Thank you again for the lovely reviews. I am glad people are enjoying the story. I need some "old school" Ezria in my life as Season 3 is not making me a happy bunny. Does anyone else spend every episode screaming paternity test at the screen? It would just satisfy me a little bit if Ezra demanded one, whilst he might be accepting his new life, I am not... but anyway... I digress..
Hopefully this chapter gives you the warm and fuzzies (as per usual I had no particular place to split the chapter, but fear not more is written past this point)...
Friday had come around again. Ezra sat at his desk waiting for the class to arrive. Noel Kahn and a group of guys entered the room first. They were talking loudly about the party he was throwing that evening, paying little attention to the fact that Ezra was sat there.
"So boys, how about a little wager on who gets the furthest with Aria Montgomery tonight?" Noel smirked to his friends. "We all know I'll win, she'll melt over me, but I'll accept some competition."
The boys laughed along with Noel and gave him high fives.
"Kahn GET OUT NOW." Ezra yelled.
Aria and the other girls had just entered the classroom as Ezra started to yell, oblivious to what had been said.
"I mean it, GET OUT. You talk about Aria or any other girl like that again and I will make sure you never get to see the end of your high school education. Do I make myself clear?"
Noel walked close to Ezra. "Yeah, yeah I'm going Mr. Fitz, maybe it's you that needs to get laid, chill out a little".
"Noel, get out of here." Aria warned, seeing that Ezra was clenching his fists as if he was about to punch Noel.
"I'll see you tonight Aria." Noel said with a wink before exiting the classroom.
Aria turned to Ezra who was seething. He scared her when he looked this angry. She had no idea what Noel had said to make him this way.
"Don't let him get to you." Aria said quietly to Ezra, hoping she might be able to calm him down.
"Right everyone in your seats and no one talks." Ezra ordered the class. He knew Aria was trying to help him but he couldn't let the class see that she could change his mood. He felt guilty, but at the same time he was angry with himself too for reacting the way he did.
As soon as the class was over Ezra grabbed his stuff and left, leaving Aria with no opportunity to talk to him.
"Do you think he's ok?" Emily asked the girls.
"I don't know, whatever Noel said really wound him up." Aria replied, unsure what would have annoyed Ezra so much.
"Fitzy looked like he was going to punch Noel, he's pretty hot when he's angry.." Hannah said.
Spencer glared at her.
"What? He is.." Hannah pleaded.
"Han, do I talk about your boyfriends like this?" Aria snapped.
"I didn't realise he was your boyfriend." Hannah replied with a smirk.
"He's..he's not, you know what I meant." Aria replied agitated.
"Are you still coming to the party?" Hannah asked.
"No way, not after Noel was such a jerk. I can't believe you are still going. I'm heading home, I'll chat to you tomorrow." Aria replied before walking away.
Ezra had stopped at the bottle shop on the way home, purchasing a bottle of scotch. He felt he needed it. He couldn't believe he had nearly lost it at a student. He prided himself on being professional, he laughed to himself at that thought given his situation with Aria. Tonight though, he intended to drink away his problems.
Ezra was on his 4th scotch when he heard a knock at his door. Dragging himself from the couch he went to answer it. He was shocked to see Aria stood on the other side.
"Hi, umm I wanted to know you were ok?"
"What are you doing here Aria?" Ezra sighed returning to the couch, leaving her to enter the apartment and close the door.
"Hey, why are you upset with me? What happened today Ezra?"
"I don't know Aria, it's just… you are my wife, my wife, and I have to sit by and listen to no hopers like Noel Kahn drool over you and talk about you and not react. I can't talk to you, I can't get to know you, I can't be with you and it's a lot harder than I thought it would be. I didn't expect to care so much." Ezra replied not making eye contact, both hands gripping the glass in front of him.
"Woah, back up. For starters, there's still no reason to be mad at me."
Ezra sighed, lifting his head to look at her. "I know, I'm sorry."
"That's better." Aria stated, removing her shoes and going to kneel in front of Ezra, taking the glass out of his hands and placing it on the coffee table.
"Ok, let's start again. Hi." Aria smiled.
Ezra cracked, lifting his eyes to hers and smiling. "Hi, it's good to see you, crazy but good.."
"Partners in crazy right?" Aria asked, rubbing her hands on his knees. Aria had no idea how to address the fact that he had referred to her as "his wife" avoiding was the only way she knew how to handle it right now.
"Partners in crazy." Ezra smiled. His eyes lowered to look at the necklace chain around her neck.
Ezra reached out to touch the chain. Aria held her breath as his fingers lightly skimmed her chest, pulling the chain up from underneath her dress. He held the ring tightly in his palm, before looking up to face Aria.
The gap between them closed as they both went in for a heated kiss. Aria could taste bitter alcohol as she pressed herself closer to Ezra, tangling her fingers in his hair. Ezra vented his frustrations through the kiss.
Both pulled back in need of air. Ezra's hands caressing Aria's flushed cheeks.
"Sorry.. I didn't mean to be so rough." Ezra leant forward and lightly kissed her forehead.
Just as Aria went to reply, there was knock at the door.
"I don't suppose that made you hungry?" Ezra smiled at Aria.
"Starving." Aria replied as Ezra got up to answer the door to the delivery guy and she took a seat on the couch.
They laughed and chatted their way through the Thai take-out Ezra had ordered for himself earlier. They sat at either end of the couch their legs entwined in the middle.
"Shouldn't you be at that party?" Ezra asked.
"I don't buy into the whole high school theory that you go to parties held by people you can't stand. I'm sure the others went."
"I did the same at high school, I couldn't do fake friendships. So…where do your parents think you are?"
"At the party…then staying at Hannah's."
"Right." Ezra nodded and exhaled, uneasy with the potential outcome that might come of the night yet he found himself asking if she wanted to watch a movie.
"Sure, I'd love to" Aria replied happily, trying to break the tension. Knowing Ezra was battling with himself over her.
Ezra started the movie before returning to the couch, changing to lie behind Aria so that he could wrap his arms around her, their fingers entwined. Kissing the top of her head as he settled in.
"I'm glad you're here." Ezra said softly about half way into the movie. He felt completely at ease with Aria, he had never had this with his ex girlfriends. They were more controlling types who seemed to never truly relax, maybe it was a New York thing.
Aria turned her head to face him. "I don't want to be anywhere else…but here..with you."
The kiss that followed was soft until Aria turned her body around so that she was lying on top of Ezra, causing him to groan in frustration as she increased the intensity of the kiss.
"Stay with me?" Ezra asked quietly between the light kisses he was placing on Aria's neck, one hand was buried in her hair, the other had edged her dress up a little to allow him to stroke her thigh. Ezra couldn't blame the alcohol anymore, that had long since worn off, he just couldn't help himself around her.
Aria smiled and nodded, letting out a gasp as Ezra gripped her thighs as he sat up and lifted her off the couch towards his bed, his lips never leaving her neck as he did so.
