grabbed her free hand that had been resting on his arm and started playing with her fingers to try to distract himself from his feelings. He would play with her fingers, run his thumb along her palm, trace random patterns onto it. 

Anything to occupy his hands and mind. He was trying to forget the fact he had a crush on her. He was relieved that she didn't pull away, that meant he could continue to do it, loving the feeling of her soft skin beneath his touch. He would sometimes mess with her rings too, admiring them and her painted nails. He loved her sense of style and unique fashion sense. He could see that her nails were painted a light blue with small stars on them. They were always done in unique designs, whether they were simple or intricate. He didn't have a clue how she managed to do that, but she was incredibly talented and creative so he shouldn't be surprised about that. 

Delaney didn't mind him doing that, in fact, she enjoyed it. She was used to it. It was something he always did when they were younger, just like the whole cuddling while watching movies or shows. She found it comforting and soothing. Just  like how it was with her running her hand through his hair. For him it was comforting and soothing. He eventually stop playing with her hand and instead intertwined their hands, letting them rest on his stomach. He now had his thumb rubbing along the side of her hand, making small circles on it. He did this for a while until he started drawing small shapes on it, tracing her life lines, her palm, her fingers, everything. He just wanted to do this, to be close to her, and have an excuse to touch her. He just couldn't help himself.

Delaney couldn't concentrate on the movie any longer. She was too preoccupied by the feeling of his hand in hers, and the constant movement of his fingers. She felt her cheeks growing warm again, and her heart rate quickened. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, but it was no use. Austin's touch was intoxicating, and she was quickly losing herself in the sensation. Delaney decided to focus her attention back to the movie, not wanting to get caught staring at him again. She wasn't sure if Austin was paying attention or not, but he was too focused on their connected hands and his thumb running over hers. He was now making random patterns on her hand, enjoying the feeling of her soft skin under his finger tips. The feeling of his touch gave her goosebumps, sending a shiver up her spine. She couldn't deny the fact that he had an effect on her. She was drawn from her thoughts when the ending credits started rolling. She blinked, having been unaware of the ending. 

"Oh, I guess the movie's over." She comments, glancing at Austin. She notices he was trying not to fall asleep and smiles fondly at him. "Come on, sleepy head. You're tired."

"Mm, I'm not." Austin argues, but he couldn't help the yawn that escaped his lips. He sat up and rubs his eyes, not wanting to leave her, but he knew he had to. "Okay, maybe a little." He adds, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips. "Mind if I sleep here tonight?" He asked, hoping she wouldn't mind him staying over.

Delaney's heart skips a beat at his request, but she tried to keep her cool. "Of course not, you know you're always welcome here." She replies with a warm smile. "There are some pjs you left here in the bottom drawer of my dresser, if you want to change." She offered, gesturing to the dresser. 

Austin's heart skips a beat and a grin spread across his face. "Great, thanks." He replied. He went over to the dresser and opened the bottom drawer, grabbing the pjs he had left there the last time he stayed over. He then went to the bathroom attached to the room and got changed. Once he was changed, he walked back into her room, noticing that she was curled up in bed under the covers, scrolling on her phone. The lights were off now but the LED lights around her room were on, giving off a soft, purple glow.

Austin climbs into bed, snuggling up beside her. He felt a sense of contentment wash over him as he lay beside Delaney, their bodies close but not touching. He glanced over at her, admiring the way the soft light illuminated her features, casting gentle shadows across her face. She looked so peaceful, so serene, and he couldn't help but feel grateful to have her in his life.

"Thanks for letting me stay over, Laney." Austin murmured softly, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them. Delaney looks up from her phone, a warm smile gracing her lips as she met his gaze. "Anytime, Austie," She replies, her voice soft and gentle. "You know I'm always here for you." She put her phone on the nightstand and turned to her side to face him, propping herself up on her elbow. "Are you still worried about Ally and Gavin writing songs?"

Austin sighs and shook his head. "Not really," He admits, feeling silly for worrying so much. "I was just...Scared that I would be replaced, you know?"

Delaney frowns slightly and reaches over, brushing some of his blonde hair out of his face. "No one could replace you, Austin. You're one of a kind." She says softly, a tenderness in her voice that made his heart melt. "And even if they do write more songs together, I'll still be there to help you. I'll always be here for you, blondie."

Austin felt his heart swell at her words, a grin spreading across his face. Her reassurance meant the world to him, and he was eternally grateful for her support. "Thanks, Laney." He says, his voice full of emotion. He couldn't put into words how much her friendship and support meant to him, but he hoped she knew just how much she meant to him. "Same goes to you."

Delaney smiled, her heart fluttering at his words. She knew Austin cared about her, but hearing him say it made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, the gesture simple yet filled with affection.

Austin felt his cheeks flush, a smile forming on his lips. He was touched by the small gesture, his heart racing. "Goodnight, blondie." Delaney said with a fond smile. She turns over and shuts off the lights before getting comfortable in her bed.

"Goodnight, Laney." Austin echoed. He lays down, turning his body towards hers. His hand instinctively finds hers and their fingers interlock, both smiling to themselves. It wasn't unusual for them to hold hands, but tonight felt different somehow. Maybe it was the late hour or the darkness surrounding them, but something about it felt more intimate.

They stayed like that for a while, both enjoying the closeness and the warmth of each other's presence. Eventually, their eyes grew heavy, and they drifted off to sleep, their hands still intertwined.

A/N ugh i love austin & delaney so much