A/N: Thanks a bunch for the reviews I received for the last chapter. One of my anonymous reviewers asked if I could explain what happened exactly to Leslie and here it is: It's better explained in my prequel to this story, Vengeance, but I'll just give you a little synopsis. When Hanna was still pregnant with her, there was a car accident. The doctors did what they could, but Leslie 'died' shortly after birth. Or so Hanna and Caleb were led to believe. In actuality, Leslie was kidnapped by CeCe and Wilden and switched with their dead baby. She spent two years living in an isolated house with them, suffering verbal abuse, hits/slaps, and wasn't well cared for. I hoped that helped you; if you want to read the whole story, I suggest reading Vengeance. If anybody else has a question about the story or anything, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll be happy to answer it. :) Wow, ok, I'm still in a rambling mood. Ok, here's the chapter to enjoy. :)
~ Chapter 12 ~
~~ Tension Rises ~~
Aria
The sun glinted off the frosted windowpane, a harsh glare trying to push its' way through the curtains and into the room. It was still early in the morning, just a little bit past 6:30. The house was quiet and still, almost as if it had been frozen in time. This was one of Aria's favorite times of day, when everything was perfect before the day began. She lay on her side, with her hand under her head on the pillow. Ezra lay next to her, still sleeping soundly. She smiled to herself, reaching out with her right hand. She traced Ezra's face with her fingers lightly, following the angles and planes of his face.
Ezra started to stir, awakening to her tender ministrations. Aria paused, her hand falling to his neck to rest. Ezra spoke without opening his eyes, startling her a little bit. "You're watching me," he stated, a smile playing on his lips.
Aria giggled softly. "Well, you're nice to look at," she replied. She started moving her index finger languidly up and down his neck.
"Only nice?" Ezra questioned, opening his eyes and raising one eyebrow. He moved closer to her enticingly. Aria grinned back at him, moving closer as well. Their lips were getting closer, only mere inches away. "What do you call this?" he muttered, in the space between their lips. She smiled eagerly, awaiting his kiss.
Then, he captured her lips with his own. They kissed deeply, passionately, clinging closely to each other. Ezra moved over her, pushing her back onto the bed. He ran his hands through her hair, then down along her body. Tingles ran down her spine as she also felt her skin heat up from their passion. His hand slid underneath her tank top, bunching it up as his hand traveled up again. Soon, it was out of the way altogether, and he was lavishing her body with heated, sensual kisses.
Aria let out a moan of pleasure, her body rising up to meet his. Her toes curled against the sheets. Then, she hooked her leg up around his hip and pulled his face back up to hers. Their lips crashed together hungrily, their tongues sliding together in wet, sultry ministrations. She roamed her hands over his bare, flat chest and around to his back, in an irregular pattern. They lost themselves in each other, in the height of their passion. Their love burned brightly and hotly between them, igniting the flame and neither one of them wanted to extinguish it.
Afterward, they lay together bathed in the glow of their lovemaking. Ezra had his arm wrapped around her, his hand moving up and down her arm lethargically. Aria lay with her head on his chest, her hand roaming along the contours of his chest. She stilled her hand, turning her head slightly so that she could see him. He lay with a contemplative expression on his face.
"What are you thinking?" Aria asked him, softly. She touched her finger to his forehead as she spoke.
Ezra glanced down at her, flashing her a quick smile. "I'm just thinking about how I could possibly have lasted so long without you," he admitted. He sighed, dropping his head back down on the pillow. "It just feels so...right, so amazing to be right here next to you. How could I have possibly stayed away."
"Hey," Aria said, leaning up on her elbow so that she could look him in the eyes. When he was staring back at her, she continued, "We're here now, together. That's all that matters." She gazed at him sincerely, cupping his face in her hands. He nodded after a few seconds, agreeing.
"And it will be official in June," Ezra replied. Then, their lips pressed together gently, sealing the promise with a kiss. This time, the kiss didn't last that long when they were loudly reminded of the other reason they were together now.
"Mommy! I can't find my math book?" Liam called up the stairs.
Aria and Ezra groaned at the ruined moment, falling against each other. Then, they heard Liam start to thunder up the stairs. They quickly sat up, suddenly nervous that their son was going to walk in on them. Luckily, they heard Liam go into his own bedroom and then the sound of him tearing his room apart looking for his book. It was time to get up and start the day, and they knew it. Ezra insisted that Aria take a shower first and he went to help Liam get ready, after pulling on some clothes. They shared a quick, chaste kiss before parting ways.
Ezra padded out into the hallway at the same time that Liam walked out of his room, disgruntled. Liam saw him and voiced his frustration out loud with a groan. "What's wrong, buddy?" Ezra asked him, "Did you find your math book?" His hand went around Liam's shoulder as they began walking side by side.
"Nooooo!" Liam sighed, slumping forward. "It's no where! And my homework was in it!"
Ezra and Liam began walking down the stairs. "Well, if you're homework is still in it, then that means you didn't put it away last night," Ezra deducted. "Where did you do your homework? It's probably still there..."
"I don't know," Liam groaned, too frustrated to actually think about the question.
Ezra chuckled at Liam's over-exaggerated frustration, even though it wasn't funny. "We'll find it, buddy," he assured him. "I think you were in the den last night."
Liam sulked all the way down the rest of the stairs. Ezra steered him by the shoulders toward the den. They came to the room, and, upon entering, Ezra immediately spied a book sitting on the desk across the room from them under the window. Ezra grinned triumphantly.
"A-ha!" Ezra boasted, walking over to the desk. Liam followed behind him, almost disbelievingly. "I told you it was here."
"I guess I forgot," Liam mumbled.
Ezra picked up the book and turned around to his son. "Always remember where you leave your stuff," he told him. "Here, put your homework in your folder and your book in schoolbag." He slid Liam's homework sheet out of the book and something else slid out with it. It was an old photograph of a younger Liam lying in a toddler race car bed and Jason knelt beside the bed talking to him. Ezra's heart pinched slightly at the sight of the photo.
Liam took the book and homework from his father obliviously. Ezra was just going to brush off the photo, but he couldn't. He turned the photo around to face Liam. "Why was this in your book?" he asked his son, gently.
Liam looked up at him and the photo, innocently. "Oh, that?" he replied. "My teacher told us to bring in something that used to scare us and then we hafta tell how we got over it."
"Why did you choose this one?" Ezra asked him, kneeling down in front of Liam.
"I 'member being scared to sleep in a big bed and then Jason told me that if I get scared, that I can just drive away from all the scary stuff. It really worked!" Liam shrugged, nonchalantly, smiling at the past memory.
Ezra glanced down at the floor for a minute, collecting himself. He took a deep breath, swallowing hard. "Do you miss him? Jason?" he questioned, looking back up at his son.
"I used to, not anymore," Liam answered. "Now, I get to see him a lot more and we can do what we used to do." Liam was all smiles, completely unaware of how much his words affected his father. Ezra kept a good face on for his son, however.
"You know, we can do things together, play games," Ezra reminded him. "I'm never too busy for you." He touched Liam's arm affectionately.
"Oh, I know," Liam nodded. Then, his eyes lit up like he just had a great idea. "Boy, I am lucky!"
Ezra looked at him curiously, smiling a little bit. "What do you mean?"
"I have two dads! I bet none of my friends have that!" Liam exclaimed. The little boy was so happy that all Ezra could do was nod quietly and wonder if he could ever reach as high a caliber as Jason with Liam.
Ezra straightened back up, putting his arm back around Liam's shoulders. "Ok, let's go," he said. "You go put that stuff away and I'll get your breakfast ready." He started walking, leading Liam out of the room. They went in separate directions; Ezra went into the kitchen and Liam went to the table by the front door where his bag stays so he never forgets it. Ezra got out a bowl and a spoon, and set it down on the table.
"Do you want Fruit Loops again?" Ezra called to him, questioningly.
It only took a second for Liam to answer back. "Can I have Cinnamon Toast Crunch today?" Liam called back. He zippered up his backpack. Ezra traded cereal boxes, putting the Cinnamon Toast Crunch box on the table. Liam came into the kitchen and slid into his chair at the table. Ezra poured the cereal into Liam's bowl, then added the milk in. Then, he started a pot of coffee. Liam started eating his cereal, and a couple minutes later, Aria came downstairs into the kitchen.
She wore a black and white zigzag-striped swishy skirt that fell a little past her knees and a black turtleneck sweater. Her heels clacked on the floor as she walked. "Good morning, sweetie," Aria greeted Liam, dropping a kiss on top of his head. Ezra handed her a cup of coffee, before sitting down across the table from Liam with his own cup.
Aria took a sip of the hot liquid, fussing with Liam's hair. "Did have a good sleep?" she asked him. Liam nodded, slurping another spoonful of cereal. "All of your homework is done, right?"
"Yes," Liam answered. Milk was dripping down his chin and he swiped his hand across his chin to stop it.
"Good job," Aria praised him, rubbing his back. Then, she settled her hand on the back of his chair. "Do you know why I'm happy for you?" Ezra watched the two of them, unsure of where Aria was going with this.
Liam's spoon clanged against his bowl as he groaned and rolled his eyes, leaning forward against the table. "Because my parents are teachers and I finished my work," he moaned.
Aria and Ezra burst out laughing at Liam's unexpected answer. They looked at each other through their chuckles and shook their heads at their son. "No, no that," Aria corrected him. "Since you finished your homework without fuss yesterday and you got up on time this morning, Jason is going to pick you up from school and you guys can hang out until dinner."
"YAY!" Liam exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air. Aria chuckled and ruffled his hair, then encouraged him to finish his cereal. Ezra stood up from the table and moved closer to Aria's side, so that he could speak without Liam overhearing.
"I can pick him up from school today, it's no problem," Ezra told her, his voice lowered.
Aria turned her head toward him, her brow furrowed a little in confusion. "I thought you had a staff meeting today after school?" she questioned him.
Ezra nodded his head once in sudden realization. "Oh, yeah," he muttered, glancing down. He looked back up at her. "You can't pick him up?"
"No, after school, Spencer and I are going to pick up the bridesmaids dresses," Aria explained to him, leaning up against the kitchen counter. She took another sip of her coffee.
"Are the other girls meeting you there?" Ezra asked. He stepped over to her, setting his own mug down on the counter behind her.
"No, they couldn't make it," Aria continued. "So, Spence and I are just going to pick up the dresses and hand them out to the other girls. If anything needs to be adjusted, we'll take things from there." Ezra nodded in understanding, silently. She watched him carefully. Then, she set down her cup and faced him fully. "Hey, what's going on? I thought you were okay with Liam spending time with Jason?" she asked him.
"No, no, I am fine with it," Ezra reassured her, flashing an unconvincing smile. "In fact, I can pick him up from Jason's after my meeting. That way, you don't have to rush to get back or anything."
"Are you sure?" she checked, looking into his eyes.
Ezra placed his hands on her shoulders, looking back into her eyes. "Yes, I am sure," he told her. "I want to do this for you." Aria finally nodded, agreeing somewhat hesitantly.
He gave her a quick smile and peck on the lips, before he pulled her into his arms. They wrapped their arms around each other. Aria rested her head against his chest, and Ezra tucked her head underneath his chin, lacing his hands together around her. He just hoped that some of this frustration and jealousy went away by the time he was ready to pick Liam up from Jason's.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The day passed by in a blur, and then Ezra was leaving Rosewood High after the faculty meeting. The sun was lowering in the sky, as the afternoon began to fade into dusk. He walked to his car in the teacher's parking lot. He unlocked the car and tossed his briefcase and stuff on the front seat, keeping the backseat clear for when he picked up Liam. Ezra walked around to the driver's side, opened the door, and settled himself inside the car. Then, he was pulling out of the lot and heading down the street to pick up his son.
Fifteen minutes later, Ezra pulled up outside the old Dilaurentis house, where Jason had recently moved back into after the breakup. He sat there in the car for a minute, the engine quiet and cooling, imagining his son on the other side of those brick walls, acting as if nothing had changed in the past months. Finally, he breathed a deep sigh and climbed out of the car. Ezra made his way up the path and the porch. He paused for only a second, listening to the sounds of a video game inside the house. Ezra knocked on the door.
The video game was paused and then came Liam's moan of protest. There was a chuckle and a murmur of voices, then came footsteps approaching the door. Jason opened the door, greeting Ezra with brisk politeness. Ezra nodded back at him curtly, a heavy thick tension lying between the two men. Ezra stepped into the foyer of the house.
"I thought Aria was going to pick him up," Jason wondered out loud, without keeping full eye contact with Ezra.
"She had some wedding details to attend to, so I offered to pick up our son for her," Ezra explained, staring straight at Jason.
If the words hurt Jason, he didn't let it show. "Well, Liam's in the living room. We were playing Plants vs. Zombies, his favorite game," Jason said, as they walked to the room.
Ezra knew that Jason was trying to hurt him, but he wasn't going to let him get to him. They came to the living room where Liam was wrapping up the game paddles and putting everything away. "Hi, dad," Liam smiled, looking up at Ezra. He put the paddles back onto the shelf.
"Hey, buddy," Ezra smiled back at him, nearly forgetting about Jason standing in the room. "Did you get all of your homework done?"
Liam walked over to the couch to zip up his backpack. "Not all of it," the little boy admitted, swinging his bag onto his shoulder. He looked up at his father sheepishly.
"You know you are not supposed to play video games until your homework is done," Ezra reminded him.
"Well, actually," Jason interrupted, snapping the game box shut after having put the disc in it. "when he finishes most of it, Aria and I used to let him take a little break. That way he's not overloading himself and he can come back to it with his full concentration." Jason watched him, waiting for a reply.
Ezra stared back at him, carefully.
Liam walked over to Ezra. "I only have reading left," he explained, not realizing the tension in the room between the two men he loved. "It's not a lot."
Ezra broke eye contact with Jason, looking down at his son. "That's good," he replied, "It shouldn't take you that long then. You'll be finished before dinner." He put his hand on Liam's shoulder and started to turn him away towards the door.
Then, he looked over his shoulder back at Jason. Jason was slipping the game back onto the shelf. "Don't presume to tell me things about my son," Ezra warned the other man. "I know him just as well as you do."
Jason wasn't fazed by Ezra's words. He stared back at Ezra levelly. "Do you?" he dared.
The two men stared at each other for a few tense seconds that seemed to tick by slowly. Ezra didn't bother with a response. He just walked his son out the door of the house and to the car. He didn't let it show just how much it bothered him that Jason might just be right. He might never know his own son as much Jason does.
A/N:Well, how was it? What did you think? Will this tension between Ezra and Jason fade or is a big blowup coming soon? Which one is in the right? Please review and tell me your thoughts. I love hearing from all of you.
