Tumgik
#playchoices fanfics
liaromancewriter · 2 years
Text
Bowling Blues
Premise: Cassie and her friends go bowling to blow off some steam on a weekday.
Book: Open Heart Characters: Cassie Valentine, OH Gang Rating/Category: General. Fluff Format: Text and Pic Fic
A/N: Submission for @choices-september-challenge-blog​ Day 3 Picture prompt. This is set early in Book 2, likely after Evelyn the painter.
Part 1: Weekday Plans
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Part 2: Let’s Bowl
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Part 3: Down Shift
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
All Fics & Edits: @potionsprefect​ @trappedinfanfiction​ @bex-la-get​ @mysticalgalaxysstuff​ @genevievemd​ @choicesaddict5​ @jerzwriter​ @vi-writes-stuff​ @coffeeheartaddict2​ @quixoticdreamer16​ @zahrachoices​ @lucy-268​ @a-crepusculo​ @jamespotterthefirst​ @headoverheelsforramsey​ @takemyopenheart​ @queencarb​ @crazy-loca-blog​ @peonierose​ @cariantha​ @annfg8​ @openheartforeverinmyheart​ @bluebelle08​
Ethan & Cassie only: @custaroonie​ @lady-calypso​
@openheartfanfics​
54 notes · View notes
Fics of the Week - Nov 20 - 26, 2022
Tumblr media
🖤 = Adult Content/18+ 🔥 = NSFW/18+ Only
AMERICA'S MOST ELIGIBLE
Waiting Game | Carson Stewart x MC - @peonyblossom
BLADES OF LIGHT AND SHADOW
One More Light | Tyril Starfury x F!Elf!MC - @aallotarenunelma Still Breathing | Tyril Starfury x F!Elf!MC - @starlight-starfury 🖤
IT LIVES IN THE WOODS
And They Were Roommates Part 2 | Amalia x M!MC - @aces-and-angels 🔥
OPEN HEART
RED CARPET DIARIES
Sapphic Styles Interview for Transgender Awareness Month | Thomas Hunt x NB!MC - @peonyblossom
THE ROYAL ROMANCE
All is Fair in Love & War | Liam Rys x MC - @tessa-liam Harper & Drake's Scrapbook - Drakes Cabin | Drake Walker - @karahalloway Little Palace | Drake Walker x Olivia Nevrakis - @delightfullysweet Love Drabble | Maxwell Beaumont x F!OC - @alj4890 Show You Off | Liam Rys x MC - @emkay512 Sleepless in New York (Series) | Drake Walker x F!OC - @karahalloway Chapter 8: Minutes to Midnight Thankful: A Bad Romance One-Shot | Multiple Pairings - @angelasscribbles The Agreement (Series) | Liam Rys x MC, Drake Walker x MC - @angelasscribbles Chapter 6: Happily Ever After
WAKE THE DEAD
Grateful Hearts | Eli Sipes x F!MC - @jerzwriter
30 notes · View notes
openheartfanfics · 1 year
Text
Newly Added Fics
Oct 8 - 14, 2022 
🎭 Angst  |  🦚 Angsty Fluff  |  🛸 AU  |  ☁ Fluff  |  ♥ NSFW  |  📚 Series  |  📷 Edit  |  📱 TextFic  |  Ⓜ Mature
BRYCE X F!MC / F!OC
Late Night Talking - @peonierose  ☁
Luna and Bryce find out the gender of the twins and they’re  choosing the names. Though is it girls or boys? That’s the question. [Pregnancy]
ETHAN X F!MC / F!OC
Allergic To You - @cariantha  ☁
Does your MC have any severe allergies? Do you have any headcanons for their LI's? [Illness/Injury; Hurt/Comfort]
Blankets and Fire - @potionsprefect  ☁
Fall has arrived.
Extra Support - @potionsprefect ☁
Some big news leads to Ethan making a decision.
Family Traditions - @headoverheelsforramsey  ☁
Being a Ramsey means keeping up with weird family traditions.
His Girls - @liaromancewriter  ☁
Ethan Ramsey never thought he’d have a family of his own, but fate had other plans. [Domestic; Family]
Let’s Call It What it Is (a good f**king time) - @utterlyinevitable ♥
No plot. Just Ethan and Becca getting off. There may be some feelings hiding about too.
Night At The Museum - @coffeeheartaddict2  ♥
Ethan and Casey attend an opening evening for an Egyptian Exhibit. [Public Places]
Not The Life of This Party - @jerzwriter  ☁
Ethan gets Kaycee hot and bothered when he tells her he's made a commitment for them. Kaycee loves him, but she's not about to do this.
On the East Coast - @potionsprefect  ☁ 
The Ramsey family make a trip to Providence. [Domestic; Family]
Prima Facie - @takeharryandgo 📚 🛸
[mini: wip] Ethan and Meredith are lawyers on opposite sides of the case.
Ch 3: Catharsis
The Stitch Sitch - @txemrn  ☁
Tatum is called into Ethan's office to discuss her colorful interaction with a patient's husband. [Office]
The Way I Loved You - @josiesopenheart  📚
[mini: wip] Ethan returns from the Amazon, only to find Josie has moved on with someone else.
Ch 3:  Regrets And Reminiscence
Versace On The Floor - @jamespotterthefirst  ♥
The dress that taunts him all night ends up in a pile on the floor. [Getting Kinky]
Waiting - @trappedinfanfiction  ☁
When you are working as a doctor, sometimes your private plans have to step aside. But as two experienced doctors, Ethan and Celia still makes the best of it. [Donahue’s]
LOVE TRIANGLES
Until You Love Me - @txemrn  📚 🛸 Ⓜ
[mini: wip] Constantly worried about Ethan's faithfulness, Casey Valentine's paranoia reaches an all-time high when she meets a blast from his past. TW:  NSFW; Infidelity, discussion and/or depiction of medical situations, gaslighting, mental abuse & illness, suicide, violence, criminal activity; alcohol use
Ch 1: We Are The Crowd
TOBIAS X F!MC / F!OC
But I won't do THAT! - @jerzwriter  ☁ Ⓜ
Tobias is not used to hearing no from his new girlfriend, so when he does, it leaves him flustered. Will Casey give in?
One Night Special - @lucy-268  ♥
Tomorrow is the first day of Samantha’s internship. She needs to step out from her tiny apartment to relax.
_
SUBMIT OPEN HEART FICS & WRITERS HERE
25 notes · View notes
Text
Week 4 Masterlist
Tumblr media
Fanfiction
Dance It Better - @jerzwriter (Open Heart)
Return To Dagger Mountain - @liaromancewriter (Open Heart)
Tension - @jerzwriter (Wake The Dead)
Time Together - @alj4890 (Red Carpet Diaries) (Light NSFW / Mature)
_
Fanfart
A Snowy Kiss - @storyofmychoices (Open Heart)
Family Affair - @liaromancewriter (Open Heart)
Tension - @jerzwriter (Wake The Dead)
Together is the best place to be - @theartoflovingthomashunt (Red Carpet Diaries)
_
Edits & Text Fics
Animal Farm - @liaromancewriter (Open Heart)
----
Thank you to everyone for participating this week. If you don’t see your submission, please DM me.
The Choices January Challenge ends on Jan 31 but late submissions will be accepted until Feb 4.
Check out all the January prompts.
Remember, you don’t have to participate daily or in order. Feel free to use the prompts as and when you get inspired. Check out the guidelines.
ALL CHOICES FANDOMS ARE WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE.
All submissions will be reblogged as received and included in a weekly masterlist. Tumblr tags can be unreliable at times. If your submission isn’t reblogged within 24 hours, contact @liaromancewriter.
9 notes · View notes
queenrileyrose · 2 months
Text
Midnights Like This Part Fourteen: Falling Like the Stars
Tumblr media
Miniseries Premise: Riley Brooks leaves everything behind to move to Cordonia after accepting her dream job designing clothing for the upcoming royal wedding. Drowning her sorrows one night, she meets Leo. The pair form an unlikely friendship, having more in common than either expected. Their feelings evolve, but neither wants to ruin the friendship. Will they take a chance or be content to stay friends?
Catch Up Here
Chapter Summary: Leo and Riley make plans, Riley gets an unexpected guest
Book: The Royal Romance/Rules of Engagement
Pairings: Leo x Riley (OC), Liam x Marena (MC)
Rating: T
TW: Language, slight terrorism, sensuality
A/N: I am participating in @choicesflashfics using the prompt “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”
Word Count: 2260
Music Inspo: Falling Like the Stars-James Arthur
Thank you to everyone who reads, likes, comments, and/or reblogs this. I appreciate it so much. ❤️
Tumblr media
Riley opened one eye, the early morning rays slipping in through a gap in the heavy curtains. She blinked slowly, gilded walls coming into focus.
Leo’s arms still encircled her waist; his head rested just above hers on the pillow, his body curled against her. 
Riley rested her palm against her forehead. She felt oddly rested despite everything that happened last night. 
Last night’s kiss flitted through her head. Riley squeezed her eyes shut before forcing them back open. 
Where did they go from here?
Leo stirred, and Riley froze. She wasn’t ready to talk. She didn’t know what she was ready for. Leo meant so much to her, and she couldn’t lose him. She’d never had any friendship close to what she and Leo had. What if they tried to be more and everything ended badly? She wasn’t sure if she wanted to risk it. Maybe Leo didn’t, either. 
Riley took a deep breath, slowing her racing thoughts. They’d kissed once. It wasn’t the end of the world. Everything could go back to how it was. 
Riley touched her lips gently, trying and failing to forget the feel of Leo’s mouth on hers. 
Leo stirred again, and Riley snapped her eyes closed. Maybe he’d decide to let her sleep; he had meetings about last night. Then she could sneak out.
Riley chided herself. This was Leo. He was her friend. She loved him. They would figure this-
She loved him? Riley’s stomach flipped as she rolled over the word. She loved him as a friend, of course. Riley’s eyes flew open as her stomach erupted into butterflies. She didn’t just love him as a friend. When had this happened? How had she been able to ignore her feelings? 
Had she though? The almost kiss at the vineyard had shaken something loose. 
“Riley?” Leo’s hoarse whisper broke her arms into goosebumps. “Are you awake?”
“Sort of,” Riley pushed the thoughts away. She shifted on her side to face Leo. His arms tightened around her, and Riley’s eyes slid to his lips. “Hi.”
“Hi,” Leo repeated. “Wow, I slept really good. Did you? I mean, how did you sleep?”
“Really good,” Riley stifled a yawn. Should she rip off the bandaid? Pretend it didn’t happen? Leo was definitely nervous, the way he rambled, but his arms were still around her. 
Leo studied Riley. Her eyes kept moving to his lips. She shifted closer to him, though he wasn’t certain she was aware of it. He wanted to kiss her again. She’d kissed him back. He wanted more. He wasn’t sure what that meant. 
“Riley,” Leo began, “I-”
Riley’s lips swallowed his words. Leo pulled her closer, his hands warm on the strip of exposed skin on her lower back. Riley arched into Leo, a quiet gasp parted her lips for him. As his tongue curled with hers, Riley’s mind quieted. 
“Fuck,” Riley whispered against Leo’s lips before scooting back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pounce on you like that. I was thinking about last night, and how good-”
Leo closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to Riley’s. Her hands wound into his hair as he teased her mouth open. Leo’s hands slipped from her waist to cup her ass, pulling her against him.
Loud chimes blared from the alarm Leo set last night. He reluctantly disengaged himself from Riley before rolling over and slapping at the phone until it was silenced.
Riley sat up, squinting at the sunburst clock on the wall. “It’s earlier than I thought.”
Leo propped himself up on the large pillows. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept here. Even the nights he didn’t pass out on Riley’s couch, he’d usually fall asleep on the sofa here. He didn’t like being in his quarters. It was too large, cold, and empty.
Leo took in Riley, silhouetted in the early morning sun. Her hair fell around her shoulders in waves; her shirt lifted as she stretched her arms over her head. Riley had a small freckle on her ribs, and it was somehow the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
Leo reached for her hand. Riley didn’t hesitate, slipping her fingers into the spaces between his. They didn’t have time for him to tell her all the things he’d been rolling over in his head. He had a meeting in an hour.
“Dinner?” Leo asked. 
Riley nodded. “My place? 7ish?”
“I’ll be there,” Leo rubbed his thumb over Riley’s fingers. “I want to talk now, have breakfast or something, but-”
“Terrorists,” Riley finished. “You have to keep everyone safe.”
“Something like that,” Leo smiled gratefully. “You’re off today, right?”
“Mostly,” Riley slid back, resting against the headboard beside Leo. “I need to check on a few fabrics that are arriving this week, but I don’t have to go into the office.”
“Good,” Leo exhaled. “I’m sending a guard with you.”
Riley sat up straight, her head whipping around to look at Leo. “What? Why? I’m not a target.”
“You aren’t,” Leo admitted. “But you were at the ball, I don’t know if they know who you are yet. I’d rather have someone on you for safety. He’ll be outside your apartment, and wherever you go.”
“I know how the system works,” Riley let out a sigh. “I get it. Thank you.”
Riley could at least be sure the guard wasn’t there to spy on her. It was different from her father’s security. Leo actually wanted to protect her.
Riley smoothed a worry line near Leo’s lip, wondering how she hadn’t noticed it before. Leo’s arms came around her, tugging her against his chest. She relaxed into them, ignoring that there was so much that needed to be said.
“You were right,” Leo murmured into her hair. “It was life-changing.”
“Yeah?” Riley tilted her chin up. She hesitated, about to blurt everything, when the alarm blared again. 
Leo grumbled, his chest vibrating against Riley’s cheek. 
Tumblr media
Liam slid his eyes to the side, studying his brother. Leo’s face was serious, listening as Damien went over new protocols, but there was something in his eye that was new. A slight crinkle at the corner told Liam that Leo was hiding something.
Olivia subtly elbowed Liam, raising an eyebrow. Liam shrugged.
“You and Marena will never be alone on the day of the wedding,” Damien continued. “We’ve secured a suite for the wedding night at a nearby royal property; no one will know which one. I’m also looking into Gladys; she may have a tie to Sons of the Earth.”
“The majordomo at Valtoria?” Liam snapped back to attention. “She’s there now!”
“I knew it!” Olivia slapped the table. “There was something off about her! Didn’t I tell you?”
“To be fair,” Liam replied. “You say that about every new person.”
“Gladys isn’t new, just new to us,” Olivia smirked. “I didn’t say it about Riley either.” 
Leo’s head whipped around, and Olivia snickered.
“Yes, Gladys,” Damien admitted. “However, we sent over two other staff members to assist her. Security has an eye on her; we’ve tapped her phone. Will Marena be at Valtoria alone before the wedding?”
“No,” Liam shook his head. “The only event is the lantern festival, and we’ll be headed to Vegas right after.”
“Vegas?” Leo’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and he fumbled to grab it. He’d been waiting for Riley to text him that she’d arrived home. 
“Yes,” Liam watched as Leo ignored him. “Marena’s had a lifelong dream of dressing as a bear in the circus. Want to come with?”
“Right,” Leo skimmed the message. My phone died, I’m sorry. Still on for dinner?”
Leo quickly replied that they were still on. He bit his lip, wondering if he should say that he couldn’t wait. He decided against it and pocketed his phone.
Olivia shook her head. At least her head was in the game enough for the both of them.
“Is everything okay?” Liam’s voice snapped Leo’s head up. 
“Fine,” Leo turned back to Damien. “Did the guy you arrested say anything useful?”
“Not so far,” Damien stood. “I’m about to have another crack at him. I’ll update you as soon as I’m done.”
“Can I be of any assistance?” Olivia shot to her feet. “I’m tired of being around the lovesick twins.”
“What?” Leo asked at the same time Liam rolled his eyes.
Damien coughed to cover a laugh. “I’m sure you can be. As long as you follow the rules.”
“I can try,” Olivia shrugged as she exited the room. “No promises.”
“Thank you,” Liam stood and shook Damien’s hand. Leo followed suit, dropping back into his chair as the door closed behind Damien.
“So,” Liam tapped his pen on the desk. “I didn’t see you or Riley at breakfast.”
“She grabbed something on her way home,” Leo leaned back in his chair. “I came straight to the meeting.”
Liam waited for Leo to elaborate, but his brother checked his phone again before slipping it back into his pocket.
“Oh my god,” Liam erupted. “Tell me you kissed her! If nothing else, please tell me that making out happened!”
“I kissed her,” Leo couldn’t contain his smile. “Last night. And this morning.”
“Thank god,” Liam heaved a sigh of relief. “Aren’t you going to ask how I knew?”
“Marena knew,” Leo shrugged. “She’s been giving me weird looks for weeks.”
“You kissed, and then what?” Liam perched on the end of his chair. “Does Riley have a secret tattoo like Ren?”
Leo closed his eyes, willing away the image of his soon-to-be sister-in-law and Liam in his office the day he’d walked in on them. 
“We only kissed,” Leo stood, crossing the room to the window. “We’re having dinner tonight to talk.”
Leo knew how he felt, finally. He hoped Riley felt the same. He thought she did, but either way, Leo would hate himself more for not putting himself out there.
Katie had taught him that playing it safe was stupid. Even though it ended badly with her, and she should have been honest with him far sooner than she had been, Leo found he didn’t regret his actions. They’d gotten him here, hadn’t they? 
He was finally healed from Katie. Maybe he would wear jeans again. 
“Marena and I have similar plans,” Liam chuckled, winking at his older brother.
“No, actually talk,” Leo protested. “I don’t want to lose her as a friend. To be honest, I’m nervous about starting something, too. I-”
Leo trailed off, Liam huffing in protest.
“You,” Liam prompted. “Don’t start something you can’t finish!”
“It feels completely different,” Leo leaned against the glass pane. “I’m ready. Looking back with Katie, I can see the moment she changed her mind about me. At the time I ignored it; I couldn’t admit to myself that she wasn’t the one.”
“When?” Liam asked gently.
“I canceled a date with her to talk you through a meeting with the French president,” Leo ducked his head. “She knew it would be an adjustment for me to leave Cordonia, and she wasn’t willing to go through it because I wasn’t the right person for her.”
Liam joined Leo at the window, slinging an arm around his shoulders. “Katie is too selfish. That’s what you meant to say. Riley isn’t.”
Leo thought back to this morning, Riley leaving so he could focus on his meetings, knowing they were important, readily accepting his offer of security.
“Riley brings out the best in you,” Liam continued. “The best partners are supposed to. You’ve been more confident since she arrived, less rigid. Not completely the old Leo, but new and improved.”
“Thanks,” Leo thought back to the first night he met Riley. Even before he knew she’d be a new constant in his life, something had shifted in the few hours they’d talked.
Leo might be afraid of the fallout if they didn’t work out, but he was more fearful of what would happen if he didn’t see where this could go. He needed to know how Riley felt. They could go from there.
The conversation he’d been putting off having with Liam suddenly seemed too important to ignore.
“Li,” Leo began. “I had an idea. For after the wedding. What I want to do with my life.”
“Oh?” Liam shifted his gaze to Leo’s. “What did you have in mind?”
Tumblr media
For maybe the first time in her life, Riley couldn’t decide on what to wear. 
Riley tried on a few different dresses, rejecting them for not being right. She tried on an outfit with sage wide-legged pants and quickly dismissed it as too professional. She wasn’t going to work. Jeans felt too casual. 
Riley plucked a black sweater from her closet, along with a cranberry leather skirt and sheer black tights with a pair of ankle boots. Just sexy enough, and comfortable.
Riley fastened a pair of small diamond studs in her ears, and readjusted the small locket she always wore. 
The doorbell chimed, and Riley checked the clock. Leo was an hour early. A soft smile lifted Riley’s lips. Maybe he couldn’t wait until seven. 
Riley took a deep breath before rushing to the door, the smile on her face falling as she swung it open.
“Aurora,” the man’s salt and pepper hair was neatly combed as always. He adjusted the silver cufflinks, the metal glinting in the hallway light. Riley felt a wave of nostalgia, followed quickly by irritation.
“Father,” Riley replied. She took a deep breath, centering herself. “What are you doing here?”
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Perma: @ao719 @appleone @burnsoslow @charlotteg234 @choiceskatie @differenttyphoonwerewolf @emkay512 @foreverethereal123 @gabesmommie1130 @gardeningourmet @iaminlovewithtrr @imashybish @kingliam2019 @kristinamae093 @ladyangel70 @lovingchoices14 @lunaseasblog @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @mom2000aggie @nestledonthaveone @originaljudgepiepaper @pixelatedpassion @platapirexy @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @queenmiarys @queenwalton @royalpest @tessa-liam @trrfanaddict @3pawandme @21-wishes
Leo x Riley: @mywildheartremains
TRR/TRH: @jared2612 @malblk21
MLT: @alyshak92 @belencha77 @irisk12 @karahalloway @persephone13 @starrystarrytrouble @tinkie1973 @walkerdrakewalker
109 notes · View notes
phaaz · 2 months
Text
Tumblr media
It took me forever to find the time outside of school to finish this, but I finally managed it! I made a short fan-made visual novel set in book 1 of Pixelberry Choices' Blades of Light and Shadow!
This is a small side project and the art assets are a bit old and not up to my current standards, but I just made this to get familiar with RenPy and make fanart/fanfic for Blades! If you want to check it out, you can download it from my itch.io page here: https://49kittens.itch.io/blades-of-light-and-shadow-fan-vn
I tried to test for all bugs and other issues, but if you run into anything I might have missed, please let me know! I hope you enjoy playing it and if you want to post any pictures/reactions/thoughts or talk about it with me, feel free to tag me or send me an ask/dm!
Reblogs are super appreciated! :D
@choicesficwriterscreations
83 notes · View notes
jerzwriter · 2 months
Text
If the cap fits...
Tumblr media
I don't care where you live; you must have heard me scream when I opened this treasure from @/artbyainna this morning! Agh! Look at my babies! I already had a commission planned for them when I created Trystan's Holiday Recap, where we learned about Carolina's gift. It was @lilyoffandoms who said, "I need the art of this, STAT!" and I wrote Ainna and said, "We need to make an adjustment." lol I hope the CoP fans out there love this half as much as I do, because that would be a whole lot. There's a little drabble below to accompany this.
Book: Crimes of Passion Pairing: Trystan Thorne x Carolina Rose (F!MC) Words: 740 Rating: Teen Summary: Carolina has a little surprise for her prince, but how will he take it?
@choicesjanuary2024 - Day 12 - Transformation (because Trystan has certainly undergone one.)
Crimes of Passion Masterlist | My Main Masterlist
Tumblr media
It was early evening, the sun was just beginning to set, and Trystan was anxious to put the work day behind him. He was shoving folders into his desk and about to lock the drawers when Carolina sauntered in. If there was one thing that could distract him, no matter what he was doing, she was it. His eyes lingered over her with every step, the puppy-dog look on his face so unbecoming for a Drakovian royal, but there was no use fighting it; he had long since given in. But there was something different about her today. She appeared less tense, relaxed even. The gleam in her eye and the devious little smile tugging at her lips told him one thing for sure: she was up to something.
She plopped down on the chair before him, crossing her legs and placing a brown paper shopping bag on the desk before meeting his eyes with a playful yet seductive stare. Trystan couldn't keep a straight face any longer.
“All right, what are you up to?”
“Me,” she responded coyly, holding her hands in mock horror. “What on earth suggests that I’m up to something, Detective Thorne?”
“That smile, that tone, that deliciously playful look in your eyes... what are you doing, Carolina Rose?”
“Well,” she pulled the bag to her lap. “I may have gotten you an early Christmas present.”
Trystan’s face fell. “No. You can’t give me anything yet! I don't have anything to give you.”
“I don’t need anything,” she smiled. “Besides, I know I’m helpless at stopping you from spoiling me as the month progresses.”
“You’re learning,” he smirked. “So, what’s in the bag?”
She gleefully stuck her hand in and held out a black baseball cap... not the dark navy of the Yankee caps he had become so familiar with... and this one had white lettering; he took it in his hand to read.
“Armchair detective... armchair detective? What does this mean?”
With a little giggle, more fitting for a schoolgirl than the hardened detective she had become, Carolina began to explain.
“Have you heard the term armchair quarterback? It means someone who watches football, insisting they know better than the coach on the field. They bark orders at the coach and scream as if they're the coach, all from the comfort of their couch with a bag of Cheetos at their side.”
“I’m familiar with the term, dear,” he replied sarcastically. “But what is an armchair det...” his mouth hung open as realization set in. “Are you saying I’m an armchair detective?”
“Well,” she teased. “You’ve had some success, I’ll give you that, but you are still very much a newb.”
“So... I’m the armchair detective?” he was bordering on insulted, but Carolina just shrugged playfully.
“I mean, if the cap fits....”
“So then, what does that make you?”
“Funny you should ask that,” she grinned, reaching into the bag to retrieve one more item. Flipping her long golden brown hair back, she placed a cap on her head, carefully tucking any loose tendrils within. Trystan leaned closer to see what hers said, and in a matching font, it declared: Detective.
“Detective?” he asked.
“Well, that’s what it says on my tax form.”
Unable to keep a straight face, she doubled over in a fit of giggles.
“I am deeply hurt,” he scolded with the tone of a man who had been destined to be king.
“You know I'm joking, baby. But come on let's take a selfie! Our friends will love this!"
“I think not.”
“Come on! Where is your sense of humor?”
“Oh, I have no problem with the selfie. I don't even have a problem with your pale attempt at humor... but there is no way I am messing up my crowning glory by wearing that cap.”
To drive his point home, he flipped his head back, running his hands through his luxurious locks, as Carolina looked on with amusement. 
“You are such a diva!”
“I am,” he declared proudly, rolling his chair over to hers and pulling her into a tender kiss. “But I’m your diva.”
“And don’t you forget it!”
“Never!” he smiled smugly, pulling his phone from his pocket.
“What are you doing?” Carolina asked.
“Ordering us t-shirts.”
“T-shirts? What kind?”
“His and hers... mine will say Diva... you, my love, are an Armchair Diva.”
“Hey,” she said with a laugh, "if the shirt fits..."
@choicesficwriterscreations
Tagging others separately.
65 notes · View notes
aces-and-angels · 8 months
Text
Lovely humans- the time has come for ILW to get its well deserved beach filler episode! I've been posting sneak peeks for a bit and I'm so happy that I can finally share the finished product with yall~
I would love to hear your thoughts (or concerns- there may be a few bugs/hiccups lol). This is a purely self-indulgent project that was fun to make and hopefully fun to read as well 🖤 and as always, a big thank you to @itlivesproject for creating such a wonderful story to begin with
Please read content warnings before proceeding to read the entire story
Tumblr media
Content warnings: this story takes place two years post-finale, following my Mixed Route with Rowan (F!MC) x Abel and contains NSFW material. Any ‘dirty thirty’ scenes are optional to read and can be skipped entirely/fade to black. That being said, Abel x Rowan are depicted to be in an established, long-distance relationship, and certain dialogue/references are made based on that.   
128 notes · View notes
kristinamae093 · 6 months
Text
Ghosted
Ghosted - Two Steps Back (Chapter Ten)
Tumblr media
Series Summary - Prince Liam fell for Riley Brooks hard and fast. A marriage filled with love and devotion was within his reach. But everything changed when she vanished just before the end of the social season. As everyone voices their concerns regarding her scandalous departure, a confession from an unlikely source turns Liam's world upside down and makes him question everything around him.
Book/Pairing - TRR - Liam x MC (Riley Brooks)
A/N 1 - This AU starts right before the beginning of the engagement tour. There is a two-month lapse between the coronation and where we pick up, but we will stray from canon. Please excuse any errors found.
Characters belong to Pixelberry.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
After the Regatta
Penelope hobbled to her room on a sore foot and a painfully bruised ego. This wasn’t going as expected; advisors told her toward the beginning of the season she might stand a chance, but after only the first few events, they hastily changed their tone. Between Madeleine, Riley, and Olivia, they knew Penelope would not be the new king’s choice.  
Regardless, Penelope was enjoying her time away. The friends she’d made were irreplaceable; she and Kiara formed an everlasting bond. Even Riley was incredibly friendly, despite her commoner status. Penelope was rooting for Riley to win it all because she was genuinely a nice person, and Penelope was looking forward to what Cordonia could look like with her as queen. 
Penelope approached her door whilst humming to herself. The day was long, and she was relieved to be in the comfortable solace of her own space. She planned on calling her parents for their daily video chat, and to get some doggy face time to tide her over while away. Her anxiety was through the roof without having them close, but the friendships she’d made were a momentary distraction. She was glad the ladies were nice enough; otherwise, this experience would’ve been a nightmare. 
Penelope entered and made a bee-line for the bathroom. She did her business, washed her hands, and bounced her way over to the dresser to get more comfortable for the evening. Just as she opened the drawer, a stern knock sounded on her door. Penelope scrunched her face; she was expecting no visitors but thought perhaps Kiara wanted to hang out. 
As Penelope opened the structure, a thunderous force shoved through her and entered, slamming the door shut. Penelope stumbled backward but caught her footing. She could only stare at the person in front of her as panic flourished through her body. She didn't recognize them, but the death glare plastered on their face told her that notion was not applied on both ends. Her instinct told her to scream for help, but the visitor addressed her before she was given the chance.
They spoke in a low, raspy voice. “Have a seat, Lady Penelope. We have a lot to discuss.” 
“W–who are you?” 
“You need not worry about who I am, only what I know.” 
“What do you mean?” 
The person clasped their hands behind their back and stalked around Penelope; like a vulture circles its prey. “Everyone around you thinks you're the sweet, poodle-obsessed Penny, but I see otherwise. I know all about you… The things you’ve done… What your daddy tries his damndest to hide…” 
Penelope’s already increasing heart rate spiked. “I don’t understand.” 
“Of course you don’t. It’s alright, I wouldn’t want anyone to know, either.” They dismissively shrugged.
“Know what?” 
The person snickered at her attempts to deflect, but they could see the panic rising in her eyes. “It’s quite a common expression — young and dumb. But, when you’re in the nobility, there are no secrets unless you know the right people.” 
Penelope thickly swallowed. “I don’t – I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 
“Really? So, then you’ve never been — joined in holy matrimony, right?”
Penelope’s eyes widened. “I–” 
“Enough with your attempts to feign confusion; that will only prolong this process and I am not in the mood to play games. I know of your estranged marriage; how your father pays plenty of hush money per month to keep his mouth shut. I imagine it would be fairly difficult to talk yourself out of that situation if the press were to catch wind; considering Portavira continuously requests the Crown’s compensation. And I do believe the monarch would not be happy to learn your family has developed a slush fund, either.” 
The intruder gave Penelope a wicked smile and added, “Not to mention the — fatality that was caught amid your poor life choices…”
Penelope visibly tensed. “That’s not – I didn’t–” she stammered before snapping her mouth closed; her flustered state prohibited her from forming an argument.
“It’s a matter of opinion, I suppose. Regardless, I attained the records from your procedure.” They waved a piece of paper in Penelope’s face, and recognition swept over her instantly. She released a shuddered breath as the document came to a stop, her tearful eyes centering on the text. 
Despite Penelope’s panicked state, the aggressor continued, “Tell me, do your parents know of your aborted fetus? I mean, I saw you on security cameras entering the clinic alone. It was smart of you to use a fake name, but unfortunately, that was not enough to cover up your mistakes.” 
Penelope never answered, but the assailant watched her swallow thickly with shame etched in her features. She couldn’t fathom how this stranger had found her deepest secrets that she was certain would never see the light of day. 
Penelope found out she was pregnant the day after her annulment was discreetly settled. Terrified wasn’t a strong enough word to describe how she felt, as she stared down at the positive test; she went to the clinic in disguise to find out about her options and decided abortion would be the best solution. Being only nineteen years old, Penelope was practically a child herself and didn’t believe she was at a point to care for a baby like they deserved. And she was alone; when she dreamt of this moment, it happened completely differently in her head. She longed for the fairytale love, where they would start a family together; not single and inevitably disgraced.
Her parents didn’t know, she was too afraid to tell them — especially after her father agreed to pay a continuous hefty fee for Guy’s silence. Penelope was always well-behaved; the perfect trophy daughter. The look of pure disappointment held in their eyes when they found out about her marriage haunted her; she never wanted to do anything out of line again. All Penelope desired was to move on from her mistake, but life had other plans.
Panicked and ashamed, Penelope made the impossible decision alone, not wanting anyone to know of the stupid decisions that led her there. Her fear and guilt only increased after the procedure, but she grieved what could have been and pushed it into the deepest pit of her mind.
She never told a soul – nobody knew – or so she thought.
“All it would take is a small whisper to the press and it would destroy not only you, but your fraudulent parents as well…” 
Penelope gasped as her tears freely flowed. “No! P–please, don’t!” 
The person laughed; the sound sending an involuntary chill down Penelope’s spine. They stalked forward until her back hit the wall and they breathed over her. Penelope squeezed her eyes closed, but felt them draw nearer. The tangy scent of alcohol mixed with cigar smoke filled her nostrils, as they whispered in her ear, “If you want my silence, you’re going to have to earn it.” 
Penelope’s eyes shot open as she frantically nodded her head. “Okay, j–just tell me what you need, and I’ll do it.” 
“I knew you’d see reason,” the unknown presence spoke while taking a small step away. They produced an envelope from their jacket and handed it to her. 
Penelope opened it and started skimming over the information; it was an email address with a set of instructions and a few other notes. She didn’t understand what it all meant; the main thing that stuck out was the location of where they wanted the photographer to be. 
“Why are they going to be outside Riley’s room?” 
“The less you know, the better.” They once again reached into their jacket, this time pulling out a small vial and handing it to her. “You need to give this to her beforehand. I do not care how it happens, just make sure it gets in her system; the earlier, the better.” 
“W–what is this? Is this a drug?” Penelope stammered as she stared down at the bottle in her trembling hands. 
The person smiled; a dark, wicked smile. “You don’t need to worry about that; just make sure she ingests it at an early enough hour.”
Tears once again streamed down Penelope’s cheeks as she frantically shook her head and tried to hand the items back. “N–no. I can’t do that, and I won’t. I would rather disgrace myself than–”
“You’re going to do it.”  
Penelope stood a little taller and yelled, “No, I won’t! I–”
Penelope received a sudden, sharp backhand to her cheek. She fell to the floor cradling her face but was soon flipped over onto her back, her aggressor pinning her to the ground. She opened her mouth to scream, but quickly closed it as she saw the gleam of a blade in the light right in front of her face. 
“Make a sound and I’ll kill you right here, right now.” The attacker moved the knife to hover over Penelope’s throat, applying just enough pressure to keep her subdued. “You have two options — you either comply and do as you’re told, or this is where your life will end. If you refuse to cooperate, you already know too much, and I will ensure you don’t live to tell the tale personally. But I won’t stop there, no – I’ll ruin your parents as well; the entire world will know what a fraud you and your family are.” 
“No… P–please. I – I can’t – I –” Penelope frantically stammered, trying to develop a coherent sentence. 
“You can, and you will. Otherwise,” they leaned forward, close enough to touch noses with Penelope. “I’ll dig your grave myself and throw those mangy mutts in with you after. Perhaps we can make it a family affair and shove your parents inside, too. After all, being exposed to the world and losing their only disappointment of a child would leave them with nothing left to live for; especially once they know of your treacherous sins.” They sat back with a vile chortle, letting the words linger.
Penelope cried harder, her breathing rapid and erratic as her panic boiled over. She opened her mouth to shout for help despite the blade at her throat, but a firm hand abruptly pressed against her lips. “I think I’m being very understanding, actually. I could just end you and move on to the next useless suitor, but I’m allowing you to make the correct choice; to answer the call of service for your country. That commoner has no business being here; you know it, I know it, everyone knows it! We have to deal with her!” 
After a tense moment of silence, her intruder grew restless. They rolled their eyes and huffed, “You’re running out of time. I’ll gift you ten seconds; agree, or...” The blade on Penelope’s throat suddenly held more force; hard enough she could feel her skin being lightly pierced. “I don’t think I really need to finish that sentence, do I?”
Penelope subtly nodded her head, afraid to move too much. Although she didn’t want to betray Riley in that way, she saw no other way out. Not only was her own life being threatened, but her parents as well; she was not willing to let them die because of her secrets they knew nothing about.
Her attacker soon chortled and sat up. “I had a feeling you would see it my way.” They patted her cheek, hard, before they stood and adjusted their clothing.
The intruder walked to the door and turned back around to address a whimpering Penelope. “As a reward for your service, I will make you a lady-in-waiting for the soon-to-be queen. I’d suggest you take the position and use discretion whenever necessary from here on out. If you do anything to compromise this operation, you will be sorry. Am I clear?“
Tumblr media
The following afternoon, Olivia met with Liam, Leo, and Ray as they discussed the events of the night prior. The court just arrived in Portavira, although there was a break in events until the polo match in a few days. They gathered in Olivia’s room, as that’s where Ray set up his equipment and continuously ensured the area remained free of compromises. 
Olivia told them about Penelope’s involvement, and Liam was certain Olivia was lying or playing some kind of sick joke. However, after seeing the proof himself, he knew it had to be true. He wasn’t close with Penelope by any means, but still felt betrayed. Riley was kind and warm to those around her, not a malicious bone in her body; what made Penelope want to get rid of her?
“We have to question her. I can’t be sure, but she might know we’re onto her. The look in her eyes –” Olivia shook her head with a heavy sigh. ”– I can’t explain it, but I don’t like it.”  
“I agree,” Leo interjected. “We need to know why she did it, man, because this makes absolutely no sense. I mean, Penelope – of all people? Did she accidentally eat some dog food or something, and it made her go kookoo?” 
Despite his overflowing anxiety, Liam laughed. “I really don't know. But we’re not all going to question her. I think it’s best if myself and Leo did this, so we don’t overwhelm her.” He spoke to the entire group. 
“Are you… okay to do that?” Leo tentatively asked. “I can take Olivia — or hell, even Maxwell or Drake, if you don’t think you can keep your cool. We can’t really risk her shutting down and withholding anything important...” 
Liam remained silent for a long moment. Honestly, he didn’t know if he could control himself. The selfish side of him wanted to confront Penelope face-to-face and demand answers. However, he knew he was teetering on a dangerous ledge, and her confession could provoke several different reactions. 
He didn’t remember the last time he’d slept or ate a full meal. Days were molding together, and he had no sense of time unless it pertained to the tour. Liam was simply muttering through, doing the dutiful checklist a monarch should on the daily and trying his hardest to stay afloat; even though in all reality, he felt like he was drowning in a sea of uncertainty. No amount of training could prepare him for something like this; he was simply in limbo until one of the many open ends finally led them to something of importance. As the King he held mighty authority; yet, he’d never felt so powerless. Every second of not knowing something was torture; he just wanted to see Riley with his own two eyes. 
“I… don’t think I can, actually. If you wouldn’t mind questioning her, I would very much appreciate it, Leo.” 
Leo patted Liam on the back with a reassuring smile. “No problem. Care to accompany me, Livvie?” 
“I suppose if we want some kind of answer, I’ll have to, won’t I?” Olivia smirked. 
“Are we doing this now, or?” 
“Yes. The sooner, the better.” 
“And we’re certain she’s here?” Liam asked. 
“She was out earlier with her dogs,” Olivia answered with an eye roll. 
Liam nodded as he rubbed his palms together. “This is a decent plan. I have a good feeling about this, guys.” 
For the first time since he opened his eyes to the truth about the narrative against Riley, Liam felt like this could take them somewhere relevant. This was a solid lead and although he knew it probably wouldn’t provide him with all the answers he was seeking, it was a damn good start. 
Liam spoke again, “Any other updates?” 
“I received the diagnostic report on Lady Riley’s dress on the way here." Ray explained. "The blood was mostly Riley’s, but traces from Tariq were present as well. There were a few hairs and skin cells noted, but the DNA only registers those two.”
“Oh… okay…” Liam quietly responded. He hoped deep down the mess was from someone else, but immediately felt foolish to let himself believe such a thing. Hearing it confirmed out loud made his stomach burn with anxiety; this is what he blinded himself to, this is what he ignored. The overwhelming guilt Liam was fighting momentarily took his breath away. 
“Otherwise, there are no new leads.” Ray briefly met eyes with Olivia, the both of them having a silent conversation; unbeknownst to Liam. It wasn’t technically a lie, but not the entire truth. Ray found something — interesting, but Olivia decided now was not the time to bring it up to Liam, at least until after they learned what exactly Penelope knew. “Where Tariq is concerned, I’ve hit a complete brick wall; there’s absolutely nothing.” 
“Nothing?” 
Ray shook his head. “Not a trace. His accounts show no transactions, and his family has not heard from him in months. I’ve checked every mode of transportation available to leave the country and he wasn’t on any of their databases.” 
“How is that even possible? There has to be something, somewhere. Seriously – Tariq has the IQ of a fucking peanut.” Leo interjected. 
“It could be a collection of reasons,” Ray answered. He suddenly stopped typing on his keyboard and took in everyone’s curious expressions. “Either he’s just incredibly clever and has an immaculate ability to cover his tracks, has hired someone to do that for him, or…” 
“He’s dead…” Liam quietly inserted, just above a whisper. His palms started trembling in his lap, and the only thing he could feel was his heart erratically thumping.
The deeper this web went, the further Liam felt himself slipping from reality. All he wanted was a sign, a concrete clue, anything to put him one step closer to finding Riley. The longer that time passed, the more he believed there was a grim reason they couldn’t find them. Just when the light at the end shined brighter, Liam was suddenly drug further down into the abyss of questions, making him doubt everything. 
“We can’t confirm that right now, Your Majesty. I’ve searched hospital records and there are no reports of him checking in at any of them and nothing solid to point to that conclusion. There are a lot of open ends regarding his whereabouts, but I have a couple more places to look before we should start truly discussing that possibility.” 
“Right…” Liam quietly responded as his mind raced. If Tariq’s DNA was on her dress, does that mean he’s the one who injured her? They already knew he was close to Riley; the pictures obviously showcased them together, but was Tariq responsible for attacking her, too? Those thoughts created a storm of rage he’d never felt before; just when he thought the fire had sizzled out, another splash of gasoline was poured onto the diminishing coals. Liam may not have felt a lot of hope, but he sure as hell felt the rage consuming his entire being. 
Leo noticed Liam's forelorn expression and reassuringly gripped his shoulder. “Don’t worry, man. We’re going to get an answer — soon.”
Tumblr media
A short while later, Olivia, Leo, and ‘Harold’ walked the halls of the Portavirian estate, searching for Penelope’s room. Liam opted to have a drink with Drake instead of being alone, as his already overflowing anxiety seemed to increase with every passing second. 
They rounded the corner and Olivia tapped on Penelope’s door, but received near silence; muffled barks rang out beyond the structure, although seemingly at a distance. After a few moments, she stepped forward and repeated the process, but again, no answer. Leo knocked a few times a little louder, but heard nothing — aside from the dogs. He reached for the handle and tried to turn it, just to see, only to find it locked.
“What should we do?” Leo asked Olivia. 
Olivia tapped her index finger against her chin. “I don’t know…” She furrowed her brow and stared at the door in front of her. “The poodles are inside, so she shouldn’t be far… Maybe we search around and see if we spot her anywhere? It’s still relatively early; she could have stepped out for a moment.” 
Leo and Ray both agreed, and the trio began their trek. They started outside by the pool and checked the lounge area, but Penelope wasn't located anywhere. They searched nearly every floor, even the roof, but found no signs of her. Everyone else was already in their room for the night, the estate nearly deserted as they scoured the abandoned hallways. After a while, everyone agreed to take their chances and return to Penelope’s door, as a good hour passed since they last attempted. 
A voice called out to them as they made their way up the grand staircase. They turned around to see Landon making his way to them with a grin on his face. “Good evening, Your Majesty, Duchess, a pleasure to see you both. Are the two of you just strolling, or have you been out on the town?” He chuckled with a playful side eye directed at Leo. 
“You know me,” Leo smirked, “but actually, we’ve been looking for your daughter.” 
Landon’s smile faded, instead replaced with a perplexed expression. “What do you need from Penelope?”
Leo and Olivia shared a hesitant look. “Actually, it’s confidential… Do you know where she is?” 
“She said she was retiring to her room earlier.” 
Olivia spoke next. “We checked there. We checked everywhere and we have no clue where she’s at.” 
“Perhaps she’s already in slumber; she is quite the heavy sleeper. How about I come with you? I was headed there anyway, as she was acting fairly strange earlier.” 
“Strange how?” Leo asked. 
“She kept hugging her mother and me, and told us how much she loved us. She just seemed — sad, as if she would burst into tears at any moment. And she asked me to ensure Merlin and Morgana get plenty of treats.” Landon furrowed his brows and shook his head. “I asked her what she meant, and she just gave me another hug. Emmaline thinks she’s getting ready for her time of the month, which is why I came prepared.” He held up a wad of chocolate bars and laughed.
“I take it Merlin and Morgana are the poodles?”
“Oh, yes. They’re practically her children. It’s been hard on her to leave them at home, but she’s done fairly well. The unexpected route changes actually ended up being very beneficial to her, since she gets to be with them for a few days. I’m certain she’s going to have a hard time leaving again, but I know she appreciates getting to see them. When it was time to leave for the engagement tour, she was practically inconsolable; she didn’t want to leave, to the point we weren’t sure she would attend at all.” 
“So, she didn’t want to return, then?” Olivia inquired, hanging on his every word. 
Landon sighed and looked away. “I don’t believe so, no. But we made sure she knew how much of a tremendous opportunity this was for her. She was incredibly reluctant, but finally agreed. In all honesty, I think most of her reservations were regarding the fact that she was going so far away. Penelope is a very timid girl; she doesn’t particularly enjoy the crowds or being away from home. I’m confident staying in Cordonia where things are a little more familiar will turn things around for her; perhaps she will enjoy herself a bit.” 
“Right…” Olivia trailed off, as her mind swirled around these new little bits of information. She questioned if Penelope's reluctance to come back had to do with Riley's disappearance. The haunting look in Penelope’s eyes as that cab drove away told Olivia she could be correct. 
“Lead the way, then,” Leo inserted with a forced smile, as uneasiness crept into the pit of his stomach. The hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood at attention, an involuntary shudder traveling through his body; he shook it off and politely smiled at Landon, who returned the gesture before starting the journey.
Everyone strolled through the halls together and within a short time, they were nearing Penelope’s room once again. Leo and Landon made small talk along the way, but Olivia didn’t listen most of the time. A bad feeling rapidly grew as they walked; why, she wasn’t sure, but it was becoming impossible to ignore. As they got closer, the air suddenly felt cold, raising goosebumps on her skin and sending a shiver down her spine. The hallway had an eerie aura to it that was beyond explanation; judging from the cautious expressions of everyone around, Olivia knew her feelings were not in her head. Landon appeared to be the only one who didn’t notice the atmosphere shift, although he hadn’t stopped talking long enough to take in the environment. 
Just as they were about to arrive, they heard muffled voices speaking not far away. Olivia furrowed her brows and started walking faster, practically running, with Ray and Leo not far behind. 
She came to an abrupt stop as she saw a litter of guards standing outside of Penelope’s room; dressed in full riot gear with what she assumed to be loaded assault rifles, all appearing to be awaiting instructions. Standing toward the back of the mass of people was Liam, who was speaking with Bastien in hushed tones. She could tell even from afar he was talking sternly; his angry demeanor instantly drew Olivia to him. Drake lingered close-by, wearing an expression of pure confusion.
Olivia approached them and inquired, “What’s going on?” 
“There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you,” Liam replied. “Did you question Penelope?”
“We were looking for her, that’s why we’re here, now.”
“But you didn’t find her?” Liam snapped, not even trying to hide the annoyance in his tone. 
“Not yet…” Leo answered as he took in Liam’s tense shoulders and ticking jaw. “Liam, what is going on?” 
Before Liam could respond, Landon interjected himself. “What is the meaning of this?!” 
Liam took a deep breath to calm himself and spoke in a calm, yet authoritative voice. “Duke Landon, I understand this may be hard for you to hear, but we have to take Penelope into custody.”
“Custody?! On what grounds?!” Landon hollered. 
Liam swallowed down the ball of anger and agitation lodged in his throat and spoke in a flat voice. “She is the prime suspect in the murder of Rhonda Floros.” Everyone’s eyes widened as their jaws hit the floor. “We will investigate further, but she has to be detained until we can–” 
“I – what?! You have no proof! This – this is an injustice!” Landon yelled as he frantically paced in front of Penelope’s door. 
Leo hesitantly spoke in a hushed manner. “Li, all we knew about was the photographer. How can you jump to that conclusion?” 
“The forensics came back and Penelope’s prints were all over the murder weapon. Her DNA was on everything else as well, but I’m focused on that knife.”
“Impossible! There has to be some kind of mistake!” Landon pleaded. 
“I’m sorry Landon, but the forensics does not lie,” Liam replied with a sad smile. “Trust me, I don’t want to believe she could have done something like this and I intend to figure it out, but we have to locate her first!"
Landon quickly stepped toward Penelope’s room and pulled a set of keys from his pocket. “She is in here — I know she is; she’s sleeping. I’ll wake her up and we can figure out this mess together, because I know for certain she is innocent.” He spoke as he unlocked the door and turned the handle. He entered and flipped the switch on the wall, the area becoming illuminated. 
Liam motioned for the guards to stay outside and followed closely behind. Olivia entered next, followed by Ray. However, a stern hand on Ray’s chest halted him in the doorway. 
“You are unauthorized personnel,” Bastien snapped.  
Liam quickly intervened. “No, he’s not.” 
“Your Majesty, with all due respect, I entered his credentials myself. I know for a fact what clearances he has and doesn’t.” 
Liam stepped up to Bastien with narrowed eyes. “Poof.” He snapped his fingers. “I just gave him access. Now, step aside.” He growled through clenched teeth, the vein in his neck profusely popping out.  
To be honest, Liam was stalling until he found Ray and Olivia; the three of them were going to question Penelope together. His earlier worries about keeping his cool were well out the window; now he was simply confused. Why did she hire the photographer? Did she really kill that maid? Did Penelope know they had spoken to her? Every piece of random evidence found had Penelope’s DNA – and only hers – on it in some fashion. Although the legitimacy of the scene was still in question, her fingerprints on the murder weapon were more than enough to detain her for questioning. 
Bastien never once took his eyes off Ray during the entire interaction. Ray observed Bastien's face crack slightly and saw him swallow and clench his jaw when Liam commanded him to stop. He finally moved his hand to allow Ray entrance, but held his intent gaze for just a moment too long. Olivia watched and noted how she wasn’t stopped, nor Drake or Leo — only Ray. She couldn’t help but wonder why Bastien didn’t want him specifically there. 
Liam glanced around as he entered and saw no signs of Penelope and nothing raising any kind of alarm. He’d never been inside this room before, but to the naked eye, not a thing was out of place. However, Liam couldn’t deny the sudden chill he felt as he stepped over the threshold. His skin instantly clammed up, and his heart rate increased substantially with every tense second that passed. 
Everyone else followed behind and did the same, but Landon circled the room while frantically calling Penelope’s name, only to get no response. He ducked into the bathroom to check there, but saw no traces of his daughter. Everything appeared just as it was earlier that morning when he personally prepared everything for Penelope’s arrival.
“This doesn’t make sense,” Landon huffed as he reemerged. “She said she was coming to bed. Where else would she go? Should we contact Lady Kiara? They had grown quite close.”
Liam sighed and ran a hand down his face. “Bastien, send someone to Lady Kiara’s room to check.” His patience with this situation was dissipating. An answer was right there dangling in front of his face; he could practically taste it. Even if he had to turn the entire continent upside down, Liam was going to find Penelope and make her answer for her part in this mess — whatever that could have been. 
“Yes, sir.”
Olivia glanced at the dresser and saw a jewelry box. Something on top of it quickly caught her attention; it was a piece of paper neatly folded with the words read me written on it in red ink. Her breaths immediately stopped as she stared at it for a long moment. Goosebumps raised on her skin as she realized the penmanship was strikingly familiar.  
She slowly reached out and brought it closer; Ray noticed and came to stand beside her to see what she had found. Liam and Landon continued to speak on the other side of the room, completely unaware of their discovery. Olivia carefully unfolded the sheet and quickly scanned over the contents. As she started reading, the color suddenly drained from her face, her hands trembling, and even tears were forming in the corners of her eyes. Her mind instantly started spiraling, trying to decipher what this meant.
Olivia and Ray stood gawking at the paper in a trance for an unidentified amount of time. The sound of Landon’s thunderous voice suddenly brought both out of their dazes. “This is absurd! She did nothing wrong!” 
“I understand your frustrations but as I said before, the forensics does not lie,” Liam answered in the calmest tone he could muster. “I have questions about all of this, Landon! But one way or another her DNA was littered–”
“Bullshit! Run the tests again! Something is going on here!” 
Liam winced at Landon’s volume, but shook it off and stood to his full height. “Duke Ebrim, you’d do well to remember who you’re speaking to and watch your tone. While I understand why you’re upset, I’m only here to figure this out. If you want to clear her name, help us find her so we can speak to her!” 
Landon frantically looked throughout the room, desperately trying to make sense of what was happening. At that moment, they heard a bark, followed by another softer cry; everyone suddenly stilled and an eerie silence took over, as they glanced at one another with furrowed brows. It sounded undeniably close, but there were obviously no dogs in the area. The silence in the air was deafening, but then it happened again and Landon finally pinpointed the location — the closet. It would make sense; Penelope heard the commotion and retreated in there with her poodles to hide because she was afraid. 
Landon made a bee-line for the door and wildly swung it open. He took a step back and two fluffy dogs slowly came out with their heads down, causing Landon to take a few steps back; they laid at Landon’s feet and whimpered. 
“What is it, Merlie?” Landon asked as he rubbed one of the dogs’ heads, their howls intensifying. 
The room’s air suddenly felt incredibly thick at the interaction. Liam felt physically sick to his stomach as recognition swept over him from head to toe — something was waiting for them in that closet. His hands shook at his sides, his breathing shaky and uneven as he stared into the dark, open doorway. 
Landon stepped over the poodles, who went and lay on the bed, but continued whining. As he entered, he ran a hand along the wall until he found the switch. The small area came to light, and his worst nightmare suddenly became reality right in front of his face. 
“NO!” Landon wailed at an ear-piercing volume as he dropped to his knees near the doorway. 
“What’s wrong?” Liam sought, but Landon broke into a fit of sobs and crumpled to the floor. 
Liam swallowed thickly and took a couple of cautious steps forward. Olivia suddenly appeared and tried to redirect him, but Liam was steadfast; whatever it was, he needed to see it for himself. As he got closer, he could see a chair lying on its side. His eyesight started on the floor and slowly traveled upward. He hadn’t made it very far before the color drained from his face with sweat immediately beading his brow at seeing a pair of dainty feet dangling in the air; one heel on, the other nowhere to be seen. 
Liam looked away but with a shuddered breath followed the body back up to the face, and sure enough, it was Penelope.
Landon suddenly shoved Liam out of the way. “MOVE!” He rushed over and held Penelope’s lifeless form, lifting her easily with one hand; the other quickly moving to remove the belt from around her severely bruised neck. Her limp body dropped into his arms and he cradled her to his chest as he rocked back and forth, making cries that would haunt Liam until the day he died. 
Liam regained his footing but remained cemented in place. This was it; this was their big break, but they only received more unanswered questions. Hopelessness flourished, as he saw no other solutions in sight. He felt like a mouse, mindlessly running through a maze just trying to reach the end for the reward. Penelope's testimony was that reward, but instead of finding the end of the maze, he encountered a sudden, abrupt wall.
Regardless of their actions, they faced a grim reality where a devastating setback countered every advance they made; one step forward, only to be met with two deadly steps back.
Liam suddenly couldn’t breathe; his lungs felt like fire with every rapid, hollow breath. The room started spinning, his vision hazing at a rapid rate. His heart pounded mercilessly, the sound overpowering Landon’s continuous wails filling the room. His hands flew to his chest and he stumbled backward, Leo and Drake quickly moving to catch him before he hit the floor. 
They lowered him to the ground and sat over him as Liam’s vision slowly faded out, their faces disintegrating into a pixelated, blurry image. He blinked his eyes a few times to regain himself, but found the rapidly spinning room made him nauseous. He felt Leo lightly tapping his cheeks, but when he tried to open his mouth, only an anguished cry escaped. 
Liam stared at the ceiling until the bright lights suddenly dimmed. His eyelids grew incredibly heavy until he succumbed to the weight of the world forcing them down. Darkness consumed him as he slipped into unconsciousness, a still silence overcoming his being. 
"Goddamn it," Leo grumbled to himself, as he watched Liam’s body relax. "Get a fucking ambulance! Now!" He hollered over his shoulder before his teary vision centered on his brother again. "Cummon, Li..."
Tumblr media
Tags (if you'd like to be added or removed, please let me know): @choicesficwriterscreations @ao719 @txemrn @imashybish @queenrileyrose
@kingliam2019 @riseandshinelittleblossom @dcbbw @tessa-liam @amandablink @cordonia-gothqueen @sfb123 @jared2612 @harleybeaumont
@bebepac @charlotteg234 @busywoman
@malblk21 @angelasscribbles
@bascmve01 @iaminlovewithtrr @hopelessromanticmonie
@mysticalfangirl @umccall71 @fuckitweball0000 @differenttyphoonwerewolf
@lovingchoices14 @emersyn-in-cordonia
@karahalloway @aussiegurl1234 @the0afnan @nestledonthaveone @gabesmommie1130
91 notes · View notes
cariantha · 3 months
Text
Never Been Kissed
Book: Open Heart, Book 2 Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Sawyer Brooks) Rating: General Category: Fluff Word count: 1.8K Summary: Ethan helps Sawyer with one of her New Year’s resolutions. A/N: I woke up with this idea yesterday and hammered it out last night so I could post it in time for NYE. Please forgive any errors. Happy New Year!🎉🪩🍾
Events/Prompts: • Participating in CFWC Holidays 2023 • Participating in Choices Flashfics Week #66 Prompts 🫤3: “How much worse could it get?” • Participating in Choices Holidays Winter 2023
Tumblr media
Sawyer had never kissed anyone on New Year's Eve. 
Every year, for as long as she could remember, she rang in the new year with her family. The tradition was due in part to the fact that it was also her father's birthday. Twelve years away at school, but she always returned home for the holidays, never missing the annual event. Even last year, her first in Boston, she was able to make it home. A trip made possible by the plane ticket Ethan had given her for Christmas, a generous thank-you gift for helping him with Naveen.
In recent years their family party grew to include significant others and their babies. Everyone had a special someone to kiss at midnight. Everyone but Sawyer. 
When she broke the news to her parents that she was staying in Boston for New Years, there was disappointment on both ends of the line. A couple weeks had passed since she returned to work, and the medical leave she took to recuperate from the attack had already eaten up more time than she could afford. She couldn’t spare any more time away. Her parents were understanding, and Sawyer found a silver lining in that she finally had a special someone to kiss at midnight this year.
At least that was the case until she looked at her schedule a week later. Zaid accommodated her request for extra shifts, allowing her to make up clinic hours. But given that she worked a double on Christmas, she didn’t expect another on New Year’s Eve. She should have known better. It was one of the busiest nights of the year in the emergency department.  
🎉🪩🍾🎉🪩🍾🎉🪩🍾🎉🪩🍾
After a quick coffee break at Derry’s, Ethan helped Sawyer put her coat back on. He took the cream colored beanie that she pulled from her pocket and fitted it over her head. “Nice bunny tail,” he said, gently swatting the giant cotton ball sewn to the top of her knit hat. 
“Watch it, Mister, or you won’t be getting any of this tail for a while,” she turned and shook her rear end at him.
Just before they headed back inside the hospital, Sawyer squeezed his hand. “Sure you don’t want to volunteer and stay for another shift?” she asked, looking up at him with a puppy dog pout.
The first time Sawyer returned to work after the attack, with her landlord in tow, it had been a complete disaster. Though things had gone better this time around, Ethan kept an eye out for any signs of distress. She had her ups and downs, and he couldn't help but worry about her. "Is everything all right?"
“Yeah, it’s fine. You don’t need to worry. I promise,” she tried to assure him, sensing his concern. “I’m just going to miss you tonight, that’s all.” 
Ethan could still feel something was off, but dropped it.   
🎉🪩🍾🎉🪩🍾🎉🪩🍾🎉🪩🍾
It took him twice as long to get home with New Year’s revelers heading to their festivities around town. After a light dinner, a satisfying workout, and a long, hot shower, Ethan settled on his couch. The apartment suddenly felt too quiet, too empty. He missed his girlfriend. Since Sawyer began picking up double-shifts, they had not had a lot of time alone. Sure he got to see her at work. But it wasn’t the same as curling up together on the couch and talking about their day, or kissing whenever they felt like it, or waking up in each other’s arms. 
Hoping it would provide some distraction, he turned on the television and watched the local news. When the weather segment began, Ethan grew bored. He reached for a book on the coffee table, finding Sawyer’s notebook underneath. He recognized it from their DT meetings, where she took meticulous notes and sometimes doodled during their brainstorming sessions. She must have forgotten it the last time she stayed over. 
The way her mind worked fascinated him. She could be discussing the differences between apples and oranges when… Click! An idea would pop into her head to check their patient for uneven skin texture, giving her the lead needed to reach a successful diagnosis. 
Curious to know her thoughts about their current, undiagnosed patient, Ethan picked up the notebook and flipped through the pages. They were filled with detailed notes from each of their team meetings. Random side notes littered the margins. Tacos or burritos? He chuckled, wondering if the question was part of a diagnostic brainstorm, or if she was just hungry at the time. Turning the page to a more recent entry, he found Sawyer’s notes from a meeting he conducted last week. Ethan had attempted to inspire the team by conducting a goal-setting exercise. He asked everyone to jot down a few professional and personal goals for the new year. 
Tumblr media
Several emotions washed over Ethan as he read her goals. She was cute as hell, but his heart broke a little knowing how much weight she still carried on her shoulders. 
On the TV, the New Year’s Eve countdown now aired. A correspondent stood in front of a large crowd of people gathered in Times Square. “…And according to folklore, a kiss at midnight brings luck and strength to that relationship for the rest of the year. So, who will you be kissing when the clock strikes twelve?” Ethan looked down at her list again. Is that why she wanted me to stay tonight? Was that the reason she seemed so… disappointed? 
A timer in the corner of the TV screen counted down the time to the famous ball drop. Forty minutes until midnight. 
Ethan never paid any mind to superstitions. Thinking back to the events of the past two years, he thought to himself, “How much worse could it get?” He shuddered at the thought, bolting to his closet where he threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater, then slipped into his running shoes. He was not going to take any chances, and most importantly, he was intent on giving Sawyer whatever she desired. If she wanted a kiss at midnight, he would make it happen. Keys and jacket in hand, the door to his apartment slammed shut behind him.
Ethan stepped into the atrium and checked the clock behind the reception desk. Fifteen minutes until midnight. 
He pushed through the doors of the emergency department a couple minutes later. It was eerily quiet. The calm before the storm. In about an hour, the waiting room would be packed with reckless and unfortunate party-goers. He didn’t see Sawyer anywhere, but wanting to confirm, Ethan inquired at the triage desk. 
“Happy New Year, Dr. Ramsey,” the triage coordinator greeted. 
“Happy New Year, Anabel. Have you seen Dr. Brooks?”
“About an hour ago? She mentioned trying to catch a quick nap before the midnight rush.”
“Thank you.”
Ethan made his way to the on-call room nearest the emergency room. When he opened the door, the beds were full of sleeping doctors, but Sawyer was not among them. After a quick peek in the cafeteria, he headed up to the Internal Medicine floor. The hallways were dim and quiet at this time of night. He checked all the obvious places. Staff lounge, empty. Resident locker room, empty. The on-call room was also empty, save for a pager that someone had left behind. Duh! 
“Could you page Dr. Brooks, please?” he asked the nurse sitting behind the circular desk. Not a moment later, the pager in his hand started to vibrate. 
Of course. He wondered if this was the universe mocking him for his skepticism.  
Jan, the night supervisor, quietly exited the patient’s room behind him. “Hey kiddo, I thought you went home a few hours ago?” She noticed the pager in his hand. “Did someone page you?”
“Uh, no. Jan, I’m looking for Sawy- for Dr. Brooks? Have you seen her?” he asked. 
“No, hon, but I’ve seen several folks making their way up to the helipad for the fireworks. Maybe she’s up there?”
Yes! She loves fireworks. Ethan looked at his wrist. Five minutes until midnight. 
After thanking the nurses, he walked with purpose to the elevator bank and punched the up button. Come on, come on! Four minutes to midnight. 
When he reached the seventh floor he jogged to the helipad entrance. The automatic glass doors slid open and a frigid gush of wind hit his face. With only the light of the helipad beacons, Ethan frantically scanned the gathered crowd. She’s not here. Dammit!  
He checked the time again. Two minutes until midnight.
As he turned to head back inside, he noticed a large chunk of snow falling from above. It fell from a secluded section of the rooftop that few knew how to access. Naveen referred to it as “the bird’s nest.” He shared its location with Ethan, and in turn, Ethan shared it with Sawyer. It was a place they could go when they needed a minute of peace. To his surprise, he saw what appeared to be a snowball floating in midair. Wait… not a snowball. A bunny tail! 
When he reached the stairwell, he glanced at his watch again. One minute until midnight.
Climbing the stairs three at a time, he quickly ascended two flights of stairs, bursting onto the ninth floor. Thankfully these hallways were lined mostly with administrative offices and were completely abandoned given the late hour. Sprinting to the end of the long hallway, Ethan pulled on a door marked “Authorized Personnel Only.” He launched himself through the dark doorway and blindly climbed another flight of stairs. 
Just as his hand reached the door at the top of the staircase, he heard an explosion on the other side. Midnight.
Sawyer jumped when she heard the steel door crash against the stone exterior of the building. Turning around, she saw Ethan. Steam puffed from his mouth as he tried to catch his breath. 
With the sky sparkling behind her, he grabbed the sides of her face, and crashed his lips onto hers. Once the urgency had subsided, he changed the angle and kissed her again. Deep and tender. When he pulled away to give his lungs a chance to expand, Sawyer could see the fireworks reflected in his eyes.
Tucked in his embrace, she smiled up at him. “What are you doing here?”
“Helping you keep your New Year’s resolutions.” 
She looked at him confused. “Wait... how did you know about that?” She hadn’t remembered mentioning it to him, or anyone for that matter. 
“You left your notebook at my apartment.” He reached into his pocket and handed her the pager. “You also left this in the on-call room.”
“Shit. Please don’t tell my boss.” 
“You’ll have to silence me with another kiss,” he smirked. 
“Well, if that's what it takes...” she laughed, standing on her tiptoes. She brushed her lips against his and whispered, “Happy New Year, Ethan.” 
Before claiming her lips again, he whispered back, “Happy New Year, Rookie.” 
Tag List: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics @peonierose  @potionsprefect @trappedinfanfiction @jerzwriter @queencarb @coffeeheartaddict2 @quixoticdreamer16 @jamespotterthefirst @liaromancewriter @zealouscanonindeer @tveitertotwrites @tessa-liam @youlookappropriate @kyra75 @socalwriterbee @txemrn @choicesflashfics
55 notes · View notes
Text
Choices February Challenge 2024 Prompts
Tumblr media
WELCOME || RULES || MASTERLIST
Each link will take you to a prompt list for one of the seven types of love. Please feel free to utilize the photos, words, or prompts on each one for your creation - but you are not limited to them! Any creation that fits the topic will be accepted in this month's challenge.
Eros (Passionate love) prompt list Philia (Friend love) prompt list Storge (Family love) prompt list Agape (Altruistic love) prompt list Ludus (Flirtatious love) prompt list Pragma (Practical love) prompt list Philautia (Self love) prompt list
and finally...
Love Stinks! prompt list
If you have any questions, please send an ask or DM @jerzwriter.
Thank you and happy creating!
46 notes · View notes
liaromancewriter · 2 years
Text
The Question
Premise: Ethan has an important question to ask Max, but what follows is a heart-to-heart.
Book: Open Heart (post series) Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine); Feat. Max Valentine (M!OC) Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff. Words: 1,700
A/N: Submission for @choicesficwriterscreations Let's Hear it for the Boys event
Tumblr media
Ethan Ramsey had never imagined he would be in this position, ever. He remembered it was only a few years ago when he’d told Cassie that he didn’t believe in marriage. And he hadn’t, back then. Or maybe he had but was trying to pretend otherwise. He didn’t know anymore.
What he knew was that it didn’t feel unreal anymore to see himself as a married man. He thought he’d done quite well as a boyfriend. Marriage was just an extension of that, but with jewelry and paperwork. Right?
Ethan stared out his office window and resisted the urge to bang his head against a wall. He’d been going round and round on the topic since proposing to Cassie. They had set the date within two weeks, both of them rushing each other. They were getting married in less than eight weeks, and he hadn’t even bought her an engagement ring.
And yet the idea of slowing down didn’t appeal to either of them. Cassie’s mother likely disagreed, wanting a fairy tale wedding for her only daughter. But he and Cassie didn’t want a societal affair that was more about the guests than the couple.
Besides, what was the point of making a big circus out of something designed for tax breaks and insurance discounts?
There he went again, he thought, pinching the bridge of his nose. Hyper rationalizing something that wasn’t rational and entirely his decision. He knew what he wanted to do, what had to be done for his own sanity, and he should stop dragging his feet.
So, he unlocked his cell phone and switched to the messaging app. He wanted to just call but knew the other man shared his fiancée’s peculiarities. Besides, he might be halfway around the world. And wouldn’t that be inconvenient?
Tumblr media
Later that day, Ethan followed Max into his penthouse apartment. His first thought upon seeing the amazing view from floor-to-ceiling windows, gourmet kitchen and expensive art on the walls was it seemed to suit the younger man.
“It’s your first time in my apartment, right?” Max asked from behind him.
“Yes. It suits you,” Ethan said, turning away from the view to watch Max take off his suit jacket and fold it on the back of a kitchen stool.
“Thanks. Sienna said the same thing last year,” he said simply. “Can I get you something to drink? It’s too early for scotch, but I can make coffee.”
Ethan almost passed on that but then thought better of it and nodded. He was nervous, afraid of rejection possibly, and could use something.
A few minutes later, he sat across from Max at the kitchen island, his drink in front of him while Max poured tea for himself. Ethan knew Max wasn’t a coffee drinker per se, but he knew how to make it well. Cassie’s influence, no doubt. Just like she must have told him his preferred coffee selections.
“So, I’m assuming you didn’t come down here in the middle of a work day for my superior coffee or killer view?” Max joked when Ethan continued to silently drink his Vienna. “What can I help you with, future brother-in-law?”
Ethan’s mouth twitched at the title. “I practiced what I’d say during the short flight, but now that I’m here, I don’t know why I’m prevaricating. That’s not like me at all.”
“No, it’s not,” Max said. “You and Cassie don’t beat about the bush, not when it comes to the hard stuff. It’s one of the qualities that makes you both good at your jobs. So, just say it.”
Ethan wrapped his hands around the ceramic mug, leaning in. “You know, I’ve spent the last few days alternating between panicked, seeing marriage as a trap for the gullible, and rationalizing it as nothing more than a piece of paper.”
“Look, if you’ve changed your mind….” Max began, stopping when Ethan scoffed, his brows snapping together in annoyance.
“It’s not a damn piece of paper or a trap. I know that.” Ethan sighed, deflating. He focused on his coffee to give himself a minute. And then he looked Max straight in the eye. “You know about my mother, don’t you? Cassie would have told you.”
“Some,” Max admitted. “I don’t know all the details, though. Cassie keeps your secrets, even from me. But I know enough to understand it’s a sore topic for you.”
Ethan lifted the coffee mug to his lips but set it down without a sip. “My mother walked out on my dad and me when I was eleven, and she walked back in just as callously almost three years ago….”
Over the next little while, Ethan told Max everything, appreciating how the other man didn’t interrupt. With no judgment or pity, the sincerity on his face and the quiet way he listened reminded Ethan of Cassie.
“Anyway, that’s the long and short of it,” Ethan said, coming to the end of his telling. “Louise fell off the wagon, once more, a few months ago. And, I decided I couldn’t take a chance on her again. Both Cassie and my father have agreed to respect my decision and....”
He shrugged off the rest. He looked down when he felt Max’s palm rest atop his hand, squeeze lightly, the expression on his face full of understanding, and then he let go.
“I’m sorry, Ethan,” Max said. “For what happened when you were young and now. I cannot relate and won’t pretend to. But it helps me better understand you and your relationship with my sister.”
Ethan inclined his head briefly in acknowledgment. “I didn’t come here for this, but I thought it was important that you know because I’ll need your help.” He tapped his fingers on the granite counter. “I came here to ask if you’d consider being my Best Man for the wedding.”
Max stilled, but Ethan continued talking, wanting to get the words out. “I know our relationship got off to a rocky start, not unlike mine and Cassie’s. But I respect you, and I like you. When I think about standing at the altar, waiting for your sister, there’s no one else I’d rather have beside me.”
“Ethan…are you serious?” Max asked hesitantly.
A smile tugged at Ethan’s lips. “You know, Cassie asked me the same question, in the exact same manner, when I proposed.”
Ethan held up his hand when Max looked like he might ask again. “I’m very serious. Aside from the reasons I gave you, I’m afraid I’ll mess things up. I trust you to not let that happen. Or at least give me a swift kick in the pants if it looks like I’m about to make a run for it.”
“If you’re that afraid, maybe you shouldn’t be marrying Cassie,” Max said. “Or at least take your time with a longer engagement. Be absolutely sure.”
Ethan raised one brow. “I can’t wait to marry her. But…”
He sighed, and then his expression turned resolute. “I told you about my mother because everyone says I get my restlessness from her. I need someone to stand up with me at that altar, to remind me that I love Cassie and this marriage is my choice. You love her, and I know you won’t let me hurt her.”
Max peered intently at Ethan, the silence stretching, and then he appeared to come to a decision. “I would be honored to be your Best Man, Ethan. I accept.”
Ethan let go of the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding and simply said, “Thank you. This means more to me than I can explain.”
“You’re welcome,” Max said, and then he chuckled. “Of course, now you’ll have a twin on either side at the ceremony, so you might regret asking.”
Ethan just rolled his eyes. “I proposed without any thought to a ring. Talk about regrets. And now it looks like we might need wedding bands before I manage to buy her an engagement ring. I don’t even know her size. Do you know how long it takes for jewelers to turn those around?”
“I do know,” Max admitted. “But I might be able to help you out. Consider it my first duty as your Best Man.”
Ethan looked intrigued. “Go on.”
“There’s a jewelry store on Dupont that Cassie’s always loved. It’s a family business, third generation,” Max explained, pulling up their website on his phone and passing it to Ethan.
“Anyway, the owner’s daughter and Cassie are friends,” he said as Ethan scrolled through the rings on their website. “They know what my sister likes and have her ring size on file. I’ll call them now, tell them we’re coming. If the ring needs resizing, they’ll do it for Cassie while we wait.”
It was almost ten o’clock at night when Ethan boarded his flight back to Boston. A black jewelry box with the engagement ring was tucked away, secure inside his coat pocket.
True to Max’s word, the proprietors had gushed as soon as they learned the purpose of the visit. Within an hour, he had the ring selected, with Max’s guidance on what Cassie would absolutely love and hate. The resizing hadn’t taken long either, as the original band was close to Cassie’s size.
When the flight began its descent into Logan, Ethan reflected that he had enjoyed his time with Max more than he had realized. He might have gone to DC with only one mission, but he suspected he had gained an ally for life.
Four years ago, he would have scoffed at the inference that he needed anyone in his life. But that Ethan Ramsey was burnt out, a bit of a bully and a loner, content to be so. Now that he knew what lay on the other side of life, he was okay to leave that man behind.
The new Ethan Ramsey had something more to look forward to, and wasn’t that amazing?
-------------------------
All Fics & Edits: @potionsprefect @trappedinfanfiction @bex-la-get @mysticalgalaxysstuff @genevievemd @choicesaddict5 @jerzwriter @vi-writes-stuff @coffeeheartaddict2 @quixoticdreamer16​ @zahrachoices​ @lucy-268​ @a-crepusculo​ @jamespotterthefirst​ @headoverheelsforramsey​ @takemyopenheart​ @queencarb​ @crazy-loca-blog​ @peonierose​ @cariantha​ @annfg8​ @openheartforeverinmyheart​ @bluebelle08​
Ethan & Cassie only: @custaroonie @lady-calypso
@openheartfanfics
58 notes · View notes
Text
Cinderfella’s Adventures in Cordonia - Chapter Fifteen
Book: The Royal Romance Pairing: Liam Rys x M!MC Rating: Teen Author: @justcallmefox89
1 note · View note
openheartfanfics · 2 years
Text
Newly Added Fics
Aug 20 - 26, 2022 
🎭 Angst  |  🦚 Angsty Fluff  |  🛸 AU  |  ☁ Fluff  |  ♥ NSFW  |  📚 Series  |  📷 Edit  |  📱 TextFic  |  Ⓜ Mature
BRYCE X F!MC / F!OC
Tiramissyou - @storyofmychoices  ☁
Bryce visits Olivia at the hospital on his day off and brings her favorite dessert.
ETHAN X F!MC
After Work Treats - @potionsprefect  📷
Ethan surprises Victoria.
Better Days - @bex-la-get  🎭
The Ramsey's reminisce about a loved one, now gone. TW: Major Character Death
Found - @jamespotterthefirst  ☁
While away at a conference, she sends him on a scavenger hunt.
Happy Returns - @jerzwriter  📱
Time away at a convention is nearing an end, though Ethan still has one thing to do…. Or make that two things….
I See You - @cariantha  ☁
Ethan heads to Donahue's, hoping to see more of the intern who impressed him earlier in the day. [1.2; Donahue’s; Ethan POV]
In A Blink - @utterlyinevitable  ☁
Ethan Ramsey could never have understood fatherhood. Not until this moment. [Domestic; Family]
Intern Year - @cariantha  📚 📷
[extended: wip] Follow Sawyer Brooks through her first year of residency at Edenbrook. 
Lost and Found
Donahue’s
Jealous - @parisa-kh  🎭
When a patient recognizes Haley from a party long ago, Ethan realizes she has her own way of moving on. [Jealous]
Long Story Short - @genevievemd 📚
[mini:complete] The four times Ethan met Genevieve’s exes. [Ex Came Back]
Ch 4: I Bet You Think About Me
Love Me Like You Do - @bex-la-get ♥
Natalie and Ethan celebrate their honeymoon, the only way they know how. [Domestic; Wedding]
Nursery - @heauxplesslydevoted ☁
Ethan shares how he and Naomi met with their baby girl. [Domestic; Family]
Open Heart/Sherlock Holmes AU Prequel Series 2 - @takeharryandgo 📚 🛸
[extended: wip] Ethan’s mother reenters his life and soon becomes coincidentally tied to their latest case.
Part 3: A Picture of Grief
Photo of Us - @a-crepusculo  ☁
It’s Marchia versus Technology, and she’s not winning.
Postcard Memories - @liaromancewriter ☁
As they spend a day with family, Ethan reflects on how different his childhood was from that of his children. [Domestic; Family]
Puzzles - @starrystarrytrouble ☁
The look of absolute concentration on his face was uncanny. But he wasn't immersed in a medical journal.
Sadie’s Self Care Sunday - @peonyblossom  📚📷
[extended:wip]  Sadie posts different acts of self care on Picta every Sunday.
Part 2: Bubble Bath
Seething - @potionsprefect  🎭
She is furious with him, and she had every right to be. [Fighting; Family]
Sound Asleep - @jerzwriter  ☁
Kaycee sneaks quietly into bed after a long day, but soon finds herself helping her boyfriend sleep the night through. [Hurt/Comfort]
The Negotiation - @liaromancewriter ☁
Ethan has a huge favor to ask of Cassie. But it’s going to cost him. [Office]
What We Leave Behind - @jerzwriter 🎭
Her residency is now behind her, and Kaycee has important decisions to make. A conversation with her best friend makes her realize that she needs to tell someone the truth. But is she too late? [With Someone Else]
With and Without - @alwaysmychoices 📚
Dr. Charlie Greene doesn’t have Ethan Ramsey. But when Charlie’s life feels like it’s out of control, she finds herself on Ethan’s doorstep. They promise each other that it’s just one night, but once they’ve broken all their rules, they can’t go back to normal…
Ch 35: Waiting for You
Work Intrudes - @lucy-268  ☁
When work intrudes on their vacation, Charley is not having it.
102 Days of Smiles - @genevievemd  📚📷
[extended: wip] One post a day, for 102 days, with something that made our new bride smile.
ETHAN X TOBIAS
Adventures with Dwight Theodore Lewis III - @coffeeheartaddict2  ☁
Whilst Casey is off on a spa weekend, Tobias and Ethan have a boys night and spend much of the night reflecting on the mischief they got up to in their youth. [Platonic]
TOBIAS X F!MC / F!OC
Where It Goes From Here... - @jerzwriter 🎭
Ten years ago, she left. Six years ago, he decided he needed to move on. Now, a chance meeting at an airport threatens to turn everything upside down. Where do they go from here?
_
SUBMIT OPEN HEART FICS & WRITERS HERE
20 notes · View notes
aria-ashryver · 4 months
Text
I Cannot Bear To Hold You With These Unworthy Hands
Tumblr media
Book: Blades of Light and Shadow
Pairing: Aerin x m!human!MC (Dorian Silvertongue)
Words: 2.4K
Summary: After the night they spent together, Aerin weighs his troubled thoughts, trying to muster the strength to leave the bed, leave the tent, leave Dorian behind.
(or; Aerin writes his stupid little letter)
Ratings/Warnings: Teen - brief allusions to the fact that Aerin and MC have just slept together; brief mention that Baldur was abusive; brief mention of self-inflicted injury
A/N: A little ✨Aerin angst✨, as a treat! I haven't written for him (or Blades) before, so I'd love to know what folks think of the style and characterisation! Also, if you enjoy atmosphere (and being in pain), this piece was written to Adam Skorupa and Krzysztof Wierzynkiewicz's A Nearly Peaceful Place
@choicesficwriterscreations
Tumblr media
Aerin was a smart man. He knew that. Prided himself on it, in fact. He’d always been quick-witted, clever, his rigorous education obvious to anyone he spoke to. There wasn’t a puzzle he’d ever come up against that he couldn’t unravel with ease.
Until Dorian.
The celebrations in Riverbend had continued well into the night; beyond the confines their tent, Aerin could still hear the light refrain of a flute, the slow, poignant swell of a fiddle, as a pair of minstrels played their longing to skies littered with stars. It wasn’t so loud that he couldn’t sleep through it; beside him, curved protectively around him, Dorian’s breath had evened out into the slow rhythm of true sleep.
Aerin felt him sigh against his skin. His body was warm with rest and the lingering heat of their lovemaking. Not for the first time, Aerin marvelled at how utterly, hopelessly stuck he was.
Not in the least because, even asleep as he was, Dorian didn’t seem as though he would deign to let him go any time soon. The man had a build borne of long years of physical labour and swordsmanship; those iron-banded arms hugged Aerin firmly against his chest, one arm looping around his waist, the other curving around his shoulders. He held him so sweetly, so securely, that it seemed that Aerin’s half-baked escape plan would fall apart at the first hurdle — namely, ever getting out of this blasted bed.
An alarmingly vocal part of him hoped that that would be the end of it.
Because that was the other thing that gave him pause. Try as he might, Aerin simply couldn’t make up his mind.
He should go.
Right?
Right. He should go.
Leaving the party, leaving Dorian —a gasp hooked in Aerin’s lungs— it was the right thing to do.
A breeze shook the walls of the tent, the burnt gold silks cracking and shuddering in the wind. How much nicer it would be, to just stay in the bed.
It was warm, inside. Next to Dorian. Everything was soft linen sheets and warm wood, the tent’s furnishings humble and plain, but comfortable. The candles burned low at the small table where they’d sat together and shared a cup of wine earlier that evening.
They’d talked for an hour or two after slipping away from Riverbend’s quaint little festival —Dorian had laughed at his own jokes, as he was wont to do, and he’d grinned at Aerin’s acerbic wit in a way that had his stomach tripping over itself— and then Dorian had kissed him like there was nothing and no one else in the world at all.
Like the answer to every question he’d ever had was as simple as that.
How easy it would be to pretend. To stay here, his head nestled on his lover’s chest, listening to the slow rise and fall of his breathing. How easy, to forget the outside world existed.
Aerin’s mouth twisted in a bitter smile. It was exactly the sort of irony he ought to have expected, he thought. All his life, he’d been trapped. Trapped by Baldur’s abuses; trapped by the minutiae of courtly decorum; trapped in a role wherein no one would ever see him as a person, merely an idea, a ghost of a farce of a mockery of what they all thought a “Prince” ought to be.
Then, when the abuses had worn him down to nothing, and he’d thought to seize some measure of independence for himself… It had been mistake after catastrophe after vainglorious disaster that had won him nothing but regret and a year-long stay in a cold cell.
Now that he finally, finally had the freedom to make decisions for himself, now that he had a chance to atone and do some good with his wretched excuse for a life, well.
How ironic that that very freedom was little but another cage.
Self-loathing was a demon that pressed him bodily into the sheets, turned the warmth around him hotter by degrees until it was suffocating.
Doing right by Dorian meant being worthy of him. And being worthy of him meant he’d have to shatter the nascent trust growing between them. He’d have to betray Dorian, again, after all the kindness he’d shown him.
They had been three days out from Riverbend when the party had set camp one night, and a whip-thin fox had darted across the edge of the clearing. It was clearly wild, its hackles raised in gnawing hunger and fear, but Dorian had simply grinned and hunkered down with a strip of dried meat in his hand.
It had taken him most of the evening, but eventually Aerin had returned from gathering kindling with Mal to find the creature eating the meat right out of his outstretched fingers. Another half-hour of gentle coaxing and it had chirruped and curled up right in Dorian’s lap.
Mal had rolled his eyes, shaking his head as if he found the whole thing laughable. Expected, even. As though he knew how little chance anything —anyone— had of resisting Dorian’s charm.
As Aerin had stroked disbelieving fingers through the creature’s flame-red pelt, he’d finally understood that the gut-deep pull he’d been feeling since their first kiss by the lake was some combination of a deep, pervasive sadness… and a potent yearning.
An unabating ache.
Teeth, and claws, and snarling wildness; none of it seemed to bother Dorian. A deep-rooted instinct to lash out in self-defence, stemming from a life of fear and pain, it was simply no match for his easy smiles and slow coaxing. Once Dorian Silvertongue set his sights on something —on someone— they were all but his. Aerin yearned for Dorian to tame him, as patiently and painlessly as he had the fox.
When they’d packed up camp the following morning, the fox was gone, but the feeling lingered.
And when they’d happened upon a particularly tricky patch of forest trail not long after they’d left the clearing, Aerin hadn’t been able to resist taking Dorian’s outstretched hand.
Tumblr media
For a fleeting moment, Aerin let himself imagine he could stay.
That the pair of them weren’t tangled up in a mess of his own making; that the hand Dorian had held so gently wasn’t covered in blood he couldn’t wash clean.
That maybe they’d lace their fingers through one another’s to stroll along the piers of Port Parnassus, taking in the markets and the brisk night air. That they could be just a pair of travellers, unremarkable, unburdened save for the kiss of salt upon their skin as ocean mist sprayed up from the docks.
Laughter on their lips as an unexpected swell left them drenched.
Perhaps he’d get the chance to get back at Dorian for those godsawful sausages he’d had them all eat at the festival tonight — they could taste the fare from various street vendors, feed each other unfamiliar fruits and spiced wine of dubious vintage.
…He’d buy Dorian a handcrafted ring to replace the one he still wore on a chain around his neck. One that wasn’t a mark of Whitetower, of the Valleros family, but just him.
Just Aerin.
An honest gift from one beating heart to another, both of whom had known far too much pain and burden. A mark of a new beginning.
Dorian’s skin was hot beneath Aerin’s cheek; stifling a gasp, Aerin pulled back, blotting away the few errant tears that had begun to pool on his chest.
He stared long and hard at Dorian’s sleeping face. The way his hair fell in his eyes. The bruised shadows beneath them. The rasp of stubble at Dorian’s jaw that even now he could feel burning against the delicate skin of his thighs, his neck.
Dorian’s shifted slightly in his sleep, his fingers spasming on Aerin’s skin, clutching at him in a way that had a flurry of butterflies alighting in his stomach.
Frozen, Aerin caught his lip between his teeth, scared to move.
Hoping Dorian wouldn’t wake.
Praying he would.
It would be selfish of him to stay, he should go. He was a smart man; he knew he should do what needed to be done. It was the right thing to do.
Never mind that even thinking of walking away from the one good thing he’d ever had in his accursed life felt akin to shoving a knife into his own chest.
He’d done that, once.
The Nerada stone hadn’t wanted to budge, the rituals he’d undertaken to free himself of Shadow corruption were long, and laboured, and exhaustingly brutal, but he’d taken that pain as penance.
Somehow, it hurt less than the thought of Dorian waking to find that Aerin had betrayed him yet again.
Tumblr media
Sand hurtled through the hourglass as Aerin let his looming choices fall by the wayside.
He knew he was running out of time.
But right now, all he wanted to do was memorise exactly how it felt to be held.
Tumblr media
It was with a slow reluctance that Aerin drew his unworthy hands away from the only person he’d ever loved. Easing out of Dorian’s grasp, he slipped from the bed. Located his smallclothes in the jumbled pile of leather and linens and weaponry on the floor. Pulled those on. His trousers and boots, those too.
The heat of Dorian’s skin still warmed his palms; an echo that he knew would fade all too soon. He tugged his tunic on over his head, hopeful the clinking music of buckles and straps might rouse him from his slumber, dreading whatever excuse he’d make if it did.
Aerin knew Dorian hadn’t been sleeping well since his escape from the Ash Empire. Most nights he’d wake with a scream catching in his throat, a skittering panic in his eyes that Aerin knew well himself. More cruel then, that the fates would have him sleeping so peacefully tonight, the marks Aerin had left on his throat a brand, a traitor’s kiss, a ghost edge of a knife wound.
Aerin finished dressing.
Dorian slept.
He crossed to the nightstand, poured himself a glass of water from the decanter. Tried to swallow past the tightness in his throat.
Still, Dorian slept.
Would he think of him, Aerin wondered? Would Dorian ache for him the next time he bedded down alone?
…would he even be alone?
Aerin clamped his jaw shut against a swell of sudden nausea. He knew Dorian was open with his affections, and he’d thought he didn’t begrudge him that —what he shared with Mal was strictly physical, at least on Dorian’s part, though his blossoming relationship with Nia hadn’t survived their confrontation with the Dreadlord— but for a moment, bitter, ugly jealousy made him feel ill.
Would this second betrayal be enough to carve Aerin’s name out of his heart for good? Push him back into Nia’s arms?
Aerin swallowed.
Perhaps it was better that Dorian hate him. He didn’t deserve his kindness, much less his love. Not after everything he’d done.
Dorian was a blazing comet streaking through the night sky; Aerin the empty void he lit with his passing. He didn’t regret the night they’d shared together; far from it, he couldn’t remember ever being happier. Just this once, Aerin had longed to blaze up alongside him, lost in his fire, in his light.
Just this once, he’d wanted to cling to him as he burned.
It had been better than anything he’d ever dreamed.
Aerin set the glass down, his hands shaking around the decanter as he poured himself a second glass of water.
Of course he had to leave. How could he kid himself that he could have a place amongst the great heroes of Morella? Him — a hero? Who was he trying to fool?
Jaw clenching, Aerin took a seat at the table, drawing some papers and ink from his satchel. He laid them out with slow precision, hating himself, hating the world, hating everything he had to do.
Behind him, Dorian gasped in his sleep; it was an agonised shock of sound that cut Aerin to the quick. He leapt to his feet, crossing the tent to perch on the bedside as Dorian jolted himself awake.
‘P-please!’ Dorian gasped. ‘Don’t. Don’t!’
‘It’s alright,’ Aerin said.
One of Aerin’s hands came up to cradle Dorian’s face; the other rubbed soothing circles against his chest. Dorian’s hand flew up to clutch at his wrist.
‘Aerin?’
‘I’m here, it’s okay,’ Aerin murmured. His heart clenched painfully as Dorian’s sleep-addled gaze locked onto his and immediately grew less panicked. ‘You’re safe, Dorian. I’m right beside you.’
Almost before he’d finished speaking, Dorian’s eyes drifted closed — but not before he’d slid his hand higher to lace their fingers together where Aerin’s hand still cradled his face.
It was almost too much.
It would be so easy to sink back into that bed, sink back into a sense of belonging he didn’t deserve.
Aerin sucked a strained breath against the tightness in his lungs, gently extricating himself from Dorian’s grasp. He didn’t know if it was some ill-begotten vestige of Shadow, lingering in his chest even now, or if breathing was simply beyond him where Dorian was concerned.
Every time they met each other’s eyes, the air in Aerin’s lungs turned to pitch.
Perhaps… he could stay? Dorian’s love would alight him, and the pitch in his lungs would blaze and burn, every breath between their kisses turned golden and glowing with light and fire.
Perhaps he should leave.
Let it cool and harden. Let his lungs solidify. Let him never draw a joyous breath again.
He should leave.
He should leave.
He sat at the table, his pen poised above the crisp parchment. He stayed frozen in place for so long the ink dripped from the nib, pooling into a dense, black blot on the page. It soaked into the paper, the sight eerily reminiscent of tendrils of shadow bleeding into smooth, pale skin.
Aerin choked down the tears, the bile threatening to rise, and scribbled down the only useless words he could muster.
Dear Dorian,
I apologize for leaving so abruptly, especially without saying goodbye...
...what a Gods-forsaken joke.
Drying his eyes, Aerin stole one last look, not knowing if he would ever see Dorian again. He wanted to kiss him goodbye. Wanted it so desperately it burned. He wanted Dorian’s eyes to flutter open at the first touch of his lips; for his hand to snap out one more time to clutch at Aerin’s own; for him to whisper please.
Please, Aerin. Don’t go. Stay with me.
Dropping the folded parchment on the table, his fingers trembling, Aerin turned to leave, knowing he was a jester, he was a fool, he was the realm’s most miserable joke.
Tumblr media
71 notes · View notes
queenrileyrose · 4 months
Text
Midnights Like This Part Thirteen: What If We Ruin It All?
Tumblr media
Miniseries Premise: Riley Brooks leaves everything behind to move to Cordonia after accepting her dream job designing clothing for the upcoming royal wedding. Drowning her sorrows one night, she meets Leo. The pair form an unlikely friendship, having more in common than either expected. Their feelings evolve, but neither wants to ruin the friendship. Will they take a chance or be content to stay friends?
Catch Up Here
Chapter Summary: Everyone deals with the fallout of the Costume Gala.
Book: The Royal Romance/Rules of Engagement
Pairings: Leo x Riley (OC), Liam x Marena (MC)
Rating: T
TW: Language, slight terrorism, sensuality
A/N: I am participating in @choicesflashfics using the prompt: “Just play along.”
Word Count: 2333
Music Inspo: Fools-Lauren Aquilina
Thank you to everyone who reads, likes, comments, and/or reblogs this. I appreciate it so much. ❤️
Tumblr media
Damien crossed his arms, his head moving from one side to the other as he watched the guards canvas the grounds at the rear of the palace. If he’d been in charge of security when Anton fled at Lythikos, the man would be in the cells.
“It feels like a test,” Leo’s brows knitted together. “Like they wanted to see how we would react.”
“I agree,” Damien’s mouth was set in a grim line. “First thing tomorrow, I’ll go over security for the wedding again to ensure there’s no holes.”
“Do you think they’ll try something else?” Riley asked worriedly. “Before the wedding?”
Her smaller than usual voice sent a pang through Leo. He put a protective arm around Riley’s shoulders. She leaned into him, and Leo exhaled a sigh of relief. It wasn’t lost on him that tonight could have gone much worse. If Bastien had been in charge, it probably would have. Riley could have gotten hurt. Even the thought of her in pain twisted his stomach. 
“I don’t,” Damien tried to smile warmly at Riley, but it didn’t quite meet his eyes. “I do think the wedding is still a target.”
“Of course it will be,” Olivia scoffed. “We need to find them, take the fight to them.”
“We don’t know enough to do that successfully, Liv,” Liam said gently. “Believe me, if we could take them out instead of trying to determine their next move, that would be happening.”
“It’s frustrating! We just play along as we have been,” Olivia thundered. “I feel so-”
Olivia broke off, turning her back on the group. Her shoulders shook the smallest amount, and Leo swore he heard a sniff. 
“Olivia,” Leo tried to keep his voice neutral; if Olivia sensed he was trying to soothe her, she might hit him. “I get it. I don’t think we can solve anything tonight.”
“Leo’s right,” Liam jumped in. “Let’s meet tomorrow, and we can go over what we know so far and bounce around some ideas.”
“Fine,” Olivia snapped, no trace of sadness in her voice. She didn’t turn around. “I’ll be in the security office. Those fools need me.”
Without another word, Olivia strolled to the doors, slamming them behind her. Damien jogged to catch up, closing the door less violently.
“The palace is locked down,” Leo announced. “No one in or out tonight. Damien wants us all in our quarters; extra security is already set up.”
“Uh,” Riley raised her hand. “How do I get home?”
“You don’t,” Leo ignored Marena’s raised eyebrow. “The guest wings are empty, and those sections are cordoned off. You can stay in my quarters.”
Liam bit his lip to suppress a smile, pleased at his forethought and Damien’s agreement that the empty areas of the palace should remain that way.
“Am I sleeping on your couch for once?” Riley tilted her head to one side. 
“No,” Leo felt the weight from his shoulders lift. “You can have the bed. I’ll take the couch.”
“I can send pajamas over,” Marena hoped something good would come out of tonight. 
“Oh,” Riley began.
“I already took care of it,” Leo interrupted. “I had the boutique send up everything you need before Damien shut it down.”
“Oh,” Riley repeated, warmth flooding through her. Even with everything going on, he’d thought of her and how to make her comfortable. “Thank you.”
“Let’s all turn in,” Liam announced with a yawn. “Sorry about tonight, I-”
“No need to apologize,” Riley interrupted. “It’s not you. It’s them.”
Marena nodded approvingly, and Liam smiled gratefully. 
Liam and Leo exchanged a look, each nodding subtly. They’d keep everyone safe. No matter what.
Tumblr media
“I finally get to see your place,” Riley's eyes traveled up the massive door. “The circumstances aren’t great, but I’ll take what I can get.”
Leo hadn’t let go of her since the ball ended. Even now, her hand was enclosed in his. Riley could almost feel the fear he wasn’t admitting because she felt it, too. 
“You never explicitly asked to see it,” Leo unlocked the handle with a fob. He held the door open with his free hand and led Riley inside. 
“I hinted,” Riley’s eyes widened at the formality of the apartment. A chandelier hung above a glass table in what she assumed was a foyer. The walls were covered with a teal fabric accented with gold. As she continued into the living area, she had to stop herself from gasping. A velvet brocade sofa and matching chairs stood in front of a large stone fireplace. “You were supposed to pick up on that.”
It wasn’t Leo at all. Not one piece of art or furniture said that he lived here.
Riley craned her neck, trying to take it all in. “This is … wow.”
“I let Regina decorate after I abdicated and Liam moved into my old quarters,” Leo reluctantly released Riley’s hand. He crossed the room to the fireplace, stacking some logs in the iron basket. “I didn’t expect to be around here as much.”
Riley eyed a porcelain figurine of a horse on the mantle. “I can see that.”
Leo arranged the kindling in between the logs and struck a match. “I should change a few things. Regina put too much green in here.”
“Subtle,” Riley glanced around, noting a chill in the room. She wondered the last time Leo had been in his quarters for more than a change of clothes.
“Are you okay?” Leo asked gently. “That got intense.”
“I’ve dealt with threats before, not on this level, obviously,” Riley hugged her arms against herself. “But there've been a few close calls, people trying to break into our home, kidnapping attempts, that kind of stuff. I learned not to live in fear, just keep going.”
“I’ve been shot at more than I’d like,” Leo tried to joke. “Liam, too. I did the same, learned to deal. You can’t control other people, and you can’t let it affect your life.”
“That last thing came from your dad, didn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Leo shook his head. “He’s not wrong, though.”
“My father said something similar,” Riley managed a weak smile. “Maybe the nicest thing he’s ever said to me.”
Leo stood, picking the fire poker up and rearranging the logs. “It should warm up in here soon.”
Leo slipped his arms from his jacket, arranging the fabric over Riley’s shoulders. She half smiled in thanks, hoping she could blame the heat in her cheeks on the fire.
“Now, the no bullshit answer,” Riley raised an eyebrow. “You first.”
Leo had been about to say the same thing. He could tell Riley wasn’t saying how she really felt. He certainly hadn’t.
“You could have been …” Leo ran his palms down Riley’s arms, not wanting to say the words aloud. “If that bomb had gone off.”
“I know,” Riley said shakily. “I was just thinking the same thing. About you.”
Riley’s eyes filled, and she took a shallow breath. Leo cupped her cheek, lightly dragging his thumb against her soft skin, trying to soothe her. 
“I tried to imagine what my life would be like without-” Riley trailed off. “I can’t even go there.”
“I can’t either,” Leo wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. Riley clutched him back tightly, willing her heart to stop racing. “Everyone’s okay, that’s what matters.”
Riley nodded against Leo’s chest. 
Tonight had put a few things into perspective for Leo. He had a choice to make. He could jump, like he had with Katie, and get crushed. Again. He could wait to feel out Riley, and determine if she felt the same before making a move.
Leo didn’t want to wait. He’d overthought it enough. 
Leo pressed feathery kisses to Riley’s forehead, her cheek, moving to just below her ear as her head tilted up. 
“Leo,” Riley’s breath hitched as his lips lingered. “Kiss me.”
Riley felt Leo’s mouth curve in a smile before his lips finally found hers. An overwhelming need coursed through her. The thought that it should have always been like this flitted through Riley’s head before she parted her lips beneath Leo’s, and suddenly, she wasn’t cold anymore.
Leo’s scent, his cedar cologne, and something else that was uniquely him filled her senses. Her arms encircled his shoulders, and Leo pulled her tightly against him.
Leo’s hand threaded in her hair, the chignon unfurling and soft strands tangling in his fingers. This moment didn’t seem real somehow, and yet it was the most real moment he’d ever had. 
Leo had thought about how her body would feel against his. The reality was better than any daydream. 
Riley felt a sharp pain; the boning of her corset was digging into her ribs. She tried to ignore it, subtly twisting to adjust the bodice. Instead, the pain grew.
“Wait,” Riley murmured against Leo’s lips, reluctantly stepping back. 
“You’re right,” Leo exhaled, his hands dropping to his sides. “We shouldn’t.”
“Oh,” Riley felt tears prick her eyes. “Is that how you feel?”
Leo felt the panic rising and clenched his jaw. “It’s late. We should get some sleep.”
“I-” Riley opened her mouth and shut it. Leo hadn’t answered the question, but his demeanor was cold, rigid. Like he regretted kissing her. “Okay.”
Tumblr media
Riley smoothed down the white cropped tank and adjusted the drawstring on the black sweatpants. She quickly washed her face and applied moisturizer, shaking her head at the detail Leo had put into selecting what he thought she needed for the night. 
Riley scowled at her reflection in the mirror. She’d been in denial about her feelings for Leo, but that kiss had forced her to admit them. A kiss had never traveled through her like that before, seemingly lighting every nerve on fire. 
She rubbed her side, still sore from wearing the gown too long. 
Riley tried to silence the nagging thought in her brain. What did it mean? He’d initiated the kiss, but when he thought she was having second thoughts, he’d put up a facade she hadn’t seen in months. She should have clarified, told him her dress was hurting her and she couldn’t ignore it. 
Riley shook her head as though that would clear her thoughts. She took one last look at her reflection and opened the door to the bedroom. 
Leo sat on the edge of the bed in a pair of grey sweats and a t-shirt, to Riley’s surprise. The room was as formal as the rest of the apartment, although the color scheme here was gold and navy. 
“I didn’t think you’d be out here,” Riley smiled nervously. “Thanks for letting me take your bed. And the clothing and everything.”
“I wanted to make sure you got settled,” Leo rested his hands on his knees. 
“I appreciate it,” Riley felt awkward. Should she sit beside him? Or stay standing? 
Leo tried to quiet the thoughts racing through his head. What did this mean? She’d stopped him, but she seemed sad now and a little like she had something to say. 
Leo wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear it. He’d just pretend it hadn’t happened. He was fine with remaining friends. But he was still feeling the effects of the kiss. He could feel her lips, the way she felt in his arms like she was meant to be there. It felt like coming home and had more passion than any other kiss at the same time.
“Leo-” Riley covered her mouth, yawning. “What does-” She yawned again, her eyelids suddenly heavy.
They needed to have a conversation. Not now. Later, when they’d both had rest. 
“I’m wrecked too,” Leo stood, moving to the doorway. “The adrenaline must have worn off.”
“That must be it,” Riley blinked slowly, her body screaming at her to lie down. She climbed under the down comforter, leaning back against the fluffy pillows. “It just hit me.”
Leo nodded, backing against the door and turning the knob. “I’ll let you crash.”
“Wait,” Riley sat up. “Can you stay here, with me?”
Her eyes were pleading, her lip trembled slightly, and Leo swallowed the excuse he’d been about to give. She was on edge; how could she not be? He didn’t want to leave her all alone.
Leo scolded himself for being an asshole. He’d jumped, and it didn’t go the way he wanted. He’d get over it. She was still his friend, and she didn’t owe him anything. 
Leo’s expression softened, and Riley felt a little better. The Leo she knew was back, the stoicism gone.
“Of course,” Leo replied. “I can take the chair.” He gestured to a chaise lounge near the window.
“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” Riley blinked quickly, her chest tightening. “But can you hold me? Is that okay? I feel like, I don’t know. Like I need it.”
I need you, Riley didn’t say. But as Leo’s eyes met her tired ones, he saw the emotion in them, the exhaustion and sadness.
“You’re not making me uncomfortable,” Leo slid under the blanket beside Riley. He pulled her into his chest, his arms coming around her. “I think I need it too.”
Riley snuggled into Leo’s body, his warmth instantly soothing her, the awkward tension between them completely melting away. “I’ve never kissed a friend like that before.”
“Neither have I,” Leo laughed softly. He stroked Riley’s hair, her breathing evening out. 
“It was good,” Riley's voice was heavy with sleep. “Life changing good. Dumb dress had to stab me and ruin everything.”
“Is that why you said wait?” Leo felt relief wash through him. “And I freaked out and didn’t give you a chance to explain. I’m sorry.”
Riley didn’t respond. Leo craned his neck to the side, studying her profile in the moonlight shining through the gap in the curtains. Her eyes were closed. 
Leo kissed the top of her head, feeling himself about to drift off. 
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Perma: @ao719 @appleone @burnsoslow @charlotteg234 @choiceskatie  @differenttyphoonwerewolf @emkay512 @foreverethereal123 @gabesmommie1130 @gardeningourmet @iaminlovewithtrr @imashybish  @kingliam2019 @kristinamae093 @ladyangel70 @lovingchoices14 @lunaseasblog @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @mom2000aggie @nestledonthaveone @originaljudgepiepaper @pixelatedpassion @platapirexy @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @queenmiarys @queenwalton @royalpest @tessa-liam @trrfanaddict @3pawandme @21-wishes
Leo x Riley: @mywildheartremains
TRR/TRH: @jared2612 @malblk21
MLT: @alyshak92  @belencha77 @irisk12 @karahalloway @persephone13  @starrystarrytrouble @tinkie1973 @walkerdrakewalker
103 notes · View notes