As of right now, There has been such an amazing amount of reviews! The response though on Twitter has been amazing and I really can't wait to share this story with you. I'm so excited about it and it's definitely going to be like nothing else I've ever written. The first couple of chapters are going to fly by fast to get to the real bit of the story. I don't anticipate it to be a forty four chaptered saga like "Reunited" was either.
Honestly, this isn't my favorite chapter that I've written. It's more of a filler.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, well, you know. I've already told you what I'd do.
Spencer Hastings was five foot five and ambitious; a stark contrast to Aria who happened just graze five feet exactly and didn't act upon impulse. Though both were brunettes, the two were insanely different which was why they got along so well. Spencer made the elaborate schemes during college and Aria was the one who thought them through and was often cautious. Spencer attacked those with her words while Aria always thought out what she wanted to say and what insults she wanted to throw around. They complimented one another well, which was something everyone noticed when they were around each other. Her sophomore year of college, Aria could rightfully say that she had the type of friendship that only movies could offer.
When Aria came home biting her nails nervously, it was obvious something was up. Spencer looked up from the couch where her legs were lying across her sleeping boyfriend's and tilted her head to the side. "What's wrong?" She didn't need Aria to voice that something was in the first place.
"He asked me out." Aria chewed on her lip, placing her hands at her side. What good would it be to show up with torn up cuticles, especially after she'd splurged and gotten them done the previous week? "And I said yes." Her head looked down towards the ground, a blush spreading upon her cheeks. Ultimately, she was waiting for some form of chastisement. At least, that's what Aria convinced herself that she deserved.
A slow grin spread across Spencer's face, still not moving from the couch. Wren, her boyfriend laying sprawled on the piece of furniture, was a doctor and had worked a long shift the previous night without any sleep. Spencer didn't have the heart to jostle him just yet. "It's about time, Montgomery," she said, giving a silent clap of her hands.
Her statement caused Aria to look up from the ground with wide eyes. Spencer knew every dirty detail about her ongoing…well, whatever she had with Ezra. She had expected some form of disapproval, considering he had played an equal amount of tricks on her as she did him. But the smile on Spencer's face shook Aria to the core, realizing her best friend had been rooting for her irritating co-worker the entire time. "You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?"
"Timed it from the very dot you gave me the details."
"I hate you," Aria sighed, shaking her head so that some curls framed her face. "That was crafty of you, Spence. But this doesn't mean anything. He said it isn't a date unless I want it to be." She raised her chin, trying to keep her steady glare on Spencer's face. They had a continuous game going to see who could last the longest without breaking their stance on something and Aria was determined to keep her feet firm on the ground.
Spencer winked, causing Aria to lose all composure. "Oh Darling, you will want it to be. Trust me. Now go get ready." The taller brunette gave a swat of her hand in midair, giving the signal that made Aria leave the room. It wasn't as if she was some dog who listened to every whistle, beck and call, but when Spencer was in a cheeky mood like now, it meant endless teasing and now she had ammunition. But Aria was sure to leave with a huff, one loud enough to wake Wren. She giggled to herself as she sauntered off into her room and the British man awoke on the couch. "Damn it," Spencer mumbled just as Aria closed the door.
Their apartment was split up so that Aria's room was on one end and Spencer's was on the other. It was a mutual decision that they try to keep their bedrooms separate for privacy reasons. Aria had the fear that one night she'd hear things that she wouldn't be able to erase from her memory through the thing walls that New York City apartments had to offer and Spencer had agreed. In the middle were their kitchen and their living room, a breakfast bar protruding into the living space. It was the perfect set up and while spacious, was cozy. When Spencer and Wren had date nights, Aria never felt like she was truly left alone in some giant apartment with no comfort but a few pillows and untouchable furniture.
Her room was her preferred space though, decorated just to Aria's liking. The walls were wallpapered in an elaborate print and various pictures of family and friends hung upon it. Her bed was pushed against the wall and the flatscreen TV her parents gave her as part of her gift when graduated college was opposite that. Antique wooden furniture lined the room in places that Aria wanted to put them. All in all, it was the space she chose to write in and spend most alone time in.
Aria sat at her makeup table and picked up a small blush brush, running her fingers through the bristles. It felt smooth and soft, almost like it was brand new when in reality she'd had it for almost a year. Her lips pursed as she looked through the mirror at herself, wondering what she could possible enhance with a little makeup for tonight. And then it dawned on her- what should she care about what she looked like to Ezra? The whole premise was for Aria to not want it to become a date. Dressing herself up and painting on a brand new face than the one she was wearing to work would push Ezra to rub it in her face that she'd wanted this all along. Or so she thought. Deciding to keep her makeup the way it was, Aria pushed up from the small seat and began to sort through her closet in search of something to wear. Ultimately, she chose a pair of high waisted and slightly torn up shorts and a loose white lace blouse to tuck into them. It wasn't extravagant, but it wasn't office wear. As she looked in the mirror, she was satisfied.
The warm, late summer breeze rustled through Aria's hair as she made her way the few blocks from her apartment towards Bryant Park. New York's summer season hadn't worn out yet and a few tourists still lingered here and there. The city would never calm down on account of how many travelers seemed to pass through, but the fall was often quiet. Times Square was even manageable to navigate and stores didn't seem to be as crowded either. Aria preferred the city when things died down from the hectic work rush in the morning. People still went from to and fro, but night was when people went to dinner and relaxed and let loose, which was a stark contrast to the business men on the streets at eight in the morning. She climbed the few stone steps and soon enough with hit with the view of the park, people milling about and wanting to soak up the last bit of summer that they could. A slight ripple of wind passed through Aria's head, turning her view of direction to the left. And there, sitting on a blanket with a smirk and a wave, was Ezra.
She rolled her eyes, but none the less walked over to join him. Biting down on her lip, Aria had to admit that work clothes aside, he looked good. In a dark navy blue button down and khaki shorts, feet adorned with boat shoes, he looked younger than he did while suited up. Before Ezra could comment on her eyes appraising him, Aria's darted away, going to look at the giant screen that the movie would be playing upon in the matter of ten minutes.
"It's one of my favorites," she spoke, watching couples mill about and families huddle up on blankets. "It's a simple love story, which is nice compared to the crap they've seemed to formulate today." A soft laugh escaped Aria's lips, but she pressed them shut, not wanting to show she was having a good time. Not that she was quite yet, but with Ezra Fitz, anything gave him the impression.
He chuckled, watching the light reflect through locks of her hair. Some books always talked about those special moments when one could take note of the smaller things to appreciate in their life. For Ezra, this was one of them. To see Aria Montgomery in such a natural state in her worn in shorts and a smile on her face was now ingrained in his memory with the mental snap shot he took. Ezra could slowly feel up easing up on the persona she tried to keep at work; the one that hated him with every fiber of her being and constantly threw insults at him left and right. He'd always been good a reading people and honestly, he didn't find Aria Montgomery to be the type of woman she projected herself to be at him. In those few moments when she smiled, Ezra could just make out the real Aria. The warm and vivacious Aria.
"I don't think we'll ever see a movie like this anymore. Nothing can compare to old movies; the glamour, the stories, the simplicity…"
The words slipping from Ezra's lips startled Aria. She wouldn't never had taken him as the type to be into the grandeur of the 1940's and old romantic films. To be honest, she didn't know what she really took him for and it was then that it hit her that she hardly knew him. Ezra Fitz, the man she continuously pretended to hate in order to keep her head held high and her pride untarnished, wasn't as well known to Aria as she thought he was. She didn't know his likes or dislikes or his hobbies. Then again, what did it matter to her? Why should she care?
Because maybe, just maybe, deep down, she felt guilty for being entirely rude to him. He'd done nothing but ask her out as an eighteen year old, but a lot could happen over the course of a few years and college; something that seemed to have slipped her mind the minute she saw his sitting in that glass paned window of his on the publishing for.
"Now its cheesy romantic comedies," Aria replied, pushing a hand through her hair. "Not that those aren't good for a girl's night, but they don't make you dream like the old ones do. You know; those dreams to find love." Her eyes flickered down, fingers twining in the grass and picked at a few of the blades. She didn't like the way she was spilling her guts to him and laying it all out on the table. Aria swore there was something in that blue eyed gaze of his that made her want to continue talking and talking. In an atmosphere that was free and open rather than the tension filled one of the workplace, she could see a different Ezra. One with a softer glance and a wider smile and certainly one with softer words as well. And if she was being honest with herself, Aria liked it.
Fingers prodded at her chin, making Aria cast her eyes upwards, peering straight into Ezra's. It was then that she noted the tangible chemistry and tension between them both. The soft looking lips that were near to hers were becoming to tempted and as their faces inched closer and closer, the hazy tension became thicker; thick like the smog over the city.
"Aria, I…" Ezra trailed off, their lips becoming dangerously close. They seemed to inch until they were just brushing one another's, but the loud blaring of the movie over the speakers drew them apart. Aria blushed deeply and sat with her knees to her chest, while Ezra leaned back on her forearms. Though in seemingly different positions and one calmer about the situation than the other, the same thought ran through their heads:
What the hell?
The human psyche works in mysterious ways; especially the subconscious part. Sometimes, we don't even realize that we've shifted out bodies or brushed at our faces. For Aria and Ezra, it was unknown to them both that during the movie they'd somehow found themselves wrapped around one another. Aria was now situated between Ezra's legs, back against his chest while his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her against him. Neither noted internally how nice it felt because neither probably noticed what they were doing.
The movie played on, black and white pictures shadowing the large tarp screen that covered one end of the park. Night fell easily, bathing the city in stars and blanketing the buildings overhead warmly with a dark sky. Aria's eyes were fluttering just as the movie came to a close. It was Ezra's jostling that made her eyes spring wide open and blink around at her surroundings. The solid chest behind her was an indication of the position she'd put herself in.
"The movie's over," he whispered softly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. How they could become so tender with one another in the matter of hours was beyond them both. However, it wasn't to fate. That unknown force from above that so many believed in was twisting its way into the once catty relationship between Aria Montgomery and Ezra Fitz. He let his fingers wander over her cheek, feeling her soft skin for a few moments. It was almost like silk under his skin, flawless even. Ezra sucked in a huge breath, removing his hand with a great amount of willpower.
"This was fun," Aria sputtered, pushing herself up from where she had been laying on the ground and far away from his touch. She didn't like what it made it feel, nor did she like the butterflies that erupted inside. And though Aria did like the different side that she'd seen in him, she couldn't let herself fall so easily. That wasn't the girl she knew herself to be. Aria Montgomery wasn't the girl who fell moony eyed and head over heels for a man she barely knew regardless of what felt right. "We should do it again."
"Aria, wait," Ezra spoke softly, catching her hand as she got up. He wasn't about to let her slip away so quickly. "Look," he said, standing up while his hand slipped into hers. "I know I've always been a jerk and picked fights, but I don't want to anymore. I'm sorry. That's not me and it feels so foreign to try and ignore something that feels so right."
It was those few words from his heart that sent Aria pulling him up close and her lips crashing against his. Her painted nails tangled up in his hair while his strong ones wrapped around her waist, cementing her against his chest. Lips fought one another, tongues slipping and battling it out moments later. There was always that cheesy saying that if there was something to be explored between two people, you could see stars behind your eyes when you kissed. For Aria, it was fireworks. For Ezra, it was the stars. Only moments later were they pulling away, foreheads rested against one another. The rest of the world seemed to be packing up and retreating home, but to the couple standing locked in each other's gazes, everything was frozen.
"I'm sorry," Aria breathed and that was enough for him.
Tugging on her hand, Ezra neglected the plastic bags on the grass and the blanket, which actually happened to be a towel. She didn't even protest, though, if she'd been in a less dazed state of mine, she would've yelled at him to pick it up and toss it out. As they wound their way through the streets of New York, Aria wasn't surprised when they showed up outside of Ezra's apartment. She was surprised though about how willing her body seemed to be for him to take her inside. Under his touch, she didn't care. She was enchanted.
Aria Montgomery was letting for the man she had always resented, or well, thought she resented; convinced herself that she resented. Right now, she didn't doubt his words to her at the park or the way he held her as some ploy to get her in bed. She'd been wrong about him all along, at least she hoped. Aria watched diligently with attentive eyes as Ezra fumbled with his keys to open up the third floor apartment, want coursing through her veins as he bit down on his lip.
"Ezra," Aria breathed as he pushed open the door, but her lips were silenced by his while strong arms wrapped around her to carry her off towards the bedroom.