#˚ ᜔ ࣪ ✧ . You tiptoed round everyone who cares .┊PSA

[sincerelyella]

Darlin’ (Ethan x f!MC)

Book: Open Heart (AU)

Pairings: Ethan x MC (Ella)

Song Inspiration: Darlin’ by The Beach Boys

Characters belong to Pixelberry; MC Ella Dela Cruz belongs to me

A/N: It’s my darling @aestheticartsx​​‘s birthday, and I know you didn’t want a big fuss or anything, but you’re an amazing person and friend. You support everyone and you have the biggest heart. I wanted to write this little fluff piece just for you ❤️ love you tons!

Warnings: Just pure fluff

The moodboard of Ethan and Ella was made by the birthday girl and I want to thank her for all her beautiful aesthetics

PSA -> today is not her birthday, I am just moving over all my writing from my old blog.

Words: 1592

Ethan Ramsey had an earworm. He found himself going about his day, seeing his patients and humming a melody that had popped into his head since he opened his eyes this morning. As he approached the nurses at the nurse’s station singing under his breath, Danny reached out to take the charts in Ethan’s arms.

“Hey, Doc,” he furrowed his brows as he stared up at him. “Are you … singing?”

Distracted, Ethan shook his head. “No, I don’t sing.”

Danny chuckled as he turned back to stare at the computer screen. “Sounds like you are,” he mumbled.

Don’t know if words can say, But darlin’ I’ll find a way

To let you know what you meant to me, Guess it was meant to be

Ethan stared up at the assignment board, skimming all the names until his eyes stopped on Ella’s. “Danny,” he called out as he made a mental note as to which room’s Ella was rounding on that day. “Can you page Dr. Dela Cruz for me, please? I’ll be in my office.”

“Doing it now.”

Ella was in a bad mood this morning, and he could only assume it was because of that time of the month. However, he knew better than to bring that up in conversation, so he just left her alone and let her do her rounds. Ethan wandered down the hall to his office and unlocked it quickly. He tossed his key onto the desk and let out a long sigh as he sank into his leather chair.

Ethan nodded his head in time with his humming, not even realizing the corners of his mouth had curved up. He thought he would never be vulnerable with someone; he had been careful in that aspect. The trauma and abandonment he felt when his mother left was something that he always thought about; it was the entire reason why he kept people at a distance. The only person he let in was Dr. Banerji, and even then, he still retained some things to himself. Ethan absentmindedly reached into his lab coat’s front pocket and wrapped his fingers around a small box. He slowly ran his thumb over the top of the soft velvet, and his smile grew. He had bought the 4-carat diamond ring months ago, and every time he thought it was a good time to bring up their future, something would distract him. This morning he was already distracted by the song he kept humming, and the fact that Ella was snippy with him didn’t help matters.

“Hey,” Ella stood at the doorway with her arms folded across her chest. “You paged me?”

“Oh,” Ethan stood and walked around his desk to greet her. “Are you okay? You were a little-”

“Bitchy, I know,” she sighed and buried her face into Ethan’s chest. “I’m sorry, I was running late-”

“As usual,” he murmured into her hair as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He tugged her fully into the room and shut the door behind her.

“Mmhmm, I was running late and …” she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” Ethan’s heart suddenly skipped, and he felt a tightness in his chest. It was an overwhelming feeling of dread that washed over him within seconds.

“I was running late and … I’m actually late,” she finished, her voice barely a whisper.

Ethan tilted his head and stared down at her. He was mentally prepared to hear the worst news – someone died, she was ending their relationship …

“Ethan?”

He shook his head to clear it. “Uh, you're … late? As in-”

“As in … I’m pregnant,” the tears began to roll down her face, and Ethan’s eyes widened. “I was stressed out this morning, we never talked about our future, I don’t even know if you want kids-” her voice hitched, and she began to cry harder. “I’m so sorry.”

Oh darlin’, I dream about you often my pretty darlin’

I love the way you soften my life with your love, Your precious love

“Ethan, are you listening? Are you singing?”

“I-I’m not … I don’t sing,” he grabbed Ella’s hand and led her to the couch in the corner of his office. He gestured for her to sit, and he got on both knees in front of her. “I know we never spoke of the future, Ella. I’m sorry about that, I … you know I’m not a man of many words. Fancy words are-”

“Not your thing, I know,” she finished for him as she chuckled.

“They’re not, I can’t give you magical words that sweep you off your feet. It’ll be so awkward.”

Ella nodded.

“Truth be told, I never saw myself with a family,” he stared into her eyes. “That all changed when we began our relationship.”

“So, then that means-”

“That means that I’m so happy,” he cupped her face in his large hands. “I’m thrilled, and I don’t want you to cry over this, okay? I love you.”

She flashed a watery smile. “I love you too."

2 am

Ethan lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling fan, willing himself to go to sleep. Ella had already passed out at 8 pm after a large dinner of pad thai noodles, four spring rolls, six pork and chive dumplings, and half of his spicy drunken noodles. He lay in the dark going over the day’s events – was going to be a dad – with the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

I was living like half a man, Then I couldn’t love, but now I can

You pick me up when I’m feeling sad, More soul than I ever had

He frowned. What blasted song was this? He had been accused of singing twice today, and he got strange looks from all the nurses. He turned to grab his phone on the nightstand and quickly googled the lyrics that kept running through his mind. His eyes widened when he realized what song it was. Darlin’ by The Beach Boys was a song his dad regularly played while he was a child. He remembered his parents laughing and happy together when that song was on - which was all the time. Automatically, he turned to look at Ella, who was peacefully snoring on the other side of the bed. It’s a sign.

Ethan quickly stood and quietly tiptoed to the other side of the room, where he hung his lab coat. He reached into the front pocket, took out the small velvet box, and opened it. The diamond shone like a bright star in the dark sky, and he couldn’t help but get nervous as he studied it. He picked it up out of its cushion and admired the studded in small diamonds around the circumference of the ring. Ella was a simple girl that didn’t like too much flash, plus he didn’t want her losing the diamond in a pair of gloves at work. Ethan shut the velvet box, and it made a loud snapping sound. He cringed, held his breath, and closed his eyes while Ella grunted and turned over in bed. Once the coast was clear, Ethan tiptoed to her sleeping form and slowly slipped the ring onto her third finger on her left hand. He stared down at the ring as the diamond seemed to wink at him in the moonlight; he resisted the urge to take it off. This was a stupid idea, he admonished. The worst proposal of all proposals! He scowled at the ring, then tiptoed back to his side of the bed. We’ll see what happens in the morning.

9 am

A loud squeal startled Ethan awake as he sat up quickly and noticed Ella wasn’t in bed.

"Ella? What’s wrong?” His early morning shenanigans were forgotten in his sleepy haze. Ethan saw her come into the bedroom with his large shirt on and widened eyes. “What?”

She held up her left hand, the diamond shining brightly in the morning sun that was streaking into the bedroom. “Did you do this?”

“That … depends.”

“On?”

“On whether you want it or not,” he chuckled nervously as he studied her shocked face.

“Ethan,” she walked around to his side of the bed and sat on the edge. “I’m not sure how you got a ring on such short notice, but … you don’t have to do this just because I’m pregnant.”

“Wait. What?” Ethan shook his head. “No, I’ve had that ring for a while. I have been meaning to propose, I just … always got distracted.”

“You … so you really-”

“Yes, really.”

“Ask me.” Ella’s grin grew wider as she tried to hide her giggle.

“Ella Vivenne Dela Cruz, will you marry me?”

“Wow, Ethan … this is all so sudden,” she sucked her lips between her teeth to stifle her laugh.

“Unfunny,” his deadpan glare made her roll her eyes.

“Yes!” She lunged towards him and straddled his hips.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“We’re celebrating,” Ella bit her lip as she took her shirt off. “It’s not like I can get more pregnant.”

Oh darlin’, I dream you often my pretty darlin’

I love the way soften my life with your love, Your precious love