#oph choices | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

openheartfanfics · 2 years

Text

Ethan x F!MC: Domestic Bliss

One Shots of Family Dynamics: L - R

Lava - @perriewinklenerdie ☁ Ethan joins his kids for a game of The Floor is Lava.

Lazy Days - @trappedinfanfiction ☁ Life as new parents is exhausting.

Little Moments of Rampant Emotion - @utterlyinevitable 🦚🎄 Two moments full of emotion. The first, of the future and the second, when Becca's alone after their most damaging break up.

Little Grayson Ramsey - @genevievemd 📷 ☁ Ethan shares a photo of his son on social media.

Little Helpers - @potionsprefect ☁ Victoria has a genius idea.

Little Love - @zealouscanonindeer 🦚 Ethan and Aspen's tiff affects a third individual more than they could ever fathom.

Little Ones - @potionsprefect ☁ There are lots of important people Luke and Lily need to meet.

Little Pumpkin - @genevievemd 📷 The cutest little pumpkin in the patch.

Little Rams - @potionsprefect 📷 ☁ The love for a toy never ages.

Little Sister - @a-crepusculo ☁ The Ramseys welcome their newest addition.

Looking in the Mirror - @potionsprefect ☁ For a second, Ethan thought he had stepped back in time.

Lost - @cariantha ☁ Has Sawyer or Ethan ever "lost" their son when he was little?

Love in all forms - @coffeeheartaddict2 ☁💘 After noting that Alexis has been out of sorts since new years, Casey brings back a Valentine’s Day tradition to show that she is loved, no matter what. Feat. Tobias Carrick

Making Memories - @potionsprefect ☁ Ethan and Victoria take Luke and Lily to Dagger Mountain.

May I Have This Dance? - @headoverheelsforramsey ☁ Ethan’s daughter has a request and he has no way other than fulfilling it.

Memory Lane - @potionsprefect ☁ Victoria and Ethan take a trip to New York with their kids.

Mi Viejito - @jamespotterthefirst 👔☁ Father’s Day more than twenty years later.

Mia Cara - @izzyourresidentlawyer ☁ Snippets of Ethan being a father

More of Your Love - @openheart12 ☁ Just some domestic fluff with them and their babies.

Morning Walk - @beyondsimsreality ☁ Dr. Ethan Ramsey x Dr. Harmonie Christian taking a stroll with their children, Nevaeh Christian-Ramsey, and Ethan Jr.

Mothers - @liaromancewriter 🌸☁ Three mothers, three celebrations, one beautiful memory. Feat. Sienna Trinh

Mother’s Day - @coffeeheartaddict2 🌸☁ Two Mother’s Days. The Mother’s Day before and after the birth of Hudson.

Mother’s Day - @lsvdw-blog 🌸📷☁ Before and after picta edits.

Mother’s Day - @openheart12 Ethan and MC spent the day with their kids.

Mother’s Days - @lucy-268 ☁🌸 Several Mother’s Day Firsts for Charley

New Horizons - @jerzwriter ☁ It’s Kaycee’s last day at Edenbrook. While a friend is there to support her, Ethan and Emma are there to take her home.

New Year Wishes - @liaromancewriter ☁🌟 New Year’s Day is a special time for making wishes that come true.

Newborn Toys - @potionsprefect ☁ Ethan and Victoria but a sentimental item for their twins.

No Promises - @rookie-ramsey MC gets to see Ethan’s baby pictures on a trip to Grandpa’s house.

Never Too Soon - @jerzwriter ☁ Casey wakes up in the middle of the night to listen in on a conversation Ethan is having with their daughter.

No Laughing Matter - @jerzwriter 📱 Text fic set shortly during Casey's first week back to work. Ethan is home with baby Emma.

Nothing Breaks Like a Heart - @jamespotterthefirst 📱 ☁ Sienna and Bryce babysit the Ramseys’ son.

Nursery - @heauxplesslydevoted ☁ Ethan shares how he and Naomi met with their baby girl.

October 31st - @jamespotterthefirst 👻 Ethan Ramsey doesn’t do costumes… except maybe for her.

Oh Yeah...There He Is - @txemrn ☁ While celebrating his/her first birthday, a few colleagues make note that Baby Ramsey looks and acts just like Tatum. Well, for the most part.

On the East Coast - @potionsprefect ☁ The Ramsey family make a trip to Providence.

Parenthood - @utterlyinevitable ☁ Caroline Ramsey has a creative eye at the tender age of three. Ethan and Becca are learning they’ll have to watch their second-born ever so closely.

Perfection - @jerzwriter ☁💘 Ethan and Emma make a Valentine’s pizza for Casey and learn some lessons along the way.

Perfect Little Family - @genevievemd ☁ Ethan visits with his daughter on a break from work.

Postcard Memories - @liaromancewriter ☁ As they spend a day with family, Ethan reflects on how different his childhood was from that of his children.

Proud Corazón - @jamespotterthefirst 👻☁📱📷 Celebrating the living and the dead.

Realisations - @coffeeheartaddict2 ☁🏳‍🌈 It is Alexis’s first pride after coming out as Bi-sexual and she comes to some realisations.

Reflection - @potionsprefect ☁ He never believed he would become a father. And overtime, he realised it was the best thing to have happened to him.

Regret - @potionsprefect 🎭 Lily Ramsey tries to tell Victoria something but she isn’t listening

Remember When - @openheart12 ☁ Ethan and Casey look back at their life.

Right at Home - @alwaysmychoices During a family camping trip in the backyard, Ethan has a suggestion for his wife.

Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree - @liaromancewriter ☁🎄 Ethan returns from a business trip and discovers the joy of being home.

SUBMIT OPEN HEART FICS & WRITERS HERE

#ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc #open heart #open heart choices #open heart fanfiction #open heart fanfics #oph choices #ethan x mc #open heart fanfic #choices open heart #choices fanfic

7 notes · View notes

storyofmychoices · 1 month

Text

Bryce & Olivia ☔️

Okay, I felt bad that you were so kind to my horrible Olivia sketch, so I figured I'd offer you a Bryce x Olivia chibi sketch as thanks! I used a reference for the proportions and pose this time so it's an improvement from the last sketch! 💙

#bryce lahela #bryce lahela x mc #bryce lahela x oc #bryce oph #open heart #playchoices #choices #choices game #olivia hadley #bryce x olivia #brylivia #lovealexhunt #oph bryce #open heart fan art #march2024 #storyofmychoices #my attempt to art #dani attempts to art

56 notes · View notes

playchoicesconfessions · 4 months

Text

Sent by anonymous

‘I MISS YOU BRYCE LAHELA’

POST/CONFESSIONS DO NOT REFLECT THE MOD’S PERSONAL OPINIONS!

#choices open heart #open heart #choices oh #choices oph #bryce lahela #playchoices #choices #choices stories you play #confessions #mod bruffle

77 notes · View notes

lilyoffandoms · 4 months

Text

Countdown to 2024 by artbyainna (IG)

@choicesfandomappreciation December 31: 1+ fandom friendships that made you feel special

To @jerzwriter and @storyofmychoices for always supporting me and sending kind words and messages (even when I’m not here). Thank you for always reminding me of how beautiful this world truly is! Thank you for being in my life! I love the little world we created for these three and I love you both so much! May the next year be the best yet and fill with all the good and beautiful things you both deserve 😘

#choices open heart #choices oph #playchoices #merida casey olivia #my commission #do not claim as your own #do not download #do not tag as you oc/mc #do not repost #do you have any idea how hard it was to not share this immediately when i read the note at the end of your fic elsa?!?#you don’t know what this wait has done to me haha

58 notes · View notes

bryceslahela · 8 months

Text

open heart was definitely a book that caught the fandom’s attention but honestly…. it was a hard time to be a black fan. the amount of casual anti-blackness was INSANE!!! from people attacking harper for her relationship with ethan and attacking aurora for simply just existing. tobias’ existence brought about a lot of hatred for seemingly no reason to when he hadn’t done anything remotely bad. also people wanting kyra to die for bryce’s development and raf to die for… the plot? which was already ass anyway and raf’s death wouldn’t have done anything of substance. the worst part about it all is that pb deliberately encouraged this through their writing, through their choice of plot points and the way they represented their characters. the fact that mc and aurora are forced to have a massive blowout over something minuscule? the decision to add harper to the diagnostics team even though she’s a surgeon? and have her suddenly want to heat up her old relationship with ethan??? when she literally didn’t gaf about that man until then. even the choice with making elijah turn on mc and take ethan’s side? it really made me look at pb sideways and the fans who were fanning the flames of the fire that pb set alight.

#playchoices #pixelberry #open heart #oph #choices stories you play

120 notes · View notes

icecoffee90 · 1 month

Text

I've been really disinterested in Choices lately but I just suddenly missed my babies a month ago, so I commissioned the incredible @/artbyainna on IG and as always, she did an amazing job! Not that you could ever expect anything else from her.

The idea behind this commission was simple - Bryce comforting my Open Heart MC, Joshua, after he is wakes up from a PTSD induced nightmare in the middle of the night.

#artbyainna #my commission #playchoices #playchoices fanart #Choices Open Heart #Choices oph #Open Heart fanart #Bryce Lahela #Bryce x MC #Bryce x M!MC #Choices Game #Playchoices art

35 notes · View notes

choices-binglebonkus · 8 months

Text

117 notes · View notes

mydemonsdrivealimo · 1 month

Text

Your Death, Your Dog, Your Declaration

Chapter 1/?

Book: Open Heart

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x Jensen Valentine (M!MC) (Not official/eventual)

Characters: Jensen Valentine, Bryce Lahela, Keiki Lahela, Sienna Trinh, Rafael Aveiro (mentioned)

Rating: Mature

Words: <2k

Series Summary: The chemical attack, as told in the world of Jensen Valentine and those close to him.

Chapter Summary: The night of the chemical attack hit Bryce hard. Harder than the victims on death's door. He's guilty, and it's killing him.

A/N: this piece will be dual/multi POV, so while this starts with Bryce, look forward to the others!!

~~~

1:04 AM

Out.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

In.

Out…

In.

Still 1:04.

Out.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

In…

Out.

In.

Out.

In.

1:05 AM

1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9—shit. 1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10...11...12...13...14. 56.

1:06 AM

“Stop doing that, I’m not dead yet,” Jensen grumbled sleepily, yanking his hand back into his lap.

“Sorry,” Bryce replied. His tone was more lifeless than Jensen looked, tired and dejected.

Jensen rolled over, facing him. “You know it’s right there for a reason, right?” He said it with hardly a glance at the heart rate monitor, too exhausted to manage more.

“Just keeping myself busy,” Bryce answered. “You should go to sleep.”

“Really?” he quipped, fast and sharp as always, “I hadn’t thought of it.”

It earned him a grin—a real one, as difficult as it was—but it faded just as fast. Bryce took Jensen’s hand again, playing with his fingers and holding extra tight, the gloves making it impossible to feel the dryness of his hands. They were always scratchy and rough from washing and sanitizing tens of times in a day, fingers calloused on the ends. His nails, painted a dark blue, were starting to chip. Would the embalmers take it off or repaint them?

Jensen shook him off, reminding him again that he wasn’t gone yet, and fidgeted with the blanket over himself. He ran the texture between his fingers.

“Do you want to be cremated or embalmed?” Bryce asked. He still watched his hands, distracted.

“Oh, cremated, for sure—unless I can haunt Ethan, that is.”

There was a lightness to Jensen’s tone, seeming as monotone and factual as usual, but the ludicrous theory giving away to Bryce that he was joking.

“I’m being serious.”

As he looked back up, Jensen’s eyes were a flat, solid shade of unforgiving, boring brown. No depth to the green hues Bryce could catch in the afternoon sunlight—just as sterile as the fluorescents illuminating them.

“If you keep acting like I’m dead, I’m going to kick you out. You’re supposed to be the optimist here, this is completely backwards.”

Bryce took a breath, looking down at the large, clunky suit he donned. “...I know. I’m trying.”

“Try harder. We could be talking about anything and you’re worried about my not-guaranteed funeral.” He said the next part in a mocking tone—a phrase Bryce had said plenty of times. “Not very ‘go with the flow’ of you.”

“How are you being more chill about this than I am?”

“Because I’m fine.” And the undeniable way he said it made it feel like the truth. Even with the dark circles under his eyes, and the exhaustion he couldn’t shake, it felt true. “If I die, oh well. Life moves on—it’s not like I’ll know it.”

As much as Bryce wanted to argue, wanted to correct the flaws in his thinking, he didn’t want to strain him with an unnecessary effort to defend himself. He was there to comfort him and that’s what he would try to do. “You seem more comfortable talking about death than you do small talk.”

Jensen's laugh turned into a cough, far into his chest with an agonizing sound that had Bryce reaching for the emesis basin. He waved him off, taking a sip of his water before settling back in the bed.

“It’s not the first time I’ve thought about it,” Jensen replied, a little more serious, a little more real.

Bryce gave him an inquisitive look, but Jensen just responded with a tired head tilt that meant he could interpret it however he wanted. He didn’t.

Maybe he should. Maybe it was naive to have hope, but he would wait as long as he had to for Jensen to tell him what that meant. What any of it meant. All the vague references and to-himself jokes that Bryce didn’t understand—he wanted to. He wanted to know every detail of him: what built him and what broke him.

Once again playing with Jensen’s hands, a gentle encouragement to lull him to sleep, he recalled a night at Donahue’s like the others. The group shared stories from undergrad, their drunkest and most embarrassing moments, but Jensen had been utterly silent. Not that it was far out of character, but when multiple opportunities were presented to make fun of Landry and he took none of them, Bryce was going to notice.

It was also easy to recognize when he had been perfecting it himself for years. He remembered trying to stay quiet in an effort to go unnoticed, but that method never worked well given how often he was the one talking. For Jensen, it was believable; it was a perfectly practiced way to hide something.

But Bryce’s eyes had always been drawn to him. From the first day he walked into the locker room, all piercing glances and analytical expressions, Bryce noticed him. Noticed the light inflections in his tone, a small but important indicator most didn’t pick up on, but was obvious to anyone who bothered to learn him.

Bryce didn’t learn enough of him. No, it didn’t help that Jensen was the opposite of chatty, but he couldn’t help feeling some ounce of guilt for that. “I don’t think you’ve stopped talking since I met you.” Did he take up every conversation? Were there times Jensen was going to share something about himself—something worth something—that Bryce covered with his own insignificant blabber?

Everything was worth something when usually he got nothing at all. Jensen’s silence was not odd, after you got used to it, that is, and neither was the lack of substance. Bryce wanted more than that.

What were his hobbies? He could take a guess from the keyboard and bass in his room, but was it ever more serious than a display on the wall?

All he knew was a shell of a person, only the details you could see on the outside, and he just never bothered to ask for anything more. He settled for the least amount of worth you could get from a person and never batted an eye, just kept talking and talking and fucking talking.

What was his favorite restaurant in the city? One of the places they went together? Or somewhere Bryce never bothered to ask about?

Boston was Jensen’s home for just over a year, yet he had 26 before that elsewhere.

Where did he grow up?

When was his birthday?

What was his middle name?

Did he want to be cremated or embalmed?

A tap on the window caught his attention. Sienna was standing there with his phone in her hand, shaking it in a way that said he needed to check it. He glanced over Jensen again, well asleep this time, and carefully set his hand down.

A long slew of profanities left his mouth as he wrestled with the suit, grabbing his phone as fast as possible to see the tens of missed calls from Keiki. He barely had it in his hands before pressing the call back button. Waiting for a long few rings, she finally answered.

“Hey, sorry, I—”

“No, it’s fine, are you okay? I saw the news.” The breathiness in her voice showed her concern no matter how hard she fought to keep her tone even.

“Yes, I’m okay. I wasn’t there when it happened.” He checked over Jensen one more time through the window, still asleep, before gathering his things to leave. “I’ll be home in twenty minutes; did you eat anything?”

It took her a second to answer. “Uh, no. I…wasn’t really hungry.”

“I’ll get you something.”

He opened the locker room door to collect his coat and keys, tossing the latter on as she replied, “It’s like two in the morning, nothings going to be open.”

“I’ll get you something,” he repeated before ending the call, shoving his phone into his pocket and starting towards his car.

Twenty minutes later he arrived home, gas station food in a plastic bag he tossed on the counter.

“I’m sorry,” he said as she stood from the couch, in pajamas and yawning but set up with a movie and her phone to keep her awake.

“It’s fine, I’m just glad you’re okay, I guess,” she said, taking a bag of chips out and opening them up. He declined when she offered them, standing aimlessly in the middle of the kitchen.

He couldn’t sit down knowing the uncertainty of what was happening at the hospital, but he couldn’t pace around agitated the whole night. He would wait until Keiki was asleep then return to the hospital for an update. Maybe text Sienna while he waited.

“You look like you’re going to be sick,” Keiki commented, shoving a handful into her mouth. The thought of eating did make him sick, but he just shrugged it off.

“It was just stressful,” he replied, trying to have some semblance of normalcy. He set his phone and keys down, almost robotic, on the dining table. She was watching his every move, even as he took a breath, reminding himself that normally he’d go change. So, he did.

His bed was a mess, blankets crumpled from where Keiki had taken it over, her stack of books on the nightstand along with her clothes in a heap on the floor. Grabbing his change of clothes, he took them to the bathroom, sensing that it was no longer his space.

She was still in the kitchen when he returned, watching him again.

“I forgot to ask, but were your friends okay?”

That was all it took for his lip to tremble, unable to get an answer out. He distracted himself with grabbing the remote from the couch, setting it on the coffee table and sitting down with a deep breath. He waited for the ache in the back of his throat to subside with every following breath, blinking back the wetness around his eyes.

“No.”

But he could barely choke back the sob escaping from his throat, sending the tears well over the floodgates.

He never even got a moment to check on Raf, and even in the half an hour he was gone, Jensen’s condition could have significantly worsened. It was too easy to imagine when he was out of his sight, no tangible proof in front of him: no dry comments and no tired grins, the same ones he’d probably never see again.

Wiping the tears was a useless effort, a constant flow wetting his face and soaking his sleeves.

The couch dipped next to him. Keiki tucked a few tissues into his hand before wrapping her arms around him.

And he remembered it from a thousand times before. The nights he’d come home late and have it out with his dad in the middle of the foyer, giving everything just as vicious as he got it, but only ending with him in tears. Keiki would sneak in, probably woken up by the shouting, to ask what was going on, but the minute she saw his face she’d climb up his bed to wrap him in a huge that couldn’t quite reach around him. It didn’t matter if she didn’t know the details—it was better she didn’t—but she was the only one there who had enough compassion to try.

Here she was again, picking up the pieces of a mess that wasn’t hers. He didn’t have the strength to fight her on it, though, and didn’t have the strength to send her to bed like he should’ve on those nights. He just turned, letting his arms fall over her shoulders and holding on with everything he had.

~~~

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

#jensen valentine #bryce lahela × jensen valentine #bryce lahela #open heart #open heart mc #open heart choices #choices open heart #choices oph #sienna trinh #rafael aveiro #open heart fanfic

28 notes · View notes

sciralta · 4 months

Note

Not asking to be a jerk, genuinely curious. I have never understood how the Raf death plot was racist. There were 3 other live interests and only 1 was white. It never made sense to me.

I think that whole thing led to PB not having the balls to do things. So instead of stories like It Lives or Endless Summer where there were real consequences and drama, we get Wake the Dead, where every love interest is safe and it is so dumb.

Oh god why are you asking the white person this.

So there are kind of a concerning amount of people that have this view that racism is just blue in the face, spittle flying, MAGA-type people shouting slurs and crying about CRT. But that really only just shows a limited understanding of what racism is. Racism isn’t just direct hatred or bigotry. When a system functions so that one race is biased for and others disadvantaged, that system is racist.

It had been quite clear well before Open Heart that white (particularly white male) love interests were favoured in the writing over love interests of colour. These white characters received preferential treatment, had more diamond scenes, were better developed, and were often almost ‘pushed’ onto the player character, regardless of whether the player had expressed interest in the past or not. The white male LI was treated as the default.

And why? Because the white male LI sells the best. A biased society that favours whiteness bought the white LIs scenes the most, making the white LIs ‘perform’ the best, and so PB favoured them in the writing. PB would later admit as much in their June 15th 2020 blog post following the massive outcry after the Rafael plot was leaked.

The fact that Ethan was the only white LI (and the only canon white character in the main cast) is precisely the point. His preferential treatment in the story, to the detriment of the other LIs, is probably the most egregious example of this bias in Choices.

And you have to realise that while 3/4 of the love interest were people of colour, Rafael was the only black LI. It’s important to understand just how pervasive antiblackness specifically is. PB had a history of treating its black characters, particularly its black female characters, poorly. Even compared to the other POC LIs in Open Heart, you could quite fairly make the argument that he got the worst treatment of them all. And it’s a history like that that feeds into a pervasive racist notion that black characters are more disposable.

When you combine that notion with PB’s data saying to do more Ethan content and that Rafael is ‘underperforming’ (because they’re not giving him equal focus/treatment), you finally get to the point where PB is willing to inexplicably fridge the sole black LI to create drama and add fuel to the white man’s angst.

Also, I would hope that the implications of a man of colour dying in what is essentially a gas chamber plot are not lost on you.

#also please don’t just get your info from me please actually go listen to people of colour like come on #ask me #playchoices #choices #open heart #choices oph

36 notes · View notes

storyofmychoices · 2 months

Text

FunkoPop! Bryce & Olivia 💛

I'm super excited to share these! I was going to wait until I had a better picture because this one's a little blurry but I'm too excited!

How precious are they?!?!!!! I love them so so much! I really wish I could turn Bryce's sneakers into crocs though! lol

[Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley Masterlist]

60 notes · View notes

playchoicesconfessions · 6 months

Text

Sent by anonymous

‘I wish more people stanned Bryce with MC (compared to *ahem* Ethan stans - sorry not sorry!)’

POST/CONFESSIONS DO NOT REFLECT THE MOD’S PERSONAL OPINIONS!

#choices open heart #open heart #choices oph #choices oh #bryce lahela #playchoices #choices #choices stories you play #confessions #mod bruffle

55 notes · View notes

thebenvoliobrit · 9 months

Text

PB choosing Open Heart of all stories to allow asset fanfic...

"We rewrote the Raf fcking dies story but now YOU can make it as canon as possible"

#playchoices #choices stories you play #choices: stories you play #choices open heart #choices oph #storyloom

65 notes · View notes

jerzwriter · 6 months

Text

A Bit Dark

Thank you for this ask @inlocusmads. Of course, that 100 words or less part is just comical to use with me! But I clocked in at just over 1000, which isn't bad! I love that you asked for Casey and Jess! I love these two so much, and every time I finish a fic featuring them, I feel like I've been wrapped up in a warm, cozy blanket! I know it's not a popular pairing, but I love them. So thank you! I hope you enjoy this!

Book: Open Heart (Pre-Series/Casey's Med School Years) Pairing: F!MC (Casey MacTavish) x F!OC (Jessica Philips) Words: 1,099 Rating: Teen Warnings: Discussion of mental health issues, nothing too deep. Category: Angsty fluff/ hurt/comfort Summary: Jess has noticed a bit of a change in Casey, and offers her support when she learns the reason why. A/N: For @choicesnovchallenge - I think World Kindness Day would fit. :) A/N 2: SAD = Seasonal Acquired Depression

Sometimes, a room can be so silent that the gentle sounds of breathing permeate the air like a siren. As if to prove it, Jessica closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and released at an achingly slow pace. The gentle noise would have gone unnoticed any other time, especially in a bustling city like Philadephia. But today, in her tiny living room, it may as well have been a gust of wind during the fiercest of winter storms. Still, the sound went unnoticed by Casey, whose gaze was fixed out the window on the other side of the room.

Shifting her weight on the lumpy but cozy sofa, Jess placed her textbook on the coffee table at her side. That was enough studying for now. If anything else was to be committed to memory this evening, it would be the way the street lights shining through the window gently lit the contours of her girlfriend’s face. Another deep breath, this one involuntary, escaped her as she wondered if she had any idea how simply exquisite she was.

“It must be some view out there,” Jessica stated, pulling Casey from her thoughts.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“The view... outside... it must be special. You seem lost in it.”

Casey dropped the curtain, a gentle blush on her cheeks, and turned to Jessica, adorably wrapped up in a chenille throw, the loose tendrils that had escaped her messy bun framing her lovely face.

“It’s nothing compared to the view in here,” Casey corrected, happily accepting Jessica’s arms embracing her from behind.

“We’ve been studying all day,” Jess whispered. “Do you need a break? I can make us a snack.”

“No. I think I’m good for another hour or so.”

Jess placed her chin on Casey’s shoulder, fixing her gaze in the same direction.

“Wow, I see why you’re entranced. The lights look so pretty.”

“They do,” Casey agreed.

“I can’t believe it’s so dark already. It’s not even five o’clock.”

“Yep,” Casey sighed, gently pulling herself away from her lover and crossing the room. “Daylight standard time strikes again! Between studying, work, and volunteering... we’re lucky if we see the sun again before April.”

“Well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration,” Jess smiled as she returned to Casey’s side. “But all right.”

But Casey didn’t meet Jess’s playful energy. With a swallow, she sullenly turned away.

“Case... what’s going on? Are you OK?”

“Yeah,” Casey sighed.

She had only recently begun to explore the demons that had haunted her throughout her life. The anxiety that creeped out of nowhere, the sadness that could envelop her typically sunny personality without warning. She was coming to understand why and recognize her triggers, and winter’s darkness was undoubtedly one. Jessica was aware of her journey; what’s more, she was supportive, but it was still difficult to articulate. But, looking at her girlfriend’s furrowed brow, she felt she owed her the truth.

“It’s just... winter is hard for me. It’s not the cause of my depression, but all the darkness... it doesn’t help at all.”

“Oh,” Jess pulled up a chair, quickly going into doctor mode; she fought to remain a supportive partner as well. “Have you been diagnosed with SAD?”

“Not officially.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to mention it to your therapist or psychiatrist,” Jess started, a knowing look on her face. “It sort of makes sense now.”

“What does?”

“You’ve been a little sadder recently, sleeping more. You haven’t been interested in doing things you.. or we... normally enjoy. It’s been worse since the time change.”

“Well,” she shrugged dismissively. “That’s just depression...”

“Of course, but if you notice it worsens this time of year... will you talk to your doctors?”

“I will,” Casey nodded.

“Good. There are ways to combat this. They may increase your antidepressant, some vitamins have proven helpful, and we can do things to make it better.”

“Such as?”

“Well, I’m going to get you outside during the daylight more often. We can bundle up and take a walk before heading out in the morning.”

Casey let out a laugh, then took Jess’s hand.

“Do you really think getting me up early is a solution?”

“Hmmm... maybe not,” Jess winked. “I’ll just kidnap you and drag you out on our lunch breaks. I can also get light boxes for our apartments...”

“You don’t need to do that,” Casey protested.

“I don’t need to do anything, but I want to. Honestly, I’ve always wondered if it would help me, too. The winter is awfully dreary. Besides, why wouldn’t I do all I can to help you?”

Casey brushed a loose curl from Jessica’s face, then met her lips with a sweet, tender kiss.

“I’m lucky to have you.”

“Well, I’m lucky to have you, too,” Jess assured, the smile on Casey’s face growing wider.

“You know, if you really want to do anything to help me... you know what helps SAD a lot?”

“What?” Jess smiled with a roll of her eyes.

“You’re freaking snickerdoodles! Oh my God, they’re delicious!”

“That’s it,” Jess said, her laughter filling the room. “I was expecting something far more salacious from you.”

“Mmm, maybe later,” Casey winked. “But really, I think you should make me snickerdoodles at least two times a week this winter. As an experiment... you know... to see if it helps.”

“An experiment?” Jess asked with a cocked brow.

“Yes. We’ll do it for science.”

“Come here,” she smirked, pulling Casey in for a kiss.

They rested their foreheads together after breaking away, Jess lovingly caressing the back of Casey’s head.

“You know I’ll do whatever I can to help. You know that, right?”

“I do,” Casey grinned. “I hope you know how much it means to me.”

“I do,” Jess smiled, abruptly pulling away to grab her purse.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“Not me... we,” Jess said as she tossed Casey her coat. “I’m completely out of brown sugar and flour. How am I supposed to make you snickerdoodles tonight without them?”

“Well, then, to the market we go!” Casey said, her spirits lifted. She tugged at Jess’s hand just before they reached the door. “Jess, wait!”

Her head flung in Casey’s direction. “Yes?”

“I have a feeling... this winter will be a lot better than the ones before. It really helps when you have support.”

After gently bopping Casey’s nose with her finger, Jess placed a tender kiss on her forehead.

“You’ll be sick of me fretting by the end of it.”

“I assure you, I won’t,” Casey said as they walked down the hall. “Especially if your therapy includes snickerdoodles.”

A/N 3: If you (like me) have SAD, you can find some resources here. There is help out there! :)

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Tagging others separately

#choices fanfic #open heart #open heart choices #choices open heart #open heart fanfic #open heart prequel #oph f!mc #oph f!mc x f!oc #playchoices #playchoices fanfic

50 notes · View notes