#ethan ramsey fanfiction

[alwaysmychoices]

Red Lipstick

Synopsis: Fresh off their breakup and public fight, Charlie is set on revenge. If she can't make Ethan change his ways, she can make him jealous.

The day after their relationship-ending fight, Charlie and Ethan are forced to work together. Instead of getting back together, they end up adding fuel to the fire.

Chapter 38 of the “with and without” series

Previous Series: “a weekend with dr. ramsey”

Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x MC (Charlotte “Charlie” Greene)

Words: 3.8k

Rating: Teen (language)

Also available on AO3 & Wattpad (link in Masterlist)

If love and hate are two sides of the same coin, Charlie’s coin was caught mid-air.

Charlie took a shot of tequila and savored the way the liquid burned through her body. It settled deep in her chest, numbing the unbearable ache of loss. The heat pooling in her belly stained her cheeks a dazed pink, mirroring the red on her lips and burgundy clinging to her skin.

Once, wearing red had been a gift to Ethan. Tonight, wearing it was a punishment. She would make him appreciate the poison on her lips. Even better, he could see this red lipstick smeared on another man’s lips.

Armed with a tequila buzz, Charlie only had an eye for revenge. The alcohol did nothing to quiet her desperation to make Ethan squirm. If anything, it silenced the only remnant of reason she still had.

Charlie couldn’t make Ethan realize the errors of his ways or drop to his knees and beg for forgiveness. She couldn’t even make him feel the same pain she felt tonight, but she could make Ethan pay.

He’d understand how it felt to invest everything into a man who’d spent years warning her of his true nature. He’d know what it meant to pledge his soul to someone who could disregard under the guise of self-righteousness. He’d feel the desperation and shame of a woman made unhinged.

It would be enough to make him feel the way she felt screaming at him in the hallway – helpless and righteous and violently disappointed. It was so strange that the person who understood her completely only a few days ago now fundamentally misunderstood her and her deepest needs.

She was looking at a stranger, but it was a stranger she knew so perfectly that a part of him resided in her soul.

She didn’t dare look at her reflection that night when she applied her red lipstick in a dingy bar bathroom. She wouldn’t have liked this version of herself. But right now, when the world was collapsing and everything was broken, Charlie knew she needed to kiss someone else, and she needed Ethan to see it.

That’s why she was here. She knew he’d go to Donahue’s tonight.

Ethan was too proud to take a public fight like that without needing a drink, especially when he didn’t have the privilege of having the last word. He’d want to drown himself in the bottle to avoid facing his reflection. And a small part of her whispered that he wouldn’t want to go home alone and be reminded that she wouldn’t be there to warm his bed.

Charlie picked up her fourth drink – a tequila soda with lime – and ignored the warning stares of her friend. As she sipped on the bubbly soda, she had a passing thought that she didn’t have to do this. She still had time to back out.

But Charlie brushed off the thought with an exaggerated grunt of distaste. She didn’t like feeling weak and out of control. She didn’t like that Ethan had positioned himself as the authority in this conflict. She needed something entirely her own, and her self-doubt only made her more convinced of her need to follow through with the plan.

She took another gulp of liquid courage and eyed the crowd.

Almost immediately, she caught the eye of Jeremy – a surgical intern who had a habit of flirting with her on consults. Ethan used to say how much he disliked Jeremy, though he’d never admitted he was jealous of the flirting.

That’s him, she thought, That’s my target.

Charlie held Jeremy’s gaze, pairing an exaggerated expression of innocence with a coy smile. He fell for it instantly, losing interest in his passing conversation. He looked around the bar, unsure her display was truly for him. Once satisfied that her attention belonged to him, Jeremy picked up his beer and moved through the bar with a grandiose sense of confidence – as if she hadn’t just watched him doubt that he was even the one she was looking at.

“Dr. Greene,” Jeremy greeted, offering a lopsided smile he thought was sexy. She fought the urge to recoil.

“Jeremy,” Charlie drew out the syllables of his name, emphasizing it to remind him they were no longer in the hospital walls.

“I haven’t seen you out in a long time, Charlie,” he repeated her gesture, leaning closer.

He smelled like beer and overzealous cologne, and Charlie’s nose prickled with the odor.

“It’s been a while,” she confessed, a smile still plastered on her lips.

“What’s the occasion?” he leaned even closer, and now, she could smell his breath. Beer and tobacco with pungent spearmint – an effort to hide the smoking or lure in a date for the night. She didn’t like the idea of either.

“Just wanted a night to not think about work,” Charlie lied.

“Now, I am very good at that.”

“Are you?” Charlie smirked. Of course, he was good at forgetting about work. He’d forgotten about half the consults he was supposed to finish this week.

“Let me show you by buying you a drink.”

This time, Charlie’s smile was genuine.

“You’re on,” Charlie added coolly, “but you better live up to the challenge.”

Just as she expected, his pride prickled at the provocation, and he led her to the bar like a man who had just won the best prize at the fair – even though she hadn’t engineered the whole thing. He ordered her a drink – another tequila soda – and didn’t notice how Reggie glared at him the entire time. Reggie cast Charlie a passing glance, and she averted her eyes in shame. Unfortunately, Ethan’s best friend and trusted bartender had to be complicit in her ploy, but the momentary embarrassment didn’t deter Charlie, even if she could no longer make eye contact with her favorite bartender.

Instead, she turned her attention back to Jeremy.

Up close, he didn’t improve much. His smile was too uneven, and his hair was too blonde. He looked too soft and sheltered. Fractures readily appeared in his ego, too. He wanted her to like him so much that she thought he might burst if she didn’t, yet he treated her with calculated indifference. He didn’t care much about what she said, which was fine by Charlie. She didn’t want to talk to him anyway.

Now that she sat here, she couldn’t remember why she’d ever thought about flirting back during their workplace encounters. A small voice whispered that he was so unappealing tonight because she was subconsciously comparing him to Ethan – a standard he could never overcome. But that voice could be drowned out with more alcohol.

When Jeremy began his second story about the epic surgery he’d shadowed this week, Charlie almost lost her will to carry on.

But then she felt it.

The change in the air.

The hushed, respectful silence.

The scent of sandalwood subtly drifting through the crowded room, reminding her of the nights spent sleeping in his shirts.

She felt Ethan’s presence.

It infuriated Charlie how much her body remembered and her mind betrayed.

She seemed to belong to him even when she was hell-bent on destroying him. In her grand act of defiance, she was just a pawn – to her boyfriend determined to hide her or a billionaire willing to do anything to save his wife or a killer virus threatening to take it all away. Once again, Charlie was weak.

Fury flared in her chest, burning bright red and blurring her vision with dreams of reclaimed strength. Fuck Bloom. Fuck Edenbrook. Fuck everything and everyone who screwed her over.

And most importantly – fuck Ethan Ramsey.

Charlie boldly leaned forward, so close that her curls brushed against Jeremy’s shirt. Eyes wide and lips parted, she stared at Jeremy like he was the god he imagined himself, and Jeremy choked on his beer in surprise. It was a flattering reaction, but Charlie didn’t notice.

All she cared about was the heat of Ethan’s stare burning into her skin, searching for some reminder of his claim on her. His eyes could have pierced her skin, teetering between sharp anger and fiery jealous.

Ethan was furious, and that made her smile.

“I’m so glad I found you tonight,” Charlie bit on her lower lip, eyes twinkling as she placed a hand on Jeremy’s thigh. Jeremy sputtered, and Charlie watched Ethan fume out of the corner of her eye.

He felt it.

Fuck, yes, Ethan felt it.

Charlie felt powerful and vindicated. It was intoxicating, and Charlie couldn’t get enough. She had to push him farther, to make him feel more. She didn’t care if she was dangerously close to a cliff if it meant Ethan would fall with her.

Ethan wanted to burn the fucking bar down. He pushed his way through the throng of residents with callous disinterest, his eyes never leaving Charlie and that fucking idiot. Jeremy Dagenhart? That little shit.

He didn’t deserve her attention. Ethan did.

That was his smile.

His girlfriend.

Fuck, that was even the lipstick he gave her!

Ethan fell into his usual barstool with so much force and fury that the wood nearly splintered. He imagined all the ways he could kill Dagenhart. Ethan could give him a rare disease, if he had the patience. Poisoning his drink would be faster. Skinning him alive would be more satisfying.

Wordlessly, Reggie delivered the scotch he’d prepared when he’d caught on to Charlie’s gambit, and Ethan gulped it down, failing to savor the expensive scotch. It burned his throat like a knife slicing through him, gaining momentum as the alcohol fought against the growing anger. He shoved the glass back on the bar so hard that the glass nearly shattered. Reggie expertly refilled it before Ethan could bark out a request.

Ethan couldn’t stop watching. He knew he was being watched, too. Behind him, he heard the whispers. He knew this entire charade was just as much for them as it was for him. He knew that his behavior was alarming and would find its way Bloom’s office.

But…

This was his Charlotte! His beautiful, wonderful Charlotte. The blonde hair that splayed across his pillow. The laugh that echoed in his apartment. The smell of coconut and vanilla that lingered in his sheets.

Charlotte Greene was the love of his life.

Ethan watched her with blazing jealousy. He watched her hand caress another man, her smile enchant another man, her body pressed against another man.

He couldn’t stand it.

Ethan had to scream. He had to make a scene. He had to show everyone – Charlotte especially – that Charlotte was his. He had to prove that their relationship was not just something; it was everything. He couldn’t allow everything to disappear like a bad dream. He couldn’t be replaced so easily…

One night.

It took her one fucking night.

Had he meant that little? Was he the only one so desperately in love?

His deep-rooted abandonment issues prickled at his consciousness, begging to roar back to life and add to the fire. Ethan couldn’t stand it. For fuck’s sake, he had to do something.

Ethan stood, not knowing what he would even do. Scream? Punch the guy? Drag Charlie out of this bar and beg her to forgive him?

Whatever he was going to do, it didn’t matter.

Because Charlie leaned in to kiss Jeremy.

Her lips parted, and she held her head high – like a woman who knew she’d won. Her lips brushed on the edge of his mouth, poised to whisper a suggestive secret, but from across the bar, she caught sight of a pair of hollow blue eyes.

Instantly, they were both sober, and all the fury and vendettas disappeared and all they were left with was a deep sense of regret.

All the life drained out of Ethan when he saw her lipstick smear on Jeremy’s skin. The blinding jealousy soured into betrayal. Charlie couldn’t fathom the look in his eyes – the dejection and unbridled pain.

Like Charlie was always bound to abandon him and Ethan was always meant to disappoint. Caught in their predestined roles and assigned trauma, Charlie wished she could step off the stage.

And just like that, the coin landed.

Charlie loved Ethan.

She loved him so much she couldn’t breathe. Her love swarmed her every nerve burned with emotion. It swept her up with such intensity that she could see nothing else. She loved him. She loved him! And… and she’d hurt him.

Staring directly at Ethan, ignoring the man who had become nothing more than an extra in a failed revenge montage and Charlie opened her mouth to speak. For a moment, she thought she might apologize to him – no, she knew she would. The painful throbbing in her chest demanded she did.

But as much as she couldn’t stomach what she’d done, she couldn’t apologize to Ethan.

She couldn’t crawl back into his bed and allow resentment to flourish. She couldn’t settle for less when she’d already demanded more – when she deserved more.

Ethan still couldn’t give her what she needed. Punishing him or apologizing did nothing to change that. The realization hit her like a sucker punch. She was so hellbent on revenge that she never considered the possibility that she would end the night with more anguish and shame than she had that morning. She forgot that pain wasn’t finite and injuring him wouldn’t be enough to heal her.

Hating him wouldn’t cure her, nor would loving him.

Nothing could cure her.

All she had to keep her warm was her regret – she shouldn’t have loved him. She shouldn’t have hurt him. She shouldn’t have done any of it. The fact that she had done it all would haunt her, just like he would haunt her.

Charlie’s cheeks burned with shame, and her mind swam with hopelessness.

She couldn’t fix this. She couldn’t fix them.

Faced with no other option, Charlie did the only thing she could – she ran.

Tossing out a weak excuse to Jeremy, Charlie rushed to the backdoor of Donahue’s and ran to the back alley. As the door slammed behind her, she gulping in the fresh air and heaved with desperation, waiting for the bitter cold air of this fucking city to give her some clarity.

Ethan flexed, his muscles instinctively knowing if it was his duty to be there when Charlie cried. Ethan took a step to follow, but he still didn’t know what he would do when he reached her. Scream? Cry? Beg for her forgiveness? Something told him that he couldn’t do any of it, and even if he did, it wouldn’t be enough.

Sienna didn’t hesitate.

She jumped up from her booth, abandoning everything for Charlie.

Sienna loves Charlie, he realized, She loves her better than I do.

The discomfort of knowing that his love was so inadequate compared to Sienna’s stalled him, and instead of chasing after the woman he loved, he stood still.

If I go, I’ll only make it worse, he thought.

But when he sat back down, he knew it was a lie. He was just a proud coward. His greatest sin was lying to them both by saying he could be more than that.

Outside, Charlie still hadn’t found a way to breathe. Everything was a choked sob, and she couldn’t tell if she was screaming or if her cries just felt like wails. The violence of her grief rocked her and left her unsteady.

“Charlie!” Sienna ran through the backdoor of the bar, ignoring the onlookers who glimpsed at the brief opening. All she cared about was Charlie, and upon seeing her, she sprinted towards her, wrapping Charlie in a hug before Charlie could process her presence.

Charlie crumbled into Sienna, gasping through sputtering cries.

“It’s okay,” Sienna soothed her, rubbing a circle on her back as she encouraged, “Cry all you need.”

“I kissed another guy,” Charlie managed, words garbled with tears.

“Barely.”

“I came to this fucking bar because I wanted to make Ethan jealous, and now I feel horrible.”

“That’s okay, Charlie.”

“I barely even did anything,” she heaved, “And it’s killing me. I saw his face, and I just… I…”

Charlie trailed off, dissipating into another round of heart-shattering sobs. Holding her, Sienna felt herself tear up, too.

“I love him so much,” Charlie’s voice cracked.

“I know,” Sienna sighed.

“I don’t know how to live without him – I really don’t,” Charlie confessed, “And I feel so fucking pathetic for it.”

“You’re not pathetic. You’re in love. It’s different.”

“He told me from the very beginning,” Charlie tightened her grip on Sienna, “He told me he would hurt me! And I knew it, too. For fuck’s sake, he’d already done it once. I spent that whole summer trying to become myself again, and just when I had, I went right back to his doorstep. I brought him back into my life, and I spent the last year lying to myself that he wouldn’t hurt me again.”

“You believed in him,” Sienna cooed, empathy coating Charlie with enough strength to catch her breath.

“I don’t know how to make my own coffee,” Charlie’s voice dropped. It slowly dawned on her that this was life.

She had to cry in back alleys in cold cities, wake up in the morning, and make her coffee. The daunting task of living the echoes of their life together haunted her like the ghost of all her past sins rolled into one man.

“I’ll teach you,” Sienna assured her.

She didn’t want Sienna’s coffee. She wanted Ethan’s.

“I’m so jealous of Ethan,” Charlie laughed – a sound marred by remaining sobs and lingering disappointment, “When everything went to hell last time, he got to run away to the Amazon. And we were only together for a weekend! This was a year. Hell, it was a fucking lifetime.”

“It was less than a year,” Sienna corrected with a soft smile, and she was relieved when Charlie laughed.

“Still. After a weekend, he got to run away to another continent, and after ‘less than a year,’ I’m shackled to Boston, where everything reminds me of what I’ve lost. Every time I step foot in that damn hospital, I feel like I’m followed by ghosts.”

Sienna paused, taking time to appreciate her words before she spoke. She didn’t want to say this. She didn’t want to lose anyone else, but looking at Charlie’s broken and despondent figure, Sienna knew she had to say it.

“Maybe it’s time you got the chance to run away, too. If anyone deserves a break, it’s you.”

Charlie’s lips parted, but she never spoke. She was stuck on the idea – on the freedom it presented. She knew she couldn’t. It would harm her career. It would mean giving up on Boston, and even temporary failure was too much to stomach.

But running away…

She’d never felt so relieved as when she imagined it.

“Maybe,” Charlie echoed weakly.

Sienna smiled sadly, squeezing Charlie again before finally untangling their embrace, “How about we go home?”

“You’re dragging me out of a bar because I cried?”

“I’m dragging you out of a bar because you’ve been through hell, and you deserve to cry and eat ice cream on our couch.”

Charlie was in no position to fight her. She would have rather died than walk back in that bar and face anyone who had just seen that shitshow, especially Ethan. It shattered her just to make eye contact. Anything more might actually kill her.

“I left my jacket inside,” Charlie chewed on her lower lip, debating abandoning the jacket in the bar to maintain her pride. She had other jackets…

“I’ll go get it,” Sienna offered, “I need to get my stuff anyway.”

“Okay.”

“Charlie.”

“What?”

“I love you.”

Charlie’s lips parted in a smile, and she meekly said, “I love you, too, Sienna.”

Satisfied that Charlie was okay to be left alone, Sienna crept back into the bar, hoping to garner as little attention as possible. A few residents noticed her, though they averted their eyes out of respect. Jeremy was still at the bar, looking confused and mildly embarrassed from all the attention. And Ethan – Ethan was standing by the door.

Sienna jumped when she saw him, startled to find him so close.

He hadn’t had the strength go out there, but he had to be near Charlie.

“Is she all right?” he blurted out as soon as Sienna was close enough.

“No,” Sienna responded icily. It was impossible to see her best friend so devastated and not instantly hate the man who caused it. “What the hell happened?”

“I – well, we had a fight – and she was mad and I – I don’t …” Ethan stammered, shaking his head before finally accepting, “It’s my fault.”

“I assumed so.”

“Do you think I should…” Ethan wistfully looked to the door, “Should I talk to her?”

Sienna knew Charlie was fragile. One longing, loving look from Ethan and she might fold.

“Can you fix it?”

“What?”

“If you talk to her, will you make it right? Are you going to be what she needs, or are you just going to hurt her again?”

Ethan was taken aback. He hadn’t expected such bluntness from Sienna.

If Ethan didn’t have solutions, all he would do was hurt her. Charlie deserved better.

And fuck, Ethan still didn’t know how to fix it. He was a cancer to Charlie’s life. He killed all the best parts about her and still asked for more. He was too much of a coward to even comfort her outside, yet he wanted her now. He hadn’t changed his mind – he still wanted to keep their relationship a secret and protect her career. He’d already done too much to hurt her. He couldn’t also takeaway the one thing she’d worked her entire life to achieve.

“No.”

Sienna sighed in disappointment.

Ethan did, too. He probably hated himself more than Sienna did in this moment.

“Then, no, you shouldn’t go outside.”

He knew she was right. That was the worst part.

“Is she okay though?” he asked so softly that Sienna hardly recognized the voice.

He didn’t deserve to know she would be all right, yet looking at him now, Sienna couldn’t deny him that one comfort.

“She will be.”

“I love …” Ethan stopped himself, dropping her gaze as he silently chastised himself. He didn’t deserve to say he loved her. “I’ll pay for your ride home. Just make sure she’s okay.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. We both know I don’t deserve it.”

She didn’t correct him.

Instead, Sienna walked to her table, collected her bag, grabbed Charlie’s jacket, and gathered her friends to rally around Charlie. Sienna, Aurora, Kyra, and Jackie quietly filtered out of the bar. A few minutes later, they took the car Ethan called for them. By the time they got back to the apartment, Charlie’s favorite takeout food was waiting at the door, ordered in Sienna’s name to hide his tracks. In the morning, she’d get flowers – again signed by Sienna because Charlie didn’t need to feel guilty for the gift.

But tonight, Ethan raised a toast to himself and how he’d fucked everything up.

Not that he deserved all of the blame.

But they each took it for themselves anyway.

-----

A/N: I'm nervous I'm making them too frustrating/annoying, but I adore my dramatic, angsty characters.

#choices #ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x charlie greene #ethan ramsey x mc #fanfic #fanfiction #open heart #open heart fanfiction #writing #angst #ethan ramsey fanfiction #with and without

[socalwriterbee]

Sharing this amazing art commission by @artbyainna on Instagram.

After writing this New Years Fic I just had to get the last scene captured and Ainna never disappoints!!!

🥰🥰

If you’d like to read what has Ethan and Tessa under a table check it out on the link below

Better Luck Next Year

#choices open heart #artbyainna #ethan x tessa #open heart new years fic #new years superstition’s #ethan ramsey fanfiction #open heart fanfiction

[kiara-36]

child Au, chapter 1

Ethan Ramsey x f!MC (Chiara Bianchi)

Words: 1000 (more or less)

Summary:  In this Au, Chiara had a child during her last year of med school so after that she took a year gap and then did her intern year in New York. The plot of this AU will more or less follow the normal Open Heart plot but Chiara (and her friends) will be residents instead of being intern (so there will some minor changes to the plot).

My masterlist

Chapter 1

Ethan Ramsey was walking down a hallway, looking at a case, when he felt something pulling his coat. Slightly annoyed that his coat got stuck into something, Ethan looked behind himself and noticed that the thing which was tugging him was actually a little girl, around 4 or 5 years old, tears running down her cheeks.

As he saw how distressed the girl looked, he turned around to see if there were other adults in the hallway and, seeing there were none, he crouched down and asked her: “Are you lost?”. She nodded, being too shy to say anything. “I’ll help you find your mum or dad, come with me” Ethan said giving his hand to the girl. The doctor, being used to kids getting lost in the hospital, knew that the first thing he should do was to go to the hospital’s reception. During the short walk Ethan tried to put the kid at ease by doing small talk but the girl only responded with monosyllabic answer so Ethan stopped trying, even though he didn’t even manage to discover her name. At one point they passed in front a vending machine and the girl suddenly stopped, she was looking and pointing at a chocolate bar. Ethan didn’t want to lose time but, when he saw how joyfully the girl looked at the candy, decided to stop. “Do you want the chocolate bar?” Ethan asked “Yes!” answered the girl. The doctor put a dollar into the machine and the bar fell, making a dull sound, Ethan took it and gave it to her; the girl was now smiling and Ethan, seeing her like this, started smiling too. After that they had almost reached the reception, Ethan then asked: “Now that you have cheered up, could you tell me your name?” but before the girl could answer a woman screamed “Giulia, here you are!”. “Mamma!” the girl run towards her mum and gave her a big hug. The woman had golden brown hair, tied up in a pony tail, she was dressed with a pair of jeans and a white shirt, she still looked tense but now that she had her kid in her arms she was smiling; Ethan was watching her and he couldn’t shake of the feeling that he had already seen her somewhere. “Mamma, the doctor bought me chocolate” Giulia said and at that point the woman locked eyes with Ethan and started walking towards him. “Thank you for taking care of my kid, and thank you for the chocolate” the woman said, with a slight accent in her voice that Ethan couldn’t exactly recognise “You should be more careful; the hospital can be dangerous for a kid” “Yes I know, I was here to get my doctor’s badge and while I was filling out a form she run away without saying anything and when I noticed she was already gone. I wanted to look for her but the nurses told me it was better for me to wait here” “Well yes, it’s protocol to bring lost children here. Wait did you say doctor’s badge?” Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow. “Yes” Ines, who was sitting at the desk, answered, suddenly joying the conversation, “she is the new resident, Chiara Bianchi” Chiara Bianchi, that’s why Ethan felt like he had already met her, he had personally selected her application, now, after meeting Giulia, he understood why there was a year-long gap in her resume. “Well, I should get going, after all I’ve already lost enough time” Ethan said ,then he looked at the girl and smiled “Goodbye Giulia, don’t run away from your mum next time” and, looking at Chiara, he added: “ I’ll see you for your first shift Rookie” , he turned around but before he went too far Chiara said “Wait I didn’t catch your name Doctor …” “Ramsey. Dr. Ramsey” “as in Ethan Ramsey?” Chiara asked, her eyes wide open “Yes” he said and walked away. When Ethan was at a safe distance Chiara turned to Ines and said “I can’t believe that just happened, it was terrible” “It’s ok Ethan is always hard on new doctors, at least he was nice to your daughter” Ines answered “But I lost Giulia at work, on my first day! And if that wasn’t enough she was found by no other than my medical inspiration: Dr. Ramsey” “Well if it’s of any consolation: there are so many new doctors every year that he might not even remember you next time you meet” “Let’s hope so” Chiara said.

After getting her badge Chiara and Giulia went back to their apartment. The woman started cooking and, while waiting for the water to boil, she was filling out Giulia’s application to Kindergarten. “What are you doing mamma?” “Just doing a couple of things for your new school, sweetie, are you excited for it?” “Yes” Giulia said but she didn’t seem too convinced “do you think I’ll make many friends?” “Oh honey, of course you’ll make many friends, you’re the sweetest kids there is” Chiara said and gave her a hug, “we will also have to find a new baby-sitter…” “But I liked the last one” Giulia pouted. “Yes, I know Giulia but it’s the price of moving to a new city, look on the bright side tough: now that we live in Boston you’ll spend more time with your grandparents” “Yay!” Giulia made a big smile. An hour after Giulia was in her bed and Chiara was reading her a story. When she noticed that her daughter was already asleep she gave her a kiss on her forehead and then whispered “I really hope it will be easier for us in Boston”.

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Author’s note: I hope you have enjoyed this fanfic. I will certainly made more chapters but I don’t know when I’ll publish them since I’m super busy this year (preparing for uni admissions tests is tough😅)

Taglist: @nikki-2406 @queencarb @sophxwithers @aleynareads @actuallybored @choicesreal @potionsprefect @thisghosts-obsessions-again​ @jerzwriter​ @choicesficwriterscreations (if you would like to be added or removed just tell me so)

#ethan ramsey #ethan x mc #ethan fanfic #ethan x f!mc #ethan ramsey x mc #open heart #open heart fanfic #choices open heart #playchoices #choices #ethan jonah ramsey #ethan ramsey fanfiction

[choicesfanaf]

Looking After You

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x f!MC (Arundhati Kulkarni)

Characters: Ethan Ramsey, Arundhati Kulkarni

Word Count: 706 words

Rating: General

Summary: Ethan looks after a sick Arundhati.

Category: Fluff

Tagging: @choicesficwriterscreations, @openheartfanfics

Perma: @jamespotterthefirst, @quixoticdreamer16

Ethan x Arundhati: @rookiemartin

"Such a pleasant day. Spring is quite beautiful. If I get done early, I'll spend some time in the garden with Ethan," Aru thought as she walked towards her office for a meeting with the diagnostic team.

When she reached her office, she felt her throat itch and a bit sore. Fortunately, she had a few lozenges in her bag, and she popped one in her mouth before the meeting, not thinking much of it.

The following morning, at 3:00 am, Aru woke up with a blocked nose, headache, and cough.

Ethan, a light sleeper, also woke up when he heard Aru groan while trying her best to get some rest but failing, as was evident by her constant turning.

He took a minute to realise what was happening and made a cup of tea to soothe her.

"Ethan, could you please sleep in the guest room? Or let me go there? I don't want to get you infected because of me," Aru said while sipping some warm tea. 

"No, honey. I'm not going to do that. I want to look after you, okay? I know how you are and that you won't look after yourself. So, let me take care of you", he replied while rummaging in their medicine kit for a Tylenol. Aru eagerly took the pill from Ethan when he found it, hoping to get some relief.

The next day, she woke up quite later than usual and panicked that she would get late for work. Just when she started to rush to get ready, Ethan chimed in, "Aru, I have requested a holiday for both of us cause you are sick and I don't want others to get infected, especially your patients. I'll stay at home for today to take care of you, my love."

"That’s very sweet of you, Ethan, but I will be fine in a day or two, I don't want you to ignore your work."

"I'm not ignoring my work by looking after you, Aru. In fact, I'm doing both."

"Okay, love, thanks a lot for taking care of me."

A while later, Aru sat down with her blanket in front of the TV while Ethan made her favourite tomato soup and watched her comfort movies, Welcome and Om Shanti Om.

After finishing her delicious soup, she went to gargle with warm salt water and a quick bath under instructions from Ethan while he made her favourite comfort food.

When she came back, Ethan gave her a cup of kadha, whose recipe he had procured from her mom on a visit.

Ethan then checked her temperature because he found her hands and forehead cold.

He realised she had a fever, so he got her some Tylenol and asked her to rest until lunch.

She protested, saying, "It's just a little fever, I'm fine. There's no need for medicine. Let my body fight it out."

"Aru, my love, you have a fever. I want you to get better as soon as possible, which won't happen if you don't take your medicine," he said.

"Okay....if you get well soon, we'll go out to eat some chaat," Ethan continued when he got no response from Aru.

"E, are you trying to bribe me? Because this is new stuff. I have only seen you do this to little kids when they don't listen."

"Well, I have to find a way for you to ingest your meds."

"You know it's nothing major, right? I'll be fine in a few hours even without the pill."

"I know that, honey. But I can't bear to see you like this, even if it is a minor thing."

"Ethan! This is nothing to worry about, and the doctor in you knows that."

"I know that very well, my darling."

"Then why are you worrying?"

"Because I hate to see you like this, in pain! I love you, Aru, and this is too much for me to bear."

On hearing this, she could barely contain his happiness and moved to kiss him, but she suddenly moved away.

"Ethan, I don't want to infect you."

"Sorry, Aru, I understand," he said, as planted a soft and assuring kiss on her forehead, "come on, let's eat Rajma Chawal."

#choices stories you play #playchoices fanfiction #playchoices #choices stories we play #open heart choices #open heart fanfiction #open heart fanfic #open heart #choices open heart #e x a #dr ethan ramsey #ethan x mc #ethan ramsey fanfiction #dr ethan ramsey x mc #ethan ramsey #dr. ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc #ethan x aru #ethan jonah ramsey #arundhati kulkarni

[ladydelilah]

Ethan Ramsey x M!MC

Book: Open Heart            

Pairing/Characters: Ethan Ramsey x Lars Valentine (M!OC)

Rating: G

Warnings: Homophobia

Category: fluff                  

Words:

Summary: Lars is about to meet the parents of the love of his life. There’s something Ethan forgot to mention to them.

A/N: Just wanted to write a quick little fluff oneshot  

“I’m so excited to meet the people who raised such a well rounded, handsome, young man!” Lars purrs as he places a gentle hand on his taller boyfriend’s shoulder.

“Well if you like me I’m sure you’ll despise them.” Ethan teases with a faint smile.

“Come on they can’t be that bad.” Lars rolls his gray eyes.

“Oh trust me, my love, they’re intolerable.” Ethan sighs dragging his large hands across his face.

“I’m not worried. They’ll love me! Older people always seem to take a fancy to me.” He says with faux cockiness as he embellishes his statement with a flick of the wrist.

“Is that so? That must explain why I like you then. Because I’m just so old.” Ethan chuckles as he rolls his eyes.

“Aww! I love my little old man!” Lars coos as he pinches Ethan’s cheeks.

Silence falls before Ethan speaks.

“On a more serious note. How did you come out to your parents?” He asks with a frown.

“Well, my parents said they always suspected I wasn’t like the other boys I grew up with. We kinda just had a mutual agreement to not really mention it, I guess. Not that it would have bothered them. I’m fortunate enough to have understanding, excepting parents. There wasn’t really a point until I started dating. Then I confirmed their suspicions by bring my boyfriend over for dinner one night.” Lars explains.

“What about you?” Lars finishes.

“I guess it will be the same was as you.” Ethan says biting his lower lip.

“It ‘will be’? Ethan…they don’t know?” Lars asks in a concerned, hushed tone.

“Not yet.” He says as his breathing starts to get faster.

“Ethan…” Lars frowns.

“I’m sorry, Lars. I should have told you. Asked if you were okay with being part of this. I shouldn’t have dragged you into this.” He sighs deeply.

“Don’t apologize. I want to help you. But it makes it a lot easier for both of us if you talk to me.”

“Lars, what would I do without you?” Ethan starts to perk up.

“Come on, Eth, let’s go do this together. Before we go in, take a deep breathe and remember I love you and I’m so proud of you for doing this. I’ll be right next to you every step of the way.”

Ethan straightens his back, holds his head up, brushes his suit, and takes Lars’ hand in his before marching towards the front door of his childhood home.

I wrote this in kinda a rush. It’s sloppy and short but I still think it’s cute. I’ve never written for these characters (or really any same sex couple) before and I’m still getting use to Tumblr so forgive me for any mistakes. I felt it was my obligation to add at least one piece of EthanxM!MC fan fiction to this world.

@choicesficwriterscreations

#choices #open heart choices #choices stories we play #choices stories you play #ethan ramsey fanfiction #ethan ramsey x mc #dr ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey #open heart #open heart ethan #choices open heart #choices fic writers creations #cfwc fics of the week

[justcallmefox89]

Irresistible Force Paradox - An Open Heart Fic

Rory O’Shea begins his first day at Edenbrook and learns that whoever coined the term ‘never meet your heroes’ was absolutely right.  Dr. Ethan Ramsey butts heads with the strong-willed intern, and battle lines are drawn as both men ready themselves to work together for the next three years.

September 13th.  11:30 a.m.

I hate him.  What a smug, condescending, arrogant, handsome… ugh!  How is someone with a personality that repulsive so attractive? He’s definitive proof that God really does have favorites -

“What are we staring at?” someone whispers in my ear, their warm breath tickling the side of my neck.

I let out a startled yelp and drop my charts, drawing the attention of the object of my ire.  Bryce chuckles and bends down to retrieve them while Jackie tries to hide her smile behind her own charts.  Dr. Ramsey glances over at us impassively, meeting my eyes for the briefest moment before turning away.  I continue glaring at him even as I swipe my charts out of Bryce’s hand, trying to telepathically implode his brain with my eyeballs.

“Why are we staring at Dr. Ramsey?” Bryce stage whispers again.

“We are not staring at him. I am trying to explode his big, stupid head with the power of my mind,” I mutter.

“Wow… he really got to you, didn’t he?” Jackie snickers.

I bristle, remembering the emergency thoracotomy in the waiting room earlier that morning and Dr. Ramsey’s subsequent condemnation.  “He did not get to me!  He’s a pompous asshole and I hate him.  I despise him.  I loathe him and his perfect jawline with every molecule of every fiber of my being.”

Jackie arches one eyebrow and smirks, clearly unconvinced.  “You sound like a supervillain right now, Rory.”

Bryce’s eyes light up.  “Dr. Ramsey could be your very first nemesis!”

“And Aurora my second,” I grumble, mentioning the prickly intern I’m partnered with.  

They both make a face.

“How’s that going?” Bryce asks.

I shrug half-heartedly.  “She went to her aunt’s office right after the initial consult with our patient and I haven’t seen her since.”

“Nice to know Princess Nepotism is already living up to her name,” Jackie says snidely, looking down as her pager beeps.  “My test results are in.  See you guys later.”

“So how long are we going to stand here and stare at Ramsey?”

I snort and fight back a laugh.  “You’re ridiculous, Bryce.”

“I’m not the one trying to set my boss on fire with my brain.”  The surgeon smirks at me, brown eyes glittering with laughter.

“Explode, Lahela.  I’m trying to explode him.”

We stare at each other silently for a few beats before we break into a fit of the giggles.

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

11:30 a.m.

Ethan stands at the nurses station, pretending to look over his charts as he covertly watches the young man who is staring daggers at him from a little further down the hall.  Ever since their encounter that morning as they’d worked together to save the patient who collapsed in the waiting room, Dr. Rory O’Shea had been a distraction.  An insidious little wisp of smoke that continues to invade Ethan’s thoughts in his downtime.  

O’Shea is one of those people cursed with a face that perfectly expresses whatever they’re feeling, and right now he’s looking at Ethan like he wishes the older doctor would be hit by a bus.  Ethan remembers how the intern had look after saving that woman, his cheeks flushed and eyes bright with excitement, and how his expression had fallen after Ethan’s harsh criticism.  Hurt, then disappointment, and finally anger flickered over the young man’s face, before he was able to get control over his emotions.

“Maybe you can give me private lessons…”

Ethan’s lips twitch up as he fights to repress a smile at the memory of O’Shea’s words.  He’d flipped the switch from angry to flirty so quickly he’d nearly given Ethan whiplash, and the sultry look in his eyes that was clearly meant to catch Ethan off-balance had nearly drawn him in instead.

Such unusual eyes.

They stand out from behind the round wire-rimmed glasses O’Shea wears, those large, pale green eyes, the same color as the sea glass Ethan used to collect with his father when they would go to the beach.  

A crashing sound draws Ethan’s attention, and he turns his head slightly to watch as one of the surgical interns bends down on one knee and hands O’Shea a pile of charts with a charming smile.  An uncomfortable feeling begins to form low in Ethan’s stomach, but he quickly writes it off as hunger and hurries back to his office for a quick lunch before continuing his rounds.

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

2:45 p.m.

“Argh!  Stupid, stupid, stupid!”  I aim a kick at a low shelf in the supply closest, nearly breaking a toe when it connects.  “Gah! Motherfucker!”  I swipe angry tears away from my face, still mentally berating myself as I remember Ramsey’s words.  

You need to have a long, hard think about whether or not your ready to be here…  Whether this girl lives or dies is on you…  Nearly killed her…

A sudden wash of fluorescent light interrupts my brooding.

“I feel like I’m interrupting something.”  Bryce says, gazing at me in curiosity and concern.

“In or out, Lahela!  I’m trying to have an existential crisis in peace and you’re distracting me,” I snap.

He steps into the supply closest and pulls the door shut behind him. “Hey, hey, hey.  What’s going on?”

I tip my head back and try to stem the flow of tears, internally cursing myself for being an angry crier.  And a stress crier.  And a sad crier.

Not the time for this.

“Nothing.  I just got reamed out by the man who used to be my medical hero and inspiration for the second time today and I almost killed my first patient.”  The words come out in a rush.  “Maybe he’s right.  Maybe I’m not cut out for this.  Maybe everything that I’ve been working for since I was twelve was all for nothing and I’m going to be the biggest failure Edenbrook has ever seen.”

Bryce blinks.  “Wow. You managed four years of med school, but four hours here and you’re surrendering?  Didn’t take you for a quitter.”

“You just met me.”

“True.  But if every hospital employee who ever hid in a supply closet quit, there’d be nobody here but the patients.”

I narrow my eyes.  “No offense, but what do you know about it?”

“Let’s just say this isn’t the first supply closet I’ve found a stressed out doctor in today.”

“Alright then, scalpel jockey.  What am I supposed to do?”

Bryce grins.  “You’ve got two options.  One, breeze through life with an unshakeable self-assurance like me.”

“I don’t think this hospital would survive two Bryce Lahelas. What’s option two?” I dryly reply.

“Ride it out,” he says, shrugging.

I stare at him blankly.  “That’s not quite the pearl of wisdom you think it is.”

Bryce places his hands on my shoulders and shakes me a bit.  “Of course you’re overwhelmed.  You’re a doctor.  It’s one of the toughest jobs there is, and you’re on your first day.  If you don’t give yourself a chance to make mistakes, to get better… nobody else will.”

I let out an enormous sigh and use the hem of my scrubs to wipe my cheeks dry.  “Fine.  I’ll try.”

“Good.  Because I’d hate to lose you so quick.  Is there anything I can get you?”

“A hug?” I ask tentatively.

“Alright, get over here.”  Bryce smirks and holds out his arms.  He has to stoop a little bit to match my much shorter height, but I manage to lace my arms around his neck and squeeze him gently, resting my head against his chest.  He wraps his arms around my waist and holds me tightly, the slow thumping of his heartbeat and the warm, comforting scent of his amber and sandalwood cologne soothes my frazzled nerves.

“This is nice,” I murmur.  “You’re a pretty good hugger.”

“One of my many talents.”  Even though I can’t see his face I can tell he’s smiling.  “Hey, wait a second.  Was this just a ploy of yours to get me in here alone?”

I tip my head back to look at him, taking in the cocky smirk on his face and the genuine kindness radiating from his warm, brown eyes. Before I can second guess myself, I pop up on my toes and quickly press my lips to his.  His eyes momentarily widen in surprise, but then he’s kissing me back hard, his hands gripping my hips as he pushes me against the shelves, knocking a few boxes to the ground.

“God you’re incredible,” he whispers against my mouth.  Suddenly he lifts me up, urging me to wrap my legs around his waist as he uses his body to pin me to the shelves.  I nip lightly at his lower lip and grind against him, earning a low groan. Bryce’s hands cup my ass, pulling me tight to him as we writhe together, our erections rubbing against each other through the thin fabric of our scrubs.  His tongue slides against mine and one of his hands creeps under my scrub top, warm against the skin of my stomach.  

The door suddenly swings open, light from the hallway spilling into the closet.

“Could we get some privacy, man?” Bryce snaps, turning his body to keep me shielded from whoever has interrupted us.  

“Oh, by all means.  I’m so sorry to intrude.  I’ll just wait out here ‘til you’re done,” an equally irritated male voice retorts. “Or, if I may be so bold… might you hand me a suture kit?”

Still holding me up with one hand, Bryce reaches out and snags a kit from the shelf and tosses it over his shoulder to the other man.

“Much obliged.”  The door slams and we’re alone once again.

Bryce slowly slides me down his body until my feet are back on the floor.

“Maybe we should get back to work,” I say, nervously adjusting my glasses.

“That guy did kinda kill the mood, huh?”

Feeling awkward, I repeatedly tug on a piece of hair at the back of my head as Bryce straightens his scrubs and runs a hand through his hair.

“Hope I cheered you up a little,” he says as he prepares to leave.

“Just a little,” I whisper, praying that the dim light in the supply closet hides my blush.

Bryce gives me wink as he exits the closet, leaving me alone to ponder my future at Edenbrook.

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

 9:15 p.m.

I didn’t let him beat me.

I follow Dr. Ramsey out of Annie’s room, grinning to myself.   “So, I’ll fill out a prescription for some extra-strength antihistamines -”

“Don’t bother.  I already have.”

I skid to a stop, my sneakers squeaking against the linoleum. “Beg pardon?”

He hands me a printed out prescription order for the exact medicine I was about to request.  My grin fades and I tilt my head back to stare up at the taller doctor.  

I swear to everything that is holy, his brain will be goo by the time I finish this internship.

“How long have you known?” I manage to grit out between clenched teeth.  “And when were you planning on telling me?”

Dr. Ramsey checks his watch.  “I’d planned to give you another forty-five minutes.  I pulled up Annie’s chart to diagnose it myself, in the likely event you blew it.  But I wanted to give you the chance to right the ship first.”

I am calm, I am a peaceful breeze, I am calm, I am a peaceful breeze… 

“You should have treated her right away.”

He scowls down at me.  “I was giving you an opportunity - ”

“I don’t give a shit about your opportunities,” I hiss, stepping closer to him until we’re toe to toe.  “And I definitely don’t want your charity.  I want my patients to get better.  So next time, take care of the patient first, doctor.”

We’re both breathing quickly, our eyes locked together, neither one of us wanting to be the one to look away first.  I’m intensely away of how much larger he is, and I can feel the heat of his body even through his lab coat and button-down shirt.  Something in his gaze softens and the tension in his body fades a little.

“Rookie…” he says, his voice soft.  “I respect how much you care about you patients’ wellbeing.  But if I don’t push you to grow, then how many lives will be lost down the line because you’re not ready?”

I hate to admit it, but I can understand his reasoning.

I’ll choke and die before I tell him that though.

“Believe me when I say this was not for your sake.  I need good doctors by my side.  There’s only one of me, after all,” he continues.  “But you showed potential.  Not to mention maybe the most important trait a doctor can have.”

I raise my eyebrows, silently prompting him to finish his thought.

“You listened.  You took the time to get to know your patient.  Their story, their hopes, their fears… Sometimes those are the key to saving their life.”

I nod along as he speaks, captivated by the intensity in his blue eyes and the deep timbre of his voice, unknowingly leaning even closer to him.  Aurora suddenly rushes up to us, looking flustered.  Realizing how close we’ve gotten I spring away from Dr. Ramsey, nervously shoving my glasses further up onto the bridge of my nose.  He, on the other hand, seems to be completely unaffected, which sends an irrational spike of annoyance through me.

She looks into the room and sees Annie sitting up and smiling, then turns and glares at me.  “What the hell?  You went ahead and presented without me?”

I widen my eyes and stare at her.  “Excuse me?  In case you - ”

“Annie was your patient as well, Dr. Emery,” Dr. Ramey interrupts me, his voice frosty.  He eyes Aurora with disdain.  What the hell have you been doing while Dr. O’Shea was making a diagnosis?”

Aurora hesitates, glancing over at me.

Oh, I know she doesn’t think I’m going to cover for her.

I clamp my mouth shut and stare her down as she squirms under Ramsey’s glower.  

“That was not a rhetorical question,” Ramsey barks.  “One of you needs to answer me.”

I smirk and continuing silently staring at her, refusing to be the one who breaks first.

Finally Aurora cracks.  “I was in Chief Emery’s office,” she admits sullenly.  “She paged me this morning after we examined Annie.”

“And you’ve been there all day?”  He looks deeply unimpressed.

Aurora gives him a short, stiff nod.

“Dr. Emery, patient assignments are not optional.”  Ramsey scowls at her one final time before stalking off, leaving Aurora and I standing in awkward silence.

“That’s really what you were doing all day?  Just sitting in your aunt’s office?”  I eye her curiously.

Aurora’s expression hardens.  “What do you care?  You clearly didn’t need my help.”

I allow myself a small, pleased smile.  “No I didn’t, did I?”

She whirls around, huffing in annoyance, and stomps away from me.

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

10:00 p.m.

 After my shift ends I hurry to the locker room, taking just enough time to quickly shower and slip into a clean sweater and pair of jeans, before rushing to meet Sienna in the atrium.  

“You survived!” she exclaims with a big smile.  “Ready to hit the bar?”

“You have no idea,” I sigh, dropping my head onto her shoulder.   An easy feat since we’re roughly the same height.  

She pats my back soothingly.  “Let’s go then.”

Just a few blocks from the hospital, Donahue’s is dingy, dim, and completely packed with Edenbrook staff members.  Sienna confidently leads me through the throngs of people to a booth where Landry, Jackie, and Elijah are waiting for us.  

“Come on!” Landry urges.  “There’s still sixty-seven seconds left in happy hour!”

Elijah rolls his eyes good-naturedly.  “Who cares?  We’re all a hundred-k in debt anyway.”

“Relax, Landry.  I put in quite a few orders before the buzzers.”  Jackie grins as a barback arrives bearing a huge trays of shots.

“You are a goddess.  We lowly beings are not worthy of you,” I praise her as I reach for a shot.  I toss it back and sigh as it burns its way down, erasing some of the stress of my day.

I grab a second glass and the others join me.  We all raise them in the air.

“To the end of our first shift!  And ten hours off the clock!” Elijah proclaims.

We clink our glasses together and throw back our shots.  

Landry gags as his goes down.  “Don’t we have any salt?  Or limes?”

“Doctor up, Landry.  Lime and salt are for wimps,” Jackie retorts, pushing another shot glass into his hand.

We all raise another toast.

“How about… To new friends!” Sienna ventures.

Once again we clink and drink.

Jackie points at me.  “Your turn Rory!”

I grab another shot and raise it above my head.  “To the start of an amazing career, despite Ethan Ramsey’s best efforts!  And in a few years, we’ll take the jobs of every attending who ever treated us like dirt!”

My new friends and I whoop and tipsily giggle as we down another tequila shot.

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

10:20 p.m.

Ethan quietly nurses his drink at the bar and unobtrusively observes O’Shea pound shots with a booth full of other interns.  Whatever they’re drinking has caused O’Shea’s normally pale cheeks to flush, and he’s taken his hair out of its neat bun, allowing the inky waves to flow over his shoulders and around his face.  The sweater he’s wearing may have been black at one point, but has been washed so many times it’s a faded grey and looks incredibly soft to the touch.  

“See something you like, Ethan?” Reggie asks, leaning over the bar and following the doctor’s gaze.

“Don’t you have other customers to bother?” Ethan responds, downing the last of his scotch.

Reggie just chuckles as he looks at something over Ethan’s left shoulder. O’Shea bounces up to the bar and takes a seat on the stool next to him, legs dangling and feet swinging aimlessly as he waits for Reggie to finish up another customer’s order.

Ethan takes the time to study Rory out of the corner of his eye, noting the way his jeans show off the litheness of his body and the faint smattering of freckles running over the bridge of his nose, making him look even younger than his 28 years.  Then those green eyes flit over to rest on him.

“Can I help you with something, Dr. Ramsey?” Rory asks, blinking at him owlishly through the thick lenses of his glasses.

“Just noticing how… different you look out in the real world.”

Rory leans a little closer, nearly tipping over into the older man’s lap.  “Do you like it?” he whispers playfully.

Ethan’s eyes widen in shock.  If he’d had any doubts before, now he’s absolutely certain the intern is at least mildly intoxicated.  But he can’t deny that the warm weight of Rory leaning against his arm and the smell of his grapefruit and vanilla shampoo is intoxicating.

“What’ll it be?” Reggie asks, tossing his bar rag over his shoulder.

Rory glances over at Ethan’s empty liquor glass, then beckons Reggie closer with a mischievous smile.  He balances precariously on the bar stool, stretching so he can whisper into the bartender’s ear.  In a rare moment of weakness Ethan glances at Rory’s back, admiring the flow of his dark hair over his shoulders, the smooth curve of his spine, and the way the denim of his jeans perfectly frame his high, tight…

Ethan is startled out of his thoughts as Rory’s thumps back down onto his barstool with a self-satisfied smile.  Just a few moments later he learns the reason for Rory’s smirk as Reggie sets down two colorful cocktails in front of them, each garnished with a paper umbrella, an orange slice, and a maraschino cherry.

Ethan physically recoils from the drink as Rory tries to hide his snickering behind his hands.  “What is that abomination?”

“A Sex on the Beach.”  Rory pulls his own drink closer and tastes it with a contented sigh.

The air around Ethan ratchets up a few degrees as he watches Rory’s full lips close around the tip of the straw.  “That’s not what I was drinking.”

“I know,” Rory replies, coming up for air, half of his drink already gone.  “You were drinking scotch, but scotch is gross.  So I ordered you something delicious instead.  You’re welcome.”

“You know I can’t be bribed into favoring you,” Ethan says, eyeing the cocktail with distaste.

Rory’s expression darkens and he visibly struggles to control his delicate features.  He eventually gives Ethan’s a crooked smirk.  “Don’t worry, Dr. Ramsey.  I already know exactly what you think of me.  Enjoy the rest of your night.”

By the time Ethan recovers from his shock Rory has already slipped off of his barstool and rejoined his fellow interns.

“Busy making friends, Ramsey?” Reggie asks, eyeing him curiously.

Ethan is momentarily lost for words.  “I don’t… I… I’m not sure what just happened.”

“I don’t believe that young man likes you very much.”

“I’m his boss.  He doesn’t need to like me.”  Despite his words Ethan feels a pinprick of something… disappointment? at the thought of Rory not enjoying his company.  Belatedly he also realizes that at some point during the evening he had start to think of the younger man as Rory, not just O’Shea.  

Reggie hums non-committally, clearing not believing his words.  Exasperated, Ethan signals for another scotch, hoping to chase away the lingering sense of uneasiness Rory has left him with.  Reggie sets the drink down in front of him and silently moves away, leaving the doctor to his own thoughts.

“Traitor!”

“Get it Lahela!”

Ethan looks towards the far side of the bar, back by the dartboards, just in time to see the handsome surgical intern from this morning dip Rory backwards and kiss him.  The kiss becomes more passionate as Rory threads his fingers through the other man’s hair, and the surgeon, Lahela, presses even closer, until there is no space left between the two.

The same stomach unsettling feeling from this morning comes roaring back, and Ethan turns away, grabbing the drink Rory had bought him. He takes a sip, the fruity drink leaving a bitter taste on his tongue, much like the sight of Rory wrapped up in Lahela’s arms does.

#open heart #open heart 2 #choices fanfic #choices open heart #choices oph #open heart fanfiction #open heart fanfic #ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc #ethan ramsey x male mc #bryce lahela #bryce lahela x mc #bryce lahela x male mc #open heart ethan #open heart bryce #ethan ramsey fanfiction #jackie varma #landry olsen #sienna trinh #pixelberry #pixelberry choices #enemies to lovers

[lsvdw-blog]

Now & Always: Part 3

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x f!MC

Word Count: 1.5k

Warnings; Rating: Angst galore; Teen+

Premise: The continued aftermath of the break-up.

Author’s Note: Today marks one YEAR of writing fics here on Tumblr - how time flies! I have truly loved being a part of this fandom, interacting with other writers and readers, and making new friends. The support and love I have been shown here has forever touched my heart and I hope to carry and spread this kindness forward. From the bottom of my heart, I love and appreciate every single one of you and am immensely grateful for everything. I have SO much love for all of you 💕💕💕 I hope you enjoy and thank you for sticking around and reading 💖

Ethan holds open the door for Serena as they enter South Street Diner, stepping into a 1950’s atmosphere. They’re greeted cheerily by the staff and Sol, the owner, waits for them at the counter. 

“The usual?”

Serena smiles meekly, preparing to ask for her usual “post-getting-plastered-at-Donahue’s” order, but Ethan beats her to it.

“She’ll have the Boston Crème Pancakes with chicken fingers and a chocolate Frappe with ice cream. I’ll have the smoked salmon eggs benedict.” 

“You got it, Chief.”

Serena stares at Ethan in awe as he hands Sol his black Amex. 

“You remembered.”

Ethan turns to face Serena. 

“The last time I drank this much at Donahue’s and ordered this exact meal was years ago. How did you—”

“If it has anything remotely to do with you, I remember.” 

The fire and devotion shining through Ethan’s eyes in that moment sends a shiver down Serena’s spine. 

Ethan physically can’t look away as he immediately shrugs off his charcoal gray wool jacket and drapes it around her, rubbing her upper arms gently to provide some extra warmth. 

“Better?” 

The touch of Ethan’s hands and being engulfed in her favorite scent once more after nearly two months makes Serena lightheaded. She nods, mouth too dry to verbalize anything.

“Why don't you grab our booth and I’ll meet you there when our food is ready, hm?” Ethan murmurs, hands still stroking her arms.

“Yeah, okay,” Serena utters. She hazily walks to the back of the restaurant, Ethan’s eyes following her every movement. 

Halfway there, Serena cranes her head backwards to look at Ethan, locking eyes. She’s unsure how to interpret what she finds churning in those cobalt blues, so she tightens the oversized jacket around herself and drops her gaze, continuing to her destination.

~~~~~~

Ethan sets their food on the table and slides in opposite Serena. He removes her order from the tray, placing it in front of her. 

Serena cuts into her pancakes and takes a big bite. “Ohmygosh.” Her proclamation comes out muffled, but she’s too busy enjoying the flavor hitting her tastebuds to care. 

She proceeds to inhale half a chicken finger and slurp on her frappe, mouth as full as a chipmunk’s. 

Ethan relaxes slightly, back hitting the booth. A relieved sigh, coupled with a half-smile, escapes his nostrils. While Serena’s eyes are glued to her food, Ethan’s are drinking in the sight of the contented woman before him. 

It's only after she realizes the chewing sounds are solely coming from her that Serena pauses. She lifts her head, looking at Ethan like a deer in headlights. 

"Why aren't you eating?" She asks, mouth full. 

"I've missed this." 

Serena snorts. 

"I'm serious. I love how excited you get about food. It's endearing." 

Serena takes a swig of her frappe to wash down her mouthful. 

"You love to eat too." 

“This is true.”

"So?" Serena waves at his untouched plate. "Eat!" 

Ethan still can't tear his eyes away from her, grateful beyond measure that he's sharing the same space as her again.

"Tsk." 

Serena reaches over with her utensils, cutting into the eggs benedict. She pierces a bite with her fork and brings it to Ethan's mouth. 

"Eat," she urges.

Ethan's eyes drop down to the fork before him for a split second. The intimate nature of her action is lost on Serena until Ethan's eyes look back up and bore into hers with passion and intensity. 

One large hand comes to hold her dainty one as he takes the bite, eyes never wavering.  

Serena swallows heavily and drops her hand, looking anywhere but at him. She returns to eating her meal and Ethan picks up his own utensils, stealing glances at her between every bite. 

They dine in an awkward silence for a few minutes before Ethan clears his throat and looks up.  

“I really am sorry.” 

Serena doesn’t respond, the only inkling that she heard him is her brief pause in cutting her pancakes. 

“There are absolutely no excuses for my behavior.”

“You’re right; there are none.”

She doesn’t say more after that and Ethan takes this as a sign to continue.  

“I am utterly ashamed and incredibly remorseful for how I have acted and treated you the past few months. In my own inability to process my grief, I failed to recognize how this affected you; that you lost a parent too.”

“Instead of shutting you out, we could have leaned on each other. For nearly three decades, I have kept my emotions locked away and that has served me well enough. It has staved off any possibility of me being hurt again, even by my own father. You’re aware that I never understood, or quite frankly, forgave, dad for continuing to adore Louise, and that was a point of conflict between us. However, due in no small part to your support, dad and I had begun to better understand each other and grow closer in the past few years.”

Serena slowly puts down her utensils.

“Besides you, it was the only other time I have felt safe enough to let my guard down, safe enough to breathe. I was very much looking forward to continuing on that trajectory with my father and I thought I had decades left. Decades where he’d get to experience all of the things he always worried I wouldn’t shift on: standing next to me at the altar at our wedding and gaining a daughter, witnessing me becoming a father and him becoming a grandpa that spoils our children rotten, and watching me maneuver into administration and becoming Chief.” 

Serena is gazing at Ethan intently, hands clasped in front of her. Ethan swallows over the lump forming in his throat before persisting. 

“Not only did I lose the man who raised me, but all of these things I had accepted that dad would get to experience with us, and all of the images I had conjured up, were ripped away from me in a matter of hours. And I—”

Ethan is cut off by his own exhausted sigh, his eyes heavy from unshed tears. 

This is the most Ethan has opened up about Alan’s death since the funeral, giving Serena a glimpse into his thoughts, finally answering the plea she made months ago. 

“I felt so betrayed by the universe and was so resentful, yet felt so lost at the same time. I hadn’t felt like this since I was eleven, when Louise left, so I dealt with this situation the same way I did then; I didn’t know how to handle it, so instead, I shut down. But even then, it wasn’t this painful.” 

Ethan’s usually confident and commanding baritone comes out small, vulnerable. Serena’s features have fully softened now, her heart aching for the man before her. 

“In my anguish, I lashed out at you and took you for granted, which you did not deserve.”

“Not only did I not deserve that, I deserve better.” 

At the last part of Serena’s declaration, the color drains from Ethan’s face. He agrees with her, wholeheartedly, but he is terrified that her definition of “better” doesn’t include giving him another chance.

Serena’s face remains impassive, giving nothing away as she studies him under an icy stare that causes Ethan to fidget. 

“There’s an African proverb: ‘The axe forgets, but the tree remembers.’ Do you even know how many times you've hurt me? Because I d—" 

“Our very first interaction, I dismissed you and your capabilities. The way I handled what happened in Miami and the aftermath of it. Kissing you, but then pulling back at the Opera. Asserting that we would figure it out after Naveen placed you on the Diagnostics team, but running to the Amazon instead. Freezing you out while I was in the Amazon. My poor excuse of ‘needing a reset’ to dismiss my absence. Not going after you that night at Donahue’s. Not going up for a nightcap after dinner with the Governor. Delaying the talk about us that I had promised you after the softball game. All of this during what seemed like I was stringing you along because I was too much of a coward to face my feelings for you. Every little thing these past few months, our last fight.”

"I know there are more instances, I know there are; we’ll be here till sunrise if I list them all out, but I do remember. I remember all of it, every single case."

Serena is stunned into silence. She knew Ethan remembered the monumental events, but she wasn’t expecting him to remember so many others, let alone list them out in chronological order. 

“You are unequivocally correct: you deserve better. I want to be that ‘better’ and I can only hope that your definition of ‘better’ includes giving me another chance.” 

Serena isn’t sure what to say next, so she just stares at him with wide eyes. What comes out of Ethan’s mouth next catches her even more off guard. 

“Do you still love me?”

#ethan x mc #ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc #open heart #choices open heart #ethan ramsey open heart #open heart fanfiction #open heart choices #playchoices #dr ethan ramsey #dr. ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey fic #ethan ramsey fanfiction #ethan fic #ethan ramsey × mc

[liaromancewriter]

Daddy’s Girl

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Better?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Where’s Mom?”

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

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

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

“Have you seen Ethan?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Ethan & Cassie only: @cariantha @custaroonie @youlookappropriate @zealouscanonindeer

#open heart #ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc #open heart choices #choices fic writers creations #cfwc fics of the week #open heart fanfics #open heart fanfiction #choices fanfics #choices fanfiction #ethan ramsey x cassie valentine

[potionsprefect]

Adjusting

Pairings: Ethan Ramsey x Victoria Clarke

Word Count: 1k

Summary: Victoria is back at work, and not everything is the same

Rating: Teen

Category: Angst, Fluff

Victoria sat down in the cafeteria, a whole pizza in front of her. Today was her first day back at work since the Senator attack. She knew she would have to come back eventually but it didn’t seem real that she was finally back, sat in her white coat, helping those who desperately needed it.

She was desperately avoiding the corridor where her room was. She knew all she would see would be herself in that room, terrified of whether she was going to die. The team had a patient in there but Victoria hadn’t met them yet.

Slowly, Victoria ate her lunch. She had opted to go early to avoid the queues but she really avoiding doing as much work with the patient as possible. Instead, she stayed in the teams room, helping devise a treatment plan. It was unlike Victoria to hide away and she knew she was being unprofessional.

A figure sat down in front of her, a handsome but concerned look on his face. “You’re in here early.” Ethan said.

“I wanted to beat the lunchtime queue.” Victoria shrugged.

“So it’s nothing to do with you wanting to avoid the patients room?” Ethan folded his arms, an eyebrow raised.

Victoria sighed. “Am I that obvious?”

“Yes. And I don’t need to tell you that it is also unprofessional. But we’re letting you figure it out on your own. You know you can’t avoid that room forever.” Ethan said.

“I know I just… I can’t go back in there. All I see is myself, struggling to fight for life.”

“Maybe you’ve come back too soon.”

Victoria sighed. “It’s not down to me. Blame the system.”

“You know to take it one step at a time. But I’m saying this as your boss and not as your boyfriend. I would like to see you visit at least once before the end of your shift. And I’m saying this as your boyfriend. I’ll come with you if you want.” Ethan reached across the table and took Victorias hand in his.

“I think this is something I need to do myself. But thank you for the offer.” Victoria smiled. “I will probably come back to the office as quickly as possible.”

“Then I’ll be in the office waiting for you with a hug.” Ethan smiled.

Victoria ate the rest of her pizza, quiet in the presence of Ethan. She knew this would be one of the biggest parts of her recovery to date and the longer she put it off, the harder it would be further down the line.

Today would be the day she faced it. The day she proved to herself how strong she really is.

Victoria took several deep breaths as the elevator doors opened. She was thankful that she was in the lift alone for which she could deal with her emotions by herself and not have to embarrass herself in front of anyone else.

The only sound that could be heard was Victoria’s shoes as she walked slowly down the empty corridor. Victoria loved it like this, an empty corridor where she could consider her thoughts was always better than a crowded one.

She cast her mind back to that day, all she could see from her room was the frantic faces of her colleagues who were rushing about trying desperately to find a cure.

We’re running out of time. What if they don’t make it?

The voices were loud and frantic, panic evident in their voices. Victoria wanted desperately to smash her way through the glass and break free.

Victoria approached the window and saw the patient gazing out the window. Victoria smiled softly at the patient. It seemed surreal to think of the horrors this room saw not that long ago.

With a gentle push, Victoria opened the room door. “Mrs Winston? I’m Doctor Clarke. How are you feeling?”

“Oh much better thank you. I don’t believe we’ve met. Are you one of the doctors working alongside the team?” Mrs Winston smiled.

“I am. I’ve been helping draw up some treatment plans for you. I apologise for not coming to visit you sooner.” Victoria replied.

“I understand dear. I remember reading on the news about the awful events that happened here. I’m glad you’re alive.” She smiled.

“Thank you. And I have no doubt that the team and I will help find out what’s wrong with you soon.” Victoria smiled.

After a while, Victoria left the room, heading back to the diagnostics teams office. She felt lighter on her feet, happier even. She had done it and now it was over, she could look forward even further.

Victoria reached the office and opened the door. Ethan was sat at his desk, paperwork in front of him.

“How did it go?” Ethan stood up and walked over to Victoria.

“Better than I hoped. It wasn’t easy but it’s done now.” Victoria said.

Ethan took her face in his hands. “I am so proud of you. He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

Victoria pulled away after a few seconds, resting her forehead against his, eyes closed. “This isn’t easy.”

“It was never going to be. Recovery is slow and sometimes painful.” Ethan pulled her to his chest, running a gentle hand through Victoria’s hair.

“I just don’t like living in uncertainty. I want to know what’s happening and I want to know when. But I know that can’t happen and I should just accept whatever comes my way.” Victoria said.

“You don’t need to rush anything further. It can all go at your own pace.” Ethan smiled.

“What if I’m like this for a long time? What if you don’t want to put up with that?” Victoria asked.

“I will endure anything for you. And I don’t care how long it takes. Your health is number one priority and no matter how long your recovery is, I will be by your side throughout.”

“You’re a really good man you know that?”

Ethan laughed. “So I’ve been told. By all the right people.”

Victoria always knew that coming back to work was never going to be easy. But she knew that as long as she has the right people by her side, she could face anything.

And she had exactly that with Ethan. Her fiercest and most loyal protector.

I made it sad and then I made it happy lol

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#open heart #ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc #ethan ramsey x victoria clarke #ethan x victoria #playchoices #fanfic #open heart fanfic #open heart fanfiction #choices: open heart #angst #fluff #choices fic writers creations #fics of the week

[the-pale-goddess]

Vices & Virtues - Ethan Ramsey x MC

Dr. Ramsey's weaknesses don’t disturb his everyday life often, but when they do, a certain intern happens to always be involved.

Book: Open Heart, Intern Year (between Chapters 5 & 6)

Warnings: language, my rusty writing, a truckload of pining

Rating/Category: Teen+ / fluffy angst

Author’s note: [insert the ‘surprise, bitch’ & 'it's been 84 years' reaction GIFs]

I’m eternally grateful for the very few angels still waiting for new E&T content—this one’s for you 🫶🏻 Hope you’ll find a moment to read my word vomit and enjoy the mess (aka my writing). I appreciate every comment and like more than words can convey!

Edenbrook is indigestible on Mondays. Though Ethan Ramsey doesn’t believe in whatever ‘curse’ humankind attributed to an absolutely random day, he cannot deny the madness that usually ensues upon the beginning of each week. An inexplicable air of post-weekend malaise does tend to envelop the globe, and Boston is no lucky exception.

“Mondays suck!”

Striding across the hustly-bustly pediatric ward, Doctor Ramsey overhears an agitated boy explicitly expressing his annoyance.

Ethan’s Monday has been a doozy of a day as well, but he’d rather keep his troubles six feet under, preferably in concrete. Nevertheless, a drop of sympathy implores him to stop near the patient’s room and watch the scene unfold at a safe distance.

The child blows a raspberry at the nurse preparing him for a corridor-long wheelchair ride, clearly upset about the surgery he’s being taken to.

A heavy sigh followed by the unmistakable giggle of a certain copper-haired radiologist interrupts Ethan’s first break during today’s demanding shift.

“It’s not Monday, kid. It’s just your life.” Doctor Herbert whispers into Ethan’s ear, a large cup of raspberry tea in her hand. “But at least it’s going to be all rainbows and candy again in three weeks.”

Meanwhile, the situation has escalated quickly: a river of tears streams down the young Monday-hater's cheeks now, his concerned mother shooting pleading looks between her shuddering offspring and the strict nurse trying to efficiently finish the task so she could move on with her hectic schedule.

A pang of dejection pierces Ethan all of a sudden when a long-forgotten fragment of the past he buried flashes through his mind. Before its splinters reopen old wounds, he swiftly pushes the unwanted memory back to the unexplored depths of his psyche.

“I don’t think he’s heard you.”

“Gee, Doctor Ramsey, share some of that cheerful attitude with the rest of us!” Liz nudges his side, almost spilling her hot beverage on his foot. She mouths an apology, but his unimpressed gaze falls elsewhere.

“You wouldn’t even know what to do with it.”

“Thank God your interns still haven’t caught that grumpiness you’re suffering from.”

“No need to worry, it’s not contagious.” He gives a dismissive wave of his hand, partially to announce his departure, then continues the journey to his primary destination: the harmonious sanctuary of his private office.

As soon as the elevator door closes behind Ethan, the confined space becomes his temporary resort. He takes a deep breath, rubbing his sunken, aweary eyes to relieve the tension—an aching remnant of the sleepless night. The exhaustion begins to mess with his senses, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary; permanent fatigue has been his steadfast companion for more than a decade of his career as a doctor.

There’s a crack in that orderly, borderline clinical life of his, as big as a closed fist, and he’s slowly beginning to realize its detrimental consequences.

But none of that matters now.

What matters is that his desperate efforts to bend Naveen’s stubbornness weren’t in vain; there’s still hope—a notion Ethan isn’t exactly on board with, but he puts his trust in science, and beyond any doubt science will point him in the right direction. As long as there’s time, he’ll do whatever it takes to save his mentor, his friend. He’s confident he can do it, he’s capable of diagnosing and curing whichever mysterious illness keeps Naveen captive.

He’s the only one who can do it.

A double shot of deep roasted espresso shall help this cause. Or, at the very least, make his Monday slightly more endurable.

Loud metallic thud followed by a streak of bright fluorescent lighting annunciates the arrival. Empty, windowless corridor welcomes his nostrils with the odious mixture of staleness and antiseptic, typical of the office wing on the sixth floor. He operates on autopilot, mindlessly trudging ahead, marginally consoled by the aura of eerie quietude. Blissfully oblivious to what the so-called Manic Monday has prepared for him next.

All his rational thought and peerless logic evaporate into thin air the second his drowsy gaze zooms in on the old waiting room under renovation currently withheld by the recent budget cuts. Within its hoary walls, a familiar sylphlike figure catches his eye, unwittingly staking her claim to his undivided attention.

Ethan’s dire need of coffee has vanished as well; he’s wide awake now.

Smiling to herself, a sense of pride evident in the alluring dimples carved into her cheeks, Doctor Addams arranges a stack of papers atop a massive couch protected by thin plastic sheet.

Ethan acknowledges that he must ignore the tempest raging inside his chest, but he’s unable to focus on anything else other than the energy she exudes, luring him in like a siren’s song.

This isn’t the first time the infamous Doctor Terminator is utterly powerless in the face of her—the most intriguing mystery he’s tempted to unravel for some godforsaken, unfathomable reason.

Everything he knows about Tiffany Addams has been collateral damage from their close proximity and the isolating nature of their work. Against better judgment, Ethan has stored every single crumb of information thrown at him, like it’s a treasure guarded in the vault of his mind, acquiring new pieces and adding them to this clandestine collection.

With certainty, there’s a new element behind that glass wall, ready to be studied in secret.

As though pulled by a magnet, his feet carry him towards the room while Ethan shuffles through a myriad of excuses plausible enough to start a conversation. A good excuse, however, requires an elaborate background story, supported by a carefully planned follow-up—both of which clearly out of his reach at the moment.

Fully aware of the possible disaster awaiting inside, Ethan steps into the room quietly, leaning against the doorframe with arms crossed over his chest. A sophisticated scent of sultry vanilla wrapped with notes of luminous lavender pervades the space, handily smothering the musty odor of the old hospital furniture stored here for at least a year.

Heedless of his presence, Tiffany remains locked in her own bubble. She’s seated on the couch, browsing through a large leather bag with a lot of noise.

Long onyx locks neatly tamed in a sleek bun reveal the exquisitely sculpted contour of her features, its sharp edges so far removed from the overpowering warmth hiding in her sparkling emeralds and tenacious kindness dripping from the corners of her full mouth.

That stark contrast surely must be a part of her allure, he reckons. Not that there’s any evidence at his disposal—he’s her boss, for fuck’s sake. But the set of cardinal rules applying to the situation doesn’t stop him from looking, nor does it dilute the poison seeping from that singular contaminated thought…

Loud, treacherous voice snarls inside his mind like a beast at the gates of his sanity.

This isn’t staring, this is a comprehensive risk assessment.

Regardless of the pretext, watching her feels almost perverse, but he’s too transfixed to listen to his voice of reason hopelessly trying to redirect him to the path of impeccable propriety.

He can’t look away. Can’t move either. She'll notice him…Eventually.

Is that all he’s become? A disappointment, a fraud. One of the best diagnosticians of the generation, the esteemed Dr. Ethan Ramsey is consistently failing to do his job. His own mind appalls him—once the most treasured asset, his pride and joy, now compromised, useless, struggling to cut through the veil of his inappropriate longing.

Perhaps instead of triggering a spiral of destruction, he should address a more pressing matter: why is there a splotch of purple paint on her cheek?

Better late than never, his focus switches from Tiffany to the negligible surroundings. On her left, spread across the polythene-covered couch, lie a couple of ridiculously abstract drawings, colorful and confusing, each of them made with the skill and precision equal to a six-year-old if he has to guess.

Suddenly, it all clicks.

Along with his tongue.

The short clack doesn’t make her flinch, though she straightens immediately, a glimmer of surprise shining in her riveting eyes when she looks up at the intruder and deems him worthy of a smile. Her lush, rosy lips curl up generously, greeting him with a beam so dazzling his body heats up like bare skin kissed by the blazing midday sun in the middle of summer.

The older doctor doesn’t return the cordial gesture—he has a reputation to uphold and his bruised dignity to save. He quickly takes refuge in the shadow of his perfect decorum, dexterously covering the unjustifiable act of treason committed by his very own carnality.

Tiffany, however, is undeterred in her mission to melt his callous indifference with the disarming sincerity of her vivacious spirit.

“Before you drop your sarcastic grenades on me: no, I have not found my true calling elsewhere. I have not been slacking up either. These aren’t even mine, so insulting someone else’s artistic skills would be totally inappropriate.” Her hand waves over the drawings.

“I wouldn’t dare to insult a respected artist and credit you with their art.” He retorts flatly, then spills the aforementioned sarcasm like the Lord intended. “Early Pollock must cost a fortune or two. How come such rare artworks ended up in your possession?”

His comment inspires a peal of infectious laughter; the powerful melody of Tiffany’s unadulterated amusement conquers the room, all but obliterating the chronic sternness of Ethan’s face.

He cannot help but bask in the glory of this unexpected outcome: he’s the reason behind the glorious, velvety sound; she’s laughing because of him.

“You made a pretty solid assumption, Doctor Ramsey, but I have to disappoint you: early Pollock had an affair with surrealism and his style was way more compositional than this.” She points at the glittery mess splashed in the center of one of the pieces, not so subtly suppressing another wave of laughter.

Miss Addams and her irreplaceable wit painfully remind him of the golden rule he often pretends doesn’t concern his giant ego: do not speak on the topics your knowledge of is insufficient.

Lustrous vivid-green eyes fixed on him and the urgency he’s facing at the moment leave him no choice but to quickly shake off the embarrassment and adapt his reaction accordingly.

Reluctantly, Ethan clings to brutal honesty. “I’m not an art connoisseur, so I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.”

“Oh, trust me, you would.”

A smudge of amethyst retrieves the diagnostician’s attention for one split second, demanding a seamless change of topic.

“I presume you spent your lunch break on the pediatric ward again, trying to start a new art movement.”

Doctor Addams gasps theatrically and presses her slender fingers to her mouth, lowering her head slightly. “What gave me away?”

Ethan considers revealing the truth through another shot of bluntly delivered sarcasm (something he would have done in any other case), but his body betrays him, subconsciously drawing near Tiffany.

“Apart from the excited chatter on the second floor? Nothing.” He replies, straining to keep his impeccable composure just as she bites into her lower lip tantalizingly in what appears to be keen anticipation.

A few risky steps later she’s at his arm’s length, and he decides to measure that dangerously short distance; akin to an audience member of some ludicrous soap opera, the diagnostician observes his hand move towards the intern’s face in slow motion, as if that bloody limb wasn’t his and the falsely innocent intention swarming inside his incisive, virtuous mind filled him with repulsion.

Except he wants this. He needs to feel her.

Even though the mere ghost of an idea may bring his demise, he cannot break free, imprisoned by the torturous vision of her vanilla-scented skin gliding smoothly against his.

Much to his bewilderment, her breath quickens just as much as his; the evergreen forest in her eyes bursts into flames when their gazes meet, burning his hesitation down.

She wants this too.

Nothing could convince him to refrain from acting on this forbidden desire now, not a single reasonable thought seems to be charged with a cogent argument.

So he lets his thumb brush down her right cheek, down the lick of wet paint smeared across her warm skin, taking most of the dark purple off the silken canvas along the way.

The sky didn’t tear in half, there was no divine retribution exacted upon a sinner like him, no sign of punishment fit for his appalling misdeed.

“Nothing. At. All.”

Nothing but the silky smoothness of her face, rapid rise and fall of her shapely chest, and fiery heat searing through his veins…

Inevitably, the unbearable tension crackling between them dissipates in a flash when Tiffany snorts at the sight of his acrylic-stained thumb, a soundless ‘fuck’ escapes her mouth as she sprints to find a prompt solution for the paintmergency, stripping him of time to ponder on what the living hell just happened.

He takes advantage of the moment, immediately scolding himself, forcing his thoughts to flee from the crime scene concocted by his newly depraved brain.

“Must be your enviable instinct of an outstanding diagnostician then.” Cheeky as ever, she casts a playful eye over Ethan while rummaging through the drawers, summoning him to focus on her.

Within a long minute, she scuttles back to him, stretched arm offering one of the two pieces of paper towel sprayed with hand sanitizer. They use it to rub the paint off their skin. As soon as they’re done, Ethan quips back. Sort of.

“The balance between mockery and flattery is a bit too delicate to be used in a professional environment, don’t you agree, Addams?”

Unintimidated by the tricky question, Tiffany lifts her shoulder in a half shrug. “It all depends on the intelligence of the person you’re speaking with. You’re ultrawealthy in that department, so I assumed you wouldn’t mind some harmless friendly banter.”

“We’re not friends.” The speed with which he retaliates might have just sealed his fate. Deep down, he doesn’t quite believe those words himself, but there are rules to be followed unconditionally, rules that cannot be broken under any circumstances.

Dark, noble brows accentuating the breadth of her radiance crease together in sheer bewilderment. He can almost hear the scoff she’s choking back when she sees right through the cone-shaped hole in the thick wall separating them.

Liar, liar, pants on fire.

“We’re getting there.” She nods vigorously, openly mocking his well-meaning mendacity with lips pursed into a thin line and narrowed eyes surveying him diligently.

„An attending befriending his intern? I can’t see that happening.”

A winning grin lights Tiffany’s features up. „It’s already happening, whether you like it or not.”

The more she pushes forward, infuriatingly so, the more he resists, fortifying his helpless defense.

„Would you be kind enough to explain why on Earth would I let it happen?”

“It’s beyond your control.” She shakes her head. „There’s nothing you can do now.”

He frowns at her, takes her fierce expression in, feigning utter disinterest in the mesmerizing spatter of freckles adorning her glowy skin.

Is the intensity of his glare too revealing? Can there be a flash of ardent curiosity swimming in his eyes and acting up against him?

„You’re awfully confident about all the wrong things, Rookie.”

She mimics the military salute, right hand raised sharply, touching her forehead, fingers and thumb extended and joined, palm facing down. „The colossal pain in your ass reporting for duty, sir.”

This display of her goofiness, derived from the smidgeon of irreverence he’s found himself covertly fond of, successfully penetrates his ruptured facade.

At last, Doctor Terminator’s perpetually grim face blooms with an ear-to-ear smile, so wide and genuine that Tiffany blinks once, twice, most probably questioning whether the exceptionally unusual scene in front of her is real.

The way she gapes at his mouth almost drills a hole in him—she’s that awestruck, like a pious believer who stumbled upon irrefutable evidence confirming the foundation of her faith.

“You should smile more. You…” Her plush lips part when she trails off, then sucks in a breath, as if to stop the profanation of their professional relationship jumping on the tip of her tongue from slipping out recklessly.

She wants this too.

“It suits you.”

Ethan’s cheeks erupt with disgraceful heat, resembling an awkward teenager attracting his crush’s attention for the very first time—the feeling almost as mortifying and inexcusable as the unprecedented lack of any snarky response.

As if the worst was yet to come, Tiffany keeps on staring at him with such exhilarating wonder and sureness he doesn’t quite know how to proceed with such abundance of emotion meddling with his stoic approach.

She wants this too.

For a fleeting moment, the abyss of his solitude shrinks significantly, purple paint filling the crack on the illusory contentment with the life he’s chosen, just as her piercing gaze invites him further into the impossible fantasy.

Then, a jolt of sobering guilt runs along his spine in a rude awakening, at the same time when Tiffany realizes the gravity of her daring statement and its perilous implications.

“I, erm…”

“Uhm, my…”

Ethan smashes the uncharacteristic uneasiness descending on them, a benign half-smile and barely perceptible nod encourage her to continue. “Go on.”

Her gaze flickers towards the hall, a tinge of crimson reddening freckled porcelain. “My break is almost over. I should head back to the ER.”

Hell must have frozen over: his fearless protégée, strong-willed and sharp-tongued at all times, befuddles him with this uncommonly demure armor plate she has put on. The most challenging obstacles and cases fail to break her down, stress and pressure never threaten her admirable strength, and yet there she is—bleeding from her own sword.

This supremely fascinating token of hidden vulnerability sheds new light on the beguiling collection of contradictions making her whole.

He examines the younger doctor pacing around the room as she gathers her belongings up, stuffing her capacious bag with them. Half-way, she spins to address him directly and points at her cheek.

“Am I…Still…?”

“No, you’re alright. The paint is gone.”

“Splendid.”

As she goes forward, assembling her patients’ drawings into a neat pile, and—rather intentionally—ignoring Ethan, he readjusts his tie and dives headfirst into the pool of her discomfort.

“Addams?”

“Hm?”

“You don’t have to dedicate such a vast portion of your free time to helping others.”

She freezes, visibly offended, but still intent on avoiding his gaze. “I know. I want to.”

“What I meant...Is that you need to add yourself to the equation, Tiffany.”

“I’m doing just fine, thank you.” She scoffs, the barely noticeable defensive undertone reverberating in her firm answer not entirely convincing for the diagnostics virtuoso.

His evaluation is disrupted by the abominably loud beeping of Tiffany’s pager. Their eyes finally clash for a brief shootout with no winner before she shuts the damn thing up.

“Well then. See you later, Doctor Ramsey.” She blurts out hastily without giving him a second glance and turns round to rush out of the room, but stops in her tracks near the door.

Something sparks inside that brilliant mind of hers, reigniting her boldness. Dense curtain of long lashes flutters at him over her shoulder, inky-black and luxurious akin to the finest lace, the signature magnetic smile dancing on her lips again—this time infused with genuine concern. She inspects his countenance for a still moment, inch by inch, crease by crease, until her head falls to the side like she has just uncovered his biggest secret.

“Consider locking the door in your office and getting some rest.”

“Giving me advice isn’t included in your job description.” He sneers, the unnecessarily harsh huff of his disapproval concealing the alien sentiment spilling inside his chest.

Somehow it’s still not enough to antagonize her.

Her eyes bore into his audaciously; the gentleness gleaming from elusive emerald green, reminiscent of safety, offers shelter he despairingly seeks, but cannot take. “But it’s nice to have someone watching out for you, isn’t it?”

Somehow they might have more in common than one would think.

Careful not to expose the motley collection of feelings stirring his blood, Ethan draws in a long breath and slips his hands into the pockets of pristine white coat, perfecting his posture, with tense body standing even taller, as though to appear completely unaffected by her undeniable appeal, more unrelenting.

He’s been looked at countless times, yes, but this must be the first instance where he feels truly seen.

It is indeed nice.

The attending doesn’t say a word, for he would have to agree with the intern. She smirks triumphantly, accepting the tacit disbelief etched on his face as conclusive proof of her diagnosis.

Instead of claiming victory through verbal manifestation of her sass, Doctor Addams attacks him using a different weapon: a provocative wink. “Just think about it.”

With a graceful twirl indicating goodbye, his Rookie struts out, leaving a dizzying mist of her divine scent behind.

Wasting no time, Ethan scoots to the exact place where she stood prior to this moment, soaking up the delicious cloud of fragrance, unable to resist sniffing the air like some sort of disgustingly pathetic creep.

Thankfully, there are no witnesses to this particularly revolting descent into madness.

No witnesses to the beginning of his fall.

Mind over heart has never sounded more delusional than now, that his hard-won empire of spotless reason stands on the verge of crumbling. But he’s not giving up—he can’t give up. There’s too much at stake.

Beyond dispute, Ethan Ramsey is not an easy man to defeat. The King of Quiet Desperation wears his broken crown with arrogance, each burnished gem representing his sins, though the ultimate one hasn’t brought him down yet.

Having put the mask of nonchalance back on, Doctor Ramsey turns off the lights and stomps into the empty corridor—his hand still carrying the heavenly softness of Tiffany’s skin like a fingerprint, like a sin, shaky fingers curling at the very thought of the contact—then begins a seemingly casual stroll to his office.

He doesn’t have many vices—she is all of them.

_____

A/N2: Hope you enjoyed this bad boy ❤️ Sorry (not sorry) if it's too long and repetitive...I literally can't shut up when it comes to these two fsksjdkfjs Plus it felt really good to find my writing mojo after such a long time!

PS. If there are any typos and/or mistakes...No, there aren't lol I'm fighting COVID at the moment, so my brain's a little foggy. I had this fic sitting in my drafts and decided to just go with the flow while I'm feverish and can't see any faults sjfskfkjf I'll get back to everyone waiting for a reply when I'm more coherent. Stay safe, lovelies!

#ethan ramsey #open heart #ethan x mc #ethan ramsey x mc #playchoices #fluffy angst #choices open heart #open heart fanfiction

[socalwriterbee]

Almost

Book: Open Heart

Pairing: Tessa Martinez (f!MC) x Ethan Ramsey

Song Inspiration: Unfinished Business (Acoustic) by Neriah x JC Stewart

Rating/Warning: Angsty(ish)

Word Count: 1,337

Summary: After a night spent together, the reality of what happened three years ago starts to hit Ethan.

A/N: I made it! I thought I wasn't gonna make it in time for the deadline but it's still Friday here. I am participating in @moodmusicmonday Luck of the Draw and the song that was given was Unfinished Business by Neriah. I was going back and forth with two stories for this song, which is an incredible song!

A/N 2: I must apologize, this time around I may not have understood the assignment but what a worse time to get some writers block. Sorry for any spelling errors and other things!

Characters and some storyline mentioned belong to Pixelberry

Enjoy!

It was just shy of three years.

Three years when she said goodbye.

Had there been days where I could say good riddance? There were but I ended feeling like shit because I remember the last words I said to her when we signed on the dotted lines.

‘We were never a mistake.’

We weren’t.

I did what I did best when those thoughts crept in, I drank them away. They had no place in my head much less my heart.

She moved to another state, there was nothing holding her here anymore. But damn if I could still feel her presence everywhere I went. At least when I didn’t wallow in self pity and actually made an effort to go out. 

She was at Donahues, she was next to me when the silent city of Boston passed me by on my runs, whether it was in the morning or late at night, she was next to me with a gleam in her eye as she took in the opera. 

And now?

Now she was next to me or had been. The room I found myself in felt cold, there are no personal touches, nothing that makes it a home. Because it wasn’t.

Nothing that makes it her.

With my hands behind my head, I stare at the ceiling, the sound of the shower running, creeping through the small opening of the bathroom door mixing with the sound of her voice as she sings a song I don’t recognize. 

Somethings never change.

Was I the only one who heard her sing or at times hum in the shower? Had there been others in the same exact position I found myself in? I shake those thoughts out of my head, of course there had been, one look at her and how could you not find yourself falling in love and in my case more in love with her.

My mind goes back to earlier that night at Donahue’s. I had been outside in the beer garden, knowing she was going to be there, thanks to a certain friend of hers. So I waited patiently for her to find me because if Sienna told me, she told her.

And find me she did. Greeting me with another drink when she sat across from me and I did everything, and I mean everything in me to control the mix emotions that were running through me. If anyone would have told me that I’d be feeling like this ever, I’d call bullshit. I didn’t show emotion, I hadn’t been one to believe in love, I never got that butterfly flutter in the pit of my stomach, I never got the urge to take someone right then and there until her.

Again.

There I was taking in the loose dark waves of her hair, framing her face as a smile tugged at the corner of her lips, the iris of her brown eyes getting darker as we stared at each other. Similar thoughts running through us, we still knew our telltale signs of want. 

Three years had gone by and she looked the same, three years later and she was still beautiful. My wife. Fuck, ex-wife, she still took my breath away.

Me, on the other hand, I was looking older that was a given. Specks of gray touching my brown hair, a few wrinkles setting in the corners of my eyes. She had broke the silence between us, we had gone down memory lane. But in my mind I was going down my many what if’s.

That trip to Cape Cod…what if I made the effort to spend more time with her?

My return from the Amazon… what if I didn’t go? Would we had more time together?

What if I had been a better husband? What if I loved her the way she deserves? What if we started a family? What if, what if, what if!

“Ethan.”

I follow the sultry low voice and stop when my eyes fall upon Tessa standing against the doorway in only a towel. 

Letting out a groan at the sight in front of me, Tessa raises an eyebrow at me. “I’ve been calling you but you seemed lost in thought. You ok?”

Pushing myself up the bed into a sitting position, my back against the headboard, the tangled bedsheet covering my lower half. My gaze following her every movement until she is at the side of the bed.

“I’m fine.”

Tessa stares back at me, not believing the words that came out of my mouth. I’d like to believe that there was a time in my life that I didn’t overthink things but it felt like we still could make it. Getting lost with her in her hotel room, I thought it would help to get her out of my system but just like before she dug herself deeper into my soul.

Had that been my mistake? Not me falling for her but thinking she would fall for me again.

There was a dip in the bed as Tessa climb on and sat next to me, sitting with her legs tucked under her. “What are you doing tomorrow?” Tessa asks, the softness of her hand covering the back of my hand.

“I have the day off.”

“Yeah, ok. That wasn’t what I asked Ethan.” Tessa says, moving closer. I could see her fighting her body to stop from straddling me, my own body itching to reach over to her and wrap her around me. “Maybe we could have dinner.”

“I—.” I begin to say but close my mouth just as fast.

“We’re friends, aren’t we? Come on Ethan, it’s just dinner.”

I didn’t know what hurt the most, didn’t know what caused this feeling that felt like a punch to gut that took all the oxygen from my lungs. Showing her tonight what she still means to me wasn’t enough because right now in her mind I was just a friend. 

Not her ex-husband and certainly not her lover. 

There was a world where it was me and her but that world no longer exists.

“I’m gonna go.”

I go to slide my hand from under hers, when she tightens her hold. “That’s not what I meant.”

But it was.

Three years ago I didn’t think I would be the one still feeling like this. I promised myself that I wouldn’t let anyone in the way I had Tessa. I saw the look in her eyes when we signed our divorce papers, she thought we were forever and at some point I did too.

I had turned cold, showing no emotion when Tessa showed her emotions on her sleeve. I needed to let her know that we weren’t a mistake so she could move on.

Now it was time for me. Funny to think that after three years and after seeing her again, the failure of our marriage was finally hitting me.

Tossing the covers to the side, I get out of bed, no need to feel embarrassed by my nakedness around her, gathering my clothes that was scattered across the floor mixing with hers, I begin to dress.

Running my hand through my hair once I was dressed, Tessa in the same spot on the bed, watching me, never saying a word.

One word was on the tip of my tongue, that one word that would truly be the end of us, but I couldn’t say it and god I’m trying, my mouth going dry.

Tearing my gaze away from her, I take the few steps that lead to the door of her hotel room. My hand steady on the door handle, we got so close or at least I thought so. That was what that sucker punch feeling was, the almost. 

The almost.

“Goodbye Tess.”

My words meet the closed door, I don’t bother looking back. The silent hallway greets me as I walk out the door leaving Tessa. 

We got so close but any unfinished business between us was done.

#choices the luck of the draw #luck of the draw challenge #moodmusicmonday #choices mood music monday #choices open heart #open heart fanfic #ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey fanfiction #ethan x tessa

[alwaysmychoices]

Making a Run For it

Synopsis: Today's the day that Ethan makes a run for it. He's leaving Edenbrook and moving to California before Charlie can ruin her career by running away first. When Charlie discovers his plan, she has to ask herself whether she really wants to lose him -- and when she realizes she wants him back, she has to find a way to convince him to stay.

Chapter 41 of the “with and without” series

Previous Series: “a weekend with dr. ramsey”

Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x MC (Charlotte “Charlie” Greene)

Words: 5.1k (sorry but also you're welcome)

Rating: Teen (language)

Also available on AO3 & Wattpad (link in Masterlist)

It was hardly noon, but Charlie was already nursing her third cup of coffee. After texting with Ethan a few nights earlier, she’d barely slept. She was too aware of the absence in the other side of her bed, and no amount of coffee could make up for the sleepless nights she’d spent vacillating between making a run for it and showing up half-naked on his doorstep, begging for an ill-advised ceasefire.

Charlie thought it would help to focus on her new life waiting for her when she left Edenbrook and escaped this vicious back-and-forth. She searched for new apartments, scheduled flights, and sought someone to sublet her current place while she was away. But nothing could drive Ethan from her mind, nor could any amount of self-restraint stop her from drunk-purchasing new lingerie in Ethan’s favorite color just in case.

The longer she stood there, the more she lamented the lonely corner she’d backed herself into. But life crisis or not, Charlie had charts and paperwork to finish, and that required all the attention she could muster.

Charlie rubbed at her eyes, trying to focus on her charting, but the idea of a power nap in the call room was increasingly appealing. Just when Charlie was ready to cave, she was startled by a nervous-looking intern barreling towards her.

"Dr. Greene?” the intern – Amanda Stevens – called out to her, like she was afraid Charlie would escape before giving her advice. Admittedly, Charlie wished she had.

“Yeah?” Charlie raised her eyebrows, releasing the dream of a nap.

“I was wondering what I should do with the newest test results for the patient in Room 255.”

“255?” Charlie repeated. That was Ethan’s patient, and it said so on the chart. Charlie should know – she’d asked to be taken off the case last week to avoid any unnecessary interactions with Ethan.

Charlie was surprised to hear Stevens ask such an easy question. It was nearly the end of her first year of residency, and Stevens was known to be capable. Why was she still asking questions about where to send test results this late in the game?

Still, Charlie remembered how it felt to be a terrified first-year, so she tried to avoid sounding dismissive as she replied, “Dr. Ramsey’s the attending. Just send it his way if you’re unsure.”

“I know,” Dr. Stevens blushed, “I normally wouldn’t ask, but the system says Dr. Ramsey isn’t here for the next few days and to direct his patients to another doctor. But he was here this morning, and he didn’t say anything about leaving. Dr. Ramsey never goes anywhere. For the last few months, he’s spent more time here than at home. I was wondering if it was a glitch.”

Charlie frowned. It stung to be reminded that, since their breakup, Ethan had become a hermit in his office, but it wasn’t untrue. And anyways, Ethan never left without leaving detailed instructions on what to do in his absence. It was almost insulting how detailed his instructions would be – like he trusted no one but himself to care for his patients.

He wasn’t the type to leave without warning.

Or at least, leave without warning his coworkers. It wouldn’t be the first time he left without telling Charlie.

“Since you know him so well, I thought you might know what’s going on,” Stevens added, as if this would ease her odd request.

It didn’t.

Charlie didn’t know how to respond to that, so she didn’t. Instead, she pulled up the patient file to check for herself, and she saw the same notice – informing any reader that Dr. Ramsey was on vacation and to direct his patient materials to Dr. Carrick until he returned.

Vacation? Charlie’s face twisted. Ethan didn’t go on vacations.

“Give the results to Dr. Carrick and be prepared to present if necessary. If it’s a glitch, Carrick should be able to tell you,” Charlie stammered out, still staring at the screen.

Satisfied, Dr. Stevens hurried off to Dr. Carrick’s office, leaving a confused Charlie in her wake.

What the fuck is going on? Charlie thought. She knew Ethan was here – she saw him this morning doing rounds with the interns. Would he really go on vacation without telling her? Could he stomach leaving work without providing nauseatingly detailed instructions to the interns?

The mystery was too enticing to ignore. She knew it was dangerous to go to Ethan’s office – there was a 50/50 shot of having sex on his desk or screaming at him so loud the whole hospital heard. And they hadn’t been able to interact without exchanging longing glances in days. But Charlie had to know what was going on.

Closing out her paperwork, Charlie went to his office and knocked on the door. There was no way he’d already left. Even if he was going somewhere, he was probably just hiding out in his office. Yet no one answered the door.

She tried again – no response.

Charlie got out her phone and instinctively opened his contact, but she lost her nerve and texted Harper instead.

Charlie: Do you know where Ethan is? The system says he’s on vacation.

Harper: Did he not tell you?

Charlie: Tell me what?

The text turned to “read,” but instead of receiving a typically prompt reply, Harper hesitated. Three dots indicated she was typing, but they stopped without any message from Harper. Charlie’s stomach lurched, wondering what on earth could make Harper delay when she was famous for responding immediately.

“Charlie! Just who I was hoping to find,” Naveen interrupted Charlie’s anxious thoughts. He looked casual, but his gait was anything but. He was practically running towards her, carrying a small envelope with an unusually tight grip.

“Oh? Everything okay?” Charlie asked, trying to match his friendly demeanor. They were both faking it – and doing so poorly. The entire time, Charlie eyed her cell phone screen, frowning as Harper apparently started and abandoned a dozen text messages. What could be so bad that she didn’t want to tell her?

“Of course,” Naveen smiled warmly, but there was something strange about his expression. Unease. Concern. Panic, maybe?

Had something horrible happened to Ethan?

“I am under strict orders to give you this letter at 2 pm. Unfortunately, my afternoon is booked, so I’ll just have to defy orders and give you the letter now,” Naveen explained.

Technically, it wasn’t a lie. He did have a meeting at 2 pm – he quickly scheduled one as soon as Ethan walked into his office this morning and told him the plan. Naveen wanted to make sure he had a perfect alibi for defying his friend’s wishes. He loved Ethan, but this was undoubtedly the stupidest thing he’d ever done.

Naveen held out a small envelope for Charlie, and immediately, she recognized the impatient yet rigid handwriting on the front. It was Ethan’s handwriting, and the letter was addressed to her.

She accepted it, tracing her fingers over the imprint of her name. Charlie was desperate to open it, hoping it had some explanation for all the strangeness around her, but she was too embarrassed to tear it open when Naveen had just informed her of the intended delivery. If she wasn’t supposed to receive this letter for another two hours, was it fair to open it now?

Naveen watched expectantly, hoping she would tear that letter to shreds and stop the melodramatic catastrophe ahead. He frowned when she hesitated.

Finally, he pointedly said, “I’ll give you privacy so you can read your letter. I’ll be in my office when you have questions.”

“When I have questions?” Charlie repeated, but Naveen had already started walking away – eager to have that enveloped opened.

Charlie’s eyebrows furrowed as she stared at the small envelop once more. None of this made sense. Ethan was a creature of habit – but everything about this went against his usual behavior. He’d left work without warning. He’d written her a letter, which he’d never done before, and then cryptically given it to Naveen for delivery. Something was happening, and she didn’t like it.

Curiosity got the better of her, and within moments of being alone, she ripped the envelop to shreds, too curious to protect the paper. Her eyes flew over the words, too stunned to speak as she processed the contents.

“My darling Charlotte,

I don’t know if this letter is a relief or a betrayal. I don’t even know which I’d prefer.

I’m leaving Boston. By the time you read this letter, I will be on a flight to San Diego for an interview. If all goes according to plan, you’ll never have to see me again. I don’t trust myself to come back before starting the new job. I’m already so close to abandoning this grand gesture and selfishly demanding your forgiveness when I know you should never forgive me.

Charlie, you deserve Boston. You deserve Edenbrook. You deserve the illustrious career I know you’ll have. You deserve the dream I ruined.

I can’t stop you from leaving, but I can take away your reason for going. If you’re running away from me, there’s no need. I’m already gone.

Please stay. Be the amazing doctor I know you were meant to be. I’ll read every paper you ever publish. I’ll be proud of every discovery you make. And I’ll rest easy knowing that you needed to be free of me to achieve it all.

 Don’t let me be the reason you upend your life and career. I’m not worth it. But you, my brilliant Charlotte, are worth everything.

I love you, Rookie. Make me proud.

-ER”

Charlie read the letter over and over again – as if repetition could cure the incurable and explain the unexplainable.

Anger and despair roared with each new word, resulting in shaking hands and a tear-stained page.

This… This… This asshole.

This self-important, self-sabotaging asshole! He had to get his way. He was so insufferably stubborn – almost as infuriating a match to her own tenacity. Somehow, Ethan managed to be the worst of them both, indulging in all of Charlie’s worst faults and adding more of his own. To do something like this – Charlie raged and mourned in equal measure.

He left before she could. And then he didn’t even tell her!

Because of him, the last time she’d be able to see him was this morning in the halls.

She hadn’t appreciated it. She hadn’t catalogued all the lines on his face or savored the scent of his cologne. Now that she tried to remember, she didn’t even know what color his tie was. Had he been wearing a tie?

She deserved a better memory. And fuck, the last time she saw him couldn’t be today. She was tired and disheveled. She wasn’t even sure if she’d remembered to put in deodorant this morning, and this was her final viewing?

There was so much she still needed to do. She needed to yell and scream at him. She needed to hold him and smell him and remember all the little details. She needed more time.

No.

He didn’t get to leave like this.

Not without saying goodbye. Or giving her this ridiculous, infuriating, and heartfelt letter instead.

What a pathetic, ridiculous trade. She’d spent two years loving him and one year sharing his bed, and now she didn’t even get a proper goodbye.

It wasn’t even the first time he’d done this to her. He’d abruptly abandoned her in the name of self-sacrifice before, and she’d done the same to him. But it was different now. She knew how he liked his coffee. She knew the laundry detergent he preferred. She knew … him.

Charlie nursed her anger like a neglected seedling, hoping that fury could erase the deep sense of loss in her chest. But her wrath failed to take root. Every time she told herself she hated Ethan Ramsey, she remembered the last lines of the letter.

“I love you, Rookie.”

Ethan loved her.

Charlie loved him.

The rest of it was a petty race to see who could fuck up first.

The fights seemed so stupid now. The issues looked resolvable. She could spend the rest of her life with this man if they’d both just let the other stay.

And suddenly, it was so simple that Charlie felt ridiculous for not seeing it before. Charlie loved Ethan more than she loved her reasons keeping them apart, and she deserved the right to say that to his face.

She had to stop him. He hadn’t left yet – she had time.

The realization spurred Charlie to movement, and before she knew it, she was sprinting through the halls to Naveen’s office. She needed to find out which airport he’d gone to. She could track down the flight from there, and if she left quickly, she might make it in time. But she’d need to tell someone before she left. She couldn’t just abandon her patients without approval.

Everyone moved out of her way – some with confused expressions, others with a knowing sense of relief. Later, she would wonder how much her coworkers knew about Ethan’s secret plan to leave, but hopefully, she’d be safely tucked in Ethan’s arms by the time those thoughts reached her.

Naveen’s assistant wordlessly motioned Charlie into his office, despite the meetings Naveen said would consume his entire afternoon.

Breathlessly, Charlie heaved at the door and sputtered out a series of questions, “Where is he? When’s his flight? I need to go, I’m so sorry, but someone needs to cover my patients because-“

Naveen cut her off. Luckily, he’d prepared for all of those requests. Otherwise, he would have had to rely on her labored speech, and that would have been too time-consuming to decipher. How fast had she been running?

“Dr. Carrick has taken over your patients for the next hour, and Dr. Trinh offered to take the hour after that, if you need it. The list goes on, as you can imagine,” Naveen calmly shuffled through his papers, “Ethan is flying out of Logan Airport on a Delta flight scheduled for 1:55. The monitors will tell you his gate number. If you leave now, you’ll make it there before he gets through security, but just in case, I bought you a ticket.”

Naveen held out a piece of paper – an airline ticket to Nevada leaving at midnight. It was the cheapest same-day flight he could find.

“But how…?” Charlie trailed off, accepting the paper. It was too grand of a gesture, but she also couldn’t fathom giving it back.

“People who aren’t in love don’t have to run thousands of miles away to stay away from each other,” Naveen smiled softly, “I always knew you two would find your way back to each other. I just wished you hadn’t been so dramatic in getting there.”

“Naveen,” Charlie choked, rubbing her thumb along the ticket barcode. Charlie knew she’d never step foot in Nevada, but it was still the greatest gift she’d ever received, “Thank you so much. I can’t begin to tell you how much this means –“Charlie wiped at her eyes, momentarily forgetting the rush as she tried not to cry.

“Sweet Charlotte, you are one of my dearest friends. But you need to leave right now and stop Ethan from making a huge mistake.”

“Right, oh my God,” Charlie felt the anxiety creep back into her bones, making her practically bounce in place with the effort to stay still, “Thank you! I need to get a cab, fuck,” Charlie covered her mouth, offering an apology for her language as she rushed out of the office.

 Naveen smiled softly with relief.

One day, he would tell them that watching them fall in love was one of the most stressful experiences of his life, but today, he was satisfied that they were still in love.

Charlie bolted though Edenbrook with less care than should have been reserved for such a delicate place of healing. She weaved and ran through the halls, apologizing when necessary and promising to make up for the inconvenience. But she didn’t stop running.

Not even when she got out her phone to secure the fastest ride to the airport she could find, even if the cost made her wince.

Ethan was wrong. He was worth it. He was worth everything. Even an outrageous cab fare.

She imagined his face when she found him at the airport. What would she say? How would she convince him to stay? Would he even listen to her? For the first time, Charlie was thankful for the luxury of a long cab ride to compose her thoughts.

But then she didn’t need to imagine his face.

Because, when she reached the front door of Edenbrook, there he was.

He was standing outside, still putting his suitcase in the backseat of the cab. She didn’t need to race to the airport – he was still here.

Charlie couldn’t believe it, staring at him with a mix of awe and disbelief.

“You’re here,” Charlie breathed, amazed he heard her over the bustling city behind them. But of course, he did. It was Charlie. He always noticed her.

But she wasn’t supposed to be here.

“I am,” Ethan froze.

I almost didn’t go, he thought. His car was originally scheduled for 11:30 sharp. He’d technically been off the clock for an hour now, but he’d pushed back his car so many times that a bad stretch of traffic could ruin his entire itinerary. He’d lingered in his office for so long, finding every reason to procrastinate his exit. It was as if he’d hoped she’d sensed the danger and come running. When she didn’t magically come to stop him, he’d forced himself out of the hospital – only to wander the block for a while before finally getting in his cab.

He'd wanted to see her one last time. He wasn’t sure if he could leave without a proper send-off. But he also knew that seeing her would ruin his whole plan. There would never be enough “lasts” with Charlie. He would always want one more look, one more conversation, one more kiss. He’d spend his whole life chasing the perfect memory with her, and by then, it would be too late. He had to go before his mistakes were too engrained in her life to be undone.

But there she was – his beautiful Charlotte. He felt his resolve break before he could even admit it to himself. He’d always find a reason to stay for her.

And Charlie’s resolve broke a little bit too – just for different reasons. Her simple realization was muddied with hard truths and stinging betrayals – the most daunting of all was how much she loved him. She was so angry and hurt, but she was still so foolishly in love. She was his to hold and his to break, and they were both very good at breaking things.

It took a very large dose of courage to finally start talking.

And she began terribly.

“You are stubborn. And you think you’re always right. You’re so fucking afraid of ruining things that you try to ruin it. You should have let me make my own decisions, and you were wrong to try to fix everything because you disagreed with me,” Charlie puffed out. Her cheeks flushed with the effort of running after him and the frustration flowing through her words.

“Charlotte I’m so-“

“I’m not done,” Charlie cut him off. “You were an asshole to leave without saying goodbye – when you went to the Amazon and now.”

“How did you know I-?” Ethan began, but she silenced him with a look.

It wasn’t two yet. She wasn’t supposed to have the letter.

“But I did the same thing to you. We’re both…” Charlie paused, trying to find the perfect way to describe their cosmically misaligned faults. But all she could come up with was “Assholes. But I love you, and I’m not letting you get on that plane.”

Ethan’s hands itched to take hers – to abandon his grand gesture and run up to her. To hold her. To feel the warmth of her skin and feel the thump of her heartbeat. To promise to spend the rest of his life making up for his mistakes.

But at his core, Ethan didn’t believe he deserved her. He was too damaged. Too insecure and irrational. To self-righteous and overbearing. He’d done too much wrong to ever deserve something so right.

“I’ll ruin your life,” Ethan managed, despite the lump in his throat and the crippling sorrow that he’d never be enough for the woman he loved. He said it like a warning, like he was begging her to believe him. Even in protesting, he knew he couldn’t resist running back to her.

“No, you won’t,” Charlie said firmly. She didn’t know where she found such resolve when, in all likelihood, he would ruin her life. She’d never be the same after him. One misstep and she’d be destroyed. But she gave him the trust she wanted them both to earn.

Ethan shook his head, but he was already walking toward her. She was like a magnet, pulling him closer and closer to danger. He was close enough to smell her shampoo – coconut and vanilla – and it almost broke him. Tears welling in his eyes, Ethan’s fingertips grazed her cheek. When she leaned into his hand, he instinctively cupped her face, pushing a stray curl out of her eyes.

When he looked at her, it was with desperation.

Desperation that she believed him – that she understood the profound risk associated with loving him.

And desperation that she wouldn’t care. That he could hold her until they were nothing but bone and old memories.

“I couldn’t even tell anyone you were mine. Just like you said – I was so afraid of fucking everything up that I actually fucked it up,” Ethan was pleading with her to appreciate how horrible he’d been, “You deserve better.”

He didn’t even realize that, since approaching her, he’d bent his knees to even out their height difference. He didn’t feel the way he bent to her, still desperately concerned with being close to her. Something about that made her smile.

“Would you do that now?” she asked, hoping she already knew the answer.

He should have lied.

That would be the right thing to do.

But the idea of hiding her now was so outrageous that Ethan laughed. A weak, tear-stained, breathless laugh – but a laugh all the same.

“No,” he shook his head, “I’d scream it from the atrium. I’d be obnoxious about it. Probably even marry you and force you to take my last name like some asshole.”

Dr. Charlotte Ramsey.

It wasn’t terrible to either of their ears.

“I wouldn’t change my name,” Charlie countered, the smile still lingering on her lips.

“Good,” Ethan was laughing again. He traced the curve of her cheek, swallowing back a sob as he asked himself what the fuck he was doing.

He was supposed to be running away right now. Why was he holding her?

“I know we keep messing it up,” Charlie chewed on her lower lip, and it took every ounce of Ethan’s resolve not to free it, “But I love you. I don’t want to live without you, and I genuinely believe we can make it work. We just… need to be less dramatic, maybe. Talk it out instead of threatening to move to different states.”

That was funny, Ethan thought to himself, but he was too panic-stricken to laugh.

“What if I hurt you?” Ethan asked with such raw pain and fear that it took Charlie aback.

“You will,” she said quickly – too quickly to phrase it as delicately as the conversation deserved.

Of course, he would. Reminded of his ultimate mission, Ethan started to pull away – intent on getting the hell out of Massachusetts before he could harm her. Charlie stopped him, clamping her hands on his wrist desperately.

“I’m going to hurt you, too. That’s just what happens, Ethan. But I still love you, and if being in love with you means that we’re going to hurt each other sometimes, I still want you,” Charlie confessed, “I trust you, Ethan. Even if you don’t trust yourself.”

By now, they’d amassed a curious crowd of onlookers, but Ethan would have rather died than let her go and pretend like he didn’t love her for the sake of some strangers. Sensing them, too, Charlie started to untangle herself from their complicated embrace, but Ethan stopped her.

I don’t care if they see, he quietly implored. Her eyes widened, and to her own surprise, she did trust him.

“Stay with me in Boston,” Charlie begged.

“What if I ruin your career?”

“I don’t care.”

“What if I hurt you and we don’t work it out – and all of it could have been avoided if I’d just left today?”

“I’d still want you to stay.”

She’d want me to stay, Ethan mulled over that phrase until it was part of his soul.

This brilliant, wonderful, kind, and thoughtful woman. She’s everything he ever wanted but never thought he’d deserve. And she trusted him. She wanted him.

Maybe he just had to trust her, too.

His plans crumbled in his hands – self-sacrifice be damned. All he ever wanted was Charlie, and oh my God, he was actually going to let himself have it.

“I’m going to stay,” Ethan said, eyes dazed. Like he hadn’t really processed what that meant.

But Charlie had. She was grinning ear-to-ear, and in his stunned state, Ethan thought she looked the most beautiful she’d ever looked.

I’m staying, he thought, I’m going to live the rest of my life loving Charlotte Greene.

How the hell did he get so lucky?

Eyes still brimming with tears, Ethan’s face split into a smile, and he scooped her in his arms, forgetting about their height difference as he lifted her off the ground to hold her close. His darling, wonderful Charlotte.

“I love you so much I can’t sleep without you,” the words flowed out of his mouth so quickly that Charlie could hardly process them. Every compliment and moment of affection he’d held back poured from his lips, intermixed with kisses across her skin. “I love you,” he kissed her nose. “I love you, Rookie.” He kissed her cheek.

He would have carried on like that forever – finding some new way to say he loved her as he kissed every inch of her face.

But Charlie interrupted him, looping her arms around his neck and kissing his lips the way she’d wanted to for months. It was raw and unrefined, blending pure adoration with desperation and unbridled need. It was spliced with flowing tears and face-splitting smiles, and it was the best kiss she’d ever had.

“I love you, Ethan Ramsey,” Charlie breathed against him, so mind-numbingly happy that she momentarily forgot every sadness she’d ever felt.

“I love you, Charlotte Greene,” Ethan replied, matching her smile. Passively, he wondered how long he’d have to wait until he could tack on a ‘Ramsey’ to that last name. Given how he felt right now, he’d last an hour before he was on his knees begging her.

Then again, doing that would require releasing her from his arms – and he had no interest in doing that.

HOOONNNKKKKK.

Charlie jumped, breaking apart just enough that Ethan could mourn the absence of her warmth, and he carefully put her down. They both looked to find the cab driver impatiently waiting for them. Admittedly, he’d been interested in their grand reunion, but he didn’t have all day to wait on a pair of lovebirds kissing on a sidewalk.

“Are we going to the airport or not?” he demanded.

“We are not,” Ethan grinned, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet. He pulled out two hundred dollar bills and offered them in conciliation for the wasted time. He looked back to Charlie, “We could still do a local fare. I have the rest of the day off.”

He hoped she’d suggest they just went home. He was eager to spend the entire day reclaiming every inch of that apartment with affection for Charlie, rather than the ghosts of her devastating absence. It was only a bonus if that day was mostly spent in bed.

But before she could say yes, her pager buzzed, informing her of an urgent patient update. Wasn’t Tobias supposed to take her calls?

“Shit, I need to check on this,” she frowned down at the device, cursing it and whoever sent the message, “But don’t go! I’ll find you right after. Just wait here.”

Charlie couldn’t fathom the idea of letting him go off in that car alone. She wasn’t convinced he wouldn’t still go to that stupid airport, so she lingered nervously.

“I promise I’m staying – in Boston and here while you check on the patient.” There was nothing that would take Ethan away now.

Charlie looked back at her pager, wondering how bad it would be if she just ignored it. But when confronted with all the horrific possibilities, beginning with a harmed patient and ending with the loss of her medical license, she immediately tucked the pager back in her pocket and rushed towards Ethan, giving him a quick kiss, “I’ll see you soon.”

“I know,” he kissed the tip of her nose.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too. Now go.”

Ethan watched Charlie rush back into the hospital, despite looking over her shoulder at least a dozen times. When she was out of sight, Ethan gave the cab driver another fifty-dollar bill just to celebrate his good mood, and he took his suitcase out of the back, allowing the man to get about his day.

When Ethan started walking into the hospital, he got a better look at their witnesses, and he recognized a few faces. They looked nervous, like witnessing Charlie and Ethan was too personal to be the hospital gossip they’d hoped for.

Ethan waved politely, unbothered by their presence.

“We won’t tell, Dr. Ramsey,” one of them spoke up – a nurse on the third floor who Ethan recognized as being particularly kind to the residents when she helped clean up their mistakes. It was fitting that she would try to clean this up, too. Even if she didn’t know the full extent of Bloom’s threat, she knew that professing his love for a resident would be a huge scandal for Dr. Ramsey.

“No need,” Ethan shook his head, “But thank you.”

The nurse eyed him, silently offering him another chance to save himself, but Ethan didn’t take it.

Ethan picked Charlie. Despite all the danger of heartbreak and personal ruin, he’d promised to stay. And he knew that he couldn’t do that if he maintained the secrecy that drove them apart in the first place. Something had to change, and that meant being open about who he loved and how much he loved her.

So, Ethan knew exactly what he needed to do – beginning with meeting with Leland Bloom.

#choices #with and without #ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc #ethan ramsey x charlie greene #choices fanfiction #pixelberry #romance #angst #dr. ethan ramsey

[choicesfanaf]

A Surprise Date

For Week 5 of Choices Flashfics, Prompt 1: “Every time I think I’m close to finally figuring you out, you end up surprising me.”

Prompt used is highlighted in pink and bold.

Based on an ask by @peonierose, pictures used in the text messages.

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x f!MC (Arundhati Kulkarni)

Characters: Ethan Ramsey, Arundhati Kulkarni, Sienna Trinh

Word Count: 572 words

Rating: General

Summary: Arundhati takes Ethan out on a date.

Category: Fluff

Tagging: @peonierose, @jamespotterthefirst, @quixoticdreamer16, @rookiemartin, @choicesficwriterscreations, @openheartfanfics, @choicesflashfics

After Sienna's recommendation, Aru headed to the store to buy her dress. She was excited to surprise Ethan with a fancy date as he was always the one to do so.

Ever since she told Ethan about their date, he had been curious about the plan.

Aru had kept him in the dark about everything, just asking him to wear an elegant suit and meet her in the parking lot.

Ethan knew it was futile to get more information from Aru, so he agreed to meet her in the parking lot after her shift without asking for more details.

Aru was glad he did not ask for more particulars, as she knew she couldn't lie.

Ethan was delighted to see Aru walking towards him. Even after being with her for over a year, his heart still beat wildly whenever she was near him. She was like a magician who had cast an enchanting spell on him.

When Aru met him, he immediately pulled her in for a hug and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"Mmm. You give me such warm hugs, Ethan."

"You look wonderful, love. Have you bought this dress recently?" asked Ethan, being observant as always.

"Yes indeed. I got it today. How do I look in this dress?"

"Aru, I absolutely love how gorgeous you look right now. You look absolutely divine and ethereal, darling."

"Aww, thanks, babe," Aru said, blushing. "You always know how to express yourself beautifully."

"Thanks, love. So, where are we off to?"

"Ma Maison," Aru said, as a matter of fact.

"Ma Maison?!" Ethan said, shocked. "Babe, that's a high-end restaurant. Why are we headed there? Is today a special day?"

"No, babe. It's nothing like that at all. I just wanted to take you to a fancy place for our date."

"Aru, you don't need to spend that much on me. You know I would be happy even if we had a lazy date and ordered takeout, right?"

"Ethan, you pamper me by taking me to elegant places all the time, don't you?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then, don't you think you deserve to be pampered as well?"

"That's true. How do you end up amazing me every time, love?"

"Babe, that's a secret I'll never tell you."

"But Aru, you will let me pay the bill, alright?"

"No, Ethan. I want to treat you today, okay? And that includes me paying the bill."

"Yes, my love. As you say," Ethan said, with a twinkle in his eyes. He hadn't expected Aru to surprise him with a date to Ma Maison.

Ethan was in for more surprises as he received a bouquet of orchids, his favourite flowers and a bottle of good quality expensive blended scotch whiskey.

Out of all the women he had been with, only Aru had taken him on a date and presented him with gifts close to his heart.

He was pleasantly surprised by Aru's plans and thoroughly enjoyed his evening.

"Every time I think I'm close to finally figuring you out, you end up surprising me, my love. Thanks a lot for this. It felt good to relax and give you the reins. I love you with all my heart, Aru."

"Yes, Ethan. It felt lovely to see your face glow with every surprise I had for you. We should do this quite often. I'm glad you had a great time. I love you too, darling."

#choices stories you play #play choices fanfiction #playchoices #dr ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey #open heart #open heart fanfiction #open heart choices #ethan ramsey fanfiction #choices fanfiction #ethan x mc #dr ethan ramsey x mc #dr. ethan ramsey #ethan x aru #ethan jonah ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc

[jerzwriter]

High Seas (2/2)

And here is part two! Based on this ask from my bestie @icecoffee90 I hope you enjoy this, Z (and everyone else too!)

Book: Open Heart (Post Series)

Characters: Tobias Carrick, Ethan Ramsey

Category: Humorous fluff

Words: 2,500

Summary: Casey and Tobias have been looking forward to their vacation plans, a cruise on the high seas with some of his old friends from Hopkins. But when work got in the way, Casey convinced Ethan to join her husband instead. Now, out on the high seas, some confusion ensues. Will the friends turned frienemies now friends again survive?

A/N: There are author's notes at the end. Participating in @choicesflashfics Prompt 3 — “You like getting under my skin, don’t you?” and @choicesseptemberchallenge2023 Day 2 - Stars.

Part One

My Masterlist

It was impossible to miss Ethan’s annoyance as he waited impatiently by the baggage carousel. If his tapping foot and the vein protruding from his temple weren’t proof enough, his exasperated sighs would have given him away. He has his bag in hand. Bag. He had the common sense to bring one carry-on. But not his prima donna companion was still waiting for his third.

“Jesus, Carrick! We’re gone for a week! How much did you pack?”

“Sorry,” Tobias snapped, lifting his final suitcase from the carousel. “But being fashionable matters to some of us; we’re not all Neanderthals.”  

“You’ll be fashionable back in Boston when the ship sails without us!”

Tobias stopped dead in his tracks and shot Ethan an incredulous look. “It leaves in four freaking hours! Damn! I forgot how much of a pain in the ass you were to travel with.”

Ethan opened his mouth to launch an acerbic retort, but as his words formed, he couldn’t fight the smile tugging at his lips.    

“In fairness, it’s been over a decade... and at your age, memory isn’t what it used to be.”

“I’m a year younger than you!” Tobias laughed as Ethan lagged behind. Throwing his last suitcase in the taxi’s trunk, he turned around with a smirk. “Try to keep up, old man. We don’t want to miss the boat.”

~~~~~

Somehow, Tobias managed to convince Ethan to carry one of his suitcases, and he hadn’t stopped complaining since. Having effectively tuned his friend out as they moved through the halls in search of their cabin, Tobias was relieved to see they were almost there.

“The suite is right down here,” he pointed.

“Suite?” Ethan asked. “I thought Casey said she changed it to a room?”

“She was going to, but I told her I’ll need my space if I’m stuck with you for a week. A separate sitting room and a balcony will come in handy when I can’t take listening to you anymore.”

“I love you too, Tobias. But weren’t you two getting a honeymoon suite?”

“It’s just a name, Ethan,” he laughed as they neared the door. “Casey told them there was a change in plans, so you have nothing to worry about. They promised to remove the sex swing from the room before our arrival.”

Ethan ran a hand down his face, and Tobias delighted in seeing his friend so irritated. After all, aggravating him was the man’s second favorite hobby.

“You really like getting under my skin, don’t you?” Ethan grumbled.

“Come on, sweetheart, you know that’s not true,” Tobias winked as he flung the door open. “Honey, we’re ho...”

Now, Tobias was flabbergasted, and Ethan couldn’t wait to get him back.  

“What’s the matter, dear. Are the champagne and rose petals strewn across the bed distracting?”

“Casey told them to cancel all the extras! I was there when she called.”

Ethan lifted champagne from the bucket, nodding in approval. “Krug Grande Cuvee, not bad. If this is what we can expect, please leave the romance package in place.”

“Yeah, I’ll leave that in place,” Tobias mumbled while inspecting the bed. “And it looks like I’m leaving this in place, too. They told us the suite had two beds that could be combined into one, but this thing does not come apart.”

“Now that’s a problem.”

“Yeah, I’ll go talk to guest services. They must have something else available.”

Ethan patted his friend on the back. “You do that,” he grinned, happily popping the champagne open. “I’ll be here breaking in the chair on the balcony.”

Which was exactly where Tobias found him upon his return, ending Ethan’s brief tranquility.  

“Problem,” he muttered, pouring a huge glass of bubbly. “The ship’s completely booked. All the suites with twin beds are taken.”

“Surely there must be someone in a standard room who would be happy to switch.”

“Perhaps,” Tobias sighed. “But then I’m back to being stuck in a room with you. No offense, buddy, I’m not sure I’d survive, and my daughter needs her dad.”

“Possibly,” Ethan deadpanned. “I could argue that she’d fare much better without your influence.”

“Very funny! They offered to bring a rollaway bed, but then we’ll fight over who gets the plush, comfy mattress and who gets to feel like they’re on a college bender.”

“So, I have to share a bed with you instead!”

Tobias raised an eyebrow. “You want the rollaway?”

Ethan’s expression gave him the answer he needed. 

“It’s a king-size bed, Ethan. We practically have our own zip codes.”

Ethan shook his head as he downed the rest of his champagne.

“Casey did this on purpose. She’s probably back in Boston laughing as she imagines our misery.”  

“It’s possible,” Tobias smirked. “My girl has a great sense of humor. We can Facetime her from bed tonight.”

Ethan shook his head as he stood up to return inside the suite. “You do as you wish, but I’ll be safe in my zip code.”

~~~~~

Hours later, the tuxedo-clad men entered the after-dinner mixer for Hopkins alumni. Tobias smirked with delight when several heads turn their way. 

“You have to admit it,” he boasted. “I’ve still got it.”

“You?” Ethan spat. “What makes you think they’re not looking at me.”

“Common sense,” he smiled, tapping his friend’s shoulder. “What do you say we go mingle.”

“With whom? I don’t see anyone I recognize yet.”  

“They’ll be here soon enough. We can get a drink while we wait.”

Nearby, an elegantly dressed woman glanced inconspicuously in their direction.

“Peggy,” she whispered to her wife. “Is that Tobias Carrick and Ethan Ramsey all chummy over there?”

Peggy adjusted her glasses to look. “You are correct, love. That’s them.”  

“I didn’t realize they were on speaking terms again. After Vincenza-gate, I would have thought one of them landing in jail for the other’s murder would have been more likely than a reconciliation.”  

“Yeah,” Peggy shrugged. “But that’s a long time ago now.”

“True, but when I ran into Tobias at that conference a few years back, he was still referring to Ethan by that pet name.”

“Which one was that?” Peggy laughed.

“Peckerhead, I believe.”

“Well,” Peggy smiled. “It looks like they resolved that.”

“Who resolved what?” A dark-haired man asked as the two women greeted him.

“Joshua! I wasn’t sure you were coming!” Leah grinned.

“What, miss this chance to network and gossip? No way!”

“Then you’re in the right place,” Peggy smiled. “We were just commenting on Carrick and Ramsey being friends again. Who would have thought it?”

“Uhm, they’re not friends.”

“Josh,” Leah said, motioning in their direction. “Look at them. It’s clear as day. And I, for one, am happy to know they buried the hatchet.”

“Then you’ll be even happier to hear this... they’re married.”

“They’re what?” The women replied in unison.

“Get out of here!” Peggy nudged Joshua’s shoulder.

“Well...” Leah stalled, “I did hear Tobias got married... that alone shocked me, but no one mentioned he married Ethan. Are you sure?”

“One hundred percent,” Joshua said, crossing his heart. “Mallory and I are in the suite next to them.”

Peggy rolled her eyes. “So they’re sharing a room... and you assume they’re married?”

“No. But the walls are thin, and we heard Ethan was going on and on about their romance package. Not to mention they were calling each other dear and sweetheart.”

“And Carrick is definitely a newlywed,” Peggy added.

“And it’s too soon for him to have something on the side. At least, I hope it is,” Leah chided. “Wow. Ethan and Tobias married. I didn’t have that on my bingo card.”

“Let’s stop ogling them and go and say hello,” Peggy insisted. “We’re going to look downright rude.”

The trio approached them, and after greetings and pleasantries were exchanged, Tobias went right into being...Tobias.

“You ladies look gorgeous as always! How is it that you’ve been aging backward,” he smiled.

“Ah, I see married life hasn’t made you any less of a flirt,” Leah tittered.

“Nah, that’s genetic. But now I’m all bark and no bite.”

“And it better stay that way,” Ethan jumped in.

“As if that’s even a question,” Tobias smiled. “You know darn well I know how good I have it.”

“I have to admit,” Peggy injected. “I was shocked that you two made up much less...” she motioned between them. “This.”

“Yeah, I don’t think most saw this coming,” Tobias agreed. “But it’s a good thing. We wasted too many years.”

“Years we’ll never get back,” Ethan agreed.

“You know, Mallory and I are in the suite next to you,” Josh informed. “Perhaps we can join you on the balcony for a few drinks tonight.”

“That works,” Tobias smiled. “Ethan and I will supply the drinks.”

“Yeah,” Ethan laughed. “We have the top-shelf stuff in our suite.”

“I know,” Josh smiled. “The romance package... we got it, too. We’ll see you later.”

~~~~~

Late that night, Ethan showered while Tobias Facetimed Casey and Sammy. As much as Tobias was enjoying himself, he missed his girls, and seeing them reminded him how much. Still, he did his best to stay positive.

“That’s right, baby girl,” he beamed at his babbling daughter. “That’s right!”

Then, a groan, loud enough for Tobias to hear through his AirPods, came from the bathroom.

“Babe,” Tobias interrupted Casey. “Wait just a second.” Removing an earbud, he walked to the bathroom door. “Ethan? Are you OK?”

“I’m fine. I just slipped, this space is just too damned tight.”

“Is it now?” Tobias chuckled at his friend taking his third shower of the day. “It wasn’t a problem this morning or during round two this afternoon.”

“Yeah, well, maybe it’s because I’m exhausted.”

“I told you three times was a bit much,” Tobias replied. “But, as long as you’re all right, I’m returning to what I was doing. So, where are we?” he said, slipping his earbud back in place. “Look at you smiling for Daddy! You are such a good girl....”

Outside the door, Mallory stopped Joshua from knocking. She looked at her husband as they heard bits and pieces of the conversation inside Ethan and Tobias’s cabin.

 “You know, honey,” Mallory started. “They sound like they’re...busy...”

“They sure do. Three times today?”

“Well,” his wife shrugged, “they are newlyweds. Let’s allow them their privacy.”

“You’re right,” he said, wrapping his arm around her. “How about we go to the Lido Deck? The buffet will be open in fifteen minutes, and we can get a good seat.”

“Sounds like a plan!”

“Heh,” Josh chuckled with a shake of his head. “Ramsey and Carrick. Who would have ever thought?”

~~~~~

The following afternoon, Ethan and Tobias were poolside when Mallory, Joshua, Leah, and Peggy approached, floppy hats on their heads and towels under their arms.

“Hey,” Leah smiled, motioning to the empty deck chairs. “Are these seats taken?”

“Only by you,” Tobias smiled. He motioned for the waiter to order drinks for all. “And tell the bartender not to skim on the rum!” He hollered before turning to his old classmates. “So, how are you enjoying the cruise?”

“It’s been great!” Peggy enthused. “You know, work is so busy, it feels like Leah and I never get to see one another back home.”

“Yeah,” Tobias laughed. “We don’t have that problem, do we, Ethan?”

“Nope,” He said, leaving his dark Ray-Bans in place. “It feels like we’re together morning, noon, and night.”

“Aww, but that’s lovely!” Mallory grinned. 

“Yeah,” Ethan chuckled. “That’s one word.”

“Hey,” Tobias tapped Joshua’s shoulder. “I thought you and Mallory were going to pass by last night.”

“Uh... we were,” Joshua started. “But we figured you could use your... privacy.”

“Honestly, I appreciate that. I was Facetiming my daughter. I knew I’d miss her, but I didn’t know how much.”

“Your daughter?” Leah gasped. “I knew you got married, but I had no idea you had a baby, too!”

“Oh yeah,” Tobias beamed, pulling out his phone to show off Sammy’s picture. “I waited long enough, so I figured, go big or go home!”

“She’s beautiful!” Peggy gushed. “The two of you must be so proud!”

“We are!” Tobias smiled. “I wish Casey could have made this trip. She would have loved meeting you.”

“Casey?” Leah asked. “Is that your nanny?”

“My nanny? No,” Tobias laughed, thumbing through his phone to show them a wedding photo. “Casey’s my wife.”

“Your wife?” Mallory asked. “But, but... aren’t you two...?”

Ethan sat up and finally removed his sunglasses. “Aren’t we what?”

“You’re not married?” Josh asked.

“Me?” Ethan spat. “And Tobias?”

“Yes,” Mallory started. “We thought...”

“US?” Ethan asked with disgust.

“Yeah,” Leah replied, looking a little miffed herself. “Clearly, we got it wrong... Josh!”

“Me and Ethan... married,” Tobias laughed. “Now, wouldn’t that be something?”

“No!” Ethan shot back. “It would not! It would not be something at all!”

“All right, Ethan,” Peggy said, sounding offended. “I understand we were wrong, but are you that insulted we assumed you were married to a man?”  

“WHAT? No! Not at all. I’m insulted because you assumed I’d pick Carrick!”

“I love you, too, Ethan.”

“And see,” Ethan said. “That’s how rumors start.”

Tobias let out a weary sigh. “You seem a bit flustered. Should we go back to the room?”

“Again... how the rumors start.”

“Look,” Tobias laughed. “As adorable of a couple as we would make. It would never happen. I’m way out of Ramsey’s league.”

“You know I was saying that to Le...” Peggy said, stopping when Ethan glared her way. “I was saying you would be an adorable couple... that’s all.”

“Good save,” her wife whispered.

“Not good enough,” Ethan groused.

~~~~~ 

Ethan sat on the balcony, appreciating the total darkness that made every star in the sky feel within his reach. He closed his eyes and took the salty air, the sound of the surf as the ship clipped through the ocean waters. He couldn’t remember the last time he was this at peace when the sliding door opened.

“Yeah, I know, baby,” Tobias chuckled. “As if he could do better.”

“Are we still on this?” Ethan moaned. 

“You think I wasn’t going to tell Casey,” Tobias smiled before wrapping up their call. 

He handed Ethan a cold beer and popped the cap off his own before falling into his chair with a smile.

“You know... this is nice.”

“It really is,” Ethan agreed. “I never thought I’d enjoy a cruise, but this is so... peaceful. I’m glad Casey convinced us to do this.”

“Oh, the cruise is great, but that wasn’t what I was referring to.”

“Oh?”

“If I had imagined a Hopkins reunion when we graduated... hell, if I had imagined one three years ago, we would be on opposite ends of the room... glaring daggers at each other.”

“I would have pretended you weren’t there,” Ethan half-smiled.

“Yeah, well... this is better.”

Ethan raised his bottle to Tobias’s. “Yeah, this is better.”

“Look at us,” Tobias beamed. “And Casey was sure one of us would end up overboard.”

“The week is still young, Tobias... the week is still young.”

@openheartfanfics @choicesficwriterscreations

Other tags on Reblog

#choices fanfic #choices fanfiction #open heart #open heart fanfic #open heart choices #choices open heart #ethan ramsey #tobias carrick #playchoices

[ladydelilah]

Should I start a Wattpad account?

I’m considering making a Wattpad account for my Choices fanfics. I’m a lot more familiar with Wattpad and how it works. I would probably post on there a lot more often. So let me know if anyone is interested!

#open heart #choices open heart #open heart choices #choices stories we play #choices stories you play #choices #pixelberry #playchoices #choices game #open heart ethan #ethan ramsey fanfiction #ethan ramsey x mc #dr ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey

[justcallmefox89]

Irresistible Force Paradox: Chapter Two - An Open Heart Fic

Rory and Ethan have their second skirmish, and the intern interferes with one of the diagnostic team’s cases.

September 14th.  8:15 a.m.

“I’m telling you guys; this one is perfect for us.  Five bedrooms, wheel-chair friendly, a few minutes on the T from Edenbrook,” Sienna continues to extoll the virtues of the apartment she had found online last night after the three of us, plus Elijah and Landry, had drunkenly agreed to live together.  “And it’s within our budget!  This is too good to be true!”

“Because it probably is,” Jackie replies, yawning.

I loop the lanyard that holds my name badge over my head.  “I’m too young to die in an organ trafficking scheme.”

“Guys…”

“Fine!  Fine. But if it even looks like it’s above a meth lab, we keep searching,” Jackie relents.

“Deal!”

“Sucker,” I whisper, nudging Jackie in the ribs after Sienna has walked a few feet ahead of us.

She bumps me with her hip.  “I dare you to try and say no to that face.”

We meet up with Landry and Elijah inside the atrium, where two residents are corralling all of the interns into one big group.

“Moment of truth,” Elijah says,  “We’re meeting out senior residents.”

The female resident waves us over.  “Oh, hello interns!  Right over here with the others!”

“Do take your time.  We’ve got all day.”  The man next to her scowls.

Uh-oh.  I think I recognize that voice.

“What?  What’s that face for?” Jackie whispers.

“I’m pretty sure that’s the guy who walked in on me and Bryce yesterday.  In a supply closet.”

She snorts in amusement.  “You’re kidding me.  You like that surfer bro?”

“What’s wrong with him?  He’s cute!” Sienna defends me.  “Nice going, Rory!”

Jackie just rolls her eyes in response, but she’s smiling.

“It’s so lovely to see so many new faces ready for exciting adventures! I’m Dr. Delarosa, but to you, I’m just Ines!”

That’s a whole lot of energy this early in the day.

“And I’m Dr. Zaid Mirani.  We’ve got your cases for the day.  Come and get ‘em.  Do not ask me for something better than what you get.  I will treat you like you don’t exist.”  

Awesome.  A shorter, less attractive Ramsey.

I roll my eyes as all the interns move in to collect their assignments. I mosey over towards Ines while Jackie opts for Zaid.

“Hi!  Dr. O’Shea! Do you remember me?”

“Of course,” I say, trying to perk up a little.  You can call me Rory.”

Ines beams at  me. “Zaid and I will be your mentors during your intern year.  We’ll assign and monitor your cases and help you if you run into problems.  Our purpose is to teach and guide you.  Think of us as your safety net, okay?  No matter what, we’ll get through this together.”

“Roger that, Ghostrider.”  I take the patient’s chart from her and move away to join Jackie. “What’s Mirani like?”

“An ass,” she replies, flipping through her own chart.  “What about Ines?”

“The most aggressively cheerful person I’ve ever met.”

“Gross.  I’ll take the ass.”

“All right, young ones!” Ines calls out.  “You’ve got your assignments.  Go forth and shine bright.”

 11:30 a.m.

My fellow interns and I gather in the atrium after answering Ines’ page.  I slink through the crowd, trying to find Jackie or Sienna.  

“I hope you’re all excited!  We’re about to begin rounds!” Ines says.

“Woohoo,” I say under my breath, moving to stand next to Sienna. She grins and bumps her shoulder into mine, but doesn’t take her eyes off of Ines.

“We’ll go around as a group led by a senior physician, and you’ll present your patients and field questions.  Today, we have a very special guest… Good morning, Dr. Ramsey!”

Fuuuuuck.

“Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?” Ramsey urges her, frowning.

“We’re doing rounds with Dr. Ramsey?  This is great!  Also, I’m gonna puke!” Someone, Landry I think, exclaims behind me.

“Let’s see who the interns are going to kill today,” Ramsey mutters, just loud enough for our group to hear.

“What a fucking asshole,” I whisper to Sienna.  “Does he -”

“Something to add, Dr. O’Shea?” Ramsey asks, his gaze landing on me.

The other interns shoot me glances and start murmuring amongst themselves, trying to figure out why he knows me by name.

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

Ethan stares down Dr. O’Shea, silently daring him to repeat himself. O’Shea’s left eye twitches in annoyance and he squares his shoulders.

“Yes, actually,” Rory says, glaring at him.  “I said, what a f- oof!”  The intern next to Rory stomps on his foot, interrupting him.  He collects himself and tries again, a little more calmly. “It’s only our second day.  You don’t have to make mean jokes to try to shake our confidence.”

Ines’ eyes dart back and forth between Rory and Ethan likes she’s following a tennis match.  “Ha! Ha ha!  Let’s maybe proceed with the -”

Ethan raises his eyebrows.  “And has your confidence been shaken?”

Rory flashes him a sharp grin.  “Oh Dr. Ramsey… It will take a lot more than you to shake my confidence.”

Taken aback, but trying not to show it Ethan replies, “Good. Because if I scare you, then you aren’t remotely prepared for what you’ll face on a daily basis here. Actually, why don’t we start rounds with your patient?”

3:00 p.m.

What is your game, old man?

I stare at Ramsey’s retreating back as he walks away from me, trying to puzzle out why he picked me out of all the available interns and assigned me to Kyra’s case.  I bite my lower lip, worried and pissed off.

I don’t like Ramsey and I don’t like being singled out to handle his special, little assignments.  I don’t like it at all.

A wail carries down the hallway and I wince in reflex.  The baby had been crying ever since it had been admitted early that morning, and I’m a little awed that it’s still going strong. I have to walk past the hospital room to get to the nurse’s station, so I risk a peek inside as I slowly wander by. I quietly watch as one of the senior nurses, Marlene, quickly administers a dose of medication to the baby girl and hands her back to her father, a disheveled young man with dark circles under his eyes. A equally young woman, the baby’s mother I assume, slumps in a visitor’s chair, red-eyed from crying and nervously chewing on her lower lip.

Marlene murmurs a few comforting words to the parents and exits the room.  I stop her just outside the door.

“What’s going on in there?” I ask softly.

“Sepsis of an unknown cause,” she answer, shaking her head sadly. “Dr. Banerji’s team took the case but they haven’t been able to pinpoint the cause of infection.  Poor thing, she’s too young to tell us what’s wrong and they’ve been running tests all day.  Her parents are just exhausted.”

I gaze at the sad scene in the hospital room, anxiously tapping my fingers against the clipboard in my hands.  “Sorry if I held you up, ma’am,” I say absently, deep in thought.  “I was just curious.”

Marlene pats me on the shoulder and resumes her rounds.  I covertly check the hallway, specifically looking for a certain freakishly tall, older doctor.  Once I’m sure Ramsey isn’t nearby, I take a deep breath and step into the room.

“Hi, I’m Dr. Rory O’Shea,” I say, just loud enough to be head over the still crying baby.

4:30 p.m.

Cursing his malfunctioning coffee maker for the twentieth time in just as many minutes, Ethan storms into the hospital cafeteria.  The team’s newest case, a six-month old little girl named Emily, is getting to him and the lack of caffeine isn’t helping.  

Think damn it…  Sepsis in infants…

He scowls, trying to recall every bit of relevant information he can.  

“Dr. Ramsey?” a timid voice interrupts his frantic thoughts.

Ethan prepares a sharp response, stopping just in time when he realizes it’s Emily’s mother, Sarah, not an over-eager intern, trying to get his attention. Her husband, Jason, sits at the table with her, both of them looking slightly more rested than when he had last seen that.

Why are they here? Did something happen?  Surely Naveen would have paged me if -

“Dr. Ramsey?” Sarah tries again.

“What can I do for you?”  Ethan offers them a tight smile as he tries to shake off his worry.

“Has your team found anything?” Jason asks, fear for his child lacing every word.  “Emily still won’t eat and she’s crying hard enough to make herself sick…” Sarah grips his hand as he trails off, both of them looking fragile and so very young.

Damn it.

Ethan hates this part of his job.  “Nothing conclusive,” he admits.  “But I promise you, we can and will help your daughter.”

Sarah’s shoulder sag a little and fresh tears fill her eyes, but Jason manages a shaky smile.  “Thanks. Dr. O’Shea said the same thing, and I don’t want you to think we doubt you we’re just -”

“I’m sorry,” Ethan interrupts.  “When did you two speak to Dr. O’Shea?”

“He stopped by Emily’s room maybe two hours ago,” Sarah replies, using a napkin to dry her tears.  “He was real sweet; offered to sit with her so we could stretch our legs and grab a bite to eat.”

“I didn’t realize just how much I needed a break until we got to the cafeteria,” Jason adds sheepishly.  

Fucking Rookie.

Anger burns in Ethan’s chest, bright and hot.  He’s not sure why Rory has decided to force himself into this specific case, but Ethan will have his job by the time this shift is over.

“Why don’t we see how they’re getting along?” Ethan suggests, forcing his voice to remain neutral.  Jason and Sarah readily agree, eager to return to their daughter after their short rest.

Ethan struggles not to rush back to Emily’s room, not wanting to worry her parents.  A grim smile spreads across his face as thinks about O’Shea’s upcoming termination.  A fitting end to the two day feud he’d had with the intern. He strides into the hospital room, every admonishment he’d carefully prepared dying on the tip of his tongue as he takes in the scene before him.   

Is that… Elton John?

Music plays softly from an iPhone resting on the small bedside table, and Rory gently sways to the rhythm, Emily sleepily resting in the crook of one arm. She’s no longer crying, but has one chubby hand tangled in Rory’s long, black hair as she sucks on the fingers of her other hand with intense concentration.  

“I remember when rock was young, me and Susie had so much fun,” Rory softly sings along with the lyrics, using his free hand to make a small, yellow lion dance to the tune.  Emily eyes the stuffed animal with interest, calm for the very first time since her admission.  

“But the biggest kick I ever got, was doing a thing called the Crocodile Rock,” Rory turns in a wide, slow spin.  “While the other kids wer - ”

And sees Ethan, Sarah and Jason standing in the door way.  The young man’s eyes grow wide and two bright spots of color burn in his cheeks as he freezes in place.  

“Hello, Rookie.”

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