Emaya

Emaya is the femslash ship between Emily Fields and Maya St. Germain from the Pretty Little Liars fandom.

Canon
Emily and Maya first met when Maya moved into Alison DiLaurentis's old house. Emily's mother sent her over with a gift basket to welcome the St. Germain's to the neighborhood. Maya asked Emily to help her move the last few boxes into the house, which Emily agreed to despite it being an odd request. Once inside, the pair discussed their boyfriends, as Emily was dating Ben at the time and Maya had just broken-up with her previous boyfriend. Maya managed to convince Emily to smoke marijuana for the first time and showed her how to smoke it properly. They continued to hang out after they met. When Emily arrived home from school days later, she saw ambulances, police cars, and firetrucks outside Maya's house which scared her. She rushed to Maya and was relieved that she was okay, and Maya sadly told her that they had found Alison's body.

After Alison's funeral, Maya visited Emily to see how she was doing, and the two bonded over their mutual feelings about Alison's death. Emily also introduced her to her mother for the first time. The city turned Maya's house into a shrine for Alison, so, Pam invited Maya to stay with them in Emily's room. That night, they bonded over stories and Maya flirted with her about where she liked to sleep in the bed, as they both sleep in the middle. That night, Maya rolled over in her sleep and placed her hand over Emily's.

At school, Emily learned that Noel Kahn was throwing one of his infamous parties and that Ben wanted to go with her. As he kissed her and showed PDA, Emily seemed bothered and uninterested and turned the conversation back to Maya. She then invited Maya to attend to the part with them, which Maya agreed to. However, Emily broke-up with Ben after he was rough in his sexual advances, and attended the party with Maya instead. In a photobooth, they prepared to do a sheet of pictures and flirted heavily. When the pictures started, they posed a number of fun ways, before looking at each other. They shared a moment before they kissed, their kiss and moment before captured on camera. When they exited the booth the pictures were gone, as A had stolen them. This caused Emily to be afraid as the pictures showed them kissing, and Emily was questioning her sexuality.

After the kiss, Emily distanced herself from Maya and became guarded about the scarf Maya gave her. She also obsessed over the pictures until a copy appeared in her textbook, which worried her as someone would have had to see them. She eventually told Maya the truth about why she was distant, and this hurt Maya's feelings. Maya distanced herself as well, and they didn't talk much after that. When they did talk, it was to discuss Emily needing space to think and figure things out. Maya gave her this space, and they both missed each other after that.

Later, Emily's best friend, Hanna Marin, was given a picture of Emily and Maya kissing from A, which surprised her. She then told Emily to invite whoever she wanted to Homecoming, and not to think about what anyone thinks of her. Toby Cavanaugh, who may or may not had seen the pictures in Emily's textbook, also told her to do what she loves and forget what others are saying.

After a whirlwind of events, Emily invited Toby to the dance, with Hanna encouraging Maya to go for Emily. Maya was hurt that Emily had invited Toby, and confronted Emily about being gay, and asked Emily to look her in the eyes and say that she had no feelings for her. Emily couldn't do this, and Maya walked away. Emily then admitted to Toby that she may have brought the wrong person to Homecoming.

Days after Homecoming, Hanna confronted Emily and asked her why she didn't bring Maya to the dance. Emily asked why she would have brought Maya, and Hanna admitted to having seen the pictures of her and Maya kissing. Emily admitted that she was afraid of everything changing, and Hanna assured her that she wasn't signing a contract and that everyone would still love her as she would be the same person. Emily stated that she was afraid of what her parents would think, and Hanna supported her. A few days later, Emily approached Maya and admitted that she cared about her as more than a friend and that she was okay with the pictures of them kissing going public.

Things progressed from there, and Emily gained the courage to ask Maya out for dinner and a movie. Maya mysteriously said she had to think about it which made both girls laugh, and Maya than agreed. Emily then found out that her father's unit in Afghanistan was returning to the United States, which meant that her father was coming home. This made her happy, but also nervous as she knew she had to come out to her parents. After school, the girls headed to the theater to see a movie. However, they ended up making out throughout the movie and dropped their popcorn.

Maya and Emily are officially a couple, though Emily was still not out to her parents yet. Maya comforted Emily was grieving over her lack of judgment about Toby (as Toby had been the believed killer of Alison DiLaurentis). Emily also confided that her father always made her feel safe, and she missed that feeling now in a time where she feels so unsafe. When Emily's phone rang, Emily, told Maya she could answer it not caring if it was her mother or not. Maya answered, however, the caller hung up before saying anything. Suddenly, the front door opened, and, afraid, Emily called out to see who is there, though she received no answer. Both girls stood up, and Emily stood protectively in front of Maya. Suddenly, Emily's father, Wayne, appeared in the doorway of her bedroom much to her surprise. He announced that he had come home early from his tour in Afghanistan. Emily quickly introduced Maya to Wayne, and they were both pleased to meet the other. However, Pam coldly suggested that Maya leave so that the family can have a more private reunion. Emily gently assured Maya that she will call her later. Maya than left the room and looked at the happy family before she left the house.

Later that day, Wayne asked his daughter how she was coping with the news that the boy who took her to Homecoming also murdered her best friend. Emily was obviously distraught, and Wayne tried to press her for information and informed her that telling the truth is always the best thing to do. As he talked, Emily's mother stood hidden behind the door in the hallway, holding the photo strip of Emily and Maya at the photo booth that included their kiss. The pictures were mailed to Pam anonymously, which meant that A had sent them. Back in her room, Emily seemed ready and like she wanted to tell her father about Maya and being gay but decided against it as he's only been home for a few hours.

Days later, Emily was on the phone with Maya and the two were having a slightly flirtatious phone call, and it was obvious that Emily was happy. When she looked up she saw her father in her doorway and quickly said goodbye to Maya. Wayne entered the room then, and asked her for the truth about Toby, as he thought she liked him romantically or that he was threatening her somehow. Emily denied all the allegations, but Wayne knew that something else was going on - she had been jumpy, secretive, Pam was worried about her, and that something was eating at her. He thought she was afraid of Toby, but she insisted she wasn't and he asked what she was afraid of her. She then blurted out that she was afraid of her parents, which shocked Wayne. She said that she wasn't who they think she is, and that she had changed since she was young. With her eyes filled with tears, she softly admitted that she was gay and her father was silent and looked at her surprised.

Later in the day, Pam and Wayne discussed Emily's revelation. Pam blamed her thinking she was gay on Maya, but Wayne said that they should focus on Emily and not Emily and Maya for now. Wayne revealed that the reason Emily didn't tell them was because she was afraid of them, but Pam declined and gave him the pictures of Emaya kissing. Pam was convinced that Maya turned her into someone she wasn't, while Wayne thought she might just be experimenting. However, Pam continued to believe that it was wrong, while Wayne said that they should try to be supportive. A tearful Emily listened to the whole thing from the steps.

Moments
PILOT
 * Emaya met for the first time.
 * Their hands touched while they were walking down the sidewalk.
 * Maya tried to kiss Emily on the cheek and Emily tried to do the same and it ended awkwardly, as they almost accidentally kissed.
 * They shared a hug after Emily feared that something had happened to her when ambulances and police cars were around her house.
 * Maya was the one that told Emily that they found Alison's body.

THE JENNA THING
 * Maya checked on Emily after Alison's funeral.
 * They shared a drink.
 * Emily opened up about her feelings regarding Alison's poster.
 * They hugged for the second time.

TO KILL A MOCKING GIRL
 * Maya flirted with Emily over how she rides her bike.
 * Emily invited Maya to Noel's party.
 * Maya supported Emily at the party as Emily was nervous about attending after her break-up.
 * They kissed for the first time.
 * Emily expressed concern over the fact that someone stole the pictures of them kissing.

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
 * Maya gifted Emily with a scarf.
 * Someone put the pictures of them together in Emily's textbook.
 * Emily confronted Maya at her job and asked her about the pictures, and admitted why she was worried about them, which upset Maya.

PLEASE DO TALK ABOUT ME WHEN I'M GONE
 * Emily asked Maya out for the first time, and Maya agreed.
 * They hugged when Emily learned her father was coming home.
 * They made out in the movie theater.

THE PERFECT STORM
 * Emily is forced to come out to her friends, and admitted to having loved Alison in the past, and hinted at liking Maya now.

KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE
 * Maya comforted Emily as they laid in Emily's bed.
 * Emily was ready to protect Maya from an intruder.
 * Pam was mailed the photos of Emily and Maya by A.

MOMENTS LATER
 * Emily told her parents that she had Ben had broken up and hinted at being interested in someone else. Though, her parents believe this person is Toby and become upset.
 * Emily came out to her father and, in turn, her parents and admitted to dating Maya.

Behind the Scenes
"There are some intimate scenes with them, more intimate than Emily has ever had on the show. But the thing with Maya is that she’s been away for a while, and Emily didn’t just stand still while she was gone. She’s been growing and embracing her sexuality and owning who she really is. And so it’s a neat connection because it’s almost like they’re meeting each other for the first time. Maya is going to be a little shocked at how forward and how comfortable Emily is with herself now. Emily is a new Emily, and we’re going to find out if Maya likes the new Emily as much as Emily likes the new Emily. There are some pretty steamy scenes."

- Shay Mitchell on Emaya

"Maya... First. I think that's kind of like, what I think about. Those Emaya fans are very - yeah, they're huge fans."

- Emily on her thoughts when someone mentions Maya

Quotes
"No way! What could be wrong with yours? You're... Crazy beautiful"

- Maya to Emily

"I care about you, so I’ll wait. You don’t need to say anything. You just need to know that."

- Maya to Emily

"Emily, you're not signing a contract. You were Emily dating Ben, and now you're Emily dating Maya. We love Emily. No one cares who you're with."

- Hanna to Emily about her being gay

Fandom
AO3

Trivia

 * Maya was the second girl that Emily kissed, following her kiss with Alison DiLaurentis.
 * Maya was the first girl that Emily ever dated and helped Emily through her realization that she was gay.