Unlikely But Likely

A/N: So I really like the Emaria relationship and I think it's been shied away from in both fanfiction and the TV show. This is just a little 'what if' story in which Aria and Emily get together. It's just a few scenes where they get closer and closer until they finally get together. This is a one shot so no asking for updates or chapter 2's. Perhaps I'll do a sequel or just an all new Emaria fic since there's only like two.

-X-

"So how about this one?"

"It's just as good as the last one Aria." My pint sized friend pouts and I try not to roll my eyes.

"Em, I want this to be perfect. Ezra's mom practically sunk her teeth into me last time. I want to prove to her that I can be what Ezra needs." The desperation in her voice is a little scary.

"It doesn't matter what Ezra's mother thinks. It's about what he thinks." She smiles that dazzling smile.

"Yeah but still, do I look hot?"

"I always think you look hot." We both freeze.

"Ah, I don't know what to say to that." Aria says with a scarlet blush and an amused smile. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"That didn't come out right." Actually it came out right it just wasn't supposed to come out at all.

"Emily, it's okay if you think I'm hot. Don't be sorry for giving me a compliment." I let out a mental sigh of relief.

Out of our small group of friends, Aria took the news about me being gay the best. The first few weeks following my coming out Spencer and Hanna were cautious around me. Always making sure they didn't linger in a hug for too long or were too touchy feely with me. Aria was the only one who genuinely didn't give a damn. She hugged me even longer than she use to and still cuddled with me during scary movie nights. I guess that's how I developed a little crush for her over the months.

"I know I just meant that you're hot in a friend observing a friend way." By now I could feel my own cheeks heating up.

"Oh? So do you observe Hanna and Spencer like that to?" She wants to burst out in laughter but is trying to spare my feelings.

"Yes, I do." Aria turned towards me with a smirk.

"Oh thank heavens, I was beginning to think you fancied little ol' me." She exclaimed in an overly dramatic southern drawl.

"Sorry but you're not my type." I laughed. She feigned offence.

"Are you trying to say that lesbians aren't attracted to me?" I look as if I'm contemplating something.

"Yes." Her mouth fell open.

"I'll have you know lesbians find me very attractive, okay? I've seen Paige check me out more than once." My smile falters a bit and so does Aria's. "Em, I'm sorry I didn't mean to say that….." I tighten my smile.

"No it's alright. She doesn't want us to be official and now I know why." I can't lie and say that doesn't sting. It always stings when you put your heart on the line only to get rejected. I kissed Paige yesterday. She smiled the crooked smile that got my heart to speed up but after we had a night of fun; just talking and laughing, actually laughing, she told me that she wasn't ready for an exclusive relationship with me. Of course I thought she was still in denial. She said that she wasn't in denial, that she didn't want a relationship with me in particular. That stung worse. I asked her why and she said she wasn't sure that I was completely over Maya. I couldn't argue because in a way I knew I wasn't.

"If she can't see how amazing you are Emily then she isn't worth the time of day." Aria says while sitting down next to me. That doesn't make me feel better. Friends always say that, they have to they're friends.

"Or maybe I'm the one that's not worth the time of day." Aria grabs my hand. I look at her concerned green orbs. "I pretty much strung her along ever since Maya disappeared." I clarified.

"You were hurt. It's perfectly understandable if you were a little stand offish."

"I treated her like she was a lost cause." I'm really thinking about everything I've done and all my mixed signals, putting all my problems up and analyzing everything. Really analyzing.

"Only you would think blowing someone off one time for your mentality's sake means they're a lost cause." She chuckles slightly.

"No I just think I could've handled the whole situation better." I scrunch my face up in deep thought and Aria sighs.

"You want to know what I think?" I nod hesitantly. "I think that you are too sweet for your own good. If Paige wants to be lame and miss out on the terrific girl you are then that's her problem." I smile small. Everyone always tells me that I'm sweet and kind, a pushover really. The way she says it though makes me smile. And for once it doesn't make me feel weak.

"Thank you, but we're not here to talk about my pathetic love life; we're here to save your amazing one." She groans and lies back on the bed.

"I'm nervous. Not the good kind of nervous either, the nauseous sweaty kind."

"Okay so his mother is a raving lunatic," she gives me an amused look. "What mother-in-law isn't these days?" My comment gets her to laugh which had been my goal since she showed up at my locker earlier this morning frowning about the harsh words Ezra's mom shared with her.

"It's just what she said really got to me. Ezra's life has changed drastically because of me. Now all I can think is was it for the better or worse?" It breaks my heart to see her so torn up.

"Anyone who's lucky enough to have you in their life can never be a bad thing." I say softly. She gives me this look I can't decipher. "What?" I ask after a minute.

"Nothing it's just funny that you say that because my dad said almost the exact same thing."

"And you didn't believe him?" I ask her, she shakes her head.

"No."

"Do you believe it now?" She smiles.

"Yes."

-X-

"I think Emily has an old soul. I can feel it when I kiss her-"I had to pause the video. When Hanna told me about how they had cracked the password I wondered why they didn't tell me and I found out it was because they were trying to protect me. That made me angry. Even after everything I was put through they still think I'm fragile. It makes me angrier because they were right. I'm completely breaking down from Maya's voice alone. The door suddenly opens as I was about to press play. I close my laptop quickly and try to wipe the tears from my eyes not so subtly. In the doorway stands Aria.

"Hey." She says walking in.

"Hey." I greet back in a hoarse voice.

"Hanna told me you might be watching these." She gestures toward my laptop. I nod.

"What are you doing here so…..dressed up?" I ask finally noticing her attire.

"I went to a party with Spencer."

"A party?"

"Spencer needed to give her application for U Penn to some college guy and didn't want to go alone." She clarified. Something was off about her. Her eyes. They had raw emotion in them, like a raging storm.

"Is something wrong?" I ask her. She looked at me and scanned my face.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"You already know that answer. Stop stalling and tell me what's on your mind." She nodded and walked over to the bed. I scooted over so she could sit across from me.

"I met Ezra's brother and well he had some interesting things to say." I can tell this is hard for her.

"What kind of things?" She breathed a sigh.

"Things like how he got a girl pregnant after he graduated high school and how his mother paid the girl to stay away from Ezra." This concept was hard to wrap my head around. I can only imagine how Aria feels.

"Did you talk about it with Ezra?"

"We talked which led to yelling which led to crying which led to a break up." Tears start to run down her perfect cheeks. I shifted so I was sitting beside her.

"Maybe it was for the best Aria." I've seen Aria in so much pain for Ezra. I don't want to see her like this ever again.

"It hurts Emily. It hurts so badly." I wrap my arms around her and she collapses against me. "I can't trust him anymore. It feels like every word that comes out of his mouth is a lie."

"Shh. I got you alright? I got you. You can trust me, always." I whisper in her ear.

"Don't let go, please. Don't ever let go." It sounds like she's about to break but I'm holding her together.

"I won't." I press a soft kiss to her temple.

-X-

"Would you go visit Mona with me today?"

"Actually I already have plans with Aria."

"Well aren't you two getting cozy." Hanna teases with a smirk.

"She's going through a tough break up Han. We all need to be there for her."

"I agree completely. Break ups suck."

"Why can't you go by yourself?"

"Because I'm still traumatized from the last visit. Plus I don't really want to be alone with Wren." She says sheepishly. I chuckle.

"Oooh, someone has a boyfriend who's a Brit." She smiles at me.

"Ha ha, you're very funny army brat."

"Si you can tease me about Aria but I can't tease you about Wren?" I joke.

"I was just pointing out that it seems Aria wants you around more than me or Spencer." She still has that mischievous smirk on her face.

"Because I can relate to what she's going through." I explain. There's nothing going on with Aria and I. Hanna's been hinting that there is all week.

"I don't know whether to be hurt by that comment or amused at how adorable you two are together." I give her an apologetic look. She hasn't heard from Caleb for a while. She doesn't say it but I know she's hurting. "Seriously you two would make the perfect couple."

"Hanna." I whined.

"Alright, alright. Here comes your girlfriend anyway."

"Aria is not my girlfriend." She just smirked again.

"I was talking about Paige, dork. Someone has a guilty conscious." She said in a sing song voice. I froze. Spending time with Aria had delayed the inevitable confrontation I had to have with Paige. I've been trying to make it work with her but it just isn't going to happen. She blew me off last week with a bogus excuse about being sick. I needed her that night. I was scared and confused. Nate kissing me helped no one.

"No I don't. Now can we walk to class now, preferably quickly?" Hanna's smirk turned into a frown.

"You don't want to talk to her?" I grab her arm and pull her with me toward our next class.

"Not really so please walk faster."

"That's a little hard with an injured leg Em." Hanna grunted.

"Why are you guys walking like you're trying to get away from somebody?" Aria asks joining our fast paced walk.

"We are. Paige monster 6 'o' clock." Hanna stated making Aria turn around.

"What'd she do?"

"Em you want to answer that for us?" Hanna asked with a raised eyebrow. They were both looking at me.

"No thank you." I breathed out. A frown appeared on both of their faces.

"Emily!" Damn. I could hear Paige behind us.

"Okay this is ridiculous." Hanna squirms out of my grip and spins around. "She doesn't want to talk to you Paige." Hanna hissed with a death glare in said girl's direction.

"I think this is between me and her." Paige growled stepping up in front of me.

"Yeah well now I'm involved so back off." Hanna said fiercely squeezing her way between me and Paige. I could feel Aria beside me in a defensive stance.

"This is none of your business." Paige pushed Hanna out of the way making her stumble and lose balance due to her bad leg. I let out a small squeak of pain when Paige grips my arm roughly and yanks me to follow her. Aria pushes her away from me and her slender arms wrap around my waist.

"Whoa stop right there scowl & growl. No one and I mean no one hurts my friends in front of me. If she doesn't want to talk to you then I suggest you find new company." I've never heard her voice this low. Even though she was about as big as an eighth grader, she looked immensely threatening.

"Are you kidding me? I could break you like a stick." Paige snarled getting in Aria's face. Aria pushed back still looking thoroughly pissed.

"I really don't care. The only way anyone's hurting Emily is over my dead body, even if it means literally." By now a small crowd had huddled around us.

"Aria let's go." I tried to pull her with me and Hanna but she wouldn't budge. "Aria, please." She takes her glare off of Paige to look at me. I see Spencer out of the corner of my eye pushing through the crowd. Noticing the distress on our faces she stood buy Hanna a stern look towards Paige.

"What's going on here?" Her gaze turned to Hanna. "Han?"

"Paige was being a bully. She tried to drag Emily away and shoved Hanna." Aria answered still glaring at her new found enemy. Everything seemed to go cold as Spence took menacing steps toward Paige.

"First of all if you touch Emily again I'll break your arm off, she's a sweet person who doesn't need to be corrupted by the skeletons in your closet." I heard Hanna mutter 'literally' under her breath. "And second of all, if you touch my girlfriend again, I will destroy you."

"Girlfriend?" Me and Aria say simultaneously. We both look over to Hanna and see she's beaming. Her eyes are bright and happy, the happiest I've seen her in a while. Spencer spins on her hell and grabs Hanna's hand then loops her arm through mine. I grab Aria's hand to tugging her with me. We're silent for a while until….

"So…I'm your girlfriend?"

-X-

"I remember when I wanted to be a fire fighter. My Aunt Sophia died in a house fire and I wanted to be able to save anyone else from that kind of accident. I went to all these fire safety classes because I was so determined." Aria murmurs from her spot on the couch. She's twirling her hair absentmindedly.

"I almost drowned once. I think that's why I love swimming now, because I don't think I've ever been more calm or relaxed then I was in those few seconds I was dying." Aria looks at me. I note the look of fear in her eyes.

"Emily, you're not like suicidal or anything are you?" Aria nervously chuckles but there's seriousness there.

"No. I'm not suicidal." I say softly. She turns her body fully toward me and scans my face.

"Promise me." She demands while holding out her pinky to me. I intertwine my pinky with hers.

"I promise." She kisses her hand then I kiss mine. Now I'm bound to this promise.

"You have to stay her with me Em. I don't think I can handle the two lovebirds alone." We both laugh at that. "But seriously, I need you. Nothing would be the same without you." She finishes softly. She had been looking down this entire time so I couldn't see her expression.

"Why?" I question truly curious. Hesitantly she raises her eyes to mine.

"You're really the only one I can be completely vulnerable with. Don't get me wrong I love Hanna and Spencer and trust them with my life but I can still feel my guard up a little bit. With you it isn't like that. I've never had to pretend with you because I know you'd never hurt me." What she said is completely true. I'd rather die than hurt Aria. "It's not just me that would change. Hanna and Spencer would be different to." She continues. "Our whole dynamic would change. You balance us out. I'm the artist, Spencer's the brain and brawn, Hanna's the bubbly comedian, and you're the sweet one. You see the good in everything and give hope." At this very moment it hits me. I like her. No matter how much I try to deny it, my feelings won't. Now all the subtle touches make sense. All the tingles, big smiles and the warmth that pools in my stomach do too. I've been so afraid of dating another Alison that I haven't taken risks. My heart starts beating so hard that it's on the verge of hurting. I can do this.

"Will you go out with me?" Aria looks up from the pickle she was nibbling on with wide eyes. She swallows hard.

"I don't think that's the best idea Em."

"Aria I'm putting my heart on the line here. I think we can make this work." She sighs and gets up from her spot on my couch. I watch her as she gets on her knees in front of me and grab my hands.

"What about Paige?" She plays with the ring on my finger.

"What about her?"

"She obviously isn't over you." She bites venomously.

"We aren't getting together any time soon." I sigh. Aria raises an eyebrow.

"So am I just a past time until then?" I shake my head frantically. Slowly I sink down to the floor on my knees in front of her.

"No. Aria you're the only one I've felt this strongly about since Maya. You, Spencer, and Hanna are the only people I trust anymore and it's so frustrating. You know how that feels more than anyone. You understand me better than anyone else, even more than Hanna and I've lived with her." By now we were staring intently into each other's eyes.

"Remember when I came to you crying over Ezra?"

"Of course I do. It was only 3 months ago."

"When you held me that night Emily, it felt so right, righter than it ever felt with Ezra." There's this bubbly feeling in my stomach that makes me feel giddy.

"I know that you're still sensitive from what happened with him but Aria I won't hurt you like that. Ever." I whisper the last word then join our lips. She starts to kiss back slowly but after a few more seconds then pulls back abruptly.

"Do you really mean that? I don't think I can take another heartbreak like the last so you have to tell me right now that you mean that. Tell me and I'll kiss you." My mouth became dry suddenly.

"Then kiss me because I really mean th-"She cuts me off with a kiss. I can hear my door open faintly.

"Wow this was unlikely. You were right babe." I hear Spencer's voice says.

"I knew this was bound to happen at some point. They've been having eye sex for weeks now. You owe me twenty bucks." Hanna chuckled.

"No wonder they didn't realize we were dating."

"Does this mean we can start going on double dates?" Hanna asked hopefully. Aria and I were too caught up in our kiss to care that they were there. I grabbed a pencil from my coffee table and threw it towards the door. Spencer chuckled.

"Not only does it mean that but it also means we can have a make out session in Emily's bedroom."

-X-

A/N: There we have it! Cheesy ending I know but I actually find this pair quite cute. This isn't my best work but I think it's alright. It seems like their starting to show more Emaria friendship this season. I also had to throw in some Spanna because that's my favorite PLL ship. I'd appreciate reviews.