Sorry it's taken me so long to update. I promise I'll try to start working faster; I just don't want to write crap for the sake of updating. I think you'd prefer that, too. As always, I appreciate the reviews and feedback. You're the reason I'm motivated to write. Thanks.
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.
Hanna woke up Tuesday morning to the sound of an old White Stripes song coming from Caleb's workspace in the studio. She sat up in his bed and yawned. "What are you doing?"
"Working," he called over his bare shoulder as he typed furiously on his computer. "I don't have to go into the lab today but I'd like to finish up some stuff before you drag me to IKEA."
"Don't act like it's going to be so horrible," she sighed, crawling out of bed. "We know what we need so I won't have to look at everything."
"Princess, when have you ever gone into any shopping experience without looking at everything?" he teased. "It'll be fine. I just need another hour."
Hanna walked to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. "An hour?"
"What, not enough time for you to get ready?" Caleb smirked. "I can give you two if I have to."
She threw an empty plastic cup across the room at him. "Ass." She walked over and stood behind him. "What are you working on?"
"Do you really want to hear about my work?" he asked. "When I used to explain things I did to phones in high school, you zoned out before I finished a sentence."
"I'm just trying to be supportive," she told him. "It's not like you're dying to know what I'll do at Betsey Johnson."
Caleb sighed and spun away from the desk. "Tell me. What is it you'll be doing at Betsey Johnson?"
"Working with her design team on the spring line," she answered, sitting down on the coffee table. "She knows I excel in designing dresses and skirts so I'll be designing them for her label."
"That sounds like it's important," he stated. "Your clothes will be in stores and stuff then, right?"
"And at Fashion Week," she confirmed. "And if they're really good, celebrities will want to wear what I design."
"But won't it be her name on the clothes?" he asked. "No one will know it's you."
She smirked. "The important people will. Everyone deeply enough in the industry knows it's rare for the designer to actually design the clothes anymore; they have a team. It's good to start with someone as influential as Betsey because it gets my name out there so one day, when I decide to start my own label, people will follow me."
"I'm sure they will," he said.
"Now it's your turn," she declared. "What about your job?"
Caleb sighed. "Right now I'm working on an anti-virus program for the labs that will also prevent hackers from breaking into the system. It's a real bitch and I'm afraid it's going to be really time consuming."
Hanna shrugged. "Maybe that'll be good. If I'm here all the time, I won't finish Spencer's dress and I have a deadline. If you're busy working, I can work on her wedding gown and no one gets in trouble. Your boss praises you and Spencer doesn't kill me."
"But where will that leave us?" he wondered.
"Still figuring things out," she answered. "Same thing we're doing now." She stood up. "Now, you finish your work and I'll shower."
Aria found Ezra in the kitchen Tuesday morning, working tirelessly at the stove. "Should I find the fire extinguisher, just in case?"
"Don't mock," he said, waving a rubber spatula at her. "I'm being nice."
"Yes, you are," she agreed, settling in at the kitchen table. "What are we having?"
"Pancakes," he told her. "I know they're your favorite."
Aria yawned. "They are. Is there coffee?"
"I'm already making you breakfast," he scoffed. "Now you expect me to bring you your coffee, too?"
"I sure do," she confirmed with a grin. "Please?"
Ezra sighed and poured her a cup from the coffeemaker next to him. "Only because you're cute."
"Uh-huh," Aria deadpanned. "So, Mr. Fitz, what are our plans for the day? I have the day off from the bookstore."
"Well, I read in the paper that It Happened One Night is playing at the theater so I was thinking we could see that at one and then grab a late lunch," he stated as he set a plate in front of her. "Or we can check out the town fair."
Aria considered the options. Spending the afternoon in a dark theater with Ezra was certainly appealing but it was so nice out that she didn't want to waste a day inside; she was going to be with him regardless.
"Let's go to the fair," she decided. "I think it'll be nice to be out and about. Emily said they're setting up a booth for Reid Kelley so she'll be there. If Spencer can screw her head back on from all the wedding chaos, she'll probably stop by. Hanna is spending the day with Caleb in Philly so she's occupied but I think it'll be fun. We never really did much together in town."
Ezra knew it would be a big step and they'd probably run into plenty of people who would question them but he didn't care anymore. All he wanted was for Aria to officially take him back and move in with him so if she wanted to go to the fair, so did he.
"Sounds good," he smiled.
The fair was set-up in and around the town square and was mostly for kids or people looking to advertise something or other but Aria had always loved it when she was young and as teenagers, she and her friends often caused a lot of trouble and mayhem there.
"Aria Montgomery!"
Aria, who was walking past stalls with her hand firmly clasped in Ezra's, turned slowly to face a very pregnant Mona Vanderwaal. "Hi, Mona."
Mona looked pointedly at Aria and Ezra's hands. "What's this?"
"Not really any of your business," Aria replied.
"Aria, you're holding our old English teacher's hand at the town fair," Mona stated. "It's a little weird. Though, now that I think about it, Noel did once say that Mr. Fitz was having a thing with a student when he was at Rosewood. Was that you or did this happen later?"
Ezra tensed at mention of Noel Khan. "Noel was always butting his nose into places it didn't belong."
Mona held up her hand. "That's my husband you're talking about."
"Well, I'm sorry but I'm no longer required to hide my feelings about your husband," Ezra said. "I don't like the guy and I never did."
"That's because you were threatened by me," Noel spoke up behind them. "You were afraid Aria was going to choose me instead of you."
Ezra waited until Noel was in front of him before speaking. "How'd that work out for you? I got the girl of my dreams and you settled for your second choice."
"Ezra," Aria whispered in near shock, pulling him away. "See you guys later."
"I'm sorry," Ezra apologized as soon as they were out of earshot from the Khan's. "The guy just grates my nerves."
Aria laughed. "I know that. I'm not his biggest fan either but it's been four years since I last saw him and I'm over it. He's always going to be weird and petty but it shouldn't bother you anymore."
"You're right," he agreed. "Let's forget him and find your friends."
Caleb frowned as he followed Hanna through IKEA that afternoon, cringing every time she stopped to critique a couch. They'd taken care of the desk, rug, and lamps but she was having a hard time finding a couch she liked and bedding that didn't make her sick to her stomach. He'd forgotten how exhausting it was to shop with her.
"How much longer?" he groaned as she sat on a gray sofa. "We've been here for two hours and I'm starving."
"You're the one who skipped breakfast to work," she reminded him, bouncing around on the cushions. "I even offered to fry you an egg."
"Whatever," he sighed, sitting down next to her. "This one is fine."
"Fine?" she repeated. "The couch is the focal point in your apartment so 'fine' isn't going to cut it, Rivers. It doesn't really seem to be your style."
"My style?" he scoffed. "Everything we've picked out today has been chosen by you. I agree because I want to get outta here as soon as possible."
She glared at him and stood up. "Why are you being so difficult? If you really didn't want to do this, you could've told me."
"I just wanted to spend time with you and I know you wanted to," he reasoned. "I just didn't realize picking out a few things would take all day."
Hanna softened as his admittance to wanting to spend time with her. She looped her arm through his and led him away from the gray couch. "I'm sorry. I get a little frazzled when I shop and I lose sight of what we're looking for. Your apartment is sort of modern-looking so I'm trying to match that."
Caleb looked around the showroom and spotted a red suede couch several rows over. "That one. I like that couch right there."
She followed his gaze and walked over to inspect it. The material was soft and the color was vibrant. She sat down and pulled him with her. "This one, huh?"
"Uh-huh," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her softly. "I think it has serious potential."
"Okay," she breathed. "We'll get it."
Twenty minutes—and a black and gray bed-set—later, Caleb had never been so happy to fork over his credit card.
"Your girlfriend has nice taste," the cashier grinned as she handed Caleb the receipt to sign.
"Thank you," Hanna smirked. "He often doubts me."
Caleb kept quiet. He wasn't sure if Hanna heard the woman use the g-word but he wasn't going to make a big deal of it if she wasn't.
"So thanks for picking out this stuff," he said as they walked to the truck he'd borrowed from his boss to haul his stuff.
"No problem, boyfriend," she teased. "Yes, I heard her."
"But you didn't correct her," he pointed out.
She sighed. "Why fight the inevitable? In my head, I think of you as my boyfriend so why shouldn't everyone?"
He pulled her to him and kissed her. "So can I make it Facebook official? You know it doesn't count until it's confirmed by social media," he added jokingly.
"Oh, stop," she muttered, pushing him away. "Come on, I wanna eat."
After meeting Reid Kelley and chatting with Spencer and her mother for a bit, Aria and Ezra left the fair without anymore run-ins with Mona and Noel or any former students for that matter.
"See?" she beamed as they walked to his car. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"
"Nope," he denied. "In fact, it was even a little fun."
"I used to love it when I was a kid," she admitted, buckling her seatbelt. "It was magical at night, with all the lights and the rides. I felt like Rosewood was another planet for a few hours."
Ezra smiled at her. "I'm glad we came then, if it reminded you of being a kid again."
They drove in a comfortable silence back to her house and made their way inside.
"I'm gonna make lunch," she decided. "I'm thinking just grilled cheese and macaroni, if that's okay."
He nodded. "Sounds good. I'm gonna run upstairs to change this shirt; it's too hot for long-sleeves."
While Ezra went up to her bedroom, Aria mindlessly got out the cooking equipment she needed to make their lunch. Their day together had been nearly perfect and Aria remembered all the things she loved about him—he was funny and smart and quietly acerbic and he made her feel good about herself. When she was with him, nothing else around her mattered; for the most part, it never had. She set the pan on the counter and raced to the stairs.
"Aria?" he asked when she burst into her room.
She closed the gap between them and kissed him, pushing him back towards her bed. "I love you, Ezra."
"Are you sure you wanna do this right now?" he breathed, reaching for the tie of her halter top. "We don't have to rush."
"Ezra," she whispered as she kissed his neck. "Just shut up."