"There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still."
– Franklin D. Roosevelt
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the next morning, aria awoke much earlier than shawn, her headache pounding away, making her feel more like the living dead than ever before. she hopped out of the cozy bed, shawns arms still far away from her, and headed straight to the kitchen, grabbing herself a glass of water and painkiller, to help to diffuse the headache.

she downed the pill, the anxiousness and dread filling her immediately. what was shawn going to say when he wakes up? would he still be angry? would he even talk to her?

aria sat and wondered, not exactly knowing what to think of herself. he was right. she completely went against her guard, and made herself look like an utter fool, when already, his friends think she's too childish for her own good.

maybe it was the right thing to happen. maybe shawn had to see what she was really like to make a judgement to if he really wants to keep dating her. maybe it was a way to test his love. maybe it told him to break up with her before things got too messy.

she was still scared, but she never felt more alone.

the last time she was hungover, both shawn and her were. they got drunk a few hours after his birthday party. just the two of them, alone in his condo, with a bottle of malibu coconut rum. they were trying to make pina coladas, but completely failed, and instead made very strong coconut rums with a hint of pineapple juice.

that was the night when they admitted they love each other. it was the night where their drunk minds spoke their sober thoughts, yet neither of them regretted it, and still remembered it when they woke the next morning, wrapped in each other's nude embrace.

when she woke up after that crazy night, she was happy. it was the first day for a while, where she woke up, and felt content. her happiness numbed her hangover, and she was more than happy to go on a run with shawn that morning.

shawn wakes up, rising, seeing the side next to him empty, cold, and uninviting. was aria still here? had she gone home? shawn gets up immediately, walking into the main room, making sure she's still here. coincidentally, she was, and eagerly watching e-news on tv, well, she was asleep, with e-news on in the background.

shawn smiles softly, walking towards her, and crouching down in front of her, leaning over the couch. he plants a small kiss on her forehead, before standing up, and heading to the kitchen to cook some breakfast. he decides on poached eggs and avocado on toast, considering aria is completely hungover, and he knows that it's her favourite breakfast food.

aria wakes up again, confused at the smells in the main room. she sits up, looking around, seeing shawn walking in, a tray in his hands, a tall glass of orange juice on it, along with the plate of food.

"hey," shawn says, sitting down next to her, and handing her the tray of food. "breakfast?"

"i'm not hungry," she mumbles, bringing her knees to her chest.

"yes you are, i can hear your stomach from here," shawn says, shuffling closer to her. "i made your favourite." her bottom lip quivers again, and she bursts into another round of cries, making shawn immediately worry, and place the food down on the coffee table.

"hey, hun, why are you crying?" shawn says, wrapping his arms around her, as she cries into her hands, her head resting against shawns torso.

"because," she cries. "i made a fool of myself, and you probably hate me for it and-"

"hate you? aria," he sighs, cupping her cheeks, and wiping away her tears. "i was annoyed, but i took it out of proportion. i was only mad because you were so worried about my friends hating you, and then you got drunk."

"i'm so sorry shawn, i didn't even mean to, it's just one drink turned into two, and then three, and then-"

"shh," he whispers. "the only thing that matters is you're still here with me. i'm sorry for yelling at you last night. i shouldn't have, i should have cared for you. you were obviously distressed, and that's why you wanted to drink. i understand, and i should've respected that."

"c-can you drop me off back home?" aria stutters, ashamed of herself, and wanting nothing more than curling up with a good book.

"aria, i don't hate you," shawn says to her gently, pulling her hands away from her face, and placing his hands on her thighs. "you can stay here, you know that right? you are staying here. i'm not letting you leave until i see a smile on your pretty face."

"shawn please," aria begs, her eyes going wide, and her reactions making her push herself away from shawn, further to the other side of the couch. "please just drop me off home."

"aria," shawn says softly, so utterly confused, and worried for his lover. "aria, hey, come here."

even though he was so close, she had never felt so far away.

"aria, come on," she rises from the couch, rushing off, straight into the master bedroom, where she quickly gathers her things, shoving as much as she can into the bag she brought with her, pulling on a pair of leggings over her legs, shawns shirt still resting over her. "aria!"

"shawn, please!" she begs, her beady eyes filled with tears. "please! i can't be here."

"you can't just walk away," shawn says, shaking his head, placing his hands over her waist, before trailing one hand up, and cupping her cheek. "i love you."

she lets out a half cry, almost as if she's choking on her tears, which haven't even started yet, making her immediately crave shawns warm embrace. he eagerly holds onto her, letting her cry into his chest for however long it was, letting her soak up his t-shirt, rubbing his hands over the small of her back, occasionally pressing a tender kiss to her warm forehead.

"shh," shawn whispers, gently sitting down on the bed, letting aria fall into his lap, still wrapped around him, her head tucked into his neck, as she wails, and cries. "aria, you got drunk, it's okay."

"no it's not," she sniffles, balling up shawns shirt in her hands. "i knew that this was important, and i got drunk, made an embarrassment of not only myself, but you too," she says, cursing herself. "your friends think i'm so fucking childish, shawn, please, tell me what the good is in this situation."

"it's just their opinion, it doesn't mean you are," he reassures the brunette, sighing gently.

"if your friends think that, what are your fans gonna think of me?" she cries, making shawns heart completely break.

"we don't have to tell them if you don't want to, as long as our families know and respect us, it's okay," he coos, tracing little patterns over her shoulder. "if my friends dare say a thing about you, i'll make sure that they understand who you really are, and what i love and adore about you." she stays silent in response, letting shawn stand up, her body still in his grasp.

just standing there, she finally understood that shawn was going to do whatever it would take to keep them together, even if it meant ruining his friendships with his life long friends.

aria didn't want that.