People have been asking for this, so I thought I'd give in and write it. This is just a simple story about Aria and Ezra as parents and the trials and troubles of parenthood. It'll just be fluff, so it's a nice break from my other stories. I've also decided to go ahead with Clandestine, so keep an eye out for that!
I've worked incredibly hard on this so reviews would mean the world! I really hope that you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you'd like, give me ideas on what I can do with them and their baby!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. If I did, Ezria would have their own spin off show on HBO.
"Ezra." The pale arm of Aria Fitz shook her husband as he slept peacefully beside her. Usually, Aria would've admired Ezra's sleeping face or the way small curls fell into his eyes or the slight chuckle he would emit from time to time, but the stabbing pain in her abdomen and the wetness pooling around her legs and seeping into the sheets of their bed refrained her from doing so. "Ezra," Aria spoke, her voice a bit more urgent this time. She used full force of her fist, punching his arm so that he jolted awake, looking about with wild eyes.
"Aria? What is it? What's wrong?" The panicked look in his blue eyes made Aria giggle, even if it were for only a moment. A horn honked in the distance, but then again, they always did in the busy city of New York. Ezra watched as his wife placed a hand on her pregnant, swollen stomach and looked at him, fear resonating in her hazel eyes. He'd never seen her so startled and scared since their years in Rosewood with the masked danger of –A running about. His heart lurched slightly.
He watched as she took a deep breath, her entire body shuddering as another bout of pain swept over her small body. "My water broke," Aria mumbled, motioning down towards the wetness in the bed. Sure enough, when Ezra turned to look, a large, clear stain was growing into their sheets. He ran a hand through his hair, fingers shaking nervously. He'd known he was going to be a father for nine months, but now that the occasion was finally arising, the bundled up nerves were releasing themselves like coils in his stomach. Luckily, there wasn't another woman on the Earth that he'd rather be having a child with, rather be starting a family with than Aria. That fact alone in itself was warming. "We're having our baby," she mumbled again.
"Holy crap," Ezra muttered before springing into action. He pushed the bedspread back with urgency, reaching a hand out to help his voice. Usually, his inner monologue would come up with some motivational mantra, but not even "It's now or never" would suffice. It most definitely had to be now.
Her hand shook as she held the white stick that sealed her fate. They'd been trying for a baby for awhile now. It was finally the right time; Ezra had a steady teaching job at a private preparatory school on the Upper East Side after bouncing back and forth between small editing jobs here and there. Aria herself had found success in writing wedding announcements for the New York Times. The newlywed couple was finally on their feet and had the freedom to eat whatever they wanted and not Ramen Noodles every night. And after try after try, fate somehow granted them this small miracle.
In Aria Fitz's hand was a pregnancy test with a small, pink plus sign marking the indication screen. A squeal escaped her throat, tears immediately welling in her eyes. Aria was ready to have given up on their efforts and accept the fact that perhaps, she and Ezra couldn't have children, at least, not now. But fate definitely had other plans. The tiny woman began to bounce up and down until she was full on dancing around their apartment, hands raised over her head with the pregnancy test dangling out between the tips of her fingertips. "I'm pregnant," Aria cheered, continuing to spin madly about until she felt as if she would vomit. Not yet, her mind spoke. Give yourself a rest until the morning sickness comes along.
There was nobody that she'd rather be starting a family with. Then again, that's why Aria had married Ezra two years ago. Their relationship had withstood trials for over six years that should've broken them, but never did. Since she was sixteen, Aria knew that Ezra had been the one, regardless of age difference. And now, they were having a baby. From teacher and student, they'd become husband and wife, and now parents. Aria bit her lip, now resting against the counter of their breakfast bar. The clock read that it was nearing six, meaning that Ezra would be home soon. She ran her hands through her dark brown locks, the curls straightening for a moment before bouncing back into shape. Aria looked around frantically, wondering how she would tell him. Could she hide the test? Could she cook him something with the theme of babies like she'd seen on a 90's sitcom? There wasn't enough time. Not when Ezra would be walking through that door in the matter of minutes.
In fact, any attempted idea that could form in her head was squashed as the apartment door opened. Ezra sighed, as he always did when coming home, and turned to lock the door before taking off his coat. Aria bit her lip, watching his muscles flex underneath his dress shirt as he loosened his tie. Walking forward, she forgot all about the white stick in her hand and leaned forward to give him the routine 'evening' kiss, one hand placed on his cheek. Aria only made is so far before Ezra's blue eyes laid upon it.
"What's this," he asked quietly, almost in disbelief. Ezra was afraid to look at the test; afraid of seeing failure once again. But the look in his wife's eyes said something the total opposite of 'negative'. There were tears welling, spilling over onto her cheeks in small droplets. "Love, don't cry," Ezra said, his thumb coming up to brush the tears away from her face. "We can keep trying…it's okay…"
"It's positive, Ezra," Aria choked out. She raised the test up so that he could see the little pink plus sign for himself. Placing it aside after she let him take a good look for a moment, Aria cupped his cheeks in her hands, their noses just brushing against one another's. "We're going to have a baby." Her lips pressed to his for a short, sweet moment. The love between them both was radiating and thick whilst a smile broke out on both their faces.
"We're having a baby," Ezra repeated. The expression on his face mirrored that of Aria's before he picked up her by the waist gently and twirled her about; a cheesy moment, but one that was needed none the less. Aria's small hands rested over his strong grip, a giggle escaping her lips as she nodded in agreement.
As the taxi cab roared into the parking lot of Mount Sinai Hospital, Ezra hastily got out on his side to help his wife out of it and into the maternity ward. Aria's wincing had grown far more regular than it had when they'd left the apartment twenty minutes earlier, giving him an indication that she'd furthered in centimeters. How did he know that? Ezra was the nervous type of father who bought all the books, hoping there would be some form of knowledge in them to help him be a father. But so far, there was nothing on parenting, only how to prepare. He assumed the paternal instincts would kick in once their baby was born.
Aria's eye squinted as another bout of pain hit her as they got to the registration desk, hand clutched over her pregnant belly. "God damn it," she muttered. Ezra looked down at her with a facial expression mixed with amusement and worry. He was waiting for her to begin to berate him at how the pain was his entire fault. The linoleum floor served as a good space for tapping his foot nervously as nurses came and swarmed about Aria in minutes, settling her into a wheel chair. Ezra could hear shouts of how many centimeters she was really along; which apparently was now eight. He gulped, immediately beating himself up in his head for not knowing how far along she was. "Ezra?" Aria's constricted voice spoke out amongst the hurried whispers of the nurses. Ezra's hand reached towards hers and Aria took his gratefully, squeezing each time another contraction hit her. Even in the tensest of moments, they somehow managed to be in sync with one another. They weren't just two people who happened to be in love; they weren't Ezra Fitz and his wife, Aria. They were Aria and Ezra.
Aria's stomach had grown a bit, given the fact that she was now in her second trimester. The slight pudgy curve of her pregnancy was beginning to make itself known. By this time, she and Ezra had told the entire family and a few close friends. They had been waiting until after the first trimester was over so that there wasn't the sever risk of losing the baby looming over their heads. Currently, they were lying on the couch with one of their favorite movies playing deftly on the screen. But, as always, neither of them was paying much attention to the images on screen.
Her hand fisted a bit of the material of Ezra's tee shirt, head rested right over his heart. There was the sound beating of it against his rib cage. Aria smiled at the consistency. Ezra's steady pulse was Aria's form of comfort; her constant factor. Whenever the day went awry, she only had to come home and press her ear against his chest and listen for a few moments for the world to be set right again. She loved him that much that such a simple notion could turn the day around. It was always a soft beat, barely audible, unless he was nervous about something. Then, Aria didn't need to have her ear pressed up against his chest to the degree she was now. She only had to lean in.
Ezra had one arm wrapped around Aria's waist, meeting the other just on the swell of her stomach. He was still in awe, even after months of Aria being pregnant. They'd yet to feel the baby kick, but apparently, according to his books, it was supposed to happen any day now. The pads of Ezra's thumbs rubbed over the bit of exposed skin that appeared when Aria stretched, making her long sleeve tee shirt ride up. It was Saturday; one of their reoccurring rituals. Saturdays meant lying on the couch all day with leftovers from dinner the night before. "Do you think we'll continue this when they're born?"
Aria looked up at her husband, a small smile quirked on her lips. "I think we'll enjoy it even more than we do, if that's possible, while they're around." Her lips pressed just underneath his jaw, lingering there until there was a slight jolt in her abdomen. Aria's eyes went wide, hand flying down over Ezra's. Still trained on his face, it became obvious to her that her husband had felt the same sensation. Ezra's hand was pressed down on her stomach, trying to feel a bit more while the other hand made room for Aria to put her hand down on her skin.
They kicked. Their baby had kicked. Their baby was letting them know that they were there and loved them. A small sobbing noise came from Aria's throat as she rubbed small circles over her belly, fingers brushing lightly against Ezra's. "Hi, Baby," she said lovingly. Ezra smiled at his wife; there wasn't a more perfect person on the Earth, at least in his eyes.
"It's Mommy and Daddy," Ezra spoke, kissing the top of Aria's head. They took turns alternating speaking to their unborn child as it kicked at various times. "We want you to know that we love you very much and can't wait till you're around."
The nurses had taken Aria into the room about ten minutes ago, but Ezra hadn't been allowed in quite yet. Instead, he sat in the waiting room with his head in his hands, rubbing his temples to relieve some of the stress and the nerves that were coming to a boil in his stomach. In the matter of minutes, he would be a father. What he should've been doing was getting his act together and considering calling family to let them know the happenings, but it was three in the morning. He didn't think that Bryon Montgomery would be particularly amicable on the phone at that hour. Ezra decided on waiting until they knew the sex of the baby and Aria was rested to let them all know.
A million thoughts raced through the man's head. Honestly, six years ago, Ezra didn't think he and Aria would ever get to the point of being married and beginning a little family of their own. He dreamed about it often, but never figured it would be a reality. In Ezra's mind, it was the harsh reality of them being caught and he being sent to jail that was prevalent. But he couldn't be blamed for thinking such things when so much was on the line. And Ezra knew that Aria had been just as concerned for their future back then as he had been. And he still was concerned, seeing as that they were about to be thrown into a brand new life; one that wasn't hidden and one that wasn't scrutinized.
Ezra didn't want to make the same mistakes that his father had made with him. He wanted to be the type of father that his son or daughter could be proud of. He wanted them to point at him from across the soccer field or a dance recital stage and say 'That's my Daddy' with a smile on their face. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Aria wouldn't be a fantastic mother. His wife's nurturing trait had been in her since she was most likely a young girl. Both had come from screwed up families, but Ezra's past had enough deceit in it to last him more than a lifetime. Sure, Aria knew all his secrets now, but he was afraid that one day, when his child found out about them, their views on him would be hampered.
Deep down, Ezra knew he wanted a little girl; one that was a carbon copy of Aria with his eyes. A tiny little thing with both her parent's intelligence, but with Ezra's caring trait and Aria's headstrong streak. He wanted a little girl to protect just as much as he did her mother.
One brightly painted fingernail poked into Ezra's side late one night. Aria groaned, hoping he'd wake up while her stomach was churning and rumbling for something to eat. The one thing she disliked about pregnancy was the cravings. One more than one occasion had she woken Ezra up with a want for greasy fast food or a pint of ice cream and she hated to wake him up, especially because her husband was a heavy sleeper. Once more, she jabbed her finger into his cheek, making Ezra jolt awake. Aria pouted as he turned to look at her with a confused expression. "I'm hungry," she sighed, placing a hand over her stomach. "Your wife and child are hungry. Help."
Ezra chuckled, though still in a sleep filled haze. It was one of the most adorable sights Aria had ever witnessed. When he didn't move, her stomach only rumbled louder. Aria bumped her shoulder against his, whining quietly. "Ezra," Aria sighed. "Baby wants French fries; McDonald's French fries." She rubbed a small circle over her stomach and looked out their large window. The curtains were pulled back, giving a view of their quiet block on the Upper West Side. It was only one and the city was still buzzing on a Saturday night. When she'd first gotten a late night craving, she'd been petrified for Ezra's safety. But now, Aria sent him out whenever 'Baby Fitz', the name they bestowed upon their unborn child, was hungry for something they didn't have in the apartment. "Help Baby Fitz." Her pout never left her face.
Ezra chuckled and leaned down, kissing away her pout with a repetition of several quick kisses. "I'll be right back. You and Baby stay put. Don't burn the building down." He laughed softly before peeling back the covers. Ezra grabbed a sweatshirt from Hollis and pulled it over his head before grabbing his keys. "I love you," he called before hurrying out the door in order to get the food and come back before Aria changed her mind in favor for something else.
"Love you too," Aria giggled as the door shut. She fell back against the pillows, hands resting on her stomach. "Your Daddy's a lovesick puppy, Baby Fitz."
"Mr. Fitz?" Ezra's head shot up, eyes weary at the nurse who looked at him with an urgent expression. "Your wife has hit ten centimeters and we need her to push. She refuses to do so unless you're in the room with her."
Ezra kept back a chuckle, knowing that Aria would wait, or at least try to wait, until he came into the room. It was her headstrong, independent nature that made her try to control the world around her until she was ready. Unfortunately, in some cases, it didn't always work. Ezra pushed up from the waiting room couch and went into a private room to put on the teal scrubs that the nurse handed him. Once he was ready, he went into the birthing room to find Aria, wincing as she seemed to be doing all night. Except, when he walked in, a look of relief washed over her face. Her hand, once clenched in a fist, extended towards his, holding tightly once Ezra slipped his hand into Aria's palm.
"Baby couldn't be born without their Daddy," she said quietly, squeezing his hand as the doctor told her to begin to push. Ezra rubbed Aria's back and smoothed out her hair during those ten minutes of pushing, whispering quiet words of encouragement in her ear. Only one final push was needed and not only a minute later did a cry fill the room. It wasn't a cry of strain or stress, but one of a baby just entering the world. Everything fell silent for a moment until tears began to fall from both Aria and Ezra's eyes. His arms immediately wrapped around his wife's tired frame, her own arms holding onto him with as much strength as she could muster. "Thank you," Ezra whispered into her hair, tears falling freely now. Aria couldn't reply, her voice choked up with tears, but her lips sought out his, pressing against them with as much passion as she could in her bedraggled state.
"Mr. and Mrs. Fitz, we'd like you to meet your little girl." The doctor handed the cleaned off baby swathed in pink blankets to Aria, who'd scooted over so that Ezra could sit on the bed next to her. The baby's eyes fluttered open, her irises a striking shade of blue that was identical to Ezra's. She had Aria's lips and a mix of their hair color, though it was sure to darken and curl as time went on. The couple had been toying with names for the past couple of weeks, but when they looked at their newborn daughter, only one called out to them. Sharing a knowing glance, Aria's tears spilled over onto her cheeks, her body consumed with happiness. Ezra's forefinger stroked lightly down the baby's cheek, feeling the soft, fresh skin.
"Welcome to the world, Layla Grace Fitz."