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commander-rahrah · 5 years

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RESIDENCY (AN OPEN HEART FIC): PART ELEVEN

Pairing: MC (Jordynne Holland) X Ethan Ramsey X Bryce Lahela; MC X Bryce; MC X Ethan

Masterlist: Click Here

Chapter Rating: M (Swearing, Kissing, I don’t know Ethan wants to do her but is stupid, Angst) (I’m terrible at this.)

Word Count: 6800+

Description: Ethan invites Jordynne to join him at the National Medical Symposium in Miami for two days. Two days — him and Jordynne; no hospital, no secret cases, no patients…

Disclaimer: Characters, storyline, and parts of the dialogue are taken from Pixelberry’s Choices. They fully own the characters, dialogue, backgrounds, etc. MC Jordynne’s background is my own creation, based loosely off of MC in-game’s personality and provided with more details.

Author’s Note: I finally made it. MIAMI. The kissing scene. OK, so I love PB but I hate when they just cut to a black screen after some scenes. Like Ethan stalks out of the room after a mega hot make-out session and they just cut to MC being back in the hospital the next day? Nah nah nah. So I have also written in some scenes to build up to the kiss more and then what happens post-kiss Ethan ripping out MC’s/my heart (: (: (: (: (:

As always, all likes, reblogs, comments, reviews, messages are very very appreciated!! If you would like to be tagged in future updates please reply on here or DM.

Also, the “Ward Ring” is something I do in real life, and it just killed my boyfriend when we started dating. He thought it was super funny and cute. I mean it’s terrible that people feel they need to do that sort of thing to not get hit on but yeah. Anyways, it’s defs something that my MC Jordynne has learned to do.

ALSO, if you would like to fangirl and be super extra about Open Heart, Ethan, Bryce, Choices -- literally anything. I’m here.

Taglist: @drakewalkerfantasy @owleyes374 @professorortegasstudent @mindlessdreaminxo @mayar-mahdy @paisleylovergirl @nicquix @emilymay100 @octobereighth @jenp02cutie-blog @llamasgrl @timmagicktoad @lilyofchoices @msjpuddleduck @mfackenthal

Previous Updates: Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight Part Nine Part Ten

PART ELEVEN

The past few weeks had flown by — filled with late-night research sessions, multiple trips to get Jordynne espresso romano’s from the nearby cafe, shared sandwiches during lunch hours in Naveen’s room. He had never gone through as many bags of coffee beans in his office than he had in those past weeks. Ethan hadn’t even slept on the couch in his office, he was going home to Jenner almost every night. Things were different, things were good for once.

They didn’t spend all their time together — it’s not like every waking moment was spent with her. But that was about to change for the next 48 hours.

Ethan was sitting next to her in first class on their flight headed to the National Medical Symposium in Miami for two days. Two days — him and Jordynne; no hospital, no secret cases, no patients…

“Compliments of the crew, Dr. and Mrs. Ramsey.” A polite flight attendant spoke, placing down two cups of steaming hot coffee with a smile.

Jordynne stirred in her leather seat next to him, looking over to her, “Oh thank you, but I’m not his—“

At the same time, Ethan spoke, “She’s a doctor too, actually.”

“Oh! My apologies, Doctor.” She smiled at Jordynne, “Well if you need anything else let us know.” The flight attendant moved down the aisle, leaving the pair alone again.

“You know she called me your wife right?” Jordynne asked, grabbing onto the cup that he was holding out for her.

“I, uh—“ Ethan stammered, feeling the tops of his ears go red, “She did?”

She gave him a coy smile before taking a sip of the coffee. It wasn’t the best coffee they had ever had — but it was better than the hospital cafeterias. The pair exchanged a look of mild acceptance as they took their sips.

Jordynne returned to her iPad — finishing an article Ethan had recommended to her. The seats in first class were wide enough for her to cross her legs, her elbow on her knee as she hunched forward reading. Her leg was warm-up against his, her long hair brushing up against his arm giving him goosebumps.

He could just watch her reading. The way she chewed her lip as she thought, the way the light from the window made her blonde hair almost look white. He needed a distraction — already, he was only a couple hours into this trip with her. Finding his leather bag on the floor next to him, he dug through it, finding his glasses and his novel The Lives of a Cell. Thumbing through the pages, he tried to find where he last left off and blinked as his eyes adjusted to his glasses. He noticed Jordynne shift beside him, looking up at him.

A sheepish smile spread across her face as he caught her staring. He furrowed his thick brows, “Yes, Rookie?”

“Nothing,” She said, shaking her head, the smile remaining.

His blue eyes squinted at her, putting his book down. He didn’t believe her.

“I just like your glasses,” She shrugged, her cheeks turning pink.

Ethan hit her with his knee, rolling his eyes. “Read your article, Jordynne.” Bringing his book back up to his face, he used it to hide the small smile spreading across his face.

_______________________________________________________________________

Letting the water run over him, Ethan turned it up a little hotter once more. It was turning his skin red now, from the heat and his incessant scrubbing. He was mad at himself. This was getting complicated now — too complicated.

Declan had figured out his plan too quickly, and now he needed to figure out another approach. And the hotel had booked their room wrong. How he was going to handle sharing a room with Jordynne, he had no idea.

Snapping his eyes open, he heard Jordynne call out to him from the bedroom through the crack he had left in the door so they could still talk.

“Why didn’t you tell me there was a reception?!”

He turned off the water, standing there dripping in the shower for a moment. “Because it was the furthest possible thing from my mind at the time.” He said truthfully. He had been focused on how to play Declan to get the treatment, and not thinking about her.

He heard her let out an exasperated sigh, “But it’s a casino theme! I have to look nice!”

Ethan stepped out of the shower, grabbing onto the white fluffy towel hanging off of the wall and wrapped it around his lower torso. Water still glistening off of him, he stepped towards the mirror — rummaging through his toiletry bag.

Movement caught his eye in the mirror, and he looked up to catch Jordynne’s eyes — staring at him through the reflection and crack in the door. Her eyes raked his naked torso before her face reddened and she turned back around to dig through her suitcase.

Ethan gulped, stepping back out of her line of sight. “Just throw on whatever you brought with you.” Grabbing onto the towel he angrily dried himself off, turning his skin red again. Not until he had stepped back into his briefs and trousers, did he go back towards the mirror where she could see.

She still had her back turned to him, but she was changing now. She was stepping into a dress — shimmying it past her hips. He stared at her naked back — admiring the curve of her waist, how soft her tan skin looked, her blonde hair draped over her shoulder out of the way.

Feeling his stomach tightening in want, he averted his eyes looking down at the marble countertops in the bathroom. Fumbling with the products nervously, Ethan put on some lotion and cologne before tousling his wet hair with a towel. Feeling much more presentable in his trousers now, he stepped back into the room still toying with his hair when he stopped in his tracks.

“Oh,” He sputtered, his blue eyes trailing over Jordynne’s body. She was wearing a silky navy dress, that hugged her curves perfectly. It had a deep V that showed just enough cleavage to make his imagination start running wild, and a simple pendant rested on her collarbone. Her usual wild wavy hair was sleek straight, hanging over one shoulder like a curtain. “You, uh, you found something.”

She put a hand on her hip, popping it out and smirked, “I always come prepared.”

“Lucky for me.” Realizing what he said, he cleared his throat, embarrassed. “I mean, lucky for you. You look… very…appropriate.” He tried to fight the blush creeping on his cheeks.

Letting out a laugh, she turned back to her suitcase, “Appropriate? What did I say about compliments, Ethan?”

He rolled his eyes at her, before padding over to the wardrobe. “Give me a moment to get dressed.” They stood on opposite sides of the room for a moment, both of them finishing getting ready. Ethan was grateful to have some distance between them — even if it was just a bed.

Grabbing onto his suit jacket, he turned around to face her. “There.”

Jordynne’s pink lips spread into a smile as she took him in. They stood for a moment, in front of the large mirror on the wall, standing shoulder to shoulder. Ethan’s breath hitched for a moment — taking in the image of them side by side, dressed to the nines. They looked like a real couple. In another lifetime, in another universe maybe they could be.

He cleared his throat, “I would say we look ready, wouldn’t you?”

“Absolutely.” She grinned, moving her hand to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.

A glimmer caught his eye, and he felt his stomach twist. “What the hell is that, Rookie?” He pointed at the sparkly ring sitting on her left hand.

“Oh!” She let out a laugh, “My ward. It helps keep unwanted attention away at these kinds of things.”

Ethan furrowed his thick brows, “You’re not looking for any attention here? That’s the reason half of these people are here.”

Jordynne shrugged, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. “I have my eyes on someone else anyway.” Grabbing onto the keycard on the entry table, she tucked it into Ethan’s breast pocket and gave it a pat before turning on her heel and heading into the hall.

He watched her leave for a moment, his mind wheeling at who she was keeping an eye on. Gulping, he followed her out into the hall and shut the door.

______________________________________________________________________

Ethan could still feel where the slimy bastard Declan had grabbed onto his shoulder, rubbing in his victory. Vitamin C, hydrocortisone, and thiamine. He repeated it to himself over and over — drilling into his mind.

He was standing alone near the edge of the pool, nursing a glass of scotch. The lights in the pool causing the water to turn bright blue. He stared down into it, watching the ripples.

It was risky what he did. Too risky. Everything was on the line, and he put it all down to how he had read Declan. He had been wrong before, and he wasn’t as observant as he used to be, not as confident either.

He straightened up at the sound of steps approaching him. A waiter came towards him, a polite smile on his face. “Sir, here is the wine that you wanted to try.” He had two glasses in his hand, and he held one out for Ethan to try.

“Oh, thank you,” He grabbed onto the glass, swirling around the red wine before taking a sip. He nodded appreciatively, giving the waiter a nod. “I like it. Good recommendation.”

“Thank you, sir. Should I send up a bottle to your room for you and your wife?”

It was an innocent question, but Ethan felt his stomach twist again. It kept coming up — it was the logical deduction. But it was like a punch to the gut each time. Just another reminder. Ethan found Jordynne — standing on the opposite side of the pool, in a conversation with a couple of guys. His eyebrows furrowed at the sight — her ward wasn’t working as well as she wanted it too.

“Sure, thank you,” Ethan said politely, taking the other glass from the waiter. Maneuvering through the crowd and the edge of the pool, he found his way over to her.

Her eyes lit up as he approached, and she let out a sigh of relief. “Dr. Ramsey, hi!”

“This is for you,” He handed her the wine, which she took gratefully. “Boys,” He nodded sternly at the two guys standing in front of Jordynne.

“Oh, uh Dr. Ramsey! Nice to meet you.” They stammered, looking confused as Ethan wrapped his arm protectively around Jordynne’s shoulders.

“If you’ll excuse us,” He grimaced, pulling her away with him.

“Thank you,” She mouthed to him, before taking a big swig of wine. “I thought they would never leave me alone.”

When they reached a quiet corner alone, he realized he still had his arm wrapped around her and he quickly let go. “Like I said, conference from hell.” He looked around them — more and more of the doctors were starting to get tipsy now — shouting and dancing everywhere. “Want to go somewhere else?”

“Yes, please.” She said through another sip of her wine. The pair walked shoulder to shoulder through the party, leaving through a pool gate and out onto a pathway leading to the beach. The walked in silence, before heading off of the stone path and into the sand.

As their shoes started sinking in the sand, the two let out a laugh. “Maybe not the best idea.” Ethan bent down, balancing his wine glass as he scooped up his shoes that he kicked off.

He let out a chuckle as Jordynne struggled with her shoes, not able to fully bend down in her dress. “This dress isn’t as practical as my scrubs.” She joked.

Putting down his shoes, he bent over and moved the long fabric of her dress aside, revealing her tan legs. His fingers grabbed onto each of her ankles gently as he unbuckled the skinny straps of her heels. He tried to hide his gulp as his fingers brushed her soft skin. Standing up, he grabbed their shoes and tucked them away safely before returning to where Jordynne was waiting for him.

“Thank you,” She said quietly, chewing her lip.

The pair walked in silence for a moment, enjoying the feeling of the soft sand on their feet and the sound of the waves. The sounds of the party was a little more distant now. They paused in front of the water, both of them looking out pensively as the tops of their feet got slightly wet.

Taking a step back, Ethan shrugged off his jacket and placed it on the sand for them to sit on. It wasn’t a very big space, and Jordynne ended up closer than their usual shoulder to shoulder. He took a shaky sip of his wine, as she rested her head on his strong shoulder. This was fine. It was just a long day. Two colleagues, resting. On a beach. With wine.

They sat like that for who knows how long, sitting and listening to the waves. Jordynne’s voice broke the silence.

“Ethan, can I ask you something?” Her voice was soft. She didn’t stir from his shoulder, still resting her head on it — staring out at the water.

“Mhmm,” He agreed, having another sip of his wine.

“Why are you letting me help with Naveen?”

His dark eyebrows furrowed, “What do you mean?”

“I know, I poked my nose into it and stumbled onto it. But that doesn’t mean you wanted me to help. But bringing me to this conference, and with Dolores… I don’t know. There are lots of smart interns.”

“I’ve already told you that you aren’t like the other interns.” He didn’t miss a beat.

“But why? Why do you say that?” She twisted around to face him, “I just… I find it incredibly hard to imagine what you think about me.”

“You want to know what I think of you?” He raised his eyebrow, unsure of how he could answer that question. “You — you are,” He looked at her wide green eyes, gazing at him, waiting. “Very intelligent. And trustworthy. Stubborn as hell.” She let out a laugh at that. “You’re very… patient.”

She scrunched her nose up at him, “Really? You think I’m patient?”

Ethan couldn’t help the warm chuckle that escaped him, “You stick it out with a grumpy old man like me every day. You’d have to be.”

“Hey, you’re not old.” She punched his arm lightly. “Grumpy? Yes.” Taking another sip of her wine, she continued, “I just wonder how I got here, you know? When I thought about my residency… I could have never imagined this.”

“Getting paid to sit on a beach?” He smirked.

“That. And…,” Her eyes glanced down, betraying her for a moment. She looked up at Ethan, chewing her lip nervously, “I just couldn’t have planned any of this happening.”

Ethan’s blue eyes raked her face, trying to read it. He couldn’t get a read on what she was feeling, why she was asking these questions. Before he could say anything else, she went to take another sip of her wine and realized it was empty.

“There’s more in the room.” He offered, gesturing to her empty glass. “They sent up a bottle for us. Anything for Dr. and Mrs. Ramsey apparently.” He said, shaking his head.

A sly smile spread across Jordynne’s face, “It’s Doctor, actually.”

_______________________________________________________________________

The pair sat on the hotel room’s balcony, chairs pulled side by side. The aforementioned bottle of wine sat in between them — half empty by now. Jordynne was still in her dress, but her shoes remained off from their stop at the beach. Her hair was starting to wave from the wind and humidity. Ethan’s jacket was hanging inside, dirty with sand. His bowtie was hanging loose around his neck.

They could hear the crash of waves from the ocean, the moonlight reflecting off of the water’s surface. They were sitting in comfortable silence, admiring the view when Ethan finally spoke up again.

“Naveen always hoped we’d find a way to make the diagnostics team publicly funded… So that no one would need to pay, no matter their insurance or income.”

Jordynne played with her hair nervously, “What will he think of getting Panacea Labs involved?”

He let out a humorless laugh, “He’ll give me the worst chewing out of my life. And I’ll deserve it. I’ve compromised his vision, my ethics…,” Ethan shook his head, “But if he survives this… it’ll all have been worth it.”

Her big green eyes met his, “Do you really believe that?”

“I don’t know. Ten years ago, I was right where you are. A wide-eyed intern, dreaming of what I’d do when I was an attending. I certainly wasn’t dreaming this. But things change. People change.” Ethan stared out to the ocean, watching the waves roll into the sand. “What about you? What kind of doctor do you see yourself being in ten years?”

She chewed on her nail for a moment, “The kind of doctor who could make a difference in patient care.”

He let out a laugh, “More than you do now?”

She shrugged her bare shoulders at him, her voice quiet, “I’m only an intern… I do barely anything now.”

He shook his head in disagreement, “Not true. I’ve seen how hard you work for your patients. Even if they don’t always value it, you do make a difference.”

“But not enough. I helped one uninsured patient receive care, but I can’t find loopholes for everyone.” He watched her chew the inside of her lip, thinking, “The entire system needs to be changed. And I want to be part of it.”

“And I have no doubt you’ll find a way.” He didn’t miss a beat.

She let out a sigh, “It just seems like… the higher I aspire, the more I stand to lose.”

“I — certainly understand that.” Standing up, Ethan moved to the railing, leaning his elbows on it. He clutched his wine glass in both hands, moving his eyes back to the water. “What you saw tonight, that’s not me. I don’t gamble… on anything. I don’t take chances.” Breathing in deep, he continued, “Medicine is an assembly of facts leading to a conclusion. Once you know the rules and understand the diseases you’re working with, the risk should be minimal. Your decisions are informed, and you choose the safest path. But that card game… I’ve never done anything like that before.”

Jordynne got out of her seat, joining him at the railing. She leaned her hip against, facing his side. “I don’t know. It seemed like a pretty well-informed decision to me.”

“Risking Naveen’s treatment on a game? Having to hope I’d judged Declan’s character well enough to risk losing instead of using a winning hand?” He shook his head, his eyebrows furrowing. “There were too many variables. I could have lost everything!”

She grabbed onto his wrist, comforting him, “But you were right. Your risk paid off.”

His blue eyes lingered on her fingers wrapped around his wrist, “It did… and I’m beginning to realize,” He hesitated for a moment, thinking about the chocolate bars she had gifted him, still in the wrappers buried in his desk. You know, it’s okay to treat yourself sometimes. He turned his neck to look up at her. She was radiant in the moonlight — her blonde hair glowing, her skin a little flushed from the wine, her dress cutting into a perfect V. “There are some things that are worth any risk.”

They locked eyes for a moment — their pupils flickered back and forth, studying each other’s faces for a moment. Jordynne reached out tentatively, her soft fingers touching his stubbled cheek.

He blinked at her touch, not really believing it was happening, “Jordynne, I…”

She licked her pink lips shiny, “I know.”

Ethan leaned into her touch, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment. It felt good. No, it felt amazing. Just a simple touch, her cool fingers on his hot cheek. It would be so easy, just to reach out and do the same. He felt his heart starting to climb his throat. The pounding was filling his ears, and his face felt hot. For once, don’t be afraid. Just do it.

His blue eyes snapped open, and he looped a strong arm around her waist, pulling her into him. Without thinking anymore, Ethan crashed his lips onto hers. He heard her take a sharp breath in as he kissed her. She tasted like the wine, and spearmint and honey somehow. Her pink lips were softer than he had imagined.

Ethan didn’t have to wait very long for her to kiss him back. Her lips met his immediately, her hands finding purchase on the lapels of his jacket as she somehow pulled him even closer to her. This was happening. It wasn’t in his head. It was intoxicating — the smell of her perfume, her fingers bunched on his clothes, the feeling of her tongue sliding across his teeth.

She broke away for a moment, a ragged breath escaping her, “Dr. Ramsey, you’re —“

“Ethan.” He corrected her, putting his forehead on hers — He couldn’t not be touching her now, not after that.

“Ethan…,” She said breathlessly, “I’ve been wanting this. For a lot longer than I should admit.”

His eyes lit up in the darkness outside, not believing what he had heard. He moved his head back for a moment — meeting her gaze. “So have I.”

Grabbing onto the tip of her chin, Ethan pulled her back in for another kiss — this time tenderly, gently pulling her lips into his. She parted her lips for him, deepening the kiss. His hands traveled down her waist onto her hips, as her fingers twirled in through his thick hair and down the nape of his neck.

Goosebumps traveled down his skin as her fingers skimmed down the skin of his neck, moving down his chest to the buttons of his shirt. She undid them perfect precision, not breaking their kiss as she worked through them.

“Mmm…” She moaned into his mouth as she moved her hand down his bare chest. He felt his heart stutter as she touched him. Ethan matched her movements, his fingertips brushing over her collarbone, over her breasts and down her ribs and waist.

Ethan broke their kiss for a moment, as his hands lingered on the zipper of her dress — his thoughts getting the better of him for a moment. “What if someone sees us?”

“I don’t care.” She breathed, before pinning him against the railing. “Let them see.” She moved his mouth on hers again, and he eagerly wrapped her back into his arms, holding her tightly — not wanting to let her go.

He finished unzipping her dress, feeling her naked back that he had been looking at in the mirror just a few hours before. He relished the way her skin felt on his — she was so soft and warm.

Grabbing onto the fabric of her dress, he slid it up over her hips — grabbing onto her mostly bare backside. He let out the softest moan, looking down at her long legs and the small lacey panties she was wearing. “Jordynne…”

The kisses turned desperate as they looked down at their naked skin — her bare legs and his bare chest. He wanted this for so long, to know what she would feel like, taste like.

Pulling away, he took a shaky breath — catching his breath. He stared down into her big green eyes, his hands still holding her into him.

His mouth hung open in awe and desire — nothing should be this beautiful. But his eyebrows furrowed as his fingers dug into her more — he wanted her, he needed her — but his thoughts were starting to get the best of him. “What are you doing to me?” He growled, swallowing.

“Hopefully something good.” She moved her bare leg in between his, brushing her thigh up against his crotch, making him gulp again.

“Jordynne, I’ve never done anything like this. Ever. This is—“ He stopped talking as she placed a tan hand on his chest again. She traced it over his muscles before stopping over top of his heart. He wondered if she could feel its hammering beat. As if sensing his thoughts, her other hand grabbed onto his fingers — pulling it up to grab her own chest. She placed it underneath her dress, his fingers resting on the plump flesh of her breast. He could feel her heart thundering just like his. Her mouth spread into a smile as he realized how she felt too.

He swallowed, looking up into her eyes again, “You… feel amazing.”

“Wait ‘till you feel the rest of me,” She smirked, moving his hand so that he was cupping her entire breast.

“Christ,” He groaned, cupping her in his hand. He moved his lips to her neck, kissing the tender skin softly and enlisting a moan from Jordynne. It only made him want to do it more. He continued kissing and sucking at her skin, moving down to her collarbone and the top of her chest.

As his teeth grazed her skin, he felt her shiver. His fingers trailed up her arms, and he noticed the goosebumps that had appeared. He hadn’t realized in their passion that the winds of the ocean had picked up.

“Let’s get you inside.” Ethan rubbed her shoulders for warmth, guiding her but Jordynne took his hand and intertwined his fingers with hers instead drawing him back into the hotel room.

The warm lights in the room caused Ethan‘s eyes to adjust, and he found himself blinking back to reality. Jordynne had pulled away from him, swaying her hips until she sat down on the edge of the bed. Her dress was still pushed up a little — revealing her long tan legs. The shoulder straps were coming down now too — her cleavage threatening to pop out of the thin fabric. She looked up at him from the bed, her green eyes inviting him over to her.

He froze — staring at her. She was mesmerizing. She was everything and more than what he has imagined in his dark bedroom in his lonely apartment.

He couldn’t do this.

It wasn’t his risk to take. It was hers. It would be career suicide for her — if someone found out.

“Ethan?” Her soft voice snapped him back. She was still sitting on the bed, her green eyes batting up at him.

“We… can’t.” He forced the words out of his mouth, “We can’t go further. We’ve already crossed a line.”

She sat up a little straighter on the bed, her eyebrows furrowing, “Did… Did I do something wrong?”

He closed his eyes — hating himself. “Of course not, not in the slightest. You…,” His eyes raked over her confused face, “No, I did. I shouldn’t have let this happen. And it can’t happen again.”

Her pink lips frowned, “What? Why not?” She was covering herself with her arms now, hiding her cleavage with one arm while the other pulled her dress back down.

He started rattling off the reasons he had come up with in his head already, “I’m an attending, and you’re an intern. You’re in the running to join my team. I’d be your boss—“

“So?”

He thought to the surprised look on Harper’s face, that gradually turned suspicious when he announced he was bringing Jordynne with him on this trip. She would know, and she was the Chief of Medicine. What would happen — fire the rookie intern who slept with her boss or the world-renowned diagnostician? He knew the answer. He knew Harper.

He ran his fingers through his thick hair, “It’s unethical. And it’s complicated.”

“Ethan…,” She moved off of the bed, starting to move towards him, “No one would have to know.”

“We would know, Jordynne. We would know,” He gulped, “I need to be able to push you to your limits. To help you become the doctor you want to be. The one I know you can be. I can’t do that if I…”

“If you what?” She had closed the distance between them again, her hand reaching out and trying to grab his wrist, but he moved as she reached out.

Ethan shook his head, angry at himself. “I’m sorry. I should have stopped myself before… We should call it a night. You can take the bed, I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Ethan…” Her voice killed him — he could hear the hurt in her voice. “Please don’t do this.”

“I can’t.” He didn’t even turn to look at her before he walked into the other room. Closing the door softly behind him, he pressed his forehead to it. His eyes closed his face wrinkling in pain. Why did he do that? Why did he have to make it so much harder for himself?

And her. He envisioned the look on her face — how confused and hurt she look, her green eyes wide and pink mouth open as she tried to understand.

His body filled with rage and hatred at himself. Whirling around, he looked around the unfamiliar hotel living room. Grabbing onto a couch cushion, he nailed it with his fist.

His stomach twisted, waiting to see if she would try to follow him. But he couldn’t hear anything — just his heart hammering in his ears.

Glancing around the room, he let out a sigh of relief at the bar cart parked near the couch. Grabbing a tumbler, he poured himself a large scotch and downed it. Anything to drown out his thoughts — just to stop thinking.

_______________________________________________________________________

She wasn’t there when he woke up.

The bed was made perfectly — like no one had slept in it. Her suitcase was tucked neatly at the door, waiting for them to check out.

Ethan could smell her in the bathroom — hints of her showering and getting ready still lingering in the room. Orange blossom shampoo, vanilla perfume. It made him miserable.

Letting out a heavy sigh, he showered and got ready before heading downstairs to find coffee. It was the day of lectures and presentations — the worst part of the conference for him. The last thing he wanted to do was to feign interest in other people’s research.

Heading down to the restaurant serving continental breakfast, he poured himself a cup of coffee and took a hearty swig. It was awful. Grimacing, he swallowed the bitter coffee.

Turning around, his heart crept up in his throat as his eyes landed on Jordynne for the first time that morning.

She looked incredible. She was wearing a professional-looking white dress, that hugged her hips and waist. Her blonde hair pulled into a sleek ponytail, simple jewelry on her neck. He noticed she still had her “ward ring” on — it was shining brightly off of her left hand.

A polite smile was forced on her face, as she stood in her heels listening to an older gentleman. She was hugging her cup of coffee to her chest. Ethan knee she probably hated the beverage as much as he did.

“Dr. Ramsey! Well, I’ll be!” The old man croaked, putting out his hand.

“Dr. Lynn,” He shook the doctor’s hand. “Dr. Holland,” he tried his best to keep his face neutral, nodding to her as a greeting.

Her smile faltered before she put the mask back on and returned the nod.

“So, tell me how is Dr. Banerji? Someone told me he retired.”

Ethan froze — his jaw clenched. He hadn’t planned on that — people asking him about Naveen. Nodding his head, he moved his mug in front of his face to hide the lie, “Retired and loving it.”

“I won’t be far behind.” The old man chuckled, before turning his attention back to Jordynne. “But, I was just telling young Dr. Holland here that Edenbrook better hold onto her. I don’t meet many interns like her at conventions like this!”

“I agree, Dr. Lynn.” Ethan swallowed, “She’s an incredible doctor.”

Jordynne’s green eyes flickered to Ethan’s, her lips pursing together.

“Well, if you ever want a change of scenery you should come see us in New York.” Dr. Lynn handed her his card, before shaking her hand.

“Thank you,” she said politely, tucking the card into the notebook under her arm.

The man said goodbye to the pair of them, leaving them alone near the coffee station.

Despite having already downed a cup of coffee, Ethan’s mouth suddenly felt dry. Jordynne was avoiding his eyes now, standing awkwardly.

“I’m—“ he opened his mouth, but she spoke faster.

“I’m going to go find a seat, in the conference hall.” She put down her coffee cup, clutching her notebook to her chest. “See you in there.”

He watched her walk away, strutting easily in her heels, her hips swaying a bit. His dark brows furrowed as he watched one of the doctors hitting on her from the previous night fall into pace with her.

Grinding his molars together, he stood there for a moment, before falling in behind them. He had made it clear — to her and himself. It couldn’t happen again. But his head was still swirling, his stomach tightening with the familiar feeling of want.

He was her silent shadow for the day — letting her take the lead in the majority of conversations when doctors or big pharma executives approached. She was great during the presentations — taking detailed notes, asking insightful questions. She was a natural — much better at all of this than he was.

She even dug into Naveen’s case a little — asking vague questions to other Doctors, seeing how they would investigate. She was also presented with several other business cards — other hospitals who were interested in speaking with her if she ever wanted a ‘change of scenery'.

Ethan knew it was the correct thing to do, to stop it where he had — right? He couldn’t take back kissing her, but at least he didn’t let it go any farther. It was the right thing to do, but it wasn’t easy. Every time he looked at her now his mind didn’t wander — wondering how soft her skin was, or what her lips would feel like. He knew now. God, did he know. And it was killing him. There wasn’t enough scotch in the world to make him forget what it had felt like — holding her to him, his lips on hers, her fingers twined in his hair.

Stop. It.

He thought to himself, curling his fingers into a fist so tight half-moons printed on his skin from his nails.

This is how it had to be. To protect her, and her career. Ethan has perfected misery before — he was certain he could learn to live with it again.

_______________________________________________________________________

Jordynne approached the flight attendant standing at the desk for their gate. Her voice was low for a moment, so he couldn’t hear her at first. Ethan strained his ear, trying to make out what she was saying.

“It doesn’t have to be a first class seat. Any seat really, if I could just —“

“I’m really sorry ma’am. But the flight is sold out, and I can’t change seats anymore.”

A flash of hurt crossed Ethan’s face. Now she didn’t even want to sit next to him?

Standing up, he met her at the desk and grabbed onto her elbow. Politely smiling at the attendant, he pulled Jordynne away with him, standing near the windows that looked out into the tarmac.

She wouldn’t meet his eye.

“Do not make me sit on this plane by myself, Rookie.” Realizing he was still holding onto her elbow, he quickly let go. “Please.” He added, his voice barely a whisper.

She drew her pink lip into her mouth, chewing it, “Okay.” She said quietly.

And she did. Her legs were pulled to her chest this time, leaving no chance of them accidentally touching. She had her neck strained, staring out the oval window at the fluffy white clouds.

He got what she wanted — at least she was sitting next to him. They hadn’t said anything, sitting in silence for the majority of the flight. Ines and Zaid were on the same flight with them this time — sitting a few rows ahead of them, nursing drinks.

Ethan wished it could go back to before. When there was just stolen glances to each other, the little sparks when they would brush hands that electrified his day. He hoped that they could work past it — for her sake, and Naveen’s. He needed to keep mentoring her — this conference proved how good she could be. And he would be helpless without her on Naveen’s case.

He just needed to go back to how he was before — before the shared scotches and wine bottles, before falling asleep on the same couch in the NICU, before stealing her away for “experiments”. No more dinners, or espresso romanos. That’s just what he had to do.

Maybe she would just find someone else. Then it wouldn’t matter. His misery, he could contend with. But hers? It was killing him — her silence, the seemingly permanent furrow in her brow, how she avoided his eye. If she found someone else then maybe their work relationship could stand a chance. He thought to the surgical intern, Lahela. Whatever that was between them, it could grow. Ethan swallowed down the bile that formed in his mouth as he thought of them together — dating, falling in love…

What if she moved? What if she left Edenbrook? She had received enough interest at the conference from several senior Attendings. He felt his heart start to rise in his throat, at the thought of her leaving. Could he do that — drive her away so much that she would move to another hospital?

“Would you move to New York?” He blurted out, unable to stop his panicked thoughts.

She turned her head to him, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “What?”

“Would you take Dr. Lynn’s offer? Leave Edenbrook?” He gulped, “Or anywhere else.”

Her lips twitched, “Boston is my home now. If Edenbrook wants me, that’s where I’ll be.”

He tried to hide his sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing for a moment. But he tensed up again as she spoke again.

“It’s gonna take a lot more than you rejecting me for me to want to move to a different state, Dr. Ramsey.” Her voice was a harsh whisper.

He swallowed, his stomach twisting with guilt, “I didn’t reject you. I — we — we just couldn’t.”

“But the thing is — we were and we can. But you get so wrapped up in that head of yours…” Her voice trailed off, and she starting picking at her nails.

Ethan didn’t know what to say — his mouth opening and closing as he thought.

Jordynne shoulders slumped at his silence, and she returned to looking out the window. But this time she put in headphones. She wouldn’t look at him, listen to him, or touch him — tucked into the corner of the large leather seat, staying as far away from him as she could.

The rest of the flight was brutally quiet. Ethan sat looking forward — straining his neck so straight so he wouldn’t dare glimpse at her. They didn’t make a sound to each other as they got off the plane, or grabbed their bags. They exchanged pleasantries with Ines and Zaid at the exit to the airport, before they walked out into the Boston streets.

It was a gloomy day — the dark clouds overhead threatening to rain at any moment. Ethan fumbled in his bags for his car keys, his suitcase at his side. When he heard the sounds of rolling wheels, he turned to see Jordynne stalking off towards the subway — dragging her suitcase behind.

“Rookie!” Ethan called after her, grabbing the handle of his suitcase and following after her. When he caught up to her, she flashed him a look but kept marching forward. “At least let me drive you home.”

“I have a shift, I’m going to the hospital.”

“Okay. Then let me drive you to the hospital.” He offered.

“No thanks, Dr. Ramsey.” The words were pleasant enough, but her tone wasn’t. She reached the tops of the steps leading down to the subway. Picking up her suitcase awkwardly in her arms, she started down the stairs without a backward glance.

Ethan stood at the top of the stairs, watching her blonde ponytail swing with her movement until she disappeared at the bottom around the corner. Reaching up to his face, he grabbed the bridge of his nose and pinched it.

“Fuck,” He growled to himself, before angrily grabbing his suitcase and stalking off in the opposite direction.

Part Twelve

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thebrotherscupheadandmugman · 6 years

Text

Floral Fury! With Cagney Carnation!

Before you read: This is a rewriting of the main game Cuphead. Characters, certain dialogue, music, and locations obviously do not belong to me. This is best read with the OST playing over it. And before you start reading, remember that anything on this blog that is tagged as “Word on the Wind” can be reblogged and shared! That being said, enjoy!

Blogs with Cagney Carnation as a muse: @twocupsandacontract @txtaldomination

Today's episode opens up in a meadow positively blooming with wildflowers. Daisies, lavenders, carnations, lilies, and golden rods filled the plain in abundance, reaching from the edge of the forest all the way to the end of the cliff, where Isle One met the ocean between itself and Isle Two.

Many, many years ago, a gentle breeze blew across the flowers, the wind lovingly and gently growing hands to gather fistfuls of pollen before giving them a good sniff. The wind truly loved the fresh scent of wildflowers in the morning, even if the poor thing had a terrible case of hay fever. After dramatic huff and then a puff, the wind sneezed, scattering and spreading the pollen across the meadow. Ah, the joy and wonder of spring. Truly, this was peace.

Suddenly, two young boys, different from our heroes, ran into the meadow, frolicking and playing in the flower field. The boys were roughhousing and play-fighting with each other, and knowingly or not, they were crushing and trampling the wildflowers as they did, until the younger of the two grew tired, and flopped over on his back next to the other as he panted and laughed, crushing more flowers as he did so. After a few moments, that same kid caught sight of what had to be the world's most beautiful flower. “Woah! Hey, look at that!!” He pointed. “Wowza! It's huge!” “What kind of flower is it do ya think?” “I dunno. I'm not as good as Mom.” “Ooh! Mom would love it! We should take it back to her!” “You're right! We could make it into a corsage, just like she taught us!” “Yeah! Let's take it!” The two boys smiled before reaching out a hand and plucked the flower from the earth, then left the meadow, abandoning the destruction they caused. What flowers that weren't crushed were drooping in sadness, almost as if they knew that they had been powerless to do anything to prevent this.

“Oh my! What a beautiful carnation!” Mother exclaimed, turning over the home-made corsage in her hands. “Happy Mother's day, Mom!” The two boys beamed. “Oh, thank you boys! It'll match perfectly with my outfit for tonight! You're such thoughtful boys!” “We made it ourselves!” “It's too perfect to sell in the shop! Thank you both. I love it!” Mother cooed, bending down to hug her children.

Later that night, Mother and Father had gone to the Devil's Casino, and unfortunately had pushed their luck too far, and lost everything. The Devil sat in his throne room, counting the valuables he and King Dice had managed to swindle that day. It was almost hilarious what some people would bet in desperation to win back what they lost. Engagement rings, racing horses, broaches...their souls. How amusing for the Devil. However, the Devil sensed a strong aura of...anger. Anger, hate, resentment, but most importantly, a thirst for vengeance. His attention was directed to a poorly made corsage in his pile of winnings- specifically the flower it was made with.

The poor, pitiful pansy was the source of all these delicious emotions, and the Devil knew just what to do with it.

“Well, what do we have here?” He cackled lowly, putting out the cigar in his mouth so as to not burn the flower. “A poor, angry soul wanting revenge? Could it be for the woman who bet you away? Or is it maybe for whoever turned you into such an ugly, childish accessory?” The Devil sneered. “I bet you used to be beautiful. A vibrant flower that once stood tall with pride, basking in the glorious sunlight, eh?” It almost seemed like the carnation perked up at that, as if there were some truth to those words. “But not anymore. Now the only thing you feel is a lust for justice.” The carnation's leaves crossed over each other, resembling crossed arms. “I can help you with that.” The Devil offered, positive he had the soul's attention. “I can make you strong. Strong enough to defeat any foe. Strong enough to stop any fink from walking all over you. Strong enough...to get the justice you want and deserve...” He suggested with a toothy grin. With the snap of his clawed fingers, a contract appeared next to the Devil. “Just sign this, and all that is yours.” He set the flower down next to the inkwell and quill. “Although...perhaps we should give you a name for you to sign. That is the only way I can allow this to work.” The flower picked up the quill with both of its leaves, and scribbled something down on a spare sheet of paper that happened to be on the desk as well. The Devil read what he wrote and smirked with a low chuckle. “Alright then.” He snapped his fingers again, and the contract changed. He grabbed it from the air, and set it on the desk for the other to sign. “From this day forward, you will be known as 'Cagney Carnation'. And you will be the strongest flower in all of Inkwell Isle.” Cagney dipped the quill back into the inkwell, letting the excess ink drip off into the bottle as he signed. “Excellent...” The Devil cackled lowly before snapping his fingers. The flower suddenly doubled over in pain as the Devil used black magic to fling him away from his desk and on the floor. He watched as the other began to grow in size and mass, becoming bigger, badder, stronger, yet still so beautiful. “Now go, Cagney. Go out and get your revenge.” He grinned as he admired his own handy work. Once the plant was finished transforming, he nodded and left. “I'll be back to collect what's mine afterwards.” The Devil cackled once more as Cagney left, taking his Soul Contract with him.

“Cuphead, this is a bad idea...” Mugman said, tugging his straw down to his mouth. “Waddya talkin' about Mugsy? Where's your sense of adventure?!” Cuphead asked, turning around to face his older brother. “Hey! Leave yer straw alone! Don't start chewin' it already, okay?” Mugman let go of his straw, letting it slide back to it's usual spot in his head. “I wasn't gonna- that's not important! I don't think we have time to be snooping around in there!” “Look, I'm tellin' ya, Mug! I heard somethin' in there!” “That's not comforting!!” Mugs whined, already getting worked up at the thought of his brother going inside that stone graveyard. “The only things in a mausoleum are graves, ghosts, and spiders! A-and only one of those would be able to make noise!” “No, those are the only things that are supposed to be in a mausoleum.” Cuphead turned back to face the mausoleum, the old building towering over the boys seemed to almost be haunting for Mugman. Cups didn't seemed to be too bothered by it however. “Who's to say someone didn't wander in and get lost?” The younger turned back to face Mugs. “And what if it's some grave robber or somethin'? Someone's gotta teach 'em a lesson!” “How about you learn your lesson first? Seriously, Cuphead! We're on a time limit! We shouldn't waste it messing around in a grave yard!” “Investigating! Not just messin' around! And besides! Dontchya wanna test out that new weapon you got at Porkrind's?” Mugs opened his mouth to counter-argue but was cut off before he could say anything. “Would you two mind taking this elsewhere?! You're spookin' the fish!” “Look Mug, I'm goin' in. I gotta figure out what made that noise.” Cup said before marching inside the mausoleum. “Ugh! Fine! If you wanna go in, suit yourself! But I'm staying out here where it's safe!” Mugman huffed, causing the milk in his head to bubble as he turned his back towards Cuphead with crossed arms.

A few moments passed, and Mugman had already began to fidget anxiously. What if something happened to Cuphead while he was in there? It didn't take very long at all before he began to tap his foot on the ground. He glanced over his shoulder, back at the entrance, the haunting aura got him to start biting his lip. He let out a soft whine as he started pacing in place for a moment or two, before Mug finally gave in and rushed in after his brother. “Cuphead, wait up!!”

The brothers roamed the halls of the mausoleum listening very carefully to the sounds around them. Well, rather Cuphead was, Mugman was too busy staying as close behind his brother as he could, both of his white, gloved hands clamping down onto his little brother's shoulders. The poor boy was frightened beyond belief, and before long he was trembling with fear, causing his ceramic body to make quiet klinking noises. “Mug, stop shakin' so much! I can't hear anything but you!” Cuphead hushed. “W-w-well th-then w-we should just g-g-get going! Th-this place is g-givin' m-me th-the h-h-heebie-jeebies!” Cup suddenly turned his head in the direction of a room not too far away. “Wait, didja hear that?” “D-d-does it matter?! Th-the only things in here are spooks, spiders, and skeletons! Let's just go, o-okay?!” Mugman begged, trying to pull his brother back outside. “No wait, I think I heard someone say help!” Cuphead justified, moving closer. Mugman paused for a moment to listen closely.

For a while, he heard nothing, but after a moment both the boys heard something different. “Help!” Cup heard. “Get lost! You hear me?! This tomb is only for the eerie!” Mugs began to whimper and whine as he continued to tug his brother's arm in an attempt to get out. “Mug, we can't leave now! Someone actually needs our help! Gramps would want us to help 'em any way we could!” Cuphead quickly dashed off towards the voice. “C-C-Cuphead!! D-d-don't l-l-leave me!!” His brother cried, scrambling after him.

“Help!” A female voice cried from inside the room, even Mugman was able to hear it after the two ran in. The only light that could be seen filtered in from a stain-glassed window, and in the dead center of the room lied a stone altar with a stone urn on top to match. “Cuphead, you weren't kidding! It sounds like it's coming from inside the urn.” Mugman rushed over to the altar, and put his hands on the vase. He didn't quite want to open it, seeing as it'd be rather disrespectful to whoever's ashes were inside, but if someone was trapped inside, surely that'd justify his actions? “Are ya trapped in that?” Cup asked, pointing to the stone pot. “Is someone there? Oh goodness me, please help me out of here! Hurry! Before they come back!” “Before wh-who comes back, exactly?” Mugman asked as he tried to pull the lid off, but it wouldn't move, so he jumped up on the sacred stone table for a better reach.

Suddenly, organ music began to play, and the boys scanned the room for the source before they started to hear voices. “Woooooo!” “Wuh-oh...” “Wh-what was that?!” Mugman stammered. “It's too late, I'm afraid! Here comes a spooky bunch!” The woman informed as two pink ghosts floated down towards the urn. “Ahh! A ghost!!” “Please, I beg of you! Don't let the Specter Syndicate reach the urn before I'm freed! Keep them away by any means necessary!” Mugman began to pull desperately on the top, but it refused to budge. “Cuphead, do something!!” Cuphead began to shoot, but the bullets simply phased right through the spirit. “They're immune ta bullets?!” “They're getting closer!!” Mug warned desperately. “What am I supposed to do?!” “They're pink! Try slapping them before they get any closer, Cuuuups!!” Mugman spoke very quickly out of fear, huddling closer to the stubborn urn to try and get away from the spooks. Cuphead's straw popped out to form an exclamation point in realization, and he rushed closer to the ghosts and jumped up. The end of his straw closed up and formed a gloved hand as he parry slapped one of the ghosts and bounced off to parry the other. Mugs pried one eye open to look as Cuphead successfully defeated the two specters. “Whew.” Before the boys could rest, another pink apparition began to soar down towards them once again. “It's back!!” “You get that thing open! I'll keep them off ya!!” “G-got it!” Mugman nodded, going back to his attempts to pry off the lid of the urn as Cuphead parried the new ghost.

Two more chased after them. Then two more. Then three. Cuphead managed to parry them all with ease, but couldn't help but grow impatient. “C'mon, Mugs!” “I-I'm trying! I-it won't come off!” Cuphead parried yet another ghost. “Well try something else!” Two more ghosts revealed themselves, and Cuphead jumped up to take them out. Mugman looked around for something to use and spotted a chunk of stone on the ground that must have fallen off the altar years ago. He took his straw out of his head and pushed it closer to himself so he could reach it, then placed it between the lid and the urn. “Let's try this.” Cuphead continued to parry slap the ghosts, as two more appeared before them. “Mugs?!” “Hang on!” Mugman wiggled the stone back and forth to try to open the vase. Cuphead parried two more ghosts as one wearing a hat drew closer to Mugman and the urn without them noticing, up until Mug could hear its laughter right above him. “Ah! C-Cuphead!!” The younger turned around and hurled himself on top of the altar, jumped up, and just barely managed to parry the spirit before it got too close, it's hat falling into Mugman's head with a splash! “Ugh, it fell in my head!” “Fish it out later! Get that thing open before we're overrun!” Mugman nodded and continued to use the rock to pry the vase open. “Come on...” Cuphead slapped another ghost out of existence. “Come on!” Snap! The stone suddenly broke in two. “Son of a gun!” Another spirit was parried, and Mugman began to pull and tug at the lid once more with his hands. “I almost got it!!” “I will not let you open that magic urn! I am the ghost of the- aahh!” Cuphead parried the ghost before he could finish, and before anymore could appear, the lid finally popped off and sent Mugman tumbling onto his back. “Oof!”

A glowing, blue spectral orb came out from the urn, before gliding about two feet to the right of the alter Mug was on. The orb slowly began to shift and change to form a ghostly grail. The spirit appeared as a female, two-handled golden cup with a golden straw halo, faded red lipstick, and a beauty mark under her right eye, and unlike the pink spooks from before, her spectral body was a light blue. “Gosh, I don't know how to thank you boys for saving me!” She appraised. “Aw shucks, it was nothing!” Cuphead boasted, getting a glare from his older brother. “Ah! Where are my manners? I didn't even introduce myself!” The ghost realized. “I am known as the Legendary Chalice, pleased to meet you.” “Likewise, Miss Legendary Chalice.” Mugman replied politely, raising a giggle out of the spirit. “You can call me Chalice if you'd like.” “Um, okay, but if you, uh, don't mind me asking, how did you get trapped in there?” “Yeah, can't ghosts walk through walls and stuff?” Cuphead asked boldly. “Cup! Don't be rude!” “Oh, goodness me, I don't mind! I was searching for magic and got trapped by those ghosts! Speaking of which...” Chalice reached inside the urn and withdrew two coin-like medals from within. “Please accept this gift,” she handed the medals over to the cups, “it should help!” “What is it?” Mug asked, examining the coin as he turned it over in his fingers. The medal looked absolutely ancient, with a faded emblem of some kind that seemed to be a shield with some sort of top-hat-like lid, and two ovals both upper sides of the shield. There was some sort of banner near the bottom of the shield, and it was evident that something was supposed to be written on it, but most of the words had lost the fight against erosion. He flipped it over again, noticing how the other side was simply 'I,' which he recognized as the Roman Numeral one. “It's a magical Super Art that will give you the most remarkable magical abilities! It connects magic to your souls, and when your Super Meter is filled, and your soul is pushed to its limit, a magical attack can be unleashed, at least if this is the one I'm thinking of. Put it in your heads to be able to actually use it, but when the time comes, you'll know exactly just what to do!” “Woah, neat!!” Cuphead gasped. “Wait, there's more of them?” “Oh, yes! Many more throughout Inkwell Isle. Legends say they're commonly buried with the deceased. Speaking of...” Chalice looked to the side, seemingly lost in thought. “There are other Mausoleums around Inkwell Isle, I just wonder...”

Mugman glanced at his watch, quickly remembering what they were supposed to be doing. “Oh good gosh! We'd better get going, we're in a bit of a hurry. It was nice meeting you Chalice! Take care!” Mugs pardoned, ushering his little brother out of the tomb. “Likewise! May we meet again!” “Let's hope it ain't under th'same circumstances!” Cuphead called out.

The brothers walked a distance away from the Mausoleum before they started talking about their next move so that the fish lady from earlier wouldn't get mad at them again. “Where to next?” Cup asked, stretching his arms behind his head. “I'm reading.” Mugs huffed, annoyed by his brother's impatience. “We have Psycarrot's, got Moe's, Hilda Burg-!” Mug's eyes widened as he read the next name to himself, jolting out of pure shock, as his straw popped out of his head would indicate. He slowly looked over to his brother, an almost pained expression on his face. “What?” “Cagney's on here.” Cuphead's eyes widened, his confident and relaxed stance became much less relaxed within an instant. “Carnation?” “Do you know any other Cagney's?!” The brothers knew who Cagney Carnation was. Long before they met him, in fact.

At school, everyone had warned about the wrath of Old Man Cagney, and how dangerous and violent the flower was. Whispers on the playground always dictated that he once killed a boy who wandered into his meadow, and other rumors say he once ate a girl before...But the boys always knew those were just stories. Well, perhaps not always. When the boys were first staring to walk to and from school by themselves, Cuphead had wandered to Cagney's meadow after growing bored waiting for Mugman. Once Mugman found him, he had been sitting outside of the small, yet ever-growing flower patch, simply talking to the friendly flower. After Mug had retrieved his baby brother, and realized he had no clue how to get back home from there, it was Cagney that clued him in on a shortcut that'd get them home quicker than they'd ever would had they taken the route Elder Kettle taught them. Ever since then, the boys had seen Cagney on the way to school every morning, and on the way home every afternoon. They never talked much, but they'd always seen and waved to each other in passing.

But now their friend was a debtor. Someone they had to fight. This was more than just a name they had to confront, this was someone they knew and saw frequently! The brothers looked at each other, saddened by the inevitable battle ahead. “Well,” Mugman started, trying to find some shred of optimism in this whole scenario, “at least we know where to find him.” “Yeah...Let's get goin' then.”

The brothers approached the flower from behind, careful not to step on his well cared for garden. They could see the sweet-looking flower bent over, tending to one of the flowers with love and great care. He was unaware of their presence. Mug clasped onto his right forearm nervously as the boys looked at each other. Cuphead was more than ready to fight if he had to, but he knew Mugman didn't want to fight in the slightest. He was going to try and solve this peacefully, for his brother's sake. “Ahem,” Cuphead cleared his throat to get Cagney's attention. “Huh?” Cagney turned around, revealing his sweet and gentle face with orange blush that matched his pedals and stood out on his yellow face. “Oh! Boys! Odd to see you on a Saturday.” “Hey, Cagney.” Cuphead waved with a convincing smile. “What brings you two out here? You don't usually go outta your way to talk to little ole me!” “We actually did just wanna talk to ya this time. We haven't really talked much since the day we met.” So far so good. “Aw, really? That's mighty sweet of ya, fellas! Lemme get something for you guys to stand on so you don't hurt the flowers.” Cagney smiled, and with a wave of his left leaf, three toadstool-patterned platforms propelled themselves above the garden. “What did you wanna talk about?” Mugman looked over at his younger brother nervously again. There was no way around getting the other's contract, and thanks to their little field trip, they didn't have the time to be beating around the bush. “Um...” “Uh, it's um...” Mugman tried, but how could he bring this up delicately? Cagney noticed the look of distress that the brothers shared, “Is something bothering you?” He asked. “We...need...” “There's no easy way to say it. And you might not believe us if we were to just ask ya.” Cuphead pulled out the Devil's parchment from his pocket, and unrolled the list as far as he had to, just so the carnation could see his own name on the list. “We need your Soul Contract.” Cagney looked on in horror, staring at his name on the list titled 'Debtors' in the Devil's handwriting. Cagney knew it wasn't a joke. “I...Well...one thing's for certain. I'm not going down without a fight!” “Cagney, please, we don't want to fight you!” Mugs begged. “This is my very soul we're talking about! Without it, I can't protect them!! I can't do anything! Without it, the only thing I have is Hellfire!! You think I'm just gonna give that to ya?! No!!” “Wait, Cagney, we need that contract! The Devil will come after us if we don't get it!” “Well then, if it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you've got!!” Cagney grabbed his chin, and pulled, voice dropping low as he let out a loud growl, sticking his tongue out and flecking slobber at the boys.

In that instant, Cagney's leaves turned to hands, his stem formed thorns, and his large, sharp, pointed nose grew longer as his blush disappeared, and his eyes grew as wide as the menacing smile on his face as he glared down at the boys. His arms circled down to cover his stem, defensively changing positions as he moved them up and down. Cuphead looked back at Mugman for a moment, sorry that he couldn't convince the flower otherwise, but he turned back around to face Cagney when he heard the sound of a squeaky handle turning, followed by some sort of rapid-fire gun. Cagney's head had morphed to resemble a Gatling Gun and shortly after, blue, pink, and purple seeds fell down from above. “Mug, jump up!!” The brothers hopped atop the toadstool-like platforms, avoiding the seeds that simply landed in the dirt below. “Ha! Ya missed!” Suddenly, vines sprouted up from below, releasing various versions of Toothy Terrors. Some flew towards them, while another threatened them from below, but the most notable one was the orange-spotted one that hovered above them, spitting out seeds from its mouth. “I don't think he was aiming for us, Cup!!” Mugman screamed, focusing so much on dodging that he forgot to actually shoot. Cuphead on the other end, didn't waste much time, and with a snap snap snap, he fired his magic blue bullets at Cagney. Mugs had been moving around so much that it hadn't taken him long to take one misstep right off the platform, and back onto the ground. “Ouch!” “Careful! Don't hurt them!!” Cagney snarled, moving back as his petals curled in to conceal his face before his arms and face lunged out, stretching as far as Mugman was on the ground. “Gyah!” Mugs rolled backwards as he was whacked by the flower. “I-I'm sorry, no need to bark at me!!” Cagney moved back, turning into a Gatling Gun once again to plant more seeds to fight them with. This time Cup noticed they shot out from his nose, “Eww! Snot seeds!!” Mugman quickly rolled over to get away from the attacks, climbing back to his feet as he quickly assessed the situation. He jumped up onto the second platform in front his brother, and began firing at the orange flying flower above them.

However, with his new weapon equipped, the green bullet just barely missed what he was aiming for, and circled down, hitting the black toothy terror on the ground below. “What was that?!” “Right, I forgot I bought the Roundabouts!” “Wuh-oh!” Cuphead pointed back to their opponent, who'd was ready again to lunge out at them. “Get down!!” The brothers jumped down onto the ground, but Mugman continued to fire up, watching as Cagney just barely missed them, only to be hit by the circling green bullets again. “Ouch! That actually hurt you little--” “Cagney, why are you attacking us?!” Mugman tried, playing the innocent card in the hopes that Cagney would stop fighting. “Why?! Call it discipline!” Well that response certainly caused Mugman to drop the act, utterly confused. “Discipline? Why?” “I dunno? Ya needed it?!” The flower shouted with a shrug, before suddenly clapping his hands shut, as if he were about to perform a magic trick. The brothers hopped back onto the platforms, mostly just to see what Cagney was trying to do, but once Cagney opened his leafy hands, a white and blue sycamore seed flew out at Cuphead and Mugman. “Jump!” Cuphead called, thankfully just in time for his brother to react and dodge. Cagney clasped his hands shut again, and upon opening them this time, he sent three acorns flying out at them. “Fools who attempt to fight this will leave with allergic rhinitis!” “Aah!!” Mugman began firing rapidly, facing away from Cagney as he focused more on dodging, all while his green bullets circled about and hit Cagney. “Ouch! Ow! Ow! Raaagh!!” Cagney growled before pulling his pedals in frustration, then he shoved his hands into the dirt as he began to change once again, his stem growing more vine-like, and his whole being growing larger with the help of the rich soil he absorbed through his leaves. His nose grew longer, his eyes grew larger, and more maniacal as he bared his now sharp and jagged teeth. “Ahahahahahaha!! Where ya going, Mugman?! Trying to leaf already?! Hahahahaha!! Ahahahahahah!! Don't make me out to be the root of this battle!! Hehehehehahaha!!” Cagney's vines covered the ground below before wrapping up and around the farthest platform that Mug had been jumping to. “Ahh!!” Mug kicked himself away from the vine, back-flipping onto the middle platform. “Uh, C-C-Cuphead?!” The brothers stood, back to back, both firing at Cagney as much as they could, Mugman using the green Roundabout bullets to hit him without even facing him. “You're the smart one!!” “I-I know, lemme think!! Um, I'll focus on what's behind us! You-” “Look out!!” Cuphead jumped up, but Mugman turned around for a second before getting hit in the chest by a white dandelion. “Ahh!” Mug started to fall forward, but Cuphead landed just in time to grab him by his arm, keeping his older brother from falling onto their friend's prickly vines, spilling the milk inside his head just a bit. “Ahahahah!! Extreme pollination and total domination! Hahahah! Ahahahaha!!” Cuphead pulled his brother up, and Mugs quickly noticed that vines surrounded the platform at their feet, threatening to engulf it and ensnare the brothers where they stood. “Move, Cuppy, move!!” Mugman dashed off and onto the next platform, using the Smoke Bomb just for good measure. Cuphead however, wasn't quite able to react quick enough, and within seconds the boy was completely entangled in thorny vines. “Ah!” Cuphead tried to fight his way out, but the vines only pressed tighter forcing the thorns through his shirt, and into his porcelain flesh. “Ugh!! Ouch, stop tha-ow ow!!” Cuphead tried to fight through the pain, pointing his finger past his brother, who'd already been watching in horror as his trapped baby brother struggled, and straight at Cagney. A stray vine latched onto Cuphead's forearm and forced it back. “M-Mug! Do s-something! I-I can- ow!!” “C-Cuphead!!” “Aww, what's wrong, boy?! Is someone at school being a real thorn in your side?! Ahahahaha!!” “Mug! T-take him down! Worry about me la-ow!! Later!!” Mugman turned around to face Cagney, his legs shaking like jelly underneath the rest of him. He hadn't even realized he'd begun to chew on his straw out of nerves. “C-C-Cagney, please!! W-we don't wanna hurt anyone!!” “You're only saying that, because you're a scared, little, pansy!!” That seemed to strike a nerve for Mugman. “I-I am not a pansy!!” “M-Mugs, please! J-just fight him back!! Aahh!!” “Cry out all you want, you sinner!! He's not gonna do anything, because he's far too much of a pansy!!” “I am not a pansy!!” Mugman suddenly gained his nerve, and took a large gulp of the milk from his head through his straw before he took a deep breath and released an Ex Move. A green ball shot out at the carnation, soaring until it hit him once, then came back towards Mugman. “Woah!!” Mugman jumped over the orb, letting the bullet sail under him, then back over to hit Cagney. “Ah!” Like a boomerang, the shot hurdled back towards the older brother, Mugman jumped up to avoid it once again, then again so it would hit Cagney until he finally loosened his grip on his little brother. “Cuphead!!” Mugman jumped over to his baby brother, trying to make sure he hadn't gotten hurt. “Are you okay?” “I'm fine, I'm fine!” The brothers looked back at Cagney, “Just give it up now, Cagney!” “Raaaahhh! Give up?! You want me to just roll over and give up?! I have been working for decades trying to regain what was lost, and I will not! Let two! More! Stupid! Brats! Ruin all of it again! I won't let anyone hurt them again! I won't, I won't, I won't! Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!” “Man, what is with this guy?” “Now's not the time for one-liners, Cuphead!!” “You gotta plan?” “I think. Do you have a Super built?” “Yeah?” “Then I'll distract him!” Mugman stood up once again, “Hey, Cagney!!” He pulled down the lower lid of his eye, giving the carnation a dirty look before blowing a raspberry. “Ppppttbhthtbthbt!!” “Why you little blue brat!!” Cagney spat out another dandelion at the brother, Mugman dashing off to the third platform as he shot his green bullets. Cuphead dug out the coin from the depths of his right pocket that Chalice had given him earlier. In once swift motion, he flipped the coin with his thumb, catching it in his head, and he could suddenly feel a great power building inside him from the soul out. “Woo!!” It was almost as if instinct took over, Cuphead stood tall, facing the enemy head on. A wide, confident smirk grew over his face, before he suddenly jumped up, pointing his head towards Cagney. “Fear the taste of milk, you weed!!” The milk in the cup's head suddenly launched out with a mighty blast, putting the hurt on the large flower. “Urrgh, aaahh! Urrraaaahhh!!” Cagney screamed in pain, facing the sky as his eyes went hollow. “Cagney!!” Mugman called, fearing they killed him by mistake. As the brothers ran up to the carnation, he fell back against the tree he was in front of. He took a few moments to breathe, then closed his eyes. “Cagney, no! Please!!” The carnation opened his eyes once again, allowing them to return to normal as he shrank back to the size he first transformed into. “Ugh...fine...fine you win...” The flower reached into his mouth and pulled out the Soul Contract he made all those years ago. Mugman grabbed it from him, checked the seal, then shoved it into his back pocket. “We're really sorry Cagney...” Mugman apologized. “I am too...you boys...don't want to do this...am I right?” The brothers nodded. “Figured...I shouldn't have lost my temper...I just....I hope things go better for you than they are for me...I'll miss you boys.” Mugman couldn't help but tear up. “We'll miss you too, Cagney...” Cuphead nodded, grabbing his brother and moving on before he started crying.

Cagney watched as the cup kids left, before turning up to look at the sky with a sigh. As a yellow carnation, he sure lived up to his representation...disappointment. He failed to protect them, and when he tried to make it right, he made everything worse, then when he promised that nothing would ever harm his family again, he lost the only thing that kept them from harms way...to a couple of kids...Cagney watched the clouds as a tear rolled down his face before everything faded to black.

“I'm sorry...”

#Cuphead and Mugman: Don't Deal with the Devil #Word on the Wind! {Rebloggable Content}#Cuphead #Mugman #Floral Fury #Cagney Carnation #Drabble #Mausoleum I #Rewriting

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