- Set during 5x12 – Basically, this is an AU of 5x12 (at least it better be a fucking AU or I will lose my mind). Also loosely based off the song "You said you'd grow old with me". Warning: SAD. RATED M FOR SELF INFLICTED VIOLENCE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

※※ Midnight Highway ※※

Aria sat in her room, her feet tucked into her chest, her head buried between her knees as her body wracked with sobs. Her throat was raw from crying, the only sound emitting unable to be distinguished. Uncurling herself, she laid on her back, her knees facing towards the ceiling as her head laid on her pillow, her eyes moving behind their closed lids. Singing softly, she began, "I'd like, to say, I'm okay… but I'm not… I try, but I fall… close my mind, turn it off…"

~❈❈※ ※❈❈~

"Oh, you did not just do that!" Aria screeched, her previously clean face suddenly covered in flour.

"Hm, I think I did!" Ezra mocked, dodging to avoid Aria's onslaught of flour. "Nice shot," he laughed as the flour flew past him, covering the floor with the white powder. He sneaked up behind her as she reached into the flour container to reload her ammunition, wrapping his arms around her waist and placing his lips on her earlobe, nibbling softly."

"Ezra, stop it!" Aria giggled softly.

"Is there a problem?" he whispered, his breath hot against her face.

Turning quickly, Aria flung some flour at his face, laughing at his reaction as he spluttered to rid the flour from his mouth.

"I think you've got a little something…" she whispered, bringing her lips in front of his so they were barely brushing.

"Oh, do I now? I wonder how that happened…" he mumbled before closing the distance between them, running his hands up and down her back before settling them on her waist, drawing her closer. Sighing into the kiss, Aria roughly ran her hands through his hair, settling them on the back of his neck as his hands ran down to her thighs, picking her up so she was straddling him, before setting her on the table they had been baking pies on.

"How long will the pies be in the oven?" Aria mumbled, pulling away slightly to look at him.

"At least an hour," he replied before reconnecting their lips, his hands running up her back as she tightened her legs around his waist.

~❈❈※ ※❈❈~

Aria continued to sing softly, bringing her knees closer to her chest. "But I can't be sober, I cannot sleep… you've got your peace now, but what about me…" Slowly, she swung her feet around so they dangled off her bed, sitting up slowly and she reached down to pull on her shoes. "I thought we had the time, had our lives, now you'll never get older, older…" Her fingers shook as she pulled her laces together, making a perfect little bow before starting on the other shoe. "Didn't say goodbye, now I'm frozen in time getting colder, colder…"

~❈❈※ ※❈❈~

Aria groaned as Ezra moved his lips down her jawbone to the side of her neck, trailing kisses down to her collarbone then across to the other side. Closing her eyes, Aria tilted her head back as Ezra made his way from her collarbone up the other side of her neck, lingering on her sweet spot before trailing kisses back to her lips. Aria ran her fingers up the side of his face, brushing over his stubble before pulling away slightly and brushing her fingers over his lips, both their eyes still closed. Her fingers lingering on his bottom lip, Ezra reciprocated the action, trailing his fingers from the top of her forehead to her bottom lip, resting them there as they caught their breaths.

~❈❈※ ※❈❈~

"One last word, one last moment…" Aria continued to sing softly, standing up as she grabbed her coat. "To ask you why, you left me here behind…" She pulled on her jacket, taking one last look around her room before placing her phone next to her note on her desk, walking out of her room with a sense of finality.

~❈❈※ ※❈❈~

Moving his fingers from her lips, he stroked down her hair, continuing until he reached the bottom of her back, gently bringing her closer to him as she wrapped her hands around his head, bringing their lips back together. Pulling away after a few minutes, they rested their foreheads together, smiles etched on both their faces.

"I missed you so much," Ezra whispered, his breath warming her face as he spoke. "I missed this, but mostly I just missed you…" he continued, ending in silence.

"I missed you too," she whispered back, trailing her hand down the side of his face.

"You know, I honestly have no idea what I would have done if you hadn't given me a second chance… or whatever chance number I'm on at this point," he sighed, his tone becoming sad towards the end of his confession. "You're… you're it for me Aria, there is nobody else."

Smiling, Aria leaned in for a chaste kiss, before saying, "Well, remember what you always say…"

"What is that?"

"We move forward. Together." Aria whispered, bringing their noses together.

~❈❈※ ※❈❈~

Walking down the stairs, Aria sang quietly, "You said you'd grow old with me…" She continued to her front door, opening it quietly before walking outside into the brisk midnight air. "We had plans, we had vision, now I can't, see ahead…" she hummed, closing the door behind her as she walked down her driveway until she reached the middle of the road, walking down the center towards the middle of Rosewood. "We were one, we were golden, forever you said…" She continued as she made her way past her neighbors' houses. "But I can't be sober, I cannot sleep… you have your peace now, but what about me…"

~❈❈※ ※❈❈~

Ezra brought his lips back to hers as a smile spread across his face, running his hands through her hair as she smiled against his mouth.

Pulling away again, they both smiled at each other before Aria asked softly, "Forever?"

"Forever," he agreed, smiling ear to ear. "I thought you'd never say that again."

"For a time, neither did I…" she admit, "But here we are."

"Here we are…" he echoed.

~❈❈※ ※❈❈~

"I thought we had the time, had our lives, now you'll never get older, older…" Aria arrived at the town center, walking inside the tallest building as she continued to sing softly, "Didn't say goodbye, now I'm frozen in time getting colder, colder…" Climbing the stairs to the top of the building, she continued, "One last word, one last moment… to ask you why, you left me here behind…" She had arrived at the top of the stairs, and pushed against the door, the cold wind nipping at her face as it opened. "You said you'd grow old with me…"

~❈❈※ ※❈❈~

That night, Aria awoke to her mom roughly shaking her.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Aria yawned, blinking sleep from her eyes as she sat up.

"Aria…" she started, her voice faltering. Aria took note of her red eyes, her runny nose, and the trembling of her fingers.

"What happened?" Aria demanded, her worry increasing by the second.

"Ezra-" she faltered again.

"Mom! What happened to him? Is he okay? What…" Aria exclaimed, panicked.

"Ezra was shot," Ella whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. Aria's face immediately blanched, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"And?" Aria choked out, her voice shaking.

Taking a deep breath, Ella continued, "The bullet… it hit his previous wound, and since nobody was around, he wasn't- he wasn't able to dial 911 and…"

"No…" Aria whispered, tears streaming down her face, her entire body trembling. "No no no, don't say it," Aria begged, her voice shaking so badly is was barely understandable.

"I'm so sorry Aria… but Ezra… he's gone…"

Everything blurred for Aria at that point, and she involuntarily curled up into a ball, her sobs vibrating throughout her entire body. A few hours later, when Ella thought Aria had finally fallen asleep, she made her way to her bedroom, sitting on the edge while she lost herself in her thoughts.

~❈❈※ ※❈❈~

"Thought we had the time, had our lives, now you'll never get older, older…" Aria sang, her voice trembling as she made her way to the edge of the roof, looking down at the pavement below. "Didn't say goodbye, now I'm frozen in time getting colder, colder…"

~❈❈※ ※❈❈~

Around an hour later, Aria was the only one who remained awake, her thoughts muddy as she wrote her note, her mascara leaving tracks down her cheeks, dripping onto the paper and leaving black splotches. Once she finished writing, saying goodbye, she walked back to her bed, curling into a ball as she thought back to earlier that day…

~❈❈※ ※❈❈~

"Just one last word, one last moment…" Aria sang, her voice clouded with emotion. "To ask you why, you left me here behind…" She spread her arms wide, looking down one last time before she leaned, closing her eyes as she felt the wind whip around her body, momentarily suspending her in the air before she began to fall. "You said you'd grow old with me…" Aria thought, her last thought before-

~And that's it! I really hope you guys enjoyed this, I worked really hard on it and definitely think it's one of my better stories! And for any of you tfios fans, maybe you'll recognize the ending (An Imperial Affliction). Anyways, please please please leave me a review, they're motivational and constructive! I can't get better without feedback, so I honestly would appreciate any sort of feedback, or ideas for another story. Until next time! –divergent-little-tribute (now spencersarcastic on tumblr) ~