#open heart fic

[mydemonsdrivealimo]

Halloween (chapter 1)

Book: Open Heart

Chapter: 1/7

Pairing: Multi (Bryce Lahela x Jensen Valentine (MC), Jensen Valentine x Original Characters)

Characters: Jensen Valentine, Bryce Lahela, Aliyah (OC), Aurora Emery

Rating: Teen

Words: 1266

Summary: A collection of moments throughout Jensen's life, focused on his struggles and accomplishments because of and, more importantly, despite the one relationship he can't seem to let go of. Inspired by Halloween by Noah Kahan.

A/N: This is the most future-based part of the fic, and it actually addresses some hcs I haven't mentioned publicly yet. As I post more chapters, they will go in reverse chronological order, and the relationship in reference will become more clear

Lyrics:

But the wreckage of you, I no longer reside in

And the bridges have long since been burnt

The ash of the home that I started the fire in

It starts to return to the Earth.

The snow pummeled into the ground, large clusters of snowflakes settling on his shoulders and hair. Jensen tucked one of his gloved hands into his pocket as he hurried inside. 

He caught the door with his elbow, greeted by the familiar smell of alcohol disinfectant and lemon cleaner. Patients and doctors milled about the lobby as he headed for the elevators. After a few floors, the doors slid open, the floor relatively empty save for a few nurses chatting around the small station just off from the elevators. 

“Aw, Valentine, d’you get us something?” one of them—Samara—asked with a grin. He glanced down to the takeout bag in his hand she was referencing. 

Continuing down the hall, he replied, “Nope, sorry. Just Bryce and I today.”

“Wow, favoritism, I see how it is,” she said with a sarcastic eye roll, Jensen giving her a quick smile before continuing towards the diagnostics office. 

The lights flickered on to a steady, fluorescent glow, Jensen dropping his pile of things onto the center table. The others had coats, bags, and charts spread out here and there, most with patients or out for lunch themselves.

Checking his watch proved that Bryce was five minutes late. He gave him until he pulled their food out of the bag, spreading the takeout boxes across two adjacent seats before pulling his phone out of his pocket. In the time it took him to type out something and press send, the door gently creaked behind him. 

“Hey, sorry,” Bryce said, giving his waist a quick squeeze before unceremoniously flopping into one of the chairs, the force sending it back enough that Jensen had to pull him closer.

“You’re lucky I didn’t lock you out and eat it for you,” Jensen said with a quick wave to the food in front of him, taking a seat in his own chair. “M’fucking starving.” He was already shoveling crab rangoon into his mouth, ignoring the steam coming off of it.

“I can tell,” Bryce offered with an exaggeratedly judgemental look. Jensen kicked his chair, sending him rolling away once again. Laughing, Bryce scooted himself back to the table.

He got a grand total of three bites in before he was telling Jensen about his surgery from that morning. Jensen was happy to see him excited about it, especially knowing how slow it had been with mostly post-op check-ins and consults for the last couple days. 

By the time they were both nearly done, Jensen had his feet propped on Bryce’s lap, head resting on his arm over the back of the chair as he listened to Bryce talk about his schedule for the next couple weeks. He happily nodded and offered input where necessary, but, as per usual, he was content just listening to Bryce talk, turning off his brain for the first time all day.

The only thing that stopped Bryce was his pager going off, Jensen giving him a sigh and a look as if it was his fault. Bryce smiled and started to clean up just as the door opened again.

“I think my face is still frozen,” Des said as they approached, wrapped up in winter gear from head to toe. 

“Not quite Florida, is it?” Jensen asked, receiving a glare in return. Des had only moved up a few months ago, but they were settling into the team just fine. Maybe not the weather, but definitely the team.

“Okay, I’m not saying this on record, by the way,” Bryce said, stopping at the large glass wall of windows, “But honestly it is pretty with the snow.”

Jensen shook his head as he walked over next to him, tossing the empty containers in the trash. “Wow, really? It’s almost like I’ve been telling you that since we were in Boston,” he replied, entirely deadpan.

Bryce gave him a mocking expression, Jensen smiling as he followed his gaze out to the icy Lake Michigan, snow piled up along the edge of the water. Chicago winter could keep even the most dedicated runners inside, a notable lack of movement outside. The trees and ground were white, but the walkway along the water was twinkling with festive lights, entirely lit when night fell.

Bryce gave him a quick smile before scooting past, giving Des a wave before heading off.

“Oh, Tara told me to invite you guys to the Tavern tonight, by the way. We’re going pretty late, but if you get time you should stop over for a drink,” Des said as they arranged their things at their seat.

“We’ve got plans tonight, thanks though.”

“Shit, you literally said you had dinner plans, right? I forgot.”

Jensen nodded and waved it off before grabbing a few charts from the desk, thumbing past a few pages. He collected the necessary things before heading off to grab some results for their most recent case.

The midwestern-based diagnostics division had been his most dedicated project for the past four years. Doing split time for the first two was hell, so many flights and so many nights away from home, one he nor Bryce really enjoyed. But, now, he was content. They were content. Him, Bryce, Barry, and Corn all comfortably settled into a downtown apartment, able to enjoy the bustling city nightlife, events, and opportunities.

Jensen met Bryce at home later that night, Aliyah already comfortably settled in the kitchen awaiting his arrival. Corn didn’t even bother to greet him, too worried about the potential of a chip falling off the counter from the bowl Liyah and Bryce were both picking at.

Bryce greeted him with a smile and a quick kiss to the cheek, Jensen giving Corn a look. “At least someone missed me,” he said. 

“She just likes me more,” Liyah said with a smile, Jensen rolling his eyes and shedding his many winter layers on the way to the bedroom. 

On his way back, he scooped Barry out from under the bed, holding him up in the air as he meowed in protest. Bryce was happy to give Barry shit for nothing in particular with him, Jensen finally dropping him into his arms, carrying him like a baby towards the living room.

Their couch was dark green, adjacent to their tête-à-tête sofa. The room was doused in cool yet natural colors, light boxes keeping it bright despite the early winter darkness. Their Christmas tree in the corner brought some warmth to the room with yellow lights and a messy mix of ornament types. Out the main windows was the familiar sight of a glittering Chicago night, lights scattered throughout the surrounding apartment buildings and shimmering against the falling snow. 

Jensen set Barry onto the cat tower overlooking the street, watching him settle in before returning to the kitchen.

The door opened before he could get there, Aurora and her partner, Z, both entering with dishes of food. Jensen was quick to help them, setting out the food along the dining room table with the dish Aliyah had brought, as well as the filler he and Bryce covered.

It was part of their monthly routine, one dinner where they get together and all make something different. The rest of the night was spent talking and drinking and lounging around in the living room after dessert. And they could do it comfortably. With nice furniture, and with plenty of space for everyone, and no worry of cost or rent or food or just fucking surviving. He was comfortable, with the people he cared the most about, and doing what he loved. And that was all that mattered.

tagging: @jerzwriter @cariantha @kyra75 @gutsfics @inlocusmads @choicesficwriterscreations

#jensen valentine #bryce lahela × jensen valentine #bryce lahela #open heart #open heart mc #open heart choices #open heart fic #open heart fanfiction #choices fanfic #choices pixelberry

[bex-la-get]

Sweet Nothing (Ethan x f!MC)

Book: Open Heart

Characters: Ethan Ramsey x Natalie Cusack

Word count: 855

Summary: Nat and Ethan face speculation over their relationship.

Rating: T

Category: Fluff

Author’s Note: I’M BACK, BITCHES! Well, kind of. I’m really just here to get this out of my brain then I plan on returning to my self-imposed hiatus. 

This was based off a shower thought I had relating to the news of Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn’s break up (I’m still absolutely devasted over this news, by the way). So, yeah, here’s a little fluff for your Tuesday. Enjoy!

*scurries off back to Hobbit Hole*

Natalie furrowed her brows as the “Breaking News” from Scoop Magazine appeared on her iPad screen. She scanned the headline and opened up the article, her curiosity getting the better of her.

BREAKING NEWS: 

Celebrity doctors and medical powerhouse couple file for divorce! Dr. Natalie Cusack-Ramsey and Dr. Ethan Ramsey are separating after just ten months of marriage! Dr. Cusack-Ramsey was recently spotted out and about without her wedding ring, causing speculation on her relationship with her new husband. Shortly after that sighting, a source close to the couple confirmed that they are separating. The reason given for this separation was “irreconcilable differences.”

Scoop has reached out to both doctors for comment, but neither have yet to reply to our inquiries. Watch this space for further updates!

Nat cocked her head to the side as she read the article… then read it again. 

“The fuck?” Nat asked, in disbelief.

“Hm?” Ethan replied from the kitchen.

She chuckled. “Uh… apparently, we’re getting a divorce.”

Ethan stopped making coffee to look up at his wife and raise an eyebrow. “Oh, are we?”

“According to Scoop,” she replied, waving the iPad. 

Ethan rolled his eyes and returned his attention to the espresso machine. “Ugh,” he stated. “Why do you read that garbage magazine?”

“Because usually it’s fun!” Nat replied, returning her attention to the article. 

“Mhm. And who exactly is telling these gossip rags that we’re divorcing?”

“Someone close to us, apparently. We are separating due to ‘irreconcilable differences.’”

“Do those irreconcilable differences include you putting your cold feet on my back every night?”

“Hey! It’s not every night!” Nat protested. She lifted her feet for him to see. “I’m even wearing socks today! See?”

Ethan chuckled and nodded. “My bare back thanks you.” Natalie stuck her tongue out at him, a gesture he returned right back at her.

She looked back at the iPad. “According to the article, speculation started when I was ‘recently seen out and about without my wedding ring.’” 

Ethan hummed in response, as he stirred his coffee. “This wouldn’t happen to be the same wedding ring that no longer fits your finger, would it?”

Nat wiggled her slightly swollen fingers. “It’s not my fault.”

“Are you suggesting it’s mine?” he replied, fighting a smile.

“Well, I’m certainly not the one who got me pregnant!”

Ethan laughed and joined her on the sofa, placing his coffee on the side table. “I’m pretty sure it takes two people to make a baby, my love.”

She scrunched her nose. “Mm, not necessarily.”

He snorted and kissed her temple. “With us, it did,” he whispered into her ear. 

Nat felt a chill run down her spine and giggled. “Either way, you’re still responsible for my fingers being like this,” she said, holding up her hand. 

He took her hand and placed a soft kiss on each finger, then held her hand close to his chest. “I assure you: your fingers are still quite beautiful.”

Nat frowned. “Even when they’re swollen?”

“Especially then.” The iPad dinged again and Ethan looked at it, frowning. “As for this article,” he said the word with clear disdain, “we should probably nip it in the bud while we still can.”

“Do we need to?” Nat asked. “I was just thinking we could ignore it.”

“Mm,” Ethan scrunched his face in disagreement, “I think we need to shut it down. Before any other outlets pick up on this trash.”

Nat chuckled. “You really don’t like gossip columns, do you?”

“I just think there are other things we should be putting our energy towards rather than worrying about people we don’t know and their relationship. Our relationship is our business; no one else’s.”

Nat nodded, smiling. “I like it when you get protective.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow. “Do you, now?”

“I do. It’s sweet and… well, it makes me feel safe.”

Ethan gave her a small smile and pulled her close, wrapping her up tightly in his arms. “You’re my life, Nat. And you’re carrying my son; of course, I’m going to be protective. But I also just really want people to mind their own goddamn business.”

Nat nuzzled into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his midsection. “Well said.” 

He kissed the top of her head. “And, just for the record, if we were to separate for irreconcilable differences, it would definitely be because of your cold feet.”

Natalie scoffed in disbelief. “Rude!” 

She pulled out of the embrace to lightly whack him but he caught her hand in his and pulled her back to him, kissing her soundly. 

She broke the kiss briefly to mutter “You’re a little shit,” against his lips.

“You love it,” he returned, peppering kisses on her face.

Nat chuckled. “I do.”

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE:

A few days ago, Scoop reported a story stating that Drs. Ethan Ramsey and Natalie Cusack-Ramsey were divorcing. Scoop has now learned that the information given to Scoop was false and inaccurate. Dr. Cusack-Ramsey has confirmed with Scoop that her marriage is strong and not at risk of divorce in any way. 

Scoop deeply apologizes for any harm or distress caused by our previous article. 

A/N: So... I definitely HC that Landry was the “source” that claimed E & N were separating. Forever the sore loser, that one...

Tagging separately.

#bexwritesstuff #open heart #open heart fic #ethan ramsey #natalie cusack #ethan x natalie #ethan x mc #open heart mc

[myglassesareinkansas]

the meaning of aloha

Book: Open Heart

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x F!MC

Rating: Gen

Warnings: Angst, Discussion of Death

Summary:

aloha (n.): love, affection, peace, compassion, and mercy; a force that holds together existence

Bryce receives the worst news of his life, and to make it worse, he's in love with Casey. And she's about to die.

Tagging: @openheartfanfics, @choicesficwriterscreations, and @mydemonsdrivealimo

AO3 Link: Here

His entire body trembles, but he holds his head high as he pushes his way past the other doctors. Most of them whisper amongst themselves in the hallways, and here and there, he catches words like anthrax and ricin. There’s a pair of attendings wondering how Casey isn’t dead right now. Others who say they hope Travis suffers.

The nurses huddle around their station, and Bryce stumbles over his feet. Marlene rubs Sienna’s back as she lowers herself into one of the chairs.

“I had a date with Danny tomorrow,” she says, looking up with puffy eyes. “What’s—Marlene, what’s going to happen to him? Sarah? Does anyone know what’s happening to Casey?”

He dips his head, trying to remain nondescript as he shoves open the stairwell door.

“Bryce?”

He ignores her.

“Bryce!” Esme reaches out and grabs his arm. “What’s going on?”

He swallows and shakes her hand off of him. “I just need to go, Esme. Ask Ethan. Or anyone else, really, I just—I need to go.”

She frowns and locks her hand around his wrist. “Like hell. Are you seriously going to leave your girlfriend behind now? When she needs you most?” With her free hand, she points furiously back upstairs. “I know she’s in there! I know my resident is fighting for her life! And like a coward, you’re running away.”

He shakes his head. “I’m not running away.”

“Sure looks like it to me.”

Bryce squeezes his eyes shut, begging his tears to stay away. “Jackie and Elijah are off today. Unless Casey or Sienna texted them, they have no way of knowing what just happened in there. They need to know—” They need to know that Casey might be dead tonight. He shakes his head again and pries Esme’s hand off his wrist. “And I need to make sure my little sister will be safe tonight.”

Esme blinks. “Do you think—”

“Esme, I’ve gotta go.” He doesn’t wait for her response, just sprints down the stairs. His lungs burn, from tears or from running, he doesn’t know.

People call his name. Surgical residents congratulate him on Kyra’s surgery. The one he kicked out of the OR glares at him. Ines tries to talk to him. He can’t hear them. His ears ring, and he grabs his keys and sprints outside.

Once he’s in his car, he breathes deeply. Or at least, he tries to. His breaths come fast and shallow, his hands shake, and he rests his head on his steering wheel.

Fuck.

His body starts to shake again, and as he’s reaching for the blanket in his car — the one that Casey told him to keep on hand, with how cold he gets in Boston weather and how traffic is — the shaking stops, and he bursts into tears.

“Fuck!” He buries his face in his hands, a sob tearing from the back of his throat. “Fucking —” he slams his left hand on the top of the steering wheel “— dammit!” His shoulders curl inwards, and sobs rack his body.

She can’t die. She can’t die. I can’t lose her. I can’t—

The sobs come louder now, and he hasn’t cried like this since he was eighteen years old, and he was flying all the way to Ohio State by himself, with no money, no family, and no friends. He hasn’t cried like this since his favorite teacher, the one who believed in him, the one who believed he could be a great surgeon like Michael DeBakey, fell victim to his parents’ schemes and looked at him with such hurt and betrayal every day of the year after that. He hasn’t cried like this since he was alone and unloved and unlovable, when life was hopeless and he had to carve out hope for himself.

Except there’s not hope now, not really.

Casey’s his best friend, his girlfriend, and he just—he cares about her so much. Everything inside of him begs God to rewind the clock, to put him in that room with the senator when Travis deployed the canister, to let him take Casey’s place. If one of us has to die, let it be me. Not her. Don’t let her die.

I love her.

He screams, his voice scratching the back of his throat, his fingers tugging at his hair. Why did it take so long for me to know? Why did I have to wait?

I love her. I love her I love her I love her.

And she’s going to die.

***

“Okay, Keiki, I’m not going to be back until tomorrow at the earliest.” Bryce moves into his bedroom, chewing his bottom lip. He idly picks up his overnight back and sets it down.

Keiki leans against the doorframe, her arms crossed over her chest. “Why?”

He sighs and grabs a fresh pair of scrubs and shoves them into his bag. “I told you, there was an assassination attempt at the hospital. They might need me.”

“There are other surgeons.”

He stands up straight, dropping his boxers on the cover. “Casey was a victim of the attack, too. She’s alive —” he nearly chokes on the next words “—for now, but it’s not looking good. One person died already, one’s in a coma, and I don’t think Raf has too much time either.” He shakes his head and moves into the bathroom. “I’m going to stay with her.”

Keiki bites the inside of her cheek and steps into his bedroom. “Anything I can do?”

Bryce tosses his toiletry bag onto the bed and drops to the ground, fishing under his bed for a pair of shoes. “Uh, can you try and find my green sweatshirt? The one from my surfing days? It’s Casey’s favorite.”

She nods and starts rifling through his closet.

“You know the drill: leftovers in the fridge, and you can use my DoorDash account if there’s nothing in there. Don’t leave the apartment unless there’s an emergency, you have my number and Case—” he swallows. “If there’s some kind of danger, go to Mrs. Zimmerman across the hall. She’s a sweet old lady, makes the best cakes, and she’ll take care of you.”

“I know the drill.” Keiki steps away from the closet, a sweatshirt folded over her arm. “I couldn’t find the one you were talking about, but I’ve seen Casey wear this one before.”

Bryce tosses a pair of tennis shoes on his bed and grabs the sweatshirt from Keiki. “Dammit, Casey must still have it at her place. Alright, this is fine.” He kisses Keiki’s head. “Thanks, Keiks. You know I love you, but…”

He’s never said it out loud before.

She nods understandingly and sits on his bed. “You love Casey more.”

He nods in agreement. “Yeah.”

“Have you told her?”

He ignores her, roughly shoving his clothes and shoes into his overnight bag. When he gets to the sweatshirt, he folds it carefully. Casey might not be able to wear it just yet, not while she’s in a hospital gown, but maybe…

“Can you grab the blanket from the couch? Not the one you use for bed, the other one?”

She frowns. “You didn’t answer my question, Bryce.”

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “What do you think?” He shakes his head and stalks to the living room. “And now she might die before I can tell her.”

Keiki trails him. “So then tell her! What’s the worst that can happen?” She hops over the coffee table and sits on the blanket before Bryce can pull it to safety. “She already knows the worst stuff about you, and she stuck around.” She clears her throat and shifts on the blanket so he has no chance of pulling it away. “And if she doesn’t have the same feelings, well…at least you told her.”

“Keiks, I—I don’t know. I just…”

She stands up, eyes on fire. “Bryce Kai Lahela, you do not have the luxury of waiting. With Morgan, yeah, I understand. You were in high school, and Mom and Dad fucked her family over. But that’s not Casey. Please, just…don’t do something you’ll regret.” She hands him the blanket. “Tell her.”

He kisses her forehead. “See you tomorrow.”

***

Jackie runs up to him as soon as he steps back out of his car. “Where the hell were you?”

He glares at Jackie and slams his car door shut. His car beeps when he locks it. “In case you forgot, I have a little sister under my guardianship. I had to make sure she would be okay.” He shakes his overnight bag in her face, his keys also jingling with the movement. “Also, had to pack one of these. Like hell if I leave my girlfriend behind.”

She ducks her head. “Sorry, I just—”

He nods and shoulders his way inside. “I know. You’re worried about her. All of us are.” He clears his throat. “Where’s Elijah?”

Jackie walks in front of him. “Follow me.”

“Jackie, please —”

She turns and shushes him before grabbing his wrist. Dragging him along, she leads him into the locker room, where Elijah is just finishing up a call.

“Alright. Tell me if it reminds you of anything.” He turns around, face falling when he sees Bryce. “Sorry, that was one of my undergrad professors. He taught history of medicine and science, so I was hoping he knew something about reactions to biological weapons. Maybe something useful.” He lifts one shoulder in a half shrug. “Shoulda known better, though. He hasn’t done any research on this topic for decades.”

Bryce opens his locker and tosses his overnight bag inside. “That’s okay. It might help, and he might go through his research. Or talk to someone who might know.” He jerks his head in the direction of Casey’s room. “C’mon, let’s go see her.”

Jackie holds up a finger. “Hold on, Aurora’s on her way.”

Aurora runs inside the hospital a few minutes later, shoving past the handful of security guards — all of them shaken — with a shout and “I’m Harper Emery’s niece, let me in!” When she reaches the three of them, she slows to a walk and smooths her hair. “Where is she?”

“Follow me.” They stop at the nurses’ station to pick up Sienna, and then Bryce is jogging to the elevator, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Jackie rests a hand on his shoulder.

“She’ll be alright.”

He stares straight ahead. “You didn’t see her. Or Raf.” He hangs his head. “Fuck.”

“Either way,” Jackie shakes him a bit, “Casey’s probably scared out of her fucking mind. She trusts you. She loves you. Don’t make her more afraid than she already is.”

He lolls his head. “How in the hell am I supposed to do that?”

The elevator door dings and slides open. Jackie twists her lips. “I don’t know.”

Bryce leads them down the hall towards Casey’s room. As they get closer, he squares his shoulders and forces a smile, but he knows it doesn’t reach his eyes. And he knows Casey will notice it, too.

Casey gapes at them when they get to her room. She offers him a relieved smile and holds her hand up to the glass. His bravado melts into something more sincere, and though his smile isn’t as wide, it’s genuine, and he presses his hand against the glass. “Told you I’d be back. This time I brought some company.”

Her roommates crowd the front of the windows, speaking animatedly to her and Raf. He wants to sag against the wall and cry and cry and cry some more, but he tries to keep a brave face on. For her or for himself, he’s not entirely sure.

Ethan steps back and stands next to him. “It’s good. That you’re doing this, I mean. It’s helping her.”

He shrugs, his eyes still trained on Casey. “I wanted her to see her friends. They’re important to her.”

“So are you.” Ethan studies him for a moment. “How are you holding up?” He jerks his head in Casey’s direction. “She talks about you all the time, you know. And I’ve seen you two together.”

Bryce resists the urge to cross his arms. “So?”

“So this has to be just as hard on you for an entirely different reason.” Ethan sighs and squeezes his shoulder. “Look, in my experience, it’s just as difficult to deliver bad news to loved ones as it is to deliver the bad news to the patient. In fact, I think it’s harder. So how are you holding up?”

Bryce licks his lips. “It sucks,” he says quietly.

Ethan nods and faces forward once again. “I wish we’d never taken the senator on as a patient. Not that I’d wish this even on Tobias, but maybe…”

Maybe Casey wouldn’t have been caught in the crossfire.

He nods. “Yeah.”

Jackie gestures around at the lot of them. “We’re going to figure this out. All of us.”

Bryce steps forward and tries to force a smile. “I’m just a surgeon, but I’ll offer whatever help I can.” And it’s fucking nothing.

Casey’s eyes well with tears, and she shuffles closer. “Now’s not the time for that confidence of yours to do a runner, Bryce.”

Sienna cranes her neck to see him. “Yeah, you’re not just anything.”

He meets Casey’s gaze, and he prays she can read the love in his eyes. I’ll do whatever I can to save you. “Sorry, I mean we’ve got this.”

Casey wipes her cheeks furiously. “That’s better.”

Everything in him wants to reach for her, to tug her into his arms and bury his face in the crook of her neck, to squeeze her hair and whisper that he loves her. He wants to hold her hand and kiss her face and cradle her cheeks in his hands.

But in between them is a wall of glass, impenetrable, separating the dying from the living. “See you soon, Case.”

***

Baz leans back in his chair, shaking his head solemnly.

Bryce’s heart sinks. “So June was wrong?” We don’t have much time left.

“No,” Baz says, scratching the stubble on his chin, “June was right. It’s a maitotoxin.”

A heart-wrenching sob tears from Sienna’s throat. Elijah reaches up to rub her shoulder in consolation. Ethan pinches the bridge of his nose and leans against the wall. Jackie sets her chin, tears filling her eyes.

Bryce swallows, furrowing his brow. “But —” his blood runs cold, and he shudders as a shiver runs up his spine. “Fuck, there’s no cure for that.” He searches for a friend in the lab, but Sienna’s sobbing, Elijah’s fighting his own tears, Jackie won’t meet his eye, and he knows no one else except Ethan. He holds Ethan’s eye. “Casey’s—that means Casey’s going to die?”

The crushing weight of it all threatens to gut him. He stands up, and he nearly pitches forward. His stomach lurches, and whether that’s from a need to vomit or from the sobs threatening to bubble up, he doesn’t know. “I’m going to lose her,” he whispers.

Baz reaches out and catches his wrist. “She’s not gone yet.” With his free hand, he rubs his forehead. “We’ll try and save Rafael too, of course, but Casey’s lucky because she didn’t get as much of the toxin. She might survive.”

Bryce shakes off his hand. “Baz, what are the chances of her making it?” He shoves his hand through his hair, his chest heaving. “There’s no cure. And even if you guys could make one, she doesn’t have weeks! She doesn’t even have days! She —”

Ethan crosses the room quickly and sets both hands on his shoulders. “I know you care about her —”

Bryce shoves Ethan away. “Like hell! She’s my girlfriend, and I lo—” he sucks in a deep breath. “What can you all do? None of you are God! She’s going to die here, and if not tonight, then tomorrow, and —” his knees buckle. Ethan wraps an arm around him and helps lower him to the ground.

No one speaks.

***

He doesn’t know how his feet move. Right now, it feels like he can’t breathe, like his lungs stop before he can breathe in. His body trembles with each step, and yet, he can’t move quickly enough, can’t wait to stand in front of Casey’s room and see her alive for one of the last times.

Bryce squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head once. Tears escape down his cheeks, and he quickly reaches up to swipe them away. Sienna cries softly, her head on Jackie’s shoulder. In front of him, he can hear Elijah sniffling. The diagnosticians try to exude confidence, try and hold their chins high, but Baz’s eyes fill with tears.

And Casey will know it’s bad news.

She’s so far away from him.

He would do anything to trade places with her, even just to be in the same room as her and hold her and kiss her and tell her that he loves her and everything will be okay, but the glass windows that separate the living from the dying hold firm. Her face falls when her eyes meet his.

She swallows. “What is it?”

Ethan sighs deeply and runs a hand through his hair. Baz turns his head and swipes at his cheeks. Only June seems to have any level of composure.

“It’s a maitotoxin,” Ethan says. “One I’ve never seen before.” His voice gets quieter the more he explains.

Bryce finds himself gently shouldering himself forward, hand itching to touch the glass, to assure Casey that he’s there for her.

“We’ll find a way,” Ethan says. “We’ll fix this.”

Jackie lifts her chin. “You have the smartest diagnostic minds and the best residents at the hospital on this case. We’ll definitely find a cure with the nine of us working on it.”

“Make that more.” Aurora waves Tobias and a few other Mass Kenmore doctors forward. “I present you the best minds Mass Kenmore can offer.”

Bryce doesn’t hear much else, but he meets Aurora’s eyes, then Tobias’s, and prays that they can see what his voice fails to say. Thank you. Thank you for giving her another chance at life.

The diagnosticians wave goodbye to Casey and head back to the lab, but he stays by the window. He puts his hands in his white coat pocket, takes them out, and shakes them a little bit. When Casey tilts her head, studying him, he tries to force a smile. It won’t reach his eyes.

He clears his throat. “It’s all gonna be okay, Casey. I promise.” I pray. I pray, I promise. He shuffles closer. The glass is too damn thick.

She sniffles and presses her lips together. “You don’t have to be optimistic for my sake.” A stray tear falls down her cheek, and she reaches up to rub it away with her thumb.

Bryce sighs and licks his lips. His own eyes well with tears. This is harder than I thought it could be. She’s so small, and her body jerks with shivers. Her knees buckle, and she sways on her feet, but she refuses to move back to her bed. She stays with him, and he will stay with her, until death do them part.

“…I’m not,” he admits. “It’s for my sake. If I don’t stay optimistic —” he shakes his head ruefully, lifting his hand to the glass again, “— I’m gonna fucking lose it.” He breathes in shakily, past the point of caring about the unshed tears in his eyes. “I can’t let myself do that. Not yet.”

She steps forward and lifts both hands to the glass.

He presses his forehead to the window. “Not while there’s still hope,” he whispers.

“Bryce, I’m scared,” she whispers, her voice carrying through the glass. “I’m going to die tonight.”

His heart twinges. “What if I stayed with you for a while? Would that help? There’s another hazmat suit out here.” And he hates it, hates that he can only see her while wrapped in twenty pounds of plastic and completely unable to feel her skin, unable to kiss her, to press his forehead to hers. But it’s something, it would allow him to be with her, and he would cut off ten years of his life for the opportunity to be with her now.

She nods quickly. “Please stay with me tonight.”

Immediately, he suits up. Doesn’t give a damn whether or not he’s actually doing it right, but he saw June, Baz, and Ethan all do it before — twice, actually — and he’s itching to get in there and hold his girlfriend in his arms. As soon as he can, he steps through the decontamination tent, and envelops Casey in his arms.

She sighs in relief, her left arm tucked under his right and her right arm wrapped tightly around his neck. “Thank you,” she whispers, and he’s almost certain he can hear her tears dripping onto his hazmat suit.

He squeezes her tighter. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” If I could’ve done anything — maybe I should’ve stayed in Kyra’s surgery, maybe invited her to watch, gotten lunch with her — maybe…

There’s nothing more in the world he wants to do than kiss her, so he settles on pulling her as close to himself as he dares, with her lungs as weak as they are.

She shakes her head. “It’s not your fault.”

He nods. “I know. I know it’s not—it’s only Travis’s and maybe that shit senator’s. But I’m so sorry. I wish I could do more.”

Casey steps away from him and studies him.

Bryce clears his throat and forces his smile again. It comes a bit easier, now that he can hold her in his arms. “So, am I handsome? Or am I somehow even more handsome in this suit? Be honest and know that I only accept constructive criticism in the form of praise.” His heart hammers in his chest.

At the sound of her telltale giggle, he relaxes. “It’s not quite doing it for me, I’m not going to lie. Still handsome and still the best eye candy in the hospital, but I’m docking points because I can’t see your hair.”

He nods solemnly. “Fair. My hair is my best feature.” Casey giggles again, and instinctively, he reaches out to brush his fingers over her cheek. “Let’s try and get your mind off this. What’s your favorite thing?”

She twists her lips. “You,” she says so quietly that he’s not sure he heard her right.

“Yeah?” he asks, the first genuine smile gracing his lips since this morning.

She nods again. “Yeah.”

“Doesn’t surprise me. Not to make you feel like you’re not special, but I’m a lot of people’s reason for living.” Please keep living. Keep fighting. If for no other reason, then for me.

Her jaw drops and she gently shoves him. “No fair! You asked me my favorite thing, not my reason for living. In light of the new phrasing, I’m changing my answer to ‘pictures of cute animals.’”

He chuckles, shaking his head. “Okay, fair. Even I can’t be mad at that.”

She smiles brightly, in deep contrast to how frail her body is. Reaching out, she brushes his helmet. “Gosh, you’re pretty.”

And he doesn’t know why that cripples him, why that brings the tears back into his chest, but his smile falls, and he bites back tears. For her sake. She can’t know how scared he is.

Her eyes widen. “What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong?”

He shakes his head rapidly. “No.” He clears his throat. “I just…Case, I really am trying to stay positive. We both have to. But…but when I heard you were in danger, my heart stopped.” He holds his hand up to his stomach. “It dropped. I was so scared for you, Case. I was terrified, and I don’t—I’ve never been that scared before, and I pray to God I don’t have to be again.”

Casey nods, avoiding his eyes. She holds her left elbow in her hand, her free arm hanging limply at her side. “I know what you mean.”

Bryce squeezes her arm. “I called your parents.”

She sniffles, eyes flicking to his. “They’re visiting my brother in Oregon.”

“They said that. They’re gonna get here as soon as they can. Apparently, Logan’s also trying to make it up here, but they told me to tell you that it might be hard.”

“I wish I had my phone. Just so I could talk to them, y’know.” Her tears are flowing more freely. “To say goodbye.” She clears her throat and looks up at him. “I’m glad I got that with you, at least.”

He cups her face in his plastic gloved hands. Theoretically, he could chicken out right now. Could just tell her that she means a lot to him, more than she knows, but it’s her last night, and he would hate himself if he never told her. “I love you, Casey. More than you know, probably. And the idea of losing you…” his throat closes, a rock forming, so he shakes his head ruefully. He meets her eyes. “I love you so very much, Casey Grace Valentine. More than anything.”

Despite the saddened goodbye, the desperate reveal, her smile is genuine, and despite the plastic helmet on his head, she stands on her tiptoes and kisses the front of his mask. “I love you, too, Bryce Lahela. More than anything, and more than anyone.” Casey shuffles forward and presses her forehead to his chest. He wraps his arms around her. “And if tonight’s my last night on earth, then you’re the one I want to spend it with.”

He clears his throat, trying to avoid propping his chin on her head. It couldn’t be comfortable. “Well, damn, Casey. Talk about bittersweet.”

She steps back and twines her fingers in his. “So maybe we can just focus on the sweet part?”

Bryce nods. “You should get some rest.” He hates saying it, because as long as she’s awake, he knows she’s alive, and he can hear her voice, can share whispered I love yous between them, but her body is fighting to give her even the smallest chance, and she keeps swaying on her feet.

Nodding, she shuffles to the bed, but as soon as she reaches it, she turns to face him. “Would you hold me?”

His smile is watery. “I’d love to, Casey.” The setup is awkward, with the tiny hospital bed and his bulky hazmat suit, but they make it work, and he curls around her body, pulling her as close to himself as he can manage. If he closes his eyes, he thinks he can feel her heartbeat against his chest. But he can also hear it on the monitor, and right now, that’s the most beautiful sound in the world to him.

Well. Second, really, only to Casey’s voice.

She runs her fingers over his suit. “I wish I could feel your skin.”

He shifts, trying to assure her of their closeness. “You will.”

With her back to him, he can’t see her tears, but he can hear them in her voice and when she sniffles. “I wish I could kiss you.”

His heart shatters, and he hates, he despises how this might be her last night, and they won’t even share a last kiss. But she doesn’t need his anger or depression now, she needs assurance. She needs the unshakable Bryce Lahela, so he forces confidence into his voice and props himself up so she can hear him better. “Sorry, was I mumbling? You will, Casey. You’re going to get through this.”

She tugs him back to their original position, his arm draped tightly over her stomach. “Bryce, there’s not a cure for a maitotoxin. If I don’t die tonight, I die tomorrow. And—and I won’t be able to kiss you one last time, or feel your skin. I won’t be able to run my hands through your hair again or—or make love with you again or anything.” She chokes on a sob. “And that’s not to mention my roommates or my family. They’re downstairs, working on a cure that will probably come too late instead of saying goodbye.”

“Or they’re saving your life.”

“It will be too late!” she shouts. “I’m going to die, Bryce. You’re a surgeon. We’re both doctors, so you and I both know that I’m not walking out of this alive.”

He sighs deeply. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with hoping right now, Case. It’s all we have.”

Her shoulders shake. “I’m scared, Bryce. Just…tell me it’ll be okay.”

Bryce brushes her hair away from her neck. “It will be, Casey, I really believe that. Ethan and the others will come through.” He pulls her so close to him that the plastic probably does no good, but he couldn’t care less. “Until then,” he says, “just stay with me.”

She nods. “I love you. So much.”

He wishes he could kiss her. “I love you, too.”

***

He doesn’t sleep. His body wants to, of course, but the adrenaline still pulses through his veins, and the idea that if he closes his eyes, Casey might stop breathing and her heart might stop beating is too much for him to bear, so he keeps himself awake.

He prays, too. Not because he’s particularly religious, but if there’s one thing he has left, it’s hope, and he can’t see where God or the universe would hold it against him to hope, to pray. He doesn’t know who to pray to, really, so he just throws it out there and hopes something sticks. It has to. It has to.

Around five or six in the morning — Bryce can’t see the clock around all the plastic covering, but the sun is rising — Casey wakes up with a jerk, looks around wildly, catches his eye, and retches into the sick bag by her bed. He bites his lip and rubs her back soothingly. When the nausea stops, she leans back into his chest, blinking tiredly.

“I hate this,” she says. Her lips are dry.

With his plastic-covered hands, he smooths her hair away from her face. “Do you have a hair tie?”

She shakes her head, but there’s a small smile on her mouth. “Guess I didn’t die last night, after all.”

He squeezes her shoulder. “See? There’s still hope.”

The bags under her eyes have grown darker. Vomit crusts the corners of her mouth. She can’t stop shivering, and she keeps scratching her skin. Her voice is weak.

There’s still hope, he said, but she just keeps getting worse. He can hope and pray all he wants, but her death is fast-approaching, and if the other doctors can’t come through by this afternoon…

Ethan, Baz, and June walk into the room. Casey’s roommates crowd around the window, Sienna nearly bouncing on the balls of her feet. Jackie smiles, and Elijah reaches out to grip her hand. Tobias meets Ethan’s eye and nods once.

Bryce sits up immediately. Does that mean…?

Jackie can’t contain her glee. “We did it! We found a cure.”

Ethan nods slightly, a smile curling at his mouth. “At least, we hope so.”

Both Bryce and Casey furrow their brows. “You hope so?”

Tobias clears his throat. “We didn’t exactly have time to test it out.”

Sienna hooks a thumb in his direction. “But we administered it to Rafael. It—it might be too late for him, but…”

“—but he hasn’t shown any signs of getting worse,” Elijah chips in. He nods at Casey. “There’s hope. We think it’ll work.”

Casey hums. “What else do I have to lose?”

Ethan steps forward, syringe in hand. “If you would.”

Casey holds her arm out to him, but her body has clearly weakened overnight. Bryce cradles her against his chest, holding her arm still as Ethan prepares the injection. “How do we know if it works?”

Ethan shrugs, sliding the needle into her vein. “I’m assuming something similar as what has happened to Mr. Aveiro: no worsening of symptoms and hopefully even improvement. We’ll run some tests in a few hours, assuming you feel the same or better.” He steps back. “Dr. Lahela, if you would.”

Bryce’s eyes flash. “You honest to God think I’m leaving her here?”

June sighs. “You have to. The hazmat suit only has so much available oxygen, and you stretched it far beyond its limit already. We don’t want to have to admit you, too.”

He sets his jaw. “I’m willing to take that risk.”

Casey gently places her hand on his chest. “But I’m not. They’ll come get you if anything happens to me.” Her eyes seek out her friends and colleagues. “Right?”

They all nod. “I’ll send for Bryce personally,” Baz replies.

She squeezes his hand, and for a second, he thinks he can feel her skin. “Go,” she whispers. “I have a fighting chance now.”

***

“You need to get some sleep,” Jackie tells him, handing him a cup of coffee all the same.

Bryce takes it from her, mouthing his thanks, and lifts it to his lips. Across the room, Tobias shakes Ethan’s hand, clapping him on the shoulder. Aurora stands behind him, shifting her weight from foot to foot. When it looks like he’s about to leave, she hooks her thumb over her shoulder, and he nods.

“Sienna,” Aurora says, crossing the room, “you should get some sleep, too.”

Sienna wipes her eyes hastily. “Danny’s dead, Aurora.”

Aurora presses her lips together and rubs her back soothingly. “I’m so sorry, Sienna.”

Bryce nods, lowering his cup of coffee. “I’m sorry for your loss, Sienna.” He sighs, sets down his drink, and wraps her in a hug. “Truly, I’m so sorry.”

She sniffles and squeezes him tightly. “But Raf and Casey are still here. That’s good.” She steps back and forces a smile. “It makes it easier, I think.”

Aurora wraps an arm around her shoulder and guides her to the on-call room. Bryce sighs again and leans against the countertop, reaching behind him to grab his coffee.

Jackie crosses her arms. “So?”

He looks up. “So what?”

“You’re not going to get some sleep?”

He pinches the bridge of his nose and knocks back what’s left in his cup. The coffee is lukewarm. “I need to check on Keiki and give her an update. And I know the Valentines are on their way, so I should get in contact with them, tell them Case is still alive. At least I have some good news for them.”

Jackie grabs his shoulders and steers him out of the break room. “And you’ll have more soon. We can’t confirm anything yet, and you need to rest.”

“Jackie, I —”

She stops and moves to stand in front of him. “You’re not the only person who cares about her.” She gestures vaguely around the hallway. “Why else do you think we stayed up all night to synthesize a cure? Why Aurora brought her colleagues from Mass Ken? Why Tobias and Ethan set aside their differences to work on this?” Jackie glances over her shoulder and leans closer. “Dude, Sienna was crushing hard on Danny, and he died, and she still continued to work on this cure to help Casey.”

He nods and bites his thumbnail. “No, I know. I know how close you all are, but—Jackie, she’s the love of my life.” It comes out easier now, now that Casey knows. “I can’t stand not knowing.”

“Well, you’re in the same boat as the rest of us. Text your sister and Casey’s family, give them an update, then get some rest. I’ll personally make sure Sienna knows about this, too.”

Bryce chokes out a watery laugh and holds his hands up in surrender. “I give up, you win.” He holds up his index finger in Jackie’s face. “But the moment we have something definitive on Casey, you come get me.”

Jackie sticks out her hand. “Deal.”

***

From: Bryce

Stayed w Case all night

Wore a hazmat suit, dw

Gonna still be at the hospital until we know more

How were you last night?

From: Pest

are you okay??? hows casey????

and dw about me

From: Bryce

I’m fine just a little tired

We found a cure?? We think?? We’re waiting to know more

Also I’m your guardian, I’m legally obligated to worry, how were you last night??

From: Pest

well get some rest ig

and thats good!!!! rooting for her (tell her i said hi)

alright fine it was a rough night but thats bc of you and casey and i was worried

From: Bryce

I will soon, just need to update the Valentines (same for telling Case you said hi)

Did you eat??

From: Pest

no i photosynthesized

From: Bryce

Dick

From: Pest

all that was in the fridge was ur chicken from hell and it was late so i asked mrs zimmerman for food

love that woman to death

she gave me lasagna and cookies

…

also i watched tv until late and slept in your bed lol

From: Bryce

Wow

I go through a crisis

Discover I’m in love with my dying girlfriend

And you steal my bed and insult my cooking

From: Pest

oh pls

you got food poisoning from it too

From: Bryce

Ughhhhhh

Just go to school, I’ll keep you updated on Casey

And don’t try and argue your way out of it, I can’t be responsible for you committing truancy

…

But depending on how she’s doing, I’ll try and get you to visit Casey asap

From: Pest

how can i concentrate in school when my favorite sibling is deathly ill

From: Bryce

Do you want me to tell Case that you tried to use her as an excuse to get out of school

Bc I will

From: Pest

fine!!!! getting ready

[middle finger emoji]

***

Two hands grip his shoulders, and he starts awake, looking around wildly, hands forming into a fist. His eyes land on an overjoyed Jackie, who’s bouncing up and down. “It worked! Bryce, it worked!”

He sits up straight. “Casey’s alright?”

Jackie nods quickly, eyes welling up with tears. “She’s alright! I mean, of course, she has to recover, but the maitotoxin’s not going to kill her.”

Bryce grins and springs out of bed. “I’ve gotta go see her!”

“What, you’re not gonna update her folks?”

He stops in his tracks at that, fishing his phone out of his pocket. “You know what, fair.” With one hand, he pushes his hair away from his face while he scrolls through his contacts for Mr. Valentine’s contact.

From: Bryce

Good news!! Casey’s improving!!! The cure the diagnostics team administered to her is working, and she should be on the road to recovery by the time you get here.

[Message not delivered!]

He groans. “They must be on the flight.” Shaking his head, he tucks his phone back into his pocket. “Doesn’t matter. I need to go see her.”

Jackie waves her hand. “Go see your girl, lover boy.”

Bryce sprints upstairs, breezing quickly past Harper and Takana. He can’t help the smile on his face, so when he catches Harper’s eye, she physically relaxes and gives him a nod. Tanaka stops him briefly to shake his hand and to congratulate him.

Normally, Bryce would prioritize this kind of conversation with Takana. It’s not just congratulating him that his girlfriend is still alive and hope is alive and well — after all, he did get through the most difficult part of Kyra’s surgery and essentially left Tanaka to close. His career could catapult with this conversation.

And it will. It can just wait a few minutes.

Bryce excuses himself and bounces on the balls of his feet while he waits for the elevator. Maybe he should text Keiki. She should be getting out of school soon. He glances at his watch. In twenty minutes, actually.

The elevator dings before he can fish his phone out of his pocket, so he slips inside, presses the button for the seventh floor, and taps his fingers against his thigh during the agonizingly long elevator ride. Once the elevator doors begin to slide open, he squeezes past them and sprints to her room.

Before he reaches her room, he slows to a stop and pushes his hand through his hair. If he cranes his neck, he can see her through the glass. She sits on her bed, swinging her legs back and forth, staring outside while biting the inside of her lip.

The glass. It separated the dying from the living, but now, it separates the living from each other.

He strides through the decontamination tent, knowing that there is absolutely no way that he can erase the smile off his face. Opening his arms wide, he locks eyes with Casey. “It worked!”

Her jaw drops and her eyes widen. She straightens.

Bryce lets out a watery laugh, brushing the tears away from his cheeks with his thumb. “I told you it was going to be okay. I told you —”

Casey streaks across the room, launching herself into his arms with such force that he stumbles backwards.

Immediately, he wraps his arms around her, pressing one hand to the small of her back to pull her closer. With his other hand, he cups the back of her neck. She tucks her face into the crook of his neck, and he can feel her tears dripping hot and fast against his neck.

He rests his chin on her shoulder. “Couldn’t wait for me to cross the room, huh?”

She shakes her head quickly. “No.” Stepping back, she grabs the front of his scrubs and pulls him into a dizzyingly deep kiss. His arms wrap around her to hold her close.

When they finally break apart, he rests his forehead against hers. She lifts her hand to brush her fingers across his cheeks. “I love you,” he says.

Casey stands on her tiptoes, capturing his mouth in hers again. “I love you, too.”

Bryce cups her face in his hands and kisses her once, twice, three times. “Thank you,” he whispers, eyes fluttering shut.

She wraps one arm around his neck, keeping one hand on his cheek. “For what?”

He kisses her forehead. “For being alive.”

#bryce lahela #casey valentine #open heart choices #open heart fic #my fic #bryce x mc #bryce x casey #open heart: second year #2.11 #mostly canon compliant

[stanathanxoox]

His

gif not mine

They didn't like to be touched by just anyone. But that didn't mean they didn't also crave it sometimes. - Ethan Ramsey x MC

Over the years you had seen the way that Ethan had froze whenever patients had touched him after celebrating a successful diagnosis, or when he consoled them about a medical diagnosis that was beyond even the diagnostic teams capability, how even with his closest friends he seemed to close himself from physical contact. Everyone that is apart from you. His Y/N, He cared for you in a way that he didn’t even seem to understand sometimes and yet he loved and cared for you in a way nobody had ever done so before and you could see it in the way he stood just that little bit too close whenever you discussed your findings about a patient, the way he smiled just a little wider whenever you walked into his line of vision and how when it was just the two of you, how he seemed to worship every single inch of you, mind, body and soul. So when he got down on one knee and proposed to you the answer was a give in, it was so easy and simple, a definite yes to a future spent with your forever and giving comfort to a man who shied away from everyone else's comfort but your own.   

Tag List: @tiva-jenry-caskett-rizzles-densi​, @jimmybpride​, @dressed-up-just-like-z1ggy​, @nikkiwierden​, @samchelforever007​, @kirkspockbones​, @xoncisxncislaxncisnolaox​, @lasalle-pride-sebastian-love​, @haliannej​, @brooklyn-99-amyxjake​​, @mizzezm​, @genius2050​, @twilight-twihard​, @cullencoven2019​, @wxlfgirlx​, @luciferxchloeislove​, @drethanramsey-ismybabe​, @sawyer-oakley-is-mighty-fine​, @loverofoneshots​, @aelin-thefirebreathingbitchqueen​​

Tag List for Pixelberry fics: @cordoniaqueensworld​, @aworldoffandoms​, @desiree—1986​

Tag List for Open Heart: @melissagoodwill​, @lady-kato​, @i-bloody-love-drake-walker​, @cxld-play

#play choices #pixelberry choices #open heart #open heart imagine #open heart fic #open heart reader insert #open heart x reader #open heart x mc #dr ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey imagine #ethan ramsey x reader #ethan ramsey x mc

[headoverheelsforramsey]

Death Stare

Book : Open Heart (set in Book 3 timeline)

Pairing : Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Meera Bose)

Category : Fluff

Summary : A friendly staring contest turns into a heated competition. Who will emerge as the winner? Ethan or Meera?

Warnings : None

Rating : General

Word Count : 1356

Trope : Valentine's Day, Donahue's, Friends Intervene

A/N : I received this ask quite some time back and have been meaning to write something for it forever. Happy Valentine's Day everyone, hope you like this, and also Happy Reading. ❤️

Submission to @choicesficwriterscreations Valentine's Day event, @choices-february2023 Day 14 : Valentine's Day and @choicesmonthlychallenge : To Be or Not to Be (prompts used : hell no, not happening & never which will appear in bold)

Ethan Ramsey put down his pen to pick up his phone. The name on the screen instantly bringing a smile to his face.

She is right, he thought. Typing in a quick reply he grabbed his coat and left his office.

He walked into Donahue’s, scanning the crowd for Meera, but instead he was greeted with the unfamiliar red and pink decorations and the cheering and hollering of a crowd. He pinched the bridge of his nose suddenly recalling that the upcoming consumerist trap of a holiday was just round the corner. He was reevaluating whether leaving his silent office was a wise decision when his eyes landed on Meera. Ethan pushed through the crowd to reach the booth she was seated at with her friends.

“There you are!” Meera pulled him in for a kiss.

“This place is packed,” he commented taking a seat.

“Yeah, why not? Reggie is giving out free drinks,” Elijah informed.

“Really?” Ethan said in disbelief.

“Not just like that, you have to earn it,” Aurora added.

“Earn it?”

“You have to beat your partner in a staring contest!” Bryce said. Ethan’s face showed that it was the stupidest thing he had ever heard.

“It’s for Valentine’s Day!” Sienna exclaimed, “also, we think you and Meera should totally put your names down!”

A wave of excited murmur went around the group.

“Hell no!” Ethan protested, “ is this why you brought me here?” he asked Meera.

“I mean, not exactly,” Meera paused, “but free dinks never hurt anybody.”

“Yes!”

“Amen!” Her friends shouted in support.

Ethan shook his head, “Meera, you are still working, you can’t even drink!”

“We can!” Jackie stated the obvious. “And trust me, broke residents like us could really use a free round of drinks.”

“If that is so I can happily buy all of you a round,” Ethan offered desperte to get out of this situation.

“But you know there is absolutely nothing like free drinks!” Bryce explained earning another round of supportive cheers from the group.

“So it’s settled then you guys are entering the competition!” Sienna shouted in a sing-song manner.

“Not happening,” Ethan repeated.

“Do it. DO IT. DO IT!” as the younger doctors started cheering Ethan looked helplessly at Meera, who was enjoying his misery a little too much.

She lowered her voice, so that only he can hear, “What? Afraid of a little friendly competition, Ramsey.”

He locked eyes with her, the mischief glinting in the pair of brown orbs.

“Fine!” he finally declared, earning claps and wolf whistles from the group.

Bryce does the honour of putting their names on the list and while everyone patiently wait for their turn, Ethan slides upto Meera, “I can’t believe I agreed to this.”

“Well you better start believing, because you are going down Ramsey.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“Could be,” Meera shrugs.

As the last couple break their stare, Reggie goes upto the makeshift stage. “Well, next on the list we have Meera Bose and…,” he gives a long pause, his eyes falling on Ethan, expression a mixture of amusement and confusion. “Well I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Ethan Ramsey!”

As the people in the bar cheer, their friends being the loudest, Ethan and Meera take their respective positions at the ends of a table.

“Ready to lose?” Meera smirked.

“Never,” Ethan replied.

“All right your time starts now!” Reggie announces.

They locked eyes, the chaos of the bar fade away, focusing on each other only. None knew how much time had passed but they refused to give up. As more and more time passed, the enthusiasm and excitement of the crowd died down.

“I gotta admit this is getting kinda boring,” Aurora remarked.

“Well atleast they are lasting much longer than the other couples,” Bryce said.

“Guys come on!” Jackie had reached the end of her patience, “we’ll be the ones getting the free drinks, it dosen’t matter which one of you win, just break it off already!”

“I have a feeling pitting these two against each other wasn’t a good idea,” Sienna sighed.

“God, I hope there is a miracle,” Elijah could hardly finish when two pagers went off together.

Ethan and Meera’s brows knitted as realization dawned upon them.

“Sometimes I hate my job,” Meera said still not breaking eye contact.

“It’s okay we can pick this up again sometime later,” Ethan reassured.

“Okay guys, it’s finally happening!” Jackie said, ecstatic.

As if on mutual understanding the couple broke eye contact answering their respective pagers.

“It’s done, Reggie, give us our alcohol,” Jackie demanded.

“It was a tie,” Reggie announced earning a groan from the group.

“Oh come on! You know the drinks would be ours irrespective of either of them winning,” Bryce reasoned.

“Sorry, against the rules,” Reggie replied.

As the group continued arguing Ethan turned to Meera, “we need to go.” She mouthed a sorry to her enraged group of friends walking out of the bar. The last thing she could hear was Aurora going, “that is so unfair.”

“Well you’ll have to buy them drinks sometime,” Meera said to Ethan as they were making their way back to the hospital.

“No way, I offered them at the beginning, they declined and I had to go through all this, no way I am offering them again.”

“So you are saying you didn’t enjoy staring into my eyes at all.”

“I did, but next time, I’d prefer not being surrounded by drunk strangers.”

Much later, the team leaves the diagnostic office after Ethan dismisses them. He comes upto Meera who is packing up her belongings. “Great solve on that one, I’ll admit it was a little tricky.”

“Thanks!” Meera grinned, “I’m just trying to learn as much as I can from the very best.”

Ethan smiles proudly, pecking his girlfriend’s cheek. “Anyways you go home, I’ll stay back a little longer. I want to monitor Mr. Huxley for a couple of hours. I am a little worried about his BP, we will have to change the NSAIDS dosage if it plummets.”

Meera nodded silently, going over the patient chart once again. “Why don’t I stay back and you go home?”

“No it’s fine, you have had a long shift.”

“So have you. Look, I am the junior member of the team, it’s my job. You promised you won’t go easy on me just because I’m your girlfriend.”

“You are right,” Ethan wrapped his arms around her, “I can’t risk playing favourites and have HR breathing down my neck.”

“Imagine! What a dreadful allegation,” Meera laughed.

“Fine, you stay, but run by me before you make any changes to the dosage.”

“Yes sir!”

“And come back to my apartment, you still have a staring contest to lose, rookie.”

“We will see about that.”

Meera entered the condo, putting her keys down on the countertop.

“Babe! I’m home!” she called out, only to be returned with silence. She started searching the rooms until finally going into the bedroom. The door to the bathroom was slightly ajar and she could hear the water running, “so there you are.”

Ethan walked out, in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, “sorry I couldn't hear you from inside.”

Meera’s breath got stuck and god knows how many beats her heart skipped. Her eyes moving down from his collar bones, perfect abs and lower.

“Like what you see?” Ethan’s voice breaking her haze. “I believe we have a little game to continue.”

“This is so not fair,” Meera protested.

“Everything is fair in love and war, my dear.”

Ethan moved closer, leaving an almost non existent gap between them. They lock eyes. Ethan smirking on getting the upper hand, while Meera fighting her human instincts to close the gap between them and throw the towel away. A few seconds later she blinks.

“You lose, I win,” Ethan looks at Meera hungrily, “now I get to claim my price.”

He tilts her face and their lips fit like perfect puzzle pieces. As Meera melts into the kiss she makes quick work of the towel thinking how it was a win-win situation for her.

Thank you so much if you have read till here, it means the world to me. Hope to see you go on other different adventures with me, Ethan and Meera, till then sending love and hugs your way! ❤️

Perma : @starrystarrytrouble @quixoticdreamer16 @coffeeheartaddict2 @liaromancewriter @tessa-liam @gryffindordaughterofathena @crazy-loca-blog @zahrachoices @bex-la-get @potionsprefect @schnitzelbutterfingers @a-crepusculo @custaroonie @aishwarya26 @jamespotterthefirst

Ethan x Meera : @jerzwriter @wanderingamongthewildflowers @takemyopenheart @mvalentine

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Please let me know if you want to be added or removed. 💜

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[txemrn]

Hii 😍

What if your MC / LI sent the wrong picture to the wrong number? It can be a fun or spicy pic

Bahahaha! Oh PR, the silliness you bring out of me... Thank you for sending me this Ask! 🖤 Here's a short (but I couldn't find an appropriate pic for this, but I'm sure y'all can use your imagination... )🤣

Word Count: ~970

Warning: language; brief crude humor

AN: Some characters belong to Pixelberry; Erin belongs to @kat-tia801; the rest are my random OCs/friend group for the Ramseys; this is pure silliness (that no one should probably read lol) that I'm not even sure if it would actually happen (LOL); BUT it was fun, and it was totally inspired by Grey's Anatomy (IYKYK)

~🖤~

"Oh no!" Tatum whimpers to herself. "No, no, no!"

She stares at her handheld mirror in horror as the intimate area between her thighs appears to be swelling with raised red bumps right before her eyes. She groans in frustration, grabbing a back scratcher, and thrashing it vigorously across her itchy skin.

Her phone pings. She growls in agony, tossing the wooden device across the floor and swiping across her phone.

Ethan: Checking out now. You almost ready?

Tatum's toes begin to curl as her manic desire to tear off her flesh begins to grow. Why did this have to be happening now?

Tonight was the annual "Thankmas" dinner with the Ramsey's closest and dearest friends. Because of PTO blackouts and staffing shortages, it is near impossible for everyone to get together on the actual holidays. So, they pick a weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas–hence the name– to celebrate together, complete with tons of food, booze, games and gifts.

After they went on a long hike with their dogs during lunch, Ethan went to the liquor store while Tatum started getting ready for the evening. But while sitting at her vanity, she found herself feeling slightly itchy on her inner thighs. Before long, she was rubbing her private areas on the textured fabric of her stool. After drawing blood with her fingernails, she started using more blunt objects. 

She knows better than to scratch, but this sudden rash was unbelievably miserable. Where the heck did this come from?

Tatum: Do you mind stopping at Rite Aid?

Ethan: ???

Tatum's phone pings again, this time receiving a message from their Thankmas group chat.

THANKMAS 2022

Julian: does everyone have the address?

Bryce: we're good! On our way

Victor: yes, parking in the back? We're heading that way

Shit. Everyone was already heading to the Santiago's home, and here she was, more interested in investing in a stainless steel cheese grater. Christ, she needs alcohol. And a new va-jay-jay.

Her phone pings.

Ethan: what do you need?

Tatum: I have a rash.

Ethan: Lovely.

Tatum: I'm serious, and I'm pretty sure I've clawed off my epidermis.

Ethan: Do you think it's from our hike?

Tatum: Shit. Our hike... remember when I needed to pee?

Tatum: Shit! This might be poison ivy!

Tatum: 😭

Ethan: where is it?

Tatum switches to her phone's camera function, and takes a quick shot of her inner thigh and partial visual of her labia. But, before she can send the pic of her puffy bottom, Tatum's cell alerts her of an incoming message from the Thanksmas group.

THANKMAS 2022

Julian: Ramseys: haven't heart from you. You good? Heading this way?

Tatum scoffs, rolling her eyes. Give me a second, Jules!

She clicks on Ethan's contact, pulling up the last message they were a part of. She pastes the picture of her swollen areas and clicks send.

She starts googling various over-the-counter remedies for itching relief, all of which they do not keep readily in their medicine cabinet.

Picking out a more comfortable outfit for the evening, Tatum's phone suddenly begins to ping incessasntly of text messages.

What?

The pings finally stop, only to be interrupted by her ringtone, alerting her of a phone call. She looks at the screen, Ethan's name illuminating. 

"Hey," she answers pathetically, but she is quickly cut off.

"Tatum, what the fuck!?" Ethan restrains a roar.

"What–?" 

"The picture, Tate!"

"Isn't it awful?" She begins to scratch again. "Do you think it's poison ivy?"

"I don't know," he barks sarcastically, "let's ask one of our friends what they think is on your vagina!"

"Huh?" Tatum swipes through her phone and realizes her mistake: she sent her infected crotch shot to their closest friends. First, she had a message from her best friend Erin Winters-Lahela.

Erin: IS THAT YOUR KITTY-CAT?!

Erin: HELL! WTF DID ETHAN DO TO YOU!??!

Then she clicked on the group message

THANKMAS 2022

Bryce: is that a raw turkey?

Bryce: are we having turkey?

Julian: LMAO! Looks more like a pussycat...

Bryce: oh snap 😱

Erin: Bryce, you better stop looking!

Erin: tabbing

Erin: down

Julian: a hairless one...

Erin: to

Chelsea: JULIAN MOISES! STOP LOOKING!

Chelsea: Tatum WTF?!

Erin: get

Victor: is that poison ivy?

Erin: pic

Erin: off

Erin: the

Abigail: Victor and I agree. We enlarged the pic. It looks like poison ivy. Our daughter had that this summer. U need some cortisone. I have a homemade jar of cortisone, essential oils and oatmeal u can have.

Abigail: I wouldn't wear any underwear if I were u.

Julian: that kitty needs some attention, Ethan

Julian: and she's going to be without panties?!

Ethan: JFC

Erin: screen

Julian: I volunteer to help if she can't reach. With the ointments.

Chelsea: JULES! SHUT UP!

A sudden queasiness hits Tatum's stomach. "Oh no–"

"Oh yes!" Ethan sighs, his irritation apparent.

"Oh my God, we can't go now. Oh my God, don't make me go--"

"Tate," he exhales heavily into silence. "Let's get you taken care of first. Let me grab some ointment." He sighs in irritation again. "I'm calling the ER--"

"The ER?"

"You need steroids--"

"Ethan!" She panics, tears forming in her eyes. "I just flashed my cooch to our best friends! I don't want anyone else from the hospital to see it--" She is interrupted by a deep chuckle coming over the receiver. "Ethan Jonah Ramsey... are you... laughing at me?" Ethan's snickers turn into a heavy laughter as Tatum begins to see red. "This isn't funny, Rams!"

"Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he clears his throat. "But I do have good news for you."

"Hrmm?"

"I just looked up who was covering ER tonight, and luckily it's someone who's already seen your crotch."

"Huh?" Tatum curiously mutters. "Who?"

Ethan tries to stifle his titters. "Um... that would be Dr. Tobias Carrick."

~🖤~

Tags (please let me know if you'd like to be added/removed)

PERMA

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ALL OPH

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#you asked #silly open heart short #open heart fic #ethan ramsey #tatum erikson #ethan x tatum #choices oph #choices ethan #ethan ramsey x f!oc

[coffeeheartaddict2]

Everybody Hurts sometimes (8/18)

Calculated

Book: Open Heart

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC Casey Valentine

Word count: 2283

Warnings: language, bio weapon attack, minor character deaths

***trigger warning- this series deals with issues of abandonment and addiction. This chapter also has a bio-weapon attack and minor character death*****

Summary: Casey with Ethan’s help gets Senator Farrugia. An attack happens that endangers Casey. Help appears to come from an unexpected source.

Disclaimer: characters belong Pixelberry.

Authors note: again another event that happened in canon. But again especially the next chapter, the event precipitates some of the changes I have made.

🙈🙉🙊🙈🙉🙊🙈🙉

June was anxious. She had been sitting on the news that Kenmore, more specifically that Tobias was trying to court Senator Farrugia for a couple of days now. She wanted Casey and Ethan involved. She needed information. She had leadership ambitions and sure she had been headhunted by other hospitals but she wanted to lead the best and the best was Edenbrook. There was one obstacle in her way and that was Dr Ethan Ramsey. She was excited when he quit, surely the team would be hers but he was offered his old job back. Then there were the rumours that he slept with Casey to advance her career. She needed proof. Naveen would be a hurdle sure but she was determined to be on top and she did not care how she got there.

She needed to be covert to get the information she desired but she needed Casey on board and it needed to be sold in such a way that Ethan would be on board too. Then she thought about how much Ethan cares about the team and more importantly Naveen’s legacy. She knew Senator Farrugia was all for improving health care access for all which she knew that Ethan dreamed off and she knew Casey was that way inclined too. She started her thought and began to formulate her plan.

A week later, after a very arduous session with Tobias, June had her plan in place. Tobias had successfully gotten the senator to Kenmore but was getting nowhere. He had told her that he was mainly dealing with the assistant and he kept contradicting himself. She saw Casey and proceeded to chat to her.

“Have you heard about Senator Farrugia?”

“Superstar state senator, yes I have heard of him.” Said Casey warily.

“Well I have heard that the good senator has a mystery illness and he is at Kenmore…”

“What does this have to do with me June.?”

“Surely a man who wants access for all to decent health care should be here where his ideals are epitomized? Just think of the attention that having him here will garner to that program.”

Casey knew June had to be up to something, but June had found her kryptonite.

“But if he is at Kenmore, how do we get him here?”

“Chat to Ethan, he has privileges there.”

Casey knew she should not have but she knew them figuring out what was wrong with the senator would garner plenty of positive publicity. She had found Ethan in the office and he was alone. She told him about what June had said about the senator and the advantages for the program they ran. Ethan had to agree with Casey so they made a plan. They went to Kenmore and found an office with an unlocked computer. The senator was not listed under his name but Ethan remembered something about Tobias from med school and they found the senator. They kiss briefly as cover when the person comes back for their drink bottle then they head off. Tobias spots Ethan and then Casey proceeds to room 714. Casey spots Baz who is masquerading as Zaid and they get to the Senator’s room.

He is annoyed as the doctor’s here are no closer to a diagnosis. Casey makes her pitch, telling him that Edenbrook is a hospital that aligns more with his values and sold him on how Dr Ramsey wrote the book on modern diagnostic care. The senator is impressed and decides to transfer to Edenbrook. They leave the room and make their way down to the atrium. It is then that Tobias spots them but they just make it out when Ethan comes around the corner in his car. Tobias makes it outside just as Ethan is leaving. He feels he should be mad but if he was being honest with himself he was impressed that there was still a mischievous streak in Ethan. Sure he lost the patient but he was impressed.

Back at Edenbrook news got to June that the senator was coming to Edenbrook. She was impressed. She told Casey this but she said, I did it for the team. Casey goes and finishes her rounds. She is finishing off a chart when Ethan comes across her. He looks round and grabs Casey’s hand.

“I had fun today, thank you.”

“No thank you for helping, I am just glad we got away with it.”

“Me too, a private celebration at mine tonight.” Casey does a quick look around, she kisses Ethan briefly and very chaste on the lips.

“I am looking forward to it already.”

“I’ll pick you up at the end of your shift.” He smiled and walks away. Unbeknownst to both of them, June saw everything. She got the kiss on camera. She still felt she needed more proof.

The next day came and June noticed that both Ethan and Casey were relaxed. They met to discuss the senator and his symptoms. There was a knock at the door and Travis and the Senator walked in. The senator wanted to be involved which everyone agreed was unorthodox but ran with it. Casey asked about travel, people he had met with, then he mentioned an old property that he had just purchased and the mosquitos. They ran tests for mosquito borne diseases. Casey was concerned that he seemed to forget words that he seemed he should know. Baz agreed but they agreed to reconvene when they had the results.

They all met later that day. There were no mosquito borne diseases and in fact Baz complimented the Senator on being rather healthy for his age.

“Yes well, I have been trying to eat healthier, I have gone…. I do not eat meat anymore.”

Casey’s interest is piqued. How could you forget that you are going Vegan? She asks more about the house and the senator states that he is renovating and that the works are rather extensive.

“I think we may need to check for lead poisoning.” Said Casey. The senator was shocked and so was Travis, Casey thought he was just concerned about the senator’s welfare. They run the test and they go through the treatment if it is indeed that. The senator was not happy that he had to stay in the hospital. Ethan noticed that Travis appeared nervous about that but again he thought nothing of it.

The tests come back positive and Casey orders sample of the paint at the Senator’s house and to warn the trades people of possible exposure.

The team was finishing up for the day when Travis said that the senator was to do an interview on TV and he wanted two doctors to come with him. The team was in agreement about Ethan going as he was the leader. Baz suggested Casey given that she came up with the diagnosis. Ethan agreed. They went with Travis and the senator. Casey avoided him. Whilst Ed was in another room, Casey asked Ethan why people are so disappointing? Ethan thought for a minute and said that if you are careful with whom you put your trust in then you are least likely to be so. Casey then asked what do you do when you are about to go on to national television with someone you have misplaced trust in.”

Ethan did not know what to say except I am sure you will figure it out.

They go out for the interview. For the most part the interviewer stayed on topic, the diagnosis, the team, Casey even got the senator to commit to some very progressive legislation. The interviewer then asked Ethan if he was single. Ethan briefly looked at Casey while he schooled his features and stated that he was not.

After the interview, Ethan and Casey were in the dressing room.

“So not single huh?”

He brushes his lips lightly against hers.

“What is the saying? It’s complicated?” He goes do his deepen the kiss but Travis knocks on the door telling them they are heading back.

Meanwhile, in a townhouse in South End, Tobias was watching the interview. He was happy for his former friend, he was also not surprised that Casey played a major part in the diagnosis. He did not miss the look he gave Casey.

“So the feelings are genuine then” he says to himself. He knew June felt she was not there on merit but given that Edenbrook solved what was wrong within two days he had to wonder if it was indeed bullshit. The he remembered the look on June’s face when he suggested that the feelings were genuine. He then wondered if he was being played and if he was that would be the end.

The next day, Casey was talking to Raf when Danny came up with the test results for the paint. She reads the results and is bemused. There was no lead in the paint samples. She goes to the office and searches for Senator Farrugia. Casey goes back until when he was mayor. Then she sees a familiar face, Travis Perry. She runs to the senator’s room, asking Bobby to call the authorities, Raf enters the room with Casey. There they find Travis, looking angry, with a cannister of unknown origin. He sprays it at Bobby then Danny. Raf knocks Casey out of the way and tackles Travis, Raf got hit but was able to ensure that Travis got a bit.

Ethan comes to the office after stopping off at Derry Roasters. He sees Casey’s laptop open and then he sees the story.

“Fuck” he mutters to himself under his breath and rushes to the room. What greets Ethan is a scene of complete and utter chaos. Casey is holding the door from the inside to prevent him coming in and whatever was deployed coming out. She tells him what happened.

“I will fix this," he says. He gets nurses to evacuate the floor while Raf helps Casey seal up the vent as best as possible. He gets the CDC on the phone.

A team arrives and properly quarantines the room. Travis is taken away much to the ire of Ethan. Danny is moved to a support suite but Bobby passed away in the room. Casey had the least exposure. Ethan assures her they will find out and cure it. He heads to the lab. June and Baz are already working to find out what it was. Sienna then comes. Ethan can tell she is upset but she says she knows where the senator is hiding. They head to Paediatrics and find him cowering in a store room. He is reluctant to give them access but he agrees when Sienna agreed to do a glowing interview. They head to the field office.

Ethan said we would do everything that is possible to save Casey, Raf and Danny. Sienna nodded. “How are you doing Ethan, knowing Casey is compromised?”

Ethan takes a deep breath. “It is only an arrangement at the moment but when she survives. I am going open. I love her too fucking much to keep her hidden like some dirty secret.”

“Will she be ok with that?”

“I will discuss but when we broke up I said she deserved more than what I could give her…”

“Yeah she said, what if there are still naysayers?”

“I could not give a shit about that, we both know it was on merit that she is on the team and as Casey said the only opinions she cares about are the people who do know the truth.”

They arrive at the field office. They enter and they are given a list of what they have tested, which Ethan knew would save some time. He spoke to Travis to find out if he knew what it was. He did not know what was in it, stating the people whom he got it from were not the type to answer questions. He then crashed, he let the team there assist while he took a look at his chart. He was able to garner some information on symptom progression and he hoped that could buy more time.

Tobias had been trying to find Aurora for an hour or so. Paging was garnering no results. He finally calls her. She picks up.

“Where are you Dr Emery?”

“Sorry Dr Carrick, I am at Edenbrook.”

“Why are you there?”

“There was an attack. The senator was the target, but a security guard and a nurse have died. Casey and our friend Raf are still ok.”

“Thanks Dr Emery.” Said Tobias as he ended the call.

“Fuck” said Tobias. He then thought about the assistant, how he was insistent on the privacy, the contradictions, the annoyance at the transfer to Edenbrook.

“Fuck, how did I fucking miss this.” Then he got annoyed at himself for telling June. In that moment he knew that he was responsible and if he could avoid it, there was going to be no more death today from this. He assembles a team and they head across to Wdenbrook.

While Tobias is assembling a team, Raf has a hot and cold reversal that lead to them finding out the toxin, it was a maitotoxin and there was no cure. Casey feels dejected. Just then Tobias and the Kenmore team walk up, and you have the best Kenmore has to offer to solve this.

Everyone was surprised and June was skeptical. She wondered if Tobias was wanting to one up Ethan but she kept her thoughts to herself. Everyone but Ethan heads to the lab. Ethan suits up and stays with Casey, and he hopes that they can find a cure in time.

——-

Authors note: yeah I know another cliffhanger but seriously if I did all of the attack in one chapter it would be long and some of what happens next in this little AU will get lost. You will note some slight changes already- all set up for the next chapter. For those who have read this far thank you.

Tagging: @jamespotterthefirst @jerzwriter @genevievemd @youlookappropriate @alj4890 @liaromancewriter @potionsprefect @cariantha @a-crepusculo @bex-la-get @crazy-loca-blog @tessa-liam @ofmischiefandmedicine @peonierose @trappedinfanfiction @lucy-268 @ofmischiefandmedicine @schnitzelbutterfingers @binny1985

@openheartfanfics @choicesficwriterscreations

If I have missed anyone or you wish to be added please let me know

#open heart #ethan ramsey #choices fanfic writers creations #fic of the week #Casey Valentine #au #the attack #Tobias carrick #open heart fic #choices #play choices

[danijimenezv]

Late Night Talking

Summary: Jill opens up about her background to Ethan. It takes place in OH1 Ch10.

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x MC (Jillian Valentine).

Word Count: 2356 words.

A/N: In other words, Ethan likes Boston Jillian too. This was inspired by @jamespotterthefirst's book 1 replay, and I felt like I had to add to one of my favorite moments in the series. Also, huge shoutout to the lovely @bex-la-get for reading it first and encouraging me to write again.

“What kind of doctor do you see yourself being in ten years?”

The question took her by surprise, and Jillian moved to refill her glass of wine as she thought about her answer. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, simply enjoying the Miami night’s soft breeze that the waves of the Atlantic brought, while Ethan stared at her with genuine curiosity, taking his time to study every crease on her face in a dazzle.

“If I tell you this…” Jillian started, finally looking back at him, “Can you promise me to keep this between us? To not tell anyone back at Boston?”

“Did you do something illegal?” Ethan teased, earning a soft snort from her.

“No.”

“Then I won’t say anything. You can trust me.”

It was a simple statement, but that meant so much for both of them. Ethan had trusted her with the whole Naveen situation, and he wanted nothing more than for Jill to trust him as much as he did her.

“Okay, here goes nothing.” she took a huge gulp of wine before focusing her gaze on his azure eyes, and she shook her head in amusement, “I’m sure you’ve already deciphered some of my life.”

“Wasn’t hard to figure out.” he shrugged, “Back at the baseball game, you excluded yourself when you made a statement about the debt interns have to deal with, which made me suspect that you come from a wealthy family that paid your medical school tuition in full, hence why you’re not in debt. You also mentioned that your family prepared you to deal with health representatives, among other nuisances. And lastly, for the past half hour, you’ve been slightly scrunching up your nose every time you take a sip of the wine, probably because you’re used to finer options.”

“This is good wine.” Jill denied.

“No, this is regular wine. And you know it.”

“Maybe I’m just a wine snob.”

“Oh, that’s for sure. But I doubt that’s a secret that you want kept from the people in Boston.”

Jill let out a breathy chuckle and took another sip of her glass, trying hard not to scrunch her nose this time, “I hate that you’re so good at reading me.”

She hadn’t said Ethan was good at reading people; she’d said he was good at reading her. For some reason, that knowledge made him unbelievably happy.

“You’re not wrong, though.” Jillian admitted, looking away vulnerably as she finally admitted what she had been hiding from everyone for years, “I do come from a wealthy family.”

“And that’s what you don’t want to be known?”

“When people find out you come from money, they start treating you differently.” she explained, fidgeting with her fingers, “Suddenly who you are as a person doesn’t matter as much as what you have or what you can get. I don’t want my friends to think differently of me… I don’t want anyone to think differently of me. But it’s more than just that.”

“Your parents are doctors…” Ethan guessed.

“Yes, veterinarians.”

It took Ethan a few seconds to put two and two together, and realization dawned on his face, “Your family are the owners of The Valentine Clinic. Which means you’re also–”

“Senator Westbrook’s niece, yes. Mom’s side of the family.” she chuckled bitterly, looking down at the wine in the swirling glass.

“Most people would gloat about that.”

“The thing is… I like Boston Jillian.”

“Excuse me?” he frowned in confusion.

“I like the person I am, the person I’ve become since I moved to Boston.” she opened up, taking a shuddering breath, and Ethan listened attentively, “My life in New York was… complicated. The whole socialite environment is draining, and overwhelming. Back home, it never mattered what I wanted for my life or who I was; all that mattered was my reputation and what people thought about me, what people made of me. Everything about my life was scrutinized and could potentially be turned into a scandal. But it was okay because I was a Valentine, and that’s all that mattered to people. I didn’t get to bemy own self, I was the person I was expected to be. But it gets worse… because being that relevant and being surrounded by that kind of people, that ambiance can really change someone. It starts with the feeling of superiority, thinking other people are beneath you, and feeling entitled to anything. And that influence, that much power on a teenager is dangerous. But as long as you stay relevant and you have money, you can get away with almost anything. And that’s just wrong.” when Jill looked back at him, Ethan noticed her whiskey eyes brimming with a couple of tears, which he gently wiped, causing her cheeks to tint with a soft pink color, and he pulled his hand back in embarrassment, “So, I hate New York Jillian. I’m not proud of the person I was back then. And I know I was just a teenager doing what she needed to survive, but I still hate it. I never felt like myself. I was Jillian Valentine, teenage socialite, Doctors Matthew and Haley Valentine’s daughter, the Senator’s niece, but I was never me, not really. And the pressure and expectations from being a Valentine were too much.”

And with her declaration, more pieces of the puzzle fell in place in Ethan’s mind. Now he understood where many of her actions came from. And he was mesmerized at the person he was discovering her to be.

“Jillian, I’m sure your friends wouldn’t blame you. I don’t blame you. All of it would be too much on anyone. And like you said, you were a child.” Ethan reassured her and placed a warm hand over her arm, ignoring the jolts of electricity that her contact brought.

“When I moved away for college, I realized the magnitude of the bubble I lived in all my life. I realized that the real world wasn’t like that, that life didn’t have to be like that. So I tried to put as much distance between me and them, tried to stop being a Valentine, or at least what that entailed in Manhattan’s society. I left New York behind, and Boston was my fresh start.”

“That’s when you applied to medical school.”

“Which was a mistake in their eyes.” she sighed sadly, and Ethan stayed silent, urging her to continue, “For my family, there are only two paths; law school, like the rest of the Westbrooks, or vet school, like every Valentine.”

“And you chose med school.” Ethan stared in amazement.

“I worked at the Clinic as a teenager, and I fell in love with medicine. I knew it was what I wanted. And then I stumbled upon your work.” Jill grinned breathtakingly, making his heart skip a beat, “And I realized there was another way, that I could pursue medicine and step out of my family’s shadow. So yes, I applied, thanks to you. My family was furious with me, but they weren’t going to deter me; I knew this was the path for me. Still, I’m grateful that my parents paid my tuition even when they didn’t approve. After that, I pretty much cut ties with them. I promised to not use my trustfund unless it was an emergency, and started working as a waitress to survive.”

She had stated that previous times, how he had been an inspiration for her to go to medical school and become a doctor. He had heard that before, from several people. It wasn’t an uncommon statement in his life. Though, most people did it to kiss ass and gain his favor; Jillian didn’t. Realizing the extent of the role his life’s work played in Jill’s decision left him speechless. Now he could see in her eyes how much his work meant to her.

He nodded, trying to keep her talking, desperate to find out more about her, “You left that life behind. That’s why you don’t want people to find out about your life in New York, because it’s not you.”

“Exactly. I love my parents and my siblings, but being a Valentine was hard. I don’t want to go back to that, ever. Though, even if I tried to put as much distance between us, there’s something I know for sure.”

“Which is?”

“I want to be the kind of doctor that my parents are.” she rounded up, going back to the original question, and let out a laugh of disbelief, like she couldn’t believe what she was saying either, “They’re amazing doctors. Even my older brother and sister. They cure major diseases every day, even contributing with research of their own.”

“Who says you can’t do that?”

“Do you remember my struggle the first few months? And even now as the first-ranking intern, I feel like I’ll drown at any second.”

“But you’ve already got the persistence down.” Ethan insisted, “And that counts for much more than you think.”

“Really?”

“I’ve never seen you give up on anything yet. That’s important.” he scooted closer to her almost automatically.

“Maybe it’s a family trait.” she shrugged, looking back at the waves, “And it’s different, they have their own hospital, so they make the rules, it’s easier for them, but I’ve seen them do so much good. I’d be insane to not want to be like them.”

“What would you say is your main goal?” he enquired, his undivided attention on her.

“I have many, but I think the main one would be to make a difference in patient care.”

“More than you do now?”

“I’m only an intern.” Jill pointed out, “I do barely anything now.”

“That’s not true.” Ethan noticed he still had his hand on her arm, but instead of removing it, he gently ran his fingers across her smooth skin, making her sigh in content, “I’ve seen how hard you work for your patients. Even if they don’t always value it, you do make a difference.”

“But not enough. I helped one uninsured patient receive care, but I can’t find loopholes for everyone.” her frustration then turned to determination, “The entire system needs to change, and I want to be a part of it.”

“And I have no doubt you’ll find a way.” Ethan smiled softly, “That’s the same drive I saw in your application.”

Jill’s cheeks flared up once again, but she tried to downplay her embarrassment with a teasing remark, “Enough drive to lead the diagnostics team?”

Ethan let out a few chuckles, shaking his head in amusement, “It’s less fun than it looks, I promise you that. I wanted this job until the exact second Naveen told me it was mine.”

Her eyes softened at the mention of the older doctor, “When Doctor Banerji is well again, I’m sure you’ll feel differently.”

“Perhaps. And perhaps one day, it’ll be yours to lead.”

“Are you serious?”

“I did say perhaps.”

“So you do think I’m the future of medicine.”

Ethan couldn’t help the laugh that escaped past his lips, “I remember telling you not to let it get to your head.”

“Too late.” Jill grinned, before turning serious once again, “It just seems like… the higher I aspire, the more I stand to lose.”

“I… certainly understand that.”

The attending got up from his seat and went to the balcony railing, leaning on it with his wine glass in both hands. Jill followed him slowly, brushing his side slightly as she settled beside him.

“What you saw tonight, that’s not me.” it was Ethan’s turn to open up, and he gazed out at the dark sea pensively, “I don’t gamble… on anything. I don’t take chances. Medicine is an assembly of facts leading to a conclusion. Once you know the rules and understand the diseases you’re working with, the risk should be minimal. Your decisions are informed, and you choose the safest path. But that card game… I’ve never done anything like that before.”

“I don’t know. It seemed like a pretty well-informed decision to me. A decision you made based on your people-reading skills.”

“Maybe, but risking Naveen’s treatment on a game? Having to hope I’d judged Declan’s character well enough to risk losing instead of using a winning hand? There were too many variables, I could have lost everything”

“But you didn’t, and you were right. Your risk paid off.”

“It did… and I’m beginning to realize…” Ethan turned to look at Jillian with an intensity that was foreign for both of them, “There are some things that are worth any risk.”

She stared up, meeting his eyes, and the look she gave him was enough to make him forget about everything other than the woman before him. A look that made his heart flutter and his lips to part as he took a sharp intake of breath, while staring at her with total admiration, unable to look away. The golden specs dancing in her caramel eyes seemed even brighter under the moonlight. Ethan glanced at her redenned lips hesitantly but with undenying desire, and noticed her gaze fixed on his own mouth. He leaned closer, and their breaths mixed as both of them breathed heavily.

Jill’s heart started to race and thump loudly against her ribcage at the close proximity. And when she leaned closer to him as well, Ethan’s breath hitched in his throat, and his own heart felt like stopping. Holding his deep blue gaze, Jillian reached tentatively out and touched his cheek tenderly.

“Jill, I…”

“I know.” she whispered, not wanting to disrupt the magical atmosphere.

Ethan closed his eyes and leaned into her touch, his stubble fresh and rough beneath her fingertips. Their noses bumped, and both of their bodies filled with excitement, nerves and exhilaration. Ethan opened his eyes once again to stare at hers.

It was as if a dam broke within him.

In one strong move, he looped his arm around her waist, pulling Jill close until their bodies were flushed together. And after what felt like an eternity of waiting, Ethan hungrily captured her lips, finally kissing her.

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

Tags: @jamespotterthefirst, @takeharryandgo, @aestheticartsx, @choicesfanaf, @liaromancewriter, @trappedinfanfiction, @bex-la-get, @genevievemd, @lucy-268, @jerzwriter, @a-crepusculo, @writer-ish, @potionsprefect, @writinghereandthere, @queencarb, @gryffindordaughterofathena, @ohchoices, @anntoldst0ries, @bluebellot, @schnitzelbutterfingers, @mysticaurathings, @iemcpbchoices, @itsjustamesshonestly, @shanzay44, @lsvdw-blog, @heauxplesslydevoted, @starryeyedrookie, @rosebudde, @crazy-loca-blog, @mercury84choices, @quixoticdreamer16, @peonierose, @maurine07, @choiceskatie, @rookiemartin

#ethan x mc #ethan ramsey x mc #ethan ramsey x jillian valentine #ethan x jill #choices fic writers creations #choices fic #open heart fic #open heart #dani writes

[josiesopenheart]

The Way I Loved You- Chapter 3 Sneak Peek!

I know I’ve taken a lil while out of writing, but now I’m back and continuing my AU series The Way I Loved You

Ethan sits in the cold Diagnostics Team office all alone. And to his surprise, he in unhappy reflecting on the drastic changes in the last year of his life. A year ago he would have been rather contempt sitting alone in his office, leading the Diagnostics Team. Though that is no longer the case and he knows precisely why.

His Josie.

Or rather, an other man’s Josie now.

He shouldn’t care, he knows that. He was the one to set the boundaries. He was the one to leave. He was the one to end it. And yet all he wants is to run to her and fight like hell for her.

Thank you so much for reading!!❤️ I am super exciting to continue this series!

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#open heart #open heart fan fiction #open heart fanfic #open heart fic #open heart fanfiction #ethan ramsey #dr ethan ramsey #dr ethan jonah ramsey #ethan ramsey x f!mc #ethan x mc #ethan ramsey x mc #ethan x f!mc #josie kingsley #ethan x josie #twily #twily series #the way i loved you series

[zoebug19]

Talking to the Bump

Summary: This a series of little drabbles for a couples of love interests from The Royal Romance and Open Heart talking to MC’s pregnant belly.

Parings: (TRR) Liam x MC, Drake x MC, Maxwell x MC. (Open heart) Ethan x MC & Bryce x MC.

Word count: 753

I hope you like it! 

~THE ROYAL ROMANCE~

Liam:

Liam and Riley lay comfortably in their lavish bedroom inside the Royal Palace. “We don’t have a name for you just yet, Little Love,” Liam murmured quietly, not to wake Riley after she’d finally managed to drift off to sleep after a war with her pregnancy-induced insomnia. Liam gently laid his large hand over Riley’s protruding stomach. “...But we can’t wait to meet you, Princess, and neither can any of our friends. You are going to be so loved, you already are-”

“Li?”

Liam started to panic, he’d woken her but he hadn’t meant to. When he looked up Riley was grinning widely but sleepily. “Yes, Love?”

“You are so adorable,” Riley laughed as Liam leaned over and placed a kiss on her lips.

“So are you.”

Drake:

He couldn’t stop smiling which was a very welcomed change. The permanent smile only grew when the couple discovered they’re having a little girl.

“It tickles!” Riley squealed as Drake continued peppering kisses on her bare stomach.

“I can’t wait to meet her,” Drake said truthfully, the grin growing if that was even possible. Riley took his hands as he look up at her, both of them smiling wildly.

“Neither can I.”

Maxwell:

“Dancing Shoes, Max?” Riley questioned as she took the teeny tiny shoes out of their box. She side-eyed her husband, “She’s hasn’t even been born yet…What if she doesn’t like dancing?”

Maxwell looked rather offended at his wife’s question. “Of course, she will. I’m her dad.” Maxwell came to stand behind Riley, wrapping her arms around her waist and putting on his hands on her protruding bump. He felt a powerful kick against his hands. “That is unborn baby for ‘I love dancing, dad.’ Isn’t that right Tiny Blossom?” She kicked against him again. “See, she’s agrees with me.”

~OPEN HEART~

Ethan:

Ethan couldn’t sleep. Today had been simply one of the best days of his life. He turned over onto his side to face Casey who was sleeping sounding. Her eyes drifted down to her belly.

“It’s been a really long day,” Ethan whispered, “But one of the best by far. We heard your heartbeat today…” He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. “I never thought I’d have children. It just wasn’t in the cards for me but then your mom came along and everything changed.” Ethan gently laid a hand on her tummy, careful not to wake her. “I can’t wait to meet you.”

“Ethan?” He immediately stopped talking, embarrassed he’d been caught. “What time is it?” She asked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

He glanced at the clock, “Nearly midnight.”

“What are you doing?” Casey questioned, noticing his hand on her belly.

Ethan cleared his throat, his cheeks flushing crimson, “I’m having alone time with the baby. Now, go to sleep, Rookie.”  

Bryce:

“You’re gonna be the coolest kid,” Bryce insisted as he leaned over on the couch so he was closer to Casey’s belly. “I mean you already are and  I bet you’re going to be gorgeous. Just like your mom.”

“Are you seriously talking to my belly again?” Casey asked, looking down at Bryce with a raised brow.

“Case, she needs to recognise my voice without hesitation when she pops out,” Bryce explained, “She should hear me and immediately know who I am.”

“Babe, you’ve been talking to her none stop- even before she had ears. She’ll know who you are.”

Bryce grinned and placed his hand on her belly. Both their eyes immediately went wide when their daughter kicked harshly against Bryce’s hand. They both shared excited glances. “Did she just-”

“Yeah,” Casey confirmed, letting out a small giggle  “That felt so weird.”

“The first kick was for me,” Bryce insisted, with a big, smug, excited grin plastered across his face.

“Technically, she kicked both of us.” Casey shifted in her seat, her hand going to her belly when it happened again. “That’s so weird,” She laughed, “Gosh, she’s a rowdy little monkey,” She giggled as it continued.

Bryce leaned over and placed a kiss on her lips.  “I’m her favourite though,” he decided as he pulled away.

“You can keep telling yourself that  buddy but It won’t make it true.”

____________________________________________-

This isn’t a new fic.  I have shared this fic on my previous blog from 2 years ago so it it sounds familiar that’s why. 

#first fic #open heart #trr #oh #the royal romance #trr fanfic #trr fic #oh fanfic #open heart fic #choices fanfictiom #choices #choices fandom #liam x mc #liam rys #king liam #king liam rys #king liam fic #liam fic #trr liam #drake walker #drake x mc #drake walker fic #drake walker fafiction #trr drake #maxwell beaumont #maxwell x mc #trr maxwell #maxwell beaumont fanfic #maxwell fic #trr maxwell beaumont

[sandovalse]

Don’t Let Me Down

AN: shouting into the void here, going to start posting Choices fanfics! this one is pretty much taken straight from the diamond scene in book 1, chapter 1 of Open Heart lmao but I loved the scene and I wanted to give it a shot. will probably start delving more into original ideas as I get more comfortable with this! 

Setting: Open Heart book 1, chapter 1 

Rating: T for one swear word

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x OH f!MC (Jessica Jiang) 

Word Count: 1416

—x—x—

They say you never get a second chance at a first impression. 

…But that doesn’t mean you can’t try. 

And that was how Jessica Jiang found herself strolling down the hall towards Ethan Ramsey after he’d chewed her out for her thoracotomy technique that morning. She could practically feel Landry’s wide, panicked gaze on her back as she gripped his copy of Diagnostic Principles, determined to make a better impression on the older doctor. 

As she got closer, she heard Dr. Ramsey sigh from the doorway of an elderly patient’s room. “I’m not asking you again, Barb.” 

Barbara’s protests could be heard all the way from Landry’s position at the end of the hallway. “Forget about it, Dr. Ramsey! I’m busting outta this joint! I’ll tie the bedsheets together and rappel out of the window!” 

Jessica had to stifle a snort at that comment, admiring the older woman’s spunk. Though the comment was dramatic, she could definitely understand how being cooped up in the hospital—even one as nice as Edenbrook—would drive someone stir-crazy. 

“Don’t wait up on my account,” Dr. Ramsey replied. “In fact, I might break out of here with you.” 

Was that a joke? She blinked in surprise at the amusement in his voice. Dr. Ramsey is capable of cracking jokes? 

“I mean it,” Barb threatened. “I don’t have my favorite armchair, and I’m bored without my puzzles!” 

“And I’m bored of your excuses, Barb,” came the reply. “Whine all you want, I’m not going anywhere until you take your medication.” The joking tone was gone, replaced by his exasperated doctor side. 

Barb exclaimed something unrepeatable. A moment later, Dr. Ramsey stepped outside and headed for a vending machine down the hall, completely unaware of Jessica approaching. He fed the machine a dollar, then stood there with his arms folded, muttering to himself. 

Jessica cleared her throat. “Um. Hi, Dr. Ramsey.” 

He glanced at her before returning his gaze to the machine. “...Rookie.” 

Undeterred, she held out Landry’s copy of Diagnostic Principles. “I was hoping you might sign my book.” 

Dr. Ramsey was thoroughly unimpressed. “Autographs? Don’t you have work to be doing? Or at least other attendings to irritate?” 

“Nope, just you.” She offered him a cheeky grin. 

He didn’t smile, but she swore his lips twitched. “I should have guessed. Well, if you have something to say, say it.” 

Jessica took a deep breath, the smile fading from her face. “I just wanted to tell you I won’t let you down again.” 

Dr. Ramsey still didn’t look up. “You can see the future? If so, you’ll make a remarkable physician.” 

The sarcasm stung, but she was already getting used to it. “I just meant—” 

He continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “You will let me down again, Rookie. What’s more, you’ll let yourself down. Over and over.” 

Well, that was more than slightly discouraging. She was really beginning to think this whole conversation had been a mistake, and that Landry was right; maybe there was no salvaging a bad first impression. 

Then Dr. Ramsey turned to look at her directly. The full weight of his piercing blue eyes pinned her in place, as if he could see the entirety of her soul and measure her worth with just that one look. 

She nearly missed his next words, captivated by the intensity in that oceanic blue gaze. “But what matters is that you get back on your feet each and every time, and push yourself to be better.” 

Jessica pursed her lips, processing that thought. Dr. Ramsey glanced away for a second, eyes flicking to the chocolate bar at the top of the vending machine. 

She needed to lighten the mood before she spontaneously combusted from the rollercoaster of emotion he’d just put her through. “I was always a Geysers Exploding Fruit Snacks girl myself.” Thankfully her voice didn’t shake, though it wasn’t nearly as light-hearted as she intended it to sound. 

He didn’t seem to notice. “That’s truly fascinating, but I’m not—” 

The words poured out in a rush. “I know you’re not getting something for yourself.” She paused for a moment to slow down and collect herself. “You’re trying to pick something to cheer up Barbara in there, right?” 

“How’d you figure that?” He raised an eyebrow. 

“Just paying attention,” she said. “You know, I bet I could pick out just the thing.” 

Dr. Ramsey half-grinned, and she swore a passing nurse swooned at the sight. “I doubt it. Barbara’s even more stubborn than you. She’s refused to take her pills for two days.” He gestured at the machine. “But be my guest. It’s a hopeless endeavor.” 

Jessica stepped up next to Dr. Ramsey, close enough to smell the woodsy scent of his aftershave. She scanned the options inside the machine and landed on a brightly colored pack of gum. 

With a whir, the machine deposited the pack in the tray. She and Dr. Ramsey reached for it at the same time, fingers bumping into one another. Her hand jerked back, heat rising in her face. “Sorry.” 

He grabbed the gum, a perplexed look on his face. “Chuckles Gum?” 

“Yeah,” Jessica replied, still cringing internally at herself. “The one where they write the jokes on the wrapper?” She held out her hand and Dr. Ramsey obligingly handed her the gum. Pulling a piece out at random, she unwrapped it and popped it in her mouth. The flavor of artificial strawberry exploded on her tongue as she chewed. “See, this one’s even a doctor joke! ‘What kind of blood did the writer have? Type-O!’” 

Dr. Ramsey’s expression didn’t change. 

“Get it? Like typo?” she prompted. 

“Oh, I got it. It just wasn’t funny.” 

Jessica rolled her eyes. “Just give this to Barbara. Trust me.” 

As he disappeared into the room, she took a second to berate herself. What on earth was happening to her? No one, man or woman, no matter how attractive, had ever fazed her like this. She needed to get it together, especially in front of the person who could possibly make or break her entire career here at Edenbrook. There was no room for anything less than her best. 

She was Dr. Jessica goddamn Jiang, and she was going to show Edenbrook what she was capable of. 

Dr. Ramsey returned a moment later with a perplexed expression on his face. “I don’t believe it. That got her to take her pills.” He gave her an impressed look. “So, are you going to tell me how you worked that one out?” 

She smiled, confidence back in full force. “A girl’s gotta have some secrets.” 

“You’re really going to hold out on me?” 

Well, a little charm couldn’t hurt. “I’m going for an air of mystery. Is it working?” 

The ghost of a grin returned to Dr. Ramsey’s face. “Mildly.” 

Jessica glanced back at the machine and noticed there was still fifty cents left from Dr. Ramsey’s dollar. She thought about the Geysers Fruit Snacks, and then the chocolate bar that he’d been eyeing. 

With another whir, the machine dropped her selection at the bottom of the tray. She pulled out the chocolate bar and tossed it to Dr. Ramsey. He raised an eyebrow, and she shrugged. “I saw you eyeing it earlier. You know, it’s okay to treat yourself every once in a while.” 

He gave her an unreadable look. “Hm. I’ll keep that in mind.” 

Jessica turned to walk away, sure that was the end of the conversation, when he called her back. “Rookie. Wait.” 

She turned, and he gestured for the book that she’d forgotten she was still holding. He scrawled a quick inscription and signature on the front page of Landry’s book before handing it back to her. “Now get back to work, Jiang.” 

Jessica blinked. “You remembered my name?” 

He grinned, eyes crinkling at the corners. “...Just paying attention.” And with that, Dr. Ramsey turned and walked away. 

She opened up to the front page, reading the message inside. Don’t let me down. –Dr. Ethan Ramsey. 

Beaming, she strolled back down the hallway to where Landry was hiding around the corner. His jaw dropped as he looked at the book. “You’re still alive! And… I can’t believe it! You got my copy signed!” He read the note, eyes widening. “That inscription is intense… And I absolutely love it!” He pulled her into an awkward hug. 

Jessica laughed. “You’re welcome. Now come on. I’m getting paged, and I don’t know about you, but I’m still absolutely lost.” 

#open heart #choices open heart #ethan ramsey #play choices #choices app #open heart fic

[mydemonsdrivealimo]

CHAPTER 1

Fandom: Open Heart

Rating: Teen

Warnings: none apply to this chapter

Relationships: Bryce Lahela x M!MC (Jensen Valentine)

Word Count: 2426

Characters: Jensen Valentine (MC), Jackie Varma, Bryce Lahela, Sienna Trinh, Elijah Greene, Ethan Ramsey, Naveen Banerji, Harper Emery (Full Open Heart Cast) 

Summary: Follow Jensen on his first pirating voyage aboard Eden's Fury, one of the most feared and highly-regarded pirate ships on the seas.

A/N: ik ik its The pirate au !! im so excited to finally have this posted. let me tell you, ive had to do a lot more thinking now that im posting this, but i just have to hope that its worth it. i never really planned for this to leave the dark cavern that is my wips folder, but here it is, in the light of day! how exciting :’) anyway please give this as much love as you have, it means more to me than words can describe, and the amount of time ive put into this by now is honestly ungodly (also woo my first fic header!!)

The bright morning sun shot glittering rays over the water. He waited on the dock with a few others, fiddling with the sword on his hip and revolver on his thigh. The summer heat filled the air and the shade from the overhanging trees did little to relieve it.

In the distance anchored the very boat he’d soon be boarding. The crew of Eden’s Fury had been in town for a number of days now, interviewing and rounding up a few new members as they often did every few years. For a pirate crew, they were surprisingly meticulous and organized, which was one of Jensen’s primary interests in joining.

The dinghy had circled back for its final time, collecting only the group of newcomers out of this port. They had stopped along two other coasts before this one and taken a number of interested parties aboard. Jensen didn’t have the chance to interact with any of them before this, most of them drunk beyond their wits anyway. The group was relatively separated throughout the city, too, impatiently waiting for their quartermaster and first mate to make it through the interview process, which was less pleasant than he originally presumed. 

Their aforementioned quartermaster, Mr. Ramsey, was more skeptical of his linguistic abilities than his skills on the water, little of which he had but thankfully had been overlooked in favor of making sure he could follow commands. He was honestly surprised he made the cut, after a little slip of his temper at the incessant interrogation. His education was practically overqualified for the position, and his English had been plenty understandable throughout the process, but for some goddamn reason Ramsey needed to make sure his mother tongue wouldn’t “hinder” his “direction-following” skills—

“Mr. Valentine,” called the Chief Officer, Ms. Emery, from where she stood at the end of the dock. Jensen’s gaze snapped upward, his frustration subsiding for the moment as he hurried to board along with a few others he crossed paths once or twice.

The ride there was near silent other than the lapping waves crashing against the side of the boat. He wasn’t as nervous as before, just waiting—wishing—to get aboard and gauge the environment. Their captain hadn’t shown face the entirety of their stop, probably off doing much more important things, but Jensen wanted to see it for himself.

Captain Naveen Banerji had a reputation beyond other captains, some myths and some truths, but none of which able to be proved unless you met the man yourself. His pirating was almost the opposite of most, stealthy and quiet until he had racked up some of the most impressive treasures across the seas. His crew was held to a higher standard, too. Not noble, by any means, but civil on deck, at least. 

He helped to tie and knot the dinghy on, wracking through the hundreds of lessons and books he had been through in the past year. He gave it a gentle nudge, secured tightly enough for his liking and seemingly the Chief Officer’s, too. He followed up another on the side netting, seamlessly sliding over the edge and onto the deck.

Instead of stares or even a look like he expected, no one spared him or the others a glance. Movement was in full swing, the expected yelling and shouts over the flapping of sails and thud of boots. 

Chief Emery wasted no time in directing them to their stations, hurriedly waving them off without a second to spare, her bandana trailing in the wind behind her as she ran up the helm. 

Jensen quickly found his bearings, taking post at a cluster of rigging lines and getting to work with the sails. He contributed little but enough to make it look like he was helping, mostly following the lead of others before the anchor was raised and they were ready for voyage. 

Commotion seemed to fizzle out in seconds, the plethora of crew members performing the routine clean-up while chatting amongst themselves. Jensen checked over his shoulder to see the helm, little movement between the few higher-ranks there. He was about to turn back when a considerable amount of shuffling caught his attention, Captain Banerji emerging next to the rail.

Ramsey appeared right behind him as they both started down the stairs, making a beeline straight for one of the other new recruits. Jensen opted to mind his business for the few moments they were there, making a few more stops before they started on their way to him. 

Jensen could see Ramsey’s arm make a less-than-subtle movement into Captain Banerji’s side, a look passed between them as they continued toward him. Clearly they had some discussion beforehand and Jensen wasn’t dense enough to think it was a flattering one.

“Mr. Valentine?” he asked, and Jensen nodded in confirmation. “What’s your specialty?”

Jensen wasn’t quite prepared for that, nor did he have a good answer. He was a pirate who had never left land, only knew the ins and outs from books and diagrams. The only reputation he had was from a man he couldn’t remember. 

There was one skill he had practice in—it was hardly the most important, but at least it was one at all. “Blades and combat.”

He seemed to consider that for a moment before giving him a curt sort of nod and continuing onto the rest of the newcomers. Jensen watched them leave before turning back to the heavy length of loose rope across the deck, winding it up in clean swirls before hanging it up on one of the protruding posts.

He took a quick turn to his left and, instead of continuing towards the stern, he shouldered right into another crew member. No habitual apology fell from his lips as they did hers, barely a look between them as he stepped away to move around her.

“Jackie,” she greeted, not a formality he expected but one he quickly recovered from and returned. 

“Jensen,” he offered with a nod. He looked down to see the rope she was working on, caught in a splinter on the mast. She watched him look at it, giving a small nod of her head. He grabbed it for her, tossing it her way then turning away again.

At least this time he missed the next crew member he almost plowed into, barely clipping his shoulder. Instead of a smooth recovery, though, the swords on their hips managed to tangle, both of them pulling the other back as they tried to press forward.

He was ready for a fight or argument but only heard a light laugh. Jensen looked up to him from the swords, gaze finding a smile of all things. 

“You know, if you wanted to introduce yourself, you could’ve just said it,” he offered with the hint of a smirk.

Jensen gave him an up-and-down, finding nothing special or rank-indicating. “I really didn’t,” he answered. As his gaze came back up, he could help but note the few strands of dark hair curling over his face and ears, the rest tied back in a short ponytail.

“Damn, I see how it is,” he said before raising his hand between them. “Bryce Lahela.”

“Jensen,” he replied with half a hand-shake, pulling back quickly and continuing away.

Jensen was quick to get to work after, cleaning up the deck and extra ropes, following Chief Emery’s instructions when she gave them out. He scanned the more experienced crowd and the relaxed way they went about their duties, most of them already settled in their roles. Jensen noted the lacking staff in gunners, along with a few others, Captain Banerji probably hoping to replace them with the new deckhands.

He questioned how plausible that would be as another new recruit shouldered right into the mast in attempts to avoid another group, instead nearly face-planting into the deck. The dagger stuck into his poorly-made holster easily fell out and skidded towards Jensen’s feet. Jensen watched him stumble for another second, picking up the dagger with a silent sigh and examining it on his way to hand it back. The blade was worn—couldn’t even cut through cotton, probably—and the handle was perfectly shiny, barely used.

“Thanks,” he said, plucking it from Jensen’s grasp and clunkily trying to re-sheath it.

“Mhm.”

“I’m Landry, by the way,” he offered as Jensen was about to turn around. Jensen didn’t hear it in his first few words, but his English accent was undeniably clear. “I was on my way to talk to Master Ramsey.”

The excitement in his tone was the last thing Jensen expected. Jensen had never been good at separating his thoughts and expression, automatic disgust falling over his face at the thought of being excited about Ramsey.

“And that’s a good thing?” he asked, a small smile starting over Landry’s face.

“Of course,” he answered easily, starting to walk and encouraging Jensen to follow as he continued. Not before a stall in his step, Jensen started next to him. “Haven’t you read his published journals?”

Oh, Jensen had seen them. He browsed a few in his searches for ship manuals and any other bits of information he could soak up. Ramsey’s journals were practically a memoir of someone with no fame, talking about his “pirate-conversion” and practically begging for his name on a wanted poster in every country. The writing was good, yes—great, even—but Jensen vividly remembered barely getting past the first page. “No,” he lied.

“Well, they’re amazing. It brings a whole new perspective to sailing and why he decided to turn to pirate life,” he said animatedly, “I’ve been reading since I was young.” He couldn’t be more than nineteen. “Anyway, I was hoping to talk to him about some of his experiences while activity is down.”

They reached the bottom of the helm, Jensen sending him on his way with a, “Have fun,” before he could invite him to tag along.

After a few more hours under the sun, Jensen had made his way below the main deck. His conversation with the master gunner—Bobby—went more pleasantly than he had expected, probably an hour-deep into the ins-and-outs of his position before Jensen excused himself.

The second he got above deck, boots clapping against the wood, a familiar, angry tone called his name from behind. Ramsey was annoyed about God knows what, headed right for him.

“Valentine, where have you been?” he asked, stopping a short distance away. Not expecting an answer, he continued, “Captain Banerji and Harper just gave an entire speech to your cohort with our next plans and you missed all of it.”

“Okay,” Jensen replied. 

It was the easiest response to gauge someone's temperament; he had plenty of practice with it. Either they’d take that as enough, more calm and collected, or blow up and lose their dignity in the process, usually people he tended to avoid. He didn’t expect Ramsey to be the latter.

“If I were you, I’d start caring a little more. Your lack of skills leave you easily replaceable–”

“Master Ramsey?” a cheery voice chimed from behind him, both of them glancing that way to meet the gaze of another new recruit, the cleanliness of her clothes clearly marking her rank. “Captain Banerji requested you at the helm.”

Ramsey gave him half a glance before scurrying off to Naveen’s side. Before he was gone, she happily introduced herself. “I’m Sienna, by the way.”

“Jensen,” he replied, her friendly demeanor more welcoming than he had seen from others. He continued with, “Thanks for interrupting.”

“No problem! I could see him chewing you out from a mile away. Hopefully he doesn’t catch on, though.” She smiled with a breathy sort of laugh, Jensen offering a tilt of his head so she’d catch him up. She leaned toward him in a conspiratorial whisper to which he practically had to crouch to get into earshot. “Banerji didn’t really ask for him, I just figured you needed it.”

Jensen’s expression mixed everywhere from confusion to surprise. “I wouldn’t take you for a liar,” he said with a hint of a grin.

“Ah, see? That’s where I get ‘em.” She smiled, and Jensen let a sighed chuckle fall through his lips, upturned at the corners. “But trust me, if you ever need a save from Ramsey, I’m there. He was…” she considered her words carefully, “less than pleasant, I suppose.”

Before either of them could say something else, Chief Emery called out as she descended the stairs of the helm. As the new group convened, she started them down to the lower deck.

Jensen’s eyes had to adjust from the bright, gleaming sunset to the dimly-lit berth deck, hammocks lazily swinging against the posts. After a few short sentences of an explanation, Harper let them pick amongst themselves where they’d be sleeping before sending them off for dinner.

Despite some of the silent-judgment at the quality of the meals, Jensen was happy just to have a consistent source of food; it wasn’t always something he had the pleasure of with his mother. 

He had lost Sienna in the galley but quickly spotted her across the mess hall, her hand shooting up in a wave to bring him over. She was sitting with a number of others he recognized, as well as a few that he didn’t. He took a seat next to her and listened to the conversation.

The group chatted contently with one another between introducing themselves (though clearly Sienna had made her way around). Elijah was across from him, Jackie on Sienna’s other side, And Landry at the other corner. For that moment, he was happy to sit in with them, enjoying the easy agreements and back and forth banter. His body was far too tired after the day to be of any use in a conversation, though he offered up his name when prompted.

After dinner, he was happy to collapse into slumber, as were a number of others. Only a night ago he was in a bed much less comfortable than this, attempting to wish a goodbye and goodnight to his mother, who was much too busy down the road at the nearby tavern.

Somewhere deep down, he wanted to miss her. Wanted to miss their makeshift little home, too. But this, here, was always going to be easier than that. She didn’t have to worry about what he was up to, didn’t have to rely on theft for half their resources. It was easier this way for her and, soon, it would be for him, too.

~~~

Tags (for my tag list and those of you who have been interested): @choicesficwriterscreations @cariantha @inlocusmads @jerzwriter​ @dr-colossal-pita​ @peonyblossom​ @kyra75

#open heart choice #open heart fanfic #open heart fic #choices open heart #bryce lahela #bryce lahela x mc #bryce lahela x jensen valentine #jensen valentine #jackie varma #sienna trinh #landry olsen #ethan ramsey #naveen banerji #harper emery #pirate au

[bex-la-get]

Exile (An Open Heart Fic)

Book: Open Heart

Characters: Ethan Ramsey, Natalie Cusack (MC)

Special Appearance: Damien Calabaza (OC)

Word count: ~1000

Summary: He comes to terms with knowing that she’s happier with someone else.

Rating: T

Category: Angst? Ish?

Author’s Note: You ever come across a song that you’ve listened to a million times but this time it hits different and suddenly you’re overcome with inspiration? That happened last night with Exile by Taylor Swift. This is the result. Enjoy!

Also, special thanks to @liaromancewriter​ and @jerzwriter​ for helping me figure out some nitty gritty details. Y’all are the best! 💙

He didn’t belong here. 

These weren’t his people, no matter how hard they tried to make him believe they were. These people showed off their wealth and their connections at every turn, which only made them feel more like phonies than anything else.

He adjusted the bowtie around his neck and sipped his drink, waiting until it was an appropriate time for him to leave.

He scanned the crowd around him, finding most everyone exceedingly boring or snobbish, until his eyes fell upon a familiar head of bright red hair. His eyes widened as the head turned and he saw Natalie, smiling and laughing with a group of people he didn’t recognize. 

She looked beautiful. She always had been, but now, with her deep blue gown and her hair curled, falling around her face, she looked almost ethereal. 

He didn’t realize he had been staring until she made eye contact with him. It only took a moment for her to recognize him, but when she did, she gave him that dazzling smile of hers and immediately began to make her way over to him. His heart skipped a beat and he quickly checked his appearance in the nearby window before she appeared. When he turned back to look at her, his heart got stuck in his throat hearing his name on her lips again.

“Damien!” She exclaimed. She opened her arms wide and pulled him into a tight hug. He returned her hug just as tightly. 

“What are you doing here?” She asked, pulling out of the embrace.

Damien smiled sheepishly. “I’ve taken on an Assistant Professor position at Columbia. I’ll be teaching classes on Environmental Engineering. My appearance at this event is my ‘coming out’ to the other academics and high society folk of New York.”

Natalie grinned. “What?! Damien, that’s amazing! Congratulations!!”

His smile widened. “Thank you, Nat. What are you doing in New York? I thought you were in Boston?”

“Oh, I am. I’m just here for a medical conference. My mentor’s the Keynote speaker this year. And... I may or may not be speaking on a panel about affordable patient care as well.”

“Look at you, moving up in the world,” he said, smiling with pride.

Natalie laughed. “We both did pretty good for ourselves, huh?”

“You could say that.”

She took her hand in his and he fought the urge to squeeze it. “Come on, there’s someone I want you to meet!”

Following her lead, Damien stuck close to her as she led him across the room towards the back, where a tall man in a sharp suit was in conversation with an older couple.

“Ethan!” Natalie called as they approached.

The man called Ethan turned around and smiled at her, excusing himself from his previous conversation. Natalie let go of Damien’s hand and reached out for Ethan, placing a gentle hand on his forearm. “E, there’s someone I want you to meet.” She turned back to Damien.

“Damien Calabaza, meet Dr. Ethan Ramsey. Ethan, this is my dear friend Damien.”

“Ah, the engineer,” Ethan said, smiling and shaking Damien’s hand. “I read your article in the Times on renewable energy resources. I was very impressed.”

“Thank you,” Damien replied, his eyes narrowing in concentration. “Are you that Ethan Ramsey? The one Nat never shut up about?”

Natalie lightly punched Damien’s shoulder while Ethan laughed and nodded. “The very same.”

Damien smiled. “Look at you, Nat. Meeting and working with your hero. Teenage you would have fainted.”

Nat rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Nah, teenage me would have fangirled a little hard but she wouldn’t have fainted. Finding out she’s engaged to her medical hero though? That would have made her faint!”

Damien’s stomach dropped as he glanced down and noticed, for the first time, the diamond ring sitting on Nat’s left hand. He had always held a torch for Nat, even all these years later. He knew it had been foolish, but he had hoped she’d been unattached. Now, he knew she wouldn’t be ever again.

He cleared his throat and forced a smile. “Forgive me, I didn’t realize. Congratulations! When’s the wedding?”

“October,” Ethan answered. “Though I’d be happy with a simple courthouse wedding.”

“And face my mother’s wrath?” Nat said. “No way in hell am I risking that.”

Damien nodded. “Yeah, that’s smart. I’ve only seen your mom mad once and it still haunts me.”

“See?” Nat said, pointing at Damien. “He knows!”

Ethan laughed. “Fair enough.”

The three continued to stand a chat for a while, Damien observing how well attuned Nat & Ethan were with each other. When he moved, she moved, when he stopped speaking, she kept the conversation going. It was clear to anyone who looked at them that they were a perfect pair. And even though Damien didn’t want to admit it, he liked Ethan. Despite being one of the best doctors in the country, Ethan was very down to earth and not at all like the snobs that populated this event. No wonder Nat was drawn to him.

Eventually, the conversation came to a natural end. Ethan glanced around them and whispered conspiratorially. “Think we can get out of here now?”

Natalie nodded “Definitely. We’ve been here long enough to leave without anyone raising a stink.”

Nat pulled Damien into a tight hug goodbye. “Don’t be a stranger, okay? Keep in touch. Oh, and reach out to Dani! She’s also here in New York, and I know she’d love to see you.”

“Will do,” Damien replied, smiling. He turned to Ethan and shook his hand. “Good to you meet you, Dr. Ramsey.”

“Ethan, please. And the pleasure was mine. I look forward to hearing more about your work in the future.”

Damien watched as Ethan wrapped his arm around Natalie’s shoulders as the two of them made their way out of the event. He smiled as he watched Natalie look up at Ethan and give him a gentle kiss on the cheek. He was happy for her. She’d found her person and was very clearly happy and thriving. 

And maybe one day, he’d find that for himself as well.

A/N: Tagging separately.

#bexwritesstuff #open heart fic #ethan ramsey #natalie cusack #damien calabaza #ethan x natalie #ethan x mc #open heart mc #open heart oc

[myglassesareinkansas]

Open Heart Fic

Title: searching for safety

Fandom: Open Heart (Pixelberry Choices)

Relationship: Bryce Lahela x F!MC, One-Sided Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Characters: Bryce Lahela, F!MC (Casey Valentine), Ethan Ramsey, Sienna Trinh, Harper Emery, Tobias Carrick

Important Tags: Attempted Rape/Non-con, Panic Attacks, PTSD, Power Imbalance, Canon Divergence, Established Relationship

Summary: Casey Valentine is in a deeply committed relationship with Bryce Lahela. Everyone at the hospital knows this. Ethan just chooses to ignore it.

#bryce lahela #f!mc #choices open heart #open heart choices #open heart fic #fanfic #my fic writing #my writing #attempted noncon #panic attacks #ptsd #anti ethan ramsey #ramsey stans dni

[stanathanxoox]

Picnic

@me-writes-prompts

Planning a picnic and making them food even if you’re an amateur cook, in hopes you’ll impress them more🫶🏽 - Dr Ethan Ramsay x reader

You had loaded up your car with a basket full of different meals that you were hoping would impress your boyfriend, after finally accepting fate and deciding to give in to the feelings that you both harboured for one another you and Ethan had been in a relationship for the last six weeks. This was your first official date and you were nervous mainly because this would be the first time he would truly be getting a chance to taste your cooking and baking. You both had the day off, a bit of sneaky rostering on Ethan’s part so when you arrived outside his apartment, dressed in a spring dress with a cardigan over top he smiled at your appearance

“You look gorgeous Y/N” he says as he looks you up and down, as you do the same. He’s wearing casual clothes, but even then he still looks ruggedly handsome. You then reach out for his hand and he chuckles

“Hang on Y/N, I’ve got to get Jenner ready if that’s alright with you?” and you beam, excited that his dog was coming along on your date as well.

“Of course” you say and he smiles back at you, placing a quick kiss on your lips before retreating to get Jenner and his leash from the living room. When the two return you can’t help but wonder who is more excited for this outing, your boyfriend or his pooch and you giggle at the thought.

“What is it my dear?” he asks as he comes and stands at your side, locking the door as the three of you exit the apartment.

“Just thinking about which one of you two is more excited for our date, Jenner or yourself” you tease and he chuckles

“Oh I am definitely excited for our date, spending time with the two best things in my life” he says and you blush.

“Stop” you say trying to hide your face and he chuckles again

“I’m serious, now I remember you saying something about some home cooked meals and a picnic?” he asks and you smile

“Yes, and I have the perfect spot as well” you and he nods

“Alright, then let’s away”.

Tag List: @tiva-jenry-caskett-rizzles-densi​, @jimmybpride​, @dressed-up-just-like-z1ggy​, @nikkiwierden​, @samchelforever007​, @kirkspockbones​, @xoncisxncislaxncisnolaox​, @lasalle-pride-sebastian-love​, @haliannej​, @brooklyn-99-amyxjake​​, @mizzezm​, @genius2050​, @twilight-twihard​, @cullencoven2019​, @wxlfgirlx​, @luciferxchloeislove​, @drethanramsey-ismybabe​, @sawyer-oakley-is-mighty-fine​, @loverofoneshots​, @aelin-thefirebreathingbitchqueen​​

Tag List for Pixelberry fics: @cordoniaqueensworld​, @aworldoffandoms​, @desiree—1986​

Tag List for Open Heart: @melissagoodwill​, @lady-kato​, @i-bloody-love-drake-walker​, @cxld-play

#pixelberry choices #pixelberry #open heart #open heart fic #open heart imagine #open heart reader insert #open heart x reader #dr ethan ramsay #ethan ramsay #ethan ramsay imagine #ethan ramsay x reader

[headoverheelsforramsey]

Mistletoe Magic

Book : Open Heart

Pairing : Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Meera Bose)

Summary : Three years, three Christmases and three mistletoes.

Category : Fluff

Warnings : None

Rating : General

Word Count : 1377

A/N : Look who could finally complete her holiday WIP? I know it's immensely late but it's here and that's what matters. 🥺 Submitting this for @choicesjanuarychallenge Day 6 : Always and @choicesficwriterscreations Holiday Event. Happy Reading. ♥️

Intern Year

Ethan Ramsey walked into the secluded new wing of the hospital, where he kept one of his biggest secrets under covers. From the far end of the corridor, he could see his patient X struggling to put something on the doorway.

"Naveen," his deep baritone voice cut through the silence.

"Oh didn't see you there," the older doctor replied.

"What are you upto?"

"You know, just trying to get some holiday cheer in here. It gets terribly lonely sometimes," Naveen smiled but Ethan could see the sadness behind his brown orbs.

Ethan looked around the rather small hospital room. 'Holiday Cheer' in forms of red, green and golden had taken over quite well.

"Wow, did you do all this by yourself?"

"Well, I have had some help."

Ethan then looked down at the green bunch in his hand as realisation dawned upon him.

"Mistletoe? Really Naveen?" he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You very well know me and Dr. Bose are the only people who come through these doors."

"Hey don't shout at an old-sick man trying to decorate for Christmas. And also, I have seen the way you look at her. Why beat…" Naveen doubled down coughing, cutting off his own words.

Ethan catches hold of him helping him onto the bed, bringing the oxygen mask near his face.

"Oh my God!" Meera exclaimed. "How did this happen? We were just decorating for Christmas sometime back!"

"I think we are past the point of hows and whys," Ethan's voice stern and cold. "Please prepare a shot of Nitroglycerine and I need a full workup to know what went wrong."

"Yes, doctor," Meera said timidly before scurrying off to get to work.

Both the doctors worked in sync putting all they had in them to get their patient to stabilize. While reaching for the needles Meera's foot collided with something. She looked down to see the mistletoe, forgotten and abandoned on the floor. Confused and slightly hopeful she looked upto her mentor, only to find him barking another order at her. She gulped down her emotions, shoving the mistletoe under the bed, into the darkness where it belongs.

Second Year

The sound of an ongoing party welcomed Ethan as he parked his car opposite the brownstone building. He turned off the ignition and got out, looking around to make sure his presence remained as discreet as possible.

He shot a silent text, waiting on the doorstep.

"Hi!" his favourite voice in the entire world greeted him.

He looked up to see Meera, clad in a red and green holiday pajama. It astonished him that she could wear the most ridiculous of outfits and even then she'll always remain the most beautiful woman he has ever laid his eyes on.

"Hey, you look …," he trailed off searching his brain for the perfect word, "... nice."

Meera chuckled, such a vast vocabulary and that's what he finds to compliment her.

"You know you are not supposed to be here right? My roommates are just upstairs."

"I know. But I just wanted to see you and…," he hands her a wrapped package.

"Oh my God! Is this a Christmas present from the great Ethan Ramsey?!" Meera teased.

"Okay, I regret it already."

"Don't worry babe, this is a step in the right direction," Meera assured.

"Oh! What a lovely couple!" Mrs. Burton, Meera's elderly neighbour exclaimed. "and look," she pointed upwards, "a mistletoe! Hope you kids can keep up with Christmas traditions."

The couple put on polite smiles as Mrs. Burton made her way up the stairs and moved out of earshot.

"So, what do you say Ramsey? You up for this?" Meera winked.

"Come here," Ethan leaned in close, cupping Meera's face in his hand, lips merely a breath away, when… "Meera! Are you done there? We are about to start the movie," the voice of her roomate along with heavy footsteps echoed around the stairwell.

"I'm sorry," Meera mouthed before breaking away from his embrace and closing the door shut. She heaved a sigh of relief before shouting, "yes I'm almost there."

"Who was it?"

"Just an Amazon package."

As the sounds of Meera and her roommate's conversation faded away, Ethan Ramsey couldn't help but smile to himself. He felt like a teenager all over again with this secret relationship. No, he felt younger, livelier when he was with Meera.

He looked back one last time before making his way back to his car when he noticed the mistletoe on the ground. Must've fallen down when Meera hurriedly shut the door he thought, picking it up and putting it inside his coat right over his heart where it belonged.

Third Year

"Are you almost done with it?' Sarah shouts at Marlene as she holds onto the stool Marlene is currently standing upon trying her best to stick the mistletoe onto the ceiling.

"Will you just be patient? This has to go perfectly!" Marlene says climbing down and standing back to admire her handiwork.

"Girl, you are way too invested in this."

"Duh! Did you even see their kiss at the hopeful hearts gala?! It was to die for! And since then there wasn't even an ounce of PDA between them, like how is that even possible? So excuse me if I try to recreate it with a little Christmas cheer." Marlene explained breathlessly.

"Geez!" Sarah retorted.

"Okay, Marc! Is everything going according to plan? Is the intel we collected earlier still true?"

"Absolutely!" another nurse joined the conversation. "As per our plan Dr. Bose is scheduled to pick up labs for patient 1973 in about seven minutes, whereas Dr. Ramsey will be done with his consult in room 6204 around the same time. Therefore according to my calculation they are supposed to cross path in about 4 minutes and 17 seconds right here," Marc looks up mischievously at the mistletoe.

"Amazing!" Marlene claps him in the back. "Okay everyone, I want all of you in your respective positions, cameras in hand. But pretend to be busy, this is Ramsey we are talking about if he smells even something in the slightest, this can take a disastrous turn."

The nurses make themselves busy, keeping an eye on the lookout for Edenbrook's most famous couple.

In about a little over three minutes Ethan Ramsey marches down the corridor, eyes glued to a patient chart. Meera Bose on the other hand is looking down at her phone making her way from the opposite direction. Their eyes lay on each other, exchanging a small smile they quicken their pace to reach each other faster. Until they walk right into the trap.

"Look at the holiday miracle!" Marlene exclaims, looking at the mistletoe, "I hope you both can bring in a little Christmas cheer, for us working on this glorious holiday." She bats her eyes.

"Absolutely not!" Ethan declares and Meera finds herself too surprised to talk.

"Come on Dr. Ramsey for the Christmas spirit!" one of the nurses shouted.

"Yes!"

"You have to!"

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

More and more nurses join in.

Ethan looks at Meera, half helpless and half confused.

"Okay! Everyone stop!" Ethan's voice changing to Dr. Terminator's. "What is wrong with you people? This is a hospital!"

"What he means to say is," Meera says. "We are happy to get into the Christmas spirit!"

The nurses start clapping, a ripple of excitement going among them.

"Seriously Meera?" Ethan rolls his eyes.

Meera reaches for his hands, "it's okay babe, it's just a kiss."

Shaking his head Ethan leans in determined to just place a quick peck and then admonish the nursing staff for inappropriate workplace behaviour. But when Meera met him halfway, he was in for a surprise. Meera went deep, cupping his face and pulling him close until she was out of breath. They break apart to the cheers of the nurses.

"Meera! What the hell?" he said in a whisper, face almost scarlet.

"We have to give people what they want," she winked.

Ethan cleared his throat when the cheers died down. "Well… that's enough holiday cheer for one day, now get back to work everyone." With that he turned on his heels and made his way out.

"You heard the man," Meera said. "Get back to work people!"

Perma : @starrystarrytrouble @quixoticdreamer16 @coffeeheartaddict2 @liaromancewriter @tessa-liam @gryffindordaughterofathena @crazy-loca-blog @zahrachoices @bex-la-get @potionsprefect @schnitzelbutterfingers @a-crepusculo @custaroonie @aishwarya26 @jamespotterthefirst

Ethan x Meera : @jerzwriter @wanderingamongthewildflowers @takemyopenheart @mvalentine

+ @openheartfanfics , @choicesficwriterscreations , @choicesjanuarychallenge

Please let me know if you want to be added or removed. 💜

#pixelberry choices #pixelberry #choices : stories you play #choices stories we play #choices the stories you play #playchoices #choices stories you play #choices fanfic #choices fanfiction #choices #choices fandom #choices fic writers creations #choices open heart #open heart fanfic #open heart #open heart fanfics #open heart fic #open heart fanfiction #dr. ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey #ethan x mc #ethan ramsey x mc #choices ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey fanfiction #dr. ethan jonah ramsey #ethan jonah ramsey x mc #ethan jonah ramsey #meera bose #ethan x meera #dr. meera bose