#dr lahela x mc

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

*Naveen Seeing Chandini and Bryce flirting*: They're cute, I want to put them on a boat

Ethan: ...

Sienna: You mean...you ship them?

[alj4890]

Mixed Signals

(Dr. Tobias Carrick x F!MC *Chris Valentine) (Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC*Chris Valentine) (Dr. Bryce Lahela x F!MC*Chris Valentine) in an Open Heart Fan fiction.

A/N I've written only a few drabbles for Open Heart, but after the disappointment of Book 3 and no book 4 to fix everything, the idea for this series has been in my mind ever since the attack in Book 2 began.

Masterlist

Song Inspiration for this series: Sparks by Coldplay

Prologue

Mass Kenmore Hospital...

"Dr. Valentine?" Tobias said in surprise. "What brings you deep into enemy territory?"

Chris took a hesitant step forward. Her fingers twisted the material of her wool skirt as she faced the man partly responsible for saving her life.

What did one say to the very person that she had insulted, labeled the enemy, and fought so hard to beat?

After all that she had done, Dr. Tobias Carrick had dropped everything and rushed to Edenbrook on the day of the attack to find a way to save her life.

Licking her lips, she lifted her eyes to his. "If you're not busy, Dr. Carrick, I was wondering if I could speak to you," she looked about at the nurses and doctors rushing past on the fifth floor of Mass Kenmore, "alone?"

His smug smirk peeked out. Stepping to the side, he waved her down the hall. "Fourth door on the left is my office."

With shaky legs, she walked toward the direction he pointed.

He opened the door for her and followed her inside.

Smoothing her damp hands down her skirt, she once more faced him.

Tobias sat down on the edge of his desk, his smirk slowly disappearing. "You okay, Chris?"

She nodded and took a deep breath to try and keep her tears at bay.

He reached for her hand. "Hey. It's okay. Take your time."

She bit down on her lip. That gentle bedside manner of his touched her heart. He had used it when he swooped in to see if he could find a cure for the poison she had inhaled. Hearing it once again made her feel...well, feel for the first time in a long time.

"I just...I just wanted to stop by and thank you--"

"You already thanked me." He told her, smiling again.

"I know." She swallowed once more. "This is my first day out of the hospital and I wanted to thank you again when I'm not..."

When I'm not what? Out of my head? Weak from nearly dying? Heartbroken over losing Danny and Bobby? Worried about Rafel? Wondering why neither of the two men I work with and have feelings for won't say what we are?

"Chris?"

"Sorry." She sniffed and reached for a tissue on his desk. The movement made her move directly between his legs.

She heard the light intake of breath and looked up. Their faces were close to one another's, so much so that she could smell both the peppermints he preferred and the light splash of cologne he had on.

He was completely still yet tense with his body poised for whatever she was going to do next.

Without any thought or plan for where this might go, she kissed his cheek and hugged him.

His arms lifted to hold her when he felt her stray warm tears against his neck.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked softly, gently squeezing her close.

"Not really." She admitted. "Everyone keeps telling me to give myself time and all." She eased back. "I wish they would leave me alone."

He kept his hands on her waist while studying her. "Then tell them."

"Ha. You've met them." She snorted. "They don't take orders like that well."

"True." He replied. "You want me to do it?" His smirk brought a grin to her face. "Ethan already considers me a pain in his ass. What's one more mark against me?"

She laughed, while dabbing at her eyes and nose. "After what you did for me? No way am I letting you continue to be the bad guy."

"Aww shucks, Valentine." Tobias teased. "You're going to give me a big head."

"As if it wasn't already big enough." She teased back. Tilting her head, she pretended to study him. "How do you lift it?"

"I work out." He winked then stood up. "I'm glad you came by."

"Me too." She held her hand out.

He shook his head. "You already hugged me. I figure that could be our thing."

"Our thing?"

Tobias pulled her back into his embrace.

"Yeah." He hugged her close. "Now that you won't let me be the big bad guy, I think this means you want us to be friends."

"Whoa. I'm merely a girl coming to thank a guy for saving her life." She teased. "Don't go thinking this means more than that."

"Sorry. Thought is already there." He countered, letting her go. "You're stuck with me now Chris whether you like it or not."

"Ugh, fine." She playfully grumbled. "I already deal with so many ego maniacs. What's one more?"

He opened his office door for her. "I knew you would agree."

"Just because you won this round doesn't mean you'll win them all, Dr. Carrick." Chris warned, completely unable to keep from grinning at him.

"Allow me to let you in on a little secret, Dr. Valentine," he leaned down close to whisper. "I win all the rounds that are important to me." Swiping up the folder he had previously been studying, he saluted her. "See you soon."

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

A couple of weeks later...

"Baz and I will go talk to the patient." June offered.

"Good, I'll..." Ethan's eyes widened when the door of the diagnostics office opened.

Chris calmly walked in and flashed a brief smile. "Good morning. Sorry I'm late. My landlord needed some help being admitted."

"Chris?" Ethan's brow furrowed. "We didn't expect you back so soon."

Baz bounded over to wrap her in a hug while June questioned her about any lingering side effects.

"A little tired still and occasionally breathless, but other than that I feel mostly back to normal."

"Fascinating." June's smile formed. "I'd love to sit down and discuss with you--"

"Kerri Monroe's diagnosis." Ethan bit out. "That's what you need to focus on now."

"On it." Baz whispered how happy he was to have Chris back as he followed June out the door.

"Anything I can do?" Chris walked over and picked up the medical file. "Should I order some labs for Mrs. Monroe or--"

"Sit down." Ethan ordered. "You shouldn't have come back so soon, Rookie."

"Why?" Chris looked up at him, surprised he called her that particular nickname again. "There are things to do here. People need my help more than I need to sit on a couch all day."

He ran a hand through his hair. "You don't need to exert yourself. We don't know if--"

"You weren't worried about me exerting myself after the funeral." She muttered.

His cheeks flushed at the reminder of what had happened in his car on that stormy night. "Chris, I'm still your superior. I don't know--"

She quickly waved her hand dismissing his same reason of why he wouldn't fully commit to her. "I get it. No need to tell me again."

An awkward silence fell between them.

"If," she coughed to cover her embarrassment, "if you don't need me right now, I'll uh, I'll go make my rounds."

"Go ahead." Ethan said softly. His eyes drifted over her face before he forced them elsewhere.

"Just page me if you need another set of eyes." She tried to sound like her old self, yet it held a shrill edge at the end.

"Will do."

She tried to keep her steps from rushing out the door.

"Chris?"

Taking a steadying breath she turned back toward him.

"Don't overdo it." He ordered.

With a quick nod, she walked out the door.

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

A few hours later...

"...and then Robin flips over the bad guy and..."

Chris couldn't stop smiling at her seven hear old patient telling her his favorite stories of Batman and Robin. Throughout examining him, he had shown her his toys and comic books that his parents had brought into his room.

"How's you're tummy feel?" She asked when he paused for breath.

His little face dimmed of happiness. "Still hurts some."

"I promise it will feel better soon." She then addressed his parents about the afternoon's surgery.

A knock had them all turning to see Bryce walking in, wearing a Robin mask.

"I heard that a hero needs some..." His eyes widened. "Chris! What are you doing back at work?"

She shrugged while helping them move the patient to the gurney. "It felt like it was time."

His brow furrowed much like Ethan's had when seeing her.

"Walk with me?" He asked as soon as they began to wheel towards surgery. "And wait until I drop him off."

"You're not performing the surgery?" She asked.

"Not today. I have one in about an hour scheduled that Dr. Tanaka wants me for."

A few minutes later, Bryce motioned for her to follow him to the cafeteria. It was for the most part empty, save for a couple of doctors grabbing a late lunch.

"You want anything?" He asked.

"No thanks." She sat down at a table while he went to get a snack.

He grinned as he sat down across from her. "Here." He pushed a bag of peanuts toward her. "You should eat something."

Her nose wrinkled. "I really haven't gotten my appetite back yet."

She noticed the concern in his eyes so like her roommates' and knew she would have to force down some of the peanuts just to make it stop.

"So?" She tried not to gag on what once was her favorite goto snack. "How have you been?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" He bit into a burger. "I mean," he said between bites, "of the two of us, you've been the patient."

"Yeah." She slumped some in her seat. "I wasn't too sick to talk on the phone though." Her eyes narrowed somewhat on his. "Or have visitors."

Bryce winced. "Sorry about that, Chris. I guess I didn't know what to say or do?"

"Really?" Her eyes narrowed more.

How often had she stressed to him within the past year that he was important to her, that she wanted to be with him. Then when he wouldn't say he wanted that too and reverted back to calling her a friend, she gave in to trying something with Ethan.

Only for both men to keep her on a yoyo string to pull back and forth whenever they needed her.

What do I see in them to keep swallowing my pride and allowing them to basically use me for sex whenever they want?

Chris was fed up. The longer Bryce stammered about his busy schedule and not wanting to disturb her rest, the more she wanted to chunk the peanuts at his stupid, much too handsome face.

She didn't even want the damn things. Might as well use them as a quick release to her frustration.

Her fingers curled around the bag. Her bicep tightened in preparation to throw them, when Sienna walked up.

Her friend's excited hug and squeals of seeing her at work again were what saved Bryce's overly confident face.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?!" Sienna sat down next to her. "I would have made celebration pancakes this morning!"

Chris couldn't stop from smiling. She could always depend on Sienna's sweetness to boost her mood.

"I didn't really decide until you had left for work. Then Farley came by to check on me and he wasn't feeling too good..."

She continued to tell her about his diagnosis of lime disease.

"Hate to break this up, but I have to get ready for surgery." Bryce smiled at them both. "Take it easy, Valentine. I don't want to have to operate on you next."

Chris bit back a bitter retort that he better hope she needed surgery. It would be his only chance to catch her naked again.

"Meet us at Donahue's later!" Sienna shouted. "We will celebrate Chris being back."

"There's no need." Chris began.

"Yes, there is!" Sienna squeezed another hug out of her. "My best friend is back with us and I'm over the moon about it!"

Bryce smirked at her. "She's right. We have to celebrate our friend's return."

Our friend. Chris despised the word, friend. Why did she keep placing her hope on him seeing her as something more than a mere friend?

And to make things worse, Ethan walked past.

"Dr. Ramsey!" Sienna called out before Chris could stop her. "Come have a drink with us tonight in honor of Chris's return!"

Ethan hesitated. That action nearly earned him peanuts in his handsome face too.

Gawd, I hate that look. The sad, yearning eyes. The slight frown. Man up and either say you want to date me or leave me alone for good! This back and forth is killing me worse than the poison did.

"Where at?" Ethan finally asked.

"Donahue's." Sienna beamed when he said he would try and stop by on his way home.

Chris mumbled a goodbye as Bryce left and Ethan headed off to find something to eat.

"Who else should we invite? I know Rafe is still too sick to get out." Sienna tapped her fingers on the table while scrolling through her contacts. "We can invite the rest of the diagnostic team and Ines and--"

"I'll send an invite to Tobias." Chris decided.

"Tobias? Who's...oh!" Sienna's eyes widened. "Dr. Carrick, right?"

"Yeah." Chris sent a text to him before she could think too much about it. "He did rush over with Aurora to try and save my life."

"I thought he was the enemy?" Sienna whispered while her eyes cut to Ethan. "Don't they have bad blood between them?"

"Something like that." Chris grumbled. "They can get over it."

Her phone vibrated with Tobias's response.

You want me to come deep into Edenbrook territory for a drink?

She snorted while answering.

Too scared, huh? And here I was longing for your company.

Well hell, Chris. I've never been able to refuse someone longing for my company. I'll be there. Just make sure no one sticks a scalpel in my back.

Don't worry. I'll protect you.

My hero.

Sienna leaned over, her eyes growing larger with each of their responses.

"Oh my gosh! You like Tobias!"

Chris's smile disappeared. "I don't hate him. But like like him? No."

"You're flirting in your texts!" Sienna giggled. "That is so cute. I haven't see you like this since our first year with--" she clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Uh huh." Chris pushed her chair back. "Anyway, I'll see you after work." She patted her friend's shoulder as she walked away. "Don't worry, I'm not upset with you over the name you almost said."

"Yeah, but." Sienna chased after her. "There is also another person who is interested in you."

"If you mean the one I think, then no. He made it perfectly clear this morning that we can't."

"No!" Sienna wrapped a comforting arm around Chris. "Why not?"

"He's still my boss." Chris mumbled. "And he won't abuse that. No matter how often he gives in to temptation."

"I think he's in love with you." Sienna whispered.

"Not enough to be with me." Chris grumbled.

[ladydelilah]

Open Heart Head Cannons

(My MC’s name is Dr. Lars Valentine btw)

Ethan would unintentionally be a sad beige dad. He’s just so used to things looking plain, clean, and sterile he forgets that colors and patterns exist. He would later realize he was accidentally depriving his children of color in their lives and fix his mistake. (Yes being a sad beige parent is a mistake.)

Bryce definitely listens to the most cringey SoundCloud-ish music and emo rap (semi-ironically). He’s also really great at dancing. Especially the goofy shit like the worm or the robot. He has a skill for breakdancing too.

Sienna always bakes cookies shaped like different cartoon characters for the kids in the pediatric ward. They usually look kinda janky but the kids still enjoy them anyway.

Lars’ favorite food is nachos. That mofo will eat three trays of nachos a day like it’s nothing. (So much for setting a good example for patients)

Jackie has a slight online shopping addiction. The other roommates will know when Jackie was bored when they open the front door to a mountain of packages.

Elijah definitely goes all out it the fandoms he’s in. And is just a total geek in general. Im talking conventions, cosplaying, D&D, LARPING. When he cosplays he decorates his chair to fit his cosplay. (He probably has OCD and/or ADHD and maybe Autism.)

Baz loves twerking at the most random or inappropriate times. He was definitely a class clown when he was in school. He’s even funnier in contrast to Zaid’s seriousness.

Ines has such a broad music taste but she specifically loves 90’s and 2000’s pop.

[jerzwriter]

Second Thoughts If it were cannon... AU

A million years ago, someone asked me if I'd write a series that mimicked canon but with Tobias Carrick as head of the Edenbrook Diagnostic Team. While I don't have the bandwidth to take on a series at this point, as I'm doing my Open Heart re-read, I will rewrite select scenes that I think could be interesting.

Part one was the first night at Donahue's when there was a serious connection building between Dr. Tobias Carick and new intern, Dr. Casey MacTavish. But now, they've had a chance to sleep on it, do things look different in the morning light? Lack of sleep, misunderstandings, and a dash of fear lead Casey to make a choice. Will it be one she comes to regret?

Book: Open Heart Book 1 / Chapter 3 Pairing: Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey) Featuring: Bryce Lahela, Jackie Varma, Landry Olsen Rating: Teen Words: 2,200 Series: If it were canon... AU Summary: See above

A/N: A quick thank you to @angelasscribbles for helping me come up with a new nickname lol I was at a loss. And thank you to @alj4890 - because of you I'm inspired to continue with this!

Series Masterlist Tobias x Casey Masterlist My Masterlist

The second day of her internship was not going as planned. Casey hardly managed to get any sleep in the miniature closet she called her room. At least the stairs above her came in handy today. She accidentally set her alarm for 5:00 PM instead of 5:00 AM, and if not for someone stomping down those steps, she would have overslept and likely decided to return to Philadelphia in shame. Now, with barely 30 minutes before her shift began, she threw on a ratty old Henly that paired perfectly with the wrinkled pair of jeans at the foot of her bed. Hair and make-up? Not today. A messy bun and brushed teeth would have to suffice. Somehow, she managed to arrive at Edenbrook with ten minutes to spare; when she saw a group of surgical interns playing basketball outside. Bryce Lahela was amongst them, and suddenly she wished she had spruced up just a little bit more.

“Up top! I’m open!” A shirtless Bryce barely got those words out before he flew by her, catching a pass and dribbling confidently toward the hoop. He dunked the ball, then screamed out in celebration. “Ha! Who’s the king now?”

“King?” Casey laughed, “You nearly killed me getting to that ball! I think the king should at least get a traffic infraction."

“Damn! I didn't realize. I would  have gladly given up two points for a chance to collide with you.”

Casey laughed as the other interns whooped and hollered when she saw the ball suddenly flying in her direction and caught it with both hands.

“Well, come on then, MacTavish!" Bryce goaded. "You gonna play, or you gonna send that back over?”

With a determined smirk, Casey slowly dribbled the ball, taunting him. “Come see if you can get it from me." Bryce sauntered toward her with what she’d come to know as his signature grin firmly in place.

“You’re making me look good,” he whispered upon approach. “I really am the king.”

“King of the surgical interns,” she laughed. “I guess that’s something, but....” without another word, she dribbled the ball around him, rushing toward the hoop with Bryce at her heels.

“Gonna make it tough on me, huh?” he laughed, wrapping his arm around her waist and spinning her around, but not before she shot the ball right into the hoop.

“That’s gotta be a foul, Ref,” she hollered, giggling in Bryes’s arms.

“It’s not a foul if you’re on my team,” Bryce defended. “And you are definitely on my team.”

Casey caught her breath as he put her on his feet, crossing her arms defiantly. “Says who?”

 “Says me!” He replied with a playful shrug. “But seriously, you want to join in?”

“Nah, my shift starts in five, and I’d really like to make myself look decent before it starts.”  

“You’re already looking good, MacTavish. Don’t go too crazy; I don’t want competition for hottest intern.”

“Ha!” she laughed, reaching up and flirtatiously pinching his cheeks. “I’ve already got that in the bag, Lahela!”

"Quite possibly," she beamed. "Hey, lunch later?"

"Sounds like a plan."

He smiled as he watched her run to the hospital entrance, pushing her way through a group of staff who had stopped to watch the game and assess the new talent.

“Excuse me. Pardon me,” she pushed through.

“You looked really good out there,” a pretty nurse winked.

“Thanks,” Casey smiled. Completely unaware that her handsome attending was quietly sipping his coffee nearby.

“She was impressive, wasn’t she, Dr. Carrick?” The nurse asked.

“Yep," he nodded. "She sure was.”

After a quick change, sprucing up her hair, and even applying a dab of lip gloss, Casey was the last of the interns to enter the atrium, but still on time. She was eager to meet her senior resident, and when Dr. Ines Delarosa called her name, Casey gently pumped her fist. “Yes!”

“Why are you so excited?” Jackie asked.

“I met her yesterday, she’s amazing! Bubblegum and rainbows incarnate!”

“Gross!” Jackie grimaced. “I’d rather take my chance with the grumpy ass I've got. I’ll catch you on the other side!”

Ines clapped her hands with joy to gather her charges. “All right, young ones! You’ve got your assignments! Go forth and shine bright!”

And Ines greeted her interns with the same enthusiasm when they returned a few hours later. “I hope you’re all excited! We’re about to begin rounds!”

“Woo-hoo!” Casey yelled as Ines gave a thumbs up with approval.

“That’s the attitude I want to see! You’ll be even more excited when I tell you we have a very special guest! Dr. Tobias Carrick will be joining us for rounds today!”

Casey turned to see Tobias leaning against a wall, looking up from his clipboard at the mention of his name. He curtly nodded at the interns, and Casey’s mouth went dry. Why did he have to be so beautiful? One glance made her knees go weak, and when his ice-blue eyes locked with hers, she could feel her cheeks begin to flush. She had been fueled by liquid courage when she approached him at Donahue's last night. What kind of intern flirts mercilessly with her attending on her very first day? But with his eyes still on her, she felt the heat rising. Yeah, she thought, that’s why I did. But when he turned away without acknowledging her, she began to question her judgment again.

“Let’s do this,” Dr. Carrick said gruffly.

“We’re doing rounds with Dr. Carrick? This is amazing! Also, I’m going to puke!” Landry whispered softly but loud enough to hear.

Tobias stopped short and looked over his shoulder, catching Landry chatting with Casey. “Less chatting and more moving!” He scowled. “Or do you think you’ve learned enough to keep your patients alive with just one day on the job?”

Casey’s brow furrowed. He didn’t seem at all like the man she met yesterday: the one who patiently guided her through an emergency procedure before her shift even began, one whose jovial attitude kept the interns energized throughout the day, or with whom she flirted shamelessly last night, perhaps that last one was the problem. Still, she shook her head and whispered to Landry.

“He was so cool yesterday. Why is he acting like such a jerk today?”

Dr. Carrick screeched to a halt again, causing several interns to trip over themselves to avoid toppling on top of him.

“Something to say, Dr. MacTavish?”

Her wide-eyed peers whispered amongst themselves. How did he already know her name? Dr. Carrick didn’t expect an answer, but Casey was giving him one all the same.  

“Yes, actually. I was wondering why you were so irritable today. I liked the Dr. Carrick I met yesterday much better.”

Tobias crossed his arms, biting his cheek to stifle a laugh, and Ines looked nervously between them. “Ha-ha!” She laughed. “Dr. MacTavish is so funny... haha! That will help make you a good doctor, but why don’t we get on with our rounds.”

“Wait,” Tobias held up a hand. “Dr. MacTavish, what role do you think attendings will play in your residency? Do you they – myself in particular -  are here to amuse and appease you?”

“Nope," she replied, not backing down. "Not at all.”

“Good. Because all of us will be putting in long hours, sometimes you won’t sleep for days on end. You’ll be dealing with life-or-death issues, and sometimes, the losses will nearly destroy you. No one is going to be rainbows and sunshine all the time. So I suggest you learn to deal with irritable colleagues and patients alike. It’s as much a part of this job as anything else.” He looked directly at Casey, and even as he was admonishing her, his gaze still made her melt. “Is that clear?”

“Crystal,” she grinned as Tobias forced himself to look away. Casey was completely unaware, she had the exact same effect on him. b

“Good. So why don’t we start rounds with your patient then?”

Landry wanted to question Casey as they walked away. He wasn’t sure if she was his hero, if she was out of her mind, or a combination of both, but he didn’t dare speak after that exchange.  

Casey and Landry went on to present. Or better said, Casey did. Landry was so starstruck by Dr. Carrick’s presence that he couldn’t bring himself to utter a word. Casey eyed him nervously, but when it was clear he was stalled, she jumped in to bail the duo out. Calmly and succinctly explaining that their patient had been in an accident and had internal bleeding as a result. She offered their prognosis and defended their treatment plan, even reassuring the patient when he expressed concerns about the length of his stay. Tobias was impressed with her, and halfway through her presentation, he couldn’t help but wonder why he was being so grumpy after all. It wasn’t like him at all.

“... so we have to get you healthy, Mike,” Casey said sweetly. “There are people counting on you.”

“Excellent, Dr. MacTavish,” Tobias approved, looking pointedly at Landry.

They proceeded to watch Elijah, Sienna, Jackie, Aurora, and other interns present.

“Congratulations!” Ines chirped. “You survived your first morning rounds! That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“Depends on who you ask,” Landry droned.

“Landry,” Casey frowned. “Don’t worry, you’ll get a chance to...,” but Tobias began speaking and drowned her out.

“All right, doctors! Your patients are all alive... let’s make sure they’re still that way when I see you tomorrow. You’re dismissed.”

Casey turned and walked away with the other interns, but she didn’t get far when Tobias called her back.

“Not you, Newbie. You have one more patient to see.”

“I... I do?” she stammered.

“And do I?” Landry asked.

“Did I say you?” Tobias glared.

“Nope,” Landry gulped, turning to Casey. “I guess I’ll see you later.”

Casey walked toward Tobias; while some interns gossiped, not even attempting to hide.

“What’s with them? One asked “Nothing! She just made a good a good impression on him.” “Yeah,” Another sneered. “A good impression on him at the bar last night!” “Well, I guess that’s one way to get ahead.”

Tobias didn’t hear, but Casey did, and she couldn’t conceal a frown as she walked his way. Seeing her distressed, he hoped his attitude had nothing to do with it. He greeted her with a warm smile.

“Hey there, Newb. Why so glum? You doing OK?”  

“I’m good,” she sighed. “Very sleepy, but good. Hey, I want to apologize; I’m sorry if I was a jerk back there...”

“Nah,” he replied, and she realized his graveled voice had the same effect on her as his damn eyes. This would not be easy. “I was the one being the jerk. That’s why I wanted to talk to you...”

“Wait,” she crossed her arms with narrowed eyes. “Are you telling me there’s no patient? You just wanted to talk to me?”

“Two things can be true at once, grasshopper,” he smiled. “That’s good to remember in medicine. But I am sorry for being grouchy. It’s not like me; I guess we all have bad days.”

“And we're all entitled to them every so often,” she winked. “Just don’t let it happen again.”

She wasn’t your standard intern, and he couldn’t help but laugh when he caught a nurse looking at them intently. She scattered away when he met her stare, refusing to shift his gaze. Casey followed his eyes and understood at once. She lowered her eyes as he returned his attention to her, his voice taking on a more serious tone. “Listen, about our talk last night..”

Casey felt herself becoming sick, and she didn't think skipping breakfast was the culprit. Her cheeks turned red, and her breath quickened. What would all the gossips say about the two of them standing this close? She was a kid from the wrong side of the tracks in Philly, worked her ass off to get here despite all those who said it was just a dream. She wasn’t going to have anyone saying her success was a result of flirting with her attending. But, God, she wanted to pursue him. She hadn't felt a connection like this in so long, and he had said they could find a workaround. Then she felt her blood go cold. Listen, about our talk last night...

Oh, God! She thought. I made a total ass out of myself, didn’t I? I’m an intern, for God’s sake. He’s Dr. Tobias Carrick; he likely has his choice of any person in this hospital. Any person in Boston! What the hell was I thinking? Convinced he was about to tell her he wasn’t interested. Her blatant flirtation was about to make her look like nothing short of a desperate fool, and Casey never wanted to be a desperate fool.

“It’s alright!” she interrupted, though right now, nothing felt alright. “We both had a few drinks, and it was late... it’s not surprising that we both said some things we didn’t mean.”

“Oh,” Tobias said, clearly taken aback. “I didn’t realize that...”

“Hey, Casey,” Bryce smiled, walking past with his team. “See you at lunch!”

“Oh,” Tobias repeated, images of the two of them kissing and their flirtatious game on the hospital court rushing to his mind. He recovered quickly this time. “It’s fine. I’m glad we’re on the same page then; this way, we don’t have to be awkward. We’re cool?”

“We’re cool,” she faked a smile, not understanding why his apparent dismissal brought the sting of bitter tears to the back of her eyes.

“Good! So, I do have a patient for you,” he said, nodding in the direction they were about to walk. “Her name is Kyra Santana, and her doctor thought a golf outing was more important than being here today. But, his loss is your and Ms. Santana’s gain...”

Casey took notes as he spoke. She never needed notes; she remembered almost everything, but she'd find any excuse to avoid looking into those eyes.

 “Hey, Dr. Carrick,” a beautiful nurse winked. Casey looked up momentarily but rushed her eyes back to the pad in her hand.

Thank God she quickly covered, she thought, her cheeks flushing with a mix of relief and embarrassment. He was Tobias Carrick. As if he’d have any real interest in her. It was bad enough that she had it this bad for her attending—the last thing she needed was for him to find out. That would be no way to start this phase of her life.

Tobias stood before the door, and, damn it, he smiled again. "You ready, Dr. MacTavish?"

"I like to think I am," she smiled as she walked through the door.

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Tagging others separately.

[choicesficwriterscreations]

Open Heart F/AtoW: Oct 27 - Nov 2, 2024

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

BRYCE LAHELA

Blue Lagoon 📱 | Bryce Lahela x F!OC - @peonierose

Operation with Drs. Lahelas 🎨 | Bryce Lahela x F!MC - @robboyu C: @storyofmychoices

ETHAN RAMSEY

Halloween Lights ✒️Ⓜ️ | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @jamespotterthefirst

Mad About Matching ✒️ | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @cariantha

New Rooms ✒️ | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @potionsprefect

The Proposition ✒️ | Ethan Ramsey, Tobias Carrick - @jerzwriter

Trick or Treat ✒️ | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @liaromancewriter

RAFAEL AVEIRO

Home is Where You Are ✒️🏳‍🌈 | Rafael Aveiro x M!MC - @silver-rings-and-rabbits

Love In Every Heartbeat (Series) ✒️ | Rafael Aveiro x F!MC - @rafasgirl23415 Chapter 1: Fancy Seeing You Here  Chapter 2: First Date Butterflies 

Our Miracle Baby (Series) ✒️ | Rafael Aveiro x F!MC - @rafasgirl23415 Part 20 Part 21

SIENNA TRINH

Counter Proposal 📱 | Sienna Trinh x M!OC - @liaromancewriter

TOBIAS CARRICK

A Little Obsessed ✒️ | Tobias Carrick x F!MC - @jerzwriter

Peter, Peter 🎨✒️ | Tobias Carrick x F!MC - @callmebeem C: @jerzwriter

The Proposition ✒️ | Ethan Ramsey, Tobias Carrick - @jerzwriter

Treat for Two ✒️ | Tobias Carrick x F!MC - @alj4890

Main F/AtoW List: Oct 27 - Nov 2, 2024

[lovealexhunt]

Hi lovelies 👋 I hope you are doing well. Life has been keeping me so busy so I haven't been here as often as usual and am far behind on my drafts and replying to messages and DMs. I am working my way through everything as best as I can! I know I'm not alone in this.

I also know that Tumblr is tumblr and notifications aren't always consistent and the booping event kind of made everyone's notifications kind of a disaster for a bit so I thought I'd do a quick recent work posts. Feel free to look this over or ignore.

It's mostly art but a couple drabbles too

Thomas Hunt x Alex Spencer

I Dream of [Thomas and] Alex I (Halloween Art)

I Dream of [Thomas and] Alex II (Halloween Art)

Tender Moment (Art)

You + Me = 💖 (Art)

Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley

Operations with Drs Lahela (Halloween Art)

Happy Birthday, Bryce (Picta Posts)

Autumn's Embrace: Bryce and Olivia find magic in the small moments of autumn.

A Date to Remember: a Mean Girls inspired drabble

Movie Night (Art)

Mal Volari x Daenarya [and more]

Bitten By Love (Vampire AU): Vampire!Daenarya feeds on her favorite human.

Vampire!Daenarya x Human!Mal (Art)

Daenarya x Maiele (Art)

Of Leaves and Laughter (Orphanage Series): Mal and the boys are cleaning up around the orphanage when Mal has an idea to make things more interesting.

Pan!Daenarya (Art)

Home (Art)

Poly!Daenarya x Mal x Nia (Art)

Whispers in the Fog: Early in Blades I, prerelationship: Daenarya and Mal both reflect on the journey so far and share a moment too.

Geometric Art

The Whoosh

Flumph (Blades 3)

Emelia TDG MC

Sienna

Ripley ID MC

[choicesaugustchallenge]

WELCOME || RULES || PROMPTS || HOST MASTERLIST

In alphabetical order by prompt. Will add more each week.

Beach Date

Lilah Rose - CoP Art by @lilyoffandoms

Only Her (Thomas Hunt x OC) - RCD/HWU Fic by @theartoflovingthomashunt

"Being in love is like a rollercoaster and a stroll on the beach rolled into one."

A Little Jealous (Tobias Carrick x MC) - OPH Fic by @jerzwriter

Eternal Summer

Bryce x Luna - OPH Art (Bryce Lahela x OC) by @lilyoffandoms

Fireworks

When Sparks Fly - OPH Fic by @liaromancewriter

Late Night Talking Inder the Stars

Bonds of Sea and Fire Part 2 - Blades Fic (Tyril x MC) by @missameliep

Mono~poly Chapter 4: Moving On - OPH Fic (Tobias Carrick x MC) by @jerzwriter

Laying on their chest while watching the sunrise

Detention VII.V: A Brush of Magic - TE Fic (Beckett x MC) by @storyofmychoices

Outdoor Movie Night

Classic Cinephiles - OPH Moodboard by @choicesfanaf

Pool Party

Ajay x MC - HSS:CA Art by @mydemonsdrivealimo commissioned by @peonyblossom

Road Trip

Snugglin’ Inn - OPH Fic (Ethan x MC, Bryce x OC, Tobias x MC) by @jerzwriter

Skinning Dipping

Trystan Thorne - CoP Art by @lilyoffandoms

Summer Heat

Something New - WtD Fic (Eli Sipes x MC) by @jerzwriter

Summer Holiday

Summer Getaway - OPH Edit (Sienna Trinh x OC) by @liaromancewriter

Summer Romance

Jun x Emilia - TDG Art (Jun Seong x MC) by @weetlebeetle commissioned by @storyofmychoices

Summer Wedding

I Thee Wed - OPH Edit & Fic (Ethan Ramsey x MC) by @liaromancewriter

Mono~poly Chapter 5: Beautiful Days - OPH Fic (Tobias Carrick x MC)

Turning The Page Chapter 14: Make You Mine - TRR Fic (Liam Rys x MC) by @tessa-liam

Sundress

Lincoln x Vax - ILW Edit/Gif by @kilvalir

The Garden Part - OPH Edit (Tobias Carrick x MC) by @jerzwriter

Sunshine

First Day - OPH Fic & Edit by @liaromancewriter

Dr. Sienna Trinh - OPH Art by @lilyoffandoms

Swimsuit

Luna Auclair - OPH Art by @lilyoffandoms

Multiple Pairings - Multiple Books Edits by @cadybear420

Tanlines

Daenarya x Maiele - Blades Art by @lilyoffandoms

Thunderstorms

Through the Pain - TDG Fic (Jun Seong x MC) by @storyofmychoices

Too Hot To Handle

Angelina: The Girlfriend - TDG Art by @storyofmychoices

Crystal: The Skinfluencer - TDG Art by @storyofmychoices

Farah Sabri - TDG Art by @storyofmychoices

Medhani: The Doctor - TDG Art by @storyofmychoices

Ripley Reese - ID Art by @lilyoffandoms

She’s Hot (Ade) - BB Edit by @aesthetic-aag

[openheartfanfics]

Newly Added Fics

Mar 30 - April 5, 2024  

🎭 Angst  |  🦚 Angsty Fluff  |  🛸 AU  |  ☁ Fluff  |  ��� NSFW  |  📚 Series  |  📷 Edit  |  📱 TextFic  |  ��� Mature

Bryce x F!MC

Las hijas de Luna - @peonierose ☁

It’s time for Luna and Bryce to welcome their twins into the world. Will there be any complications? Or will the birth go without a hitch? [Pregnancy]

Yellow Hibiscus in Bloom - @aallotarenunelma ☁

This is Doctor's Day. How will Bryce and Kaisa will celebrate it?

Ethan x F!MC

A Chance Encounter - @cariantha 📚

[mini: wip] Ten years prior to meeting at Edenbrook, Ethan and Sawyer have a chance encounter during spring break. [Young Ethan]

Part 2: The Hook-up

Baby(moon) Planning - @genevievemd 📱

Gen and Ethan plan a trip before the baby arrives.

Stand By Me - @liaromancewriter 🦚

Cassie experiences the downside of having Ethan Ramsey as a mentor.

When life has other plans - @coffeeheartaddict2 📚🛸

[extended: wip] A competition has commenced for the interns at Edenbrook hospital. A horrid first day leads to an unexpected test of a new machine but what is Dr. Ethan Ramsey hiding?

CH 15: DéJà Vu

Ethan x Reader

Picnic - @stanathanxoox ☁

Planning a picnic and making them food even if you’re an amateur cook, in hopes you’ll impress them more.

Sienna x M!OC

Unlikely Adventures - @liaromancewriter 📱

There's only one person who can convince Sienna to take a chance on a life of adventure.

Rafael x F!MC

Moving In - @rafasgirl23415 📚​

[extended: wip] Follow up to We Belong Together. Set a few years into the future. Feat. Sienna Trinh x M!OC

CH 29: What Could Have Been - Part 1 [TW: PTSD]

CH 29: What Could Have Been - Part 2 [TW: PTSD]

CH 30: The Back To Work Blues

Tobias x F!MC

Whenever… whatever ✋🏽 - @jerzwriter 📱

After Shakira's freaking ridiculous comments about Barbie, Tobias was not going to be having it, and steps would have to be taken.

With Warning - @jerzwriter 📚

[mini:wip] As the friendship and bond between Casey and Tobias developed, each of her friends had a few things to say to Dr. Carrick.

Part 5: Captain Lahela & a Serving of Common Sense

_

SUBMIT OPEN HEART FICS & WRITERS HERE

[storyofmychoices]

Choices Masterlists: (alphabetical by LI's first name)

💙 Beckett Harrington x Emma Carlyle [The Elementalists] 💜 Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley(OC) [Open Heart] 💙 Ethan Ramsey x Ellie Shepherd [Open Heart] 💜 John Somerset x Christie Hayes [The Unexpected Heiress] 💙 Jun Seong x Emilia Charles [The Deadliest Game] 💜 Justin Mercado x Mari Bishop [Save the Date] 💙 Levi Schuler x Laura Day [Mother of the Year] 💜 Mal Volari x Daenarya [Blades of Light & Shadow] + Mal's Orphanage Series + Blades 2 AU 💙 Thomas Hunt x Alex Spencer [Red Carpet Diaries/Hollywood U] 💜 Troy Hassan x Astraea Callen [Wake the Dead] 💙 Trystan Thorne x Lilah Rose [Crimes of Passion] 💜 Assorted Characters (EmoDrake, ROE Bartender, Thomas Mendez, Kate O'Malley) 💖 Geometric Art 💖 My Personal Favorite Fics

✨Recent Posts ✨

Bitten By Love (Vampire AU): Vampire!Daenarya feeds on her favorite human. [Art]

I Dream of [Thomas and] Alex / Second Art

Operations with Drs Lahela (Halloween Art)

Happy Birthday, Bryce (Picta Posts)

Of Leaves and Laughter (Orphanage Series): Mal and the boys are cleaning up around the orphanage when Mal has an idea to make things more interesting.

Autumn's Embrace: Bryce and Olivia find magic in the small moments of autumn.

A Date to Remember: Bryce has a very important question for Olivia. (iykyk)

A Brush of Magic: Emma tracks down a particularly mischievous book, while Beckett gets caught in their path.

Through the Pain: Emilia takes Jun up on his offer to try the punching bag. (A more emotional rewrite of Jun's Chapter 6 diamond scene)

Only Her: Thomas and Alex enjoy a quiet sunset at the beach.

A Late Night Picnic: Mal surprises Daenarya with a late night picnic, but it doesn't go as planned. [with Rayden & Lydo]

Neon Glow: Bryce and Olivia enjoy some fun during laser tag with their friends. 🖊️🎨

Love & Scotch: dx: Friendship & New Beginnings: Hunt and Ethan share a drink before Hunt's wedding. 🖊️

Daenarya and her trophy husband 🎨

Character Profiles: (alphabetically by first name)

💜 Alex Hunt (RCD/HWU F!MC / OC)

💖 Callista Rossi (VoS MC)

💜 Daenarya (Blades F!MC / OC)

💖 Ellie Shepherd (OH F!MC)

💜 Emilia Charles (TDG F!MC)

💖 Guinevere Áine of Carmelide (F!MC)

💜 Iliana Maria Volari (Blades F!OC)

💖 Keiki Lahela

💜 Laura Day (MotY F!MC)

💖 Lilah Rose (CoP F!MC)

💜 Makoa Lahela (OH M!OC)

💖 Mal Volari (coming soon)

Alessia Volari (Mal's sister) < needs to be rewritten with Wren

💜 Nyx Selenastra (Blades NB!OC)

💖 Malia Lahela (OH F!OC)

💜 Olivia Hadley (OH F!OC)

💖 Rayden + Lydo (Blades OCs) (coming soon)

💜 Trystan Thorne

💚 Character Birthday Chart

Reblog Game Masterlists (alphabetically)

💙 MC Monday: Olivia Hadley 💖 Summer Character Challenge : Olivia Hadley 💙 Summer Character Challenge: Lilah Rose 💖 Top 3 Thursday

Yearly Summary Posts

2023

[deb-1106]

Choices Flash Fic week 31

Hey all!!  ❤️ 

Because we've both been out of the game so long, and have really missed writing, my good friend (she was actually my very FIRST friend on this hellsite 😋❤️) @walkerismychoice and I have decided to motivate each other by writing together using our LI's and MC's from different choices books.  I'll be using Drake Walker and my MC, Ava Matheson from TRR, and Maggie will be using Bryce Lahela and her MC, Charlie Hawkins from Open Heart.  

This story will hopefully be the first of a weekly series of one-shots using @choicesflashfics prompts.

We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it! ❤️

Prompt 3  — “Wait a second. Pause and rewind … what did you just say?”

Book: TRR/OPH

Pairings: Drake x Ava, Bryce x Charlie

Rating: M

TW: Gun Violence

“Little Blossom?”

Ava’s eyes flew open.  

She was momentarily disoriented, caught somewhere between a memory and a nightmare. But as her eyes focused and she took in the institutional green walls and naugahyde seating of a hospital waiting room, the crushing reality of the evening’s events came flooding back.

***

Ava! Get down!”

Drake’s warning was the last thing she heard before his body slammed into hers, knocking her to the ground.  She screamed as a bomb exploded nearby, raining chunks of rubble down all around them as the acrid smell of gunfire burned her nostrils.

“Drake?” She cried, “Drake, we have to get out of here!

He didn’t move.

“Drake!“  Ava began to panic as she felt the warm, sticky dampness of his blood seep into her ballgown. She reached out to press her hand to his cheek and his eyelids fluttered open for just a moment.  He gave her a small smile. 

“I love you, Matheson.” He mumbled faintly as his eyes closed once again.

“NO!  Drake, wake up!  Please, baby.  I need you to wake up!”  She tried to wiggle out from underneath him, but the weight of his body was too much for her.

HELP!” She screamed, praying that her cries were loud enough to be heard over the chaos around them,  “PLEASE! … SOMEBODY HELP US!”

After what felt like an eternity, she felt Drake’s weight lifted from her body.  She immediately scrambled to her knees crawling on all fours to where he lay prone on the ballroom floor, his suit soaked with blood.

“Oh my God!” She gasped, “Drake!”

Bastien was kneeling over him, both hands pressed over a wound in Drake's shoulder as he barked out orders. “I NEED A MEDIC AND AN UNMARKED CAR…NOW!”

“Bastien! What’s going on?”  Tears streamed down Ava’s face as she grabbed Drake’s hand, alarmed by how cold it felt.

“Terrorist attack.  Drake took a bullet.”

Ava looked to Bastien for reassurance, “But…he’s going to be okay, right?”  

He wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“Bastien! Tell me he’s going to be okay.” She begged, “Please!”

He finally looked up, and the expression on his face made Ava’s blood run cold.

“The wound is close to his heart and he’s lost a lot of blood.” Bastien’s voice was somber, “If we can get him to the hospital quickly, he might have a chance.”

“Might?” Ava pressed a hand over her mouth and felt her stomach lurch. 

No!  This can’t be happening.  We were finally going to start our lives together. I can’t lose him now.

***

Maxwell knelt down beside the chair Ava had finally collapsed into after pacing the hospital corridors for hours.  He placed his hand over hers and squeezed gently.  “There’s a nurse here who wants to talk to you.” 

Heart hammering in her chest, Ava jumped to her feet, ignoring the pain of her own injuries as she anxiously faced the young nurse standing in the doorway.

“Is he okay?” She asked, “Is he out of surgery?  Can I see him?”

The nurse smiled kindly, the rapid-fire questions not phasing her in the least.

“Mr. Walker is still in surgery…” 

When Ava’s face crumpled, the nurse crossed the room to place a comforting hand on her arm, “But he has one of our top surgeons working on him, so rest assured, he’s in the best possible hands.”  She smiled warmly, “In fact, Dr. Lehela wanted me to let you know that Mr. Walker is out of the woods.  The bullet has been removed and they’re just cleaning out the remaining debris.  There was some concern about bone fragments splintering off and causing damage to the surrounding heart tissue, but that doesn't appear to have been the case.”

Ava felt her legs go weak with relief.

“Oh, Thank God.”

She felt Maxwell’s arms encircle her and sank wearily into his comforting embrace.

“See, Blossom.” He said, encouragingly, “I told you he was going to be okay. It’ll take more than a tiny little bullet to take him out.”

Ava nodded and squeezed Max’s hand without breaking eye contact with the nurse.

“How much longer do you think it’ll be before I can see him?”

“Once he’s out of surgery, he’ll go to recovery." She replied with a comforting smile.  "It’s hard to say how long he’ll be there, as everyone comes out of anesthesia differently, but a conservative estimate would be another hour or two.  Then he’ll be settled into a room and can receive visitors.”

Ava nodded and swiped at the tears which were once again sliding down her cheeks.  But this time, they were tears of relief.

“Thank you.”

The nurse smiled.  “Of course.  I’ll come get you when I have his room assignment.”  

Ava thanked her again.

Drake was going to be okay.  Liam had been unharmed in the attack and Bastien and Kiara came away with only minor injuries.  Somehow they’d all survived.

Suddenly Ava’s stomach growled…LOUDLY.

Maxwell laughed.  “Okay, now that we know Drake is okay…it’s time to take care of YOU.”

Ava began to protest but Maxwell was already propelling her toward the door. “No more excuses!  You need food, or at the very least some coffee, or you’ll find yourself in a hospital bed of your own.  Now MOVE!” 

Maxwell was wearing his stubborn expression, so Ava knew resistance was futile.

She let him lead her down to the Cafeteria. “I’ll go back up to the waiting room and let you know immediately if I hear anything from the doctors.”

“Thank you.” Ava replied weekly before walking through the cafeteria doors and meandering aimlessly towards the various food offerings.

—--

Charlie checked the time on her Apple watch. Wow, a whole 30 minutes for lunch today, she thought. Typically she was lucky to get half of that. Nobody ever told her the life of a hospital internist would be glamorous, but she still hadn’t been prepared for how tired and hungry she’d be so much of the time. Although they bill residency as a training program for your selected specialty, Charlie swore it was also meant to be a boot camp that only the strong survived. Only one more year and she’d have some semblance of a normal schedule as an attending physician.

“Coffee. Must have coffee first.” Charlie mumbled to herself, taking in the aroma of freshly brewed beans as she marched towards the machines only to be stopped in her tracks by someone hovering in front of them. Charlie went left, but then the woman went left. Then she tried to go right, but the woman shuffled to the right. Her patience running thin, Charlie spoke up. “Excuse me, could I sneak in here?”

“I’m sorry.” The woman spun to face her, and Charlie’s irritation melted away. The woman looked sad and tired for sure, but that was not an uncommon sight for visitors of the hospital cafeteria. There was something about her that drew Charlie in and made her want to comfort the woman. Maybe it was the fact that Charlie could see a little bit of herself in her - definitely not the flawless deep olive skin tone and dark hair, wildly contrasting with Charlie’s strawberry blonde locks and accompanying creamy white skin, but they appeared about the same age, and there was just something there that made them alike. Although Charlie was not prone to striking up friendships with hospital visitors, something told Charlie this was a connection she should make.

“Let me buy you a coffee.” Charlie offered.

The woman looked Charlie up and down, seemingly noting Charlie’s white coat and ID badge. “No, that’s okay. You can just go first. I have no idea what I want.”

“Please, I insist. Free coffee is one of the few perks I get for devoting my life to this place.” They both laughed and Charlie saw the first little spark of life return to the woman’s eyes.

Charlie grabbed two prepackaged sandwiches to go with the coffees and brought them over to the woman who had already seated herself at a cafeteria table.

"Thank you so much…" she glanced at the ID badge again, "....Dr. Hawkins. "I was too much of a wreck to even pick out something to eat. I'm sure you're busy, but would you care to join me?" 

Again, it wasn't typical of Charlie to hang out with random hospital guests, but she knew this woman needed a friend right now, and maybe that feeling was mutual. "Sure, I still have about 20 more minutes." Charlie sat down. "But you can call me Charlie."

"Well thank you again, Charlie, I'm Ava."

"Nice to meet you, Ava." Charlie hesitated for a moment before asking, "If it's not too forward, do you want to talk about your loved one here that's got you so worried?... Only if you want to talk about it."

Ava's facial expression grew somber once again. She took a deep breath before letting everything spill out - getting invited to Cordonia on a whim to compete for the future King's heart, fate stepping in when she fell for his best friend Drake instead, and all the political drama and everything leading up to the events that brought her to this particular hospital cafeteria. Despite the tears streaming down Ava’s face, the air about her felt a little bit lighter.

"I'm sorry." Charlie squeezed Ava’s hand from across the table. "This must be so scary for you, but Edenbrook is a great hospital. I'm sure Drake is in great hands. Do you know who his surgeon is? I probably know them or at least know of them.”

Ava pursed her lips in concentration. “Dr, La-....hala? I think it’s something like that.”

Charlie smirked. “Young, kind of surfer boy-esque, and cocky as all hell because he knows how good-looking he is?”

Ava laughed nervously. “Yeah, that sounds like him. Please tell me he’s also a good surgeon.”

“Dr. Lahela can be kind of cocky bastard at times, but I love him. And yes, he’s a great surgeon, and I’m not just saying that because I’m biased.”

“Wait…” Ava seemed to be putting the pieces together. “You like love, love him? Are you two-”

“Yes, Bryce is my boyfriend. I might not have been so complimentary about his other characteristics otherwise.”

They both devolved into laughter until Ava spoke up again. “I like your sense of humor. Sounds like you need it to put up with him, just like me with my….Drake.” Ava quiets for a moment and then asks, “So I take it you two met here at Edenbrook?”

“Well, that’s a funny story.” Charlie wondered if she really wanted to get into this with a relative stranger, but Ava had already shared so much and could probably use the distraction anyway. “We actually met at a strip club, and believe it or not, Bryce was a stripper.”

Ava’s eyes opened wide. “Wait a second. Pause and rewind … what did you just say?”

Charlie inhaled deeply. “Okay, I don’t have a ton of time left on my break, so I’ll give you the condensed version. My med school friends dragged me out to a strip club to celebrate after we graduated. I was in a funk because I’d been recently dumped by the douchebag I thought I was going to marry and to top it off, I was set to be in my awful cousin’s weeklong wedding extravaganza and was in no mood to be questioned about the whereabouts of my plus one. Said friends paid for a private lap dance for me. In my drunken state, I got the bright idea to hire the stripper to be my fake boyfriend for the wedding. Somewhere along the way, fake boyfriend turned into real love interest. I learned he wasn’t just a stripper but had worked his way through med school and was about to hang up his banana hammocks to start his residency. As fate would have it, we’d both matched at Edenbrook and two years later, here we are.”

“Woah. And I thought mine and Drake’s relationship had an unconventional start.” Ava peeked down at her phone on the table. “I’m definitely going to need the feature-length presentation of this story another time, but my friend Maxwell just texted that Drake’s out of surgery!”

“That’s great news!” Charlie got up with Ava and walked out to the elevators with her. “I’ll walk you back up there since I’m headed that way.

Little did either of them know that this chance meeting would be the beginning of a lifelong friendship.

Taglist: @ao719 @burnsoslow @sincerelyella @charlotteg234 @choiceswreckedme @walkerismychoice @txemrn @twinkleallnight @imashybish @blackcatkita @katedrakeohd @boneandfur @sfb123 @queenrileyrose @foreverethereal123 @kingliam2019 @nestledonthaveone @bebepac @petiteboheme @yukinagato2012 @princess-geek

**As always, if you want on or off my Tag List, let me know. **

[jamespotterthefirst]

Because (Ethan x f!MC)

Book: Open Heart, book 2 Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Lilac Allende) Word count: 1.1 K Rating/ Warning: T

Premise: Ethan seeks her out to clear the air, but he finds her getting ready for a date. Part 2 of Flowers. 

Note: The author sucks at titles sometimes. But you’ll see why I picked this :)

Hours of torture by memories of her and several gulps of scotch finally erode his pride. Before reason can deter him, he finds himself in front of her apartment door, veins burning with a valiant yet foolish urge to explain. The memory of Lilac's hurt expression and her bitter words will continue to cut him like a blade.

Ethan knocks before he can stop himself. Regret floods him instantly, paired with the cowardly instinct to flee. The door swings open only moments later and his heart stops altogether.

“I told you to text me when you were on the way—”

Lilac's words die along with the placid smile on her face as her eyes fall on him. She stands frozen for a moment, clad in a silk, pink robe. Her hair is neatly styled, falling in waves around her shoulders, and subtle but sultry makeup accentuates her features. When she recovers, her posture becomes guarded, her expression morphing into one of disdain.

“Doctor Ramsey.”

Her voice, devoid of its usual playful warmth, is like a stranger's.

“If this is work related—”

“It's not.”

This seems to anger her. Her beautiful, red lips press into a tight line, her green eyes pure, unforgiving fire.

“Then it can wait. Good night.”

She begins to close the door, but Ethan stops her with a gentle arm.

“Lilac, please. We should talk.”

“There is nothing to talk about, Doctor.” At this, she gives him a brief smile that could have fooled anyone else. To Ethan, however, it feels like a punch for all the pain she conceals behind it. “You made everything perfectly clear earlier. You're my boss. And I'm merely your employee.”

“Lilac, you know that's not true—”

She ignores him and presses on, “As such, I ask that every conversation we have from here on out is strictly work-related. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm expecting someone.”

The notes of her luxurious perfume hit him along with the realization. Lilac, looking polished and unfairly stunning, was in the middle of getting ready before his arrival. With a twist of his gut, he realizes she was getting ready for someone else.

“Who? A date?”

Lilac scoffs.

“That's none of your business.”

She's not denying it. Something irrational and ugly rages through his insides. Seconds later, he acknowledges it's pure, unbridled jealousy.

“Who is it? Lahela?”

“And what if it is?”

“You're finally putting him out of his misery. How compassionate of you.”

“What are you talking—”

“Spare me, Lilac. Surely, you're not oblivious to the fact that he's head over heels in love with you.”

Lilac blinks incredulously up at him.

“How could you possibly know that?”

Ethan lets out a humorless laugh.

“It's evident just by the way he looks at you.”

It is her turn to let out an unconvinced, dark laugh.

“You have no idea what you're talking about.”

“I do.”

“How? Because you're the incomparable Ethan Ramsey and you know everything?”

They're shouting now, uncaring that they're standing at her threshold.

“Because—”

“Because what?”

“Because it's the exact same way I've looked at you since the day I met you.”

The confession takes both of them by surprise. They look at one another as the aftershock of his words ring in the ensuing silence. Green eyes desperately search his face for something until they fall on his lip.

And that breaks his resolve.

They both move at once, bodies reuniting after a long, miserable reprise. Without a single word, he is kissing her. Their lips move softly at first but soon, months worth of longing wins out and their kiss turns urgent.

“Ethan,” she whispers, her hands seeking to touch every part of him.

Drunk by her kiss, he shuts the door and pushes her against it. Lilac, for her own part, wastes little time to press her body flush against his. And when that's not enough, she hitches a glorious thigh against his hip, the delicate silk of her robe hiking high along her thigh.

“I want you,” she tells him in a dizzying whisper.

He doesn't move.

“You have every right,” he tells her, his voice low and rough.

Lilac tilts her head, puzzled.

“I lied earlier. You have every right to know every damn thing about my life.”

Understanding dawns on her features. Foregoing the ferocity of their precious kiss, he leans in to kiss her forehead. Her eyes flutter closed.

“Those flowers—”

“You don't have to explain.”

“I want to.”

Lilac opens her eyes, watching him carefully.

“It is true that Audrina and I used to be romantically involved, but that was many years ago. I recently learned she was in a car accident, so I wanted to send her my well wishes. The florist I used during the course of our relationship was presumptuous and sent her the bouquet I typically sent her back then.”

Lilac processes this in silence, her green eyes unreadable. Finally, she nods once. To his immense surprise, a wicked smile pulls at her lips.

“What did she say when she got a romantic bouquet from her ex?”

“She and her husband were thoroughly confused. Calling them to explain was not the most pleasant experience.”

Lilac snorts.

“That's what you get for being nice and thoughtful.”

“Yes, lesson learned. I'll only be an asshole moving forward.”

They laugh and the world seems to shift under their feet. They still hold each other close and as their laughter dies, they become very aware of this fact. Ethan sobers up first, his expression becoming very serious.

“You are so much more to me than two nights, Lilac,” he tells her, tucking a curl behind her ear. His thumb lingers on the ridge of her cheekbone. “You must know that.”

Her eyes flutter closed against his touch. “I do,” she whispers. “And I'm sorry for acting so irrationally.”

Ethan accepts in the form of a gentle kiss to her temple. “I must apologize for being so callous. Not only earlier but these past few months. You deserve better.”

This time, it's Lilac who kisses him gently.

“I want you, Ethan.”

She tugs him close, pouring the full meaning of her words into a fiery kiss.

“What about your date?”

Lilac seems unaffected by the reminder. She moves her kisses down to his jaw, driving him to the edge of insanity. Without breaking the heady string of kisses, she guides him to her bedroom.

“There is no one else I want more than you.”

Notes: Next part is sm*t, babes!

Okay, I really didn’t want to split this up into another part but I also hate to post super long fics. So here we are. Sorry! 

Now that life has settled down a bit for me, I hope to write the following:

Part 3 of this fic

A sm*t fic to this commission Ainna did for me

Part 2 of the Jenner fic

Wish me luck! 

[choicespride]

Valentine's Day 2024 Masterlist

Blades of Light and Shadow

Hades Nightbloom Valentine's Day Edits - m!elf!MC (Hades Nightbloom) - @peonyblossom

Iris of Riverbend Valentine's Day Edits - f!human!MC (Iris of Riverbend) - @peonyblossom

Bloodbound

By Any Other Name - Kamilah Sayeed x f!MC (Lucy West) - @thosehallowedhalls

High School Story

Jamie Baxter Valentine's Day Edits - nb!MC (Jamie Baxter) - @peonyblossom

Hollywood U

Cafe Whispers and Scone Kisses - Addison Sinclair x f!MC (Alex Spencer), Thomas Hunt x f!MC (Alex Spencer) (mentioned) - @theartoflovingthomashunt

Jackie Winters Valentine's Day Edits - nb!MC (Jackie Winters) - @peonyblossom

Thomas x Jackie Date Night - Thomas Hunt x nb!MC (Jackie Winters) - art by @lilyoffandoms, requested by @peonyblossom

It Lives Anthology

Harry Spear Valentine's Day Edits - ILITW m!MC (Harry Spear) - @peonyblossom

Ollie Bridgers Valentine's Day Edits - ILW nb!MC (Ollie Bridgers) - @peonyblossom

Laws of Attraction

Date Night - Gabe Ricci x m!MC (Fiona Lightwood) - @choicesmc

Murder At Homecoming

Let Me Be Your Valentine, Saint Valentine - Donovan Navarro x/& nb!MC (Edelmina Stone) - @aallotarenunelma

Open Heart

Dr. Sydney Valentine Valentine's Day Edits - m!MC (Sydney Valentine) - @peonyblossom

Two Types of People - Bryce Lahela x m!MC (Jensen Valentine) - art by @lilyoffandoms, requested by @mydemonsdrivealimo

when you really love something, then it loves you back, in whatever way it has to love - Bryce Lahela x m!MC (Jensen Valentine) - @mydemonsdrivealimo

Perfect Match

Beach Love: "Glasses and Missy" at Komodo Island - Sloane Washington x Alana Kusuma - @lizzybeth1986

Wishful Thinking

Art Request - Anna Koishi x f!MC (Nyx) - art by @lilyoffandoms, requested by @noesapphic

[alj4890]

Mixed Signals

(Dr. Tobias Carrick x F!MC *Chris Valentine) (Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC*Chris Valentine) (Dr. Bryce Lahela x F!MC*Chris Valentine) in an Open Heart Fan fiction.

Masterlist

A/N Sorry for taking so long to post. My health decided to do some wild things since the last post on top of the writer's block just having a field day with this storyline 😑 Anyway, we'll pick up where the last chapter left off.

Chapter 2

Chris slowly came awake. Though she knew in an instant that she wasn't in her own bedroom, the massive hangover she was currently under caused her to not really care where she was. Pulling what had to be some of the softest sheets she'd ever felt up over her face, she began to try and remember what happened the night before.

Flashes of her celebration at Donahue's flickered through her mind. Groaning over not only her actions with drinking way too much, she remembered what happened with Ethan.

Her eyes shot open.

Oh no. Did I go home with Ethan?

Peeking out from under the covers, she tried to discern the furniture around her.

Unless Ethan had done a major renovation since the last time she'd been in his apartment and had moved to a lower floor, she knew she wasn't in his place.

Chris clutched her head.

I know I'm not at Bryce's either. He wouldn't have brought me to his place with Kikei there.

She softly gasped.

Don't tell me I went home with a stranger!

Chris kicked the covers back and breathed easier to see she was still fully dressed. There was no indication that anyone had slept beside her. She did a quick examination of her body and knew she hadn't had sex.

Where am I?

She yanked the covers up when the bedroom door opened.

Tobias grinned at her.

"You're awake."

Chris gaped at him. "I went home with you!?"

He chuckled as he walked into the room.

"You demanded that I bring you to my place."

"Oh lord." Chris buried her head in her hands. Smoothing back her tousled hair, she looked up at him. "I'm so sorry."

He shrugged it off as not a big deal and sat down at the foot of the bed.

"I didn't..." Chris took a deep breath. "I didn't push myself on you, did I?"

Before he could respond, she shook her head.

"Of course I bloody well did. Why else would I be in your home?" She rubbed her hands over her face in an attempt to clear the cobwebs. "You should have given me back to my roommates. Then you wouldn't--"

"Hey!" He chuckled once more. "Easy there, Valentine. Normally, a woman in your condition would not be in my home." He patted her leg. "But, um, you were adamant that your doctor take you to his home."

"My doctor?" Her brow furrowed as she tried to remember the events of the previous night.

He laughed at her confused expression.

"Yeah, Ethan was not too thrilled when you declared I was not only your doctor but also the only doctor you trusted."

Her eyes widened.

What else did I do last night?

"You also told your roommates that you needed me to take you home since you had some medical concerns."

She vaguely remembered talking to Sienna.

"Anyway, I was going to actually take you back to your apartment after your friends left." He explained. "When I checked your wallet for a driver's license--"

"You saw that I still had my I.D. from Inverness." She finished with a groan.

"As much as I wanted to get you safely home, I wasn't quite up for the journey to Scotland." He teased.

Chris flopped back on the pillows with her arm draped over her eyes. This was quite possibly the most embarrassing moment of her life.

She then remembered she should be at work.

"What time is it?!" She sat up too quickly and immediately regretted such a rash action.

"Half past two." Tobias told her.

"Half past--" She scrambled out of bed.

"Whoa!" Tobias stopped her. "Where are you going?"

"I'm late!" She searched in vain for her shoes. "My shift at the hospital started hours ago!"

"Chris." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "I called Ethan this morning and told him you weren't coming in."

"You did what?" Chris gaped at him. "Why?"

"As your physician," he winked at her, "I realized that I never gave you the all clear to return to work. Plus given how many drinks you had last night, I knew you wouldn't be in any condition to help your patients."

"Oh." She sank back down on the bed.

Tobias sat down next to her. He studied her worried profile in silence for a few seconds.

"Hey?" He nudged her with his shoulder. "Why don't you take a shower while I see about lunch?" He nudged her again. "Or breakfast for you?"

Chris snorted back a laugh. "Yes, please feed me after I forced my drunk self into your home."

Tobias grinned at her. "You can force yourself on me anytime."

She burst out laughing then gave him a playful shove.

He got to his feet to open a nearby closet.

"My sisters-in law leave clothes here so they don't have to pack so much when they come for a visit." He explained. "See if there's something of theirs that might do for now."

"I appreciate it," Chris began "but I shouldn't impose on you any--"

"You're not." He went into the guest bathroom to start the shower. "Plus, I insist you stay until I know you're okay."

With a smile that made her heart flip, he left her alone.

Twenty minutes later, Chris found herself clean, dressed in leggings that were too short and in what was supposed to be an oversized sweater, yet just barely went past her waist. She'd finally found a pair of wooly socks to keep her always cold feet warm and began to make her way downstairs, admiring Tobias's townhome along the way.

She paused in the hallway to discern just where her host was.

Tobias called out from a room farther to her left.

"I'm in here, Chris!"

She followed the sound of his voice, pausing at how inviting his kitchen was. Though modern, the warm colors he'd chosen for the walls, decor, and cushions somehow worked. It should have clashed, yet she found herself thinking of her grandparents' home. They had been given all new appliances a couple of years ago. The silver, sleek look met the older bread box, flower towels, and ruffled cushions and soon settled into a hodgepodge that they all ended up loving.

It made her homesick to sit down at Tobias's table.

"Coffee?" He asked from behind the counter.

"Please." Chris rubbed her forehead in an effort to clear the fog she was still slightly under.

"How do you take it?" He poured her a cup.

"Lots of cream and lots of sugar." She mumbled.

"How much is a lot?"

"More than true coffee aficionados can tolerate." She responded.

"This I have to see." Tobias teased.

He brought over the pot of coffee along with cream and sugar.

Chris blushed under his attention as she prepared her cup. Once she was finished, the rich black was replaced with a light beige color.

Tobias chuckled. "I bet you've gotten more speeches on your coffee from Ethan than you have medicine."

"You'd win that bet." Chris took a long sip, sighing in pleasure. "Don't tell me you're a coffee snob too?"

"I'm a to each their own coffee drinker." He teased. "Who am I to judge when I'll drink it any way someone prepares it? Though I will admit, I like mine with a little less cream than you do."

Chris rolled her eyes. "What about the sugar?"

Tobias leaned closer to her. "Who doesn't love something sweet?"

Having him close enough where she could see the flecks of gold in those amazing hazel eyes of his caused Chris to become momentarily tongue-tied.

His cocky smile creeped up at seeing her like this.

His attention next drifted over her face, taking in the strawberries and cream complexion he found rather cute. Her nose had a slight tilt that more than hinted at a stubbornness he'd been witnessed to on previous occasions. Her eyes held such emotion. Those gray eyes of hers could make a man hesitate for fear of wounding her.

How does Ethan keep it professional, he wondered. I don't know what I would do if the positions were reversed and she worked closely with me.

"So?" He cleared his throat and settled back in his chair. "Want to talk about last night?"

Chris's nose wrinkled at the very mention of it.

Tobias eyed her over the rim of his coffee cup. "You don't strike me as the kind of person who regularly gets drunk."

"Because I don't." She took another sip of coffee. "It was stupid of me to drink that much."

"What happened?" He prodded. "One minute, you seemed happy then the next you were downing drinks like you'd seen a ghost or something."

She snorted. If he only knew how right he was. There was nothing worse than a visit from the Ghost of Relationships Past.

Chris tried to avoid his question by focusing on her fork picking at the scrambled eggs on her plate.

Tobias wasn't going to let this go. If Chris really did consider him her doctor then he was going to make sure she was not only physically well after the attack but also emotionally. They were becoming friends after all. Weren't friends supposed to share problems?

He placed his hand on hers, causing the fork to slip from her grasp and clatter onto the plate.

Chris swallowed a tad hard before lifting her eyes back to his.

Tobias searched her steady, vulnerable gaze and gentled his tone.

"What's wrong, Chris?"

Unshed tears began to fill her eyes.

"I--I don't..." she sucked in a deep breath before burying her face in her hands.

Tobias got up and knelt by her chair. He gently brushed back her damp hair. As much as he wanted to demand she talk to him, he knew he could only wait and let it be her decision.

"I'm sorry." She lowered her hands.

"No need to apologize." He tucked her hair behind her ear. "If you don't want to talk about it, we--"

"I don't but I know I should." She took another deep breath. "It's a long story."

"Good thing it's my day off of work." He teased in the hopes of seeing her smile again.

Her lips curved briefly before falling once more. "I guess I should start at the beginning."

Tobias returned to his chair. He remained silent as Chris poured out everything that occurred since she first arrived at Edenbrook. There were many times he wanted to question her and express shock as she told him about her odd relationships with Ethan and Bryce.

Ethan hadn't been able to resist her after all, he thought to himself.

"And then Ethan pulled me away last night and it all began again." She explained. "After he kissed me and wouldn't say what we were, I just needed an escape. Not from him, but I needed to get away from myself."

Tears slipped down her cheeks.

"How can I go on in life in the same, exact, frustrating manner after being given a second chance?" She looked up at Tobias. "I should be making sure that nothing is wasted with this time I've been given, right?"

Tobias slowly nodded. "I think you shouldn't waste your time on anyone who doesn't give you what you deserve."

"Exactly!" Her breath hitched. "If I'm willing to give everything to someone, I should expect he give the same to me."

She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.

"I know some say you should love without expecting anything in return." Her eyes searched his for understanding. "But I tried that and ended up miserable. I can't be that person again. I won't! It takes so much out of me and gives me nothing but mere crumbs to live on."

Tobias opened his mouth to reassure her again, only to fall silent when she continued.

"But what if I miss out? What if Ethan or Bryce is the one? What if I ruin what could be the relationship that will eventually give me what my heart needs? Am I suppose to fall back into what they want in case--"

"Whoa." He took her hands in his. "Easy there, Valentine. You're going down a rabbit hole of what if's."

"I know." She admitted. "That's all I do. I start off saying I won't put myself through this over and over and yet turn around and doubt my decision. I always end up here, questioning whether or not I should change anything."

Chris propped her chin on her fist while staring out of the kitchen's bay window.

"I am drowning in doubt." She admitted. "I am certain in everything I do in life except for love." She refocused on Tobias. "I don't know how to fix this."

Tobias didn't either. If she was suffering from the attack either physically or mentally, he'd have known exactly what to do. When it came to matters of the heart, he knew he was the last person who should give advice.

"The only thing I can recommend," he began a bit hesitantly, "is to only accept what makes you happy."

He took her hand once more. "As a friend of yours, I don't believe you should settle for anything less than what you want."

"That's what Sienna's been telling me for a while now." Chris mumbled.

"See? How can you ignore the advice coming from two different people?" He prodded.

Chris's lips quirked into a brief smile. "You and Sienna couldn't be any more different."

"It's a sign that it's the right thing to do." He argued. "You should tell Ethan and Bryce."

"Tell them?" Chris murmured. "You mean--"

"Tell them exactly what you want, what you expect, and see if they can step up and be that for you." Tobias told her. "Keeping it to yourself is only making you miserable. Plus, if they honestly don't know what you're wanting, how can they give it to you?"

Chris slowly nodded. She had tried to hint and kinda explain what she wanted each time with Ethan, but she'd never talked to him seriously about it. With Bryce, she kept things light and fun. Perhaps she was more responsible for her unhappiness than she originally thought.

"You know what you need?" He relaxed back in his chair. "You need a night out."

Chris blinked. "Isn't that what I did last night?"

"No, that was a celebration. You need a night out with no expectations, no questionable relationships, and no drunken escapes."

Tobias grinned at her. "You took me to your hangout. It's only fair you visit mine."

She began to laugh. "You sure you trust me to see where you love to go?"

"I guess I do." He murmured, grinning even more. "How bout it, Chris?"

"I really should get some sleep." She argued halfheartedly. "I have work in the morning."

"No, you don't." He reminded her. "Remember, I haven't given you the all clear yet."

Chris rolled her eyes over that.

"We both know I'm fine to go back to work."

"I don't." He laced his fingers behind his head to stretch. "You'll have to schedule an appointment with me for a final checkup." He winked at her. "Nice try, but there's no getting out of tonight."

Chris motioned to herself. "I don't have anything to wear."

"I'll take you by your place to change on the way." Tobias got up to clear their plates. "What do you say?"

Seeing no way out of this and was a little curious over where he went to unwind, she decided to give in. Chris admitted to herself that having a drink somewhere without Ethan or Bryce to distract her might be just the change she needed.

Plus, it might help her get the courage up to talk to them.

"If my doctor insists, -" Chris mumbled.

"I do." Tobias interrupted

"Then, I'd love to."

[liaromancewriter]

The Unexpected Valentine

Premise: The interns celebrate their first Valentine’s Day in Boston, and it’s full of surprises.

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Cassie Valentine (F!MC); feat. Sienna Trinh, Bryce Lahela, Jackie Varma, Elijah Greene Rating/Category: General. Fluff. Words: 1,790

A/N: Submission for @choicesficwriterscreations Valentine's Day event; for @choicesmonthlychallenge Valentine's Day platonic prompt - candy hearts; @choices-february2023 Day 14 "Valentine's Day".

The nurses’ stations on almost every floor were festooned in pink and white paper hearts. Some diehard romantics wore red heart pins on their scrubs, while others smiled more than usual, humming jaunty tunes as they did their work.

Valentine’s Day wasn’t until the end of the week, but that didn’t stop people from getting into the spirit early. Nurse Sarah was responsible for this year’s resident Secret Valentine Exchange and was determined to make it the best one yet.

All she needed was to track down one stubborn intern that had managed to avoid detection. But Sarah was on a mission, and nothing and no one would get in her way.

Cassie Valentine wasn’t thinking of anything but her latest patient. She was working with a new attending, one who seemed to disappear whenever she needed guidance. She was a February intern and could fly solo easily for less complicated cases. This case was anything but usual.

She missed working with Dr. Ramsey, even if the man was more likely to ask questions than provide answers. But at least his questions pushed her to think out of the box. Not go round and round in circles.

Lost in thought, she didn’t notice someone chasing her or calling her name until a hand fell on her shoulder. Startled, she turned her head to see Nurse Sarah breathing heavily and clutching her waist as if she had a stitch on the side.

“Wow, you’re a really fast walker,” Sarah huffed. “I chased you down two hallways, and you’re not even winded.”

Cassie knew she’d been practically running, as she often did when thinking, and felt sorry for the other woman.

“I’m sorry, Sarah. I was lost in thought,” Cassie said sincerely. “How can I help?”

Sarah held out a post-it note and pen. “You haven’t entered your name in the Secret Valentine Exchange. Today is the last day. We’ll pick names at the end of shift.”

“Yeah, I don’t do V-Day,” Cassie said, not even bothering to hide her disdain for the holiday, which wasn’t really a holiday but a marketing gimmick.

“But your last name is Valentine,” Sarah sputtered.

Cassie just knew this would come up. She loved romance, but all her life, she had to contend with people making fun as soon as February started because of the peculiarity of her last name.

She lifted her chin mulishly. “Your point is…?”

“It’s practically your day,” Sarah said in a tone that implied it should be obvious. And then she waved her hand dismissively. “Anyway, everyone else is signed up, and the numbers will be uneven if you don’t. So, it’s required.”

Cassie wanted to argue and stick to her principles, but Sarah’s determined expression told her there was no point. That didn’t mean she would take it lying down. She took the post-it and pen, scribbled a name, and handed Sarah the folded paper.

Smugly satisfied, Sarah thanked her and returned to her station.

“What was that about?”

Thinking she was alone, Cassie practically jumped at the masculine voice behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to see Ethan standing in the patient room doorway.

Her heart skipped a beat as it often did in his presence, and her green eyes filled with longing before she schooled her features into a neutral expression.

“Stupid Valentine’s Day,” she muttered under her breath.

He must have had bat ears because he heard her clearly. The quick, amused grin that flashed across his face was disarming, as was the warmth in his blue eyes. Despite her best intentions to keep things professional, she was charmed and wished he would smile more.

“Not a fan?” he drawled, leaning against the wall and folding his arms across his chest. “I have to say, I’m surprised.”

“Join the club.” She rolled her eyes.

The shrill sound of a pager—his—cut the moment short. She thought he looked grim as he read the message and wondered if it was about Naveen.

Before she could ask him about it, he dropped the pager in his coat pocket, gave her a brief nod, and walked away without another word.

A few days later, Cassie walked into Edenbrook for her shift with Sienna bubbling in excitement beside her, a baker’s box full of heart-shaped cookies clutched in her hands. Her friend had been like this for several days, eager for Valentine’s Day and a romantic dinner with her idiot of a boyfriend.

Of course, Sienna didn’t think Wayne was an idiot despite evidence to the contrary. It took all of Cassie’s self-control not to shake her and make her see Wayne for the supercilious loser he was. But that’s not what friends did.

If Sienna was happy with Wayne, Cassie had no right to interfere or make her feel bad about it. Not like Jackie often did, which inevitably led to Sienna retreating to her room on the pretense of studying.

She would be supportive and pleasant, even if it killed her. Besides, Wayne would show his true colors eventually. Cassie had met enough people like that to know it was only a matter of time.

“He still hasn’t told me where we’re going,” Sienna said as they swiped in and walked into the near-empty locker room. “But I dropped enough hints about this French bistro I want to try. So, fingers crossed!”

Cassie flushed when she realized Sienna was looking expectantly at her, and she hadn’t heard a word Sienna said until now. “I’m sure it will be lovely.”

Wanting to make amends for her inattentiveness, she gave Sienna a one-armed hug. “I’ll make sure you get out of here on time. Tell you what. If you want to leave early to get ready, just page me, and I’ll cover your patients.”

“Thanks, Cassie,” Sienna said, smiling widely. “I might take you up on that.”

They both turned away to change into scrubs. Cassie unfastened her bag and saw the square-shaped red jewelry box for the Secret Valentine Exchange. She’d been ecstatic to get Sienna’s name in the draw and had known exactly what to buy her bestie.

Now it was just a matter of getting Sienna out of the way so she could hide it in her locker for later.

“I’m going to find Danny and Raf before shift starts, give them their cookies,” Sienna told her, slamming the locker door shut. “See you at morning sign-out?”

“You bet.”

Cassie waited for a beat in case Sienna came back. Judging the coast to be clear, she took out the jewelry box, tucked a Secret Valentine note into the seam, and placed it on the shelf next to Sienna’s tote so she wouldn’t miss it.

“I thought I got Sienna in the Secret Valentine Exchange,” a male voice said behind her.

Caught unawares for the second time in so many days, Cassie jumped and spun on her heels to face Bryce. He was leaning against one of the lockers, a small bouquet of pink roses in his hands, brows furrowed in confusion.

Before Cassie could respond, Jackie walked into view with Elijah following, each holding a present.

“What’s up, meathead?” Jackie asked, brushing past Bryce to set the gift bag on the bench.

She cocked her head when she saw Cassie standing in front of Sienna’s open locker and the red jewelry box.

“Wait a minute,” she started, looking first at Cassie, then Bryce and the flowers he was holding. “Are those Sienna’s Secret Valentine presents? Because I got her name in the draw.”

“That’s interesting,” Elijah said, joining the three of them in front of Sienna’s locker. “I got her name too.”

The four friends stared at each other perplexed, and then Cassie burst into laughter as she put two and two together.

“You all know I don’t believe in V-Day,” she said, swallowing back giggles. “So when Nurse Sarah cornered me, I put Sienna’s name in the draw instead of mine.”

Bryce chuckled. “I did the same but for different reasons. Sienna really gets into all the holiday stuff. I didn’t want to take the chance she’d get a dud.”

Cassie threw Jackie a challenging look. ���How much of a coincidence is it you entered Sienna’s name too?”

Jackie rolled her eyes, but her grin gave her away. “I felt bad riding her about Wayne last week. Figured if she got two presents, it might make up for him canceling on her tonight.”

She twisted her lips in derision. “Let’s face it. The jerk has a track record of canceling on her at the last minute. At least now she can drown her sorrows in Belgian chocolate.” She lightly shook the bag.

Elijah slowly raised his hand. “So, I might have entered Sienna’s name too. She does so much to cheer everyone up. Like Bryce, I didn’t want to chance it she’d get dissed by someone with crappy tastes. By the way, I asked Landry to write her name too. I calculated the odds based on the number of entries and figured one of us had a strong shot of drawing her name.”

Elijah finished confessing and lifted the gift bag off his lap. “I got her candy hearts and a funny card.”

Bryce whistled softly. “Sienna definitely hit the Valentine’s Day jackpot today.”

And then they all laughed as they gathered around her locker, trying to stuff their presents inside. Their friend was about to get the surprise of her life.

They were arguing about how to organize everything when Sienna rushed into the locker room, muttering under her breath.

She stopped abruptly at seeing her friends assembled around her open locker. Her eyes widened in surprise at the gift bags and flowers, their distinct floral scent filling the air.

Before she could ask what was going on, Cassie, Bryce, Elijah and Jackie descended upon her and dumped their presents in her hands.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Si!”

It was the end of shift, and the hospital was buzzing as it often did during the changeover. Nurse Sarah rubbed the back of her neck and rolled her shoulders to get the kinks out. She absently wondered what the residents had gotten each other for the Secret Valentine Exchange.

She’d meant to follow up, but her day had been busier than usual. Now she was tired and looking forward to celebratory drinks with her friends. It was too bad she didn’t have a man this Valentine’s Day to shower her with presents.

She was almost at the exit when she spied Dr. Trinh walking ahead, laughing with her usual group of friends. Sarah took in the brightly wrapped presents and bouquet of roses in the young doctor’s arms and thought, Lucky Lady.

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

All Fics & Edits: @a-crepusculo @annfg8 @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @doriopenheart @genevievemd @headoverheelsforramsey @lucy-268 @jamespotterthefirst @jerzwriter @lady-calypso @mainstreetreader @takemyopenheart @potionsprefect @queencarb @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction

[jerzwriter]

Just Fine!

Book:                   Open Heart (Post Series)

Pairing:                Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey) Feat: Bryce Lahela

Rating:                 Teen

Category:            Fluff / Humor

Summary:   Tobias stumbles upon a shaken Bryce... who tries to warn him about what he's in for. But Tobias has things under control... or does he?

Words: 1,927

A/N: I WROTE SOMETHING!!!!! 🎉🎉What did I say - it would just be a scene, right. lol well, it KIND of is. Thank you to @elenamoncadaibarra and @kyra75 for these two prompts (one two). I combined them into one fic; I hope you enjoy it! (Kyra - I'll try to do the others too!) Participating in @choicesmonthlychallenge - Romance and Babies

It didn’t take long for Tobias to figure out something was amiss. Just a few steps off the elevator and it was clear. The hallway leading to Casey’s office was usually empty, especially at the end of the day. So the sight of Bryce leaning against the wall… protectively… yet frightened… his arms crossed and brow furrowed… something wasn’t right.  

If there’s one thing you don’t want to do to a man whose wife is weeks away from giving birth, it’s lead him to believe that anything could be wrong. So the usually unflappable Dr. Carrick became… flapped. Quickly.

“Hey,” he hollered from a few feet away, worry etched on his face. “What’s going on? Why are you standing outside my wife’s office like a poor man’s version of the palace guard? Where’s Casey? Is she OK?”

“Oh, no!” Bryce reassured, needing to put his friend at ease. “Everything’s fine, Casey… the baby… everyone’s fine.”

“The look of horror on your face tells me otherwise. Care to tell me what’s going on?”

“I’m just here,” Bryce swallowed, carefully measuring his words. “To… to make sure Casey is OK… uh… until you arrive and, uh… also…. to warn you.”

“OK, you’ve got me worried again!” His face fell as he gestured toward the office door. “Is she in there?”

Bryce barely nodded when Tobias’s hand was on the door, but Bryce pulled it off just as quickly.

“No! No, no, no… no… No! Wait!” Bryce insisted.

“All right, what the hell’s going on. Why can’t I go in my wife’s office?”

“Oh, you can… it’s just… you should be warned first.”

“Warned?” Tobias raised a brow. 

“She’s… she’s a little …. emotional.”

“Bryce, she’s pregnant. She’s been emotional for eight months. Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Yeah…. But tonight was… special…. I asked her if we could get dinner together this weekend….”

“And?”

“And she flipped out. Asked if I thought we’d never have dinner again… did we have to get it all in now. I assured her I just wanted to see you guys, then she broke into tears and apologized. She said a whole lot of high-pitched stuff I couldn’t understand to save my life, and when I tried to console her, she threw me out of the office.”

Tobias snorted as an amused smirk overtook his face. “Well, thanks for keeping watch until I got here. But, no offense, buddy, but you’re an amateur. If my girl needs consoling, I know what to do.”

“Yeah,” Bryce droned, pushing his friend’s hand away from the door one more time. “About that…. Amongst the high-pitched sounds I made out was no wonder Tobias doesn’t want me anymore.”

“What?” he gasped. “Casey would never say that.”

“Casey wouldn’t,” Bryce agreed. “But that little alien she’s carrying around has cast a spell on her… that’s not Casey anymore. I’d be careful in there if I were you!”

“I appreciate you looking out, but I’ll be fine. If it makes you feel better, send security for a wellness check if you don’t hear from me within the hour.”

Bryce nodded as he began to back away. “Make that thirty minutes, and you’ve got yourself a deal. Godspeed, my friend. Godspeed.”

These little episodes were becoming more common as the due date neared. In fact, he handled one like a champ just a few nights before. So he had all the confidence in the world as he opened the office door. Even when he found the room dark, Casey scrunched up on the corner of the small couch; his hope never diminished.

“Baby?” he asked cautiously. “Is it OK if I turn on the light?”

“Don’t!” she barked.

“OK. We don’t need light,” he concurred as he sat beside her. “But is there a reason for the dark?”

“Yes! I’m hiding.”

“Hiding? From who? From what?”

“From life. I figured if I hide, it won’t find me, then maybe nothing will change.”

Suddenly, he was relieved to be in the dark. This way, Casey wouldn’t see the worry on his face. Sure, he knew these things were normal, to a degree, but with Casey’s history… he was starting to become concerned.

“Life’s gonna change, sweetheart,” he started. “There’s no avoiding that. But why don’t you tell me what got you so worried? Maybe I can help.”

“We’ll only be together two years, you know… when the baby is born. Just two years.”

“Two years by your calculations… by mine, we’ll be just over two-and-a-half.”

“Does it really matter?” She asked with annoyance. “It’s still not a lot of time. I can’t wait to meet our baby,” she took a deep breath to hold back tears. “But everything we knew is done; nothing will be the same. You and me… the spontaneity, fun… it’s all over. We won’t see our friends often; they probably will think we’re dull anyway. I bet you we’ll be exhausted all the time. If we’re lucky enough to have sex, it’ll probably be a quickie in the missionary position… and hopefully, I won’t fall asleep. We were going to travel the world, well that’s not happening! It’s just a matter of time before you start wondering how you got here. I won’t be your fun, sexy girlfriend anymore… I’ll be that old ball and chain. That’s why you never wanted to settle down, but it will be too late because you’ll be stuck with me. At least I hope you’ll be. Because I’d rather have you miserable and with me than taking off and leaving me for a  younger, sexier version of me. Someone like the Casey you first met,” she turned to him, and even without the light, he could see the worry in her eyes. “Promise me… promise me you won’t leave me for her?”

“Aw, baby,” he said, rubbing her knee. “I’m not leaving you for her. In fact, to prove it,” he pulled out his phone, “I’ll delete her number right now.”

He didn’t see it coming but laughed when her shove nearly pushed him off the couch. She still had it.

“You jerk,” she snickered, trying to suppress a full belly laugh.

“I may be a jerk, but you love me… and I adore you… so much. I hope you know that the horrible scenario you just painted is not going to happen. You know that, right?”

“I suppose,” she mumbled. “But what if it does. Lots of people think it won’t… and it does.”

His arms wrapped around her as she dropped her head into his shoulder. Didn’t she know she was his whole world?

“Lots of people aren’t us. Casey, I know the baby was a surprise, but she’s the best surprise I’ve ever had next to you. And you were a surprise… just ask my Ma!”

“I know,” Casey laughed nervously. “She’s told me a few dozen times.”

“I know it’s scary, but we’re gonna do this marriage and baby thing so well it’s gonna be a trend. All our friends will be jealous! You’ll see!”

“No, they won't,” she half chuckled. 

“Oh yes, they will be.”

“Don’t you worry? Even a little? I don’t want to lose myself, and I don’t want to lose us. I don’t regret this… but do you ever wish we had a little more time alone?”

“The only thing I wish is that I found you sooner… I don’t mind us adding to our little team here as long as I have you. And we’ll make time for just you and me; I’ll see to it that you have time just for you. We’ll be fine, sweetheart.”

She squeezed him tighter, and he could feel her becoming lighter. 

“You really think so? You won’t be dreaming of the chick whose number you just pretend deleted.”

He let out a deep laugh. “Hey, there is no one else for me. Hell, I’ve been dreaming of you since the day we met, and I still dream about you – and only you – even though you’re all mine.”

“I’m so lucky to have you,” she cooed.

“I know,” he boasted, earning him another little shove. “But I’m so lucky to have you, too.”

“But what if the baby never lets us sleep?”

“She will… and if she doesn’t… we’ll get some help. It’ll be fine.”

“OK. But what if I’m a shitty mom?”

“You’re going to be a natural.”

“You won’t think I’m boring?”

“Casey… I’m never going to think you’re boring.”

“Well, you did promise you’d keep having sex with me….”

“Yes,” he laughed wholeheartedly, kissing her temple when he was done. “I promise you that.”

“You won’t get bored? And you’ll be OK if we have to stay home because the baby is sick. Or because your wife is tired, or maybe you are. And the soccer games, and recitals… you won’t think they’re lame? What if we have to get a mini-van, and your friends all think….”

“Casey… Casey… CASEY!” he yelled.

“What?”

“You need to come up for air, baby. Relax … it’ll all be fine.”

“Even the mini-van?”

“Can you please shut up so I can kiss you?”

“But what if….mmmhhhmmm.”

Her sentence was cut off when his lips crashed into hers, warm and tender at first, then turning more passionate. She felt the tension slowly escaping her body as the kiss deepened, and Tobias ran his fingers through her hair. Moments later, they were rubbing circles on her back, pulling her close, and when she finally came up for air, she didn’t have a worry in the world.

“Mmmmm,” he groaned softly in her ear. “We’re going to be so much better than fine.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry,” he assured. “We are the dream team… you and me. It’s gonna be so good! We’re going to have to write a book to let others know how it’s done. Or maybe a podcast! Yeah, we should have a podcast. You’ll see… we’ll be hanging with John and Chrissy… they can be the coolest parents on the West Coast, but the East is ours! You’ll see! It’s going to be so cool, that….”

“Tobias! Tobias! TOBIAS!” She yelled.

“Oh, sorry… yes, baby?”

“Would you please shut up so you can kiss me?”

She couldn’t help but giggle as she felt his lecherous grin against her lips, his hands on the back of her neck, pulling her closer to him.

“I’m just a piece of meat to you, aren’t I?”

“The finest cut,” she giggled.

“And that’s never going to change! Do you feel better?”

“With you here?” Casey smiled. “Always. Why do you put up with me?”

“Because you’re doing all the heavy lifting in bringing this little one to us. What was my contribution?”

“We all know what your contribution was, T.”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “We do. Now. Let’s go get some ice cream. I feel a craving coming on.”

“I’m not craving ice cream,” she insisted.

“Not you… me! You know you need to be a little more sensitive to my needs!”

“I’m sorry, baby, I forget about your hormone surges.”

“It’s OK. I forgive you, and not just because your pregnancy boobs are blowing my goddamned mind.”

“I knew that’s the only reason you stay,” she laughed as he helped her to her feet. “Come on, let’s go get ice cream… I am getting a bit of a craving after all.”

“Ah ha!” He smiled, “I knew you would.”

“You’re right,” Casey grinned. “We’re going to be just fine.”

“You better believe it!”

Perma: @a-crepusculo @animesuck3r @annoyingmillenialnewbie @crazy-loca-blog @differenttyphoonwerewolf @doriopenheart @fayeswiftie @gryffindordaughterofathena @genevievemd @inlocusmads @kingliam2019 @liaromancewriter @lucy-268 @onikalover @openheartforeverinmyheart @potionsprefect @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @secretaryunpaid @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics @jerzwriter-reblogs-asks @jamespotterthefirst @jennieausten

OH Only: @annfg8 @binny1985 @coffeeheartaddict2 @mysticalgalaxysstuff @ofmischiefandmedicine @peonierose @youlookappropriate

Tobias Only: @icecoffee90 @kyra75

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Doctor Date

Book: Open Heart                     

Pairing/Characters:  Bryce Lahela x F!MC (Chandini Ramakrishnan), feat. Dr. Aaliyah Hadid (F!OC; AKA Biggest Chandyce Shipper after me and Bryce ofc)

Rating: Teen     

Warnings: mention of a homicidal case                 

Category: Fluff                

Format: "Edit"/Drabble

Summary: Chandini meets up with a close friend who is quick to tease her about a certain scalpel jockey

A/N: I know Liya is literally in all of my fics now but I don't care 😭 I can write whatever I want. Read more about their friendship here. I need to write Chandyce more they are and always will be my sweeties <3

Tagging: @choicesficwriterscreations, @openheartfanfics, @peonierose(?)

"It's him, isn't it?" Aaliyah teases her, sipping her coffee. Chandini sets her phone down on the wooden table at the coffee shop, looking everywhere but her friend's eyes. This doesn't deter her. "The surgeon from Edenbrook who wouldn't stop talking to you?"

"It's actually my colleague Sienna," Chandini emphasized. Aaliyah's eyes widened and smirked. She leaned closer to Chandini, as if they were children and whispering secrets past their bedtime. A few dark brown curls grazed Liya's shoulder and she whispered.

"You're a horrid liar. I always assumed people who went to medical school would be more intelligent, darling."

She mimicked Chandini's British accent and natural flourishes perfectly. The young doctor rolled her eyes and sipped her tea, glancing at her now buzzing phone.

"I don't talk like that, Doctor," she rolled her eyes. Aaliyah laughed.

"Sure you don't, Doctor," she paused as the phone continued to buzz with text messages. Aaliyah pointed to the phone. "Well, aren't you going to answer? You don't want to keep your beau waiting."

"'Beau' is a strong word, at most he's a nuisance," Chandini furrowed her eyebrows in frustration. "It's a miracle that he's lasted this long."

"An attractive nuisance," Aaliyah joked, noting her friend's sudden change in posture. Now, it was her turn to roll her eyes. "Nini, come on. I was just joking! Sheesh, and I thought my job was stressful."

The waiter came by and handed the two women their biscottis for their drinks. Chandini sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry. It's just-he always gets on my nerves!"

Aaliyah raised an eyebrow. "And what does he do to make you this upset? Flirt with you every once in a while?"

Chandini groaned, waving her hands around. "He does it when I'm trying to do my job and because he knows it will make me mad. I-I'm telling you, he's an instigator!"

"And I'm telling you that he's an extremely talented surgeon! He was super helpful with our homicide case, even more helpful than the senior residents. Not to mention, really charming..."

The doctor barely hid a scowl, and Aaliyah chuckled. "Aww, looks like Nini's jealous." She rubbed Chandini's shoulders for a few moments before she waved her friend's hands away. "I'm not jealous, I think it's ironic that you're commenting on my supposed work crush yet we haven't talked about yours..."

Aaliyah blushed. "Nuh uh! Don't try to change the subject. My best friend is in love and refuses to tell me, even if she doesn't know it yet. My entire job is about analyzing behavior you can't lie to me."

She was interrupted by Chandini's phone buzzing again, prompting Nini to snatch the phone from her best friend. She quickly turned the phone to Chandini to unlock the phone and read through the messages from her Insta.

"You literally posted this photo ten minutes ago and he's left a ridiculous amount of comments and DMed you ten more times... I think I need to revise my hypothesis," she said, her jaw practically dropping to the floor.

Chandini gasped, and took the phone back from her best friend before asking, "And what would that be?"

Aaliyah smiled, her finger grazing the rim of her almost empty cup. "That you're both two idiots in love. "