#i guess it could be the psychic visions but then why wouldn't he just say that

[daddysboydean]

dean is harping on sam to get laid (normal brother behavior) and confronts him about not wanting to hook up with girls because of jess. sam's like yeah, but that's not the whole story. and then this happens. the loaded silence. the prolonged eye contact. the not elaborating on what the 'main part' is, tho presumably it's something dean knows about judging by the knowing look and him conceding to sam's silence. but if the main part isn't that sam watched his girlfriend burn to a crisp less than a year ago and how that's a major boner killer, then what is it??

is it that you're in love with your brother, sammy??

[ferronite]

Hiii!!! :)

I'm about to go to sleep, but before I go, I'm going to leave a few questions here. In that same dynamic where you can choose a question for each character and answer it from their perspective.

1 - What's your favorite food?

2 - What's your favorite book?

3 - Do you prefer cold or hot days? Why?

4 - Have you ever had or do you have a pet? Or have you ever thought about having one?

5 - In your opinion, what is the biggest flaw of each of the other 6?

6 - Do you believe in destiny?

7 - Do you have any scars with a very striking story?

finally getting around to answering this!

1 - What's your favorite food?

-"Nothing in particular comes to mind - it is just food, after all. If I had to say... a pastry of some kind, most likely."

2 - What's your favorite book?

-"ah! I... don't really read all that much, honestly! And when I do, it's just whatever i can find... I don't really have a favourite, sorry!"

3 - Do you prefer cold or hot days? Why?

-"Hmm, cold I'd say~ Gives me more outfit options to work with! Not too cold though, of course~"

4 - Have you ever had or do you have a pet? Or have you ever thought about having one?

-"I've had several in my time, but I'm assuming you're talking about the more typical varieties. I do have a snake currently - her name is Hannah."

5 - In your opinion, what is the biggest flaw of each of the other 6?

-"Huh? Why are you asking me that? Uh, well... Jean gets really upset real easy if they think you're better than them. Mostly at themselves, but it does kinda make things awkward. I dunno about Maria, but i guess she does tend to just take over conversations a bit? Danny can be a total killjoy at times. He just doesn't wanna be seen doing anything that could ruin his image though, hehe. Sel is real judgemental. Like, really judgemental. Basil won't tell you somethings up until it's way too late, and Liv is the exact same, just for different reasons. They're all pretty chill, though!"

6 - Do you believe in destiny?

-"I don't want to believe in it. When we were kids, Mother took us to some... festival thing, and a "psychic" there made some comments about my future that I would prefer not to be true. Besides, it seems stupid to limit yourself to something another person chose for you."

7 - Do you have any scars with a very striking story?

-"Wouldn't call it "striking" really, but I do have one from when I smoked some guy at poker. He got pissed and tried to... well, I dunno what he was trying to do, slit my throat probably, but he missed horribly and caught my arm instead. Think the bastard's rotting in a cell now, he was a nasty piece of work."

And, just for fun, a bonus answer for the destiny question from someone I haven't talked about yet:

-"Destiny, huh? That's... quite the complicated question, really! I'd say it's real to some extent, but not necessarily in the way people believe. After all, it could be argued that those seven are destined to reincarnate together for eternity, but that was caused entirely by their own actions - it wasn't predetermined before they even showed up. And those visions that ■■■■■■ saw? Well, they showed the future, sure, but it was only one possibility - and here I am proving it wrong. After all, I never ended up here in that future he saw. ■■■■■■ and I are "destined" to kill ■■■■■■■■, not because it's pre-written, but because we're the only ones left who can. So... yeah. It's complicated."

[magixfairyix]

[A continuation of this post. The Trix lost their memories in the comics]

Iorda: RIVEN FUCKING HELP ME!

Riven: What's going on now?

Timmy: *nods*

Iorda: I ACCIDETALLY ROLLED NAT 20 CHARISMA AND I SEDUCED THE FUCKING GARGOYLE!

Riven: Wtf do you-

Timmy, who plays D&D and understood: Even with the Trix losing their memory, wouldn't it make sense for Darcy to still hate you?

Iorda: APPARENTLY NOT

Riven, sighing: Iorda, how did this even happen?

Iorda: Okay, Mirta thought this idea was stupid, BUT after the Trix nearly had the Winx drown in a bus, I thought that if they have an acemic rivalry or something, it will distract them from murderous thoughts

Timmy: That does make sense.

Riven: And let me guess? This idea of yours worked horribly

Iorda: IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN ACADEMIC RIVARLY

Riven: Iorda

Iorda: What?

Riven: You thought it would just be an academic rivalry with Darcy when, one, she is very competitive that way and will throw verbal jabs towards you

Timmy: But that would only be bad if Iorda had returned the jabs

Iorda: ...

Riven: Iorda?

Iorda: Well, what else was I supposed to do? If she says something rude to me, I'm going to mock her back. I'm not a coward

Timmy: Riven, you are no longer about to tell me how dense I am when referring to Tecna

Riven: Agreed

Iorda: Well, it looks like I've been betrayed today

Riven: You get into verbal battles with her?

Iorda: Yeah? I just said that?

Riven: Verbal battles. Which are about wit and mental strength?

Iorda: ...

Riven: With a psychic witch?

Iorda: ...

Riven: Congradulation, you're now dense emotionally

Iorda: Okay, fuck you. How was I supposed to know I was flirting-

Timmy: You two, put a hault on the fighting

Iorda: Done

Riven: *sigh*

Timmy: When did you realize your plan wasn't going so well?

Iorda: One of Icy's exes or someone was trying to spike Bloom's drink with a love potion, and so I took it, faked flirting, and then led him outside before threatening him to tear his mind apart if he ever came near the Winx again

Timmy: And Darcy witnessed this?

Iorda: I think so

Riven: *sipping on coffee*

Riven: That'd do it

Iorda: Do WHAT?

Timmy: ...

Timmy: Both of you are quite smart emotionally and vengeful. And I wouldn't say underhanded, but...

Riven & Iorda: You can say it

Iorda:

Riven:

Timmy: Darcy seems to have a type then...

Iorda: WELL, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?

Riven: *shrug*

Iorda: HELP ME

Riven, talking about Iorda's ex: Look, Pyris ended up being a bitch

Iorda: Uh huh

Riven: So...

Iorda: If you're about to say that I should continue the romancing, I will come so close to punching you in the face

Timmy: Riven has a point. The Trix lost all their memories of who they are, but that doesn't mean it's guaranteed that they won't...

Riven: Go batshit

Timmy: Exactly

Iorda: Wait. Didn't they have nightmares or something

Timmy: Who?

Iorda: The Trix

Riven: Of the Ancestors, yes. That's probably what started that entire 'taking over the magic dimension thing.'

Iorda: ...

Timmy: What are you thinking?

Iorda: Time to pay some old hags a visit

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

[Iorda going into the depths of Cloud Tower]

Iorda: WAKE UP BITCHES

[The Ancestors manifest to find the Summoning Bowl surrounded by salt and other things]

Belladonna: wtf is this?

Iorda: Just preventing you from forcing your descendants to take over the Magic Universe. I'm sure you'd understand

Tharma: WAIT-

Iorda: *starts mumbling an incantation*

Liliss: YOU FUCKING-

Iorda: Chill out, I'm not killing you. Just banishing you from the plane that is not the afterlife

Iorda: I don't think I could kill you anyways

Iorda: But this is just so you don't send any visions to the Trix

Belladonna: Oh please, we are much stronger than you are-

Iorda: Hence, why I'm going to have to do this once a month

Tharma: ... shit

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

[Meanwhile, in the Trix's dorm]

Darcy: Hey, do you two know the nightmares I've been having?

Stormy: Fr

Darcy: The ones about me killing you two?

Icy: Yes. What about them?

Darcy: They stopped

Stormy: ...

Icy: ...

Stormy: Isn't that a good thing?

Darcy: Girl, I think I've been having those nightmares for a long time. I'm more worried about why they suddenly stopped

Icy:

Darcy: Time for some research ig

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

[A month later]

Iorda: Okay bitches, you know the dril-

Iorda: *sees Darcy standing in front of the Summoning Bowl*

Iorda: Shit

Darcy: Why are you here?

Iorda: Eheh would you believe I came down here to see you?

[ERROR: Friendship stat (7/20). Romance stat only (2/20)]

Darcy: No

Iorda, mentally: No nat 20 on charisma today ig...

Iorda: Okay, well-

Darcy: Explain yourself

Iorda: There were some malovent energies here that I banished

Darcy:

Iorda: Why do you ask?

Darcy: Do you know a lot about the malovent energies?

Iorda, scared for her wellbeing: Kinda?

Darcy: *raises a brow and crosses her arms*

Iorda: I um... the energies tend to cause nightmares, and I took it upon myself to banish them for an... *pauses* Assignment

Darcy:

Iorda: *not tecnically lying*

Darcy: And why?

Iorda: For an assignment?

Darcy: Don't give me that bullshit. You 'assigned' this task to yourself

Iorda:

Darcy: I repeat myself, why?

Iorda: *trying to tell the truth while not revealing too much, and also trying to befriend the Trix, because Griffin had that idea*

Iorda: I... kinda guessed you had nightmares. I tracked the energies that were causing it to this place, so... I was doing you a solid, ig?

Darcy:

Iorda: Because even though you're insufferable sometimes, I do care about your wellbeing?

Darcy: *inwardly swooning*

Darcy: O-okay, so have fun with your banishing

[Darcy starts to walk back up the steps]

Iorda: *looks up to see a floating achievement above her head*

[5/20 Romance stat]

Iorda: WAIT NO-

[NEW STAT: Personal romantic feelings (3/20)]

Iorda: WAIT WAIT NO I DO NOT-

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Bloom: Hey! How's the idea of academic rivalry going with the Trix?

Iorda:

Bloom: Bad?

Iorda: I mean, Icy hates me but hasn't killed me, which is the goal

Bloom: Stormy?

Iorda: We say two words to each other once a week, but good

Bloom: Darcy?

Iorda:

Iorda: Accidenntally romanced?

Bloom: HOW THE FU-

Musa: SPILL THE TEA BITCH

Iorda: I DON'T KNOW

[Musa and Bloom sit Iorda down]

Iorda: Is this a kidnapping?

Musa: Spill. The. Tea

Bloom: Fr we need drama. Things at Alfea have been boring

Iorda: Okay, well it started fine as an academic rivalry. But it has been brought to my attention by Riven that banter and verbal jabs based on wit might've been taken as flirting, so that's fucked

Iorda: And Griffin suggested I try to become 'friends or/acquainted enough that they don't kill me' with the Trix

Iorda: I've also started banishing the Ancestors once a month so that the Trix don't get manipulated via nightmares

Iorda: Darcy witnessed that one time, and I came up with a half-lie that she believed, but when she left, she seemed mildly flustered?

Iorda: I have no fucking clue

Bloom:

Musa:

Iorda: Help

Bloom: Well, it would help Darcy not want to start a war

Iorda: SHE TRIED TO KILL ME

Musa: So you have no feelings towards her whatsoever~?

Iorda: No. Allthough I've learned to enjoy the rivalry before it all went to shit, and even though I care about her wellbeing, I do not

Tecna, from another room: Your stats say otherwise!

Iorda: THAT WAS YOU?

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Iorda: *sigh*

Musa: Okay, spill

Iorda: Look, I know it's important to make sure the Trix don't become evil again, but I can't just romance somebody when I know that I'm hiding a pretty big thing from them

Musa: ... good point

Iorda: It's shitty, and then whatever happens would be on false pretenses

Musa:

Iorda: I'm fucked aren't I?

Musa: Yep!

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

[Iorda in class two months later]

Iorda: Hey so um, random question

Stormy: Yeah?

Iorda, blatantly lying: I'm writing a book, and the main character loses their memories after doing some fucked-up shit

Iorda: Evil shit

Iorda: As in, starting a teeny war

Iorda: If you were the main character and somebody told you about what you did in the past, would you go on a corruption arc?

Stormy: Well why'd the character do evil shit?

Iorda: From what I've heard-

Iorda: *cough*

Iorda: From what I wrote so far, they-

Iorda: *cough*

Iorda: She was kind of manipulated and blackmailed into it

Stormy: Are you okay...?

Iorda: Fine. Answer the question

Stormy: Probably not

Iorda: Do you think Icy and Darcy would have the same answer?

Stormy: Oh fuck no

Iorda: Shit

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

[Iorda, deciding it's time for some fucking honesty]

[Iorda, in a cafe so she won't get shanked]

Icy: Why the fuck did you want to talk?

Iorda: Good to see you too

Icy: *sits down*

Icy: Speak, so I can leave

Iorda: Okay, adult to adult here-

Icy: Even though the maturity level varies

Iorda, mentally: Dragon help me

Iorda: Regardless, this discussion is going to be important

Icy: *waves her hand*

Iorda: What do you... know about the Ancestors?

Icy: *freezes*

Icy: Excuse me?

Iorda: You don't have any memories, right?

Icy: As if it's any of your business, no

Iorda: Not of anything?

Icy: Besdies my name, no. No childhood, no memories. Now are we done?

Iorda: *sighs*

Iorda: Okay, firstly, I am your magical balance

Icy: ...

Iorda: Mainly Darcy's, but still the balance of you and your sisters

Icy, smirking: ... you?

Iorda: Icy istg

Icy: You are our magical balance?

Iorda: Yes

Icy: Ha, fine continue

Iorda: I know what happened before you lost your memories

Icy:

Iorda: Don'tkillmeplease

Icy, dangerously: Continue, Iorda

Iorda: Okay, you and your sisters as children were manipulated by three dead witches, The Ancestors. They gave you three their magic, and then you got a power boost, Stormy killed her mother, and Darcy accidentally put her entire fucking planet into a coma

Icy: She... was saying something about 'Zenothe' in her sleep

Iorda: That's Darcy's planet, yes

Icy: Proceed

Iorda, praying to the Dragon: The Ancestors, or Ancestral Witches, manipulated you into thinking they were basically gods. One of them, Liliss, gave Darcy a lot of nightmares

Iorda: After they manipulated you three, they convinced you to try to steal a power called the Dragon Flame. You three managed to do so, and you started a war that killed a lot of people. You got convicted. Broke out of prison. And then you lost your memories when a freak spell backfired

Icy:

Iorda: I'm going out on a limb trusting you with this, AND-

Iorda: Because the Ancestors are banished somewhat, no one is going to force you three to start a way. You three can have a better life, because I swear on my own, it's not pretty

Icy: So you know all about what happened...?

Iorda: Everyone does

Icy:

Iorda: They just don't want to risk you three...

Icy: Starting a war again?

Iorda: Exactly

Icy: That definitely explains the weird looks

Iorda: Right

Icy: ...

Iorda: ...

Icy: You're explaining this again to both Stormy and Darcy

Iorda: Wait, what?

Icy: Because then we can decide whether or not to, as you put it with Stormy, "go on a corruption arc."

Iorda, mentally: Fuck me...

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

[Iorda is basically being dragged into the Trix's dorm]

Stormy: Icy, what is going on?

Darcy: And why is she here?

Icy: She knew all along about how we don't have any memories and why

Iorda: To be fair-

Icy: Explain. Now

Iorda: Bitch

Icy: Now

[Cue Iorda explaining the entire backstory]

Stormy: ... what the shit?

Darcy: *fucking shocked*

Iorda: And just remember that I was the one who womaned up to tell you three, so please refrain from killing me...

Darcy: Nightmares explained ig...

Icy: So do we kill her?

Iorda: EXCUSE ME-

Icy: You said we start a war, so maybe that's what we're supposed to do, and we only failed because of a certain 'balance'

Iorda: No no no you three can have a better life now

Icy: Define-

Iorda: You three enjoy your life here, right???

Stormy: All the stares, and now with the knowledge that we killed a lot of people? No. Not really

Darcy: *still dealing with the realization*

Iorda: Okay, what if you show people you dON'T want to start a war again?

Icy: We've been doing that for the past four months

Iorda:

Darcy, looking up from her hands: And you've known about this for how long...?

Iorda: Um. A long time

Darcy: Hm

Darcy, mentally: How tf are my romance choices this shitty?

Iorda: But I MAY have a little plan

Icy: Since when?

Iorda: Since I started worrying you were going to shank me

Stormy: Shoot

Iorda: Okay, you three have little hope in life right now because you don't have any memories

Darcy: Way to rub it in

Iorda: But if you three SWEAR to not start a war, I can get permission from Griffin to tell you guys everything that happened and show you the places where it happened

Stormy:

Iorda: At least then you'll have some semblance of an identity

Icy:

Iorda: And Griffin told me about you three's childhoods so I can help with that the best I can

Darcy:

Icy:

Stormy: Was my mother a bitch or did I just kill her in cold blood?

Iorda: From what I've heard, a bitch

Stormy: Okay well then, good riddens

Icy, to Darcy and Stormy: The verdict?

Darcy: Give her a month to help us 'theoretically get our memories back'

Iorda: A MONTH?

Icy: And after?

Iorda: I'M STILL HERE?

Darcy: I'm not sure, we'll decide by then

Iorda: ARE YOU THREE GOING TO KILL ME?

Stormy: Sounds fine enough

Iorda: DARCY, YOU'RE THE RATIONAL ONE???

Darcy: I don't appreciate being lied to

Iorda: Why the hell do you think I'm telling you now?

Darcy:

Iorda:

Icy: Okay you can leave now

Iorda: Bitch istg

Icy: *glares*

[Iorda leaves]

Stormy: So are we actually going to kill her?

Icy: Oh no

Darcy: Then why did you imply that?

Icy: She almost scored higher than me in a test last week

Stormy: And there's the petty bitch we know and love

Icy: Also, Darcy, you're the one who said 'give her a month' cryptically

Darcy: I meant that if she fails, she is going to get hexed and never spoken to ever again

Stormy: Not a curse?

Darcy: I mean, she is the only one who told us. She also banished the Ancestors who apparently fucked our lives up, which takes a lot of energy

Icy: So the bags under her eyes were not natural?

Darcy: Apparently not

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

[Iorda, the next day, getting ready]

Iorda: *lighs insence and whirls it around her*

Iorda: Any fucking diety out there, please protect me from getting killed and/or maimed while I help the Trix get their sense of selves back

Iorda: *hears a knock on the door*

Iorda: *sigh*

Iorda: So mote it fucking be

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

[Iorda and the Trix at the spot in the library away from prying eyes]

Stormy: Why are we in the library?

Iorda: *places three books on the table*

Iorda: Well, we gotta get some memories back about your guys' planets and probable childhoods there

Icy: *grabbing a book*

Icy: Hm. Diamond

Iorda: Wait, maybe let me-

Icy: Why does it say here that everyone is frozen in ice?

Iorda: I wasn't because of you. Some random Shaman Witch showed up when you were a child, I think. Based on what Griffin told me. She froze the planet

Icy: *stands up*

Darcy: Icy, where are you-

Icy: We're going to Diamond

Iorda: WHAT?

Icy: Did I stutter?

Iorda: We can use the simulation chamber-

Stormy: Won't someone see what we're doing there?

Iorda, mentally: Oh shit if we keep going to their planets, Darcy is going to be fucking crushed

Iorda: Um, we could-

Icy: We're going

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

[At Diamond]

Stormy: Fuck, it's cold

Iorda: Yeah nO sHiT

Icy: *striding forwards*

Iorda: Do you even know where you're going?

Icy: YES

Darcy:

Iorda:

Darcy: She doesn't know where she's going

Iorda: Clearly

Darcy:

Iorda: About-

Darcy: I'm still pissed at you

Iorda: Noted

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

[They find the castle frozen in ice, and some of the people]

Icy: So who did this again?

Iorda: The Shaman Witch

Icy: And where is she?

Iorda: Dead

Stormy:

Darcy, bitterly: And are you sure you're not lying about that?

Iorda: I APOLOGIZED

Stormy: Icy, are you remembering anything?

Icy: Jack shit

Stormy: Well, that's a bust

Iorda: Well, you three probably won't regain your memories. They've been fully eradicated, but...

Icy, shurgging: It's something

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

[To be continued...]

[blondrichclosetwitch]

I’ll still be thinking of you and the times we had, Baby

The crowd called out for more

I plead the fifth

Yes I fucked it up real good and I paid and unpaid and I paid and I paid for it

A song of freedom for the people of Israel

“This is the saddest day of my life.”

You gotta reap just what you sow; that old saying is true

But if you look into your mirror you'll see that nobody has ever ripped you off

It's all in your mind

So throw us some flowers and we’ll give you some songs and sunshine

And if you give me an hour I'll show you how you feel

When I hear her voice, I’ll tell you boys I forget everything

Claim it quick cause sorrow wants it, snatch the breath before it sings

Um dunno, I keep my crystal visions to myself

Poisoning their brainwashed minds

Time will tell on their power minds, making war just for fun

Hand of god has struck the hour

I always though a fish could not be caught who wouldn't bite

Thinkin' of you's workin' up my appetite

Why wait until the middle of a cold dark night? Looking forward to a little afternoon delight

(Ok, this is the first song I ever remember liking as a child; it had airplane noises. Didn’t really it was about sex in the afternoon, which btw,…psychic Jakk always said he wanted us to do it in the afternooon while he was sitting in the office. You know, with the painting right next to me to catch the good light, I’m guessing. Aren’t nannycams wonderful?)

(“Office? What office?” Ah yes, this was after psychic Jakk claimed he had just become the new chef of ssambar. I waited for him at the bar a few times, but alas…he never came out of the office, for some reason or another. That reason would be explained to me the minute I got back to brooklyn.)

“How did I get here? What have I done?”

[whatsabriard]

Watch With Me: Hart to Hart 1x15

Episode Title: Night Horrors

Original Airdate: January 22, 1980

Why this one?: This is one of the most quotable episodes of the series ever. It's also a spooky Halloween ghost story episode that aired in January? Anyway. I love it.

Favorite Quote?: This should be the most fun you two have ever had with your clothes on. Hah, should be.

Max & Freeway are watching horror movies while the Harts are going out to dinner.

It's windy and blustery.

The Harts are discussing their "slightly weird" married friends who apparently bought a haunted house.

"I mean, would you go out of your way to buy a haunted house?"

"It wouldn't be so bad. We could spend the rest of our lives under a sheet."

The weird friends are named Fred and Amanda.

BETTER HOMES AND GARGOYLES. Oh you're a funny guy Jonathan.

Oh boy, there are howling wolves.

thunder and lightning very very frightening!

good evening, says lurch.

this lady asks what they think of the house and they're like "unique" they try really hard to be nice.

Poor Fred is so looking forward to his dinner, but he has to work on a presentation.

So let's introduce the rest of the Clue Crew.

Michael is wearing a blue tuxedo. He writes scary stories. Jonathan hasn't read any of his books. whomp whomp.

"Actually, I do most of my working out at home." and Jennifer actually chokes then says "He's in excellent shape" because she's as much of a little shit as her husband.

The house makes crazy noises.

Gladys is the real estate agent that found the house. And Reverend Tyson. I guess he's there for the exorcism? Gladys is already pretty drunk.

The window blows open. Jennifer still hasn't let the butler take her jacket. She's got one foot out the door.

The previous owner, Greely, died in the master bedroom. The butler was with him for 30 years and he died quite peacefully.

Mr Greely had unfinished business.

OH NO THE LIGHTS WENT OUT.

Then there's Lorna. She's a psychic and she saw Jennifer in danger in her vision. Jennifer is still wearing her coat.

The lights are flickering and everyone is like "weird".

Jennifer wants to go.

The lights go out again and when they come back on, Frilly Chested Michael says something touched him in the dark.

Jennifer wants O U T.

Friends, we are ten minutes into the episode. It's dinner time and Mark Snow is really testing out his talents that will lead him to the X-Files.

Jennifer still wants to leave (she's given up her coat) but Jonathan is really excited to be in this crazy house.

The butler brings in the dinner under a big dome.

There's Fred, head on a platter.

It's a big joke.

Other than his wife, nobody else is amused.

Michael asked how he arranged the "effects" in the parlor and Fred is like "what effects".

>insert favorite quote with jennifer looking not-at-all-amused

Fred tells them he's sending them on a treasure hunt. They're going to search for the hidden Greely treasure.

The butler is listening intently from the next room.

They can't eat until after the search

Jonathan is absolutely TICKLED.

When Greely died, he bought his fiancee a ton of jewels. So they're all going to search for them.

The searchers will look in teams, but they cannot team up with the person they came with.

Jennifer REALLY wants to leave. "Party pooper?" You're damn right.

Jonathan searches with psychic lady and in the first room, she sort of slips into a trance. "No use in both of us sitting here and vibrating together."

Jonathan is finally like "the fuck is happening here" so he continues his search alone.

Jennifer is searching with the pastor. She wants to search the master bedroom because she thinks he'd want to keep the jewels close - being close to the woman he loves.

The pastor guy thinks she's up in her feelings and being too emotional about the search.

Amanda is searching with Michael and he's bored. He thinks Fred is just playing with them.

while sitting and talking, Michael touches something or Amanda touches something and the wall spins. The chair she was sitting in reappears and she's gone.

Gladys is in the wine cellar drinking straight from the bottle.

Jennifer and the pastor find the psychic who is still in her trance.

Jennifer finds a lump in the master bedroom mattress and she needs a knife. Michael just happens to show up with one.

Instead, they find a drug kit. Master Greely was a junkie.

Jennifer finds a shiny in the tiger's head and she plucks it out.

The reverend pulls out a gun. He's been looking for the treasure for years. Jennifer hands over the giant diamond because hey, she could buy one if she wanted to.

Anyway, Jonathan hears the guy telling her to get into the closet and he races off looking for her.

The reverend pulls a lever, a trap door open and whoosh there goes jennifer. So when Jonathan makes it to the master bedroom, all he finds is the vibrating psychic.

Jonathan hears Jennifer in the walls and he searches for (and finds) the magic coat hook - but the door closes behind him. So all three of them are stuck in the walls together. Lookit the little scooby gang!

The follow the passage and climb out of a wardrobe in another room.

The reverend has gone to his car so they go out chasing him...and find his dead ass. That's what he gets for being a creeper.

Someone is trying to steal the Harts car - it's Michael and Gladys - they want to leave to get the police. Michael's keys are missing and the Benz won't start. The car phone has been yanked out and something in the car's engine has been cut.

Everyone starts bickering - Jonathan tells Michael he doesn't like his attitude. LOL

Back in the house, the phone isn't working.

"The phones are out and the cars are dead." Not to mention Reverend Tyson.

Jonathan takes over and when Michael belligerently asks who put him in charge Jonathan actually says out loud to a room full of adults "MY WIFE."

Jonathan goes in the kitchen with the butler to check the phone, gets a dial tone...and the butler smacks him in the head!

Everyone is a bad guy here, she thinks, as the butler stuffs Jonathan into a dumbwaiter, sends it up, and stops it between floors.

the butler finds the rest of the group bickering and kindly tells them to STFU, pulls a gun and makes everyone empty their pockets and handbags.

anyone else getting the impression he might not be such a good guy?

jonathan wakes up in the dumbwaiter, a bit confused

The butler tells everyone he wants the thing the reverend had, that someone killed for, that he might even kill for.

You mean lurch didn't kill the reverend?

the butler actually looks a little offended. If he'd killed the reverend, he wouldn't still be looking for the treasure!

jonathan kicks his way out of the dumbwaiter, as you do, and ends up back in the room with the psychic, who is finally awake.

they go downstairs to find the butler holding everyone up and he tries to sneak down

"Oh i know that trick. Looking over my shoulder as if there's somebody behind me." LOL Jonathan knocks him down and grabs the gun.

Jennifer points to the ice - there's a big shiny in there!

Jonathan says it's glass, not a diamond.

Fred finally admits that he hid fake jewels all over the house and people found it, and were going to keep it. but someone had to go and make it serious.

The butler talks about how he and master greely "played". They would take turns hiding the chest of jewels. (that's not weird)

The master hid it just before he died and the butler hasn't been able to find it since.

He apologizes for hitting Jonathan over the head and the group takes a shovel out to the cemetery, the logical next step.

they start a'diggin' it's a very long sequence of digging with everyone looking at each other suspiciously.

Less than 6 feet down, they find the casket.

She's so pretty.

"Hmm, the family plot thickens," Jennifer says.

We find the jewels and blue-suited Michael pulls out a gun. He killed the reverend and he's taking the jewels.

Jonathan doesn't remember where he knew this guy - the firing range at the sunset country club. Jonathan shot against him.

"I don't like being second best." Oh jonathan you're never second best. Jennifer does what she does best - she swung that purse at Michael and knocked the jewels out of his hand. the chase is on!

Simon collected the box and gave it to Jonathan, to see that it was properly taken care of.

"You know you were really gallant." You think so? I guess I was, wasn't I.

So the Harts go back home. Max and Freeway are in front of the TV sleeping. It's just static - remember those days?

The Harts knock and wake him up and he lets them in.

They decide they're going to stay in bed all day the next day and Max is all "heh yeah."

And then he asks if anything weird happened at the party. The kids start talking in Transylvanian accents and...

what idiots. I love them, your honor.

[nicolecossack]

.- Mini Story Part . . . 3!? Duel Spirit! -

After Kevin showed the teen around he brought her to a Door within the Lab.

"This is . . . like a dorm area, all the duelist rest here in this part of the complex. Though, the rooms look more like ceils then bedrooms. You'll get used to it.", Kevin explained to her.

She shakes her head, "I guess, thanks for showing me around . . .", she said.

"No need to be moody, i been stuck here for a while myself. Just don't go on Professor Aesirs nerves, they are doing a bit more here then i am allowed to tell you. Rest up, i want to say you will have some duel tests and obedience tests done on you.", he says then he lets her into the room. She can hear the door lockdown behind her.

The girl lets out a annoyed sigh and leans against the door. Looking around the room, its just a white and sterile as the rest of the place. "Who ever cleans here must have been paid well . . .", she joked to herself. Still a bit overwhelmed where they had kidnapped her to and the whole situation, she closes her eyes a bit. At least she was alone to gather her thoughts . . . or so she thought.

"Why, are we exhausted already? You ain't gonna be of much use to me of that's the case."

The teen opened her eyes in shock to suddenly hear a voice, there was no one in the room She stares at a Man standing in front of her, he is somewhat see through though . . . She almost let out a scream with the man quickly covering her mouth so she'd stay quiet.

"Be quite! You will give me away otherwise. Youth these days . . .", He said calm yet commanding, "My name is Primo and i am . . . hmm . . . Lets say i am your partner, a duel spirit perhaps?." Primo let her go ones he felt she calmed down.

"W-what?!", the girl was confused," H-how you even get here?!"

Primo lets out an annoyed Sigh, "Is this really what i have to deal with now. Urgh, Humans. . .", he nudges her towards the bed,"Sit down, i'll explain whatever i know to lift that confusion from you."

She starres for a moment, then she went and sit down. Primo stand in front of her.

"First of, i am here because you summoned Wisel, it used to be my Monster. You are like a reincarnation for the card. Its been lost for quite some time now.", he explained.

"And then way are you here? Doesn't explain that.", she asked.

"To be fair, i shouldn't be here, but it seems the tech you had been implanted and the Reincarnation must have brought back a piece of me in you.", he thought a bit.

"So you'd with those guys?", she asked.

Primo let out a laugh, "Of course not, kid, in fact i am very displeased by the situation we are in. But i do know what they want sense while you were unconscious in the lab for a few weeks, drugged up and subdued, plus experiment on for a while with those psychic researchers, i had the chance to listen in."

"What?! Really?", she expressed shocked.

"Mhm", he wander slowly in a circle while speaking, " Apparently these people want to take over the Dimensions. Standard, Fusion, Synchro, XYZ and Link. You are to be send to the Synchro Dimension where you lived before, sense you have the perfect tool to counter the Synchros there."

"Oh, Dimensions? what? that sounds insane.", she then thought to herself, "Wait, you are a spirit, how did you touch me then?!"

"Oh goodness, are you suffering from brain damage after all the stuff done to you?!", he walks up to her and tabs her on the implant, pushing her head back slightly. "This here! Its a Duel Gazer, i am using it to project myself to you via solid vision. I don't have to, you could see me as a spirit even without it, but i had a feeling our first meeting wouldn't be so calm.", Primo sighs," Well scanners say you are fine, i guess you are just dumb."

"hey!! No need to rude! This is way to much to take in!", she replied.

Primo shakes his head," you really should rest up, you ain't gonna be useful to me in this condition, when i figured out a plan to escape."

He turned away," also do not tell them i am here, they don't know and it should stay that way, otherwise they will monitor you 24/7, or Brainwash you immediately. Sleep human, we can chit chat when you wake up." Primo disappears from view, but she can still feel his presents inside her.

"Guess, your right . . . perhaps a nap could sort out my head . . .", she said.

"I just really hope you ain't snoring in your sleep, i want some peace and quite!", Primo said, his voice seemingly in her head.

She froze at the then sighed. *This is my life now it seems*, she thought.

"I can also hear your thoughts, sleep already!"

The girls groans loudly and gives in to his demands, being pretty annoyed by him already. She lays down and tries to Sleep.

[vi-writes-stuff]

All I've Ever Known (Ethan x f!MC)

Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Audrey Lee)

Word Count: 3.5k

Rating: 18+ (NSFW content)

Premise: A spontaneous date night leaves Audrey questioning the future of their relationship. Set between Book 2 and 3.

Author's Note: It's been a year since I joined Choices, so I thought I'd try my hand at posting a fic. Title from Hadestown. Big thanks to @queencarb and @imaneditorthankyouverymuch for betareading!

I was alone so long

I didn't even know that I was lonely

Out in the cold so long

I didn't even know that I was cold

Turned my collar to the wind

This is how it's always been

All I've ever known is how to hold my own

__________________________________

Doctor Audrey Lee was not used to the sluggishness that once again occupied most of her days. It was not the caffeine-fueled crash she experienced after a long 16 hour shift, nor was it the unpredictable episodes of insomnia that occasionally plagued her.

Leland Bloom had opened up Edenbrook for a few weeks, before shutting it down to finish the major renovations.

As the sun hit her eyes, she felt the warm body pressed against her back tighten its grasp around her waist. For a brief moment, she relished in the warmth surrounding her. She even allowed herself to believe that she could get used to the feeling of waking up in Ethan's arms.

‘If there even is a future for us…’ Doubt whispers into her ear, poisoning the comfort she found in his embrace.

In the weeks before Edenbrook’s inevitable closing, Audrey, like many of her fellow residents, was looking for somewhere to finish her residency. She had been considering a position back home in New York. When she brought it up with Ethan, he acknowledged her response, but there was no following discussion about what that would have meant for their relationship.

Pushing the thoughts away, she settled back into his embrace. She let herself relax as the muffled sounds of the city below filled the quiet space of the bedroom.

The peace lasted all of five minutes before she began feeling restless again. Uneasiness washed over her as the image of her ripping Bloom's billion dollar check flashed in her mind. In the moment, watching the little shreds of paper sprinkling across the expensive hardwood floor of his mansion had been satisfying. Despite that, she couldn't help but wonder if it was the right move.

If she had accepted the check and handed it to Naveen, Leland would have been convinced that she was on his side. In reality, Audrey trusted him as far as she could throw the old man. Her preference was that he landed into the depths of the icy Atlantic Ocean.

Ripping the check was the right move, but it left her in the dark when it came to Leland's intentions.

Sighing to herself, she turned around in Ethan's arms and buried her face into his neck. She felt the reverberations of his pleased hum. There was no use in overthinking things now. They would deal with the repercussions soon enough.

Pressing a gentle kiss against Ethan's neck, she smiled as his eyes fluttered open.

"Good morning," she whispered.

"It is when I wake up beside you," he mumbled back, his voice heavy with sleep.

"Careful, that sounds awfully sentimental. Wouldn't want my favourite grumpy old man going soft."

Opening his eyes, he sent Audrey a half-hearted glare. The sight of Ethan Ramsey bathed in soft sunlight and his hair mussed up by her hands made her melt.

God, she could look into his eyes forever.

"I contain multitudes," he replied. "Speaking of which, this sentimental and grumpy old man wants to ask if you had plans today."

"No plans." A smirk curled across Audrey's lips as she swept some loose hairs from his face. "But if you had plans that involve us spending more time together in bed, I wouldn’t object."

"You're insatiable."

"Are you complaining?"

He grinned at her. "Not at all."

Leaning in to kiss her, Audrey's hands slid up from his shoulders into his hair. Giving the strands a short and sharp tug, Ethan groaned and bit her lower lip. Leaving a trail of kisses down the column of her neck, he lightly nibbled the skin, eliciting a soft moan from her.

He pulled the sheets away from her body and continued his path downwards. Audrey bit back another moan. Almost immediately, Ethan stopped around her navel and lifted his gaze to look into her eyes.

"I want to hear you, Rookie. Don't hold back."

As a warm hand cupped one of her breasts, his tongue lathered the other bringing her nipples to stiff peaks. This time, Audrey let the moan escape her mouth as she felt herself growing wetter. Lifting his head to lavish her other breast, he shot her a coy smile.

"Much better," he panted. Pinning her wrists against the mattress with a single hand, he slowly made his way down her body as his other hand caressed her soft skin. Swiping a finger across her folds, he groaned. "God, you're so wet for me."

The lust that filled his eyes as his face rested by the apex of her thighs made her shiver.

"Ethan, please," she whined.

When his tongue finally met her soaking cunt, Audrey let out a shaky gasp and an incoherent mumble that sounded vaguely like his name. Her hands threaded into his hair again as he let go of her wrists. Using a hand, Ethan lifted a leg over his shoulder, allowing his tongue to delve deeper. As he sucked her clit, Audrey felt herself tense up as an orgasm rippled through her body.

Once Audrey's breathing slowed, Ethan gently lowered her leg. Through her hazy vision, she noticed his lips and beard glistened in the morning light.

"Please," Audrey begged. "I need you inside of me."

"Gladly."

Pressing a deep kiss against her, she tasted herself on his lips and confirmed her earlier observation. Thankfully, his boxers had been removed last night and he hadn't bothered with putting them back on. The wetness of her first orgasm allowed the blunt head of his cock to easily slip into her throbbing cunt. Gripping onto his shoulders, Audrey panted as Ethan set a steady rhythm, his cock rubbing against her already sensitive clit. As his pace quickened, his thrusts became rougher and he bottomed out causing Audrey to gasp.

She trembled as another wave of pleasure coursed through her body. Ethan followed moments later and groaned into Audrey's neck, the reverberations of the sound causing a delicious tingle across her skin. The couple lounged in bed a little longer as they caught their breaths. Pressing a gentle kiss across her temple, Ethan cupped her face with his hands.

"I wanted to say something before we got sidetracked..." His gaze was impossibly soft as his thumb swept across her swollen bottom lip. "I'd like to take you out on a date. A proper one."

Audrey couldn't help the smile that blossomed across her face. "Really?"

He nodded. "I want the world to know the gorgeous woman beside me is taken. So, what do you say?"

"Yes," she answered. "I'd love to go on a date with you."

__________________________________

Several hours later, Audrey was back in the apartment she shared with her friends. Ethan had dropped her off in the early afternoon with a promise to pick her up at six for their date.

She was looking through her closet, searching for a particular dress she had in mind. Ethan had been tight-lipped about his plans. He had only stated it would be a black-tie event.

"Ah ha! Finally found you." She pulled the shimmering gold dress from her closet. Looking into the mirror in her room, she held the dress up to her body and smiled.

With an hour until six, Audrey jumped into the shower to freshen up. Once she finished styling her hair and applying some make-up, she slipped into the dress. Arranging the slit over her leg, she slipped into a matching pair of heels, a black shawl and grabbed the purse holding her phone.

She entered the living room to see her friends sitting on the couch arguing about what movie to watch. Sienna came from the kitchen carrying a plate of her homemade cookies and smiled at the sight of her friend dressed up.

"Audrey, you look amazing! Isn't that the dress you wore when we did our Boston bucket list?"

She grinned at the memory of what was supposed to be their last hurrah in the city. "It is, but I thought it'd be nice to wear it again for my date tonight."

"Ramsey asked you out on a date? Tonight?" Jackie asked from her spot on the couch.

Various groans filled the room as Audrey nodded.

"Finally!" Jackie exclaimed. "Everyone, pay up. You each owe me a twenty. "

Bryce sighed, pulling out his wallet from his pocket. "God damn it, Lee. Why couldn't he have waited just one more week before he asked you out?"

"Quit complaining," Aurora said, tossing a kernel of popcorn from the bowl in her lap at Bryce's head. "At least you were close, my guess was way off."

Rafael shook his head as Elijah and Aurora both handed a twenty dollar bill over to Jackie. "How did you get it down to the day?"

Jackie smiled. "I'm a psychic, obviously."

"Hold up... Just how long has this bet about Ethan and I been going on?"

"Since everyone saw you kiss at The Hopeful Hearts Gala," Elijah replied.

"And thanks to you, I'm a hundred dollars richer." Jackie pocketed the small wad of cash and leaned back against the couch.

“Thank you, Sienna,” Audrey sighed as she wrapped the black shawl around her shoulders. “My only true friend for having the decency to not partake in this bet.”

Sienna smiled sheepishly as she placed her plate of cookies on the coffee table. Before sitting down on the couch, she pulled a folded twenty dollar bill from her pocket and handed it over to Jackie.

“I’m sorry, Audrey. Raf was the only one who didn’t bet,” Sienna said. “ Dr. Ramsey and I had an interesting talk on the car ride to…” Sienna’s voice wavered slightly and she trailed off before falling silent.

On the car ride to interrogate Travis Perry about the mystery substance he had released in the hospital.

Audrey immediately crossed the room to hug Sienna. It had been months since the incident had happened, but her best friend was still grieving the loss of Danny. Sienna wrapped her arms around Audrey before she pulled back and hastily rubbed at her eyes.

“I’m okay,” Sienna reassured. “Go and enjoy your date.”

Audrey squeezed her friend’s hand in her own before she let go. “Sienna is forgiven,” Audrey declared to the others. “Thank you, Raf. My true ride-or-die.”

Rafael, who was seated beside Bryce, spoke up. “I didn’t want to make any assumptions about your personal life.”

With the most dramatic stare she could muster, she glared and pointed at the others. “The rest of you. Thin ice.”

Several knocks at the door cut off any reply that followed. Opening the door, she found Ethan standing in the doorway, dressed in his suit. His eyes lit up as he looked up at Audrey.

“You look radiant,” Ethan said.

Audrey felt herself grin. “You’re looking pretty good yourself,” she replied.

“Ready?”

“Definitely.”

“Yo, Lee!” Bryce called from the couch before she could step forward. “Just a heads up, I’m crashing on your bed tonight once movie night runs late since you won’t be using yours.”

“OKAY! We are leaving before I strangle Bryce,” Audrey announced, taking the arm Ethan offered.

Bryce laughed as she shut the door behind them. “Anyone wanna bet if she’s coming home tonight?”

__________________________________

Twenty minutes later, the pair were seated inside an elegant Italian restaurant by the waterfront. Looking out the window, Audrey watched the bright lights of the city refract against the dark surface of the water.

“I’m a city girl, but I don’t think I could live anywhere that isn’t close to the water.”

Ethan raised a brow. “Why is that?”

Audrey glanced at the gentle waves before she turned to face him. “I find it calming. It reminds me that the world is big. Bigger than any problem I might be facing. Whenever I felt stressed, I would take the subway to Manhattan and just sit in Battery Park for hours to watch the boats in the harbour or watch the people pass by.”

“I believe you called it ‘people-watching’?”

Audrey was surprised. “You still remember that conversation at Derry Roasters?”

He nodded. “I do,” he said. He reached across the table and instinctively, she placed a hand in his palm. “You said I was lost. You didn’t even know about Naveen’s condition at the time, but somehow you knew something wasn’t right.”

Unable to resist teasing him, Audrey smirked. “If I remember correctly, you said I was only half-right.”

“I stand by that assessment.” His thumb traced the ridge of her knuckles. “What baffled me was how this infuriatingly stubborn intern with the potential to be an excellent doctor kept on surprising me.”

“Speaking of surprises…” she said. “Why a date? Why now?”

The thoughts about the uncertainty of their relationship that morning came crawling to the forefront of her mind again, but she held them back. The night had only begun and as much as their undefined status worried her, she was determined to start the night on the right foot. If there truly was no future for them, she at least wanted to enjoy the time they spent together.

“Well…”

His response was cut off as a waiter came to stop at their table. “Good evening. Can I start you two off with something to drink?”

“We’re catching a show after, would you like a drink?”

“We are? I guess I’ll just have some water.”

“Two waters, please,” Ethan ordered.

The waiter nodded and laid two menus on the table. “I’ll be back in a moment to take your orders then.”

“A show?” Audrey asked. “I thought we were just getting dinner.”

The genuine enthusiasm on Audrey’s face made Ethan grin. “I promised you a proper date. That entails dinner and a show. And if you’re not too tired, perhaps a walk along the esplanade?”

“I could be persuaded. What’s the show we’re seeing?”

He shrugged. “You’ll have to wait and see.”

Audrey pouted before an idea struck her. Slowly taking the black shawl off her shoulders which revealed the plunging neckline of the dress, she traced a finger down her neck to her collarbone. “Are you sure there’s no way I could convince you to tell me?” As her finger passed her collarbone, she slowed as she began to trail her finger down the exposed skin.

She felt him squeeze the hand that was still wrapped in his. “You are trying to kill me,” he replied as his gaze followed the path she traced. Gently, he lifted the hand in his and pressed a kiss to it. “As tempting as that offer is, I do believe you will appreciate the surprise.”

Sighing, she dropped the hand he wasn’t holding into her lap. “You win this time, Ramsey.”

__________________________________

As they got closer, Audrey could see the bright white marquee of the Opera House in the distance: L’Orfeo.

“The darkness of night,” Ethan translates for her. “It’s also the Italian and Spanish form of the name Orpheus.”

“As in Orpheus and Eurydice?” Audrey asked, immediately delighted.

“The very same.”

“When I had my Roman Mythology phase as a kid, I used to check out the same big book filled with various myths for months on end.” She had spent countless hours admiring the detailed illustrations and committing the words that filled the pages to her memory, carefully tracing every swooping letter with a finger. “It actually starts somewhat similarly to the first show we saw together.”

“Then tonight, I’ll rely on your expertise.” Entering the theatre, the pair made their way to his private box. They were seated for ten minutes before the house lights around them slowly dimmed and the curtain opened. On the stage, a woman dressed in red held a lyre.

“That’s the Spirit of Music. She’s saying through the power of music, she can calm any troubled heart. She introduces Orpheus of Thrace, who has the same ability as well. He’s the son of Apollo, the god of sunlight and music, and the muse Calliope, ” Audrey whispered to Ethan, their hands interlaced. As the opera progressed, Audrey explained the events of the story unfolding before them. The marriage of Orpheus and Eurydice and the tragic death of the young bride by snake bite that shortly followed. Orpheus, driven by his grief, embarking on a treacherous journey to the Underworld to bring back his lost love.

“Moved by his singing, Prosperina asks her husband, Pluto, to let Eurydice return to the living world with Orpheus. He agrees upon the condition that Orpheus has to lead Eurydice out of the Underworld, but he cannot look back to see if she is following. Orpheus begins the journey, confident that he will be reunited with Eurydice the moment they leave the Underworld, but…”

Audrey swallowed past the lump that suddenly formed in her throat.

“But then doubt comes in. He thinks Pluto is envious of his love. Maybe Pluto is tricking him.” As a sudden noise sounds from off-stage, the actor playing Orpheus turned around to face his Eurydice. His face morphed from happiness to regret in a flash as Eurydice smiled back at him sadly. “Orpheus sees Eurydice. She was behind him the whole time. She begins to fade away and Orpheus is forced out of the Underworld alone.

“This final act deviates from the myth. Apollo comes from the heavens and tells him not to fall victim to his anger and grief. He invites Orpheus to join him. Eurydice won’t be there, but beauty like hers can be found in the stars. Orpheus accepts.”

As the chorus gathered on the stage for the finale, Audrey looked away. Staring into the dark sea of audience members, she took a moment to collect her thoughts.

Building up her courage, she turned to the man beside her, but before she could say a word Ethan’s hand slipped out of her grasp. Audrey jumped slightly in her seat as the audience around them started clapping for the performance.

By the time the house lights turned on, she had lost her nerve.

__________________________________

Although autumn was right around the corner, the weather had been lovely for the past week. Despite the lack of chilly weather, Audrey held the black shawl tightly around herself as she and Ethan walked along the Charles River Esplanade.

Her eyes were drawn to the shining lights of a boat further in the distance. Audrey didn’t even notice that her steps had slowed to a stop as Ethan paused to look at her.

“Are you all right?” he asked. “You haven’t said a word since we left the theatre.”

Shaking herself out of a trance, Audrey nodded and laughed, but even she could hear that it was far too hollow sounding. “I’m fine. I must be more tired than I thought.”

“I can drive you back to your apartment, but that doesn’t explain why you’ve been staring at the river for so long.”

She sighed, a wry grin twisting her lips. “I shouldn’t have told you what my tell was.”

Stepping in front of her, Ethan tilted her chin so that he could look into her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“I-it’s just…” Audrey had to close her eyes for a moment. One breath in, one breath out. The same blue eyes she had seen that morning— the ones she thought she could spend an eternity staring into—suddenly felt like a tsunami that threatened to swallow her. “Ethan, what are we doing?”

The moment she saw Ethan’s eyebrows furrow and the hurt look cross his face, Audrey groaned internally. Barely a second in and she had already stuck her foot in her own mouth. “I phrased that horribly,” she said. Placing a hand by his clenched jaw, her thumb grazed his cheek until she felt the tension he held there ease. “What I meant was, what are we? These last few weeks have been amazing. I can’t describe the happiness I feel when I wake up in your arms, but I also love those moments we just spend together whether we’re making dinner or just having a quiet night in. I don’t think I need to explain how much I enjoy the physical aspects of our relationship…”

She swallowed a shaky breath. “But if that’s all this relationship is-”

“You know it isn’t.” he immediately replied, placing his warm hand on top of hers.

Audrey shook her head. “Do I?”

“I meant every word I said. I don’t want to hide and I’m done pretending.”

“When I was considering a residency in New York, you didn’t say a word.”

“I didn’t want to influence you. I wanted you to make the best decision for your career.”

“And what would we have done? A long-distance whatever-we-are? You're Ethan Ramsey. You’re a world renowned diagnostician for Christ’s sake. You wouldn’t have any trouble finding another position in Boston,” she huffed.

Looking into her eyes, he said, “It’s simple. I would have gone with you.”

She froze. She was certain she had misheard him. “What?”

“As much as I despise idolatry among physicians,” he said. “I wouldn’t be above using my reputation to get a position in the same city.”

“But your whole life is here in Boston.”

“But you wouldn’t have been here.” Ethan cupped her face in his hands, pressing a gentle kiss against her temple and then to a tear-stained cheek. “I need you, Audrey. I know I’m not the most articulate when it comes to my emotions, but know that you’re important to me.”

The sincerity of his voice caused the tears she had been holding back to fall. Wrapped in his embrace, she let the last of her doubts drift away from the recesses of her heart.

__________________________________

All I've ever known is how to hold my own

But now I wanna hold you, too.

__________________________________

Author's Note: Originally this fic was called "Good as Gold" (also based on song lyrics) and was gonna have more smut content, but I might write that and make it a sequel to this instead. 😏