After the big fight was finally over and the two kissed and made up, they went back to cuddling on the couch. This time some soft music was playing in the background instead of the TV and the two faced each other, openly staring into their eyes for a while.
"Will you stay the night?" Aria asked softly.
"Here?"
"No, outside," she grumbled, rolling her eyes at the stupid question. Jason gave her side a tickle, watching her giggle and squirm. "Yes! Yes! Here," she laughed out.
"Sure, I'll sleep on the couch," he smiled.
"You don't have to," she said craning her neck at him. "I do have a pretty big bed."
"Are you sure you want that?"
"Its not like we haven't shared a bed before," she chuckled again. "And, I would feel safer."
He inhaled a deep breath, his nostrils filling with Aria's scent. "Alright."
With a large pearly white smile, his girl rolled herself off from the couch and stood up with her hands out for him. Guiding him upstairs and to her room, she kissed him quickly and went to remove the stuff off her mattress.
"You know you did say that if I told you about N.A.T that you would sing me a song."
Aria froze and slowly turned around. "No I didn't."
"Yes you did."
Aria seemed frightened. "Come on Ar, it's just me," he whined.
She stayed silent so Jason walked closer to her, grabbing her by the waist. "I can't just lay on your bed with you next to me without hearing you sing."
You've done it in my dreams, Aria thought to herself, mumbling the words under her breath.
"Please?" he asked again, lowering his lip this time.
Slouching a bit, she let out some inaudible words and gave in, "fine."
Smirking because he won, Jason kissed his girlfriend and walked over beside her bed to get her guitar again.
"Let me go change into some pajamas and then I'll play for you?"
Nodding he watched as she did that and got his self settled. "Ar! I have to run to my car for a change of clothes!"
"Okay," she called from her bathroom. Doing just that, Jason gave a faint laugh as he passed his way by the bathroom and outside to get some spare clothes.
Changing into some shorts and a tank top, Aria worried about singing in front of Jason. It wasn't just now that made her afraid, but ever since he had heard her. She was about to do it all over again, this time facing him. Was she nervous? Yes. Could she puke right now? Definitely yes. Deeply taking a few breaths she tried to calm her nerves before stepping back into the hall. If she was going to sing, she needed to prep and this would be the perfect time to as he was running to his car.
Aria shut off the bathroom light and padded to her room, jumping on the bed to strum her wooden instrument. Her selection of songs she had thought up was not very good. The variety consisted of maybe 3…1 of which she had already sang. Continuing a melody she went over some words in her head and settled on a song.
"Don't start without me," Jason called as he came back into view with a small duffle bag.
"Go get changed and come back in here," Aria grumbled teasingly as he smiled. Strumming her guitar, she hoped this was going to be short.
Coming back into the room faster than expected, she saw him in some flannel pants and a white tee like the one he gave her. "Lets hear it," Jason announced rubbing his hands together.
"You know, this is like serious embarrassment to your girlfriend you know."
"You'll get over it," he said kissing her head as he came to sit on the bed. "Plus, it's just me."
"Exactly," Aria muttered before taking a deep breath. [Please pretend that Aria's singing Glitter in the Air by P!nk]
When she was finished, completely exhausted and embarrassed, she looked back up to Jason who was blown away.
"Ar…" he said speechless.
"I know, I know," she rushed out, "it needs some work, but you gave me really short notice Jase and…"
"No!" he said taking the guitar from her lap and setting it on the floor. "That's not it at all. That was amazing." Bringing her closer, he kissed her forehead and untucked the sheets from below them. "Breathtaking."
"Thanks," she blushed, snuggling closer to him.
"Thank you," he said kissing her head again, "I know you didn't want to do that."
"A deal is a deal right?" she smirked slightly to him. Giving a chuckle, Jason nodded. Kissing him goodnight, he shut off the lamp on her nightstand and let her lay her head on his chest.
"Sweet dreams Ar."
"You too Jase," she sighed, as his arms came around her once more, and she fell asleep.
The next morning was another great one to wake up to.
Aria had woken up first this time, remembering she hadn't set her alarm for this morning. Glancing at her clock over Jason's warm body, she saw it was only 6:45 so they still had plenty of time. Laying her head back down on his chest, she listened to his strong heartbeat and thought about the day.
Today she would most likely be facing Ezra. Now, it wasn't the worst thing in the world, but she really didn't want to see him. Her breakup with her old English teacher was one thing, but it was the way the two broke up that became another. Aria sort of left him hanging, saying it was over and then never calling back or responding to his texts. The last time she saw him was when the fiasco of a dinner party happened and he tried with everything in his might to stay – that brought shivers to Aria's skin.
Aria didn't feel comfortable with Ezra anymore. He would never be the type to get violent or go crazy over her, but he was the type to never let go without an answer, unless he was ticked, too pissed off or didn't want to find one. Neither of which in her case did this apply to Aria. Ezra wanted answers bad, Aria knew, but she didn't feel like giving them because there was nothing more to explain. She was tired of telling him in a hundred different words that they were over because she wanted more. It wasn't the answer he was looking for so he wouldn't accept it.
"I'll walk around the fair with you," Jason's voice grumbled out, as he appeared to be sleeping.
"What?" Aria asked pushing away to see his face.
"That way you don't have to face that Fitz guy alone. That's what your thinking isn't it? When you glanced at the clock and laid back down?"
"You saw all of that?" she asked a now open eyed Jason.
"I felt it," he said. "Your predictable Ar."
"Am not," she protested with a pouty face.
"Mhmm," he smiled, leaning upwards to give her a kiss. "I'll take you around today so you don't have to worry. I have to be in school today anyways."
"You don't mind?" Aria asked puling away from their kiss.
"Never," he replied before putting his lips back on hers.
So they stayed in bed a while longer before Aria hopped in the shower and Jason made them both breakfast. It was another casual morning, which Aria seemed to love waking up to (and is saying something because Aria was definitely not a morning person). Stepping out of the shower, Aria quickly got dressed and ready for the day, passing by Jason as he did his own morning routine.
"So how did you know I was thinking all of that?" Aria questioned rethinking about this morning.
"What? About your ex?" Jason asked sticking his head out the bathroom to the hall.
"Yea," she said looping an earring through her lobe as she too peaked her head out to him by the hall.
"I don't know," he shrugged retreating from her to finish getting ready, "I just know you I guess."
Aria's eyes narrowed in a playful manner. "You have super powers don't you?"
"You caught me," Jason's voice claimed as he walked out of the bathroom now dressed for the day too. "Darn Aria, can't seem to let anything slip past you."
She laughed as he took her by the waist, pulling them closer together. They were such giant fools sometime. Oh the pair of them.
"Lets go eat?" she smiled as he looked to her. Nodding, they took each other's hands, shutting lights off on the way and ate breakfast.
It was a bit startling to see Ezra and his ex fiancé Jackie working together at a table to represent Hollis college. Out of all the faculty members to be picked, these two happened to be paired with each other…
Glancing around, Ezra seemingly looked up and found Jason and Aria near each other at the entrance. Happy to see Aria, he took in her appearance and then took note of the two holding hands. Were they together? He wondered. Getting his answer, he watched as the couple walked around together, still holding hands (need I might add), with happy smiles and a flow of talking laughter between them. Ezra not only felt disappointed to see this, but he also felt angry.
He and Aria should have been like her and Jason are now. He should be the one holding Aria's hand and making her laugh. That smile on her face should be because of him.
"He's staring isn't he?" Aria whispered to Jason as they went to the next table of colleges.
"Yup, just keep walking," he murmured back to her, taking a sneak peak to Aria's old teacher and ex boyfriend. He didn't like how that man was studying the two of them and gazing at Aria.
"NYU?" Jason questioned as Aria picked up a slip.
"I was thinking about becoming a writer," she shrugged, "and they happen to have a good program."
"So…you want to get out of Rosewood?" he asked her as they moved on. She shrugged again, "well for one, if I was to go into English here, around Rosewood, I would have to go to Hollis and…"
Subtly nodding over to Ezra, Jason immediately got the drift. Then for the majority of her classes, she would be having him as her teacher again – yes, that was out of the question for the two.
"I wouldn't want to leave Rosewood forever. My family is here; you're here. I wouldn't want to leave anyone behind, but its nice to just think about it."
"What about your friends?" he asked.
She picked up another flyer, this one being Penn State. "They pretty much know where they want to go. Hanna wants to apply for this fashion school in LA while Emily was thinking somewhere in Denver or a place where she could get a fresh start. As for Spencer, she wants to go Ivy League like Brownstown or Harvard."
They walked in silence this time, Aria becoming focused on all of the different colleges. "You know, I would go anywhere you would go right?" Jason said to her. He needed her to know this.
Raising an eyebrow to the large statement he just tried committing to, Aria stopped in her tracks and spun around to look at him. "I'm sorry, what?"
"I will go anywhere you go," he stated again. There was no hesitation or uncertainty in his voice.
"What about your job here?" she inquired him.
"Aria, there are a lot of kids in this messed up world. I'm sure I can find another job, from wherever you end up choosing, to work at. Plus, its not like I'm already well off. Things with the DiLaurentis business is all mine and that can go anywhere too."
"So you would really just pick up your things and leave with me?" she asked him.
"If you would want me to," he said with complete seriousness. "We went over this a little last night too Ar. You're my happiness. Why would I leave you behind? Where's life then?"
"You're seriously crazy," Aria settled on as she looked to her boyfriend. "And I'm really liking you for that."
"Good," he smiled, bending down to kiss her.
"And I bet your professor couldn't do that," he murmured against her lips as he pulled away. Blushing, Aria hit Jason lightly before taking a glance to Ezra, who seemed to be barely doing his job and staring at the two.
As the newly found couple continued to walk around, Jason's phone rang with a text. Glancing at it, he typed a quick reply and seemed hesitant.
"What?" Aria asked glancing to him. With a somewhat pained and conflicted look, Jason stayed silent.
"You can go if you need to," she spoke to him. "I'll be fine here."
"I promised you I would do this," he said. "It can wait."
"Jase," Aria said turning to him completely. "I'm fine here. We are almost done anyways. Go take care of whatever it is that you need to do."
"You sure?" he asked her, making sure to stare at her with such a gaze that it made Aria's heart flutter.
"I'll be fine," she said laying her hands on her chest. "Plus, I'm meeting Hanna, Emily and Spencer in the courtyard in a few minutes anyways. Go. You're set free."
With no hesitation on her face or in her voice, he gave in, kissing her long and hard.
"I'll make this up to you," he said taking her hands from his chest.
"You don't have to," she chuckled. "Now go." Pushing him away, he struggled with confliction a little while longer, taking a look to Fitz, who was busy talking to a student – thankfully – and walking off.
After he went out of sight, Aria laughed to herself and then looked at the next college table. "Have you ever thought about Columbia?" the man said with his college shirt on. Getting wrapped up in the talk, Aria stood there for while, never noticing Ezra stare at her.
A/N: Enjoyed?