(jason/aria) Sky's Still Blue
Chapter 1
Oh, if you're hearing this
I must have made it through
Oh, when the clouds are burned
Open up my window
I see the sky's still blue
Aria opened her eyes wide in one last futile attempt to make sense of the numbers and figures on the pages sprawled across her kitchen table; mere seconds went by before frustration got the best of her and she closed the book in exasperation. She tapped the pressure point beneath her temple in vain. This year was going to kill her.
It's not due till Tuesday anyways, she thought. It won't be too hard recruiting Spencer's help.
She packed up her books and mulled over her dinner options. Things had been crazy since Emily and Caleb's encounter with Nate, and without Fitz as a distraction, having the house to herself made for too much idle time; she definitely needed company, or at least to get out of the house. She settled on takeout -the restaurant still undecided- and headed for her room; she needed her wallet and car keys.
Aria was half way up the stairs, deciding she'd just drive until something caught her interest, when the doorbell broke her from her reverie. She squinted, attempting to recognize the shadow through the stained glass door; unfortunately, it was dusk, and just dark enough, making it impossible for her to see anything.
Convenient.
The bell rang a second time and she cautiously found her way back to the first floor.
"Jason?" Aria raised an eyebrow at his appearance. He wore a freshly ironed button down shirt, sans the tie, of course, with the top two buttons unceremoniously undone and an open suit jacket. Although Jason's everyday attire carried a slight 'prep' vibe, this was a touch too formal for a lazy Sunday evening.
"Aria," he smiled. The warmth and familiarity that enveloped her name made her breath hitch.
His smile quickly turned into a smirk, and Aria felt a slight blush paint her cheeks. He'd seen. She leaned against the door frame, fidgeting with her freshly painted nails. Cut short and squared off, they were the perfect deep shade of navy blue without a smudge or nick in sight; she'd already eyed them earlier, after her salon appointment, but they served as a necessary distraction. Sometimes when Jason looked at her, he looked at her, and it made Aria uncomfortable; she knew it was ridiculous, but she felt like with every glance, he could read her, seemingly know everything about her. Her fears, her secrets, her desires.
His intensity was in part the reason their friendship had faded so quickly after their kiss, and subsequently, the Ezra debacle in Jason's yard. Just being in his presence made Aria feel guilty; not because of Jason's feelings, but her own. Every single second with him turned into a moment, and she'd been drawn in too quickly. It was too open and undefined. And overwhelming.
Jason was too open and undefined. And overwhelming.
Nevertheless, it was ill-fated timing. Aria had been in love with Ezra.
She didn't even want to think about the dreams.
Oh, the dreams.
"Am I the first one here?" Jason tilted his head, regaining her attention. "I don't see any cars," he nodded toward the empty street.
"The first one for what?" He opened his mouth to respond, but Aria's eyes glowed with understanding and she took a small step back. "The dinner party. My mom. She didn't call you, did she?"
"No."
Aria smiled at his furrowed brow and confused expression. "Mike and the Lacrosse team are in some tournament," she explained. "My parents volunteered to go with him. My dad is one of the parent chaperones and my mother's there on behalf of the school, so the team doesn't fall behind. They could be gone for two and a half weeks."
"And they left you by yourself? For three weeks?"
"Two and a half," Aria corrected. "Maybe." She dropped her tone to whisper and peeked to either side of the porch teasingly. "Probably not though, they aren't very good."
A slight wind chilled her bare arms, and she suddenly felt underdressed in her ripped, distressed skinny jeans, black leather buckled boots and vintage burnout tank. She gently checked the door with her hip and gestured inside. "Come on in."
Jason put his hands up in dismissal. "I didn't mean to interrupt-"
"Oh yeah," she rolled her eyes. "My mind-numbing date with my Calculus book can wait." She ushered him inside. "Come on."
He stepped over the threshold into her foyer and Aria could smell his aftershave, the light, clean scent still clinging to his skin. It was as if he belonged in a Ralph Lauren commercial.
He definitely looked the part.
Aria locked the door behind them; out of her periphery she could see the pang of confusion cross his features; she shrugged her shoulders, slightly embarrassed. "Habit, I guess."
His hands were buried in his pockets, and he flashed a small half smile that made her toes curl.
Aria absentmindedly licked her lips; her palms itched and she felt her body going into sensory overload. Jason was looking at her again, looking straight at her, and he was still too close; she had to strain her eyes to gaze back up at him. She marveled at his easy silence. He seemed so comfortable, so content, just being. It didn't seem to bother him that they were nearly touching.
Unexpectedly, she found she wasn't bothered by it either; but she was uneasy, unsure what do make of the tingles in her spine or the boy standing expectantly inches in front of her. She felt light-headed.
Was it intentional?
Aria caved. "Well," she said cheerfully, striding passed him, "It looks like I owe you dinner." She paused briefly on the first step leading upstairs to smile at him. "Give me five minutes."
A/N: This is my first Pretty Little Liars fic. I am severely in love with Jason and Aria. They are wayyy too cute to not become canon soon.
This chapter is on the shorter side, but I feel it's more of a prologue or just a 'setting of the scene' if you will...
I know my endgame for this story, and it's going to be on the longer side, so I hope you guys like it enough to keep with it!
Reviews are greatly appreciated =)