#choices heart fanfic

[jerzwriter]

Hot Idea

Book:              Open Heart (Post Series)

Pairing:           Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Kaycee MacClennan)

Rating:            Teen

Words: 990

Summary: Ethan & Kaycee are poolside on one of the hottest days in Boston's history; Ethan's eager to go inside until Kaycee mentions wedding planning. Then, there's a brilliant idea.

A/N: This is loosely based on an old ask from @potionsprefect. I think this took place just days after Kaycee got her official engagement ring in As Planned. And look at me keeping it under 1,000 words!

It was sweltering outside. One of the hottest days in Boston’s history, bound to break all records. Ethan removed his sunglasses, or maybe they slid off; he was undoubtedly sweating enough for that. After a long chug of ice water, he rolled over on his lounger to address his fiancee.

“If there is a god, she intended for days like this to be spent one way… and one way alone.”

Despite the heat, Kaycee couldn’t help but grin. “If and she. There is a reason I said yes to you, Ethan.”

“And that’s what it is,” he smirked. “I assumed one of my many other talents made you arrive at that decision.”

“It was a million little reasons. But tell me, how did the possible goddess intend for us mere mortals to spend days like this?”

“Indoors,” he deadpanned. “Where it’s air-conditioned.”

“Poolside isn’t good enough for you?” She teased.

“Before dating you, I didn’t know my condo had a pool. Does that answer your question?”

“Well, it is boiling,” she agreed. “And it’s our only day off this week; we probably should go inside and start discussing wedding plans.”

“You know,” Ethan said, reclining in his chair. “If we drink more water, it’s entirely bearable out here.”

Kaycee reached for her glass of ice water and playfully tossed it atop Ethan’s bare chest.

“HEY!” He hollered.

“What? If ingesting the water will keep you cool… and away from discussing wedding plans… I figured external application would merely assist you.”

“You realize I have a glass right next to me, and I’m not above retaliation.”

Reaching over, Kaycee stole his glass and chugged the water in its entirety. “There! Now, that threat is eliminated.”

“But there is still ice,” Ethan winked. “And you know our history with ice.”

“Mmm,” she hummed. “Nice attempt at deflection… but I’m not letting you off the hook. Why are you so unwilling to discuss wedding plans with me? If I hadn’t received two beautiful proposals, I’d think you had cold feet.”

 “It’s not you,” he sighed. “Or the marriage. I’d head down to City Hall today and make it legal. It’s… the wedding…”

“I know,” Kaycee sighed, slumping back into her chair. “I’m not all jazzed about that part either.”

“Wait,” Ethan exclaimed. “You’re not? I assumed you’d want a big, fancy thing with all the trimmings.”

“Have I ever alluded to that?”

“No,” Ethan agreed. “But you went on and on about how you liked Reynaldo’s wedding in the City.”

“I did. For Reynaldo, but it’s just not… me.”

“Your mother would kill us if we eloped,” Ethan stated.

“Without question,” Kaycee laughed. “My Mom is part of the problem. I know she means well, but she’s Italian. She can’t help herself. A wedding means a church, hundreds of distant cousins I never knew I had, and a dress that would make Cinderella look understated.”

“Hundreds?” Ethan moaned.

“Don’t worry,” Kaycee smiled, gripping his hand. “We aren’t doing any of that. But… I have to the talk I’ve been avoiding with my mother.”

Ethan removed his glasses and looked at her sincerely. “Kaycee, what do you want?”

Kaycee closed her eyes, a slow smile spreading on her face. “I want a pretty dress, but nothing fussy. I want our closest friends and family there, but no one else. Good food, drinks, music, and laughter are musts, and at the end of the day, I better be married to you. But outside of that… I don’t care.”  

“Well, I approve of that,” he beamed. “So, how do we go about doing this?”

“I’ll talk to Mom. She’ll come around… eventually… with my father’s help,” Kaycee sighed. “Her heart’s in the right place, but. I wish I could avoid the headaches. Maybe we should plan a surprise wedding,” she laughed.

Ethan’s eyes went wide. “Kaycee! You’re brilliant!”

“I am?” she asked. “I mean, I am... but why now?”

“That’s a perfect idea! We plan the wedding… something simple to our liking. Then, we invite everyone to our ‘engagement party,’ and when they show up… SURPRISE! We’re getting married!”

“Wait… are you serious?”

“I’ll admit it’s unorthodox, but….”

“But I freaking love it!” Kaycee gushed.  

She jumped on Ethan’s lap before he knew what hit him. Peppering him with dozens of little kisses, the remnants of her pink lip gloss leaving slight kiss marks all over his face.

“Would you stop,” he chuckled. “We’re in public!”

“Ethan Jonah Ramsey! We have done far worse in public, and you know it! Do you really think we can do this?

“We can do whatever we want,” he assured. “I just have one request.”

“What’s that?”

“I want it to be soon. I’ve never seen the point in long engagements, and if we aren’t going to have a gala to prepare for, I see no need to delay.”

“Ethan Ramsey rushing to the alter,” she giggled. “Who could have predicted this?”

“OK, wiseass,” he smiled. “Stay on topic! Where should we have this? Mistral has a private room; we could look into that.”

“As much as I love Mistral, that is a little stuffier than I envision.”

“OK!” He snapped his fingers. “La Famiglia in North End, it’s one of your favorite places. It’s Italian, so your mother will be somewhat happy… it’s perfect!”

“It could be,” she pondered. “But I was thinking…Oh my God!” she gasped.

“What?”

“Our vacation! The house rental on the Cape!”

“We could do it there!” Ethan enthused.

“It’s perfect! Do you agree?”

“I agree… there’s only one problem.”

“What’s that?”

“Kaycee, it’s three weeks away.”

“So we better get moving,” she said, jumping from her chair. Let’s get into that air conditioning you were talking about. We have a wedding to plan.”

“You know,” he grinned as they walked toward the elevator. “This was all part of my master plan to get you inside.”

“Ethan?”

“Yes.”

“Hush.”

“Ah, it’s like we’re married already.”

Tagging separately.

[choicesficwriterscreations]

Celebrate YOUR Top 5 Creations of 2024

It's that time of year again where CFWC give you a chance to highlight your most popular fanworks -- Fanfics, Edits and Fanart -- on Tumblr (by notes) and the ones near and dear to your heart even if they didn't get the love they deserved, aka...

YOUR:

Tumblr Top 5

Creator Top 5

How to Participate

Tumblr Top 5:

Go to JetBlackCode Note Counter, enter your blog name and run the scan to identify the top 5 original posts by Notes in 2024. If the top post is not a fanfic, edit or fanart, find the next one that is.

Create a post with a list of links to your Top 5 most popular fanfics, edits and/or fanart this year. Please mention the Choices book/series associated with the creation.

Creator Top 5:

Select your favorite top 5 creations from this year, the ones you're most proud of and the ones you want to show extra love. They could also be your most popular, but don't have to be. Want to highlight a series? Go for it. YOU decide!

Create a post with a list of links to your Creator Top 5 in 2024. Please mention the Choices book/series associated with the creation.

Then What?

Tag @choicesficwriterscreations on the posts and use the tag #cfwc top 5 2024

We will reblog your Tumblr Top 5 and your Creator Top 5 posts within 48 hours, and add them to an event masterlist.

Tumblr tags can be wonky, so if you don't see the reblog, send an ask to this blog with the links to your posts or DM @liaromancewriter.

The event runs from December 1 - 31, 2024. The event masterlist will be posted shortly after.

Signal boosts are appreciated!

[moeblob]

I love Chris so much you guys.

[liaromancewriter]

Favorite Ex

Premise: Ethan runs into an old flame, and it brings some much-needed closure for both of them.

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine) Rating/Category: Teen. Angst. Words: 1,570

A/N: Submission for @choicesmonthlychallengenov2024 prompt day 26: "regret" and @choicesprompts Angstgiving prompt "what could have been"

Ethan Ramsey needed a drink.

The annual National Medical Symposium in Miami, with its focus on cutting-edge medical advancements, had been interesting enough. Still, the obsequious flattery that went hand in hand with his increasingly rare visits to medical conferences got on his nerves. He couldn’t care less about what others wanted from him, but after all these years, he knew how to play the game.

Naveen would joke that with age, he’d gained maturity and wisdom. His wife would just snort and proceed to tease him about getting soft until he took her to bed just to prove her wrong.

She pushed him out of his comfort zone. And for her, he was willing to embrace the unknown.

A few years ago, he hadn’t been so… flexible. He reflected absently, walking into the busy hotel bar and scanning the room for an empty seat.

Or as willing to admit that he needed someone to come home to. Someone who understood him and filled the empty holes in his heart. He couldn’t deny it anymore, not even to himself.

Seeing a patron settle his tab and leave, he rushed to grab the padded bar stool. His shoulders dropped at the thought of sipping smooth whiskey while decompressing by exchanging sexy texts with his wife.

Should’ve insisted she accompany me, Ethan thought wearily, raking one hand through his hair.

He placed his phone on the bar, smiling as he often did at the sight of their wedding picture on the screen. He traced one finger down her laughing face, the photo a reminder of the moment she'd insisted he smile—really smile—for once.

He wondered when he’d become such a sap. Maybe she was right, and he was getting soft in his forties.

“What’ll be, sir?” The bartender asked hurriedly.

“Whiskey, neat.”

Ethan froze at the familiar voice behind him. He hadn’t heard it in years, but he’d know it in a dark room with his eyes closed.

Surprise had him swiveling on the stool to face her. Sparkling green eyes met shocked blue ones.

The years fell away as if no time had passed since that fateful night at Donahue’s when she’d correctly guessed his drink order on her first day as an intern at Boston’s Edenbrook Hospital.

“And don’t be stingy,” Dr. Cassie Valentine said, a smile tugging at her lips. “Judging by the look of him, it’s been a three-finger kind of day.”

“Hello, Dr. Ramsey.”

Ethan opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat, refusing to come. He inclined his head in greeting instead, a poor acknowledgment of the woman who’d been the first to breach through his walls.

The one who’d made him break all his rules and not give a damn about the consequences.

His mind flooded with memories. The quiet intimacy of watching the snow fall outside as they cuddled after making love. The warmth of holding hands on their way to Derry’s for coffee and a stolen moment of peace. The thrill of sneaking glances across the diagnostic team’s office despite their resolve to keep things strictly professional at work.

If it hadn’t been for his temporary but all-consuming love affair with Cassie, would he have even given Joanna a chance?

Ethan hoped the answer was yes. He loved his wife, and it would be an incredible disservice to what they meant to each other for him to believe otherwise.

“Still a man of few words, I see,” Cassie teased as she slid into the empty seat beside him, resting her chin lightly on her hand.

“You know me well,” he said gruffly, swallowing the lump that had lodged in his throat.

“I thought I did,” Cassie cooly inclined her head, but the laughter in her eyes betrayed her. “I still can’t believe you’re here. Remember when we attended this conference when I was an intern?” She giggled. “You hated every minute of it and weren’t exactly shy about saying so.”

Ethan hunched his shoulders. “I wasn’t that bad.”

He had a very different memory of that time. It had nothing to do with the symposium and everything to do with a moonlit balcony and his morals drowning in the heady scent of her perfume.

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, you were!”

The bartender returned with his drink, setting the lone glass in front of Ethan. The man looked questioningly at Cassie, but she shook her head.

“Not in the mood?” Ethan asked as he lifted his glass.

“Can’t,” she said, placing one hand on her belly.

Ethan stilled, a mix of complicated emotions he didn’t dare examine too closely surging through him.

Whenever he thought of Cassie, which wasn’t as often now as it had been in those early years, he still saw the resident who worked side by side with him during the day and slept in his bed at night.

The one he’d fallen in love with but could never confess the words to because there was a timer on their relationship. When her residency ended, she’d move on, ready to conquer the medical world with her amazing diagnostics instincts. And he’d be left behind. Again.

So, he’d held back and let the words fade into the ether.

It had been for the best, Ethan reasoned. Her eventual departure hadn’t lessened the hurt, but it had been cleaner.

He hadn’t been looking for love again, but one day, he bumped into a red-haired chef at the farmer’s market, and his life tilted on its axis. Literally, in this case, since he found himself falling to the ground and grabbing her on his way down.

So, he burned his dreams of what couldn’t be and allowed himself to believe in a new and permanent love.

In the last few years, he’d heard of Cassie’s accomplishments; her groundbreaking research, the accolades that followed. The diagnostic medical community was small, after all. He’d felt pride at seeing her star rise, convincing himself that was all it was. Just pride. Nothing more.

Until now.

“Congratulations,” he said softly, the word heavier than it should have been.

He forced a smile, willing himself to ignore the ache that stirred, a reminder of what could never be. He had made peace with it. Or so he thought. Yet here she was, and peace felt like a lie.

“Thanks,” Cassie said with a wistful smile. “I’m still in my first trimester, so we’re keeping it on the DL.”

She tilted her head, her gaze dropping briefly to the wedding ring on his left hand. “You’re married?”

“Yes. Two years next month.”

A silence fell between them—heavy, unfamiliar, and uncomfortably awkward. The rowdy laughter of a group of physicians erupted nearby, breaking through the tension like an unwelcome intrusion.

Cassie glanced toward the noise, her lips twitching into a faint, distracted smile before her gaze returned to him.

Ethan fought to keep his gaze steady, trying and failing to ignore the curve of her lips or the way her stylish blonde hair framed her timeless features. He remembered its softness against his skin as she nestled against him before drifting off to sleep, their hands still touching when they woke the next morning.

Joanna wasn’t into cuddling. She was often too tired after a long night at the restaurant and preferred sleeping on her side, her back to him.

Until this moment, Ethan had forgotten he enjoyed the intimacy of a lover wrapped around him. Cassie had once called him a world-class snuggler, and he’d cherished the title as if he’d won a Nobel Prize.

They had been happy. So, why couldn’t they make it work?

“Are you happy?” she asked eerily, picking up on his ambivalence.

He wanted to say yes. He was happy. Hadn’t he been reflecting on just how much a mere ten minutes ago? So, why was he hesitating?

Shame spiraled through him. He adored Joanna, and he loved their life together.

And yet, a part of him still wondered about the road not taken. Maybe it was time he stopped.

He drew in a long breath. “What happened to us?”

Cassie slid him a guarded look. Her fingers curled and uncurled in her lap.

Ethan didn’t think she’d respond and opened his mouth to take the words back.

“You never asked me to stay.”

He sat back, poleaxed.

“We went from gold rush to cold touch,” Cassie said, sadness clouding her features. “As my residency was ending, I could feel you slowly pulling away from me. And still, I waited for any word from you, something to give me hope that we had a future together.”

Ethan could hardly move, let alone speak at the confession.

“You were my best nights and my worst. I cried myself for weeks after, and then I let us go.”

Cassie slid off the stool and smoothed down her dress. “I’m glad I ran into you. I’ve wanted to say these words to you for the longest time but never had the courage.”

Her eyes softened as she took a step back. “You will always be my favorite ex. Goodbye, Ethan.”

And then she was gone, her scent lingering until that, too, was an ephemeral memory.

“And you will always be mine,” he uttered silently, reaching for the phone and the one he had chosen to be his forevermore.

He and Cassie were finally where they belonged. In the past.

----------------------

All Fics & Edits: @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @jerzwriter @justyourusualash

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Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Ethan & Cassie only: @cariantha @custaroonie @youlookappropriate

[cariantha]

Sweet December

Book: Open Heart, Book 2 (post-attack) Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Sawyer Brooks) Rating: General Category: Fluff, Christmas Word count: 1K Summary: Ethan eavesdrops on a conversation between Sawyer and her best friend. A/N: This fic was inspired by this Instagram reel and a little “Caption This” fun with a friend. It was meant to be an angsty fic, but then I listened to Sweet December by Brett Eldridge and Kelly Clarkson and changed directions. Merry Christmas!🎄

Events/Prompts: Participating in Winter Holidays 2024 hosted by @choicesholidays | Cuddling by the fireplace

With plans to spend their day off together, Ethan insisted that Sawyer come to his after her late-night shift at the hospital. The apartment was dark except for the glow of his bedside lamps, drawing attention away from the living room and the surprise he had set up for his girl. 

The tactic worked. An exhausted Sawyer entered the quiet apartment well after midnight and headed straight for the bedroom like a moth to the flame. After a quick kiss and a much-needed shower, she draped herself over Ethan’s body like a blanket and passed out within minutes. 

It was mid-morning when Sawyer padded into the kitchen, still a little groggy, with her phone pressed to her ear. Finding no evidence of Ethan's morning coffee, she assumed he was still at the gym, which was his usual weekend routine. 

“That sounds like so much fun. I’ve always wanted to visit New York during Christmas time…” Sawyer told the person on the other end of the line. “Maybe next year.”

When she put the phone on speaker so she could start the coffee, her best friend’s voice filled the room. 

“What about you? Are you going home to Arizona for Christmas?” Christian asked. 

“No. I love my family and know they are concerned, but they have been so overbearing that I’ve started dodging their calls,” she confessed. 

“Oof.” 

“I know,” Sawyer grimaced guiltily, “and I know they mean well, but I just need time to process things on my own. I can’t take any more time off, anyway. I just got back to work and need to catch up on my clinic hours. Besides, I’m looking forward to experiencing a Christmas like in the movies. You know, someplace cold enough that it snows, and you can cozy up by the fire and drink hot chocolate."

“Will you spend Christmas with Ethan, then?”   

From the living room, Ethan watched as Sawyer shrugged her shoulders. He’d been listening to their conversation while he lounged in front of the fireplace, waiting for her to turn around and notice him. 

"I don't want to assume, but I hope so," Sawyer answered softly, then sighed deeply. "God, Christian, I know it sounds so corny, but when I start feeling all upside down, he turns me right around."

"Awww..."

Ethan continued to watch and listen as she tinkered with the coffee machine. 

"We’re both working on Christmas, but a wintery night cuddling by the fire like we had at Dagger Mountain would be amazing. As for anything else, I think Ethan’s more the ‘spirit of Christmas’ type than the ‘holiday spirit’ type. Last year, when I came over to help with Naveen's case, I brought him one of those potted tabletop trees from the hospital gift shop because he didn't have a tree or a wreath or anything. It made me sad for him."  

Ethan raised his brows in surprise, then looked to the corner of the room where, the night before, he set a five-foot balsam fir into a tree stand. Boxes of ornaments and garland that the doorman helped carry into the apartment sat on the floor nearby.  

Christian chuckled. “You sound like Cindy Lou Who talking about the Grinch. Girl, he's been a bachelor for a long time. Guys don't care about that shit. Sam wouldn't bother either if it weren't for the boys."

"Yeah, I guess you’re right." 

A loud pop from the living room made Sawyer jump. She quickly spun around to find Ethan reclined in front of the fireplace. Christian’s voice faded into the background as Sawyer's senses awakened with the warmth of the roaring fire. The smell of fresh pine needles. The twinkling of white lights in the corner. The soft crooning of Bing Crosby’s “Silver Bells.” The taste of creamy chocolate and peppermint from the cup that Ethan walked over and offered her. 

“Sawyer? Hellooo… did I lose you?” 

Reaching for her phone, she apologized to her friend. “Sorry about that, um, Ethan just surprised me… Can I call you back later?” 

“Of course! I should go anyway. I think Sam and the boys are ready to leave for the ice rink.”

“Have fun and send me pics. Love you.”

“Love you, too, babe.”

Sawyer ended the call and set her phone aside. “Hi,” she greeted, standing on her tiptoes. 

“Morning,” Ethan answered, bending down to meet her halfway for a tender kiss. 

Gesturing to the living room, “What’s all this?”

“Since you're not going home for Christmas, I thought we could celebrate together. Here.” 

“Really?”

“Yeah, really,” he confirmed with a peck to her lips.

“I’d love that...” she blushed with embarrassment, “as you probably heard.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked at the glowing tree. “You bought a real tree?”

“Given your family’s Christmas tree business, I knew anything else would be considered sacrilege.”

She smiled up at him. “You remembered that?” 

“When it comes to you, I remember everything.”

Pressing herself tighter against him, Sawyer rested her cheek on his chest. “It’s so cozy in here. And look! It’s snowing outside.” Sawyer moved to sit on the sofa, tugging the sleeve of Ethan’s robe to get him to follow. “Come cuddle with me.”

Ethan sat, draping an arm over her shoulder, tucking her into his side. But just as they got comfortable, Ethan moved to stand up. 

“Where are you going?”

“I forgot,” he started, “I bought one of those big fluffy blankets you said I needed for cuddling on the couch. It’s in the hall closet.”

Sawyer smiled so big. “You are so sweet sometimes.”

“Sweet?! Uh-oh, my reputation for being a Grinch is in jeopardy.”

Reminded again that he heard every word of her conversation, she scowled at him. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you it’s rude to eavesdrop? You could have cleared your throat or something.”

Ethan winked, letting her know there was nothing to worry about. “Let me grab the blanket.”

“No,” she demanded, catching his hand before he walked away. Lying back, she pulled him down and on top of her. “A blanket’s good, but you’re even better.”

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[arsenicflame]

steddyhands modern au inspired by this post:

(1828 words, themes of kink but nothing explicit, established blackhands & gentlebeard-centric. Happy Pride!)

Stede picks up leatherworking in the wake of his divorce. He's not exactly sure how it ended up being such an important hobby for him, only that he had always admired the intricate designs on his horse's best bridles, and with little else to do with his time, he decides to give it a go.

It's rocky going at first, but he's having fun working with his hands for the first time in his life, and there's a sense of satisfaction in seeing the design come to life as he works. With practice, his skills improve, and he learns how to make things that are truly one of a kind.

He starts off posting his pieces online, as a way to reach fellow enthusiasts, but quickly finds himself with a rather large audience. Stede’s style is unique, and, after many requests from his followers, Lucius encourages him to make some more basic pieces he can sell. It's not about making money for Stede, but another way to meet new people who share his interests- as Lucius keeps telling him, it's sad that his personal assistant is the main person he talks to these days. 

So Stede sets out on a new adventure, and has quite the time designing a new range of patterns for the market. He makes purses, belts, bracelets, and, most importantly, dog collars- all still with his unique designs embossed into them, of course. He rents a booth at his towns monthly craft fair, and very quickly finds himself with a new group of friends in the other regulars- Pete, his usual neighbour, who sells an array of wooden figures he carves, Roach, who runs a stand for his bakery, and Frenchie, who isn't actually a stallholder, but is almost always busking near his friend Wee John’s stand of knitted goods, bringing life to the market even in the pouring rain. There's also Buttons, another regular at the market. Nobody is exactly sure what he does there- he doesn't sell things, or seem to buy anything either, but rain or shine, he's there with the birds.

Stede’s been doing this a few months by the time June rolls around. As he's setting up his stand, he notices that the area is much busier than it’d normally be at this time of morning. Lucius, who got roped into helping run Stede’s stall somewhere down the line (despite his protests that this is not what personal assistant means… But hey, he got a boyfriend out of it, at least), reminds him that there's the parade today, too- not realising that Stede had no clue there was a parade today, and especially not that it was pride. Stede immediately jumps to fretting about the amount of stock he’s brought, and Lucius takes the cue to escape, saying he’ll go and grab them coffee (but really, he's off to flirt with Pete)

Lucius is still missing when Ed stumbles across the little leather stall. Stede’s just ran back to his car to fetch his last boxes of inventory, and by the time he returns, Ed’s already begun to narrow down his choices. Stede greets him, starting to tell him that they're not actually open yet, but before he gets more than a couple of words out, Ed’s exclaiming “You're a Kiwi!!!”

The two of them smile at the shared recognition, and Stede says he’ll make an exception, just for Ed, and asks him what exactly he was interested in. Ed tells him that he's looking for a collar “for his boy”, and points out the particular design he was looking at. It happens to be one of Stede’s favourites from this latest run of work, a fact he mentions to Ed. It leads them into a discussion about Stede’s craft, and Ed’s Izzy, and then everything in between. Ed’s listening intently to the things Stede’s telling him, completely drawn in by the process, and by Stede himself. He watches as Stede stamps Izzy's name into the collar, and Stede even lets him have a go at one of the stamps. 

Lucius reappears sometime in the middle of this- only to immediately retreat again, seeing Stede engrossed with Ed. He sets up camp at Pete's booth opposite, watching this man flirt intensely with his boss- and Stede flirt back just as hard. Does Stede even realise he’s doing it? Lucius had known Stede was gay since before Stede even admitted it to himself, but this is on a whole other level.

The pair stand there so long that Izzy comes to look for Ed- the two of them are manning a float on the parade with their crew, and it's past time for them to get geared up. He's already worked up, frustrated to have been left to set up everything alone, when Ed had just gone to see if he could get them both coffee. So maybe he's a bit of a prick, approaching with a brash “where the fuck have you been, Edward”, to which Stede brings the same energy, giving a bitchy “Ed! Do you know this guy?” Izzy tenses, ready to snap, but then Ed cuts in, excitedly telling Stede that this is “his Izzy!” Which confuses the hell out of Stede. 

Forgetting his earlier attitude, he asks Ed if he “really named his dog after his friend”, only to be met with confusion right back from Ed at where the hell Stede got the idea he had a dog from. Stede gestures at the bag with the collar in it, to which Ed has to tell him, “oh, no, that's for him.” Ed tells Stede that they're here to run a float for their local leather society, and while Stede is certainly shocked by what Ed’s saying, he's not finding himself… uninterested. It's simply that he’s never even considered any of this before, especially not that people would use the things that he made for this, but Ed sounds so enthusiastic about it all. He tells him about how his friends would love to see Stede’s work, about how classic leather gear is always so fucking boring- but not Stede’s stuff, no, Stede’s stuff is “fresh” and “fascinating” and unlike anything Ed’s ever seen before. 

Ed's enthusiasm is incredibly infectious, so when he invites Stede to come back to see their float, he readily agrees. It’s a concept Izzy’s less than enthusiastic about. He doesn’t really want to bring this man who’s dressed like he just walked out of a HOA board meeting to their kinky little corner of the world, but he is having a lot of fun watching Stede squirm, so decides not to raise a protest. He does demand he gets his long-overdue coffee first, though (Stede pays for it- as “compensation for him distracting Ed from his job”, he says, not giving Izzy a second to process before he's tapping his card)

By the time they return to the float, Fang, Ivan & Jim are waiting for them, all already geared up. Stede is stunned silent at the sight for about 5 seconds, before he starts actually looking at the quality of Jim’s harness, and proceeds to go off about the poor quality of the craftsmanship, about how the hardware is tacky and completely the wrong choice with this leather, how his “ten year old daughter could do a better job!!!” 

There's complete silence from the group, until Izzy, of all people, bursts into laughter at Stede’s audacity (and, the fact he was staring at Jim's tits completely unabashedly, like he hadn't even noticed them in the first place). Izzy's laughter sets Ed off as he tells the group about Stede’s misunderstanding- “you didn't say he was a person!” “I mean, he's my dog”- and soon everyone's having a friendly giggle at Stede’s mistake.

It's somewhere in the middle of the retelling that Ed remembers that this whole thing happened because he was buying Izzy a gift. After a moments fumbling, he presents Izzy with the collar-  It's a rich, deep black, embossed with a rolling pattern that resembles waves. It’s made from a firm enough leather to take the tooling, and to remind Izzy that he’s owned while he’s wearing it, yet still soft enough for long term comfort. Izzy's eyes immediately lock on to it, an unreadable expression coming over his face, and Ed turns it; first so he can really see the design and Izzy’s name embossed into it, and then so he can see the small “Ed ♥” on the inside of the collar, right over his swallow tattoo. 

“I did the heart,” Ed says to him softly, intended only for Izzy’s ears. Izzy's eyes flick up to Ed’s, and he raises his chin to give Ed the room to put it on. Ed buckles the collar around his neck almost reverently, a test of the tightness turning into a caress of Izzy's neck. It's a perfect fit.

It's as though something comes over Izzy; so twitchy and abrasive earlier, now silent, staring at Ed with a look akin to worship in his eyes. He obediently tilts his head for a kiss as Ed's fingers move to his chin- It's a sight to behold, and one that has Stede intrigued. He wants to know more about this lifestyle, and these men in particular. He wants to be the one to put that expression on Izzy's face.

The moment breaks as Ed and Izzy pull apart, and Ed calls for the crew to finish the last bits of set up. Izzy shakes himself a little before running off to bark orders again, but even still, there remains a softness to him that wasn't there before. 

Ed turns back to Stede with an apologetic smile, already obvious that he has to get going. Before he can speak, however, Stede jumps in -“My business numbers on the card in the box… I'll be around all day”- Ed’s smile turns more genuine at that, promising to stop by if he gets a moment, and that he’ll send his friend's Stede’s way- “if he wants that kind of business.” Stede says that he does, actually- that he's seen a whole new world already today, and, while he was a little taken aback at first, he can feel the passion Ed and his friends have for this life. If there's one thing that's ever mattered to Stede, it's other people's enthusiasm. Maybe he doesn't completely understand yet, but he would like to try.

One year later, Stede’s back at the market on pride weekend again, far better stocked for the crowds this time around. Lucius is finally free to spend the day flirting with Fang & Pete to his heart's content, now that Stede’s roped his own boyfriends into helping him run the stall- and into modelling the merchandise. Ed loves that part, while Izzy needs a lot more convincing, but the puppy eyes Stede & Ed weaponise against him make a very good argument.

[potionsprefect]

Everything Has Changed

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Victoria Clarke

Word Count: 802

Summary: After the Senator attack, life at Edenbrook Hospital will never be the same

Rating: Teen

Category: Angst

The hospital was bustling like it always did but at this current moment in time, it was in the media spotlight. After the terrible events of the last 24 hours, Edenbrook was adjusting to a new normal.

Sienna Trinh looked out of the window of the hospital. Everything carried on as normal outside, no one seemed to be aware of the horrors that had occurred inside just hours before. Why did it have to be Edenbrook to suffer?

No one’s lives would ever be the same again, they would forever be haunted by the events of the last day. The last day they never wanted to experience.

Sienna walked to her best friend Victoria’s room where she was sleeping. She looked so peaceful. It was hard to imagine the ordeal she had been through, how she had been so close to death. Sienna couldn’t imagine losing her.

“It’s hard to imagine isn’t it.” A voice said. Sienna turned to see Ethan walking up the corridor.

“I was so sure we were going to lose both her and Rafael. I’m glad we didn’t.” Sienna sighed.

“Me too. How are you holding up? After everything that happened with Danny?” Ethan asked.

Sienna closed her eyes for a second, thinking over the answer in her head. “I don’t really know how to feel. I’m so relieved Victoria and Rafael are ok. But Danny… he’s gone.”

“I know. And it won’t be easy. We’ve all felt a sense of loss. But I think Danny would want us to remember we did a good thing. And I think we should remember that going forward.” Ethan smiled as he looked at Victoria.

“Well there’s no time like the present. Go in there and be with her.” Sienna smiled.

Ethan chuckled before opening the door. He went and sat by Victoria’s bed, grasping her hand as she continued to sleep.

“I’m so glad you’re still here.” Ethan said as he pressed a gentle kiss to Victoria’s hand.

As if she heard him, Victoria opened her eyes. “Me too.” She said.

“Did I wake you?”

“No I was just resting my eyes. How is Raf?”

“He’s doing well. There’s still a long way to go but he’s going in the right direction.”

“That’s good. Although I don’t think life for either of us will be the same again. My lungs are scarred I’ve been told.” Victoria said.

“That’s no surprise. None of us really know the after effects. It looks like you both might be useful for science in the future.”

“Hopefully not for a few years. How is everyone coping?”

Ethan sighed. “They’re not really if I’m honest. Life for all of us is going to be different.”

“Do you think people will expect us to say something? It’s on the news.” Victoria said.

“Not right now. And even if you did, there’s no way you will be saying something without the approval of HR.” Ethan replied.

“You don’t like HR. I’d love to see you interacting with them.” Victoria laughed.

“Never in a million years.” Ethan said. He noticed a box by Victoria’s bed. “What’s that?”

Victoria looked over at what he was pointing at. “Oh it’s my inhaler. I’ll need to use it if I ever get short of breath. I guess that’s the new normal for me now.” Victoria sighed.

“There was always a chance of some effects. But you’ll learn to live with it. It’s better that than the alternative.”

“I suppose. How are you after everything? I haven’t really asked.”

Ethan sighed. “Lots of things. I’m relieved you’re alive along with Rafael but sad that Danny died, angry that the Senator escaped.”

“I know. Me too. I have a lot of unanswered questions. But right now, all I need is you by my side to help me recover.”

“Well that is a guarantee. I need to update Naveen on what’s happened. I’ll be back later.” Ethan stood up and pressed a kiss to Victoria’s forehead before leaving the room.

Whilst Ethan was telling the truth, he made a detour. He headed towards the men’s bathroom. He rested his hands on the sink, head bowed and he could feel himself shaking. Without thinking about it, he broke down, tears streaming down his face and his cries leaving his body one by one. He had been holding it in for so long, he wanted to be strong for Victoria. But now he was letting it out, finally allowing all his emotions to be spilled out.

Ethan washed his face and wiped his eyes before he headed to see Naveen, each step feeling much heavier than the last.

He knew life would never be the same, but for now, he had to be strong. For himself, for the hospital.

For Victoria. And she mattered more than anyone.

Oops I wrote angst lol

Tag list: @ohchoices @swiftiexstarwarssimp @queencarb @genevievemd @choicesaddict5 @schnitzelbutterfingers @gryffindordaughterofathena @sophxwithers @romewritingshop @coffeeheartaddict2 @mm2305 @nikki-2406 @maurine07 @nishas-paradise @replayfootsteps @mainstreetreader @lsvdw-blog @kiara-36 @quixoticdreamer16 @headoverheelsforramsey @shanzay44 @itsjustamesshonestly @josiesopenheart @mysticalgalaxysstuff @custaroonie @ireneadlerisseggsy @takemyopenheart @kachrisberry @rookiemartin @jamespotterthefirst @a-crepusculo @natureblooms24 @jerzwriter @wanderingamongthewildflowers @rosebudde @lucy-268 @liaromancewriter @bex-la-get @writer-ish @toadfrog26 @tessa-liam @peonierose @cariantha @kyra75 @openheartfanfics @choicesficwriterscreations

[lilymoonlily]

4k words Timebomb hurt/comfort smut-ish oneshot coming your way tomorrow Arcanians - or whatever the fuck our fandom name is

[hey-missy-youre-so-fine]

Being a marauders fan is so funny, like we were exposed to the Harry Potter franchise, and just immediately were like “you see this guy? The dad that died before the series started? And the kid that died like two decades ago and gets like one or two pages total in the entire series? Yeah, I like those characters.”

Like we literally found a bunch of (canonically dead) characters that are barely mentioned in the books/movies, delicately scooped them up and developed their characters because J.K. Rowling didn’t. And now we have fanfics longer than the freaking Bible about dead gay wizards from the ‘70s, all based on character head cannons that the internet collectively decided was canon. And the best part is that no one can prove it wrong, because the vast majority of characters that lived during the marauders’ era have hardly any background information in the material!

Seriously, though, the fanfics are so long. Like I’m still reading All the Young Dudes, Just Lovers, and Choices. And I haven’t even started Crimson Rivers yet.

[jerzwriter]

Strictly Professional (or not...)

It's Tobias's first day in his new position at Edenbrook Hospital, and Casey lays some ground rules about how they need to interact together. Let's see how long it lasts.

Book: Open Heart (Book 3 Timeline) Pairing: Tobias Carrick x Casey MacTavish (F!MC) Rating: Teen Words: 813 Summary: See Above

A/N: The incredible artwork is a commission by @/artbyainna on Instagram. I wanted to do an Open Heart "cover", but let's be honest, they wouldn't be able to keep their hands off each other long enough to pose!

Participating in @choicesjanuary2025 - Prompt: New Job

Casey turned the corner, dusting invisible lint off the front of her lab coat as she tried to act nonchalant, even as the sheepish grin on her lips made it clear: this wasn't any other day.

"Good morning, Casey," Bryce smirked, falling into step beside her. "Look at you all dressed up! No wrinkled scrubs today."

"Seriously, Bryce?" She asked, doing her best to feign annoyance. "It's not like I don't wear this outfit all the time."

"Sure," Jackie chimed in. "You wore it intern year, when you were trying to land Dr. Ramsey."

"JACKIE!" Casey hissed as Bryce doubled over laughing.

"Don't worry, Case," Bryce grinned. "Not only did you land him, but you went one further and landed his hotter frenemy. Total legend. They'll be telling your story in these halls for generations to come."

"Thanks, Bryce," she muttered, her cheeks turning red.

"Anytime," he said with a small salute paired with his signature mega-watt grin.

"Actually, I'm here early to talk to Tobias before shift. I know people are aware we're dating, we've told HR and everything... but I want to make sure we're on the same page. We have to be professional at work. No longing stares, no PDA..."

"No, sneaking off to the on-call room for an afternoon delight," Bryce snuck in as Jackie talked about miracles no longer happening in modern times.

"I'm serious," Casey insisted, unaware that Tobias was approaching from the other end of the hall.

Bryce folded his arms and glanced at Jackie, clearly amused. "What do you say? Thirty minutes?"

"Please! Fifteen, tops," Jackie countered.

"Twenty bucks?"

"You're on!" Jackie said, clearing her throat as Tobias joined them.

Casey turned toward him, a blush already settling on her cheeks. She had to admit that seeing him in the halls of her hospital dressed in an Edenbrook lab coat was even more pleasant than she had imagined, but she stayed strong.

"Good Morning, Bryce, Jackie," Tobias nodded before turning to Casey, disarming her when his sparkling blue eyes fixed on hers. He had a way of looking at her that made her feel like she was the only person in the world. It was effortless, and she was sure he didn't even know he was doing it. But he hadn't even spoken to her yet, and she already forgot her name.

"Casey," he grinned, reminding her as she tried to rebound.

"Oh, hey, Tobias... uh, Dr. Carrick," she stammered.

"You OK there, kid?" her boyfriend chuckled.

"Yes. I'm perfectly fine," she replied confidently. "I'm just happy to see you here!"

"I'm happy to be here. It's going to be great working together."

"It is," she agreed. "Edenbrook's lucky to have you. Besides, it will be nice seeing you around the halls."

"That's what I'm looking forward to the most," he winked.

"Oh, this is going to implode faster than expected," Jackie whispered as Casey cleared her throat.

"Yes, well, hon... uh, Tobias. I wanted to remind you, we need some ground rules. We have to remain professional. No longing stares, no improper comments, you know... nothing... inappropriate."

Tobias tilted his head, the hint of a smirk curling his lips. "Casey, I’ve been a doctor for over a decade. I think I can handle professionalism."

"Good," she said firmly, but the glint in his eyes made her uneasy.

"Of course," he added, his gaze dropping briefly to her figure-skimming emerald pencil skirt and form-fitting sweater. "If you wanted me to behave, you might’ve reconsidered your outfit today."

"Here we go!" Bryce whispered as Jackie stifled a laugh.

"This old thing?" Casey deflected. "I've had this forever."

Jackie was quick to jump in. "Yeah, since intern year, when you were trying to—"

Bryce slapped a hand over Jackie’s mouth before she could finish, earning a chuckle from Tobias.

"Relax, baby," Tobias said smoothly, his voice low enough for only Casey to hear. "I promise I’ll be on my best behavior. Mostly."

"Good," Casey said. "I'm glad we're on the same page!"

As she turned to leave, Tobias called after her with a casual smile. "Babe, can I get a quick hug before you go?"

"Sure," she said, then turned to embrace him viscerally.

Tobias couldn't help but chuckle, his arms encircling her and his hands landing a little lower than they probably should have.

"Except us," Bryce called out, raising his hand like a child in school. "And a twenty bucks richer, Jackie. You guys couldn't even make it to fifteen minutes!"

Casey glared at her friends, then Tobias, insufferably proud, chimed in. "Face it, babe," he said, still holding her in his arms. "We can do our best, but in the end... I'm irresistible..."

"Tobias!" she protested.

"Let me finish!" he laughed. "And so are you!"

"Edenbrook is about to get a lot of free entertainment, isn't it," Casey laughed.

"You better believe it!"

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics @openheartfanart

Tagging others separately.

[connorsnothereeither]

Incorrect actually, that song is my blorbo’s song. He owns it, you see, and he will see you in court for assigning it to the wrong character

[choicesficwriterscreations]

CFWC F/AtoW: Jan 19 - 25, 2025

✒️= Fanfic | 📱= Text Fics/Edits | 🎨 = Fanart Ⓜ️ = Mature Content 18+ | 🔥 = Explicit/NSFW 18+ 🏳️‍🌈 = LGBTQIA+

BLADES OF LIGHT AND SHADOW

Mal & Daenarya Kisses Sketch 🎨 | Mal Volari x F!Human!MC - @storyofmychoices

Tyril Sketch 🎨 | Tyril Starfury - @0seme

CRIMES OF PASSION

Unexpected 🎨 | Sebastyan Thorne x F!MC - ArtbyAinna (IG) C: @loreofyore

THE FRESHMAN SERIES

The Graduate (Series) ✒️🔥 | Chris Powell x F!MC - @eadanga Part 9

The Press Secretary (Series) ✒️ | Chris Powell x F!MC - @eadanga Part 19

Rooftop Date ✒️ | Chris Powell x F!MC - @eadanga

HIGH SCHOOL STORY

Aiden in his marching band outfit 🎨 | Aiden Zhou - @cadybear420

Aiden Plushie Doll! + Evie and Aiden Plushie Pair 🎨 | Aiden Zhou x F!MC - @cadybear420

Skye Plushie Doll! + Mila and Skye Plushie Pair 🎨🏳️‍🌈 | Skye Crandall x F!MC - @cadybear420 c: @lover-also-fighter-also

NIGHTBOUND

Alex Plushie Doll 🎨 | F!MC - @cadybear420 C: @ladylamrian

Nik Plushie Doll! + Nik and Alex Plushie Pair 🎨 | Nik Ryder x F!MC - @cadybear420 C: @ladylamrian

OPEN HEART

Complete Open Heart F/AtoW List - Week Ending Jan 25, 2025

RED CARPET DIARIES

Alex Spencer 🎨 | F!MC - @theartoflovingthomashunt

Chibi!Hunt 🎨 | Thomas Hunt - @theartoflovingthomashunt

Happy Birthday, Thomas ✒️🎨 | Thomas Hunt x F!MC - ArtbyAinna (IG) @theartoflovingthomashunt

THE ROYAL ROMANCE

High School Sweethearts (Series) ✒️ | Liam Rys x F!MC - @eadanga Part 1

One Handsome Devil (Series) ✒️ | Drake Walker x F!MC - @onehandsomedevil-trr Chapter 22: King Nicholas

Royal Love (Series) ✒️ | Eleanor Rys x F!MC; Liam Rys - @eadanga Part 22

[bri1234]

Ever After

Book: The Cursed Heart 2

Pairing: M!Kieran x F!MC

Word count: 2.4K sorry

Rating: Teen, light fluff

Summary: What if… Kieran gave up his immortality to be with Ella until the end?

Warning: There are spoilers in here.

A/N: This is the first fanfic I’ve ever posted. Please be kind. I’m very new to writing things like this and am unsure if I'm doing any of it right, but I wanted to explore Kieran giving up his immortality and some other things that were heavily teased in book 2 but never happened! Kieran giving up his immortality doesn’t happen in my headcanon, which I have yet to write anything about lol, it's just more of a what if :)

Also, this is my submission for the International Fairy Day event, with the prompt "Reading a Fairytale to the children."

Tagging: @choicescommunityevents @choicesficwriterscreations

“Once upon a time, there lived a young prince who was cursed by an evil fairy to be a beast until he found true love.

He lived alone in his castle with only a few servants for several years. Not many dared to visit because of his beastly appearance.

But one day, a man entered the castle. The Beast did not know this man, but watched him in the shadows.

The man made his way through the castle and eventually found the Beast's most prized possession, a rose. But this was not just any ordinary rose. As he neared his twenty-first birthday, the petals had started to wilt off faster. Every time one fell, he had less and less time to find true his love.

The man went to take it, for he had planned to bring it to his daughter as a gift. He promised her he would bring something back. But the Beast stopped him, and held him captive for attempting to steal.

The man, terrified by the hideous creature, asked to bargain with the Beast, claiming that he needed to get home to his daughter. The Beast told the man that he would return home and send his daughter to the castle, for she would be taking his place. The Beast ensured him that she would be well taken care of. The man, feeling as if he had no other option, agreed. He made the journey home to his daughter.

When he arrived, he told her what had happened. At first, she refused to leave. But eventually, she decided that she had to go, fearing what the Beast might do if she didn’t.

She made the journey, leaving her father and heading to the gloomy castle she had only seen in passing.

When she arrived, the Beast greeted her. He was shocked by her beauty, and she was scared by his beastly appearance.

At first, they both despised each other. But as time went on, the Beast slowly grew fond of Beauty, as he nicknamed her in his head. And Beauty had slowly grown fond of him. She realized that appearances do not make up who you are, but it is who you are within.

Despite his newfound feelings towards her, the Beast had kept it a secret that his time was almost up. Pushing this aside, he decided to let her go back to her father. He could see how much she missed him as each day passed.

Beauty was overtaken with joy at first. She had missed her father dearly, but also didn’t want to leave the Beast. So, she told him that she would return home, but promised to visit him soon. The Beast nodded, and watched as she left, heading towards her village. He had accepted his fate, and was happy that he was granted one last moment with her before the last petal fell.

Beauty had made it home safely, ignoring the pang in her heart of leaving the Beast. Her father was so happy she was home, and safe at that. She spent the next several hours retelling all of her time with the creature. But as she continued explaining it to her father, that same pang in her chest continued to grow. She had realized at that very moment that she had loved him, and felt the need to tell him immediately. With that, she told her father that she needed to go and left without explanation.

When she arrived at the castle, she found the Beast near his precious rose on death's door. He had told her of the curse, just not the extent of it.

Beauty, now understanding, confessed her love for him during his final moments.

When she watched his eyes close, she believed he was gone. As tears fell down her face while holding the Beast in her arms, she felt movement. Looking down, she found the Beast, who was very much alive, changing back into his princely form. For Beauty had just broken his curse.

Now returned to his former self, Beauty and the prince lived happily ever–”

All of a sudden, Kieran was interrupted by a very loud yawn. He looked down at his daughter, who was slowly starting to fall asleep in his lap.

“Daddy, why does that story sound so familiar?” Eve asked him with her face scrunched, gears turning in that pretty little head of hers as she tried to fight off sleep. She’s heard a story like this one before, she just can’t quite remember where or who.

Kieran was about to respond when the door to his daughter’s room opened. He watched as his wife came into view. A smile spread across his face. It took all his restraint to not run over and kiss her senseless. He would have waited for her at the door of their home, but didn’t want to disrupt the bed time process for their little Eve.

“Mama!” Eve squealed as she jumped out of Kieran’s lap.

“There’s my sweet angel,” Ella said smiling as she bent down to scoop her off the ground. Eve clung to her mother’s chest.

After a minute of hugging her mother, little Eve pulled back to look at her face. She put both of her tiny hands on her mother's cheeks.

“You are unharmed?” She said with a serious look on her face, her big eyes pouring into Ella’s. Both Kieran and her laughed.

“You, my dear, are just like your father,” Ella said with a smile as she tickled her little girl. Eve let out delighted giggles as she squirmed in her mother’s arms.

Kieran, who was sitting on the edge of Eve’s tiny bed, watched the interaction between his wife and daughter fondly, heart swelling with love. Eve was a spinning image of Ella, just with his dark eyes and wicked smile. Despite being a changeling, she looked completely mortal. He can only believe that it’s because he’s mortal now, and for that reason, she looks completely mortal as well. He then stood up and within two strides, he was right at his wife’s side.

“You are unharmed though?” He asked with the same serious face their daughter had.

Ella used her free hand to cup her husband’s cheek. “I am unharmed, my love.”

Kieran smiled as he put his hand over hers and laced his fingers through. To him, she had only been gone for three days and yet it felt like forever. But for Ella, it had only been a few hours since time works differently in the Fae realm. Regardless, this was her first time leaving Kieran and their daughter ever.

Kieran pressed a kiss to her temple and then rested his forehead right where he kissed. He whispered in her ear, “We have missed you dearly, beloved.”

Ella, still holding Eve, who within not even a few minutes had fallen asleep on her chest, whispered back, “I have missed you both as well, my love.” She looked up at him with a smile.

Eve started to stir in her arms. “How come she’s so tired?” Ella asked him, chuckling a little. An affectionate smile spread across his face. Kieran whispered back in her ear, “She refused to go to bed until you were home safe. It very much reminded me of you back when we met,” he said with an amused smile.

Ella swatted him playfully, but he caught her hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles. “I’m not even back for ten minutes and you’re already teasing me,” Ella responded, smiling even wider.

“I have three days worth of teasing to make up for. Plus, I know you’re rather fond of my shenanigans.”

Ella muffled her laughter, as her daughter was sleeping in her arms. She carefully carried the sleeping changeling child over to her bed and tucked her in. She bent down and pressed a kiss to her daughter’s head. Kieran, who had made his way next to her, did the same. He whispered, “Sweet dreams, my little gremlin.”

Ella watched the interaction with a smile. Oh how she loved seeing the bond her husband and daughter have grow.

Once Kieran stood up, he reached his hand back to lace with Ella’s and started walking to the door, gently pulling her along. Once at the entrance, Ella quietly shut the door behind them. When she turned around, Kieran was on her within seconds, peppering sweet kisses all over her face. His hands freely roamed her body, soaking up every part of her that he missed over the past three days.

“Kieran!” Ella squealed quietly, laughing as the attack of kisses continued. “I see you were not lying when you said you missed me,” she said smiling while affectionately rubbing her nose against his.

The same affectionate smile broke out across Kieran’s face as he rested his forehead against hers.

“I could never lie to you, my love. Besides, every second I cannot have you in my arms is a time when I miss you,” Kieran responded as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

Ever since he had given up his magic, he has only worried for Ella more because he no longer can protect her like he used to. But Ella constantly reminds him how she has taken care of herself longer than she has known him and is still in one piece.

Ella had to travel into the Fae realm to visit Longclaw, who had requested her help with healing a group of Fae that received some nasty iron wounds. Kieran and Eve were supposed to travel with her, but Eve had woken up with a cold the morning before they were going to start their journey. After a very long discussion of what was best, Ella had convinced Kieran that she’ll go by herself and he’ll stay and take care of their daughter.

So, that is exactly what happened. Kieran has lived without magic for six human years, and within that time, he has caught a cold and cared for both Ella and his daughter when they were sick. And after watching Ella for years, he’s learned to adapt to the mortal healing ways.

After a minute of being in each other's embrace, Kieran pulled away to lead her down the hallway to the stairs. As they walked down the steps, Kieran spoke. “So tell me, how was Longclaw? Did you see Oleander at all? How are they? Do you know–”

As Kieran reached the floor, Ella stayed on the first step so she was almost at his height. She pulled him around so that he was directly in front and facing her. She gently put a finger to his lips.

“Everyone is doing well and are planning on visiting us soon. Jack said he’ll be here in a day or so,” Ella said with a smile as she removed her finger from his lips and wrapped both of her arms around his shoulders. Kieran smiled, as he was happy that everyone was alright and that his brother would be here soon.

He brought both of his arms around her waist. “I’m glad everyone is alright,” he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Despite being mortal for six years, it still feels strange to him not knowing if those he knows well in the Fae realm are safe. When he was Night Prince, he could rest easy knowing that everyone he loved was under one roof, his home. But at the time though, that was just Longclaw and Sir Monty. So much has changed since he met Ella.

Kieran would confide these thoughts in her, and Ella would often ask if he regretted his decision to become mortal. Kieran would immediately say no, for he would rather give up his immortality than live an infinite life not by her side. He would rather grow old with her than watch as the inevitable grew closer for her, but not for him.

“I’m also glad,” Kieran continued as he scooped her off the stairs, carrying her bridal style, “that you are home and our little Eve is doing better.”

“She seemed more like herself,” Ella added as he carried her into the kitchen and placed her on the counter so her legs were dangling off.

Kieran chuckled as he leaned against the counter, both of his hands planted on either side of her. “She’s been practically bouncing off the walls all day waiting for you to come home. Around lunchtime she asked me when you were going to be home just about every minute, and then she asked if we could play dress up with all the dresses Oleander made for her.”

A huge smile spread across her face at her husband retelling his day to her. She was just about to ask if he agreed when he quickly said, “Don’t even ask me what she had me wearing. I swear she makes everything mismatched on purpose.”

Ella’s delighted laughter rang through the kitchen. Kieran couldn’t help but smile as they both started laughing at their daughter's shenanigans. “I would have loved to see that,” Ella said, still giggling from imagining the chaoticness of Kieran’s day with their little Eve running about.

Once both of their laughter died down, Kieran rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes and feeling more at peace than he has ever felt. For once in his life, he finally feels like he can breathe, with no expectations of ruling or dealing with power-hungry Fae who only wished that he were dead. Or even spending endless nights flying around as a beast. He just feels, well, happy. His Fae life has been over for six years, and while that life gave him Ella, he wouldn’t trade his six years of being mortal for anything.

Now this does not mean that Kieran’s going to forget his time as Fae. No. He looks forward to sharing those stories with Eve. Whether it's a bedtime story he was told as a child that he spun to fit more of Ella and his story or Eve asking about his past when she’s older. He couldn’t wait to share all of it. Well, most of it anyway. Maybe there are even a few things Ella doesn’t know. Maybe he can surprise her as well.

Thank you for sticking around if you read all of this! Something I love about TCH is how it’s somewhat similar to Beauty and the Beast, so I wanted to have Kieran retell the fairytale. I kind of put my own spin on it and combined the Disney movie with one of the many versions of the story I found here!

[liaromancewriter]

The Twins’ First Christmas Tree

Premise: Ethan and Cassie have their hands full getting ready for their first holiday as parents.

Book: Open Heart (post series) Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine) Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff. Words: 885

A/N: Submission to @choicesdecember2024 prompt 12 "decorations" and to @choicesholidays Winter Holidays 2024 event.

It was a postcard-perfect winter day. Light snow fell outside the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Boston Harbor. Weak rays of sunlight struggled to break through the brooding gray clouds drifting above chopping waters.

Flames from a gas fireplace flickered softly, casting a warm glow across the room, while Christmas music filled the air with joyful melodies. The ordinarily pristine living room was a cheerful chaos of garlands, stray ornaments and empty decoration boxes.

“Eloise, no!”

Ethan Ramsey rushed to grab a forgotten piece of sparkly tinsel from the floor before his daughter could put it in her mouth.

“This is not candy,” he said firmly, crouching before her and easing the string out of her hands.

Hard as it was, he reminded himself not to waver when her lips quivered, and tears pooled in her green eyes at being denied a treat.

Kids, like dogs, could sense weakness.

Not that he’d share such a sentiment out loud. He’d learned his lesson the first time a few months ago upon seeing his wife’s shock and exasperation at his matter-of-fact statement.

Ethan picked Eloise up from the floor, tucked her against his chest and joined the rest of his family at the newly decorated tree in the corner.

“We should’ve trimmed the tree during the twins’ nap time,” he told his wife.

“Maybe,” Cassie smiled softly. “But it’s their first Christmas tree, even if they won’t remember anything.”

She jostled Sophie in her arms, stopping her from pulling a shiny ornament off the tree.

“No,” Cassie said gently, shaking one finger for emphasis.

It had taken them twice as long to decorate the tree because the twins kept getting into the box of decorations and running off with ornaments.

Well, crawling more than running, thought Ethan. Even though the girls had taken their first steps a week ago, they were more likely to crawl than walk just yet.

Cassie had laughed at their antics while he had pinched the bridge of his nose so many times he feared it was permanently indented.

“Switch,” said Cassie when Sophie got restless and reached for her father.

Ethan passed Eloise to Cassie with practiced ease, then scooped Sophie into his arms. In one smooth motion, the four of them came together in a warm embrace, a brief moment of connection before they naturally drifted apart.

Sophie babbled excitedly and patted his cheek, looking over her shoulder at the tree and then back at him.

“I see,” Ethan nodded sagely. “Yes, the tree is very pretty.”

He adjusted her position so she was facing the tree, his arm holding her securely against his front.

“Just two more, and we’re done,” Cassie said, pulling Eloise back when she tried to snatch the garland off the tree.

She reached for the open box on the coffee table and removed two colorful ornaments in the shape of snow globes with ‘Eloise’ and ‘Sophie’ written inside.

It was an early gift from their grandfather, and Ethan knew his father would appreciate seeing it on the tree.

“Here,” Cassie said, handing him Sophie’s ornament.

Ethan took Sophie’s hand in his, gently wrapping her tiny fingers around the ornament.

“Let’s hang this one together, Soph,” he said softly, guiding her toward a low branch on the tree.

Cassie held Eloise steady as the little girl’s chubby hand reached out to grasp her ornament.

“Eloise, this spot looks perfect for yours,” Cassie said, pointing to a sturdy branch beside her sister’s.

The twins cooed and babbled, their laughter spilling into the room as they clumsily helped their parents attach the ornaments to the tree. When both ornaments were finally in place, Cassie leaned back and admired the tree.

“Their first ornaments on the tree,” she said, her voice warm with pride and nostalgia. “Soon, they’ll be old enough to decorate their own Twin Tree.”

Ethan wrapped an arm around her shoulders, still holding Sophie. “Dad’s going to love this.”

“Good job, babe,” Cassie teased, adjusting Eloise in her arms so the twins were side by side. “You’re practically a Christmas tree expert now.”

Ethan rolled his eyes. “Nice to know I have a marketable skill in case the bottom ever falls out of medicine.”

“You have many skills,” she smirked, her gaze dropping to the front of his pants.

Ethan knew their daughters were too young to understand, but that didn’t stop the blush from spreading across his face. Cassie laughed, enjoying his reaction.

She tilted her head to press a soft kiss to the underside of his jaw, her voice low as she murmured, “To be continued.”

The twins started to get restless again, and Ethan knew it wouldn’t be long before they made a grab for the decorations on the tree. Lately, he and Cassie had their hands full just trying to keep up with their ever-active children.

“Here. You do the honors,” he said, handing her the remote for the lights.

“Let’s light this baby up!” Cassie exclaimed, flicking the switch.

The twins let out a delighted “Oh!” in unison as the lights flickered to life, their wide eyes reflecting the colorful glow.

Ethan didn’t believe in perfection, but in this moment—with the soft glow of the fireplace and twinkling lights reflecting in the twins’ wide, curious eyes—he couldn’t imagine anything more perfect.

-------------

All Fics & Edits: @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @jerzwriter @justyourusualash @lady-calypso @kyra75 @mainstreetreader @peonierose @potionsprefect @queencarb @quixoticdreamer16 @snoopdogcone @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction @thosehallowedhalls

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Ethan & Cassie only: @cariantha @custaroonie @youlookappropriate

[cariantha]

Hii 🥰

I saw this quote and thought it would maybe inspire you for a story or an edit 🥰

Hi Girlie!❤️I was looking through some of the prompts you've sent me, and a spark of inspiration hit me for this one, so I hammered out a quick fic this afternoon. 🤫Don't tell my boss.

Proud Parents

Book: Open Heart, Book 2 Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Sawyer Brooks) Rating: General Category: Fluff Word count: 661 Summary: Alan visits Louise at the rehab center a few days after Ethan drops her off.

Alan rapped his knuckles on the frame of the open door. “Knock, knock… are you up for a visitor?”

“Alan, hi. Come in,” Louise greeted. 

“These are for you,” he offered, handing her a small bouquet of pink flowers. 

“Oh, Al, thank you. They’re so pretty. I love lilies.” 

“Yes, I remember. How are you feeling, Lou?” he asked, taking in her new temporary living situation. 

“I’ve been better, but I’ve also been a lot worse.”

Alan nodded his head in understanding. “This place is nice. I was expecting something more like a medical facility. This feels more like a hotel.”

“I was pleasantly surprised, too. It was very nice of Ethan to set me up here. Would you like to head to the lounge for some coffee?” 

Alan extended his arm, gesturing for her to lead the way. “It was also kind of him to drive you here and help you get checked in. I hope you can appreciate how difficult that was for him, Lou,” he said as he followed her down the hall. 

“I do, and I'm grateful." She sighed, "Truth be told, I would have preferred it to be just the two of us, but he insisted his girlfriend come along.”

Alan took a seat on a nearby couch as Louise poured them each a cup of joe. “Oh? He hadn't mentioned that, but I'm glad Sawyer was there for him.”

“Still like it with cream?” she asked, holding up the container. 

“Please,” he answered. “What did you think of her?”

“She was very…” she thought for a minute, trying to find the right word, “protective of him.”

Alan smiled to himself as Louise handed him the coffee and sat in the armchair next to him. “Good.”

“He seemed pretty protective of her, too,” she admitted. “I confess I wasn’t very polite, and he let me have it.”

“Makes sense, especially since the attack at the hospital.”

Louise looked down into her coffee cup with a regretful frown. “I remember you mentioning that, but honestly, I was a little out of it at the time. I don't recall any of the details, only that Ethan had been there. Was Sawyer there, too?”

“Yes,” he answered morosely. “She was one of the victims… she was at death’s door, but thankfully pulled through.” 

“Oh, I didn't know that.” As Alan recapped some of the details, Louise was surprised to hear how harrowing the event had been. “How scary for them both. I can’t even imagine.”

Alan nodded slowly, then glanced reflectively out the window at the snow beginning to fall. “It rattled him, Lou,” he said. “Between the attack and your overdose, it's been a lot.” He returned his gaze to his estranged wife. “He still carries an enormous amount of hurt. Give him time and grace to navigate through it all.”

Feeling guilty, Louise nodded and looked down at her coffee again. 

Attempting to lift the mood, Alan shared, “Sawyer's been a good influence on him. She's a real sweetheart and isn't afraid to go toe to toe with him.”

Louise took a sip and shook her head with a knowing smile. “Lord, he was such a headstrong and stubborn child.” 

“You have no idea, Lou,” Alan chuckled, then added, “but he was a good kid. And he's become an even better man. I couldn't be more proud.” 

“I know I don’t know him like you, but I’m proud of him too. And I’m thankful he had you, Al. You did an amazing job raising him.” 

Alan dipped his chin in thanks, trying not to get emotional. 

“So, have they been together long?” Louise asked, bringing them back to lighter conversation again. 

“They've known each other for a little bit, but their relationship is still relatively new. It took a while for his stubborn ass to catch up with his heart.”

“That makes sense. He looks at her like he just realized what love is.”

Alan smiled joyfully. “Because I think he finally has.”

Tag List: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics @peonierose  @potionsprefect @trappedinfanfiction 

@jerzwriter @queencarb @coffeeheartaddict2 @quixoticdreamer16 @jamespotterthefirst 

@liaromancewriter @tveitertotwrites @tessa-liam @youlookappropriate @kyra75

@socalwriterbee @txemrn @midnightmelodiz @snoopdogcone

@rafasgirl23415

[alj4890]

Comfort

(Ethan Ramsey x F!MC) in a Choices Open Heart One Shot

As requested by

@hopelessromantic1352 with the prompt "You can't keep doing this."

A/N Here you go my sweet friend. Thank you for sending these requests to me to help with inspiration. I know you specifically wanted this one with both Ethan and Chris, so I'm going back to book 1 for you so that Tobias won't steal her away 😉

I was also inspired by the Dr. Who gifs below for this one. For those who don't know, Karen Gillian is my FC for Chris Valentine. Don't worry, I'm not making Matt Smith my FC for Ethan 😂 This interaction though reminded me of something Ethan and Chris would have done and it fit my idea for the above prompt.

Masterlist

It was too much. All of it was more than Chris could take. Tears blurred her vision as she finally had a chance to react to the mayhem she'd just finished being a part of.

Ripping off the surgical scrubs covered in Rafael's blood, she dashed blindly down the corridor. Her breaths hitched as sobs threatened to spill out. All she could think of was running away from the absolute hell of the subway accident. She needed to get as far as she could before losing her strained hold on her emotions.

Ignoring the alarm of the exhausted nurses and doctors, she ran past them without saying a word.

She stumbled out of one of the side doors of the hospital and barreled into a familiar solid form.

Ethan grunted on impact. He grasped her arms once he recognized her.

"Chris?" He leaned down closer to see her more clearly in the darkness. "What happened?"

Tears began to spill down her cheeks. Of all the people in the world she could possibly bump into at this moment, it would be him.

"I have to go." She choked out, wrenching herself from his grasp.

He grabbed her once more to stop her escape.

"Are you all right?" He demanded in a harsh voice while giving her a slight shake.

There were few things in this world he could not tolerate and seeing Chris in this emotional state topped that list.

"No!" She cried out, her voice echoing across the parking lot.

In a jumble or words and sobs, she managed to tell him about the rush of patients they had in the emergency room.

Once her ability to speak became impossible, he gripped her hand and took her back into the hospital.

"No. I don't want to go back inside!" she struggled against his hold.

She stilled as he led her up the emergency stairwell towards the roof.

He chose a spot overlooking Boston and sat down.

Ethan glanced up and saw she was immobile once again with tears falling in steady streams down her cheeks. Taking her hand, he tugged her down.

She collapsed beside him and buried her head against her knees, her body wracked with silent cries.

He'd seen her like this before. When Delores died, she'd been unable to stop her tears. He'd found her alone in the locker room, silently crying at the unfairness of it all.

Setting his hand on her shoulder, he gently pulled her closer to his side.

"You can't keep doing this, Chris." He told her. "If you keep taking death to heart like this, then being a doctor will destroy you."

She wiped her eyes, and settled her chin on her knees.

"I know that." She said in a voice cracking with emotion. "But it was so much, Ethan. Everywhere I turned there was someone in the midst of dying or who was screaming in pain. I wanted to fix it all but I couldn't."

"Did you help them?" He asked.

"If you can call it that." She said bitterly. "I assessed, tagged, and moved on like Zaid told me to."

He squeezed her in a side hug. "I never doubted for a moment that you did the right thing."

His comforting touch and praise tore at her heart.

"Don't." She pleaded. "Don't be nice to me right now."

Chris could feel the tears rising once more. After all they felt for one another, his quitting, and now showing up when she needed him most; she thought she would truly break if he was kind to her.

She rested her head on his shoulder, nuzzling close to him once his arm dropped. "Please sit here with me, but don't be nice."

Ethan leaned his head against hers and snorted. "Everyone complains when I'm not nice and yet here you are demanding the opposite."

Chris bit back a tearful smile. "I think this is one request of mine you're willing to give in."

"I think we both know I always give in to what you want."

"If that were true, you wouldn't have left Edenbrook." She mumbled. "And you wouldn't have left me."

He cursed. "Chris, you know why I left Edenbrook. And as for you..."

He trailed off.

She looked up at him.

"As for me?"

He met her red rimmed eyes and felt his will falter. He'd once had such plans to protect and guide her career forward. He was going to not only show her how to be a doctor but watch as she became a great one. He'd ended up doing nothing but letting her down in the end. He'd failed to keep his unexpected feelings for her in check and he'd failed her as a mentor.

Seeing the quiet anguish he was under, she nestled her head back on his shoulder, leaving the issue alone for once.

He swallowed the words that were demanding to come out. He wanted to tell her he'd never leave her. He would always want her.

He loved her.

I'm not worthy to tell her anything like that, he thought to himself. Not now, possibly not ever.

"What are you doing here?" She asked after a long stretch of silence.

"Marlene left me a message saying that the hospital needed all the help they could get." He answered, grateful she wasn't pushing him into revealing more of what he wasn't ready for.

"What took you so long?" She playfully nudged him with her elbow.

A hint of smile appeared on her face when she heard his exasperated groan.

"I was out of town, Rookie." He grumbled.

"Having a good time?" She asked.

"I wouldn't say that." He muttered. "I went to see my dad and then I went on to--"

He bit his tongue. He couldn't get her hopes up that his visits to Mrs. Martinez's family would come to any good.

"To where?" She asked.

"Nowhere in particular." He lied. "I needed to drive and clear my head."

"I think I need a vacation like that." She mumbled. "I wish I could forget and leave everything behind for a while."

He wrapped his arm around her once more. "It's a pipe dream. There's no way you can fully leave everything behind, no matter how badly you want to."

"How badly did you want to?"

"More than anything."

She slipped her arms around his waist and hugged him.

He held her, taking every bit of comfort she was willing to give him. It's ironic, he thought. He'd brought her up here to comfort her. He had no intentions of letting her know his own struggles.

Ethan should have known that out of everyone he knew, Chris would know what he was feeling. Not only that, she would also give him exactly what he needed from her in this moment.

Neither was sure how long they sat there, holding one another. The soothing hum of the city below them and the stars above were all they needed as they sat together in companionable silence.

When the first blush of dawn began to light the sky, Ethan whispered that he'd take her home.

He got up first and offered his hand to Chris.

She lifted her tear stained face up to smile softly at him.

Taking his hand, she stood up and was pulled into his embrace. He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead when she slipped her arms around him again.

"You're going to be okay." He said, lips brushing hers with each word.

She nodded, her eyes meeting his after one last sweet kiss.

"We both will." She vowed.

Together, hand in hand, they went off to face another day.