A/N: I'm guilty for not explaining why the day was odd for Ezra well here's why.
Four
Aria looked at Ezra. "Okay quick synopsis of the first two days. I know it's late but please tell me something I need to hear."
Ezra was tempted to close the door. It was two am and he had been asleep. Aria looked like she'd tried to get to the same state or had been asleep before she knocked on his door. "Odd," he said, summing it up in one word.
"Meaning?" Aria demanded. He couldn't give her one word answers when she was already nuts enough as is. She was also cranky and pushy to top it off. The dream about Noel Khan hadn't helped her mood either.
"Having you back in that building; knowing you're across the hall and I can't touch you. It's just like how it was Aria, and we both know it. It's odd because your back," he stated, "I can't touch you. I can't be with you even now without it being wrong in someone's eyes."
"I'm sorry, for bothering you," she replied, before turning away from him.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. "Aria we're human, we beat ourselves up. Then turn around and ask for more."
Aria sighed. "I'm sorry. I can't sleep and everyone has someone. Emily and Toby. Hanna and Lucas. Spencer and Alex. And I'm dreaming about Ali and Noel."
"Come on in," he said.
She followed him inside his apartment. Ezra sat on the couch; he made eye contact with her. "So the couples are still together?" he asked.
Aria sat. "All besides one," she replied, tracing her hand on the buttery leather of the couch.
"Who?"
"Me and you. You and I. Us," she answered kissing him.
"I can't believe how smooth you are," he stated, kissing her.
"You learn a few things in college," she said, sliding closer to him.
"Aria slow remember?" he reminded her, knowing that slow wasn't going to work. With that reminder she stood up
She grabbed his hand and pulled him up. "Can I stay here tonight?"
He nodded. "Let's go to bed." He led her to his room.
She remembered the cool grays and blues that decorated the room when he opened the door. He went to the right side of the bed. His side. She went to hers, hating the fact that she had to let go of him even for a few moments. Just like the hundreds of times before the gravitated to each other.
He wrapped his arms around her as she wormed her way closer to him. She rested her head on his chest and listened to his heart beat. It dawned on her, this was real, her second chance. She'd dreamt about this moment, this chance.
"You're real," Aria whispered, "I've been worrying that it's just a dream."
"I'm real and I'm not going anywhere," he promised.
"Good," she said, breathing in his sent. She forgot about the nights she woke up screaming his name, the nights Kylee, Maggie, and Annie, her college roommates would come running to her bed as she cried over him. She forgot about the things she had lived with when it came to Ezra. She forgot about it all.
Ezra held onto her tightly. He smiled down on her the moment she'd fallen asleep. His mind wandered to the night she graduated. The night Noel Khan died.
Ezra's cell rang. He checked it Aria. Wasn't she supposed to be with Noel tonight, he thought. He answered. Aria was sobbing.
"I didn't know who else to call. Someone- A ran Noel and I off the road. I think he's dead. We're on the road by the lake. Ezra please."
"I'm on my way. I'll be there in two." He turned his car around and headed in that direction. So much for visiting his family this weekend.
Two minutes later Ezra was at the scene of the accident. Aria was standing on the side of the road, holding her arm close to her body. He ran to her.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yes, my arm's broken but that's it. I called nine-one-one. They're on their way." Aria was still crying. "Go check on Noel he said something earlier. Please."
Ezra went down to the car. He checked Noel's pulse. Nothing. He actually liked Noel Khan even though Noel had played as cover for Aria. He went back to Aria. He shook his head. She fell to her knees and sobbed.
The police and ambulance came. The EMTs pronounced Noel dead on the scene. Aria just sobbed. Ezra explained that he had passed the accident on his way to visiting his family, and helped his student. Aria had been sedated and was sleeping peacefully in the back of an ambulance as they took her off.
Ezra didn't visit Aria in the hospital. He went to the funeral, but didn't say anything to Aria or her friends. The next week when he ran into Spencer she had told him she'd left for New York, Ithaca, Cornell, the list of places Aria was currently located early.
"She couldn't deal with everything after Noel's death. She loved you Mr. Fitz, but she couldn't stay. I don't know if she'll ever come back."
That night Ezra had gone home and threw things around his apartment, cursing, drinking, and eventually falling into a dreamless slumber. A routine he'd followed for months after she'd left. He'd admitted over and over again that he loved her. But he wouldn't go after her.
With those memories Ezra finally fell asleep.
Ezra didn't want to move the next morning. He pulled Aria closer to him. She smiled in her sleep. "Damn it," she grumbled, opening her eyes.
"What?" he asked.
"I have breakfast with Hanna. What time is it?"
"9:45," he answered.
She shot up. "I'm late." She climbed out of bed. "I'm late. I'm late. I'm late." She ran over to his side of the bed, and kissed him. "Son of a- I'm late."
He kissed her hand as she started to run off. He heard his front door slam.
Hanna laughed. "You ditched me for spooning. Nice."
Aria groaned. "Not spooning. I didn't sleep with him. I just flipped out at two am."
Aria went into the apartment. Hanna followed her. "So you didn't sleep with the man who's been in love with you for years. A man that you're in love with. Your priorities are totally out of line."
"Don't you know the definition of the word 'slow' Hanna?" Aria asked, going to her bedroom and changing her clothes.
"Yes but years of waiting. Speed is necessary," Hanna replied, "So when he starts answering your door in his underwear. I'm totally telling on you."
Aria laughed. "I don't think anyone will be answering any doors in their underwear any time soon."
"That's what we all said," Hanna giggled, "Aria just marry him already. Speed is worth the time it takes to get up to it. None of us judge you for it in high school. Noel doesn't judge you. Hell I think he accepted you'd never love him when your white knight is in the class room with you every day."
"It was different then. Now I'm just confused. I love Ezra. I never stopped. I never will. But there's like this road block. It's called the past. It's like this huge huge huge HUGE hurdle that we can't seem to jump over."
Hanna winked. "Then go under it."
A/N: I'm sorry for those of you who love Noel I love him too. But not as much as Ezra. Review please!
