AN: honestly this is a pile of crappy writing. Not much effort was put into it, so it sucks. But it was a plot bunny that was irritating me. I want Aria/Ezra to have a happy ending, so I gave them one.

Reviews are love.

It was her 20th birthday.

Four years, four long years, of not seeing him; and yet there she was, her shoes softly clicking against the cold floor of the hallway of apartments, on the way to his.

As she reached the apartment, her heart hammered in a way it hadn't for four years, and her stomach did back flips, her hands were shaking as she tapped on the door.

He would be 27 now.

The door opened, slowly. And she realized just how nervous she was.

He didn't look much different.

Feeling choked up, she took in the same curly black hair and soft blue eyes; eyes, she realized embarrassedly, that were drinking her in.

"Aria." He breathed, swallowing hard. Aria's hand flew to her mouth when she heard his voice; a sound she'd needed to hear for four years.

"Ezra." She said quietly, unsure of how to act, what to say. She stepped forward tentatively, and in one fluid motion he'd taken her in his arms, gripping her tightly, inhaling the scent of her dark hair. The door was slammed shut, and they didn't break from their embrace.

"Ezra," she hiccupped, realizing that tears were spilling down her face, "four years… four years."

"I know." Strong arms loosened their grip on her slightly as he pulled back to look at her, bringing one hand up to wipe the tears from her eyes, and then leaning down to softly kiss her trembling lips. It was what they needed, what they both fantasized about, for four years. He pulled back, looking directly into her eyes. "I missed you. So much." He gently placed a hand on her cheek, a watery smile on his face.

"I'm so sorry. What you went through, it was my fault, I – " Aria was silenced by Ezra's lips firmly pressing against hers. She gave into him, wrapping her arms around him, he placed his hands gently on her hips, and they were lost for a while, in their own little utopia.

"Never – " Ezra said breathlessly, before kissing her again, "Blame yourself," another kiss, "For what happened."

"But, your job… teaching. You can't do that again. And you loved it, Ezra." Aria was confused; she remembered how happy he seemed at the bar, when they first met each other, when he told her he was starting his first teaching job.

The mere memory of that meeting tugged her heartstrings.

"Yes." Ezra shrugged, "I did. But Aria, it wasn't your fault. I was smitten when I met you… and when you turned out to be my student, I couldn't believe it…" he brushed a stray stand of hair away from her eye, and his hand lingered on her face for a while. "It was wrong. Us being together when we found that out. But I loved you. I shouldn't have, but I did. And I still do, Aria."

Aria didn't know what to say. She swallowed audibly. "I… I love you too, Ezra." The words felt so right, and fresh tears welled in her eyes.

"Well then," he managed hoarsely, "no more talk about what happened."

"No more talk about that." Aria agreed; and that was all Ezra needed. He kissed her, deeper this time, passionately, hands grazing her hips, her face, while Aria's hands strayed to his chest…

Bodies intertwined, they laid there, in each other's arms.

"Ezra?" Aria said quietly, snuggling deeper into him.

"Hmm?" he said absently, wrapping her dark locks of hair around his fingers, inhaling the scent of his hair and marvelling at how her body felt with his.

"What are you thinking of?"

A smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, "About how happy I am." He let out a short laugh, that sounded relieved, happy, "When we were together before… we had to worry about being caught." He winced slightly, as they had been caught.

Aria sensed this, and shifted her position so she could look at him. "We can't be stopped now. I'm 20, of age. No longer your student."

The smile on his face widened; that was something he'd needed to be true. Something both of them needed to be true. "If you want to be with me…" he said, keeping his voice steady, "then I'm yours. I'm completely yours."

Aria shifted again, snuggling back against his bare chest. "I like the sound of that."

No more hiding. No more secret meetings. Just this; a relationship that wasn't wrong, that could happen.

Aria and Ezra.

Together.

Simply Aria and Ezra.

It seemed like their lives were getting better, as long as they had each other.