Aria wakes up before Ezra and rolls over to her side so that she's facing his back. She doesn't touch him or scoot closer, she just watches the way his body shifts ever so slightly as he takes in each breath. It's slow and even and she can tell that he's still fast asleep, lost somewhere between REM cycles. The sun is peeking through the curtains of the window and it's hitting the bed at just the right angle, making the comforter warm over her legs.
As she watches her husband sleep and remembers the events of the previous night, a huge smile creeps over her face and she can feel a bubble of laughter stir in her chest. Instead of letting it out, she buries her face in the pillow and keeps her giddiness to herself. There will be plenty of time when he wakes later for them to giggle together. She may only have one chance to silently revel over being newly married.
Being Mrs. Fitz.
Being Ezra's wife.
It's been nothing but a dream for so long that she has a hard time believing it's finally true. After years of struggle and heartache and more than any couple should ever have to deal with, they've finally made it to this point, and she couldn't be happier.
Somewhere behind her there is a light vibration. She can feel it through her pillow, which means there's a slight chance Ezra can too. Even if she wasn't enjoying watching him sleep, she wouldn't wish him to lose sleep because she didn't turn her phone off. She reaches behind her head and pulls the small device from its place and presses home. A blush creeps over her cheeks when she reads an especially vulgar message from Spencer and it deepens when she realizes she's sent it in a group text with the rest of the girls.
Glancing to make sure Ezra's still asleep, Aria eases herself out from beneath the covers, shuddering when the cold air hits the bare skin that isn't covered by her lace nightgown. On her way to their overnight bag, she catches a glimpse of her wedding dress in the mirror, draped delicately over the chair behind her. There's a dusting of grey on the underside of the dress where it was dragging along the ground, but the rest of it is still just as white and delicate as it was when she bought it. For a second, she lets herself remember the day before and the look on Ezra's face when the double wide doors had opened and she'd started to make her way down the aisle.
She crouches and digs through the bag on the floor until she finds a fresh pair of underwear. Ezra had offered to pack for both of them, and Aria had quickly taken him up on it, forsaking any possibility of wearing something stylish. It hadn't seemed to matter then, and it certainly didn't matter now. Out of curiosity, she continues to sift through the different garments, making out the outfit he'd compiled for himself and the one he'd compiled for her. As soon as she sees it, a warm, inviting blanket of comfort sweeps over her. She immediately stands, taking off the nightgown and trading it for the soft, worn, yellow cotton Hollis tee.
It's her favorite, and he knows it.
She pulls it over her head and pulls the neck up to her nose, taking in Ezra's scent.
"As much as I loved those pajamas you were wearing, this is by far my favorite look."
Aria turns to find Ezra propped up against the pillows, both hands resting behind his head, the sheets pooled at his waist.
"Good morning, Mrs. Fitz," he says, his voice still rough from sleep.
"Good morning to you too, Mr. Fitz," Aria replies with a wink. "So you like the look of me in nothing but your shirt, huh?"
"I do. Very much."
Aria grins from ear to ear and takes a few quick strides until she's across the room and diving back into bed.
"I love you," she says, snuggling in beside him. She takes his hand and begins to play with his fingers.
"Thank you for marrying me."
Ezra laughs lightly but snuggles down into the covers a little more, pulling her with him and holds her tight. "The pleasure was all mine," he says before dipping down and leaving a long, hot kiss against the soft spot above her collarbone. "How would you like to spend the morning?"
Aria lets out a long, drawn-out hum as if she's thinking long and hard over their options.
"I can think of a few things that would keep me entertained."
"Yeah?" The look in his eye is dark and heavy, but still a little playful.
"Yeah," she says with a smirk. She leans forward and kisses his chest, trailing her way down, inch by inch. "One involves you…" she places another kiss and takes his wrists, holding them gently in her hands, "on you back…" She places another kiss but heads back up so that she's hovering over him, still playing with each of his wrists. She's straddling his waist now, her hair dusting the skin at his neck as she leans low to whisper in his ear, "and your tie from yesterday." She brings both of his hands above his head and leans back to see his expression.
"My tie? It's – Aria, it's rented, come on." He's shaking his head, his neck tilted just barely. She continues to smile, playfully wriggling around on his waist just enough to drive him crazy. "Aria, for real, can't this wait until we get home? Surely there's something…less kinky?"
She absolutely loves the way his cheeks tinge when the word kinky leaves his lips, and that's exactly why this cannot wait until they get home.
She pretends to think on it for a second, but rather than answering, she leans down to capture his lips in another kiss, successfully distracting him as she leans down far enough to reach the tie which was laying on the ground, mostly forgotten until now. When she pulls away from their kiss, she lets his wrists free and pulls both ends of the tie, creating a satisfying snap. A coy grin forms on her lips and she raises her eyebrows suggestively.
"We don't have this wonderful headboard at home," she says.
Author's Note: This was per a request on Tumblr. Hopefully the next thing I post will be an update of Nine Months After :) Hope you're all hanging in there during this long hiatus. This cast is literally the worst at keeping secrets...
