#choicesfebruarychallenge2021

[lem-20]

Valentine

Summary: MC gives Ethan a Valentine card. Set during book 1

Book/Pairing: Open Heart/Ethan Ramsey x f!MC (Cecilia Gibson)

Category/Rating: Fluff & angst/Teen

Word Count: <700

Prompt: @choicesfebchallenge 14: Valentine

Trope: And there’s some good ol’ Pining

A/N: I don't know what this is. I got it in my head that I wanted to do a Valentine's fic. I did the moodboard and then really struggled to write anything. I've not been feeling 100% the past couple of days, but forced myself to write something, so the moodboard didn't go to waste 😆 It started off a little cheesy and fluffy, but then took a real angsty turn. Sorry about that 😂

"Not a fan then Dr. Ramsey?" Cecilia asked, as Ethan scoffed at a little glittery heart adorned mailbox that had made a sudden appearance at the nurses station.

"No, I'm not," he replied, turning to face her. "Don't tell me that you think this is a good idea?"

"Oh, I don't know. I think it's kinda cute."

"Cute? It's juvenile. We're grown adults, not hormonal teenagers. We're supposed to be putting our efforts into making people better and saving their lives. Not wasting time sending declarations of affection to our colleagues. It's inappropriate."

"Afraid you're not going to get one?" Cecilia teased.

He glared at her. "Absolutely not. I couldn't care less about that kind of thing."

"Well, I don't see the problem if it puts a smile on people's faces."

"It's superficial though isn't it. If you have feelings for someone, shouldn't you just tell them? Instead of waiting until an over commercialised holiday to do so."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "It isn't always as simple as just telling someone though is it Ethan?"

"No. I suppose not," he replied, turning away from her - a hint of sadness in his eyes. "I umm...I'd better get back to it."

"Sure," she replied, as she watched him walk away.

Valentine's Day

Cecilia ducked into an empty patient room as she saw Ethan making his way towards the nearby nurses station. She was sure he hadn't spotted her as continued to eye the chart in his hands.

"Dr. Ramsey, you have some Valentine's cards," announced a very chirpy Sarah.

Sarah had been the nurse that had openly gushed about her love for Ethan on Cecilia's first day, so it didn't come as much of a surprise when she'd discovered that the Valentine card box had been her idea. Very likely with the sole purpose of being a way for her to give a card to Ethan.

"I do?" he replied, with equal parts of surprise and disdain.

"Yes, here you go," she said placing them into his hand. "The one on the top is from me," she stated as she gently touched his fingers.

"Oh right...thank you uhhh...Sarah," he responded, glancing at her name badge.

"You're welcome," she replied, biting her lip.

The woman was bold, she had to give her that.

Ethan pulled away from her and made his way around a corner - out of sight from the nurses desk. Cecilia could still just about see him as he stopped to look at the cards. He moved the top one to the bottom of the pile without opening it, then stopped to study the envelope of the next card - the one from Cecilia.

Her heart rate increased as she watched him open the envelope and remove what was inside. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he read the front of the card, causing her to break out in a smile of her own.

She studied his face as he opened it up to read the inside.

His smile reappeared, but it didn't last for long. He brushed his fingers across her writing, his face now etched with pain - the same look she had seen in Miami.

Maybe the card hadn't been such a good idea after all she thought, as she felt her own sadness swell.

Why did things have to be so complicated?

Wanting to be be together should have been enough. But so far, every moment of happiness seemed to be followed by pain.

She wasn't going to give up on him though, not when she knew they were so right for each other.

She continued to watch him as he slid the cards into his pocket - leaving the others still unopened - before disappearing out of sight.

She hoped that one day, she would be able to spend Valentine's day, and every other day, wrapped in his arms. But until then, those subtle little hints of his feelings for her would have to be enough.

***

Thank you if you made it this far. I honestly couldn't say whether I think that this is okay or a mess 😂 It's way more angsty that I intended, but I suppose that's just how things were in book 1.

I hope we get some happiness in book 3 🤞

Tags: @pixie88 @lifeaskim @shewillreadyou @queencarb @udishaman @lucy-268 @starrystarrytrouble @txemrn @ethanramseylover @schnitzelbutterfingers @drariellevalentine @irisofpurple @alina-yol-ramsey @maurine07 @stygianflood @iemcpbchoices @aussieez @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics @aarisa-frost @binny1985

[argylemnwrites]

Some Definition

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x MC (Cassie Vanderfield)

Book: Open Heart (post book 2)

Word Count: ~2000

Rating: PG

Summary: Cassie is done being the “cool girl.”

Author’s Note: Well, I know a ton of the fandom is looking forward to OH3 coming out later this week, but I’m just... not. I hated the majority of OH2, and I just don’t have faith in PB to write OH3 in ways that I don’t find wildly frustrating. So, I’ve decided not to read it. I think I’ll be a lot happier not having to rationalize why Bryce and my MC haven’t defined their relationship, why my MC is consistently asked to care about Ramsey’s personal problems, and why Bryce’s residency is only four years when in should be five (or seven, if he takes research years, hahaha).

So, from here on out, I’m just going to be writing fic that is canon-compliant through the end of OH2. I had assumed that Bryce and Cassie would be in a committed relationship at this point, and I really don’t have interest in their dynamic if they aren’t committed to each other after two years (and a near death experience, smh at you, PB). So, everything I write that is set after the end of OH2 will just ignore whatever nonsense PB gives us, and this little fic serves as my personal break point.

Written partially out of frustration with the direction PB took this series, but also for Day 16 of the @choicesfebchallenge - Confession.

Cassie sat on the edge of Bryce’s bed, twisting her fingers around in her lap. She was supposed to be getting undressed. At least that’s what Bryce had hinted she should do when they got back to his place while he grabbed them both glasses of water. But she couldn’t. Her conversation with Elijah from Ines’ housewarming party earlier was stuck in her mind.

“Needless to say, my parents were pretty thrilled when I said I was looking at U of Chicago and Northwestern for fellowship. What about you, considering heading back to the Midwest?”

“Oh! Umm, I don’t know,” Cassie said, her eyes jumping to Bryce over by the keg before she could stop herself.

Elijah followed her gaze and let out a little sigh. “Well, you’ll have to make some choices pretty soon.”

His words haunted her for the rest of the party, worming their way into her thoughts over and over again. He was totally right. Not just career choices, but personal choices. Because after two years, she and Bryce still weren’t anything defined or official.

She’d tried to be cool about it. She’d tried to just enjoy what they had. But she was going to be applying for fellowship very soon. And she knew that if she made decisions about where in the country she was applying because of a guy who she couldn’t even legitimately call her boyfriend, that would make her so foolish.

The door swung open, revealing the man in question, taking a swig of water from one glass and carrying another. He did a little double take when he saw her just sitting there, placing both glasses on his dresser once he finished his drink.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked, crouching down in front of her.

“Bryce, what are we doing?”

“What do you mean?”

Cassie closed her eyes. “I need to know...” she took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, before opening her eyes and continuing, “I need to know what we are.”

Bryce frowned, coming to sit next to her on the edge of the bed. “Cassie, you’re so important to me,” he said, grabbing her hand, tracing his thumb over her knuckles. “You mean so much to me.” He leaned over, tracing his thumb across her cheek, leaning in and briefly pressing his lips to hers before pulling back. “I care about you so much.”

It would be so easy to give in, to let it stand at that. But the fact was that those words, as heartwarming and flattering as they were, didn’t really answer her question. So instead of getting swept away, she scooted further down the bed, shaking her head as she pulled her hand from his.

“I know you do, Bryce. But that wasn’t what I asked.”

“Where is this coming from? I thought we had a good time tonight?”

“We did.”

He stared at her, obviously trying to read her, trying to figure out what he was missing. “I don’t get it, Cassie. What’s wrong?”

She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to stay steady and calm. She didn’t want to come across as some pathetic, needy girl whose happiness was dependent on some guy. But she also was coming to the realization that if Bryce didn’t want an actual relationship, it was probably time to end whatever they had. Spend her last year at Edenbrook just focusing on her career, getting some papers published, going to conferences, that sort of thing.

“I guess I just need to make some decisions, with my fellowship application coming up soon.”

Bryce nodded, “Yeah, I get that. But trust me, you’ll have your pick. Every diagnostics program in the country is going to want you.”

She smiled at that, but she knew it was a hollow one. Sure, she had her fears about the whole process, but fellowship match was so much less stressful than residency match, at least in diagnostics. Her worries were so much more personal. “And what if it’s a program in Georgia or Texas or Washington where I end up?”

“If you want ‘em, you’ll match there. I’m sure of it, Cass. You are brilliant, and your CV is a perfect one for diagnostics. All the other applicants are going to hate you.”

Cassie had to close her eyes, not wanting him to see the tears starting to pool there. He looked so eager and hopeful and joyous and pretty, sitting there, a giant grin on his face. He was so supportive, but it was clear that her being close to him wasn’t a priority for him at all. And after two years, after everything they’d been through, it stung. Badly.

“I think I’m going to get going,” she choked out, pushing herself off the bed, not chancing opening her eyes until she was facing away from him. Tears were already starting to track down her cheeks, and she needed to get out of there before she had a total meltdown.

“Cassie!” he called out. She heard rustling behind her and felt his fingers grasp her wrist, but she kept going, knowing he wouldn’t actually physically stop her. Sure enough, those same fingers peeled away the next instant as she didn’t slow down. She swiped her hand under her eyes as she bolted through the living room towards the front door of his apartment. How she was going to explain this later she had no idea, but she needed to get out of there, get a grip, and start to move on with her life.

Suddenly, Bryce appeared in front of her, his hands gently resting on her shoulders. “Cassie, what’s wrong? We can fix it; I promise.”

His eyes were so wide and earnest, he looked so determined and sure, but all it did was break her heart more. She just shook her head, even more tears flowing. “I don’t think-” her voice cracked, so she took a breath before she continued, “Please just let me go home, Bryce.”

Bryce stared at her for a tense second. “Is that what you really want?”

She shook her head as she swiped away more tears with the back of her hand. “It’s what I need, Bryce.”

He dropped his hands from her shoulders and ran one through his hair as he stepped back. He looked so lost and confused. “I’m sorry,” he said.

“Why?”

He shrugged. “Obviously, I upset you. I’m not sure how, but clearly I did. So, I’m sorry.”

Cassie shook her head. “You don’t need to be sorry. You’ve never led me on or anything. I guess I just hoped that maybe… But, it’s fine. You did nothing wrong. You aren’t obligated to care where I end up for fellowship or anything.”

“Cassie, of course I care where you end up!”

“Right. As a friend. But you don’t care if I end up near you.”

“I shouldn’t be-” he took a breath and started again, “What matters is your career, Cassie. That’s what you should consider. Not me. I’m not a factor here.”

“I know,” she shook her head, wiping her eyes yet again, wishing she could stop crying, wishing she’d been able to hold it together a little better. “I just wish you wanted to be.” She gave him a little watery smile and shrug before heading to the door. There was nothing left to say.

“Cassie, wait!” Bryce cried out, brushing past her and standing in front of the door. “I promise, I’ll let you go,” he said, holding his hands up in front of his chest. “But you need to know it’s not that I don’t want to be a factor. I’m just not gonna be so selfish that I ask you to make me a factor.”

She paused for a moment, trying to figure out if what he was telling her mattered at all or not. “Bryce, I… Even if that’s true, I can’t keep doing this. Just rolling along, being a cool girl, pretending like I don’t need to label anything.”

Bryce was quiet for a second, so Cassie moved to step past him, but he shook his head, stopping her in her tracks. “Why didn’t you say anything?” His voice was quiet, subdued. He didn’t sound like himself. 

“Bryce, I confessed that this meant something to me over a year ago. I wasn’t going to drag you into a relationship you clearly didn’t want.”

“Didn’t want? Cassie, I didn’t want to burden you.”

“What are you-”

“I’m a mess, Cassie. You know that. I just figured you would have the good sense to not want to get involved with my drama beyond some fun.”

“How are you a mess?”

“Well, my parents-”

“-You aren’t them. You distanced yourself from them.”

“And my sister-”

“-Is a teenager you took in and did your best to help raise and support and love. Your relationship with Keiki is wonderful, not a downside at all.”

Bryce smiled briefly, glancing down at his feet, but kept going. “I’m a workaholic.”

“I don’t think there is a way to be a resident and not be a workaholic, Bryce.”

 “I couldn’t even make pasta, for god’s sake!”

Cassie couldn’t help but chuckle at that, a few more tears spilling out even if she had largely stopped crying by this point. “Alright, I’ll give you that one. But you learned, Bryce. You learned and grew, and that’s enough.”

He shook his head, his eyes still locked on the ground. “Last time I was someone’s boyfriend, I was pretty bad at it. And I don’t know if you’ve picked up on this, but I don’t do well when I’m not excelling at something. I don’t like being mediocre at things.”

Cassie stepped forward, linking her pinkie around Bryce’s. He glanced at their hands before making eye contact. “I don’t need perfect, Bryce. I just need… more. For you to at least try. And for the record, I think you were probably better at being a boyfriend than you give yourself credit for.”

He shook his head. “Nah, you know me. I’m not exactly shy about my strengths. It was bad, Cassie.”

She shrugged. “Well, then work on it. Get better. You learned how to cook. You figured out how to provide stability for your sister. And although you might try to deny it, I am pretty sure you weren’t born a surgeon. You learned how to do those things. This doesn’t have to be any different.”

He stood there, but he didn’t say anything for what felt like an eternity. Cassie felt her cheeks growing warm as embarrassment settled in. He was probably just being polite, and she had to go and corner him, make things awkward. “Of course, if you don’t want to, I understand. I just-”

Her words died as Bryce turned his hand and fully interlocked their fingers, tugging her close and kissing her. After a few seconds, he pulled back, sliding his free hand to her cheek. “Only an idiot wouldn’t want to be your boyfriend, Cassie.”

A strange little chuckle bubbled out of her at that. “So, are you saying…”

“That I want to be your boyfriend? Yeah, I want that. Do you still want that? I’m not exactly off to an auspicious start here, what with making you cry and then after that making you console me and give me a pep talk and-”

It was her turn to cut him off, kissing him soundly, placing her hand behind his neck and holding him close. After what could have been seconds or minutes or hours, she pulled back, her eyes flickering up to his face, please to see a wide grin and pure joy in his eyes.

“Do you still want to go home? Because I would love to show off my relatively new-found breakfast making skills for my girlfriend in the morning.”

She felt her cheeks grow warm as she was able to genuinely smile for the first time since her conversation with Elijah. “I’d like that,” she said, looping her arms around his waist and relishing the feeling of him pulling her into a hug. “I’d like that a lot.”

“Good,” said Bryce. “Me too.”

Permatag: @choicesficwriterscreations @walkerswhiskeygirl  @octobereighth @kimmiedoo5  @mom2000aggie

Open Heart: @mskaneko @omgjasminesimone @debramcg1106

Bryce x MC: @weaving-in-words  @anotherbeingsworld  @chaotichuman0090 @fortunatelywaywardsandwich   @dreaming-of-movies  @choicesarehard  @srta-give-me-my-jax-rl  @sunnyxdazed​

[luxurylives]

@choicesfebchallenge - Day Two: Lazy Day

Thank you @atiglain for drawing Baz Mirani from Open Heart: Second Year 😊

[liaromancewriter]

Delaying the Inevitable

Premise: This is a retelling of the diamond scene from book 1, chapter 5 when Ethan and MC are in the private box at the baseball game…from Ethan’s perspective. 

Book: Open Heart

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine)

Rating/Category: General. Fluff

Words: 2.5 K 

A/N: I’ve also often wondered what they talked about as the game unfolded and the sun sunk lower in the sky. Characters and some of the dialogue belong to Pixelberry. Be kind, hit the like button or comment.

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

Ethan Ramsey could think of at least 10 other things he could be doing than spending the afternoon at Fenway Park with a bunch of vultures from Banner Health. He had been distracted by a certain intern who was completing paperwork on the other side of the nurses’ station when Harper had asked him to accompany her to this meeting at their private box. He’d said yes without meaning to and now he was stuck.

It wouldn’t have been so bad if Harper hadn’t been pulled away for an emergency consult at Edenbrook. He would have just let her do all the talking and nodded or added a word here and there when required. Now, it was all on him and he would rather have a root canal without anaesthetic. He knew he was stalling when he ordered one more drink before heading upstairs, but he frankly didn’t care. It was one more moment that he could use figuring out what he was going to about his intern problem, namely one intern – Cassie Valentine.

Ever since the night they’d stayed up to watch over Dolores’s baby, he hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind.  He’d thought that what he’d felt the first moment he’d seen her was a fluke, but after Dolores he couldn’t keep lying to himself. Something was happening and as the more experienced party it was up to him to stop it. He just didn’t know how. All these years of seeing interns come and go and all it took was one to shake his world. On top of what was happening with Naveen, he just couldn’t…

“Dr. Ramsey? What a small world.”

Ethan inwardly flinched as he heard the familiar voice break through his thoughts. He looked up to see Cassie walking toward him, looking entirely too appealing in a sports jersey and shorts.

“Some might say too small,” he said, finally looking up to meet her eyes.

She smiled at that. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m merely doing what all doctors do…delaying the inevitable.” He said the last few words almost in a whisper.

 “Wait…what?”

She looked confused and he didn’t blame her. What was he doing? He looked around making sure no one from Banner Health was nearby as the entrance to the private box elevator was just behind them.

“I was invited here by the executives of Banner Health.”

“The health insurance company?”

“The administration is negotiating our contract renewal with Banner,” he explained. “Chief Emery insisted I accompany her as they essentially bribe us in their private box suite.”

“You and Chief Emery are up in a box? Cool!” Cassie’s cheerful reply was Ethan’s undoing and an idea started to formulate in his head.

“Well, it’s just me now. Harper was called back for an emergency, so I’m fending off the vultures on my own.” He could feel his frustration leaking. “They’re trying to butter me up with lobster, fine wine, all the ridiculous luxuries they can afford. It’s terrible.”

“Um, that sounds pretty alright to me,” she looked at him quizzically as if she wasn’t sure what the issue was.

Ethan sighed deeply. “It may surprise you to hear. I’m not one for…schmoozing.”

At that, a huge grin broke across her face and he could see the mischievous sparkle in her green eyes. “You? Noooo…”

He wondered if he was losing his mind but made the ask before he could stop himself.

“As much as it humiliates me to ask a favor of an intern…would you…join me upstairs?” He pushed when he sensed she might be getting ready to refuse. “I won’t keep you long. I just don’t think I could survive with them on my own.”

He breathed a sigh of relief when she agreed to be his wingman or wingwoman, he supposed. He led her to the elevator before she…or he… could change their minds. Soon they were upstairs standing at the entrance of the luxurious box, the team from Banner Health standing near the buffet, drinks in their hand while other guests spread out across the couches and cushioned stadium seats watching the activity in the field below.

“I could get used to this.”

“God forbid,” he muttered but he wondered if he wasn’t being an ungrateful ass. To an intern who was 200K in debt, it would certainly appear that way. It wasn’t that long ago when he was in her position.

The view of the game from the box was spectacular and it wouldn’t hurt to take a few moments with Cassie after their business was done. After all, he didn’t want to her feel like he was using her without any benefit. She might never get a chance to enjoy something like this.

“Here.” He poured her a large glass of an expensive looking malbec. She looked like the type to appreciate red wine. He poured one for himself too and raised his glass in a toast. “To surviving the insipid people in our industry without having an aneurysm.”

Cassie didn’t salute his toast, taking a sip of her wine instead. “I don’t know what you’re complaining about. Great view, great wine, lobster and steak at a baseball game? This is the life!”

“That’s what they want. To seduce you. To convince you to think like them. Don’t let become about the money.”

He hoped she wouldn’t. She had such a brilliant mind and an empathy for patients he hadn’t seen in many years. He couldn’t let her be taken in by the perks and incessantly needing to please their insurance overlords while leaving patient care behind. He’d seen too many good doctors lose their way because of it.

“Of course, it’s not about the money.” he watched her take in the view. “It’s about the patients. But I can enjoy the perks, right?”

“Of course, you can. I encourage you to milk them for everything they’re worth.” He smiled as she raised her glass in his direction. “I’m just warning you. I’ve seen too many good doctors change their priorities. Doctors who would’ve sworn they’d be the last to do such a thing.”

“Ethan! Ethan, there you are!”

Ethan forced himself to smile as he turned to the Banner Health executive that had called out his name.

“You have a terrible poker face.” She grinned as she said it.

This time his smile was genuine. “What do you want from me? I’m a doctor, not an actor!”

He quickly explained to Cassie what the hospital wanted as the executives walked over. She nodded once and then he was introducing her to the group.

“She is one of our most promising young doctors. The next generation of medicine, in fact.”

He watched her charm the executives, being polite and attentive; he couldn’t have been prouder. She deftly got him out of a tee time, and he could have kissed her just for that. He glanced at her briefly and for a split second he let what he felt for her show – approval and maybe a hint of something more. She met his gaze, unblinking, before turning her attention to the executives.

Soon they were exchanging numbers and Ethan found himself surprised once again when Cassie turned into a ruthless negotiator. She talked about percentage points, pay for performance, value-based reimbursement and better rates on cardiac services. Every time someone from Banner Health talked about monetization, she pivoted the discussion to deferring the cost of patient care and made it seem like the idea came from the executives themselves.

She really was the next generation of medicine. He couldn’t remember a single intern having enough knowledge of business, let alone turning the tables on a national insurance carrier in their first few weeks on the job. He found himself once again wondering about the puzzle that was Dr. Cassie Valentine. He tuned into the conversation as the negotiations appeared to have reached the end and he found himself shaking their hands.

Before he knew it, he and Cassie were alone. “Good job squeezing them at the end.”

“Our patients would have suffered otherwise,” she answered as if it were obvious. It was to him, but it was nice to hear someone else share his perspective. “So, we’re done?”

They were, but he didn’t want to let her go just yet. “With the business, yes. Though I suppose we could stay and enjoy the game for a while.” Please say yes, he thought.

“I have some time before my friends expect me back.”

“Can I get you more wine?”

“Yes, please. Pinot noir if they have it.”

Ethan made his way to the bar, ordering a scotch for himself and red wine for her. He saw her texting as he walked back with their drinks and wondered if she was giving her friends an update. He hoped she kept him out of it. The last thing he wanted was to be part of the hospital gossip grapevine. He placed the wine glass on the table in front of her and took his seat, turning slightly toward her. She was smiling as her fingers ran over the screen.

 She put the phone away and took a sip of her wine. He knew what was coming when she beamed at him. For some reason seeing each other outside the hospital was making him think they could be different people. For one hour he wanted to believe that they had met under different circumstances; in this one he wasn’t her boss, and she wasn’t almost 10 years his junior.

“One of our most promising doctors.” The mischief was back in her eyes.

“Stop.”

“The future of medicine.” She was laughing at him and he let her.

“Well, I couldn’t very well introduce you as a colossal pain in my ass, now could I?” He teased back. There was something about her that brought out the smart aleck in him. Before he knew it, he was asking the question that had been nagging him all day.

“Why have you not entered the competition for the fellowship?”

“Were you hoping I would?” How did he know she would turn this around on him? The skillful way she’d managed the Banner Health executives had been eye opening.

“It’s unbecoming to flatter yourself, Rookie.” He used the nickname thinking how he hadn’t had one for any other intern before her. Whenever he used it, he was reminded of when they first met.

“You were hoping, weren’t you?”

“Not in the slightest. It’s a mystery, and I cannot resist a mystery. Nothing more.”

“I think you care because we’re becoming friends.”

“Absolutely not.” He denied it even as he knew it was true. They were becoming friends and, at least on his side, maybe something more.

“You’re just delaying the inevitable.” She smirked as she played his words back to him.

“…As all doctors must.” He grinned. He couldn’t help himself. Something about her made him years younger.

“Will you answer another question for me?” He said after they watched the game play out on the field below them. His curiosity about her was in full force as he thought back to the discussion with the Banner Health reps. “How do you know so much about contract negotiations? It’s not a standard course in med school.”

He watched her as she thought about his question. It wasn’t a complicated one, but for some reason she seemed reluctant to answer him. She watched him over the rim of her wine glass and then appeared to come to a decision.

“No, it wasn’t part of the standard curriculum at John Hopkins, but it was at Wharton.”

He stood still at that. There was only one reason why someone would go to Wharton and it wasn’t for a lark.

“Before I was accepted to med school, I was finishing my MBA in international business at Wharton. It’s a Valentine family tradition, I’m afraid.”

“What made you change careers?” He was impressed and intrigued at the same time. Cassie Valentine was a mystery, and he would get to the bottom of her.

“You did.” Her cheeks were flush as if embarrassed, but her green eyes never wavered from his. “I read your book and it was like the world suddenly made sense. Your papers on systemic amyloidosis, Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome, spinocerebellar ataxia…You inspired me to go to med school.”

“Flattery, Rookie? I know I’ve told you before I can’t be bribed into favoring you.” He heard the sincerity in her voice, but he wasn’t ready for things to be serious between them. He wanted the light-hearted banter from earlier.

“And I believe I said, you already do,” she laughed and finished her wine. “You better hope you don’t run into my grandfather. He hasn’t forgiven me for turning my back on the family business and he blames you completely.”

“Oh?” This was the first time she had mentioned her family, not that he had given her opportunities to do so before. Their roles at the hospital meant there was a barrier between them, one that he had encouraged because of his initial reaction to her.

“In my family, we take tradition and loyalty very seriously. I’m now the black sheep and it’s all your fault.” He knew she was teasing him, and he couldn’t help but smile. He had likely smiled more today than in the last few weeks and it was the Cassie Valentine effect.

“Should I watch my six?”

“And your three, nine and twelve. Valentines don’t mess around.”

Her phone pinged before he could respond. “It’s my friends. They’re wondering where I am.”

“Yes, of course.” He knew he should let her go. They’d been up here a while and he needed to head back to the hospital.

“Thank you for the assist, Dr. Valentine.” He knew he sounded stiff, but it was time to put the barrier back up again.

She smirked at his tone but followed his lead. “You’re welcome, Dr. Ramsey. See you later.”

They walked back to the elevator and he pressed the call button. When it came, she stepped inside and turned to face him. He kept his eyes on hers as the doors slowly closed and didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath until she was no longer visible.

It was going to be a difficult year no matter how he looked at it.  

Post A/N: Last minute entry for @choicesfebchallenge​

Tag List: @mrs-ramsey​ @genevievemd​ @anntoldst0ries​ @perriewinklenerdie​ @justanotherrookie​ @starrystarrytrouble @jamespotterthefirst​ @the-pale-goddess​ ​

[estellaelysian]

Unsent letter

I don't think Ethan was exactly thrilled to go to Amazon for the reset, so here is a letter he wrote to Alishka during the end of his stay, but never sent it.

(I am so sorry for this, but) this is a late entry for the choices February challenge Day 10: Letter

**********

Dear Alishka,

I know I have hurt you deeply. I know you may not forgive me, and the possibility that I have lost my chance with you gnaws at me. But I see no other choice, and this, somehow, seems inevitable. I know you would raise your eyebrow skeptically at my choice of words and wonder aloud if its true, and it is this quirk of yours that never ceases to amaze me. After all, there are somethings that can never be resisted. You are one of those - everyone likes you, not only because you are immensely kind, but because you are quick to laugh, witty, intelligent, good with people and that you can talk about almost anything with ease. I really admire you, I do, but sometimes things are not meant to be. Sometimes, love is not enough.

Maybe I am wrong. You would definitely say that, I know, with a twinkle in your eye, but I have my reasons that I would never be able to express in a conscious manner. Or rather that's what I tell myself frequently, mostly at evenings when I yearn to reach for the only photo I ever took of you at Miami. I left it at Boston, thinking it'd be easier that way. But it isn't. It is never easy without you.

No amount of words can express the intensity of emotions I feel right now - dread and fear, along with the haunting realisation that you may not want anything to do with me in the future. It scares me more than I'd like to admit, but somethings can't be helped, not when you don't want to try. I'd be lying if I said that though. I am alone and sick without you, and I'd be more than willing to try, but I can't, not when it involves your career. I do not wish to resent that for what we could have.

I keep telling myself I am right, even though I know I am not. I keep denying that I did something wrong by refusing Naveen when he tried talking me out of this. Going to the airport and boarding the flight without telling you anything - I'll tell myself that was correct. And it works during the day. But at night, it doesn't. No matter how busy, engaging and tiring my days are, I can't fall asleep easily at night. I am restless, because that's when I think about you the most. Because that's when I have no work to distract me enough from not wondering about you. It's always - What must she be doing? What must she be thinking and so on. I can never bring myself to entirely forget you, no matter how busy working I am, because it just doesn't feel right.

I see you often though, mostly at nights, in my dreams, whenever you come to visit me. You look like you did in Miami - the moment I saw you then, I knew I'd always remember you like that - clad in blue, your dark wavy hair tumbling past your shoulders, your eyes closed, your face a picture of serenity when we stood at the balcony together. That's how I always see you, as a vision I never quite see in anyone else, and I knew then that I'd never forget you thereafter. I ache to feel the soft pressure of your lips against mine.

I have been to the bush a few times, and those deep greens, which are present only at its heart, remind me of your eyes. The rest is more like me, barren and stripped of everything. The angry heat reminds me of your pained expression when I pushed you away, but the sun reminds me of how radiant you look in the hospital when with your patients. Children play and laugh around the camp, reminding me of your childish giggle when you are with your friends. Everything here reminds me of you. It's like no matter how much of a distance I put between us, you still follow me around. Most of all though, whenever I am in the bush, I know one thing, as crystal clear as the sky: I was wrong to deny what was obvious to everyone else - that I cannot forget you easily.

I still have the seashell you handed me when we were walking the beach at Miami. These days I reach for it more than usual, feeling myself drawn to those memories. It will be time to let go soon, but now I still like to live in them.

Oh Alishka, I am sorry, so very sorry to have hurt you this way. I know I will lack an explanation in your eyes always, no matter how I defend myself, and you will be correct in thinking whatever you think of me. After all, I am the one who made mistakes, and I regret what I have done deeply, but not enough to risk your career for us.

As I sit here in the camp, I am praying that you'll understand.

I am coming to Boston next week with the hope that you find a way to forgive me. Maybe I am too late now. I don't know.

Ethan

**********

Thank you all for reading.

[casey-v]

Valentine

Ethan x Casey

I haven’t written any fics for quite a while, but with OH3 coming soon I’m getting these vibes again….

I always wondered: what would the closing of Edenbrook mean to E x MC’s relationship? Here’s my attempt to this part of the story.

Sorry in advance for any mistakes, English isn’t my first language.

Warnings: none, I guess (maybe a few smutty thoughts)

Words: 3K

Disclaimer: all characters owned by PB

Participating in @choicesfebchallenge Day14: Valentine

“Good morning Dr. Valentine. This is your day today, isn’t it?” The nurse Rose greeted Casey as she entered the free clinic.

“Good morning. Yeah, I get that a lot.” Casey tried a friendly smile. Since she had been a child everyone referred to her last name on Valentine’s Day, making a remark or joking around. As a teenager it had made her feel special, but by now she was tired of hearing it. Especially today.

She had been in a bad mood since she woke up and it had nothing to do with her last name or Rose. But it had everything to do with the man who simply ignored this day today, probably didn’t even know it existed. 

It was perfectly clear to Casey, that these kinds of traditions meant nothing to Ethan. Nevertheless, her disappointment was huge because she had had great expectations for today. After a few difficult weeks she had hoped that a romantic dinner could bring them closer together again.

After the gala and their public kiss everything had seemed perfect and she had spent some time on cloud number nine. But then Ethan gradually became distant and a little grumpy again. They both often worked double shifts and meetings outside the hospital became rare. And they never talked about their life after Edenbrook’s closing. Whenever they got close to that topic, Ethan would change the subject. And Casey was also in denial; she hadn’t applied to any jobs outside greater Boston because she didn’t want to lose Ethan. But maybe it was too late now anyway, she didn’t even know what point in their relationship they really were at.            

“Has he told you yet?” Sienna interrupted her thoughts.

“Hi Sienna. No, I still have no idea what we’re doing tonight.”

“Oh, that’s so romantic. For sure he has something incredibly special planned for the two of you.”

Casey tried to maintain a cheerful façade even though she actually felt like crying. But Sienna’s enthusiasm was also kind of sweet, so she managed a smile.

“You seem more excited than I am.”

“I’m hosting a lonely-hearts roomie dinner tonight, so at least let me enjoy the romance in your life.”

Casey felt bad that she was being dishonest with her friend. It was silly, but she would rather spend the night at the movies on her own and then sleep in an on-call room than admit to her friend that Ethan wasn’t going to take her out on a date. Besides, talking about it would make it more real: their relationship was probably on the rocks.

 A busy morning at the clinic kept Casey occupied and gave her no opportunity to dwell on her misery. As she was preparing an IV for a patient, she suddenly sensed someone right behind her.

“Dr. Valentine, can you please run some tests on this patient and then get back to me as soon as possible?”

Usually her favorite baritone voice quickened her heartbeat, but today it sounded businesslike and not appealing at all. When she turned around Ethan didn't meet her gaze. Instead, he just thrust a patient chart into her hand and was gone before Casey even had the chance to respond.

 At first, she stood there with her mouth open, unable to move, a dreadful feeling spreading through her chest. She had barely seen him all week and that was all she got?

When her vision started to get blurred by tears, she quickly ran to a supply closet, locked the door and sank to the floor.

 What now? She couldn’t decide whether she was more sad or mad. How could it be, that things went wrong so fast after everything they had been through together? And how dare he talk to her like a random intern, shoving that patient file into her hands so rudely. He wasn't even her boss anymore.

She still held the chart clutched to her chest and now wanted to check what seemed so urgent. But what she saw didn't make any sense. There was only a last name on it and an address, but everything else was blank. As she turned the page her heart took a leap. She wiped away a few tears and stared at the blank piece of paper. Two words stared back at her.

Dinner tonight?

When she finally remembered to breathe again, she flipped back to the first page and now the pieces were falling into place.

Sorellina, Huntington Ave.

She knew the name had sounded familiar. “Sorellina” wasn't a patient's name; it was the name of a fancy Italian restaurant in the Back Bay. To be sure she pulled out her phone and searched the internet. And what she found there brought a bright smile to her face.

 …the ultimate destination if you're looking to really impress a date…

.. one of the most romantic spots in the city…

…awesome place for date nights…

 So he didn’t forget after all! But why the strange behavior? Some things didn’t add up. You don’t get a reservation like this one day in advance. He must have planned this weeks ago. A lot had changed since and now maybe he just wanted to give them one last shot? He wouldn’t be so heartless to dump her on Valentine’s day, would he?

Casey was totally confused. Was she just misinterpreting the whole situation? But she couldn’t be that paranoid. Something was brewing and she was determined to find out tonight, no matter what. This time she would confront him and for once she wouldn’t let him off the hook so easily.

But first she had to get through the day somehow, and she had to head home during her lunchbreak to choose a breathtaking dress. And pack an overnight bag, just in case. Not to forget the special brand of scotch she had ordered for Ethan. And she had to tell Sienna. And…

Okay! First of all, she had to calm down and concentrate on her work. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she took a pen out of her pocket and wrote below Ethan’s message.

Tell me when and where and I’ll be there 💕

After leaving the supply closet she randomly grabbed two other files, placed hers in between and handed them to an intern. “Please get this to Dr. Ramsey immediately.” Then she went back to her patient, who was still waiting for his IV.

The day seemed to drag on endlessly. In the afternoon she found the piece of paper out of the fake patient file in her coat pocket.  

Dinner tonight?

Tell me when and where and I’ll be there 💕

my office, 7 pm 😊

 He had even drawn an emoji! Smiling she added one more line.

Dessert at your place?

Then she quickly ran upstairs, sneaked into Ethan’s office, and put the piece of paper onto his desk. Her eyes fell on the big clock on the wall: 4 pm! Three more hours to go.

 *******

Ethan sat behind his desk, already dressed in his tux, trying to focus on some files. But instead of working, he kept repeating in his head what he wanted to say tonight.

It was ridiculous. Usually, he gave speeches in front of hundreds of fellow doctors and here he was, being nervous about talking to one single woman. The difference was that he felt very qualified to talk about his profession, but he was totally insecure when it came to talking about his feelings. With Casey, he wasn't Dr. Ramsey, a famous and respected diagnostician; with her, he was simply Ethan, a man struggling with the changes in his life.

The sound of high heels echoed through the hallway and announced Casey's arrival. Trying to calm his nerves Ethan busied himself with his paperwork as she entered the office. He didn't raise his head, instead he just glanced at her over the rims of his glasses. As he did, she put her hands on her hips, pushing the winter coat aside to give him full view of her stunning dress. And it had the desired effect. The small piece of black nothingness took his breath away.

 “Dr. Ramsey, don't you think it's inappropriate to look at a colleague that way?”

He swallowed hard, but he wouldn’t let her tease him like that.

“Dr. Valentine, don't you think it's inappropriate to wear something like that in your workplace?”

She smirked at him.

“Not as much as taking it off right here in your office.”

Defeated he shook his head, a smile showing at the corners of his mouth. He had to fight the urge to leap over his desk and take her right there against the office door, but instead he only sighed deeply and reached for his coat. This had to wait.

“We better get going or I don't know what I'll do!”

Together they left the office and walked to his car, holding hands. But despite their little banter just now there was an odd silence between them.

*******

The restaurant really was the perfect setting for a special date. Casey was overwhelmed and also kind of intimidated by the atmosphere. To her, it felt more like a first date with a guy she had a crush on than a dinner with the man she had been dating for month. And Ethan seemed equally self-conscious. But after some champagne, they both loosened up and had a really great time.

Almost.

Casey knew Ethan too well by now not to notice that something was strange about him tonight. She couldn’t shake that nagging feeling in her gut.

Back in his apartment, after she had given him her gift, he sat down on the couch with a serious face and asked her to sit down as well.

“I have something for you, too”

Blushing slightly, he handed her a small box and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I wanted to…, I mean this is… Oh, just open it and then I’ll explain!”

Carefully, she lifted the lid of the box and saw, lying on a tiny silk cushion, a key. From the looks of it, she assumed it was the key to his apartment. Casey gave Ethan a questioning look and waited for the promised explanation. But it didn’t come. Ethan seemed uncomfortable and pinched the bridge of his nose. Finally, he just blurted it out.

“Want to move in with me?”

Of all the things she had expected him to say, this certainly wasn’t on the list. But why now? Hundreds of different thoughts whirled through Casey’s head all at once. At first she just stared at him, then she burst into tears. For a long time Ethan looked at her helplessly, finally he ran a hand through his hair in frustration and murmured: “Obviously not.”

At that, Casey’s head snapped up. “No, no, no! I do, of course I do!” She wiped some tears from her face and explained between occasional sobs.

“The thing is: Whenever I imagined moving in with you, I got sad about not living with my friends anymore. And now I’ve just realized it doesn’t matter because in a couple of weeks they’ll all be gone anyway, scattered across the country. I’m going to miss them so much. And since I don’t know where I am going to be, there’s no point in moving in with you either.”

She shook her head, trying to keep the tears at bay.

“I’m sorry I’m such a mess, it just seems that everything is falling apart. This morning I wasn’t even sure whether you want to break up with me or not and I thought that…”

“Whoa, hold it right there. What on earth are you talking about?”

From Ethan’s shocked expression Casey could tell that it had obviously never occurred to him to break up. Slightly embarrassed she continued in an unsteady voice.

“I mean, the way you’ve been acting lately, especially this morning, you’ve been so rude….”

Ethan gently caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, wiped away her tears, and sighed.

“Oh Casey, I’m so sorry. But you know me; you know that I hate talking in front of patients. And I had a lot on my mind; I’ve been nervous all day about our date.”

He smiled shyly and shook his head. Then his gaze darkened again, guilt clearly written on his face. His brows furrowed, and he backed away a little.

“Although you’re right that I’ve been putting some distance between us lately. But I needed clarity about the whole job situation. And us. All my life I’ve planned everything three steps ahead and then suddenly it felt like I was losing control. I know I can’t ask you to stay because you have to finish your residency at one of the best hospitals in the country. Thus, I have tortured myself to figure out how we can make things work and I’ve been miserable all this time. Until I realized the answer is fairly simple.”

Casey couldn’t believe that they had both been so distraught for weeks, and instead of sharing and confiding in each other, they were just brooding over the challenges ahead, each to their own. Slowly, the uneasy feeling inside her stomach began to dissipate, although she had no idea what he was talking about.

“What answer?”

Ethan took her hand and he gently drew circles on the back of it with his thumb, his eyes following its movement.

“Edenbrook has been my home for almost 12 years now, and if they take it away from me, what else is there? Naveen, of course, and my father nearby, but other than that ….”

All this time Casey held the box with the key in one hand. Now he took it from her and raised the key to eye level. Her gaze wandered back and forth between the key and Ethan. He cleared his throat in search of words, but they didn’t come. Her heart hammered in her chest, the tension almost unbearable. Finally, his blue eyes met hers and he found the courage to speak, his voice husky and low.

“This isn’t just the key to my apartment, Casey. This key means I want to live with you, wherever that may be.”

His last words were only a whisper. “If you’ll have me, that is.”

Casey couldn’t even begin to grasp what it all meant. She would be able to apply to any hospital in the country and Ethan would be with her. Live with her.

An overwhelming feeling of happiness spread through her body.

“You really would do this for me?”

“No, if I’m honest I’m doing this not for you but for myself. I don’t want to go back to being that grumpy cynic I once was before I met you. I’m lost without you.”

The full meaning of his words sent a prickling sensation down her spine, but she was also amused.

“Ethan, you’re one of the most famous and respected physicians, you’ve managed perfectly fine without me for 36 years.”

Ethan put down the key and the box from her hand and took both her hands, his gaze intense.

“But it’s taken me 36 years to find out what it means to be genuinely happy.”

Those last words took all her breath right out of her and her heart was ready to explode. His eyes pierced hers as he waited for a response.

He moved closer und squeezed her hands tightly, his eyes still dark.

“So, what do you say?”

She couldn’t resist the temptation to mess with him.

“Let me get this straight: You’re telling me, if I said no, there would be no one to tell you if you’re acting like a goddam diva again?”

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth realizing what she was getting at. “Probably.”

Grinning she went on. “And who would be there to help you with your social media accounts?”

“Nobody.”

Ethan’s eyes began to light up as she moved onto his lap, mischief in her smile.

“And there would be no one who would dare to tease you?”

“Right.”

Their faces were now only a breath away.

“And nobody there to make you pancakes?”

“Exactly. What would become of me?”

Her mouth moved to the side of his neck. After a line of soft kisses, she started nibbling on his earlobe and whispered. “And no one, who would do this?”

“Oh, I’m sure it’s not hard to find someb…”

She quickly backed away and punched his arm playfully. “Don’t you dare!”

Ethan was now gleaming all over his face. He tucked a finger under her chin and gently nudged her nose with his. “So is that a YES?”

“Do I even have a choice?”

“Not really!”

And then at last his lips found hers, first slowly, barely touching, until they both gave in and melted into each other. All the tension of the day, all the pent-up emotions of the past weeks fell off and there was only him and her. While the kisses grew more and more urgent, his hands started to roam over her body and slowly he unzipped her dress. As his warm hand gently slid down her back, Casey felt his hot breath on her ear.

“If I remember correctly, you promised me dessert.”

“We already had a selection of delicious Italian desserts.”

“But I’m still very hungry. And first of all, this dress has to go. The sight of it has been tormenting me all evening.”

*****

The bedroom was almost dark. Ethan lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. He was unable to put his mind to rest after the events of the day. He turned over to watch the stunning woman sleeping next to him. The moonlight on her face made her even look more beautiful. From now on, he would have the privilege of waking up to this sight every morning. That thought alone made his heart leap.

Gently, he draped the sheets over her shoulder, brushed her hair out of her face and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek; always careful not to wake her.

Smiling down at her he whispered. “I love you, Casey Valentine.”

Never before had these words left his lips. And now didn’t even count either because she couldn’t hear them. He had tried to tell her many times, but the moment never seemed right. Today would have been the perfect occasion, but he had chickened out again.

It was absurd. They had started to plan their future together. Why was it so hard? Three simple words!

Laying back down he whispered, more to himself.

“I’m going to tell you. Soon.

Maybe tomorrow.”

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

Thank you if you have made it so far.

This piece has really been a challenge, it took me forever. I’ve changed it a couple of times and I am still not quite satisfied, but at some point you just have to let go.

Tagging seperately.

[lem-20]

Past and Future

Summary: Set a little bit down the line. MC & Ethan discuss the story of how they met and what they want in the future.

Book/Pairing: Open Heart/Ethan Ramsey x f!MC (Cecilia Gibson)

Category/Rating: Fluff/General (one use of mild language)

Word Count:<700

Prompts: @choicesficwriterscreations Silly love stories Day 5: Meet cute

@choicesfebchallenge Day 11: Flash forward

@wackydrabbles "Stop looking at me like that." (Will appear in bold).

Disclaimer: Characters owned by Pixelberry.

A/N: I wanted to write something fluffy after my With Every Heartbeat fic earlier in the week 🥺 And this is super fluffy! 😆

Ethan stroked her hair softly as she rested her head in his lap. It still amazed him that something as simple as sitting on the couch watching TV, could make him feel so happy and content. It certainly hadn't been that way when his evenings were spent alone. But apparently when you're madly in love with someone, their presence makes everything infinitely more enjoyable.

She rolled onto her back and looked up at him with a smile.

"You okay?" he asked, as he continued to run his fingers through her long blonde hair.

"Yeah. I just remembered a conversation I had with a patient earlier. She was telling me about how she met her husband."

"You love hearing people's life stories don't you?"

"I do. It's one of the best parts of the job," she grinned. "Anyway, she was telling me that they lived on the same street, but had never spoken to each other. Then one day, it had been snowing, and they were walking opposite ways down the sidewalk. Just as she was passing him, she slipped on some ice and he caught her. And now they've been married for 50 years and have like 12 grandkids," she beamed at him.

"Where are you going with this?" he asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Stop looking at me like that. I thought it was cute, that's all," she said, biting her lip. "And it made me think of when we first met."

"There we go. Let's reminise fondly back to when you thought I was an asshole," he smirked.

"Well you know I didn't think that for long," she giggled.

"Hmm, yes lucky me," he smiled before pulling her up for a kiss. "I'm sorry our first encounter wasn't cute. But you know why I was like that."

"I know. You wanted to be a good mentor, to push me to be the best I could be...and you were totally in denial over how hot you thought I was."

"Oh, there was no denying that," he said with a chuckle.

"Oh really?" she replied with raised eyebrows. "Our first meeting wasn't all that bad though. It had excitement and drama, someone nearly died...I guess it'll be a fun story to tell the grandkids," she teased, but held his gaze.

She was doing that thing again. Where she would say something as though she was joking, but really it was her way of testing the water or trying to get him to talk about something serious.

Their future was something he had been thinking about a lot since he asked her to move in with him two months previously. He could tell that Cecilia wanted to talk about it, but she always seemed to tiptoe around the subject, almost as though she was afraid of what his answer would be. He couldn't blame her of course, after everything he'd put her through during the first couple of years they'd known each other.

Why she was so patient and so persistent, he'd never truly understand. But he'd be eternally grateful that she had been. Those days of confliction and doubt were well in the past—he was entirely certain of his feelings for her now.

He'd never really understood love until she came into his life. It had made him do some stupid and reckless things, but it also made him happier than he had ever been before.

If she wanted marriage, he'd marry her. If she wanted babies, they'd have babies. Not just because he wanted to give her the world and to see her happy, but because he wanted to share those things with her. He wanted to experience the joy of making a life and a family with the woman he loved and he wanted her to know he'd welcome those things in the future.

He gently stroked her cheek as she looked into his eyes. "Yes it will," he replied.

And the smile that appeared on her face, was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

~~~~

Thank you so much for reading ❤

~~~~

Tags: @pixie88 @lifeaskim @shewillreadyou @queencarb @udishaman @lucy-268 @starrystarrytrouble @txemrn @ethanramseylover @schnitzelbutterfingers @drariellevalentine @irisofpurple @alina-yol-ramsey @maurine07 @stygianflood @iemcpbchoices @aussieez @openheartfanfics @aarisa-frost @binny1985

[argylemnwrites]

Settled

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x MC (Cassie Vanderfield); Roomies (+ Bryce and Rafael) friendship also featured

Book: Open Heart (~5 weeks post book 2)

Word Count: ~1400

Rating: PG-13 (rare language)

Summary: A long standing bet is about to be settled.

Author’s Note: Inspiration for this piece comes from a real experience in my undergrad dorm. It also works as a loose follow up to my pieces “Enough” and “Some Definition.” Also written for Day 28 of the @choicesfebchallenge - Closure.

Bryce felt his eyes getting heavy in spite of the early hour and the movie playing across the room. He had just come off a night float block, serving both as the senior resident overnight for the three gen surg wards and completing any ED surgical consults that came in from 5 pm to 7 am. Even though he’d only had to work 18 shifts over the past 28 days, each shift had been frantic, often with barely enough down time to inhale a sandwich. On top of that, he’d basically hadn’t gotten a chance to see the inside of the OR at all. The senior carrying the trauma pager usually got all the overnight cases, since there weren’t many non-traumas that went to the OR in the middle of the night. For the few remaining cases, unless it was a particularly complex case, the attendings usually prioritized letting the interns covering the wards overnight gain some experience. As an intern, Bryce had loved that culture in Edenbrook, but now that he was on the other side, he felt a bit jealous, even if he knew it wasn’t fair.

He was just kind of burnt out, if he had to put a label on things. He’d felt more like an internal med resident for most of the block, something Cassie had teased him about endlessly. But he just didn’t find the work as rewarding as actually operating, the shifts were exhausting, and now, almost a full week off of that block, he was still working to adjust his sleep schedule back to days. Hence him falling asleep in the middle of an action movie at Cassie’s with her roommates and Raf at 6 pm.

“Is he out?” he heard Sienna hiss out, obviously whispering in case he was asleep, forgetting that fact that her voice was far quieter than the explosions currently happening on screen.

“No, he’s not,” Bryce whispered back, drawing a chuckle and a little elbow nudge from Cassie. He dragged his eyes back open to find her turned to face him on the sectional, so he gave her a little grin before he dropped his head to her shoulder and closed his eyes again. “But he might be soon.”

“Seriously?” asked Raf, his voice drifting up from the floor where he and Aurora were lounging in front of the coffee table. “I didn’t think you’d be one to sleep through the latest Tommy Phelps blockbuster.”

“Lahela is a little baby who is still whining about the fact that he was on nights a week ago.” Jackie’s voice was the next one to fill the room. “Or maybe he has the right idea and is done with this dumb garbage. Why did I get up early for this again?”

“Because we only have one year left where we are all going to be in Boston for sure, and times where we are all off for a movie are rare!” Sienna cried out. Bryce felt Cassie shift slightly, presumably reaching over to hold Sienna’s hand or rub her back, but she didn’t move so much that his head was more than slightly jostled on her shoulder.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean we had to watch this. Elijah, you don’t get to pick for movie night ever again.” Jackie added.

“Hey, I know my selections aren’t always the most popular, but this wasn’t me!”

“Alright, then who is responsi-”

“It was my pick,” said Aurora. Bryce squinted an eye open at that, glancing down to Aurora, who had twisted around to face Jackie. “What can I say? Sometimes I just need to turn my brain off and watch some shlock.”

“It’s better with a beer,” Raf said with a shrug, before lifting his bottle to his lips and taking a drink. 

“Well, I have to head in for a shift in a couple of hours, so that’s not an option for me,” Jackie said, “so I might have to take a page out of Bryce’s book and just nap.”

Bryce swung his foot towards her as he let his eyes close again, nudging her shin. “Shut up, Varma.”

“What? I’m not mocking you.”

“Sure.”

“I mean, there is plenty for me to mock you for always, but right now I’m not. Avoiding this movie and using Cassie as a pillow is one of your smarter choices.”

“I’m not using her as a human pillow. This is just part of boyfriend privileges, right Cass?”

“Absolutely,” Cassie said, but the room got suddenly very quiet as the explosions and gunfire came to an abrupt halt.

“Why’d you pause the movie?” asked Cassie, but no one answered her. Instead, Aurora asked a different question.

“Elijah, you still got the calendar?”

“Yup, lemme pull it up. I’m pretty sure everyone’s date has already passed, though.”

“What are you guys talking about?”

The room was silent for a few moments, so Bryce opened his eyes and dragged his head off of Cassie’s shoulder, glancing around the room and taking in everyone aggressively avoiding eye contact with him and Cassie. “Seriously, what’s going on?” 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, it’s not that bid a deal,” Jackie said with an eye roll. “We had a bet on when you guys would officially be together.”

It took Bryce a couple of seconds to process what she’d said. “Wait, seriously?” he asked with a chuckle.

“It was Elijah’s who organized it,” said Raf, earning him a pillow in the face from Elijah.

“Hey, man!”

“What, it’s the truth?”

“When did you guys start this?” Cassie asked. She was twisting her fingers over each other in her lap, so Bryce slid his right hand in between hers, tugging her left hand over into his lap.

“Elijah took my bet the day after the Hopeful Hearts Gala,” said Aurora, “and I think I was the first one to pick a date. After Elijah, obviously.”

“Wait, this has been going on for months?” Bryce asked.

“Well, you two have been all over each other for years,” said Jackie.

“And you were all in on this? Even you, Sienna?” asked Cassie as she glanced around the room from person to person.

Bryce leaned forward to peer around Cassie. Sienna cheeks were flushed, but she didn’t shy away from looking at the two of them.

“I mean, I was rooting for you two! Plus, Elijah had a PowerPoint which made it all feel so official! And, I don’t know, we’ve all been waiting for you guys to-”

“What she means is we’ve all had to put up with your obnoxious flirting for far too long to not have a bit of fun,” Jackie said, cutting off Sienna’s ramble. However, one thing Sienna said stuck out to him, and apparently to Cassie.

“Elijah, you made a PowerPoint?” she asked, her free hand coming up to her cheek.

It was Elijah’s turn to have his cheeks darken, but he just gave a little shrug. “Like Jackie said, this has been a long time coming. And I was bored in allergy clinic.”

“It was quite the presentation,” said Raf.

“Yeah, we’re gonna need to see that,” added Bryce, shooting Cassie a wink as she shook her head lightly.

“I don’t know if I still have it.” Elijah answered just a little too quickly, making Bryce think he very much did still have it and had no intention of showing it to them. But before he could push him on that, Jackie asked Elijah another question.

“So, quit stalling. Who’s the winner?”

Elijah just shook his head. “Like I said, we all lost. Brittany was the last date, and even hers passed last month.”

“Wait, you got the gen surg residents involved in this as well?” Bryce asked.

“We’ve all been subjected to your prolonged and public teasing,” said Jackie, raising an eyebrow as if daring him to fight her on that statement.

“I mean, I know we’re a good looking couple, but this level of fascination is beyond what even I could have expected.” Bryce’s statement drew groans from almost everyone in the room and pillows chucked at him by Raf, Aurora, and Jackie, but all he could do was squeeze Cassie’s hand before snuggling up against her again, settling in for the end of the movie… and likely a little nap. Their friends could tease them all they wanted. They were happy, and that was all that really mattered.

Permatag: @choicesficwriterscreations @walkerswhiskeygirl  @octobereighth  @kimmiedoo5  @mom2000aggie

Open Heart: @mskaneko @omgjasminesimone @debramcg1106

Bryce x MC: @lahellacute @weaving-in-words  @anotherbeingsworld  @chaotichuman0090 @fortunatelywaywardsandwich   @dreaming-of-movies  @choicesarehard  @srta-give-me-my-jax-rl  @sunnyxdazed​

[luxurylives]

@choicesfebchallenge - Day Twenty: Troubled Waters

Thank you so much @red-nightskies for drawing Sam Dalton, MC, Sofia Russo, and Robin Flores from The Nanny Affair 😊

[bebepac]

A Quarter For Your Thoughts

This is chapter 6 of Just The Way You are.  To catch up on what you’ve been reading click:  Just the Way You Are Masterlist

The Book:  CROSSOVER: Perfect Match x TRR

Pairing:  Hayden x Kai  /  TRR MC is single (past pairing includes Nico Karahalios) 

Word Count: 2489

Summary:  Liam walks Riley home after some strange things happens.  Even more strange events continue as Liam goes inside Riley’s apartment for the first time.  Hayden and Kai have a date night out with Dipper.  

Riley, Liam, Hayden, Kai, Chance and Dipper, all belong to Pixelberry, all others are my own characters to help tell our story. 

Warnings: Mention of character death, Profanity.

This is my submission for @choicesfebchallenge​ day #9  Chance.  Which I took completely literal. 

A/N:  DW is at it again.  We have two special guest stars in this episode  Pops and Mia visit Just The Way You Are, from my series: Pops Place. The dynamic is slightly different as they have crossed into this AU.  You’ll see. 

Song Inspiration:  “If I Could Turn Back The Hands Of Time” R Kelly 

I don’t own rights to the Music.

She walked in silence with Liam, holding the quarter tight in her hand. Could Liam have given it to her? It didn't make sense, why or how she got the coin, unless Nico really came to her. But Riley didn't believe in the supernatural, Riley barely believed in God in recent years, her faith completely shaken, and honestly nonexistent after Nico's untimely passing.

The idea of peace of having religion in her life Riley found comforting. However, she hated the idea of the same entity that placed Nico in her life for her to love, had not even two years later ripped him away from her so suddenly, it was cruel.  How could something supposedly so good,  be so cruel?

He murdered Nico. That's what Donovan Jacobs did when he decided to get behind the wheel of his SUV knowing he should not be driving and him striking Nico's SUV, essentially taking the greatly loved father, son, soon to be fiancé (we know Riley would have accepted his proposal), and best friend. There was hurt and anger in Riley's heart now for it and he was going to feel every bit of it when she gazed upon his face at the trial.

Riley had only seen Donovan's picture in the paper. But trust and believe she hated the man.

"Are you going home Riley? Maybe you should lay down for a bit once you get there."

"That might be a good idea."

"Do you mind if I walk  with you? I just don't want you to get dizzy again and be alone."

Riley nodded.

He helped her gather her blanket and guitar. He glanced down seeing a little cop car on his headstone.

"That's cute."

"Nico was a criminal profiler for the NYPD. His son left it."

"You have a son?"

"He's not my blood, but I feel like he's mine. He just turned 10 two months ago.  He’s still a very large part of my life. I see him at least several times a week."

"That's good you’ve stayed consistent for him. Often times... when relationships.....end... the kids are left missing the person they got to know."

"He has a lot of father figures in his life now to try to help him cope, my brother and my friends, we make sure he's loved."

"That's noble of your friends."

When they arrived at the apartment she noticed Liam was sweating a little.

"Do you want to come up and cool off for a bit? Maybe have a drink?"

"I don't drink."

"It's barely past noon. I'm not an alcoholic. I meant like lemonade or something."

Liam laughed,  "My bad. Sure."

Liam followed Riley to her apartment. Her door was painted a bright pink.

"That's unique."

She glanced at him.

"That means you hate it."

"No it's unique. I like pink.  Men can like pink."

He winked at Riley.

Riley opened the door to her apartment.

Putting her keys in the dish beside the door. Riley's apartment was spacious, decorated, nice and neat.

"Here Chance!"  She called out to a small Corgi that came running around the corner.

Riley was a few paces in front of Liam.  Chance ran right around Riley and barked happily at Liam.

Riley turned around and looked at Liam.

Liam picked up Chance and laughed as he licked his  face.

"Hey Buddy."

"He normally doesn't like strangers."

"Yeah I can tell he's absolutely ruthless. You've got quite the attack dog here Riley."

Riley laughed out loud.

He put Chance down.

Chance started rolling over on the floor, in front of Liam, and he had crouched down, giving Chance tummy scratches.

"My attack dog is absolutely worthless! See why I have a conceal and carry? He'd lick our intruder to death."

Liam smiled.

"Well at least he killed them. Kindness might not be the most effective route  though."

Riley burst out laughing.

He loved her laugh, and she seemed to like his corny jokes.

"Do you mind if I use your bathroom?"

"Sure it's…." Riley's phone rang. She paused to answer.

Liam knew walked down the hallway. He knew exactly where it was.

When he was done he could hear Riley still on the phone.  She was speaking in Greek again.  He walked into her room glancing around it.  It caught the light of the sun. He walked to her night table and on it there was a man's watch.

He picked it up. Maybe she was seeing someone. He turned the watch over finding, it was broken and the time on the watch was 6:32. He knew immediately what he was looking at. Nico's watch, and time the accident happened.  He put the watch down and picked up the picture frame.  It was Riley, with who he was guessing was Nico, in a cute candid photo. Riley was wearing a blue dress her head tilted back laughing while Nico held her tight in his arms. When his fingers grazed the face of the watch he felt a jolt of electricity go through him causing the watch to drop back on the night table.

Laughter. Riley's laughter was soft in his ear. He wrapped his arms around her while he was wearing the watch.

What the?.... he thought. But it was still working. He noticed the second hand still moving. What is this? Liam thought.

"No, stay in bed with me. Both of us are off today."

That wasn't his voice he thought.

"I'm hungry, I'm going to make us some breakfast. You relax. You work so hard."

He hugged her tightly.  "You feed those curves Girl."

Riley got out of bed exposing her naked body to him.

Liam gasped. Holy hell!!! God she was perfect in every way.

Then he heard his voice, but not his voice say..

"I love every inch of your sexy body Riley. You're so beautiful, you're my goddess."

She slipped her robe on. "Well your Goddess says go back to sleep." She kissed his lips softly.

"What are you doing?"

Liam jumped, and could still taste Riley on his lips when he opened his eyes.

He didn't know what happened, following her eyes to the floor. He had dropped her picture frame.

"I'm so….so  sorry Riley."

"It's okay, just let me clean it up. You go back to the living room."

Riley was carefully picking up the pieces of glass.

She glanced back at Liam as he walked out the door. Chance followed behind him, like he was his shadow.

When she came back in the room both Liam and Chance looked sad. Chance was sitting on Liam's lap.

"I'm sooo sorry Riley." Liam's voice was so apologetic.

"It's okay Liam. It was an accident."  She carried two glasses of lemonade and handed him one.

"Thank you."

"I've never seen Chance so taken with someone."

In minutes, Chance had already fallen asleep in Liam's lap.

"He must recognize dog people. They always had therapy dogs visit  when I was in the hospital. Dogs are so good at sensing when you are alone, scared or sad."

"What were you in the hospital for?"

"Not winning the genetic lottery." Liam smiled weakly.

"Are you okay now?"

"Yes, Things are great!"

"My friend Drake says that all the time."

There was something about his life that he wasn't ready to share either. She could relate to that.

Riley changed the subject and they continued to talk. Time flew by.  Chance finally woke up.

"Oh thank God," Liam said standing up. "My legs are asleep."

"He does that to me too. Looks like you're his favorite person now."

"Then maybe we should see more of each other at places he might frequent.  I guess he can bring you along too, Riley. You know to the dog walking park, the fire hydrant right out front, the vet?”

Riley smiled again.  

“Chance you call me when you want to hang out brotha.”  

Riley bit her lip.  “Maybe Chance would like to have breakfast tomorrow.”  

“It is the most important meal of the day I hear.  We should start our day off right.  Good thinking Chance. I’d like that.”  

“Take care of yourself Riley.  See you tomorrow Chance.”  

Chance barked excitedly.  

Riley hurried and changed clothes to get ready to head over to Nico’s mother’s house for dinner.  

“I want to get out of the house tonight Hayden.  Let’s do something out tonight.”

“There’s a movie on the lawn at the park.”  

“What’s playing?”

“Since it's almost Halloween they are doing a Fright Night Series. Stir of Echoes.”  

“Oooooh. Spooky I love that one!!!!!  What food truck do they have tonight?  Please say it’s Pop’s On The Go. I really need you to say it’s Pop’s on the Go.”  

“Well Kai I hate to disappoint you, but the food truck they’re having is…. Pop’s On The Go.”  

Kai was ready to be disappointed until she had realized fully what he said.

“Pops and Mia are so cute,  they banter back and forth together they are adorable.  I really wish they had an actual restaurant.  I definitely would eat there all the time.   His chilli cheese fries are life.”  

“So do we want blankets or folding chairs?”

“We want blankets,” they both said in unison smiling at each other.  

They got their blankets  and headed to the park with Dipper in tow.  

“Dipper be a good girl and mommy will give you some chilli cheese fries.”  

Dipper barked happily.

“You will not give our baby chilli cheese fries.  Has she had chilli cheese fries before?”

Kai shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe?"

“Kai, seriously?”

“She’s got a stomach of rocks like her Momma.”  

“Kai…..”  

“You love me.”  

“Let’s get us our chilli cheese fries.  None for Dipper.”  

“Hey Pops!”  

“Kai! I knew I’d be seeing you tonight! You always seem to make it out this way when our truck is out here.”

“You have the best snacks around Pops.  Can we get two orders of chilli cheese fries, with two colas?”

“And I got something for you Dipper.”  

Pops took out a box of dog treats.  

“Got to make all my customers happy.”  

He handed Hayden dog treats for Dipper.

“Thank you Pops.”  

“Mia, did you make those shirts?”

Mia nodded.  

Pops and Mia were wearing matching shirts.  There were also a few hanging on the side of the van.  

“You should be in design school, you’d do really well there.”  

“It’s just a hobby.”

“Looks like an untapped revenue stream to me.”  Hayden responded.

“We’ll also be taking two of your shirts too.”  

Mia perked up.  “Really?”

“See, I told you people would like them Pops.”

“Yep Pops, you’re looking stylish.”

Pop's stuck his chest out proudly. "She makes me a stylish and proud pops every day!"

Pops gave Mia a smile as she pulled down the shorts they wanted, and bagged them up.

They paid for their food and their shirts and picked a comfy spot on the lawn.

Hayden placed their blankets on the ground while Kai held the food.  He set up their large blanket first,  and even Dipper got her own Dipper sized blanket to curl up on and in.   Dipper quickly curled up on her own little blanket, while Hayden and Kai got settled under the tree.  

He loved watching Kai watch movies. She had so many. Hayden had to build another book shelf for Kai's DVD collection.  And this movie he had seen with her several times.  Kai was engrossed in the movie as if it was her first time watching it.

“And all this happened because he was hypnotized to be more open minded.  It’s crazy and I love it!!!”

Kai begrudgingly went to the bathroom seeing Mia walking out.

"Mia! Your shirts you made are truly awesome.”

“Thanks Kai, that means a lot.”  

“And I was serious about design school, how old are you now Mia?”

“I’m nineteen.”  

“You should be in college sweetheart.”

“Pops needs me. Things have been really hard for us.  I used to think about things like college before Mom got sick.  She had cancer.”

“She’s in remission?”  

“No… she died.”  

“I’m so sorry Mia.”  

Mia’s eyes filled with tears.  

“So my last two years of high school my grades weren’t good.  I helped take care of my mom and worked with Pops.  I probably couldn’t get into a design school anyway.”  

That sweet young girl, that always had a smile on her face every time she saw her, was carrying the weight of the world in her heart.  

She hugged Mia.  

“You’re going to get the chance to chase your dream Mia.  Please don’t give up on it.”  

“Thank you Kai, I’ve got to get back.”

Kai headed back over to Hayden embracing him.  

“What’s wrong?”  

Kai told him about her exchange with Mia.

"I'm gonna call Hana and see if she has some contacts out this way that can see Mia's work.

"That's nice of you Kai."

"Mia's a good kid, she shouldn't have to give up on her dream because her family has had a rough time."

Liam got a text early that next morning.  "Chance couldn't make it, and he was wondering if it was okay for Riley to meet him instead?"

"Sure, I guess Riley is an okay substitute,  though I was kind of looking forward to hanging out with my main man Chance."

Riley smiled down at the text.  What was that feeling she was feeling in her heart. She took a deep breath. She went over to her dresser expecting it to be gone. She imagined it all. But the coin was still there.  She put it in her pocket. And headed to the restaurant.  

Riley was already there when he got there.

He walked up to her pulling out the chair and sitting across from her.

Her glance shot up at him.

"Um….."

"Hey, how are you doing?"

"Fine… Can I help you?"

"I know I wasn't who you were expecting as a breakfast buddy today."

Liam smiled at his joke. Riley did not.

"I actually wasn't expecting anyone."

"Okay…." He wasn't quite sure what game Riley was playing.

"So are you going to order the same thing or get something different?"

"We don't know each other."

"Riley, you're acting really strange."

"That's your problem right there, I'm not Riley, I'm her sister."

He wondered if this had anything to do with her fainting yesterday.

"Riley, this is weird and teetering on the edge of certifiable. You invited me to breakfast and if you didn't want to meet up, you could have said and pretended to be, oh I don't know your twin sister? Thanks but no thanks."

"Not Riley, corny jokes dude! You seem like just the type she would like."

Liam jumped up from the table heading towards the door. When he saw her. Riley was walking through the door.  She smiled at him.

Liam halted in his tracks.

"Hi Liam, I hope I'm not too late. Chance was upset he couldn't make it and I had to cheer him up."

She smiled. Liam looked incredibly confused.

Liam glanced back at the woman sitting at the table. She smirked at him.

"Told you, I'm not Riley." She waved at him.

He turned around to face Riley again.

"So…. I guess you met my twin sister Taylor."

Tagging: @dcbbw @queenjilian @jessiembruno @bbrandy2002 @khoicesbyk @janezillow @sillypapermango @gkittylove99 @gabesmommie1130 @mom2000aggie @jared2612 @shewillreadyou @zoehanji @queenwalton @kingliam2019 @mrsdrakewalkerblog @hopefulmoonobject @hopelessromanticmonie @lovablegranny @batgirlassociationofgothamcity @iaminlovewithtrr @iam-the-kind-and-thoughtful  @ladyangel70 @twinkleallnight @kat-tia801 @caseyvalentineramsey @thequeenchoices @yourmajesty09 @secretaryunpaid @sfb123 @neotericthemis @royalromancer​ @sweatyrysconnoisseur​

[monsoonblooms12]

The Edenbrook Gang at Japan🌸

Some lovely lil spoilers of In Sunshine and In Shadow and a Sneak Peek of the Gang's future trip✈

@choicesfebchallenge Day 11: Flashforward and Day 24: Bon Voyage!

Tagging (Please let me know if you want to be added or removed): @bbrandy2002 @whimsicallywayward15 @ohramsey  @hopelessromanticmonie @trrfanaddict @nervoussaladsludgeopera @imonlybibecauseofethanramsey @lovablegranny @bellcat2010 @gkittylove99 @starrystarrytrouble @3riche @chetachisblog @zoehanji @withbeautyandrage  @drariellevalentine @mvalentine ​ @aestheticartsx ​@angela8754 ​ @schnitzelbutterfingers ​ @ao719 ​ @choicesstan1 @nikki-2406 ​ @neotericthemis ​ @anotherbeingsworld @maurine07

[lorirwritesfanfic]

When Size Doesn’t Matter

Author's note: It has been a minute since the last time I wrote Liam and Jade, but this is a special occasion. This late submission to @choicesfebchallenge​​ (sorry for the delay 😓) is dedicated to the great among the greatest @itslaniquelove​ not just as a thank you for the lovely Hamid x MC she wrote for me, but also as belated birthday gift. I’m so sorry I forgot, love (my old lady brain can’t be trusted). But I hope you’re having a wonderful personal new year 😘 [All characters are owned by Pixelberry Studios] Book: The Royal Romance Pairing: Liam Rys x MC (Jade) Rating: M Word count: 2104 Summary: Things get out of hand when Jade decides to look for inspiration to write her husband a love letter Based on the prompts: CFWC Silly Love Stories: Day 11 - Size difference / Choices February Challenge: Day 10 - Letter / 1950

Warning: This piece contains adult material (description of near death experience related to heights) which may be disturbing/offensive for some people. Reader discretion is advised.

The smell of fresh baked chocolate cake permeated the air when Jade opened the oven and took two heart-shaped cake tins out of it. She grinned, admiring the results of her handiwork, and placed them on the cooling rack.

"Hana, come look at this." The queen cheered.

Leaving a spatula inside the bowl where melted dark chocolate was being mixed with heavy cream, the lady approached her friend and analyzed the cakes. "It looks great, Jade! Are you sure you haven't prepared a Devil food's cake before?"

"I haven't. I had no idea hot water and baking soda would make such differences on the texture."

"There's always a trick here and there to help something good become better," Hana explained.

"But don't you think it'll be too small?"

"I think this is the perfect size for the two of you."

"If you say so…" Jade shrugged. "How's the ganache going?"

"It's pretty much done. All we have to do is wait for it to cool off to put it in the piping bag and decorate. I’ll handle that part."

"Excellent." The queen's smile faltered for a moment. "Hana?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think this is corny?"

"What?"

"You know… Planning a surprise dinner date, baking a heart chocolate cake for my husband, writing him a letter. Is it corny?" The queen picked at an invisible cuticle on her perfectly manicured finger.

"No. He likes chocolate cake and—." Hana trailed off and looked at her friend in confusion. "Did you just say you're going to write him a letter?"

"Maybe…"

"Maybe?"

"I know my skills as a writer are as good as Liam's abilities with house chores, but I want to do something nice for him. He writes love letters to me when we have to spend more than five days apart."

"That's so sweet." Hana gushed. "I didn't know he did that."

"He does. Even the little notes he writes are so full of love. And I want to reply with more than 'I love you too' and heart eyes emojis."

"Do you draw heart eyes emojis in replies?" Hana gave her friend a look.

"What? They're cute! And my drawing skills are not all bad."

“Okay…” The lady grinned. "I think I understand where this is coming from and I know how you can improve your writing skills to write him the perfect love letter."

"Oh?"

"Go to the library and check the literature book section. Liam's favorite poetry books are there on the top shelves."

"How do you know that?"

"I like to go there sometimes in my spare time. You know that."

Jade nodded.

"One day I went to the library to finish reading a wonderful poetry book of a Portuguese author that I found but it wasn't there. When I asked the librarian, she said Liam took the book to the Royal chambers. Then she showed where all his favorite books are stored."

"No wonder you are the smartest Royal counselor we have. How do you always know key information about these things?"

"This information isn't actually so valuable when you're not the queen or friend's with her," Hana pointed out.

"You know what I meant," the queen narrowed her eyes playfully.

"Yeah, I do..." Hana lifted her chin as if feigning pretentiousness.

The two of them chuckled.

"So now that I have this valuable information, help me find those books."

"Of course." Hana picked up the queen's tablet from its holder and began to tap the screen.

Liam smiled at the last citizen and watched them walk out of the throne room. It was no secret to anyone that public audiences were exhausting. Still, he always believed these meetings kept him grounded and made him capable of understanding what the people of his kingdom hoped from life in Cornodia and from its leaders. After one more task completed, he stood up and, followed by his security detail, he marched to the door leading to the hallway that crossed the entire palace to return to his office.

On his way back, he greeted every single staff member and guest and answered a few brief phone calls. As he passed by the library, he found his wife's bodyguard standing by the door.

"Good evening, Mara."

"Good evening, Your Majesty." The guard nodded politely.

"Is Jade in the library?"

"Yes, sir."

"Why are you outside?"

"Her Royal Majesty asked for privacy, sir."

"To read books?"

The bodyguard looked down.

"Mara?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Yes, sir."

"What is my wife doing in the library by herself?"

"I wouldn't know, sir."

"You don't think this could be potentially dangerous?" He pressed his lips together and glared at her.

"I'm sure the queen can handle a few books by herself, sir."

The king shook his head in annoyance. Though most people would think his actions were somewhat overbearing, he knew his wife far too well and easily recognized the signs. She was clearly up to something. But hopefully, her impulsive behavior wouldn't lead to something dangerous this time.

He was about to return to his office when a loud high pitched scream coming from the library reverberated through the walls. The king stopped on his tracks and looked back.

"HELP!" The queen yelled.

As he recognized her voice, the guards promptly opened the library and rushed into the large room, following Liam in the search for the queen.

"Jade?" He yelled.

"Liam? Help!"

"I'll be right there!"

The king ran in the direction of her voice and stepped into the literature section.

"Jade?"

He scanned the surroundings confused to see a few books, a notepad, a pencil, and one of her flats scattered across the floor. Near those objects, the long wooden ladder that should have been leaned against the bookshelf.

"Up here!" She shouted.

Holding herself to the bottom of the highest cabinet, the queen looked scared like he has never seen before. The three and a half meters tall bookshelf was quite intimidating. It didn't use to be a problem for his eight-year-old self, who used the highest cabinet as his secret spot in the palace when he wanted to be alone. Yet, his twenty-eight-year-old wife certainly didn't feel the same about it.

"Hold on!" He shouted and picked up the ladder only to realize it was broken, probably from the impact with the floor. "Ugh…we need another ladder.”

But as the king was about to leave the section, Jade screamed. “Liam, please don’t leave me here!”

Turning back to her, he nodded. “Bastien! Mara!"

"Your Majesty!" Mara rushed into the book section, eyes clouded with worry as she inspected the scene before her. 

"Grab another ladder!" The king commanded.

"Yes, sir!" She quickly disappeared into the library.

"Liam, I don't know how much longer I can't hold on," the queen whined as her arms and hands began to ache.

"Just a little longer, my love. You can do this."

Just then, Bastien and Mara arrived with a metal ladder. Following right behind, the other guards had another ladder and ropes in case the queen needed extra help. After a couple of minutes, Jade was back on the ground, looking visibly pale and tired.

Without saying a word, the queen wrapped her arms around her husband and sobbed.

Liam held her close, kissed the top of her head and tried to calm his wife. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head in response.

"It's okay, my love. You did great up there," he whispered, caressing her hair as she continued to cry, burying her face on his chest. "You're okay."

Leaving a water bottle next to them, the guards bowed to the monarchs and left the book section.

The king then took the handkerchief from his pocket and placed it in her hand.

"Thank you." She said quietly before dabbing the cotton fabric to her eyes.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"Yes. But can we sit down first?"

"Sure."

The couple sat on the floor and, after drinking some of the water, Jade hugged her legs and started to speak. "I was looking for your favorite poetry books. The librarian told me they're in the top cabinets and I went there to pick one. I was trying to reach one from the top cabinet but my foot slipped when the rung broke."

His eyebrows rose in surprise.

"It could have been worse if I didn't hold onto the shelves before the ladder fell on the floor.” She frowned. “Why are your favorite books so high?"

"Father asked the librarian to put all of them over there because I couldn't reach them. The only books with easy access here are the ones about geopolitics, history, philosophy, sociology…"

"A.K.A. books future monarchs must read?"

"Precisely. He didn't know I kinda liked the challenge of going up there. That empty space over there used to be my hiding spot while growing up." He pointed to a corner shelf with fewer books on.

"It's really high even for us as adults. Weren't you scared back then?"

"Not at all."

"Whoa…" She mumbled in bewilderment.

"Why did you want to read poetry books?"

"I wanted to write you a love letter. But as you know, I'm not so good with words." Jade averted her gaze.

"That's not true. You always write your own speeches."

"That the Royal Communications department always proofread."

"They proofread both of our speeches."

"But they just check if you didn't miss any topics. They don't 'suggest' you change parts of it because you came across as 'too harsh’, ‘not so diplomatic’, or ‘publicly taking sides'," she nagged.

"But it doesn't mean you couldn't write me a love letter."

"But I wanted to search for inspiration to say the right things. You always know what to say. I don't know how to respond to them sometimes."

"Your replies with 'I love you' and 'I miss you too' are just what I need. And I like the drawings." He said, draping one arm over her shoulder and pulling her closer.

"Really?"

"Yes. And it should be noted that you taught me a very creative meaning to tacos emoji."

She giggled.

"I love how passionate you are about everything you set your mind into and you have exceptional improvising skills. I'm sure you can write anything to me without putting yourself at risk."

"Thank you." She sighed. "I'm sorry for all of this. I didn't mean to get in the way of your schedule again."

"You always come before any of my royal duties."

"See? This is the kind of stuff you say that makes me wish I could write something more poetic to you."

He chuckled softly. "Believe me, I'll love anything you choose to write for me."

"You got it so bad you don't even see the mistake you're making," she scoffed.

The two of them laughed.

After a brief moment of silence, she asked. "Did you really not think the shelves were so high?"

"No, I don't think it is. 3.5 meters isn't that high."

"So easy for you to say. I don't understand the metric system and you're seven feet tall," she jeered.

"I'm 6.3 inches and the metric system is much simpler than imperial in my opinion," he corrected her with a smile.

"Whatever…" Jade made a face.

"I'm still impressed with how strong you are to hold on to the shelf. Size didn't matter at all."

"Good to know…"

His brows furrowed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you won't mind if I ditch high heels sometimes."

"I can't deny they can be fascinating," Liam replied, picking up the shoe that slipped off her foot. His gaze darted to her bare foot. Taking his time to caress her foot, he gently lifted it up to put the flat back on. "But I certainly won't mind if you don't wish to wear them again."

"And you won't mind the surprise I prepared for you isn't exactly big."

"Will I get a surprise from you tonight?"

She nodded.

"As long as you don't put yourself in danger again, I'll gladly accept it."

Cupping his face, Jade leaned in and pressed her lips on his, savoring the comfort of his embrace and the exhilaration kissing him always brought to her.

When they pulled away, he gazed into her eyes, studying her face. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah.”

“Shall we get out of here so I can see the surprise you have for me?”

“Okay.”

With that, the couple stood up and left the library to spend quality time together, away from potential life threatening situations.

[estellaelysian]

All that you left me - Part 3 (Dakota x MC)

From With Every Heartbeat

Just in photos now

This is angsty and deals with mentions of major character death. Reader discretion is advised.

Part 1/Part 2

For @choicesfebchallenge Day 5: Photograph

Flipping the pages of her scrape book now, as she lay alone on her bed. All the memories from the last year were condensed in these few pages, another fragment, another small piece of all that made them whole again. She smiled at the image of him cuddling with the teddy bear she had won at the carnival. Then there were the photos in which she blew air kisses at the camera. She wondered what exactly he found so amusing about it. Whenever they looked at the photos together, he was always giggling at this photo of hers.

The memories continued … the hay ride, the photo taken just after the pie-eating competition, with pie smeared all over their faces, the photos of them posing with their weirdly carved pumpkins – and she still found herself being somewhat proud of how her Frankenstein pumpkin had turned out, and them just more random photos, with more random poses.

It was a lot.

The deep summer breeze entered the window without anticipation or warning, bristling past her, making her hair fan out in the breeze. But it did not matter as long as Dakota looked up at her with his brown eyes, as if seeing right through her, with his lopsided grin.

Thank you for all that you gave me, she wrote down beside the photo with the sharpie that she held tightly in her hand. Just thank you.

And then, turning to the next blank page, she glued in the photo they had taken of the view from the tower they had snuck off to, and she smiled at the way she could never forget how that day turned out. That was, and would probably always be the best day of her life.

The warm breeze felt alive on her skin as she stood beside Dakota, taking it all in, watching how the trees swayed in autumn air, the tiny houses that lined the horizon, and the sparkly, glittery carnival lights, that never seemed to lose their glimmer.

‘Wow. You have got a thing for heights don’t you?’

That smile, which was enough to make butterflies rise in her stomach, escaped his lips. He looked down at her, before sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

‘I guess I do. There is something peaceful about being above everything. Like your problems are being put in perspective, you know?’

She took a deep breath, letting everything fall in, trying to memorize every little detail about this moment, before finally returning his smile. ‘Yeah, I get that.’

The carnival felt alive under them, laughter drifting from the game booths, the aroma of food wafting in the air, the slight-dusty smell of the fall leaves completing everything.

But when she turned back to look at him, his gazed was still trained on her, his face illuminated by the sun that hung low in the sky. Something lifted inside her at that look, intense and electric. It was hard to focus when he spoke again.

‘So … are you enjoying the carnival?’

She chose her words carefully, knowing what she wanted to say, but trying not to let her giddy excitement fall over everything.

‘It’s been nice spending time with you.’ She hesitated. ‘I know we see each other all the time at the hospital, but it’s nice to be with you out here in the world too.’

Something felt different.

With her heart beating a little faster than usual, she saw his gaze drifting to her lips from her eyes before tracing its way back. The silence lasted a beat too long, but then he sighed.

She couldn’t take it anymore. ‘Dakota?’

‘Sorry, I am listening, I’m just also thinking.’

‘About what?’

He hesitated, making her grow even more nervous. His brown eyes traced her face slowly, and just before she could ask again, he said, ‘Us. I … I don’t think this friend thing is working with me.’

She wasn’t sure she had heard him correctly.

Had he actually said that?

Her chest tightened, remembering Amy’s words, which seemed to echo through her with agonizing energy.

‘But you are the one who–’

He raised his hands, making her stop abruptly. He made a small, tight smile, his hair tousled, and she didn’t know what to think anymore.

‘Sorry,’ he said, his voice soft. ‘That’s not what I meant. I love being your friend, but … I broke our deal.’

What?

‘Despite my best efforts … I’ve totally and completely fallen for you.’

She must’ve have been dreaming. This couldn’t be real.

‘You … you have?’

‘Yeah. I know we’ve only known each other for a month or so, but I feel like you get me in a way nobody else does. Hell, half the time we’re together, it feels like we are a couple already, and it makes me so happy…’

In that moment, watching him was all that she could do. It was like she was robbed of all the words, of all the air in the world as her lungs felt like they were burning.

The sky around them swirled with gold and crimson, the glowing rays of the sun crested upon the clouds.

‘Until I remember that stupid promise I forced you to make,’ he finished.

Questions after questions leapt to her mind with an unstoppable speed.

‘But…what about going off to different schools next year?’ she blurted out before she could stop herself.

‘Honestly, I don’t care about that anymore. I’d rather spend the rest of this year with you than pinning in secret and wondering what could’ve been.’

Her heart hammered in her chest as he looked at her, his gaze deep and arresting.

‘But that’s just how I feel. What do you think?’

‘I think…’ she teased, waiting long enough to see his face fall a little, just like hers had. ‘I feel exactly the same way.’

His face lit up with a brilliant smile, bright enough to fill the city of Boston with its shine.

‘You do?’

‘I’ve been crazy about you since day one, Dakota,’ she finally confessed, unable to resist the shy smile that crept across her face.

He reached for her hands, holding them tight.

‘I really wish I’d filmed you saying that. I want to listen to it every night before I fall asleep.’

She giggled nervously. ‘How about I say it to you in person? Like … a lot?’

‘Even better.’

She slid her arms around his waist, leaning into his shoulder. He let his head rest against hers, holding her tight.

‘Best carnival ever?’

‘Best carnival ever.’

They continued to hold each other, watching the carnival shimmer below them.

Her tear marked the page, but she thought nothing of it. Instead, trying to hold the marker steady, she scrawled down ‘Best carnival ever’ beside the photo, wiping her cheeks, swallowing, gulping through the lump in her throat.

And then, finally, on the next page, came the Fall Carnival poster she’d found in the school parking, abandoned and forlorn, or perhaps hidden, only a few more things remaining in the stack.

It was stuck on the blank page, which now had a meaning, and the book was closed as more tears somehow managed to slip past, even though an attempt was made to keep them at bay.

**********

Tagging: @choicesaddict5 @starrystarrytrouble @dakotasteach

Let me know if you want to be added or removed.

Thank you for reading

[lem-20]

The star in her sky

Summary: Two years later. MC is struggling with the thought of moving on.

Book/Pairing: With Every Heartbeat/ MC (Sage Woods) x M!Dakota, MC x ?

Category/Rating: Mixture of angst & fluff/Teen

Word Count: 1500

Prompts: @choicesficwriterscreations Silly Love stories Day 1: Friends to lovers

@choicesfebchallenge Day 3: Heartache

Warning: Mentions death. Those who are familiar with this book will know it deals with a sensitive subject. Read at your own discretion.

Disclaimer: Some characters owned by Pixelberry.

A/N: I loved this book. I'm not sure why I decided to drag out the pain, but I actually found writing this quite cathartic. Hope you enjoy 🙂

Sage had never really paid much attention to the night sky before she met Dakota. She'd never really given it a second thought - always too busy, too distracted, and the bright city lights didn't help.

Even though Dakota had a real thing for the stars, the night sky wasn't something she appreciated until after she'd lost him. Now it regularly brought her a sense of comfort in the difficult moments. Like tonight. Today marked the second anniversary since he'd left her behind.

She had chosen a spot on a small hill to lie down and look up. The sky was crystal clear and the stars shone brightly. Wrapping herself tightly in Dakota's green jacket, she took in deep breaths of the cool evening air as she felt a sense of calm wash over her.

She'd spent some time during the day with Mateo, Lennox and Dakota's parents. They'd shared memories of Dakota, while drinking milkshakes at the diner. It was a happy afternoon, less tears than last year. But now she was back on campus, she felt alone, and that was when the sadness had started to creep back in.

"Are you okay?"

She was snapped back to a reality by a voice she recognised immediately. It was a voice she had become very familiar with over the past couple of years.

Benjamin Campbell had been one of the first people she had met when she started at Massachusetts State College. He was kind, charming and funny. They'd made a small group of mutual friends in those early weeks and they'd all stuck together ever since. They all knew about Dakota, although she tried not to talk about him too much, they had been a great support to her during some dark times.

She shared a special connection with Benjamin, he was a good listener and always so supportive. It was clear after a while that he'd started to develop feeling towards her. She was very careful not to give him the wrong impression and he never tried to push the boundaries of their friendship. She wasn't ready to move on and they seemed to have a silent understanding, although neither had addressed the subject to the other.

It was about a month ago that something changed. One day she looked at him and she suddenly seemed to see him in a whole different light. She'd always known he was good looking, but that particular day it caused a reaction within her, a flutter in her stomach. It was unexpected, unfamiliar and unwanted.

She knew that someday she would develop feelings for someone else, but this had seemingly come out of nowhere and she felt angry at herself for it.

Over the coming days, she became a little less harsh on herself and allowed the odd moment of indulgence. A held gaze here, a lingering touch there. But any fleeting happiness those moments brought her, were soon overpowered by her guilt. She had started to avoid him at times, in a bid to ignore her growing feelings, but she was sure he would soon start to suspect something was up.

"Yeah I'm okay," she replied with a small smile. There were those butterflies again. She quickly turned back to face the inky sky.

"How did today go?" he asked as he settled down on the grass next to her.

"Good. There was a lot of laughter, it was nice seeing everybody."

"I'm glad to hear it. I wish you had told me you were back though. I don't like the thought of you being out here alone...You know you can always talk to me about him, don't you?"

"I know. How did you know where to find me anyway?" she asked, glancing across at him.

He pointed up at the sky with a wonky smile. "You always come outside when you're thinking about him. So I decided to wander around campus, in case you were out here somewhere."

She let out a little laugh. "Predictable aren't I? Were you that worried about me?"

"Yes," he replied as he let his fingers brush against hers.

She moved her hand ever so slightly, just enough so they were no longer touching.

"I was thinking today, I've been without him over twice as long as I was with him now. It makes me realise how little time we really had together. And yet, here I am, still feeling broken without him." She swallowed hard as she felt her eyes getting wetter. "Sometimes I wonder whether people think I'm weird for still feeling so sad at times. You know, because we weren't together that long."

"Sage..." he placed his hand on her arm and gave it a comforting squeeze. "You've said it before. He was the love of your life and you were his. That's not something you can just get over."

"That's just it though isn't it. I was the only experience he ever got at being in love. But I get the chance to love again, maybe even several times over...it's just so unfair." Hot tears started to slowly trickle down her cheeks. "I don't want the love I have for him to be replaced or to not mean as much. I want to love him forever. He deserves to be loved forever." Her tears fell faster.

His grip on her arm tightened slightly. "You don't have to stop loving him Sage, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't find happiness again. You should take as much time as you need, but you know he wanted you to be happy."

"Hmm. I'm not sure anyone else would even be interested in me. Look at me, I'm an emotional mess."

"You know that's not true," he replied.

She turned to face him and they looked at each other for a few moments. His bright green eyes, a stark contrast to Dakota's warm brown. She could tell he was struggling to hold back from confessing his feelings to her. Any other day, she was sure he would have just come out with it, but she was grateful he was keeping it in for now.

"I can't help but feel guilty about moving on. I loved him so much. And I know I'll never know if Dakota and I would have lasted long term, but I feel like we could have. We just never got the chance to find out." She paused as her throat tightened, threatening to choke her. "Could you see yourself being with someone who's still in love with a dead guy?"

He gently placed a hand on her cheek. "Anyone who can't understand that he'll always be in your heart, doesn't deserve a share of it."

She let out a small sob. He always seemed to know exactly what to say. With every passing minute she spent with him, she could feel her walls crumbling, her urge to allow herself to open up again increasing. She could feel that she was almost ready to have a conversation with him about it, but not today, today was about Dakota.

"So, if you don't mind me asking. What is it that you're looking at when you're out here? Is he up there?" he asked, pointing to the sky.

She smiled warmly at him as she dried her tears. "Well Dakota once told me that when he was battling cancer the first time round. His Mom and Dad used to say that we are all made of star matter and when we die, our atoms yearn to return home. He used to imagine that his birth Mom was looking down, watching over him when he was in hospital. I usually find the brightest star and think of it as being him. I know it may sound a little silly, but it's really helped me feel closer to him when I'm feeling a little lost."

"It doesn't sound silly. I think it's beautiful and it's really important that you have something that brings you that comfort."

"Yeah," she said, smiling to herself.

As she looked up at the stars, she allowed her hand to find Benjamin's in the darkness, threading her fingers through his. Neither one of them spoke, they just continued to stare up into the vast sky.

After a long moment, Benjamin broke the comfortable silence. "Tell me more about him."

"Really?"

"Yes. He's always going to be a part of you, so I'd like to get to know him a little better."

"Okay," she smiled, her stomach doing a little flip. "He was sweet, funny, playful...and so so brave." She paused for a moment and Benjamin squeezed her hand. "He loved horror movies, he always had his phone out filming things and he was planning to study filmmaking. His nickname for me was teach because I helped him learn to ride a bike. And he spent a lot of time at the hospital visiting his friend and other kids that were ill."

"Sounds like he was a pretty awesome guy."

"Yeah, he was." She turned to look at him. "I think he would have liked you."

"I hope so," he replied as they fell back into a comfortable silence, both staring out into the night, knowing something was about to change between them.

☆☆

Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed this.

Part of the inspiration for this fic was a conversation I had with an ex work colleague a few years ago. She told me that several years before, she had lost her husband very suddenly. A few years later she met someone else and she talked about how her new partner was very understanding of the fact that she would always love her husband, because if he hadn't died they would still be together. The whole conversation stuck with me for weeks and I always thought how lovely it was that he was so accepting of that. I tried to include that a little bit here, I hope it comes across okay 😊

Tags: @pixie88 @starrystarrytrouble @irisofpurple @txemrn @k2624 @caroldxnvxrs @cartoonish0geek @dakotasteach

[gryffindordaughterofathena]

TWO MISSIVES ONE HEART

Part 2

Book:Open Heart

Pairing:Ethan Ramsey x mc(Diana Ramirez)

Word Count:1093 words

Category:Series(WIP), a weird mix of angst and fluff(ends happily I promise)

Warning: None

Summary: Ethan stumbles across a letter Diana wrote to him while he was at the Amazon's. Set between the events of 2.11 and 2.12.

EXILE || EPIPHANY || EVERMORE

Time seemed to have come to a still….

Life had awoken from a deep slumber and had opened it’s doe eyes…..

And a moment’s clarity had deepened all the emotions that stared at him from the worn yellow pages of her book.

A book with that overtly familiar smell of worn pages, a book so different from what it’s owner usually read but also so closely entwined to everything that made his Rookie. The book laid open on her bed, which hadn’t been slept on since the morning of her attack, the slight breeze coming from her open window had turned the pages of the paper-back to a page whose contents were marked by the red of her ink, crouching down he began to read…..

"If it is not my portion to meet thee in this life

then let me ever feel that I have missed thy sight

let me not forget for a moment,

let me carry the pangs of this sorrow in my dreams

and in my wakeful hours.

As my days pass in the crowded market of this world

and my hands grow full with the daily profits,

let me ever feel that I have gained nothing

let me not forget for a moment,

let me carry the pangs of this sorrow in my dreams

and in my wakeful hours.

When I sit by the roadside, tired and panting,

when I spread my bed low in the dust,

let me ever feel that the long journey is still before me

let me not forget a moment,

let me carry the pangs of this sorrow in my dreams

and in my wakeful hours.

When my rooms have been decked out and the flutes sound

and the laughter there is loud,

let me ever feel that I have not invited thee to my house

let me not forget for a moment,

let me carry the pangs of this sorrow in my dreams

and in my wakeful hours."

And before even having to look at the sheaf of papers or the hastily patched up torn picture that fell out of the book onto the threadbare rug, he knew why this particular poem by the Indian author was highlighted…..

He knew it from the pain that those words exuded, he knew that her tears had fallen on these very pages as she cried herself to sleep, mind still reeling from the pain of him leaving and pushing her away despite all the promises he made.

Ethan thought that he knew how to shield his heart from pain and hurt after the trauma of his mother leaving, his best friend succumbing to academic jealousy, losing Dolores and pushing Diana away for an year, but he was wrong, as he always was whenever things concerned Diana. The words she wrote on the piece of paper pierced him like a thousand poisoned knives, the words that were addressed to him, words that accused him and berated him. And he knew he deserved each and everyone of them. Her self depreciating sarcasm, tell tale signs of depression and blatant accusation of his cowardice were all like slaps on his face…. Painful reminders of all the harm that he has done, of the million times he had broken the Hippocrates Oath in the expense of the person he cared the most for….

And all at once he knew what he had to do.

He knew that he had to run again.

Like the last time he ran away.

But this time towards her.

And so he ran….

He ran to his car parked outside her apartment notwithstanding the chill in the late December air and he drove towards Edenbrook, towards her. When he reached her room, she was no where to be seen and a blind panic caught hold of him. What could have happened in his absence, his mind started going through all possibilities. “Hey you are back, did you bring my books? I swear if I have to read a medical journal one more time–“

Diana could not complete her sentence….

As once again time stood still in the sterile hospital room….

Even the water droplet clinging from the tip of her freshly washed hair stayed still without falling as he crossed the room in two long strides, cutting her of mid-sentence he kissed her, their lips met in a startled urgency, surprising both of them, it was as if their lives depended on it, which, it probably was. Once she became used to the feeling of his lips on her, her hands automatically went around his neck just as his got lost in her still wet hair and like two puzzle pieces coming together to complete a greater riddle, their hearts once again entwined in a desperate, fervent worship of their second chance.

Time had no meaning.

For he didn’t know how long they were lost in the feel of the other’s lips before they broke apart for air. “I …. wow!” Diana finally managed to blurt out. A few more moments later she seemed to have gathered her words, while he still reeled from what just happened, “Not that I am complaining, but why this sudden urgency?”, she asked.

Immediately his thoughts went back to the letter, head hanging low he muttered, “I am sorry Rookie– sorry for everything”

And like countless other times, she knew the reason behind his apology even before hearing the words.

“You saw the letter”, it was not a question.

“I did”, he replied head still hanging low, “I am sorry Rookie, if I knew what you were going through–“

“Don’t be, Ethan I still don’t understand your reasoning behind leaving me but after last night if I had any doubts, they have all been cleared…. I know that we still need to talk but if the attack taught me anything it’s that life’s to short to dwell on the past and I understand if you need time. I waited so long and I am ready to wait more.”

“Rookie– thanks, it’s more than what I deserve.”

“You deserve everything and more Ethan, never doubt that. That’s a lot of emotional talk, now, can I get a hug?”

“Gladly”, he replied, not bothering to hide the smile as she melted into his arms. He knew that he still had a long way to go, a lifetime of attachment issues would not go away so easily.

But at that moment, with her in his arms,

everything seemed fine and

that was all he ever wanted.

And all he ever needed…

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

A/N: If you have read this far, thank you. This part of Two Missives One Heart is very close to my heart because of its attachment to my own roots. The poem used here is the 79th poem of Gitanjali (Song Offerings) by Rabindranath Tagore, the collection of poems which won him a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913, making him the first Non-European to win it. Tagore was born in my own city, the very same city where my MC Diana's mother is from and he is my first stepping stone to a world of literature, I literally grew up listening to and reciting his poems. I decided to honour mine and Diana's roots through this poem.

There will be another final part to TMOH, which I plan on posting before book 3 is released.

Thank you

Dri

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Tagging:@caseyvalentineramsey @dl-thewriterperson @jamespotterthefirst @drariellevalentine @rookie-ramsey @openheartfanfics @miss-smrxtiee @poudredevie @whimsicallywayward15 @terrm9 @genevievemd @aestheticartsx @justanotherrookie @fireycookie @maurine07 @starrystarrytrouble @schnitzelbutterfingers @tsrookie @anntoldstories @iemcpbchoices @stygianflood @choicesfebchallenge

༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄༄

[alj4890]

Choices February Challenge

Day 1 Bouquet

(Bryce Lahela x F!MC*Chris) in a Choices Open Heart Drabble

A/N Nothing but fluff.

@lucy-268 @krsnlove @anotherbeingsworld @choicesfebchallenge​ @withbeautyandrage @openheartfanfics​ @ofpixelsandscribbles​

masterlist

Punny of Reasons

Chris's senses began to awaken as sunlight filtered into the room.

She could hear the muffled sounds of her roommates as some prepared for work while others dragged themselves to their rooms after a long night. She sighed at the warm cocoon of blankets that kept her from easily rolling out of bed. Her eyes opened to see her clothes from the night before tossed in different places.

Anger always made her feel the need to throw things.

What an awful night.

She refused to think on the fight she had with Bryce. She didn't know why he had suddenly developed a jealous side. All she did know was that he had pushed her patience past the point of no return.

"Stupid jerk." She muttered. "I brought brownies for the entire diagnostic team. I can't help it if they just so happen to be Ethan's favorite."

She knew one thing. Bryce would have to literally crawl on his knees if he ever wanted to speak to her again.

Much less anything else.

A mouth watering smell struck her when she heard a soft knock.

"Chris?" Sienna poked her head in. "You awake?"

"Yeah." Chris forced a smile for her dearest friend's sake. "Doesn't matter what shift I work. My body still thinks I'm going to be late for class."

Sienna laughed as she stepped inside. In her hands were the weirdest colored roses Chris had ever seen.

They also strangely smelled like bacon.

"These were just delivered." She explained.

Chris sat up, eyes narrowing in confusion. "Is that...are those bacon roses?"

"They are." Sienna's laughter tinkled again. "I had to fight off Elijah just to get them safely here."

She handed them over along with an envelope.

Chris took it and removed a folded sheet of paper.

I know I fry your temper, but please don't go bacon my heart.

She nearly sprained her eyes from rolling them so hard.

Sienna gushed when she saw the message. "That. Is. Adorable!"

"You mispronounced stupid." Chris grumbled. She picked up one of the stems and bit off a rose bud. "At least the bacon tastes good."

While nibbling on another, she ignored the many text messages Bryce sent throughout the night telling her how sorry he was.

She offered some of the roses to Sienna then told her to let Elijah have the rest.

There was no way she was ready to forgive Bryce. Yet.

*****************

Edenbrook...

"Dr. Valentine?"

Chris paused at the entrance when she heard her name.

Her eyebrow lifted when a bike messenger handed her a bouquet of mini doughnuts.

Lifting the card, her lips firmed into a slight frown at another ridiculous pun.

Doughnut deny you're as crazy about me as I am you.

Shoving the note in her coat pocket, she offered everyone she passed by one a doughnut while making certain to keep one chocolate covered one for herself.

****************

Two hours later...

"I believe the MRI shows--" Ethan glared at the interruption. "What is it?"

"I have a delivery for a Dr. Casey Valentine." A woman, dressed in a pink shirt with the word's Cookies for Life Bakery, printed on it replied. "I was told I could find her here."

"I'm Dr. Valentine." Casey felt heat rush up to the tips of her ears as she took a bouquet of heart shaped sugar cookies from the woman's hands. "Thanks."

Another card with another pun was attached.

We are a batch made in heaven.

"Aww!" Baz softly squealed. "Someone is loved!"

Casey cleared her throat while telling them to help their selves.

As soon as she had a free moment, she would have a talk with a certain surgeon.

************

A few hours later...

As she reviewed another set of lab results, Casey swallowed the last of her third cookie while ignoring the jokes Ethan was making about her sugar addiction. She let out a groan when their office door was opened by one of the nurses.

"Dr. Valentine? These were left at the nurses station for you."

"Thanks Ray." She mumbled. Her brow furrowed at a group of roses made from paper. She leaned closer to try and make out the typed words.

Recognizing a few quotes and names from Pride and Prejudice, she set the vase down on her desk.

Another folded sheet of paper with her name scrawled across caught her attention.

Our love story has no ending.

She closed her eyes in disbelief. How was he wearing her down with these insanely sweet gestures?

**************

A few more hours later...

"Should I be concerned?" Ethan asked.

Casey looked up at the bouquet in his hands.

"Cupcakes!" She dropped her head on her desk.

"I'm going to have to send for some insulin if you keep this up." Ethan teased. He handed her the card that came with it.

She debated on whether or not to open it. Knowing it would be some pun to melt her heart, she tried to steel herself while opening the envelope.

You bake me crazy.

A laugh escaped her lips causing her to shake her head. She set it in her desk drawer then reached for a cupcake.

***************

The end of Dr. Valentine's shift...

Chris went to the locker room, returning goodnights and greetings as she walked over to gather her coat and purse.

When she opened it, soothing smells wafted up. Her eyes dropped down at the bouquet of pink roses and votive candles.

Lifting it up, she spotted a slip of paper tucked inside a glass votive holder.

Nothing lights me up like my perfect match.

Sighing with a smile forming, she shut the locker door and headed out.

****************

Bryce's apartment...

"If it isn't my favorite doctor." Bryce greeted, ushering her in.

"Yeah, yeah." She struggled to hide her joy in seeing him. "Any chance you know anything about these bouquets I've been getting all day?"

"Bouquets?" Bryce rubbed his jaw while a grin peeped out. "Hmm? I don't know what you're talking about."

He cocked his head toward his kitchen counter. "I know someone left that for you earlier."

She smiled at the bottle of champagne surrounded by chocolate flowers.

"This was left with it." He came up behind her, slipping one arm around her waist while he held up a piece of paper.

She leaned back against him as he kissed her neck. Doing her best to ignore the butterflies he caused, she focused on this one's pun.

Chris, you're absolutely bottleful.

Giggling when he squeezed her tight, she turned in his arms. Her eyes touched on his handsome face while her fingers tangled in his hair.

"Any chance I'm forgiven?" He said softly, pressing his forehead to hers.

"You are so lucky Lahela." Chris muttered as she kissed him.

"How lucky are we talking?" His grin grew at her pretending to think over it.

"I'd say extremely lucky."

"Then perhaps I should show you your last bouquet." He lifted her into his arms and carried her into his bedroom.

She searched for a vase before noticing what appeared to be red and white roses scattered on his bed.

Chris picked up one and laughed. "Lacy underwear? You must have been very sure I would forgive you."

"I wasn't." He tugged her back in his arms. "I was only hopeful."

She smiled against his lips. "Is there a card with some type of underwear pun on it?"

"No." He molded her against him. "I had one planned, but I thought it was too brief."