Disclaimer: Again, I own nothing so... (may contain material that may not be suitable for others)

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The cold New York air hit them as they walked down the street. Leaving two feet between them the entire time. To most passing people they'd seem like a normal couple. The cups of coffee now cold as they reach their destination. The awkward silence consuming them both as they look up to the tall brick building. A young couple walking by distracting them for just a second. Flashbacks of how things used to be going through both their minds.

"You know, I came because I care too. But we actually have to go in to see the outcome." Her brown hair blowing lighting in the wind as she pulled the dark coat she had on tighter to her body. Even in her heels she was a good four inches shorter than him. One of the things she used to love about them. Looking at all the things she used to love about him, about them, it does nothing but make her hate how naive she to it all. All that seems like fairy tale turned nightmare. He wasn't her Prince Charming. He was just a human. Or as she liked to say it, her Beast. He wasn't as perfect as people claimed he was. And finding that out the hard just showed how far from her fairy tale they lived.

"I know. I just...part of me doesn't want to hear the truth. What if it's worse than what I expect?" His posture going down to a look of defeat. If he does go up there, he could come down with a clear mind. Or a mind that will land him in trouble. Either way, he wasn't sure how to prepare himself for what was to come. His hand itching to reach out and grasp hers in a way to comfort himself. Choosing to stick them deep in his coat pockets. "Alright, I think I'm ready." He looked down at her waiting to see her move first. Her hand gesturing out for him to walk first.

If they thought out on the sidewalk was cold, they weren't prepared for how cool it was inside the building. But given that it was made out of brick and looked older than most, it shouldn't have come as a surprise like it did. The red turning darker than it used to be as the year wore on. The clicking of their shoes the only noise they could hear as the walked from the elevator to the door they assumed and hoped was the right one. Her elbow poking him in the side to make him knock instead of just stare at it.

"Maybe we should have called before." His voice a low whisper to keep their presence unknown to the person on the inside. His statement making her want to knock on her own. She knew this trick of his. How he'd make up something to keep from facing bigger obstacles in life. But not this time. He decided to do this on his own. She was here to help yes, but also to make sure he did what he wanted to do. Without her help. He'd have to get used to that over time anyways.

"Just knock on the door before we get caught looking like burglars." Her hand shaking his coat sleeve, trying to will him into moving on his own.

"I'm going to get grey hairs before I should. That's clearly the only thing that I have to look forward to for the rest of my life." His hand going up and knock three times before dropping back down to his side. "Maybe he's not here." His feet moving back wards just as they heard the chains and locks clicking to let the door open.

"Hardy, I said-" Ezra's eyes widening in shock as he took in Byron and Ella standing outside his door. "Oh. I, didn't know I was having company. Is Aria okay?" Ezra cleared his throat trying to ease himself back to calm, which given how Byron looked, was harder than he would like it to be. The empty beer bottles and clothes thrown everywhere making him wish he had more time to fix up before they came.

"She's...okay. I actually wanted to talk to you about something. Without her in earshot." Byron shifted on his feet trying to keep from just going off on Ezra without hearing his side of the story. Ella's throat being cleared making him look from Ezra to his ex-wife.

"May we come in? I know we didn't call or anything, but..." Ella took a step towards Ezra, making up his own mind by herself. Her over-sized purse hitting Byron on the arm as Ezra moved to the side, trying to keep the blush he had away.

"Like I said, I wasn't expecting anyone. Sorry." Ezra avoided eye contact with both his former colleges now current girlfriend's parents. Hoping they knew on their own that he usually wasn't as messy like he is now. Tripping over a few dirty shirts as he walked to the couch, quickly picking up as much as he could before tossing it behind him onto the floor. "Uh, sit down. Would you like something to drink? Water? Tea? Beer?" Ezra looked from the now somewhat clean couch to Ella and Byron who were looking at him like he grew a second head. "What?"

"Nothing. We're fine, Byron just wanted to come and talk to you. Face-to-face." Ella moved so she was now seated in a ore neutral position between the two men. "Byron? Go ahead I'm sure Ezra has more things to do than sit and stare at us." Ella tapped Byron on the shoulder trying to get him to hurry along with what he had to say that was too important to pass up.

"I'm not sure what it was like from Ella's point of view, but from mine it was how it's starting to seem with you and Aria." Byron held up his hand as he seen Ezra beginning to say something. "When I had the affair, I used the same excuses as you, Ezra. Busy work schedule, meetings that ran late, school field trip out of town. Now Aria's saying you're using the same ones. Better ones at that since you're not in the same state as her. I don't want my daughter getting hurt, Ezra. And I was sure you didn't want her hurt either, but now I'm not so sure you care. You can't just play house with her and then just walk away when you're tired. It doesn't work that way for her. I get it, you're young and you've-" Ezra's sudden movement causing Byron to stop what he was saying.

"You thinking I'm cheating?" Ezra's mind finally taking in what the other man was saying. "I love your daughter. And I'm not playing house!" Ezra shook his head trying to think of a way to say what he was about to say to these people who used to, and still does, look up to. Hoping they, foremost Byron, wouldn't think of killing him after. "I love her. I really do love her. But I can't look at her without feeling terrible." Ezra clenched and unclenched his hands angry with himself for waiting so long to tell someone.

-flashback-

Ezra could hear his jean zipper being pulled down, half of him trying to stop it all the other half keeping him from doing much to stop it altogether. "Maggie, stop. Stop." Ezra's hands finally moving up to her shoulders and gently pushing her off him. The small light from the moon letting him see her not so happy face. "I have a girlfriends. I have Aria. I can't do this." His hands working on fixing his zipper back up. He could see Maggie moving towards him again, clearly not comprehending what he said or just not caring.

"We were so good together, Ez. Let's get that back. For Malcolm?" Maggie knew Ezra's weakness was either Aria or Malcolm. She knew how he'd do just about anything to make them both happy. "We can be a family. A real family. Don't you want Malcolm to have a real family?" Her hands going under his shirt. The feeling of hers foreign compared to how soft and small Aria's felt. Maggie's breath closer to his ear and neck than he'd like. "Let's make a family, Ez. You, me, Malcolm and a new one too." Her hand going from his chest back into his pants to quickly for him to stop her. Her lips on his instantly while she wrapped her hand around him. A involuntary groan coming from Ezra as she moved her hand up and down, squeezing him every few seconds.

"Stop, Maggie." Ezra finally pulled away from her persistent and aggressive lips long enough to push her away again. Standing back up before she tried any more. Feeling dirty for letting it go on even for a few minutes. His mind already going through ways to take the feeling off. "I told you no. I don't want to see you around me unless someone is there. And I don't mean just Malcolm." Ezra finished pulling up his zipper grabbing anything else of his at the same time watching Maggie to make sure she wasn't coming closer to him.

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean it. It was just a moment. I swear it won't happen again." Maggie stood up getting ready to walk over to him, stopping as she seen how furious Ezra looked at her. Her eyes welding up in tears thinking of how terrible she felt for abusing his trust. "I'm so sorry."

"You should be." Ezra moved towards the door. "I'll pick up Malcolm in two weeks." Ezra walked out of the bedroom, too angry at himself and Maggie to check on Malcolm like he usually does when he drops him off. His steps quickening as the front door came into view, trying to get out of her place as soon as possible.

-end flashback-

Ezra looked up from his hands that were in his lap, his elbows resting on his thighs. His eyes blurry with unshed tears as he looked from Byron's shocked face to Ella's more sentimental motherly one. "I've only seen her twice since then. Both times in public." Ezra wiped his eye with the back of his hand, trying to keep the tears from falling.

"Ezra, why didn't you say something?" Ella stood up from her seat, moving to kneel in front of him. Her protective side coming out as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure Aria would have understood. I would have. Even Byron. Someone would have came and went with you." Her free hand going up and lifting his chin upwards to look at her. "Are you okay?"

Ezra shrugged. "I don't know...I guess I am. At the time it made me feel more like shit for letting it happen, now I just really hate Maggie for doing it and putting me in this position." Ezra looked up to see Byron's face. "I don't know how to tell, Aria. She's going to think I wanted it to happen." Ezra rubbed hisface with his hand trying to all the pent up emotions at bay. "I wanted to tell her in person, but I keep putting it off because I don't want to see her face when she finds out."

Ella ran her hand up and down Ezra's back, trying to comfort him. "She's going to love you just as much as she did before. Maybe she'll want to kill Maggie after, but so do I so I can't say much there." Ella looked over to Byron. "Well, does this answer your questions?" Her eyebrow raising as Byron just looked from her to Ezra

"I suppose so." Byron rubbed his hands on his jeans, trying to not feel so confused about all that Ezra just told them. "So, what's going to happen when you do tell Aria?"

Ezra sighed. He had been putting off that topic with Aria for as long as he could. Which brought him here, telling her parents about why he hasn't put effort into seeing Aria. "She'll hate me and then eventually come to NY and find somewhere else to stay since she'll be sick with me." Ezra shrugged. Out of all the scenarios his mind came up with, sober or not, that seemed to be the one that didn't hurt as much.

Ella looked at him, surprised that he would say such a cliche thing. "I've always known you as a guy with a good head on his shoulders. Hearing you have such childish thoughts makes me question so much." She stood up and walked over back to sit next to Byron shaking her head at Ezra. "Do you honestly believe Aria would do such a thing? She's young, but she's not naive. You of all people should know that."

Byron cleared his throat, letting them know he had something to say. "When you do tell her, which you will, let us know first. If she ends up hating you I'm sure Ella can talk to her." Byron got off the couch, moving around the small apartment. "If this new job pays so well, why don't you get a bigger place?" His head jerking to the small open door that led to Ezra's even smaller room.

"Aria and I were going to start looking once she got here but after what I assumed she's thinking, that's not going to happen anytime soon." Ezra shrugged getting up and going into the kitchen. "Do you guys want something to drink now? I think the store down the street has some tea"

Ella shook her head "No, we're good. But you're not. You need to get your life together, Ezra. Aria loves you. She'll be more mad at you for not telling her sooner." She picked up a few dirty shirts. "Start cleaning up, you're not in college anymore." Ezra's eyes widened at how authoritative she sounded. "I'm not leaving until I know you have a decent meal in your stomach and this place is more put together." Ella picked up a few empty bottles, tossing them into the waste basket.

o.O.o

Ezra flopped down onto his couch, tired from cleaning so much. When Ella told him she wasn't leaving until he was back on the right track, she was serious. No matter how much Chinese food she bought for him to eat, the large trash bags Byron threw out, or the many dirty over worn shirts she helped him clean, Ezra didn't feel any better. Sure, his apartment was clean and so was he, but that was all on the outside. On the inside, he didn't feel even close to clean. He could still feel the dirt and grime from what he let happen. No matter how many times Ella told him differently, he let Maggie give him beer. He let her lead him to her room. He let her shove him onto the bed. He watched on as she took of her own clothes, a clear sign to anyone in that lust filled glaze to keep going. He even let her kiss him. Sure he stopped it a few minutes later when she had her hand around him, but he let it go on. Not stopping her at anytime before that.

After Byron got Ella to stop helping Ezra clean, they left him for the night. Promising to return tomorrow to make sure he was fine. No matter how many times he told them he was. He knew they still cared even a fraction of what they used to, but seeing it first hand made him realize how much he missed out on when it came to having a loving family growing up. He's eyes going from a small shirt Aria had left the last time she was with him onto of his writing desk, to the stack of Malcolm's toys in the corner. A small but very clear note of who was on Ezra's mind more. When Ella seen Aria's stuff she offered to take it with her back to Rosewood, to get it out of his way. But Ezra refused even before she could finish talking. Sending her back her clothes could be bad for the both of them. For him mostly. Her, she'd think he was getting rid of her. Him, for letting the small knick-knacks she left behind go and for letting Aria assume he was letting her go. But he wasn't. He wouldn't. He loved her too much to simply tell Ella it was okay to take Aria's stuff. To move her out of his home. Their future home when she was finished with school. He loved her in more ways he could count. From the fork earrings she wore and lost, all the way down to her obsessive need to keep his clothes hostage. He could never, and will never, get her completely out of his system. They were in this together. High or low. Flying or falling. Skipping or jumping. They'd always be together. Which made Ezra question why he hid such a thing from her. part of him wants to believe it was to keep her from getting hurt, but he knew that was never truly the reason. At lest not completely.

Ezra moved from his spot on the couch, walking over to the fridge and getting ready to grab a beer. Only to come face to face with disappointment in the form of an empty beer holder and a note from Ella. "Great. Take the beer and leave a piece of paper." Ezra picked it up not bothering to read what it would say. Knowing she would give him some classic advice on how beer is bad especially when you depended on it as much as he was. But it was easy to depend on it. Beer didn't judge him. Didn't taunt him. Didn't do anything but take the pain away. Made him forget about his own problems at lest for a night. He wasn't hurting anyone. At lest he thought he wasn't. But even if he couldn't see it, he was hurting someone. He was subconsciously hurting Aria. Pushing away any thoughts of calling her because of the numbness. Because he was to drunk off stale beer to grab his phone properly. Ezra shook his head, making those thoughts leaving his mind and deciding on just relaxing on his bed. Hoping that would do something, anything, to make the night easier.

His legs giving out once he was beside his bed. An old tattered edition of To Kill a Mocking Bird. Choosing to read about someone else's problems instead of his own. At lest there his life didn't exist. Just the characters written on the old pages of his and Aria's favorite book. The good and bad things they went through making him remember, that things could be worst. He could be facing much more terrible things in life. But yet, he still has a small feeling that this isn't going to settle well with anyone once he says what happened. He kept something from Aria for so long he's surprised he didn't blurt it out sooner. And to make it worse, he told her parents before her. Ezra flipped the pages, finding the dog-eared page Aria left. Reading and rereading it before deciding that he could recite it word for word now if he wanted to. He picked up his phone, going to Aria's contact information. Debating on calling or not. The picture he had for her putting a smile on his face. The first week she stayed here with him happened to be when the local Art Walk was going on, complete with a face painting station. Ezra was never one to go and get one as a child. He found it boring and cliche, but that didn't stop him and say no when Aria asked if they could get one together. Deciding on a pirate styled look for him and half of a butterfly for Aria. They ate more food than planned and regretted it all that night when they both couldn't fit inside Ezra's small washroom to toss it all back up. But that was the first time in a long time they were just Ezra and Aria. They weren't 'Mr. Fitz and Aria' like they used to be. Nobody cared who they were. The enormous amount of pictures Aria took of them didn't even annoy him. Not the first one, or the twentieth one, or the unknown amount after. Choosing which one to use for her was harder than he expected to be. Going with a candid of her on the rusty swing set down the block as the sun was setting to the side of her. The colors from the face paint smudging together into unknown colors and design. His half eaten ice cream in one of her hands and her frozen yogurt in the other. But she was still as beautiful as ever. Ezra couldn't tell someone how many times he looked at the pictures of her in his phone. Or the times he wished he was her own age to make it easy on her. How he'd do anything to help her when she called crying about something Byron had said to her and he wasn't able to drive five minutes to her house and hold her. How he knew he'd sacrifice anything and everything for her. Just to see her smile like in the photos he had.

Ezra shook his head, focusing himself back on the task at hand. Choosing to text her instead. Since it was later than one, and the chances of her actually answering were slim. His fingers fumbling with the phone, making sure he had a good grip on it before typing out the message. His heart beat going up a bit more, the nerves in him getting the best of him. It wasn't like he was breaking up with her, but it still meant having to talk to her. Through text message or not, he was going to have to face her and tell her why he's been acting so strange. If her parents could pick up on it, sure as hell so could she. But, in true Aria fashion, she would rather you tell her instead of confront you. Making you feel the guilt of leaving her out until it made you rethink anything and everything.

"Hope you didn't forget, going to Rosewood to see you in that nice and very flattering cap and gown this weekend!" Ezra bit his lip, knowing that wasn't exactly the best way to remind her of his up coming visit, but it was better than nothing. At lest he was giving her time to tell him off for waiting so long to see her again. Or for her to flat out tell him no he couldn't go down there. Ezra checked his phone's calendar making sure he had the dates right. Because the last thing he needed was to mistake an important date like her high school graduation. he set his phone down after sending the text, deciding on just sleeping for the night. Well, more like hoping to sleep for the night. His mind coming up with different scenarios. Each one worse than the last. He clenched his eyes shut, forcing any and all thoughts like that away. The only one of half eaten yogurt, smudged face paint, and smells that didn't leave the rooms for weeks coming to his mind. Leaving him smiling while he drifted off to sleep. Of course he'd tell Aria. And he'd take any and all emotions and actions she had against him for it. But he'll take them all. Because he loved her and if it took her pain away, he'd accept anything.

...

A/N: Wow how many months later?! Yeah, I don't know. But this was longer than the other. Well I think it was. I already have half of the next chapter thought up so we'll cross fingers that I update soon. Favorite/Review/Comment, anything! Tell your friends if you'd like. Tweet me( cravinghale) if you have something to say, chances are I'd reply faster there. Since I'm OBSESSED with twitter. But can you blame me?! Okay byeeeeee!