#oc: Cassie Summers

[bravelittleflower]

Spoiler!

Oc Halloween Challenge Day 14: Hamilton -MCU siblings that would kill for each other

• Cassie and Alex Summers

• Billy Maximoff and Emma Kaplan

•Bobbie and Steve Rogers

• Thor and Sigyn

Tag list: @raging-violets , @foxesandmagic   , @dreamerwithapen1 ,  @arrthurpendragon , @harleyquinnzelz , @anotherunreadblog , @curious-kittens-ocs ,   , @endless-oc-creations , @noratilney @fragilestorm

@jvstjewels @drbobbimorse @akabluekat @tessasocs @starcrossedjedis @that-demigirl

@bisexualterror

[greeneyeofenvy]

ngl I don’t even know what I was trying to do

[loverofallthingsfandom]

"I don't want Eli to think I felt the same way about him that I do my dad." - Cassie

IMAGINE: Cassie confides in Maddy (S1) about her fear for Eli's alcoholism and the parallels of her father

[wildestdreamcatcher]

Jude and Summer's daughter, Cassie is really close with Cleo. They're very similar and she really looked up to Cleo a lot, especially as she got older.

@lyn-winston @fromrussiawithlove-maddie @sadlonelyyogurt @80stacos

[tacoma-narrows]

A Fresh Summer Breeze

My half of a trade with @clear-valley of their OC Cassiopeia! Clare wanted me to go for a spring/summery vibe, so I decided to draw Cassi outside enjoying a nice summer breeze, since I've been enjoying those myself lately :]

Ty again for trading with me! :D

[myangxlics]

Shiver

Yandere OC x male reader

Warnings: Yandere stuff, a tiny bit of blood, nothing really that bad yet

A/N: this is DEFINITELY not named after Shiver by Coldplay (not proofread yet)

Word count: 2.1k

It’s summer and the weather has finally cleared up. You finish zipping up your suitcase and hurrying outside. “(Name)! Hurry up or we’re leaving without ya!” Your friend Maddie calls. You roll your eyes, she was the most impatient girl ever. Slinging your backpack over your shoulder and picking up your suitcase, you leave the house. One of your other friends, Olivia, helps you put both things into the trunk of the van. “Hurry up everybody!” Maddie calls, getting into the driver's seat. You hop up into the passenger seat, buckling your seatbelt. You look over at Maddie before glancing into the backseats. In the middle seats sat Liv and her boyfriend, Tommy. In the backseats sat Cassie, her boyfriend Andrew, and his friend Parker. You look back at Maddie and whisper to her, “Why’d you have to invite Cassie? All she’s gonna do is fuck Andrew.” You look back and see Parker eyeing you. Your eyes meet Maddies once more. “And Parker is still into me.” You say, hushed. Maddie rolls her eyes and puts a hand on your shoulder as she starts backing out of the driveway. “Stop being a downer and just have fun. All you do is worry, let loose for once.” She says. “Alright, our first stop is gonna be a gas station in Colorado.” Olivia says, holding a map in her hands. As the car begins driving out of town, you close your eyes, using your jacket as a blanket.

Someone is shaking you. Your eyes flutter open and you look up at Olivia in a daze. She smiles and shakes you once more. “Wake up, (Name). We’re at the gas station.” Olivia says, voice soft. You groan a bit and curl up in your seat. Liv sighs and pets your head. “Do you want me to get anything for you?” She asks. You nod sleepily, mumbling what you wanted for snacks and drinks. She nods and heads inside the gas station with everyone else.

Hours later and you all arrive at your first campsite. The night was long but fun. The next morning Maddie wakes up at dawn and yells around the camp for everyone to wake up and pack up the tents. Once everyones packed up you all get back on the road.

“Wow…I never knew Wyomming actually had a forest.” Cassie says, watching as the trees pass by. Olivia laughs with Tommy, cuddling up with each other. “There's woods EVERYWHERE dumbass.” Andrew says. “Hey, we’re reaching a gravel road, can someone else drive?” Maddie asks, pulling the van over. “Yeah.” Tommy says, already sliding the door open and hopping out. Olivia does the same and you and Maddie get out of the front seats. After you all get situated, Tommy begins driving.

“These woods are giving me the creeps…” Cassie says while playing on her phone. She groans. “There's no service out here either. Olivia, tell Tommy to get us out of this hillbilly area!” Tommy rolls his eyes. “Jesus, Cassie. Can’t you go five seconds without your phone?” Cassie scoffs at Tommy and keeps trying to get cell service. Suddenly the van runs over something. Everyone jumps and looks at each other, confused. Tommy stops the van and quickly gets out. You look at Maddie, a scared look on her face. She looks out the window and back at you. “It’s probably just a squirrel or something.” You tell her reassuringly. Tommy opens the drivers door. “Y��all might wanna see this.” He sighs. You, Olivia, and Parker all climb out of the vehicle. “What happened?” Parker asks, crossing his arms. “Well uh…” Tommy trails off, pointing at the back left tire. The tired had barbed wire stuck to it. “Holy crap…” You whisper. “Well…what do we do?” Olivia asks. Tommy looks around, scratching his head. “Uhm…maybe two of you can go and try to find a gas station or something. I mean if we keep walking in the direction we were going, we’re bound to find a shop or another person that can get us help.” He explains. You nod and grab your jacket. “I’ll go look. I need to stretch my legs anyways.” You say. Parker immediately grabs his jacket too. “I’ll come with.” He states and before you can say anything, Tommy smiles and thanks you both. He gives you both a few water bottles and some snacks. “Be safe.” He smiles. You and Parker begin walking.

It’s probably at least been an hour since the two of you started walking. It was all still woods and hot out. Parker stops walking and squints his eyes. You look at him, confused, before following his gaze. “I think it’s a gas station or somethin’...” Parker mutters, rubbing his eyes. “Well let’s go to it.” You reply, starting to walk once more. Parker grabs your hand, holding you in place. “Somethin’ don’t feel right…” He says again. You sigh. Sure you were a paranoid guy, but Parker was a whole different level of paranoid. “It’ll be fine. You’ve been watching those creepy videos all day.” You assure him, pulling his arm.

Soon you reach the building. It was a small auto or body shop. The garage door was open and the store door was propped open with a rock, an open sign hung on the doorknob. You can hear loud rock music playing from inside. You both walk up to the garage door. “Uh, hello?” You call out. There's no answer. “I told you this ain’t right…” Parker mumbles, crossing his arms. “Let's just go.” Parker says, upset. When you turn around you’re met face to face with a man. You let out a scream and Parker backs up. The man just smirks, taking a drag of a cigarette. “Sorry for scaring ya, pretty boy.” He then looks at Parker, still smirking but you swear that for a second, a look of anger is in his eyes. You quickly step between the two. “Sorry for bothering you, sir. You see, me and my friends are on a road trip but we ran over barbed wire and so we now need a new tire. Do you think we could buy one?” You ask calmly. The man's eyes light up again. “Well of course, cutie. I’ll get you and your friend what y’all need.” You smile. “Thank you, so much. Really, you’re a lifesaver. The man chuckles and shakes his head. “I ain’t that at all.” He says, turning and walking into the shop. You’re about to follow him, but Parker stops you. “I’ll buy the tire…just stay out here.” You nod and watch as he follows the man.

It’s been a few minutes and you’ve already gotten restless. You look at the mountains in the distance, they looked more than beautiful. Looking around, you spot a trailer home a bit more in the woods, only a small ways away from the shop. You can see a mini log cabin dog house in the yard by the steps and walk over. You crouch and look inside the dog house, seeing if you could find the pup. All that sits in there is a bone and a tennis ball. You smile and grab the ball before standing up and looking around. “Here puppy! Come here!” You call out, holding out the ball, hoping the dog is nearby. You let out a whistle, “Come here puppy!” You were about to give up on looking when something bumped into you. You practically jumped and immediately looked around before seeing a saint Bernard sniffing your shoes. You grin and crouch down, holding out your hand. The dog sniffs it before giving a small chuff.

“Here boy, you wanna play?” You ask, holding up the ball. The dog tilts his head and wags his tail. You throw the ball across the yard and watch as the huge dog bounds after it, letting out a bark. Suddenly, a hand claps onto your shoulder. You let out a scream and turn around and meet eyes with Parker. “(Name), what the hell are you doing?” He hisses out. You shrug and point at the dog. “Playing.” Parker just looks at you with an unamused face. “Playing?” He asks, scowling at you. “Leave the thing, it probably has fleas or some weird disease.” Parker grunts, grabbing your arm and pulling you back to the auto shop. “Parker, what the hell?!” You argue. Parker spins around and places both hands on your shoulders. “Listen,” he begins, voice hushed, “This guy is a weirdo, okay? He’s charging a hundred fifty for a new tire and my cell doesn’t work out here and I’m guessing yours doesn’t either.” He looks over his shoulder and looks back at you. “He has a phone in the shop. You call Olivia and see if she or anybody else can get out here, okay? I’m gonna try and a lower price on the tire.” You sigh, “Parker, stop acting like this guy is some killer. It’s irrational.” You state, crossing your arms. Parker rolls his eyes and walks back into the shop.

“Hey man, can we use your phone?” Parker asks. The mechanic grins and shakes his head. “Phones broken. But the one in my house works, I’ll take ya to it.” He says, wiping oil off of his pants. As he takes you to the house, you stop by the dog house, looking for the Saint Bernard again. “Ya lookin’ for Bo?” The mechanic chuckled. You nod. “Why don’t you find Bo and I’ll help your friend with the phone, yeah?” He says, going up the trailer home’s front stairs. “Are you sure? I mean, I should probably go with you, Parker.” Parker shakes his head, “I’ll be fine.” You give another nod. “Uh, by the way, what’s your name?” Parkers asks the mechanic. The man smiles. “Rusty, Rusty Smith.” He says, holding out his hand to Parker. The two shake hands and you watch as they disappear into the home.

You begin towards the treeline, calling for Bo. You spot the dog and he barks at you before running into the woods. “Wait!” You shout, running after the dog. You run through the woods, leaves and bushes occasionally scraping your arms and legs. Bo keeps stopping and letting you get close before bounding off again. You groan, beginning to get out of breath, but you still follow the dog.

The sun is setting now and you finally catch up to Bo. You smile and bend down to give him pets. Bo licks your face and gives a small bark. You stand up and look around, realizing that you don’t know which way you had come from. You look at the setting sun and begin to grow anxious. You’re in the middle of the woods, alone, and with no sense of direction. A small breeze causes you to shiver, your tank top and shorts not doing much to keep you warm. “Shit…” You mutter to yourself. You look down at Bo, maybe he would know the way back? Bo begins walking and you follow him. After a few minutes the beam of a flashlight cuts through the night. You shield your eyes and Bo lets out a bark before bounding to whoever was holding the flashlight. You timidly walk over to the figure before it speaks. “There ya are pretty boy.” Rusty chuckles out, moving the beam of the flashlight. You let out a sigh of relief. “Thank god, I thought I was gonna be lost out here forever!” You say, not noticing the now dried blood on Rusty’s forearms. Rusty chuckles and wraps an arm around your shoulder. “Well, it’s a good thing Bo was with ya. Let’s get ya back to safety.” He says before beginning to walk.

After what seemed like forever, you finally made it back to Rustys shop. It was probably 10 pm by now and you let out a stifled yawn. “Ya tired?” Rusty asks. You nod. “Well you can sleep in my bed and I’ll stay on the couch, yeah?” He states, opening the home's door. “What about Parker?” You question, looking around for any signs of him. “Oh, he left after you went off to find Bo. He said you probably went back so he left too.” Rusty explains, but you swear you see this sinister look in his eyes. “But…Parker wouldn’t do that…” You respond, beginning to get upset at the fact that Parker had just up and left. Rusty sighs and pats your shoulder. “Told him to just wait. C’mon, let’s get ya some dinner and some rest and then I’ll take ya to your friends tomorrow morning.” You smile at his words and follow him inside.

[nikosasaki]

introducing ⋆ Cassandra 'Cassie' Lewis

Cassie Lewis had always believed that being a demigod would fix her problems – not create more. Developing a chronic insomnia problem at the age of six, Cassie only lasted a few years before she became too much to deal with for her mother, sending her to Camp Half-Blood for the first time. However, even amongst kids just like her she became an outlier, and instead of returning home after the summer, Cassie ran away. She was eleven when she first met Luke Castellan. Two years older, weary, and even more defensive than Cassie was, Luke became something she never imagined she would have; a friend. Together, the two young children tried to survive the world around them, along the way picking up two other demigod children, Thalia and Annabeth. Though, eventually, Cassie grew to care for Thalia and Annabeth in their own right, she never quite loved anyone quite as much as she loved Luke. Perhaps that’s what made it all the more difficult when she began to dream of Luke betraying her. Camp Half-Blood should have been the thing that saved him. A place where Luke could learn about himself, and the Gods, and grow into someone different. Someone who wouldn’t destroy everyone in his path for revenge. She was foolish to think that anyone could avoid their destiny, no matter how terrible.

taglist: @kendelias @chlobenet @bravelittleflower @eddiemunscns  @purpleyearning @eddysocs @heavenlysurf @arrthurpendragon @villanele @nolanhollogay @stanshollaand @lovehermioneforever @raith-way @kiara-carrera @decennia @luucypevensie @waterloou @ginger-grimm @hiddenqveendom @foxesandmagic @jvstjewels @dragonsbone  @endless-oc-creations @ginevrastilinski @sunlitscribe @dyhlanobrien @partiallypearl @witchofinterest @fleetwoodmcs @daughter-of-melpomene

[liaromancewriter]

Summer Getaway

Premise: Sienna spends a relaxing weekend with her sister.

Book: Open Heart (post series) Pairing: Sienna Trinh x M!OC (Max Valentine); feat. F!MC (Cassie Valentine) Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff Format: Text and Pic Fic

A/N: Submission to @choicesaugustchallenge prompt "summer holiday"

Part 1: Sister Time

Part 2: Dolphin Time

Bonus

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

@mainstreetreader @peonierose @potionsprefect @queencarb @quixoticdreamer16

@justyourusualash @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Max & Sienna only: @aallotarenunelma @storyofmychoices @kyra75

[slafkovskys]

an inconvenient attachment

pairing: jeremy swayman x cassie davis (oc)

warnings: mentions of minor character death, language

word count: < 1000

“i think that there’s a word for this, for what you do every summer,” cassandra davis muses as she stares at the man across from her. he doesn’t look much different from their college days. he had a full beard now and she could tell that he bulked up a little, absolutely the demands of a professional diet.

“and what do i do every summer, cassie?” he humors her like they both didn’t know the only business that he had in maine was her, as much as she despised that simple fact.

“you keep coming back here like i’m going to change my mind. i’ve given you the same answer for the past three years and if you want to make it four, we can. i haven’t forgotten what you did, jeremy.”

“i-”

“you didn’t even tell me you were going to sign,” she cross her arms over her chest, staring at the man across from her. the wind from outside the cafe were they always had their yearly meeting sweeps through his hair, “you left town, changed your phone number, and i found out through twitter that you were going to boston. through twitter, jeremy.”

“i’m not the same person that i was then,” jeremy leans forward to rest against the metal table. the new weight causes both of their drinks to slosh around in their cups, “i thought that i was doing the right thing.”

“i would’ve preferred a breakup text then whatever the fuck you did,” cassie huffs, “i’m being serious here. this needs to stop.”

“are you ready to do this by yourself, cass?”

and in the two and a half months since jay had passed, no one had asked her that. it was always ‘are you okay?’ or ‘let me know if there’s anything that you need.’ like she and jay were something serious. like he hadn’t told her a week before the accident that he wanted no involvement with her or their child if she chose to keep it.

and now here she sits, across from the the man who tore her heart out just like she did every summer, contemplating his question. her hands smoothe over her stomach and she’s not immune to the way his eyes follow their path. she had thought that he was going to faint when she approached, wordlessly taking a seat across from him as his eyes stared at her midsection. she sighs, “i don’t really have a choice, jeremy.”

“there’s always a choice,” jeremy watches her for a second, “come to boston with me.”

she doesn’t even hesitate to burst out laughing at his statement. she uses one hand to grip onto the table while the other covers her mouth, “oh, you- you’re funny.”

“i wasn’t trying to be. i’m being serious, cassie.”

her laughter subsides and through teary eyes, she stares at the man across from her. he’s got a look on his face, serious like he was claiming to be, and she shakes her head, “absolutely not.”

“your parents are still in sinclair, aren’t they?” cassie was the youngest of three and once she moved away for college, her parents were quick to sell their house and move to the top of the state. she was the only one of her siblings who had hung around portland after graduating, coming back for a since of familiarity. she nods and he sends her a look, “so your closest support is six hours away.”

“what? you want me to rely on you when you’re gone half of the time?”

“that’s- it’s different,” jeremy rubs a hand over his face, “we were roommates before-”

“that was five years ago when we were fucking and then you ghosted me,” she deadpans and he groans.

“will you please just listen,” he begs and she blinks, “okay, i was a je- an asshole. what i did was textbook asshole and you don’t owe me a damn thing, okay? we can both agree on that, but i’m not just going to leave you here by yourself to raise a baby on your own.”

cassie stirs her cold coffee with her straw, “this isn’t your responsibility, jeremy.”

“i never said it was and like i said, you don’t owe me anything, but when have you ever turned down an adventure?” he quirks and eyebrow, “when we were together, we were good. i won’t put us in an apartment, i’ll get us a house where you can have your own space and i can have mine, but you can feel like you have someone there for you. you don’t even have to talk to me if you don’t want to-”

“you just want my ray of sunshine personality there all the time to keep house?” she chuckles and he sends her a wink. “i don’t have a job in boston-”

“there’s elementary schools and dance classes all over, babe, and with a resume like yours, they would be crazy not to want you.”

she allows his words to sink in for a moment before opening her mouth again, “why do you want this so bad?”

he visibly swallows a lump on his throat, “do you really want me to answer that?”

and no she didn’t because she was sure that she already knew the answer.

[theonethatwatchesalotofshows]

I may have come across as a prude in my other post about the portrayal of sex in That 90s Show and I want to assure you I am not. I was once a sexually active teen myself who had sexually active friends, but still the way they are so casual about it is extremely unrelatable to me. The characters in That 70s Show were also sexually active sooner or later but their arcs were just so much more relatable and true to life in my opinion. And I think that speaks of a bigger trend of how media has changed.

If you watch old shows from 90s and 00s, they are just overall more innocent and wholesome? Maybe sometimes too innocent (*cough* Gilmore Girls*cough*) but overall they just portray the awkwardness and sweetness of it much better. I know there were some problematic storylines that I am glad were buried since then like the whole student-teacher thing (even though I heard Riverdale did it in 2016?) overall I think those shows portrayed teendom better. Nowadays it seems like everything is for shock value and just to create discourse around the show. Think of Seth and Summer's awkward first time on The OC. Or Kelso and Jackie's/Donna and Eric's bad first times on That 70s Show. Blair's drunken first time with an asshole that she regrets at first on Gossip Girl.

(Obviously there were times when these storylines were too prudish to the point it was unrealistic. Aforementioned Gilmore Girls come to mind where Rory had a two year relationship where the furthest they got was kissing with tongue, Dawson's Creek where Joey pondered for months if she should lose her virginity to her long term boyfriend who she had known her whole life and her dilemma was juxtaposed with Dawson's dilemma about whether to unplug a dying guy from his life support, The Secret Life of American Teenager where Amy got pregnant on her first time and Grace's dad died in a plane crash after hers. Then there was the unhinged moment in One Tree Hill where Haley and Nathan got married in high school to be able to have sex. No I am not talking about these specifically.)

Compare that to how Kat was mocked for being a virgin at *gasp* 16 on Euphoria and told she needs to "catch a dick" so she ends up sleeping with an asshole who records it, puts it on PornHub and makes her famous, which prompts her to start making money by doing porn. She's not the only one from her class too, Maddy, Jules and Cassie are all 16-17 year old girls that also have sex tapes of them. Maddy also casually lost her virginity at 14 to a 40 year old man put she was "totally in control". Jules has been sleeping with random grown men from dating apps since she turned 16. Maddy also jumps into the pool at a party with a college boy and starts having sex with him/pretending to be having sex with him in front of everyone and it's not even the most scandalous thing to happen at that party. See how that seems to be made just for shock value with no substance or attempt at relatability?

It's similar with That 70s Show vs That 90s Show- on the former the characters were sexually active but there was that awkwardness about it whereas on That 90s Show apart from Leia everyone seems super experienced, confident and like they've been having sex for years despite the fact that they are even younger that the characters on That 70s Show. Everyone even found it weird that Leia didn't have a first kiss yet at the age of 15 and took her to the mall to kiss a random guy. I really wish the point of that episode was "don't feel pressured and take your time" but no instead that episode ended with Leia literally forcing herself on a guy while he was working just so she can have her first kiss over with. What kind of message is that sending? That 90s Show characters when it comes to sex seem to have the experience of the average college student, not the average sophomore/junior in high school. Same can be said about Euphoria.

"But teen shows have always pushed the envelope" well yes and the aforementioned Gossip Girl and Skins come to mind but even then, it wasn't just constant meaningless fucking everyone all the time. Similarly to Euphoria, on the first episode of Skins, Tony tells Sid that he needs to lose his virginity ASAP because he's almost 17 and it's "embarrassing". Yet Sid doesn't succumb to the pressure and doesn't do it just because. It is implied he only does it once he is in a relationship with Cassie. And he is not even the only character who is a virgin in that generation, there is also Anwar who also loses it when it feels right not because he is pressured to. Yes there are characters that are sexually active (although it is more over the top than in real life) but also virgins, and that is more true to life than Kat being the only virgin left in the entire high school. I even know some people in 2nd or 3rd year of college who are virgins and that's okay. No one really shames them and tells them that they need to "catch a dick asap" and if someone does then they're an asshole.

However I will say that Never Have I Ever is one new show that did it right.

[deancasbigbang]

Blood of the Lamb

Author: shatteredafteryou

Artist: ImpMakesArt

Rating: Explicit

Pairings: Dean/Cas, brief Dean/Cassie, brief Dean/Anna, past Dean/Male OC (very PG), brief Dean/Jo, mentioned Dean/Lisa, mentioned Sam/Ruby

Length: 58532

Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, Canon typical violence, suicidal ideation, mental health issues, alcoholism, mentioned child abuse, (internalised) homophobia, implied sexual assault

Tags: angst with a happy ending, coming out, canon-divergent

Summary: Dean has never had a space, he could just be himself until one summer in Missouri where he meets Cassie who takes him under her wing. For a few short months he can express himself the way he wants to and experiences what a normal life could look like. When he reunites with his family he has to reconcile this with the version he is with them and face the problems he's ignored before, all while there is an apocalypse underway. A certain angel showing up might just be the straw that breaks the camel's back. (A Dean-centric retelling of S1-5).

Link to Fic | Link to Art

[loverofallthingsfandom]

cruel summer. (euphoria au)

Cruel Summer Book Covers; Eli Hale x Cassie Howard; Theme Song: Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift

[openheartfanfics]

Newly Added Fics

Aug 17 - 23, 2024  

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

Aurora x M!OC

When Sparks Fly - @liaromancewriter ☁

Aurora Emery was no stranger to breakups, but what happened next was unexpected. Feat. F!MC

Ethan x F!MC

Relief - @cariantha ☁

In your HC, does Sawyer have any long-term effects from the chemical attack or its treatment? [Hurt/Comfort]

Summer Hideaway - @jerzwriter ☁

Kaycee has had an exceptionally rough week. That's when her secret boyfriend, Ethan, comes up with a plan to help them both recoup. [Hurt/Comfort; Vacation]

2 Weeks - @genevievemd 📸📱

Baby Lizzie is two weeks old today!

Open Heart MC

High - @liaromancewriter 📸

Cassie takes great pleasure in trolling Max after he and Sienna become official.

Rafael x F!MC

My Light In The Darkness - @rafasgirl23415 📸

Casey is surprised when she finds Luana has taken a photo of her cradling Isabelle.

Sienna x F!MC

Coffee & Chat - @rafasgirl23415 📸

Sienna meets Casey after Ava & Rafa’s 5 day old check up. [Platonic]

Pancakes, Coffee & Baby Snuggles - @rafasgirl23415 📸

Casey waits for Sienna after they both attended the babies’ 5 day check ups. [Platonic]

Sienna x M!OC

My Loves - @rafasgirl23415 📸

Sienna posts a photo of Ava & Rafa napping together in matching outfits the day after she is discharged from hospital.

Summer Getaway - @liaromancewriter 📸📱

Sienna spends a relaxing weekend with her sister.

_

SUBMIT OPEN HEART FICS & WRITERS HERE

[cryingincringe]

Iris | ln4

“I think I cannot love you…”, and as you say that, your heart breaks into pieces. Your honesty is going to be the death of you.

———

Sooo… it got a little out of hand… I’m saying nothing more but that the unedited version of this had over ten thousand words…

It became very sad and heartbreaking and I for myself needed to hold back a few times :(:

Lando Norris x OC!fem!character

warnings: a lot of heartbreak; angst; (fluff but not really)

9.6k words

(I recommend both songs for the emotion)

———

You pace the hospital waiting room anxiously. Lando, your best friend, had just been in a bad racing crash, and had suffered a few injuries from it. You waited for what seemed like hours until the nurse finally let you know that you could come in.

You rush into the room. Lando was laying in the bed, a few bandages across his bare chest and small cuts across his arms and his face. Despite his state, he smiles at you.

“Hey, Cassie.” He grins at you slyly.

You just stand in the door and let your gaze trail over his bandaged body.

Lando watches you as your gaze travels over him. He then gives a small wink and holds up his bandage hand as if to gesture ‘come here.’

“You’re just going to stand there and stare? Come closer! Take a seat.” He laughs at his own joke.

You can’t help but crack a small smile. It was a difficult time, yet Lando’s charisma and joking way still made you feel comfortable.

“Don’t act tough, I know your hurting”

“Okay, I’m hurting.” He groans. “But I’m glad I’m here with you.”

He reaches his hand towards you and you take it, smiling back at him. He pulls you closer and rests his head on your shoulder.

“Don’t tell anyone, but I’m a little scared.” He whispers.

“About what?”

He thinks for a moment. “About… everything. But especially about what happens now.”

You can feel his hand shaking slightly and his breathing is a little rapid.

“Lando.” You tell him gently. “Everything’s going to be okay. I’m here, right? So, nothing to worry about.”

He lays his head back and closes his eyes, trying to calm down.

You sit next to him on his hospital bed, holding his hand tightly. He looks over at you and smiles a lopsided smile.

“Thanks, Cassie.” He whispers. “Just seeing you here… it calms me down so much.”

You smile gently and caress his hand.

“I’m glad.” You tell him. “Because… I want to be here. I want to be by your side.”

Lando smiles back at you and your gaze stays on his face. He opens his eyes and looks at you intently.

Your smile is sincere.

He stares at you for a moment longer. Suddenly, he lifts his head off of the pillow and leans over to you. Before you realize what’s happening, his face is close enough to yours for him to kiss you. Before you have a chance to react, his lips meet yours in a soft and gentle kiss.

After a moment, he pulls away. His eyes are a little brighter and he’s smiling widely.

“...Sorry..." He mumbles. "I just don’t know when I’ll get to do that again...”

You blush and avert your gaze, not knowing what to say.

He smiles at you and leans back against his pillow again, looking slightly embarrassed.

“Sorry, that was a bit sudden. I was just… overwhelmed, I guess.”

He’s clearly expecting you to say something back. You can see the hope in his eyes.

“Lando…I-“, you don’t know how to put it.

He smiles again and nudges you playfully, as if to say “just say it”.

His grin is endearing. You can’t help but feel your heart clenching. You think about it for a moment longer and finally decide to say what you’re thinking.

“Lando, I… I…”

“I’m seeing someone”, you mutter and bite your lip.

His smile faltered for a moment. He stares at you in disbelief as he takes in your words.

“C-Cassie.” He stammers. “Since when?”

Your heart aches as you watch him fall apart right in front of you. You wish you were somewhere else, but you can’t just leave him alone in a state like this. A wave of guilt washes over you.

“Since a few weeks”, you confess.

“Why didn't you tell me?!” Lando's voice raises slightly in volume. He shakes his head slightly, letting out a sigh.

"You could have at least said something."

He looks away from you now, letting out a soft sigh. He runs a hand through his curly hair and frowns.

"Is it serious?" He mumbles, almost to himself, but loud enough for you to hear.

“I thought so”, you say.

He stayed silent.

Lando still hasn’t turned back around to look at you. You can hear a sense of resignation in his voice as he mutters out his next question.

“Is it serious enough…”

He clears his throat and speaks louder, finishing his sentence.

“... that you won’t still feel the same way about me?”

You blink and just stare at him.

A flicker of hope crosses Lando’s face as he sees your reaction. He leans towards you, gently caressing your hand again. You can feel him staring at you intensely, waiting for your reply.

“Cassie, I don’t care if you’re seeing someone else.” He pauses for a moment, trying to think of what to say next.

“Please…”

It’s clear he’s desperate. Your heart aches to see him like this.

“I- I’ve never thought of you in a way like that”, you admit, completely disillusioned.

Lando freezes in place, the color draining from his face. You can see his shoulders slump and hear him sigh once more. For a moment, he’s silent, letting himself process what you’ve just said.

When he finally speaks again, his voice is even quieter than before.

“Oh.”

That’s all he’s able to get out.

He pulls his hand away from yours and leans back against the bed. He’s completely silent now, staring off to the side.

“I-“, you want to say something but don’t know what.

Your heart breaks as you watch him sit there, quietly processing what you’ve said.

You’re not sure what to say either. He already knows the truth now.

After a few moments, he speaks up again. You can’t help but notice the hint of sadness in his voice.

“It’s alright, Cassie.”

He looks back at you and smiles slightly.

“You can’t change how you feel.”

You just stare at him. You’d expected him to be mad at you or send you away but not this. Not him comforting you.

“Besides…” Lando’s voice is still soft, almost to a whisper. “We’re still friends, right?”

He looks up at you hopefully. The sadness in his eyes is clear. But as long as he has your friendship, that’s what matters.

“Right, Cassie?” He looks to you for assurance. “We’re still friends?“

“Of course!”, you say and grab his hand again.

A sense of relief washes over Lando as you grasp his hand in yours once again. The smile returns to his face as he squeezes your hand softly, holding it tightly in his grasp.

“Thanks, Cas.”, he murmurs. “You don’t know how much it means to me… that you still want me around. It’s all I could ask for, really.”

“We’ve known each other for so long…”, you mumble and try to process things.

Your words give him pause.

“Yeah… we have, haven't we?”

He lets out another tired sigh and leans back against his pillow.

“We go way back. Been friends all through childhood... all through high school, and even now…”

He stops talking for a moment and stares up at the ceiling.

“It’s just weird thinking that it might’ve been different. That… you could've been something more than my friend.”

“Since when did you start to see me… as more than just a friend?”, you ask., scared of the answer.

Lando’s eyes flit back towards you. You can feel the nervousness return as he struggles to find the right words.

“Well… it’s been a while, I guess.”

He sighs heavily before shaking his head and continuing.

“I don’t know… I guess ever since we were in middle school?”

He looks back up at you and you see the fear in his eyes as he waits for your response.

“I’ve never…. I’ve never realized…”, you stutter.

“I know.” Lando responds calmly, his words even-tempered. Of course, in his head, he’s beating himself up over it but he quickly shakes it off before looking back at you.

“I always wanted to tell you…” He says with a small smile, “but I guess I was too caught up in this ‘friend’ phase of ours and… I never thought there was a chance you’d like me back.”

You feel even worse hearing his words. Because they were true, and that hurt you.

As he finishes his sentence, you can tell that he’s waiting for you to say something. His face is a picture of anticipation, like he's hoping you’ll say something different this time around.

Your heart feels like it’s going to break for Lando. You reach out to him and grab his shoulder, leaning closer to him.

“Lando…” You mutter, “I wish… I wish I felt the same way about you…”

A wave of sadness washes over him as he stares at you, his smile slowly fading away. Your words break his heart.

After a moment of silence, he smiles again slightly. But there is more sadness in his eyes this time.

“Thanks… I appreciate the honesty.”

He clears his throat again and leans back against the bed, looking back at the ceiling. He takes one of your hands in his and caresses it with his thumb.

“Let’s just… stick to the plan then.” He chuckles softly. “Just friends, right?”

You sigh sadly and feel so bad. “Yeah…”

He smiles at you and raises his other hand to caress your shoulder this time.

“Still friends.” He repeats. “Not a single thing changed and not a single thing will change.”

He gives a small laugh but it doesn’t entirely hide how affected he is by your rejection. He leans into your shoulder and sighs heavily. He rests his head against you, clearly wanting physical comfort to soothe your emotions.

“Friends till the end, Cassie.” He finally whispers.

You gulp at how guilty you feel. “Well at least you got your kiss.”, you try to cheer him up somehow and to soothe your conscience.

Lando laughs slightly as he hears your words. “Yeah… yeah, I guess I did.”

He leans a little more into you, resting his head on your shoulder, wanting more comfort.

“And you know what?” He continues, sounding slightly happier now. “It was worth it.”

He grins at you as he lets out another chuckle.

“I got a kiss from my favorite girl. I can die happy now.”

You feel his arm wrap around your shoulder, pulling you a little closer to him now.

You smile sadly and can’t believe it. If you would just have noticed…

It wasn’t fair. If only you had known sooner how he felt, you could’ve saved him from so much heartbreak.

As you look down at his head, resting on your shoulder, you notice that his eyes are slightly damp from tears. But his smile is still there.

“Hey, Cassie?”, he whispers after a moment of silence. “Can I tell you something?”

“Yeah, of course”, you try to catch his eyes.

"I've..." For a moment, Lando hesitates. He seems to be picking his words carefully.

"I've felt this way… for a while. Ever since I was a kid. Since I was maybe 10 or 11, I started to... like you."

He pauses again, taking a deep breath. "But I could never admit it to myself. Couldn't tell you how many times I almost said something. But..." he sighs, "I didn't."

It's clear that he wanted you to know how long he's been feeling this way.

Your eyes widen at his confession. “And I’ve never noticed…”, you blamed yourself.

"Don't blame yourself, Cas.", he tells you. "It's not like it was obvious. I made sure not to show it, even though... I wanted to."

He grabs your hand again, his grip tighter now as he looks into your eyes. "I swear, I wanted to tell you so many times... but every time I got close? I just couldn't do it."

A hint of frustration crosses his face at this. "This is definitely something I should've spoken about before now..."

You just sit beside him, speechless.

After a moment, he speaks up again, his voice quiet but steady.

"Do I regret telling you? I mean... yeah, a little. Because now you know how I feel. It would've been easier for me to just keep it in. But, for you? If I didn't say anything, then I'd never have told you... and I would've been keeping this from you forever."

He looks away from you for a second, shaking his head as his voice drops to a whisper. "...and I don't want to hide anything from you."

You sigh before you hug him tightly. “I’m so so sorry”, you whisper with a trembling voice.

As you hug him tightly, his eyes close. He hugs you back just as tightly and nuzzles his head into your shoulder.

“No, I’m sorry.” He mumbles. “I… I should’ve told you sooner. I shouldn’t have let things go this long. I shouldn’t have taken so much time to just…”

His voice trails off. You hug him tighter, but then you notice his eyes are wet now, with tears rolling down his cheeks. He’s trying not to cry, but he can’t keep it in anymore.

“Oh, Lando”, you say and cup his face, wiping his tears away with your thumbs.

He wraps his arms around you tightly, his face against your shoulder as he continues to cry on your shoulder.

"I'm so sorry. I really am."

He continues to cry for a few moments longer before he finally calms down.

"Do you forgive me?" He asks you softly.

You can't believe he's asking you for forgiveness. Your heart breaks as you nod gently, wiping away his tears again.

"I do, Lando. I do."

He leans against you, resting his head on your shoulder as he looks up at you.

"I want you to know, Cassie, that I'm going to feel this way about you for a long time... even though you don't feel the same way. And I'm okay with that. As long as we're still friends, I can live with it."

He smiles slightly as he continues to look at you. "I like where we are right now. And you... you mean so much to me, Cassie. More than I can say..."

His words leave you speechless.

“Can I kiss you again?”, you ask while looking at him. “I just wanna make your that I really feel nothing. But maybe I do”, you look hopeful at your idea.

You can see his heart skip a beat when you say that. Your words fill him with hope…

“…Are… are you sure? Because I can’t let you….”

His voice trails off, and he turns his head to look away from you. But he still has your hand in his, holding it tightly as he struggles with his thoughts.

“You don’t know what this means to me…”, he murmurs softly. “I just… hope…”

After a few more moments of silence, he finally speaks up again. “Yes.”

You try to smile before leaning into him, placing your lips on his ever so gently.

Every trace of doubt is washed away from him as you lean into him. Your lips brush against his, ever so gently, but it’s enough to send a jolt of electricity through his body.

As you pull away, he stares at you with a pair of eyes filled with hope.

“Cassie… I-“ He mumbles before looking away, flustered. “Do you think… maybe you could…?”

He starts to trail off again, his cheeks now flushed a bright red as you notice tears rolling down his eyes again.

You feel anxious. You didn’t feel anything. So you press your lips against his again multiple times.

His body jolts each time you press your lips against him. Each kiss feels like a rush of energy, as his heart flutters with each touch of your lips.

But nothing changes as you pull away again. There's no fluttering feeling, nothing of the sort. You feel anxious as you notice Lando still staring at you, desperate for a sign that you feel the same way about him.

He looks away from you after another few moments, finally calming down, the energy from your kisses slowly fading.

"No?" He murmurs. "You don't feel anything?"

You could cry. You so desperately wanted to feel something but it just wouldn’t happen. So you softly shake your head. “No…”

"Oh..." Lando mumbles as he looks at you, his hope completely washed away.

He turns away from you and lays back onto the bed. His whole body slumps as he seems to give up. He closes his eyes as tears start to roll down his cheek again.

"I knew it..." He says quietly. "I should've known better than to think for a second that you'd feel the same way..."

The silence of the room feels suffocating now.

“I just don’t get it?! Why do I not feel anything?!”, you get louder and press your palms against your eyes, beating yourself up over the fact that you wouldn’t feel anything for Lando.

Lando flinches a bit at your sudden outburst. He can hear the hurt in your voice and it breaks his heart.

"Hey, hey. It's okay, Cassie..."

He shifts on the bed again, trying to reach up and grab your hand.

"It just happens, Cas." He says, his voice quiet but reassuring. "You don't need to blame yourself for it. I don't either. We can't change what we do and don't feel, okay? That's just life..."

“But you deserve to be loved. I don’t want you to be like this. I can’t be dating someone else now if you’re hurting”, you almost whine and feel tears pricking in your eyes. You’ve never felt so bad before…

Lando tries to smile, but you can tell how hard it is for him to do. He looks at you with sad eyes and leans closer towards you again.

"Don't worry about me, Cas. Just... just do what you need to do to be happy, okay?"

He takes a deep breath and turns away, staring down at the bed again.

"If you don't feel anything for me, then..."

He can't finish his thought out loud. You can hear his voice choking up as he speaks.

You lean down towards him and lean your forehead against his. “I just want to feel something. I want to know how it feels”

Lando doesn’t say anything for a moment, but as you lean your forehead against his, he leans back into you.

His voice is still quiet, but his body language suggests that your reassurance means a lot to him. There’s so much hurt in his eyes… He seems to be at a loss.

For a long moment, he stays quiet. He looks away from you and glances around the empty room.

“I wish…” That’s all he says, but for you? You understand instantly. You know what he wishes for.

You start crying eventually. The guilt eating you up from inside. You feel like you forgot how to love. When you clearly just didn’t love Lando…

Lando watches as you break down, tears rolling down your cheeks. He slowly pulls himself up to a sitting position, still clutching your hand as you sob. He can’t stand seeing you hurt like this, and so he leans in close and places a soft kiss on your forehead.

“Shh” He whispers, stroking your hair with his other hand. “Everything’s gonna be okay.”

You can’t respond as you continue crying. The words feel like just empty words now, and nothing will take you out of this state of sadness.

“It’s just unfair…”, you sob.

Lando continues to stroke your hair and hold your hand as he whispers to you, trying to reassure you.

“I know, Cas. Trust me, I know…”

He lets go of your hand and wraps his arms around you instead, squeezing you tight as you continue to cry.

“I know you can’t change your feelings for me, and I… I can’t change where my heart lies either. But you still mean the world to me, Cassie. Nothing changes that, alright?” His voice is soft and comforting, like a blanket wrapped around your emotions.

“Can I try one last time?”, you ask and look into his eyes, the tiniest shimmer of hope.

As you look at him, you can see Lando's heart leap in his chest, his breath catching slightly.

“…go ahead.”

There’s a slight edge to his voice, a little nervous anticipation. You can tell he’s worried for what this might bring. But he’s willing to try the “kiss test”, hoping that this time maybe something is different.

You lean into him and lay your lips on his, but this time you open your mouth and deepen it.

The moment your lips meet, everything changes for him. It’s like a jolt of electricity running through his body. His breath catches as his heart skips a beat.

After a few seconds, he breaks the kiss and looks at you, his eyes wide in surprise. He can barely form a thought or even speak.

"W-wow..." He whispers, still trying to catch his breath. "Cassie, that... you... that... I mean, that was..."

But you on the other side break down into tears again.

"Cassie?" Lando whispers softly, concerned by your reaction to the kiss. You can see his heart breaking again as he watches you cry.

"Are you okay? Why are you crying now? Did I do something wrong?"

His confusion is clear as he looks at you with wide eyes, waiting for your answer. He knows something's up and it's making him worry a lot.

“No. I’m just broken.”, you sniffle.

"Broken?" Lando asks softly, but you can hear the heartbreak in his voice.

"Broken... about what, Cassie?" He asks gently, wanting to know exactly what's wrong. He can't stand to see you hurting anymore and if there's something he can do, he will try to do it.

"Tell me... what happened when we kissed? What did I do?"

“No! My body is just broken. It won’t work. It won’t let me feel anything!”, you cry and sob uncontrollably.

Lando stares at you as you break down, trying his hardest to comfort you. You can feel his arms wrap tightly around you again as he leans in close to you.

"Hey, shhh..." He begins, trying his best to calm you down.

"Hey, hey... no. Cassie, you're not broken. You can't be broken, okay? It doesn't... it doesn't work like that, Cas. You're just fine. You're... you're perfect. You are you."

You try to calm yourself but still feel like you failed him. Him and his love for you.

“Hey, hey. You didn’t fail anyone, Cassie.” He pauses for a second, wiping some of your tears away.

“You just… you just don’t feel the same way about me that I feel about you.”

He pulls you closer, holding you as tight as he can so you never have to let go.

“There’s nothing you can do to change where your heart lies. That’s just a part of life. But I hope you know that I won’t love anyone else the way I love you, Cassie.”

“Stop.”, you cry and try to get his arms off of you.

"Stop?" He asks, confused by your words.

"Stop holding you? Is that it...?" He raises his eyebrows. If this is what you want, he won't push it. But he's just surprised that you want to let go after the talk you just had.

"You know I love you, Cassie." He whispers softly, still holding you tightly.

“Stop it!”, you get louder.

"Stop what?" He seems a little panicked, his voice raising as he watches you break down again.

"What do you mean, Cassie? What am I doing?"

You notice his expression of concern is growing with each moment, his arms still wrapped around you, not willing to let you go.

“Stop touching me!”, you yell and try to get away.

As you pull away and yell at him, he looks at you with sheer shock. The look on his face says it all... he didn't think the situation was this bad. He didn't know you had grown so uncomfortable with his touch.

"I'm sorry, Cassie." His words are filled with confusion and concern. He loosens his grip on you and lets you go.

"What did I do?" He asks softly, his voice hurting as he sees the tears rolling down your cheeks.

“I don’t deserve you. I don’t deserve anything. I don’t deserve your love so stop treating me like I did!”, you cry and break down onto the floor.

“Cas…”

He sighs softly and looks down at you. “Come here… please”

Not knowing what else to do, he bends down and slowly sits down on the floor next to you. He reaches out and lightly strokes your hair as he watches you cry.

“I’ve told you this before, but I’ll never stop loving you. So don’t ever think you don’t deserve anything… you deserve the world, Cassie. Especially my love. Even if I can’t have yours.”

That makes you cry even harder. “I just don’t understand how you still want to have me in your life. I’m so stupid”

"Look at me."

You do as he says and raise your head towards him.

"I'm going to say this one more time, alright? One last time, okay?"

He strokes your hair again before he begins, speaking softly but clearly.

"You are everything to me, Cassie. Everything. Do you know how much joy you bring into my life? How much I want to be around you? What I don't understand is why you're so hard on yourself, okay? You... you've done nothing wrong."

“I can’t be with anyone else anymore. I can’t because I know it would hurt you. Lando don’t you understand how bad I feel? How fucking bad I feel to exist?!”

"Look..."

He reaches forward and wipes away your tears before taking both your hands into his.

"Maybe this will help you understand how I feel..." He glances away from you, but he looks back at you again after a few moments.

"Do you know what it's like to look at someone every day and love them so much it hurts? And then, when they don't feel the same about you, you blame yourself for it, like you've somehow failed at life, like you don't deserve the oxygen you breathe?"

You look at the floor and don’t stop crying.

“Stop it. Look at me.”

You look up at him as the tears continue to roll down your cheeks. You feel guilty, but you still can’t understand why he’s so stubborn about this. And just when you think you can’t take it anymore, he speaks up again.

“We can’t help what we do and don’t feel, okay, Cas? It’s like that for everyone, not just you and me.”

His words sound strange to you. You still don’t feel anything for him… nothing.

“I just don’t understand why I can’t…”, you whisper, your body still violently shaking with every sob.

“Shh...”

His hand covers your mouth as he sits next to you, hoping to calm you down. But your words are like a dagger to him.

You don't understand why you can't feel for him, and he can't understand why he still feels for you.

He looks at you with desperate eyes, but all he can see is your tears falling down your cheeks. He looks away from you again and holds your hands tightly, hoping that a little contact might help.

“Lando”, you sob and collapse even more.

"Cas..."

The hurt in his eyes is clear. He just wants you to love him as much as he loves you. Nothing more, nothing less.

As you sink down even further, his arms wrap you even tighter and he leans his cheek against yours.

He wants to ask you if you love him again. If you've changed your mind about it after all. But he's too scared. He doesn't want to hear another "no". And so, he sits there and says nothing more.

But then you suddenly force yourself to stop crying, even though your body is shaking.

He's confused by your sudden change, but he's happy to see you stop crying. And so he relaxes a bit, his arms still wrapped firmly around you.

"Cas, are you alright? What changed?" He asks gently, still with his head leaning against you.

You can tell he's a bit scared that you'll break down again. He doesn't want the situation to worsen and feels like he's already pushed you too far.

“I’m not gonna give up. I’m gonna fight for this love and I won’t stop until I can give you what you deserve”, you say determined, your voice trembling but you get up to your feet anyway.

"No. Cas, please..."

As you stand up, he follows suit, pulling you close once again and looking at you with concerned eyes.

"You don't have to do this. You don't want this love. Just because I love you, doesn't mean you have to love me back.

If you really feel nothing, please just let it go. Don't try to change your mind. Don't try to... to lie to yourself. I... I don't want you to do this, Cas."

You sink against his body in defeat. You will try, but won’t tell him. You’re gonna do everything to love him in that way.

He sighs and pulls you in tight against him once again.

There's a part of him that feels happy to have you in his arms again, even if the circumstances aren't ideal. Even if he knows that you're just lying to yourself.

"I know you're gonna try, Cas. I'm just scared I'll never be enough for you. I don't wanna be the reason you feel so broken. Please, if you can't change your mind don't force yourself to love me"

You tremble and feel hollow. Tears roll down your face but you don’t feel them. You feel numb.

"Shhh... sshh..." he whispers, stroking your hair and hoping to at least calm you down.

"It's alright, Cas... it'll be alright. Don't cry."

But even he knows how much this hurts for you. You can see the defeat in his face as he continues to hold you and stroke your hair. He doesn’t want you to feel like this, but he knows he’s the reason you hurt so much. And for him, that’s the worst feeling in the world.

———

After what happened in the hospital you began to spend every day with Lando. You went out together or you just visited his apartment. You so desperately wanted to feel something for him that you tried everything.

Over the next few weeks, you tried to see Lando through a completely different lens. The lens of love. You did everything you could to give your emotions a push in his direction.

You went out to dinner with him more often, spending quality time together. You paid extra attention to how he looked and dressed, making mental notes on his every move.

And yet, even though you spent so much time together, nothing changed. You didn't feel the spark, you didn't feel anything for him. And you hated yourself for it.

“Can you pass me the salt?”, you asked one morning after you spent the night cuddling with him in his bed. Now you ate breakfast together and it was more than just weird.

You smile sweetly as you speak, but there's a deep sadness in your eyes. You thought that spending the night with him would change something... but it didn't.

“Of course, love.” He reaches over the table and taps your hand while sliding you the saltshaker. There's pain and despair in his eyes as he does so.

He knows how much you tried to force yourself to love him. He's just trying to keep a lid on it as best he can and not show how much pain you've caused him.

You salt your scrambled eggs before smashing the shaker down on the table with a thud. “This is ridiculous”, you mutter.

“What's ridiculous?” He asks softly, looking at you with confusion.

He watches you smash your food down on the table and he knows something's wrong. You've hit a breaking point and there's no hiding it anymore.

“Did I say something?” He raises an eyebrow, trying to guess what set you off so suddenly.

“No! You’re perfect and that’s the problem! I just don’t understand why my stupid heart won’t start to feel something! Just something” Your head sank into your hands as you said that.

"Cas, shhhh..."

He reaches over the table and takes your hands into his. They feel warm and gentle as he leans towards you.

"I know you tried. I know how hard you tried. But you can't force it, Cas. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

His voice is filled with empathy as he tries his hardest to make it clear that he isn't angry at you. He just wants to understand how you feel.

"You can't make yourself love someone. It just doesn't work that way."

You bite down hard onto your lip, maltreat it as if pain was the only thing you deserved right now. You deserved nothing but pain because this was all you could bring upon Lando. You bit your lip so hard it eventually started bleeding.

His heart breaks the moment he sees you bite your lip, blood trickling down your chin. Everything you’ve tried has failed. And it hurts him even more than it hurts you.

He reaches out, gently wiping away the blood with his finger. He has so many thoughts running through his mind… so many things he wants to say… but none of it is easy for him to say out loud.

“Please don’t, Cassie. Please, just stop.” He whispers softly, his voice breaking with emotion.

“Stop what?”, you look up at him, sucking at your bleeding lip now.

“Stop doing this to yourself.”

His eyes are red and filled with tears as he watches you suck at your bleeding lip. He doesn’t want you to hurt anymore, but he also doesn’t want to see the way you keep trying to force yourself to feel something that just isn’t there.

“There's no shame in not loving me back. I know it hurts, Cassie, but… but you don’t have to do this to yourself. Please, just take a breath and step back for a moment.”

You look down onto your still filled plate and let go of your lip. The blood trickles down your chin and you gulp down the iron tasting blood that was in your mouth.

“Cassie…”

He watches as you let go of your lip, the blood still slowly dripping onto your plate. He’s getting increasingly worried about you, but he doesn’t know how to say it.

“You’re going to hurt yourself, Cassie. And I can’t let you do that, okay?” His voice is soft now, filled with desperation as he watches you gulp down your own blood. He wants to comfort you so badly, but doesn’t know how… and it’s killing him inside.

“But you’re hurting more than I am”

“Yes. But I’m hurting because you’re hurting. Can’t you see how much pain you’re causing yourself? That’s causing me pain too. It has to stop, Cassie. Please don’t keep hurting yourself.”

He pulls out a napkin and gently wipes away the blood from your face and hands. It’s not much, but it’s something at least.

“Can you do this for me? Just take a step back, please.”

You take a deep sigh and stare into the distance. Take a step back…

“Can you promise me you’ll take a step back? Please?” He's desperate now, his voice sounding so soft.

He sees you stare into the distance, looking as if you're in shock. And for many reasons, you probably are. You tried so hard to force yourself into love and it didn’t work. Everything you did was for nothing.

"Do you want me to take you home, Cas?", he asks gently, still looking at you from across the table.

You sigh again and simply nod, not looking at him.

His heart breaks as you nod. He stands up and offers you his hand as he pulls you to your feet. Your movements are slow... sluggish.

“It's okay, Cassie. There's nothing to be ashamed of. Just… let's just go home and take a break from all of this, okay?”

You nod in response again, feeling even more numb than before. But you can't say anything. You don't know what to say.

———

The sun is finally setting and you're sitting in your room, completely silent. It's clear that these past few weeks weren't kind to you, and now you're back where you started. You thought that if you spent more time together, he could make you fall in love with him.

But it didn't work out that way.

You just sit there and stare at the wall in front of you. You can't seem to think about anything else than all the hurt you've caused him over this whole ordeal.

You get startled when your phone rings and you get ripped out of your thoughts.

"Hello?"

You answer the phone with your usual pleasant voice, but deep down you know exactly who the call is from. And you really don't feel like speaking to him right now, but you will. For him, you'll do just about anything.

"Hello... Cassie?"

His voice is soft and kind as he speaks to you. A part of you wishes you could say "I love you too", but you know that'd only hurt you both in the long run.

“Yeah… yeah it’s me”, you confirm, voice sounding defeated.

You can hear him sigh from the other end of the line as he speaks to you. You know that sigh too well, it means that he understands you. He knows exactly how you're feeling right now and how much you've struggled.

"Look, I wanted to talk to you. Can I... Can I come over?" He asks softly. You get a sinking feeling in your stomach, because you know what he wants to talk about. You're not sure if you can handle it after all those weeks of disappointment.

“Maybe…”, you wanted to say ‘Maybe you shouldn’t’, but couldn’t bring it over yourself to reject him. So you go silent again.

"Please..." His tone sounds desperate and he doesn't even try to hide it.

You can feel your heart break a little as you look out of your window and notice the dark, cloud-covered sky outside. It's clear that it's going to be a rainy night. Just like your mood.

You feel exhausted, your emotions drained from the failed attempt of feeling what he felt for you. But for him, you'll do just about anything. So you give in and agree to have him come over.

“Be careful”, you say as you agree with him coming to your place.

"I will, Cassie."

There's relief in his voice as you agree to let him come over. He just wants to be back with you. Even though he's not entirely sure what this conversation is going to entail, he just wants to be with you again.

He soon hangs up. You go back to your thoughts and once again stare out of your window. You've made your choice, but it might not have been the smartest decision you've ever made.

“I love you”, you test the words on your tongue, just to hear how it would sound from your lips.

Your heart flutters as you whisper those words to yourself.

"I love you too.", is what you should say, but you're afraid of the consequences that may bring. You can't bring yourself to break his heart all over again and make him see that his efforts were in vain.

Instead, you stay silent, hoping that maybe, just maybe, you can somehow fall hard for him before he has another chance to say anything.

But there's still time left before he comes over is there enough time for you to force yourself once again?

“Lando. I love you”, you try a second time.

"I love you too." Is what you should be saying, but once again, you keep your lips sealed.

As you say his name, you watch as your mind tries to find an alternative way to show him your appreciation. You know how much he wants to be loved... maybe there's another way?

But it doesn't seem like it and that's terrifying. What if you can't make yourself feel what he feels for you? What if this whole thing really goes awry? Can you bear to break his heart completely?

You look at the clock and think you still have a bit of time before Lando is here. It has started to pour outside but you didn’t care as you left your apartment and ran down the street to the tiny florist store.

Your heart is pounding in your chest as you run to the flower shop. What are you doing? What are you thinking? Can you really do this?

All your thoughts are a blur, as you run in through the shop door and start to search for flowers that might be able to express what you're currently feeling.

"Aww... what do you want these for?" The store owner asks as you put a bouquet of irises on the counter. "Just a present" is your vague answer, as you rush for your credit card.

You quickly thank her before exiting the store. As you make your way back you see Lando entering the building your apartment is in and you are quick to call his name.

"Lando?!"

He looks up as he walks into the building, then stops in his tracks when you call out for him. His face lights up in surprise, but quickly changes to worry when he sees the flowers you're carrying.

You can tell that he's desperate to hear what you have to say at that moment. His love for you hangs on a fine thread, and one wrong word... one simple wrong word, and it could all come crashing down.

The rain is pouring on your small figure as you hold the bouquet of flowers in your arms

Lando looks at you, soaked in the rain and holding that bouquet of flowers. His heart is racing just like yours. He wants to know... he needs to know... but he can't bear the thought that your answer might make him feel even more hurt.

He walks up to you and takes the bouquet, looking at it with curiosity. "These are cute... but why did you get them? For who?" He asks softly before glancing down at the flowers again.

“These are for you. I thought….”, you get quieter and look at the flowers

"For me?"

He smiles slightly as he looks at the flowers. He can't help but get excited by your answer. Maybe... maybe this is it. Maybe you really have changed your mind and fallen in love with him after all.

"You got these for me?" His voice is filled with hope. He just wants to hear you say it. He hopes you won't break his heart again. His whole world is on your words right now.

“I thought you might like them”, you look into his eyes as the rain has soaked you both completely by now.

"I do like them, Cas. You're so sweet, I love them."

He smiles again and leans forward, his voice getting softer.

"Is there... is there anything else you want to tell me? Anything else you want to say to me, Cas?"

And he holds his breath as he waits patiently, desperately wanting you to say the word he's been hoping for these past few weeks.

“I-“, you cut yourself off. Should you say it now even though you didn’t mean it? Should you really break his heart?

Your heart skips a beat as Lando still looks at you, waiting, hoping for you to say what he's been so desperate to hear.

What do you do now? Say it or not? You don't love him, but he loves you... You can't break his heart. You just can't. If you break up, just think of the pain you'll cause him! How could you do that to another person, especially someone so gentle and kind.

You remain speechless as the rain still pours over you and Lando.

You let the flowers fall to the ground carelessly as you reduce the distance between you both and wrap your arms around him. Before he could react your lips lay on his.

Everything happens so fast. You hold onto him, your skin pressed against his, your lips pressed against his. And all of this while you're still soaked in the rain.

You close your eyes and try to forget about everything else. You just want to be with him and you can't let anything stop you now. Not even the pouring rain.

But... are you acting on instinct, or is this for real? There's still a tiny seed of doubt in your mind, wondering if you've made the biggest mistake of your life.

You press your lips harder against his, as if to force his love into yourself and let your tongue slip into his mouth.

A shiver runs all the way through his body as you press your lips even harder against his. You're pushing yourself over the edge. You can't back out now.

His mouth presses against yours before his tongue joins yours in a sensual dance. Just hearing the sound of rain and thunder outside.

There's an intensity to your kissing... one he's never felt before. Could you be... falling in love with him after all?

His heart skips a beat as his mind is filled with thoughts of what this could mean. Could it really be possible? Is she finally falling in love with him? Did his efforts not go in vain? His whole world rests on this one moment.

He holds you close, pressing his body even more into yours as his tongue dances with yours. This feels... real. Is it real?

He pulls away slightly, just enough to meet your eyes. But he won't speak now. He wants to hear what you have to say first.

“Lando”, you breath and look at his lips before letting your gaze shift into his eyes. His eyes full of love…

"...Yes, Cas?"

His voice is filled with anticipation as he waits for your response. Everything hangs on this one word... what is it that you have to say to him?

He watches you silently... his heart racing... as you look at his lips and then his eyes. What do you have to say to him? What will change his entire world? His heart is in your hands.

“I’m sorry…”, is what you then whisper against his lips

Your words hit him like a punch in the gut, as he takes in your words.

"Why.... why are you sorry, Cas? What did you do wrong?"

He tries to smile, to hide the pain in his voice as he tries to figure out what you're apologizing for. He wants to pretend it's for something else... because he's scared about what could come next.

“I think I cannot love you…”, and as you say that, your heart breaks into pieces. Your honesty is going to be the death of you.

His heart drops as you say your words, his eyes filling with tears. "You're... what... w-what do you mean, Cassie?"

He looks at you nervously, wanting so badly to hear something else. But his worst fear has come true... you can't love him at this point. And that's something that'll destroy him. He knows if you tell him, then you'll never come back.

His hands rest on your shoulders, trying to hold on to you. He doesn't want to let you go... especially not now. You're all he has.

“I tried… I tried it. It just doesn’t make me feel anything”, you cry.

You've broken him. You've completely destroyed his heart. He stares at you with tears in his eyes as he tries to understand what you're telling him.

"You tried... You tried what, Cas? You tried to love me?"

He keeps staring at you, trying to make sense of what you're saying. How can this be? After just a few weeks, how could you make him love you so much and then go back on it?

He wants to yell at you... scream... hurt you. But instead, he just stands there in shock.

“I tried. Every fucking day, I tried. But it feels wrong. It feels wrong and that doesn’t make sense. I want to love you but my feelings just won’t let me”, your eyes glisten with tears as you speak

You can see the pain in his face as your words cut deep into his soul. You can see how much that hurt him, how deep those words hit him. It was as if all of this time, all of your efforts... were for nothing.

He takes a few breaths, trying to comprehend what just happened. "How... how does it feel wrong?"

He needs to know... to understand why. He wants to save this, make the past few weeks worth it in the end. If he understands, if he does it right... maybe you'll change your mind again.

“It feels hollow”

Those words cut deep into his heart and he slowly nods. You've already destroyed him and now these words are destroying him even more.

"So... we can't be together?" He asks you softly, trying to find some kind of hope in your words. He doesn't want to hear the truth... he just wants to hear that this was all just a big mistake.

And you can hear that desperation in his voice. He just wants this to be a big joke. But it's not... it's real. All of this is real, just like your words of rejection.

“We can be! I can still try! We have enough time and maybe…. maybe if you give me a little more time, I could… I could”, you couldn’t even say it indirectly anymore

"No... No, you can't, Cas..."

His eyes still fill with tears as he just takes a moment to think.

"If you could, you'd already feel it. You've already tried and you can't..."

He can't even say it himself, but he has to tell you the truth so that this doesn't hurt even more later. He can't let you waste your time on a lost cause, hoping for something that will never come true.

He holds your hand and his voice is soft as he looks into your eyes again. "You can't, Cassie."

And that was when it hit you.
You couldn’t love him.
And your whole world crumbled.
“No.”, you shook your head. “No, no, no, no, no!”, you screamed

He flinches as you scream in despair and that was when it set in with him as well. He starts to understand what your words meant.

He can't believe what's happening, he just can't. This isn't real. It can't be. What about all that time he spent trying to make you love him? What about all those nights where he lay awake worrying about what his future would look like, without you by his side? What about all of those times where you gave him hope?

And now... now you're taking it away from him.

You were a crying mess and screaming your soul out, the rain barely covering your pain

"No... no... no... please..." You scream as tears run down your face. It feels like your heart is getting crushed as you beg for this to stop. You don't want this to be happening... you don't want to lose him, but your heart refuses to cooperate with you.

You don't know what to do. You just want to go back in time and force yourself to love him. You wish you were a normal girl, with normal needs and desires. But you're not and you... you just want to be normal.

You fall onto the ground, the water gathered on the street soaking you even more but you couldn’t care less. You were losing Lando and it ripped you apart

"Cas..." He kneels down next to you and tries to comfort you. He wraps his arm around you and wipes the tears from your face. Even though he's hurting just as much as you are, he still cares enough about you to try and make you feel a bit better.

"Please... please don't cry, Cas. It hurts me too much as well."

He wants to hold you, comfort you... make you feel wanted and loved. But now, it seems like the most he can do is just try and stop you from feeling so hopeless.

You shake uncontrollably. But as you feel his arms around you something inside of you snaps. You push him away from you and get up to your feet again. “GET AWAY FROM ME!”

You push him away, your face full of tears. He looks at you in shock, trying to understand why you suddenly snapped.

"Get away from me!" You scream at him, your voice filled with pain. It seems like your heart can't take the pain anymore and it's turned you into someone you never wanted to be.

"I NEED TO BE ALONE! JUST GET AWAY!" You yell at him, pushing him aside before running out into the rain. His eyes fill with shock and he doesn't hesitate as he runs after you.

"Cassie, wait!" He runs after you, hoping to catch up with you before you get too far away.

"Cassie, stop! Don't go... please..." He's not angry. He doesn't yell at you for running. Instead, he's just afraid that you're going to do something that could hurt you even more. He only wants to help you and be there for you. But he's not enough. He can't save you like this.

You try to run faster until you reach the beach. The sand slowing you down immediately.

The beach is empty tonight, rain slowly pouring from the skies. There's no one here but you and him.

"Cas, wait... please." He catches up with you, but you push him out of the way and walk even faster.

"Don't go! Please let me explain..."

He tries to hold your hand, but you pull away. His eyes fill with fear and concern as he looks at you.

"Why?" Is all he says... and even that doesn't hide the pain he feels at that moment.

“Don’t you understand? I can’t love you! Stop chasing something that will only hurt you! I’m hurting you! And i don’t want that so GO!”, you yell as loud as you could

He stops in his tracks as the rain pours around him.

"Don't do this, Cas. You can't just push me out of your life." The expression in his eyes, the way he looks at you with such emotion... it almost hurts you.

You know that he still loves you after all these weeks, even after your rejection. He'd still do anything for you, even if it means being hurt over and over again.

You stop for a moment... and look at him... and you feel it. Your heart starts to race.

Your whole body heats up, it feels like you would ignite in flames every minute. Your heart beats uncontrollably as he stands in front of you, so much desperation but also Love in his eyes. You finally realize. It finally clicks…

You feel as if your whole world has stopped. You look at him and all the words you want to say are stuck deep within your heart. But then you realize that he can see the answers in your eyes.

He tries to speak, but he can't say a word. Instead, he pulls you close and kisses you.

Your heart skips a beat as you suddenly feel your emotions being taken out of control. And then... it happens. You're back where you were just weeks ago.

A kiss. One simple kiss and everything changes.

You cry against his lips and feel your heart pounding. It beats as if it never did that before. But now it only beat for Lando…

Your hearts beat as one and you kiss him with an intensity you never thought it was capable of. You're scared, excited, nervous... your entire body feels alive.

He holds you close and your world narrows down to just you and him. Everything else around you disappears.

The rain falls on you while your hearts beat as one. Everything is perfect... and you don't ever want this to end.

He kisses you back, his lips soft but passionate. For a moment, all your doubts fade away and you're left with just the two of you, together in a world of their own.

In that moment... everything makes sense. You know exactly what you have to do. What you've always wanted to do.

You want this to never end and even if this moment just lasts forever with you and Lando... that would be enough. The rest would be just a bonus.

[julychallenge]

Masterlist For the July Challenge

Art

Artist: @lilyoffandoms | Kieran x Elam by @oh-so-youre-a-nerd

Artist: Ainna | Setting Sail for Tomorrow (and whatever comes next) | Calli x Flynn by @storyofmychoices

Artist: @lilyoffandoms | Zig x Mikaylyn for @choiceswithmika

Artist: @callmebeem Neon Glow | Bryce x Olivia by @storyofmychoices

Artist: @lilyoffandoms | Grant Emerson

Artist: @oh-so-youre-a-nerd | Warmth & Security - Martin Vanderweil x Wind Velez

Artist: @lilyoffandoms | Naomi Silverhawk

Artist: @oh-so-youre-a-nerd | Charming/Independent - Enid Mendoza x Joaquin Morales

Artist: @lilyoffandoms | Kate O’Malley

Artist: @whispersleo | Bryce & Olivia enjoy a quiet moment at an afternoon picnic | Bryce Lahela (M!MC) x Olivia Hadley (F!OC)

Artist: Ainna Places in Paradise | Thomas Hunt (M!MC) x Alex Spencer (F!OC)

Artist: @lilyoffandoms | King Arthur

Artist: @lilyoffandoms | Lancelot

Artist: Ainna | Happy Birthday, Baby! | Tobias Carrick (M!MC) x F!MC (Casey Carrick)

Artist: @storyofmychoices | Kate O'Malley for @rosesnink

Artist: @lilyoffandoms | Luna Auclair for @peonierose

Fics

Friendship & Fashion by @jerzwriter| Tobias (M!MC) & Merida (F!MC)

Special Delivery by @jerzwriter| Tobias Carrick (M!MC) x Casey Carrick (F!MC)

Movie? What Movie? by @jerzwriter| Tobias Carick (M!MC) x Casey MacTavish (F!MC)

Summer Haze - @jerzwriter| Tobias Carrick x F!OC

A Place to Stay - by @jerzwriter | Troy Hasan & Eli Sipes

Elmo's Special Visit by @storyofmychoices | Olivia Hadley (F!OC), Tobias Carrick

Beautiful Day by @liaromancewriter | Kyra Santana & F!MC (Cassie Valentine)

Chancing it by @jerzwriter | Tobias Carrick (M!MC) x Casey MacTavish (F!MC)

First Impressions by @jerzwriter | Tobias Carrick (M!MC) x Casey MacTavish (F!MC)

A Late Night Picnic by @storyofmychoices | Mal Volari (M!MC) x Daenarya (F!OC)

Mine by @liaromancewriter | Ethan Ramsey (M!MC) x F!MC (Cassie Valentine)

Mono~poly Chapter 3: Propositions by @jerzwriter | Tobias Carrick (M!MC) x Casey MacTavish (F!MC)

Summertime by @jerzwriter | Trystan Thorne (M!MC) x Carolina Rose (F!MC)

Fair Game by @jerzwriter | Ethan Ramsey (M!MC) x Kaycee MacClennan (F!MC)

Seeking Shelter by @jerzwriter | Eli Sipes (M!MC) x Zoe Rivera (F!MC)

Of Cloudless Climes and Starry Skies (4/?) | Sebastyan Thorne x Emma Rose (F!MC)

Happy Birthday, Baby! | Tobias Carrick (M!MC) x F!MC (Casey Carrick)

A Simple Wish by @jerzwriter | Ethan Ramsey (M!MC) x Kaycee MacClennan (F!MC)

His Barbie, Her Ken by @ladylamrian | F!MC × White! NikRyder

Hot Tea by @liaromancewriter | Ethan Ramsey (M!MC) x F!MC (Cassie Valentine); feat. Max Valentine

To be a Nighthunter by @ladylamrian | F!MC × NikRyder

Romantic, much? by @liaromancewriter | Sienna Trinh (F!MC) x M!OC (Max Valentine)

Sweet Morning by @ladylamrian | (F!MC × Tobias)

Jun: The Bodyguard by @storyofmychoices | Jun Seong

Paper Hearts by @jerzwriter | Ethan Ramsey (M!MC) x Kaycee MacClennan (F!MC)

Shades of Grey by @liaromancewriter | Ethan Ramsey (M!MC) x F!MC (Cassie Valentine)

@choicesmonthlychallenge It was my pleasure and honor to host this months challenge, despite the loss I had I still had fun hosting this challenge.

Thank you to everyone who’s participated I hope you enjoyed the July challenge and its prompts. I hope it brought you some joy and some fun.

But the fun is not over. You can head over to choicesaugustchallenge and check out what cool and fun prompts they have 🩷

All the best

- PR 🩷🌸

[liaromancewriter]

Daddy’s Girl

Premise: A poignant moment between father and daughter after the poison attack.

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine); feat. Robert Valentine (OC) Rating/Category: Teen. Angsty Fluff. Words: 1,510

A/N: Submission for @choicesjanuary2024 day 16 prompt "relationships". I'm also using @choicesflashfics week 69, prompt 3

Robert Valentine had a plan. He’d graduate from college, sail around the world and then settle down to live out the Valentine legacy of working in the family business. His father also had a plan, and it featured only two of the three items on his list.

Unable to say no to the strict man who’d raised him, Robert gave up his dream of feeling the wind in his hair on the open seas. A chance encounter in Greenwich during summer break from Wharton further altered his plans.

A year later, he was married to a woman who not only shared his love of adventure but actively encouraged his carefree side. Becoming parents hadn’t been part of the plan, at least not so soon after getting married. But fate had other ideas.

As they stared down at the two tiny humans behind the glass of the nursery at Newport Hospital, he gently hooked one arm around Olivia’s waist. The boy was restless while the girl was asleep, their hands lightly touching.

“They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” Olivia murmured, still tired, her head resting on his shoulder.

Even though they’d known Olivia was carrying multiples, seeing them was a different reality. On top of that, the twins had arrived a month early. They still hadn’t landed on names or completed the nursery in the townhouse they’d bought near his work.

“We should come up with appropriate names,” he said quietly after a while. “Can’t keep calling them Thing One and Thing Two.”

“Imagine the shock on our parents’ faces if we put that on their birth certificates,” Olivia teased, her eyes swimming with laughter.

Robert chuckled, folding his wife in his arms. Being a father would change him; it was inevitable. But he didn’t have to give up his dreams, just adjust them for two more.

Now, all these years later, Robert watched his daughter’s even breathing as she lay sleeping on the hospital bed and wished he could turn back time to when she was a baby, tucked safe and sound in his arms.

The last two days had been harrowing and emotional. The panicked call from his son in the middle of the night, the long flight to Boston from Paris, the uncertainty about Cassie’s condition, and the anger when he and Olivia were denied entrance into the hospital.

But that was all over now, he sighed in relief. His daughter was no longer on death’s door. It would take time, but he’d been assured she would recover. If he thought Cassie wouldn’t be pissed at him for doubting her precious Dr. Ramsey, Robert would’ve whisked her off to the best specialists in the world for a second opinion.

Lost in thought, he didn’t notice Cassie’s eyelids fluttering as she slowly awoke. But he heard her whimpers and the sound of sheets rustling. He was out of the chair and by her bedside seconds before her eyes drifted open.

“Hey, kiddo,” Robert smiled softly, taking her hand.

“Daddy?” Cassie said in a confused tone, her voice reed thin and somewhat raspy.

She struggled to sit up, and he placed a steadying hand on her back while pressing a control button on the guardrail to raise the bed’s head. He adjusted the pillow to support her neck and poured a glass of water when she started coughing.

“Better?”

When she nodded, Robert set the glass down on the table. He turned away to drag the visitor’s chair closer to the bed and sat down, covering her hand with his palm. They smiled at each other, matching green eyes.

“You haven’t called me kiddo since I was ten,” she commented, smiling despite the sudden discomfort under her sternum.

The machines she was hooked up to briefly beeped before settling down as the pain subsided. Robert stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

“Old habits,” he said, taking his eyes off the flashing numbers on the monitor. “You haven’t called me Daddy since you and Max decided that word was for babies.”

“Well, I feel weak as a baby right now, so that could be the reason,” she joked, and then tears filled her eyes, dripping down her cheeks. “I was so scared I’d never see you or Mom again. ”

Robert leaned in and wiped the tears away with his fingers, shushing her the way he used to when she was five and had a nightmare.

“When I was in that room, all I could think of was the last time you took us sailing,” she continued in a watery voice. “It was just before I moved to Boston. The fresh ocean breeze tossing my hair, the taste of salt on our lips as water crashed around us. Max cursing as the unruly waves rocked the boat and almost tipped us over. Your laughter booming in the wind. That feeling of truly being alive.”

Leaving the chair, he sat on the side of the bed and folded her into his arms, mindful of the drip lines and wires.

“You are alive, Cassie honey,” he whispered over and over as sobs wracked her body, and she burrowed her face into his chest. “You’re here, safe in my arms.”

Eventually, the storm passed, and he returned to his seat. The comforting silence stretched, broken only by the beeps and hums of the machines.

“Where’s Mom?”

“At the hotel, hopefully getting some rest,” Robert explained. “She barely slept these last couple of days. Max, too. Your brother pretends to be invincible, but he was running on fumes by the time we got here.”

“Maybe if he drank coffee every now and then,” Cassie said with a wry twist of her lips.

Robert shook his head in amusement and chuckled, well familiar with his children’s opposing views on this matter and their needling of each other as a result.

“Have you seen Ethan?”

“Yes, he dropped by an hour ago to check on you,” Robert replied, hiding his disquiet at how Cassie’s eyes locked on the closed door, waiting for the other man to walk in.

He steepled his index fingers under his chin as he sprawled on the chair, stretching his legs out under the bed. “I take it you’re both still hiding your relationship?”

Robert was glad Cassie at least had the good sense to look abashed. He wasn’t happy with the turn of events, but his wife was convinced it was the real deal and they should give the couple space to work it out. Olivia’s instincts were flawless, which was the only reason he exercised restraint.

“What do you think of him?” she asked, her eyes beseeching him to understand. “You didn’t say anything during or after the weekend in Newport. I really want you to like him, Daddy.”

“He’s certainly different from Jackson or anyone else you’ve dated before,” he said neutrally. “Older, reserved, and perhaps a little austere for my carefree daughter.”

“That’s just the side he shows everyone else,” Cassie said, her voice full of conviction. “He’s different when it’s just the two of us. Granted, our relationship is still evolving, but he cares for me, deeply.”

“I know, Cassie,” Robert said, remembering the tender look in the other man’s eyes earlier. “This isn’t up for debate. But as your father, I’m allowed to be concerned. Gossip from a workplace romance is rarely kind to the woman, especially when there’s a power imbalance.”

He held up a hand when she opened her mouth to protest. “You still have two years left in your training here. All I ask is that you be careful and protect your reputation if not your heart.”

Before Cassie could respond, there was a perfunctory knock on the door, and then it swung open. Ethan Ramsey crossed the threshold and suddenly stopped, causing the nurse accompanying him to crash into his back, the tray in her hand rattling before she steadied it.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Ethan said, his brows furrowing as if sensing he’d stepped into a quagmire. “We need to draw Dr. Valentine’s blood, check her vitals and run a few tests.”

“Yes, of course,” he said, pushing the chair back and standing up. “I’ll let you get on with it while I grab a coffee and check in on Olivia.”

Robert turned to smile down at Cassie. “Why don’t I get you something to eat?”

“Well, I am feeling a bit peckish,” Cassie mused, a teasing twinkle in her eyes. “Hospital food sucks.”

“I’ll ask the chef at the hotel to whip up your favorites.” Robert leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Be good, and no more heroics.”

He nodded at Ethan, who came to stand across from him on the other side of the bed. He noted the softness in Cassie’s eyes, the concern in Ethan’s and felt like a third wheel.

As Robert left the room, he glanced at the nurse, oblivious to their situation, and hoped Cassie heeded his advice. Ethan seemed decent enough, but if he hurt Cassie…. Well, when it came to his children, all bets were off.

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

All Fics & Edits: @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @lucy-268 @jerzwriter @lady-calypso @mainstreetreader @peonierose @potionsprefect @queencarb @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

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