I started this before the finale but I didn't post it until now. You can all thank my good friend Catherine for encouraging me to finish this. It's kind of a train wreck. But oh well.

At the end of the night

We are the greatest pretenders

In the cold morning light

Ezra runs straight out into to the opening, heart pounding, adrenaline spewing. Aria isn't anywhere to be found and the only thing on his mind is finding her.

He runs a little ways to the end of the roof, wheezing, crying her name out as loud as he can. But she doesn't answer, and the fear that nearly paralyzes him is that he's too late. That he couldn't get to her. He's failed her once again and this time- this time, it's permanent.

But suddenly he sees Aria, and her friends, and that undying protective instinct throws him at the bastard who dares lay a hand on them. He won't see them hurt, not while he's still breathing.

"NO," Ezra screeches, diving towards the masked psychopath. With every ounce of force he can muster he pushes them to the side, and the gunman ferociously fires a single shot. Just one shot, and the gun is already out of ammunition.

Aria's down, and he strains his eyes to look for her. But all he sees is darkness; the blaring pain in his abdomen suddenly strong enough to make him black out. Knees locked into place, Ezra looks before him in wonder, listening to the silence twist in his ears. There are millions of tiny, fading lights in the skyline around them, like infinite little stars in the galaxy, sparkling and broken. And he can hardly breathe at the overwhelming beauty of them, he's choked with emotion.

"It's so beautiful," he breathes.

There's this tingling in his hands, and before he has a chance to react, he feels the ground lift around him and his head crashes into the concrete. There's almost to much pain to deal with, and the only thing holding him from the pit of unconsciousness is the only thing that matters.

"Aria."

And despite the blood spilling out of his head, the spreading crimson colouring of his shirt, the crease in his forehead and contorted shape of his chest, a small flicker of light dances in the shadows of his eyes as her beautiful face falls into vision. He can barely feel her hands as they weave their way through his hair, pulling his upper body against her thighs. He can barely hear the whimpering and the pleas for him to stay awake. But he knows she's there, and that's enough for him.

"I'm sorry," he whispers pleadingly, trying to find her eyes somewhere within the pulsating chaos of his own mind. "I love you." Blood spurts from the corner of his mouth, making his words spill, jumbled together out of his mouth.

He feels a slight splatter on his forehead, and it dawns on him she's crying. He doesn't like it; he hates hearing her cry, and he doesn't know what to say or do but he needs her to stop. Somewhere, lost in his body is his hand, and with every buzz of weak energy left in his body he searches, reaching for her to hold her face or hand or something so she'll stop crying.

"Don't go Ezra, please don't go," a murmur begs, her voice? He can't tell. It's too hazy here and he can't see. "Don't you dare close your eyes. I need you,"

He hears what sounds like a sob and his stomach churns. He's making her upset again. Another "I love you" falls from his lips and with a feeble breath, he whispers brokenly the only words he knows will make her smile.

"Happiness is just outside my window,"

Something tugs at his scalp and his own tears fill his eyes, smiling at the memories packed in the words of that song. Their memories, the memories of his Aria, the purpose of his very existence. He remembers everything; maybe it's his life flashing before his eyes. But she's it; she's the only part of his life that ever mattered.

"Thought it crashed, going eighty miles per hour,"

Her eyes when she speaks of what she loves. Her smile when she's content and in his arms. Her giggle. Her lips. The taste of her skin and the smell of her hair.

"Happiness, feels a lot like sorrow,"

Her kisses. Her hugs. Her eyes. Her body. The loss he feels constantly at her absence. She drove him crazy and pushed him places he'd never dared go- and he loved her for every moment.

Wasn't there so many things they were supposed to do together? Weren't they supposed to buy a house in the country, just the right distance from the city? Where they could write and she could paint and they could raise their kids? Wasn't he supposed to propose to her in New York in the rain?

"Gone for now, seems a lot like gone for good,"

He stops, too tired to remember the rest of the words. Somewhere is the distance he hears his Aria, and she's asking him something, murmuring something, mumbling too low for him to hear. He slides open his bloodshot blue eyes once more, not sure when he'd closed them in the first place, and as if all his hopes are answered he sees her.

"I love you," is all he can think of.

His eyes flutter shut and he hears the soft muffle of a scream- some sort of command? He can't tell. But she is still there, still holding him, still crying. The world starts swirling and Ezra fears it will spin him into the depths of very oblivion itself.

Somewhere below, the whispers of sirens wail- he has to hold on for her.

"Ezra!" he hears, but she's too far away.

Maybe one day he will see her again, hold her again, wipe away tears from her face and explain to her all the pure intentions he'd started all this out with. His broken heart seems to lighten a little, his lungs burning with the impending need to breathe. With his last conscious thought, he manages himself a promise; stay here for his Aria.

His only hope is that life is willing to let him.

There might be a second chapter to this, but I don't know yet.

Personally, I adored this scene with all my heart. It was flawless. Never has a scene brought out such emotion in me, and this only broadened the epic-ness that is ezria's love story. I was ecstatic.

Either way, I wrote this on a whim but enjoy!