My take on Ezria in 5x05 (written before the episode aired).
Ezra was lying down on his couch, watching an old movie, a blanket covering his legs. His back still hurt from time to time, so did his legs, but he was starting to feel like everything in his body was getting back into place. All in all, he was holding up okay. He was getting better and better every passing day. He had to admit he owed it mostly to all the love and support he had been getting from the staff and students of Rosewood High. He had even received very compassionate messages from some of his students at Hollis wishing him a good recovery. It all touched him very much. That was probably why he was recovering so fast. There was nothing like social support his doctor had told him. He was immensely lucky to have so many people in his life that cared about him.
But Ezra's greatest blessing remained without contest Aria's presence in his life. He couldn't believe that she still talked to him, that she merely tolerated to be in the same room as him, that she was willing to include him in her life again. Or… was she? Maybe it's just because of the accident… Maybe she feels guilty and her solicitude is in reality just the guilt talking. Once I recover, she'll probably –she'll… He shook his head, refusing to finish that thought.
He didn't want to think that much ahead. At the moment, Aria was there for him –she checked up on him regularly even though nothing obliged her to; she came to his apartment, called him –and perhaps more importantly, she was willing to let him be there for her too, and that was all that mattered. That was all he cared about.
Ezra realized he wasn't forgiven quite yet. To be completely honest, he wasn't even sure whether or not he deserved Aria's forgiveness, but he liked to think that she wasn't entirely over him yet, that he still had a chance. They were kind of in a strange place right now, but he was still hoping that they could work it out.
A knock at his door pulled him out of his thoughts. He carefully put his feet on the ground and stood up. He went to open the door only to reveal Aria standing behind it.
"Hey!" She exclaimed cheerfully.
No, he definitely could not live without that smile.
"Hi!" He greeted back, surprise but also enthusiasm dripping from his voice.
She smiled at him.
"Please! Come on in…" He said, stepping away so she could enter, which she did.
"Thanks."
Ezra closed the door and turned to her. He took in her appearance. She was wearing a leopard shirt with a black pair of jeans and boots. She looked beautiful… as always.
"I'm sorry for coming without calling. Don't worry, I –I'm not staying." Aria said.
"That's okay." He reassured her.
She nodded. "I brought you something." She handed Ezra the pastry box she was holding. "It's not much. Just some pie. It's the least I could do."
"Thank you." He acknowledged. "You didn't have to do that." He put down the box on the counter in the kitchen.
"Of course I did!" She opposed. "You take a bullet for me, help me get through PTSD, I bake you a pie. That's how it works." She replied causing Ezra to laugh.
She hadn't realized how much she missed that sound… how much she missed him. They had been spending some time together since the incident in New York, but it didn't quite feel like it used to. Whenever they were together, even when they were just trying to take their minds off everything, there was always that underlying tension between them, those… unspoken words. It was nerve-wracking. She missed their simpler times. So much. So much more than she should, more than was good for her. And she sort of hated herself for it. She shouldn't miss him, not at all, not after everything that he had willingly, knowingly put her through. Yet, she couldn't help herself. It was the way it was.
After a moment, they both snapped out of their daze and were brought back to the present time.
"Anyway, how are you?" Aria inquired.
"I'm fine. I'm getting better." Ezra answered. "My help care professional is doing a great job. I limp less, my legs hurt less… so does my back."
"You do look better." She remarked with a small smile.
"Thank you."
Aria narrowed her eyes as she noticed something on the counter. "A 'get well soon' card? Who's it from?" She asked picking it up and turning it. "A kind student?"
"Actually, no, it's from my mother." He responded.
Her gaze instantly shifted to him at that. She widened her eyes at him. "From your mother?" She repeated. "Wait, that –this is it?" She asked showing the card. "A 'get well soon' card? That's all she could do? She couldn't fly here to make sure that you really are fine?" She got indignant.
"No, she wanted to, but I told her not to bother herself. I'm not sure her presence here and her judgmental looks would actually help me." He explained.
"Yeah, that seems like a wise decision. She probably wouldn't speed up your recovery."
"My thought exactly." Ezra replied, his lips curving into a sly grin.
"Come on, let's move to the couch." He suggested.
"How are you?" He asked her after sitting down. "How do you sleep? Is everything back to normal?" He interrogated.
Aria let out a laugh without humor. "You mean 'Am I still seeing Shana everywhere I look?'" She asked him back. He simply looked at her. "No, thank God, I'm not." She answered. "I still dream of her, but less frequently and it's nothing too bad." She shrugged.
He nodded. "That's good. I'm glad. You should really let go of the guilt."
"And you know what you're talking about, don't you?" She spat out.
He simply looked at her. They held each other's gaze for a moment until she dropped it and lowered her head. "I- I'm sorry. That wasn't fair." She recognized.
"Aria." Ezra called and she peeked up at him. "You have nothing to apologize for. I don't ever want to hear you say you're sorry again." He articulated. "You don't get to worry about being fair to me. And you're right: I do know what I'm talking about because I've been there."
She didn't say anything. She was satisfied with staring at him intently waiting for him to elaborate.
"Once you found out about the book, I felt so guilty." Ezra started. "Actually, you know what? Scratch that! The guilt started way before you found out." He corrected himself. "But once you knew, it went to a whole other level. I became overwhelmed by it, and I pretty much killed myself wondering how I could possibly make it up to you." He paused. "You know I really wish I could go back in time and everything would be different."
"You can't, Ezra." She interrupted him.
"I know." He held her gaze, intent on showing her how sincere he was. "But if I could… I would, and I need you to know that." He watched as his words sank in. "I never meant to hurt you. Ever. I acted like the world's greatest idiot and I am so sorry for that." He apologized.
She skirted her eyes from him. She couldn't face him when he talked like that. She just couldn't.
"I know Shana's dead. I know because…" The words got stuck in her throat. "…because I killed her. Yet, every time my phone buzzes, every time I find a suspicious note, I…" She sighed. "I get so paranoid. I keep waiting for that A message." She confided.
"That's completely understandable. A has been such a big part of your lives, and for so long… You girls have been living in fear for far too long. Now that she's gone, you can't really believe it, it's only natural." He tried to reassure her. "You don't know what it's like to live a normal life anymore."
"No." She spoke again, with a blank look on her face. "We don't."
"I'm sorry."
She looked back up at him. "Don't. If there's one thing that you really shouldn't apologize for, this is it. A was in our lives poisoning them way before you were anywhere near the picture." She told him. "You got us rid of A, Ezra. You got us rid of Shana." She paused and briefly looked away to collect her thoughts. "I know I never thanked you for that, but I am grateful." She said. "I just wish I didn't have to lose you in the process."
"You didn't lose me." He immediately corrected her. "I lost you, Aria, not the way around. And I deserved it. But you… didn't lose me. You will never lose me. You could never. I will always be there for you… if you let me." He finished.
/
"Oh my God, is this delicious or is this delicious?!" Aria exclaimed and Ezra laughed.
"It is. It really is" He agreed. "I had no idea you could cook like this." He went further, finishing the piece of pie he had in his mouth.
He added some whipped cream on the pie before having another piece. His eyes widened at the nameless taste. "Okay, this is exquisite. You need to taste this."
"Oh my God, you put whipped cream on it?!"
"Yeah, taste it. It's so good." He insisted, so Aria brought her mouth closer and he fed her the pie.
She moaned as her mouth closed on the food. "Oh my God, this is sin." She commented.
Ezra nodded. "Agreed."
"Oh my God." She leaned in to take another bite.
Ezra burst out laughing once she pulled the piece of pie away.
"What?!" She asked, a grin on her face as well.
"You have whipped cream all over your face." He told her.
"I do?" She asked, reaching for her mouth.
"You do." He confirmed and reached for her nose to remove some.
She giggled trying to wipe the cream away from her mouth. Seeing her struggle, Ezra reached out to help her. He moved his thumb along her upper lip. Only the look on Aria's face got him to realize what exactly it was that he was doing and he froze. He slid his hand along her face in an attempt to remove it, but Aria covered it with her own and kept it on the side on her face.
"Don't."
He stopped his motion and gazed at her. She stared back. She moved her face closer to his. Their eyes went back and forth between the others' eyes and their lips.
"Aria…" He breathed. He never got a chance to say more. She closed the distance between them by pressing her lips to his.
Ezra immediately responded and brought his hand to her back pulling her more to him.
God, he had missed feeling her lips moving in synchronization with his! He had missed the sensation of her fingertips on his skin. He had missed her wondrous scent, intoxicating him and clouding all his senses… He had missed it all.
Again, Aria made the first step by flicking her tongue across his upper lip seeking access. Ezra opened his mouth and gladly let her in.
She attempted to bring him down on the couch and he let out a whisper. "I'm sorry. Does this hurt?" She asked him. She had momentarily forgotten that the poor man was just recovering from a gunshot.
"I can handle it."
A mischievous smile grew on her face and she carefully straddled him and returned to her more or less gentle assault.
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