Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Sleep had always been a valuable thing to Ezra Fitz. He looked forward to his valuable eight hours each night and relished them when he woke up in the morning. But when his slumber was compromised did Ezra get upset. There had been too many coffee mugs cracked out of frustration that he couldn't brew the warm liquid right and too many crumpled up papers of editing gone wrong in the wee hours of the morning. Such things hadn't been much of a complication when Ezra lived alone, however Aria Montgomery had somehow weaseled her way into staying over his place most nights when her pregnancy hit the two month mark –an arrangement that Ezra didn't protest upon.

The curly haired man slept with his back against the wall, Aria curled into him for her chest touching his. Their bump of a baby had grown a bit in the past month or so and a small protrusion was the only thing keeping their skin of being flush against one another's. One hand of his rested on the small of her back, the other palm down on the pillow besides her head. Aria's hands pressed against Ezra's chest, cheek right over his heart, but something was different tonight.

She wasn't relaxed beside him, palms on skin. Instead, her tiny fingertips poked into Ezra's shoulder, prodding him in hopes that he'd wake up. The clock on the wall ticked on, but the alarm clock, with blaring red letters, read that it was about two-thirty in the morning. Their baby was making her crave something greasy and there wasn't much of that in the fridge –only a few apples, cold cuts, and various boxes of takeout.

"Ezra," Aria whispered, continuing to poke him roughly. "Ezra, the baby wants food." Each time he groaned and tightened his hold on her, making Aria wriggle until he loosened. Finally, taking her first, she punched him in the shoulder, hoping that the impact would make Ezra's eyes flutter open. Aria smirked as he revealed his pair of cobalt blue eyes that were filled with sleep.

She secretly wished their baby would be graced with such a pair.

"Good Morning, Sunshine," she greatly him brightly, perhaps a little too brightly as Ezra winced from the sound of her voice. "Baby Fitz wants food."

Ezra settled back down, at first roused with fear that something had gone wrong or that Aria had tripped on her way to the bathroom. His eyes closed once more, seeing that the problem at hand wasn't one that was life threatening or detrimental. "So go to the fridge. We've got a lot."

"Been there, done that. Baby didn't agree –they want greasy fast food."

"Can't you catch a cab and get some?" The statement deserved a half asleep Ezra a hearty whack on the shoulder once more.

"You're an idiot," Aria muttered. Though her tone sounded annoyed, she threw her leg over Ezra's him, pressing herself against him while batting her eyelashes. In the past few weeks of spending as much time as their schedules would allow with one another, Aria learned that she could get her way with Ezra with so much as a pout of her perfectly colored lips. This would go the extra mile.

"Your baby is hungry." Her lips lingered near Ezra's ear, making the man alert without the need of a splashing of cold water. If Aria kept this up though, he'd need a cold shower.

"Which baby are we talking about," he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Both," Aria sighed, drawing a small pattern on his chest. "You wouldn't want to deprive either of them, would you?" She kept her lips at his ear, placing kisses just behind it and downwards till she reached his neck. Hot breath mingled on Ezra's skin, making him shiver despite the warmth of his comforter. "Please go get us food?"

With reluctance, Ezra sighed. He knew he'd lost this round, especially with Aria's feminine wiles coming into play. Carefully, he unhooked her leg from around his torso and shifted so that he was able to slide out of bed with ease, rather than hurt her as he did so. As his feet touched the cold ground of the hardwood floors –his apartment wasn't as complimentary as to have carpeted floors, Ezra leaned over the bed, nose just brushing with Aria's.

"Anything for you two," he spoke, giving her a quick kiss. "I won't be too long." As he slipped on a sweatshirt that was lingering on the ground and his shoes, Ezra had the realization that the beautiful brunette, now falling back to sleep in his bed, had him whipped.

Very whipped, indeed.

Hormones were a funny thing – after polishing off her McDonald's hamburger, fries, and chocolate shake, Aria Montgomery had fallen back to sleep in the comfort of Ezra Fitz's arms for a solid six more hours. She didn't toss a bit, snuggled up against his well defined chest with one fist gripping the soft, grey fabric of his tee shirt.

However, morning brought tears after a round of her daily morning sickness. Droplets streamed down Aria's porcelain colored cheeks as she sat on the cold tile of Ezra's bathroom floor. The man did his best to console the emotional brunette, telling her that their baby wouldn't come out ugly, even though they looked slightly deformed and was the size of a peanut in the latest sonogram they'd gotten from the doctor's.

"But what if it doesn't change," Aria sobbed, the flimsy fabric of a tissue clamped in her hand. "What if their face is all wrinkly when they're born? What if they don't have fingernails?"

"Aria," Ezra sighed, laying a hand upon her lower back. "I'm sure the baby has fingernails by now. We can call the doctor and ask if you'd like." His lips pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. Between work and managing his personal life outside of Aria, Ezra was still navigating the waters of impending fatherhood. He wasn't very nervous anymore –at least, he told himself not to be. A few people in the office had children and he gained a bit of advice from them.

Baby proof everything before they're born –don't wait until the last minute.

Be sure to have a breast pump on hand and readymade bottles just in case you're ever left alone with a hungry baby.

Among the things Ezra hadn't given much thought to were the mundane facts, though he still took the information with open arms.

Always support the baby's head.

Keep all stuffed animals and toys out of the crib.

Have various cloths –babies are prone to spitting up.

At first, the sea of tidbits had overwhelmed him to the point where Ezra had locked himself in his office and took deep breaths in order to evade a panic attack. They had been coming in like wildfire, especially from Aria's friend, Hannah, who'd taken the upper hand in the office to tell people about how she was doing, not Ezra who was practically living with her.

"I don't want to," Aria chortled, wiping under her eyes. "They'll think I'm crazy."

Ezra stifled a chuckle. "And you don't think you are now?" The remark earned him a sharp slap to the shoulder. "I mean, no, Aria. You're not crazy."

A slow smile spread over Aria's face –a stark difference from the tears that had been saturating her cheeks for the past ten minutes. "That's much better." She continued wiping under her eyes, a sudden lift in her emotions. The tidal wave of the morning had passed, but not with flying colors. "Enough crying," Aria said, pushing up from the ground before holding her hand out towards Ezra. "You've got to get to work and I have a breakfast date with Spencer."

"One thing," Ezra smirked, holding onto her hand. With a swift pull, he sent Aria back into his lap, arms circling around her waist. "Because we both know we'll be rushing out of here like bats out of hell." Cupping her cheek in his hand, Ezra smoothed his thumb over the curve of her jaw line before pressing his lips against Aria's. She responded immediately, wrapping her arms around her neck. They were chest to chest, lips moving perfectly against one another until the need for air became necessary.

"Now we've got to get ready," Aria said with a breathy voice. She placed a kiss just under his ear where she knew Ezra was most sensitive before hopping to her feet.

The diner menu was becoming her worst enemy. The options were mouthwatering –anyone would drool at the thought of home fries, pancakes smothered in butter and syrup, and Belgian waffles with a large array of toppings. However, with the strict diet the doctor had put Aria on, such things were out of the question. No fried foods, much to her dismay; only fruits and vegetables and the healthiest of things. Sure, she and Ezra ordered take out, but he made sure that she went with healthy options and not always the deep fried choices. That didn't stop the cravings though.

"The only downside to being pregnant is the diet," she sighed, falling back against the red cushioned chair. Sitting across from the petite brunette with a slight protruding stomach was her quasi-best friend and roommate, Spencer Hastings. The much taller woman had her nose stuck in the menu, trying to ignore Aria's whining. While she adored her best friend, the hormones didn't exactly compliment her. Spencer had to applaud Ezra –either Aria had him wrapped around her little finger or he tolerated the constant shift and pull of her emotions well. Given the last movie night shared between the expecting couple and herself and her doctor boyfriend, Wren, it was easy to see the family that would develop when the baby arrived. Ezra and Aria were clearly smitten with each other. Spencer and Wren had both placed bets on when they'd say the three most important words to one another.

Rolling her eyes, Spencer placed down the menu. "Maybe it'll influence you're life choices –you're always on the run and grabbing fried food." She picked up the deep and very filled coffee mug that sat to her right; and action that didn't go unnoticed by Aria, who gave a small moan.

"I miss coffee," she sighed, picking up her own cup of decaffeinated lemon tea.

"You need to stop whining."

"Sorry, it's the hormones," Aria spoke, a bit quieter this time. "They're been at their worst today."

"I don't know how Ezra does it. He's got to be in love or something." Spencer hadn't meant to let the words come tumbling out of her mouth. They didn't go ignored by Aria either.

The smaller woman froze, mug in mid air and not touching her lips. "I don't know, Spence," she said softly. "Maybe it's just infatuation because I'm carrying his baby." The disappointment of her thoughts colored Aria's voice to a deep, steely gray. She wanted Ezra to be in love with her. A high school Aria would've protested it, but her whole being now wanted Ezra Fitz to sweep her off her feet and confess his love to her and for her to admit the same words back to him. She had been sorting out her feelings for the past few days while she was alone or when he had fallen asleep before her. It had been a fragile process, but the more she thought about it, the more Aria knew that Ezra had worked his way into her heart and was now beginning to claim it. And she wasn't going to protest or complain about it.

"I've seen the way he looks at you, Aria. That's not just lust and infatuation on his face, or an appreciation for you having his baby. Give it time, it'll come out. Both you and him seem horrible at keeping your feelings at bay," Spencer said, reaching over to place a reassuring hand on Aria's shoulder.

Placing her hands on her stomach, Aria rubbed a small circle on her abdomen. They hadn't felt the baby kick yet, but she was waiting –waiting for that tiny, supposed jolt. All the books had said it wasn't supposed to come, that the pregnancy wasn't at the right month yet, but she wished and hoped that they were wrong and she'd feel a little something. Leaving one hand in place, Aria picked up her mug once more and drew it to her lips. "How do you think this little guy got her," she laughed. "We're totally incapable of controlling ourselves."

The girls felt into laughter in unison with one another. It felt good to be out with friends –Aria had been working her shifts and splitting that with spending time with Ezra as well. While she had no issue spending her time with the curly haired man that was evidently stealing her heart, and quite miraculously and surprisingly at that, she had missed her best friend.

"We need to tell our parents," Aria said later that night. Ezra had come home from work only an hour ago. The minute he'd come through the door, she'd pulled him by the tie towards the couch. It seemed like the hormone that had been plaguing her at that moment was lust. Now, they both lay sated with an old afghan covering their slightly sweaty skin. "I mean, they have a right to know. It's not like we can wait until the baby's born and say 'Surprise, you're grandparents.'"

Ezra drew small circles on Aria's skin, first a small, swirled circle. Now he'd worked himself up to a heart, tracing it daintily against her arm. He could feel her skin prickle and smiled, relishing the fact that it was him who made her react that way. In fact, Ezra was happy that it had always been him up to that point –him who kissed her, him who would be the father to her child, him who got to fall asleep with her curled up next to him at night. He was satisfied with life at an age where he never thought he would be. It struck him right then and there.

Was he in love?

Was this what it felt like –to not want to be without another person? When he was at work, there was an ache in his chest because Aria wasn't there. When he came home to see her sitting on his couch, watching television or reading a book, he was elated. And when they were lying like they were at present, skin to skin and chest to chest, Ezra felt like the world had stopped spinning on its axis. He had to ask the question again; was this love?

All signs pointed to yes.

Aria tapping on his shoulder pulled Ezra away from his thoughts. "What did you say?"

"I said, we have to tell our parents at some point."

"I know," he spoke with a sigh. "But I think we should wait till we get past another month, that way any complications that could be detrimental are out of the way." The feeling of Aria nuzzling her head against his neck, followed by the slight pressure of lips against his skin gave him her affirmative answer. Ezra's hands grazed down her bare back, fingers pressing lightly into her skin. Aria gave a soft giggle once he got to her sides –her ticklish spot, and it was the most beautiful sound he thought he'd ever hear.

From whipped the previous night, Ezra Fitz had somehow fallen in love.

So, from my planning, I think the drama will begin the next chapter. After all, things can't always be so fluffy (as much as we wish they could be), can they?

Please review! I'm so grateful to the comments I get on Twitter, but the reviews on the story itself mean a whole lot to me, as well as serving as encouragement to update faster.

Hope you all enjoyed!