Chapter 30 - Few days later
Aria's pov
Holding onto Ezra's hand as we tried to find gate A27, I started dreading the moment we'll have to let go before either Spencer or Toby can see. This is one of the things I do hate about our relationship being secret, but we both agreed to wait to tell everyone. I felt Ezra gently squeeze my hand before slowly letting go, a few seconds before I saw Spencer walking out of the boarding bridge. Toby scurried up to her, handed her a dusty pink floppy hat as her engagement ring gleamed when the sun shone on it through one of the airport windows. All of a sudden, Toby kissed her cheek and I knew it was time to announce our presence to them.
"Eww, that's so gross!" I teased as we walked up towards them.
"Sparia is finally reunited!" Spencer squealed as we wrapped our arms around each other.
"Hey man/Good to see you bro." Toby and Ezra greeted each other at the same time, doing some sort of man hug.
"The hell kind of hug was that?" Spencer asked, laughing.
"Hey look! It's big pregs and little pregs… but for some reason, little pregs is bigger than big pregs." Toby said, looking between me and Spencer slightly confused
"First of all, stop calling me little before I kick your ass… with your wife's permission. And for your information Cavanaugh, I am carrying twins." I told him.
"I give automatic permission to kick your brother's butt whenever you think he needs it." Spencer said, looping her arm through mine.
"Oh my god! You're having twins?" She asked and I nodded.
"It was one hell of a way to find out. Come on, we'll tell you over brunch because I'm hungry and now Spencer is hungry too." I said
"She's not wrong." Spencer said and Toby stared at me.
"Did you forget that I can read her mind?" I joked.
"Shit, now I have to pee!" Spencer whined just as I felt a huge urge to pee too.
"Me too." I said.
"Can pregnancies sync up like periods?" Toby asked and we just stared at him.
"Probably only with these two." Ezra joked.
"We'll meet you two at the baggage claim." Spencer said, ushering me towards the bathroom.
"You sure you don't want us to wait?" Ezra called after us.
"Think we can handle walking from the bathroom to the baggage claim." Spencer responded.
Before either of the guys could respond, we both rushed into the bathroom and grabbed the first stalls we could get. I stared at the poster of not flushing hygiene products in the toilet, trying to tune out the sound of Spencer peeing in the stall next to mine… damn she really did need to pee.
"Aria, Toby told me about what happened between you and Ezra." Spencer said between the stalls.
"Do we have to talk about that?" I asked, not wanting to risk telling her.
She didn't have to respond, her silence told me that we didn't have to talk about it. Even though I want to tell her, it wouldn't be right to tell her without at least letting Ezra know about it. I quickly flushed the toilet, coincidentally at the same time as Spencer and we walked out of our stalls. Kind of weird that there's no one in the bathroom with us but it feels like we're not alone, maybe it's just memories from high school that make me feel this way
"Spence, you're not the only one who's related to Alison." I blurted out and she looked at me.
"Wait, how are you related to Ali?" She asked as we dried our hands.
"How else, Byron. He and Mrs. D had an affair, he's Alison's biological father. But now Emily and Hanna are slightly pissed at me because I didn't tell them before the trial." I told her.
"You had every right to take your time with telling anyone. But they don't really understand what we've gone through learning huge family secrets like that." She said.
"I think they're more pissed that Ezra knew about it first." I pointed out.
"Wasn't that when you ended up in the hospital because she was released?" She asked and I nodded.
"Come on, before the guys think we got lost." I joked.
We headed out of the bathroom and made our way towards the baggage claim. Hopefully breakfast won't take too long, since Ezra and I have our therapy session at eleven . I doubt it will be long, Spencer and Toby are probably tired from their flight since it was a long one and are probably jet lagged.
….
I bolted up, panting and Ezra sat up with me. He rubbed my back, making soothing sounds. God, that nightmare felt so real and now I can't tell if Ezra is really here with me even though I know his body seems to be. Maybe us in counseling earlier was just part of my dream or we really did go and then he died. Was picking Spencer and Toby from the airport then having breakfast with them before therapy also part of the dream? Is this really him or is this his ghost?
"Shh, you're okay." He whispered and I realized he was really there.
"Take… off your… shirt." I managed, turning to look at him.
Realizing what I had dreamt, he quickly pulled his shirt over his head. I stared at his chest for a few moments, afraid to see whether or not he was bleeding just like my dream. As I slowly made my way towards his scar, he softly took my hand in his. As I finally saw the faded scar from that night, I gently trailed my free hand along it.
"What do you need?" Ezra asked, gently lifting my chin to look into my eyes.
"You." I whispered.
"Good, cause I'm right here." He said softly, and carefully wrapped me into his arms.
"Don't ever die on me." I whispered.
"Never, I'm invincible." He said and I looked up, giving him a look
"Maybe not literally, but you make me feel invincible." He told me.
I caressed his face as he stared into my eyes again. He gently took my hand off of him, lacing our fingers together and brushed his lips against my forehead. As he kissed my nose, I ran my free hand through his hair.
"I love you." He whispered.
Before I could even open my mouth, his lips were on mine. Maybe it's the fact that we had talked about him getting shot in New York after our short separation in our therapy session today that impacted my dream. Even though I know he's not dead, that dream felt so real. But it's concerning that I keep having these dreams when I wasn't even there when he had gotten shot.
"I have to go in a bit to pick Ollie up then get to the grocery store, do you want to come with me?" He asked.
"Would say yes, but I have to make sure the hamburger helper doesn't burn." I told him.
…
Ezra's pov
The bell on the door of The Brew dinged and I looked up from paperwork to see Oliver walking in with Hardy. Oliver ran towards me and I pulled him onto my lap as Hardy sat down next to me. Even though I didn't want to leave Aria after her nightmare, I needed to be here to pick Oliver up. Even though Aria will still be at the house when I get back, the mere thought of her alone right now doesn't sit well with me.
"Hey lil man, how was camp?" I asked.
"Fun! I drawed you a picture!" He exclaimed.
"Want me to hang it up here or at the house?" I asked.
"Here!" He told me.
"I think Ms. Sabrina might have a treat waiting for you. Go ask her about your treat then go pick out a spot for your drawing." I told him
Oliver ran over towards Sabrina, who led him into the kitchen. Hardy handed me Oliver's day camp bag and I knew that I was going to have to talk to him. We can't risk having him tell Caitlyn about me and Aria yet. Checking to make sure Oliver wasn't coming back yet, I turned to Hardy and he seemed to know what I was about to bring up.
"Look, we know that you know. Have you told Cait?" I asked quietly, not wanting to risk Oliver hearing.
"Of course not. That's your guy's news to share, not mine. And besides, Caitlyn is literally waiting for the day Aria tells her that you two finally got common sense and got back together." He whispered, holding back a chuckle about the common sense part.
"Thanks." I told him.
"Don't mention it." He said.
He walked out just as Oliver came back out front the kitchen, eating his cookie. Hopefully the cookie won't spoil too much of his appetite, Aria's making a crockpot hamburger helper and it's usually Oliver's favorite anytime we have it. But he says everything that either I make or Aria makes is his favorite - even if we just get takeout. Sabrina walked out from the kitchen and I saw that it was time for us to close up.
"Everything in the kitchen is cleaned and I'm headed out. See you tomorrow Ezra, bye Ollie!" Sabrina said walking out.
"See you tomorrow." I called after her.
"Where do you want me to hang your picture?" I asked.
He looked around and pointed at the wall behind the counter. Taking my hand while still eating his cookie, he led me over toward the counter and pointed right above the hanging file organizer where we keep the schedules and mail.
"Right here daddy." He said.
"That is the perfect spot for such an awesome drawing lil man." I told him and quickly taped it up.
"Ready to go? We gotta stop at the store for some things." I told him and he nodded.
It was a pretty slow day since it was ninety four degrees out today. Opening the register to make sure that there was enough money for when we open tomorrow, my phone beeped a couple and I knew it was a notification that Malcolm got home. He doesn't get why we needed this kind of security but he also doesn't fully know what Aria went through in high school. As I checked to make sure that I had my wallet and keys, Oliver grabbed his bag off the couch.
"Want me to carry that lil man?" I asked him.
"I got it, I'm a big boy." He told me and I chuckled.
Walking us outside, I locked the door to The Brew and Oliver walked to the car. Feeling how hot it is now, it's probably a good thing Aria didn't come with to pick up Oliver. My phone started ringing Aria's ringtone and I quickly answered it, just to hear her voice faster.
"We're closing up now and heading to the grocery store, do you need anything from there?" I inquired.
"Can you get me a pint of Coffee Toffee bar crunch and some pickle spears?" She asked.
"You got it, anything else you need?"
"No." She said and I knew she wanted something else.
"What else are you craving Ar." I pressed.
"Bacon and some brownies. The pre-made brownies from the bakery." There it is, I can tell that she feels bad about eating the bacon.
"Just think of it this way, you're eating it so the twins can be well nourished." I pointed out.
"That actually…. Does not help." She said and I held back a chuckle.
"I'll tell the twins not to make you eat meat. Maybe they want brownies as an apology to you." I said, hoping it'll make her feel better.
"We'll be there as soon as we can." I said.
"Okay." She responded.
…
Aria's pov
I handed Malcolm the plates to finish setting the table and unplugged my crockpot. Ezra gave it to me my freshman year for Christmas after the one Ella gave me had broken, of course that first Christmas with the separation agreement was really painful and awkward. Neither of us knew how to act with each other. All of a sudden, we heard Ezra's car pull up as Fish whined at the back door.
"You were just out, there's a squirrel out there isn't there?" I asked Fish.
"Either that or he has to crap." Malcolm said and I raised an eyebrow at him.
"Malcolm." I warned.
"But it's not really a curse word mom, it's just another word for poop." He tried.
"Say it when you're out with your friends, not with your mother or in front of dad or Oliver." I told him and Fish barked.
"Come on Fish, even though you'll just want back in right away." Malcolm said, walking outside with Fish.
"We're home." Ezra called out.
"I almost melted mama!" Oliver said, walking into the kitchen with Ezra.
"Hi baby, why don't you go get a bottle of water? It'll help keep you cool." I suggested.
Malcolm came back in with Fish and walked towards the fridge and Oliver hurried towards him. They got their bottles of water and headed into the living room. Ezra placed the grocery bags on the counter before turning to me and caressing my cheek with his hand.
"There's my beautiful guilty omnivore." Ezra said quietly, so the boys wouldn't hear.
"Don't remind me." I responded.
"How are you feeling?" He asked.
"I'm perfectly fine knowing you're not dead." I told him.
"There were multiple kinds of the pre-made brownies." He said, taking out multiple boxes of brownies from the grocery bags.
"We have plain, plain fudge, chocolate chip, triple chocolate, and frosted. If you want sprinkles, I also got you some sprinkles." He said.
"Thank you." I whispered, brushing my lips against his.
"Come on, before we get too distracted and one of the boys walks in." He murmured before leading me into the living room.
"I'm melting!" Oliver complained as I sat on the couch.
"Lil man, I know you're hot but I can't make it any cooler. But we do have a pool, how does swimming sound to everyone?" Ezra suggested, sitting next to him.
Malcolm and Oliver ran upstairs excitedly. I shared a look with Ezra as he scooted closer to me and brushed his hand against mine. He started trailing soft kisses along the crook of my shoulder, getting me to giggle. Cupping his face, I stared into his eyes. Part of me wants to stay like this forever, but the boys will be back downstairs pretty soon.
"I have a bunch of t-shirts you could choose from." Ezra murmured as he brushed his lips against mine.
"You pick." I managed against his lips and he slowly pulled away.
"Will you stay tonight?" He asked quietly and I nodded.
"For you, always." I whispered.
"That's my line Ms. Montgomery." He murmured.
"What are you gonna do about it Mr. Fitz?" I challenged him quietly and he winked.
He quickly helped me up from the couch as we heard the door of the boys room open and they came running down the stairs in their swimming suits. Malcolm led Oliver towards the back door and all of a sudden, I saw Oliver about to pull his swim trunks off.
"Oliver Scott Fitz, keep your swim trunks on." I called out after him and he turned around.
"But I want to swim nakey mama." He said and I shook my head.
"You cannot swim nakey lil man." Ezra told him.
"Aww." Oliver pouted.
"I told you Ollie." Malcolm said.
"Malcolm, you're in charge until we come out there. Just don't try holding your breath under water until we're out there." Ezra told him.
We started walking upstairs as the boys went outside. Malcolm was telling Oliver that he needs his floaties on, at least until we came back and could decide whether or not Oliver could take them off. Ezra took my hand in his and led me up the last of the stairs. Leading me into his room, he let go of my hand before rummaging through his drawer of t-shirts and handing me his desert valley t-shirt along with an old pair of shorts I left when I was leaving for New York for the last time.
"Oliver is definitely your son." I whispered, walking past.
"When have I ever tried to swim naked?" He asked.
"You were about three, and had been refusing to wear any pants or underwear that day. Your dad decided to let you and Heather go swimming in the pool, but then you learned that you had to wear swimming trunks. You tried taking your trunks off but your dad caught you." I said, turning to face him.
"Gonna kill Heather." He muttered, getting me to giggle.
"No you won't." I told him, gently placing my hand on his upper arm.
"How is it that you have such a hold on me?" He asked softly with a smile.
"I'm just very persuasive." I said and gave him a small smirk.
He chuckled before pulling me closer to him and pressed his lips to mine. As I ran my fingers through his hair, he started trailing kisses along my shoulder blade to my neck. Dropping the clothes and cupping his face, I pressed my lips to his as he quickly started unbuttoning my tank top and slid his tongue in my mouth. He pinned me up against the wall as I quickly pulled his shirt off. Just as I started undoing his belt, he slowly and reluctantly pulled away.
"As much as I hate to stop, I'm quite sure the boys would not like to see us naked and in the position that we're about to be in." Ezra murmured, grazing my bottom lip with his thumb.
"Later, when they're asleep… I am all yours." I whispered into his ear and walked into the bathroom to change.
…
The next night
Ezra placed our plates back into the picnic basket and pushed it to the side. Since the boys were both off with their friends tonight, Ezra suggested a candlelight picnic. At least this will be the highlight of my dinners this week, still can't believe I agreed to have dinner at Byron's on Friday.
"What are you thinking about?" Ezra whispered.
"Mike and I are having dinner with Byron and his daughter on Friday. But I don't even get why he's inviting us in the first place." I muttered, taking a sip of my sparkling water.
"Would you like to hear my theory?" He asked, draping an arm around my shoulders.
"Yes." I responded.
"A couple years ago, it was going around town that Meredith ran off with some younger guy and left the kid with Byron. My theory is that he just wants her to have some siblings." He told me.
"But if you do decide to go, you could even come over afterwards." He whispered, giving me a small smile.
"Very intriguing Fitz." I said as I rested my head against his chest.
"I thought so." He murmured against the top of my head.
He quickly lifted me into his arms and sat us onto the couch, with me snuggled up to him. Today has been a long day, and being with Ezra is exactly what I needed. It had been crazy busy today at work, then I found out about Byron's invitation for dinner. I pulled Ezra's arm around me and started playing with his fingers as he turned the tv on to some show from the seventies.
"Are you staying tonight?" I asked.
"If you still want me to." He said softly.
"I always want you to." I told him and he chuckled.
"Then I'll stay every time unless you tell me otherwise." He whispered, brushing his lips against mine.
"I've been making a travel bucket list for us and the kids." He murmured.
"You have huh?" I managed against his lips.
He slowly pulled away and grabbed a notebook off the side table and quickly opened it. As he rested his chin on my shoulder again, I saw multiple places all over the page. There were places from the US and even in other countries, and of course he added Iceland since we talked about it when we first met and a few times we mentioned bringing the kids when they were older.
"There's Iceland, London, Amsterdam, Italy. I'm gonna take a wild hunch and say that both Disney World and Land would be Malcolm's pickings." I guessed and Ezra nodded.
"Along with Chicago and the Grand Canyon. I figured, we could see both sides of Niagara Falls at once and also see a bit of Canada." He said.
"France…. definitely without the kids." He murmured, brushing some hair behind my ear and I giggled.
"And there's also, Yosemite National park, YellowStone National park, and Seattle. You missed a place babe." I told him.
"Which place?" He asked, handing me a pen.
"Chico. We didn't have Malcolm when we went, and Oliver wouldn't even remember it." I told him.
He chuckled a bit and kissed the side of my head as I quickly wrote it down. Plus, we always said that we would go back when Oliver was older. I think Chico is somewhere the boys actually would like, especially the yo-yo museum. Pretty sure it would be where Ezra and I decide to move to when we're old and the kids are all grown if we decide to leave Rosewood. Ezra gently rested his chin on my shoulder, and I giggled as his slight stubble tickled.
"Where do you want to go first?" He asked quietly.
"As long as I'm with you… I don't care where we go." I said, turning to face him and brushed my lips against his.
"Come on." I said, getting up and holding my hand out for his
"Where are we going?" He asked
"We are going to go take a bath." I told him.
He chuckled before taking my hand and I led him out of his office. It was pretty dark inside The Brew, so he took the lead and helped me not trip while walking up the stairs. I unlocked the door and pulled him inside with me.
