#Open Heart fanart

[jerzwriter]

The Big ONE

Happy Birthday to little Samantha, who turned one on April 20th!

I asked @/artbyainna (IG) to help create artwork to commemorate the special occasion, and I'm simply squealing at the results! While Tobias and Casey are captivated with their little angel, Pietro is all too happy to jump in and get a bit of that cake he's been eyeing all afternoon! I'm just blown away by this!

I wrote a fic highlighting a few moments during Sammy's big day below. I hope you enjoy the sugary sweetness as much as I do!

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Tobias Carrick x Casey Carrick (F!MC) Characters: Vivian Carrick (F!OC), Jordan Carrick (M!OC), Rose and David MacTavish (OCs), the OH gang, and of course, Pietro - the original cat. Rating: Teen Words: 1,700 A/N: @choicesaprilchallenge24 / Kitchen Table

Standing at her kitchen sink didn't typically usher in so much joy, but then, today wasn't any ordinary day. Casey's heart was full as she peered out the kitchen window into her backyard. It was tiny by suburban standards, but in Boston, it may as well have been an acre. The storms that had been forecasted earlier in the week held off, and the bright sun and azure blue skies provided the perfect canopy for their guests who came to celebrate.

The telltale rattle of the backdoor handle interrupted the silence, and Casey turned to find her husband coming inside. He looked so gorgeous in the fitted pink shirt he bought just for this occasion that she didn't initially catch his expression. Was it bewilderment? Vexation? She couldn't quite make it out.

He reached into the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of Sam Adams. Popping the cap off, he leaned against the counter and shook his head.

"I can't believe there's a freaking petting zoo in my yard."

Casey chuckled as she closed the distance between them, her head coming to rest on his shoulder as her arms encircled his waist.

"It’s not like you weren’t warned... albeit inadvertently.”

“Still...” he sighed.

“You know, from what I’ve heard, this place was a perpetual petting zoo in the past. Of course, it wasn’t the G-rated type, but even so... this shouldn't be so foreign to you.”

She closed her eyes and pressed closer against him, relishing the way his chest reverberated against her as he laughed.

“While the stories of my past can be a bit on the wild side, they tend to be overexaggerated, my dear.”  

Casey squeezed him tighter. “I can’t believe our baby girl is a year old already.”

“I know,” Tobias replied with amazement. “It all went by in a flash.”

“It did,” Casey agreed. “Although, some of the nights felt like they lasted an eternity. Especially in the beginning. God, sometimes I didn’t think I’d survive.”

“You?” Tobias marveled. “No way! You had the whole motherhood thing down pat from the start. You're a natural, babe.”

“A natural?” She laughed. “Are you kidding me? From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I was a hyperventilating mess!" Her hands rubbed along the silky fabric covering his chest, and her voice filled with emotion. “If not for your bright outlook and constant support, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. You’re my rock, T.”

The tender moment was interrupted when the door handle rattled again, and several of their friends stepped inside.

“Jesus!” Jackie groaned. “Do you two ever stop with that lovey-dovey shit?”

“Aw! Leave them alone!” Sienna smiled. “I think they’re adorable.”

“I might be more accepting of that adorable title if it was any random day,” Bryce interjected. “But what the hell are you doing inside with this kissy face crap when you have a freaking petting zoo and bouncy house in your yard?”

“Yeah,” Tobias chuckled. “Ma didn’t read the memo when we said we wanted a simple party with our friends."

“She also didn’t get that none of our friends have children, and Sammy’s too young for friends of her own... I don’t know that we needed all this.”

“Are you kidding?” Bryce gasped in horror. Vivian is a goddess! I’ve been in the bouncy house for the past hour, and that little wallaby out there is now my best friend. You two really need to come out.”

“Oh, I will so be in the bouncy house before this day is over!” Casey enthused.

“And I’ll be there to gleefully record every second,” Tobias winked. “But we’re going to set up to have the cake in here now.”

A peal of laughter wafted in through the open window, and everyone looked outside to see Sammy flying through the air—her face aglow as she giggled with abandon.

“Give her back to me!” Tobias’s brother, Jordan, insisted as Ethan swung the little one around again.

“Sorry,” Ethan responded. “She’s made her position clear. I’m her favorite uncle. You’ll just have to acclimate to being number two, Jordan.”

“Number two,” Bryce blurted as he was about to stick his hand into the nacho dip. “He’s not number two! And Ethan’s not number one! Sorry guys, I have to get out there and reclaim my ground!”

Jackie heaved out a sigh. “I suppose I should go supervise the children.”

“And I’ll make sure she doesn’t hurt anyone,” Sienna said, quick on her friend's heels.

Tobias slid behind Casey, wrapping his strong arms around her as they watched the joyful scene unfolding outside.

“Oh, no! Our parents are getting in on this now,” Casey observed as Tobias kissed her shoulder. “We better go retrieve Sammy before she's more spoiled than she is already."

"Nah," Tobias declined. "She's in very good hands, and I want just one more moment alone with my beautiful wife."

Casey turned around in Tobias's arms and gently kissed him, but he turned that little kiss into one with decidedly more passion.

"Keep that up, and we'll end up with baby number two," she giggled.

"Damn, she's on to my plan," he winked.

~~~~

A short time later, the circus had moved inside as the guests crowded into the family's living room to open gifts.

“I was told we were coming inside for cake,” Bryce pouted. 

Vivian, seated next to him, promptly slapped his knee.

“OW!”

“It’s presents before cake, Lahela. Everyone knows that.”

“I don’t think Sammy would mind either way,” he replied but acquiesced when he saw how happy the little girl was ripping into the gift wrap on her presents.

“Look!” Sienna said, tapping Casey’s Mom, Rose, on the shoulder. “She loves the stuffed pony you got her!”

“She does,” Rose beamed. “Although Grandma Vivian supplied the real pony in the yard!”

“Yeah,” Casey’s father, David, laughed. “We’ll have to up our game next year, hon. Vivian here is stealing our thunder.”

“NO!” Tobias and Casey yelled in unison.

“Don’t worry,” Tobias insisted. “My mother is going to be banished from next year’s celebration! We can have some normalcy.”

“Like hell I will be!” she spat as Jordan roared with laughter.

“Please, you have a better chance of Derek Jeter being elected mayor of Boston than you do of Ma missing any of Sammy’s birthdays.”

“That’s right! This fool made me wait almost four decades to be a grandma, I'm not missing any of it now!"

Tobias wrapped his arm around his mother’s shoulders and squeezed her close. “I know you wouldn’t, Ma. And we wouldn't want you to, but... can we celebrate without so many animals next year?”

“I don’t know,” Vivian smirked. “I think it would be wrong not to include your friends.”

~~~~~

A pile of opened gifts sat stacked neatly in the corner as little Pietro played happily with the bits of colorful gift wrap that remained taped to the boxes. But the cat wasn’t the only one excited; after all, it was finally time for CAKE!

“Casey, you look great!” Jordan stated. “But, Tobias, I need you to move a bit to the right.”

“For God's sake,” Tobias groused. “Can you just take the picture already?"

“Can we start singing?” Vivian asked. "I want to sing to my grandbaby."

“As soon as I get this picture,” Jordan replied. “All right! Casey, Tobias... perfect! Now, everyone, help me get Sammy to look this way.”

Everyone gathered behind Jordan, making faces, clapping their hands, and doing all they could to get the precious little girl to look their way. But Sammy only had eyes for one thing... the fluffy pink birthday cake that was just outside of her reach. That is until her feline best friend hopped on the table, stealing her attention and leaving her squealing with delight.

Casey lifted him, placing him gently back on the floor. “Not on the table, Pietro.”

“Yeah!” Jackie replied smugly. “No cake for you.”

The cat hissed at his nemesis as the clamoring to get Sammy to look at the camera continued.

“Oh, for the love of God,” Tobias bewailed. “Can you just take the picture!”

“I sure can,” Jordan nodded. “On the count of three! One... two... three!”

But just as her uncle snapped the photo, Sammy lurched forward and grabbed a fistful of the cotton candy colored icing, and when Tobias attempted to intervene, he ended up with a tiny fistful of sticky, sugary goodness splattered onto his face. A family photo that would be celebrated for generations to come was born.

Beaming, Tobias lifted Sammy off Casey’s lap as her chubby little hands mashed the icing deeper into her father’s beard.

Laughing, Casey pulled her phone out of her pocket to snap some shots of her own. “Our little girl has you wrapped around her finger, T!”

Tobias reached over and pulled Casey close; the sticky icing became a family affair when he kissed her cheek. “She sure does. Just like her, Momma!”

Amidst all the chaos, Pietro saw an opportunity, and he took it! Leaping onto the table, he stuck his paws into the cake and delighted in his sugary bonanza until Casey spotted him out of the corner of her eye.

“Pietro! No!” she hollered as Jackie, the only one who had seen the cat on the table, broke out laughing.

“You saw him and didn’t rat him out?” Casey teased. "What's happened to you?"

Jackie merely shrugged. “You have to admire him. He wanted something, saw an opening, and took it. I’m not about to turn him in for that.”

"Are you and that cat... bonding?" Casey asked.

"I guess Sammy's birthday is capable of miracles."

~~~~~ 

Hours later, after the final guest had gone home, Casey and Tobias snuggled together on the couch. Sammy slept in her playpen just feet away while Pierto kept a protective watch over her. Despite being exhausted, the proud parents couldn’t wipe the grins off their faces.

“This was such a great day,” Casey smiled. “I knew it would be, but it exceeded all expectations.”

“It was a really great day,” Tobias agreed. “And I think Ma only violated three town ordinances by insisting a wallaby was included in the petting zoo."

“She didn’t break any ordinances,” Casey laughed, her eyes suddenly going wide. “At least, not any that we know of.”

“Well, if she did, we successfully evaded charges, and that's all I can ask for."

“Mmmm,” Casey hummed, snuggling closer to him. “So, do you still want to add another Carrick to all this craziness?”

Tobias sat up, his interest piqued. “Damn straight, I do. Honestly, I want our girls to be close together. Jordan and I had a big age difference, and I’d like Sammy to grow up with her sister, you know?”

“Tobias,” Casey chuckled. “You know we have no way of knowing if we'd have another girl!”

His eyes lit up, and that little dimple Casey found so irresistible took center stage. “Oh, yes, I do. Now the big question... are you ready to have bambina number two?”

Casey sunk back into the fluffy couch cushions with a smile. “Soon? Maybe we can start trying around the end of summer. You know, it might not happen right away, but if we start then, maybe Sammy can have a little sister... or brother... by the end of next year. What do you say?"

“First, sister,” Tobias grinned. “And it will happen right away. Look at how fast it happened with Sammy.”

“Babe, we weren’t planning on Sammy.”

“Exactly,” Tobias grinned, holding Casey close. "I work that damn well when we weren't even trying... you just wait until we are."

Sammy made a funny little noise, and when Mom and Dad realized she was just having a happy dream, they returned to holding each other close.

"Well, I feel a lot better right now than I did a year ago at this time," Casey stated. "I mean, a day of family and friends is a cakewalk next to labor and delivery."

"Yet, you're willing to do it again," Tobias chuckled.

"Yeah, I think I'll make it through," she smiled. "I love our little family, T."

"So do I," he said with a kiss on her forehead. "And I love you."

~~~~~

That's some serious sweetness here, my friends! I hope you enjoyed it... Pietro sure did!

@choicesficwriterscreations @choicesaprilchallenge24 @openheartfanfics

Tagging others separately.

[storyofmychoices]

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science!

Olivia Hadley, Merida Rhys (@lilyoffandoms), and Casey MacTavish (@jerzwriter) by the incredible and talented ArtbyAinna (instagram)!

I thought about getting Valentine's art of these three, but then thought it'd be fun to celebrate their achievements and friendship for International Day of Women and Girls in Science instead. All three of these lovely ladies is brilliant and inspiring! They're lucky to have each other just but not as luck as I am to have Lily and Elsa in my life! They're the best! Love you both so much!!!

Learn more about these three in a "Magazine Interview" they did recently!

[peonyblossom]

HE!!!

thank you so fucking much @mydemonsdrivealimo for this absolutely beautiful commission of my Ethan and Caramel!!! in my hc Ethan is a chubby transman so thank you thank you thank you for making my vision a reality!!!!

@choicespride

also sketch below the cut bc i love it so much too

[icecoffee90]

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.

[mydemonsdrivealimo]

a regular bryce bedtime outfit (from this post ofc ofc)

[bayleedraws-sometimesx]

[choicesficwriterscreations]

Open Heart F/AotW - April 14 - 20, 2024

✒️ = Fanfic | 📱= Text Fics/Edits | 🎨 = Fanart Ⓜ️ = Mature Content 18+ | 🔥 = Explicit/NSFW 18+ 🏳️‍🌈 = LGBTQIA

BRYCE LAHELA

Bryce Lahela Fanart 🎨🏳️‍🌈by @mydemonsdrivealimo

ETHAN RAMSEY

A Novel Concept ✒️| Ethan Ramsey x F!MC, Tobias Carrick - @jerzwriter

An Awkward Interval ✒️| Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @thosehallowedhalls

It Happened One Miami Night (3/?) ✒️| Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @liaromancewriter

Ride or Die 📱| Ethan Ramsey x F!MC, M!OC - @liaromancewriter

Sex & Pizza ✒️Ⓜ️🔥| Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @liaromancewriter

RAFAEL AVEIRO

Moving In (Series) ✒️| Rafael Aveiro x F!MC - @rafasgirl23415 Chapter 34: Please Don't Make Me Do This Casey's Tough Day 📱 Flowers 📱

TOBIAS CARRICK

A Novel Concept ✒️| Ethan Ramsey x F!MC, Tobias Carrick - @jerzwriter

The Big ONE ✒️🎨| Tobias Carrick x F!MC, OH Gang | Art by @/artbyainna(IG) Fic by @jerzwriter

COMPLETE CFWC F/AotW LIST

[liaromancewriter]

Happy Birthday, Dr. Ethan Ramsey!

Book: Open Heart (post series) Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine) Format: Fanart

A/N: Submission for @choicesmonthlychallenge August, prompt: birthday

After I wrote Birthday Cake, I wanted something to commemorate what happens next. Thank you to @bayleedrawsx for this super adorable fanart of Ethan's birthday party.

Cassie, Eloise and Sophie went all out (party hats might have been involved), much to his dismay. Still, he was a good sport about it for his children's sake. Cassie waited until the girls were asleep to give Ethan his "reward" for being so accommodating. 😏

Tags under the cut

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

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanart

Ethan & Cassie only: @cariantha @custaroonie @hopelessromantic1352 @mrs-ramsey @youlookappropriate

[openheartappreciationweek]

Celebrating Open Heart

It's been two years since the Open Heart series concluded, but we're still not over it. So, we're celebrating all things OH & Edenbrook during Open Heart Appreciation Week, taking place from March 20-27, 2023.

All fanworks are welcome (old and new) for any day of this event — fics, series, masterlists, edits, text fics, moodboards, headcanons, fanart, comics, playlists, confessions...and on and on.

EDIT: MC is used as a generic term below to represent any character that's the focus/main character of a fanwork. Read this post for clarification.

Day 1 - Monday, March 20: Your MC Tell us about your MC, their personality, likes, dislikes, hopes and dreams.

Day 2 - Tuesday, March 21: Resident Life Share perspectives about your MC's friends, fellow residents/co-workers, support system, mentors, mentees/interns, LIs and more.

Day 3 - Wednesday, March 22: Family Found Does your MC have a family, found family or are they on their own? Siblings, relatives and/or cousins?

Day 4 - Thursday, March 23: Relationship Meter Tell us about relationships--platonic, romantic or otherwise--in your OH fanficverse.

Day 5 - Friday, March 24: Alternate Universe Got an AU to share? Show us how OH characters and dynamics change (or not) in other realities.

Day 6 - Saturday, March 25: Future Endeavors We never got to see our MC as an attending. Tell us how your MC and other characters navigate the future.

Day 7 - Sunday, March 26: Free Day Share anything you like to show appreciation for Open Heart and its characters.

March 27: Event Masterlist

Guidelines:

Tag @openheartappreciationweek on new posts and reblogs of previously posted content.

If your work has mature or NSFW content, please label it as such and use appropriate warnings.

Please add a ‘read more’ page break to avoid long posts and hide sensitive content below the line. This prevents exposing other fans to triggering/disturbing or mature content.

Participate as many times as you like. There's no limit to celebrating your favorite book and characters.

You can combine submissions for this event with others such as @choicesficwriterscreations, @choicesflashfics, @choicesmonthlychallenge and more.

All works will be reblogged within 24-48 hours and compiled in an event masterlist.

EDIT: Late submissions accepted until March 31.

Can't wait to celebrate everything Open Heart with you!

[a-crepusculo]

When It Rains (Ethan x MC)

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x Dr. Marchia Ramsey (F!MC) Premise: A little dance underneath the gentle drizzle. Rating / Category: General / Fluff Warning(s): None Word Count: 384 words Artist: @/artbyainna on Instagram

A plateau of dull grey sat above them, large clouds huddled together as they walked down the narrow streets of Paris. It was quiet down there, with only the discordant rumbling of thunder as their companion, getting louder and louder. As the fresh scent of earthiness galloped with the winds, they are reminded again about the oncoming rain that was about to fall.

The couple quickened their pace, hoping to seek refuge as soon as possible. Warm lights guided them to their next destination—a place that was merely a few meters ahead, couple minutes away.

Yet, they were too late.

Marchia looked up, the dark sky drumming with the anticipation of release. Soon enough, droplets of water poured on to the pavements, singing an enchanting serenade to those who are willing to listen. A harmonic, gentle tune that soothes the mind, mends the soul.

And all of the sudden, she halted.

Her right hand, locked in with his, pulled Ethan’s body to an abrupt stop. He turned to face his wife, thoroughly confused and intrigued to find the reason behind this act.

What he saw, however, took his breath away.

Her rose cheeks gleamed, lips casting a smile that would turn his stomach upside down. Pearls of water run through her gold dusky hair, slowly trickling downwards to reach her dress. The white chiffon material became lightly soaked under the drizzle, translucent, outlining the perfect symmetry of her sylphlike figure.

Surrounded by an ethereal glow, Ethan was blessed with the glorious view of his Queen, the ruler of his heart.

He moved closer, placing one hand on her hips, and another on the nape of her neck. Glued together, his thunderous ocean eyes locked with Marchia, letting himself drown in the depths of her emerald forest—feasting in the irrefutable existence of her beauty.

“Kiss me,” she whispered.

Without any preamble, he granted her simple yet tantalizing wish. His grip around her tightened, then in one swift movement, he swirled her petite body. A short squeal escaped her, followed by her signature giggles. As cliché and cheesy as it sounds, Ethan could not wait to capture her lips and taste her once more.

Because he was all hers, until the end of time.

A/N: Yes, I’m still seriously in love with this art that Ainna made, and I can’t stop looking at it. No amount of words in the dictionary could describe how freaking obsessed I am with this!!! 🤍😭

[zealouscanonindeer]

Like Whom?

Set sometime during OH Book 3. Pure Fluff with maybe a sprinkle of angst. Just the first thought that popped into my head on seeing this pic. Enjoy!

Synopsis :While on a trip to Providence, Aspen finds an embarrassing memory which leads to greater consequences than she though possible.

********

We drove silently down the almost completely empty road, I counted the cars we passed, so far I had reached upto 12.

I stole a quick glance at Ethan, his eyes fixed on the road, his brow set sternly and the worry lines on his face prominent. I placed my hand on his thigh and gently squeezed. He gave me a small smile, the crinkles by his eyes visible momentarily before they disappeared.

"You know, meeting your Dad is not the end of the world. "

"It's not that. "

"Sorry let me rephrase, me meeting your dad is not the end of he world. "

"Aspen, I'm delighted that you want to meet him, get to know him. It's just that, the Ethan from Providence was far too different than now, I'm not sure you can love him. "

"For an imminent diagnostician, you are one silly man. Honey, I hope you see that i love every part of you, every facet of your life, just the way you are.. The baggage is irrelevant, I'm here to help you through that. Besides, if you weren't the Ethan from Providence you never could have evolved into my Ethan. " I glanced at him pointedly, making my point.

"You're right. "

"Always am. " I quipped, earning a chuckle from him.

"What would I do without you? "

"Nothing, you'd be useless. "

"Don't get too ahead of yourself. "

"Nope, only ahead of you. " Another laugh, followed by a quick peck on my cheek as I scolded.

"Eyes on the road, E. "

We turned into Alan's neighborhood in no time.

*******

"Oh thank you, I really needed that. "

Alan handed me a steaming cup of tea, it felt warm against my throat, instantly causing the autumn chill to dissipate from my limbs.

"Ethan's always been a coffee person, I never really could get him to drink this. "

"Don't even get me started on Ethan's love for coffee, at a wedding in Hawaii he chewed my ear off on the plane and at breakfast talking about the coffee. "

Alan chuckled silently.

"He only holds love for a few things that deeply, he never ceases to talk about them. "

"Like what? "

"Well, of course there's medicine, then Jenner, but most of all it's you. "

I flushed at Alan's statement and he only smiled knowingly.

"It's been a while since I've seen him this content and happy. The last time was during his med school days, with Tobias, they were absolutely inseparable. He even cut off his hair because Tobias said so, it looked ridiculous, he regretted but was too stubborn to admit it. "

Alan chuckled to himself at the fond memory. I was immediately filled with curiosity.

"Really? Do you maybe.. Have to photo Or something? " I bit my lip, hoping that Alan had saved the embarrassing moment on paper,it would come in handy some day.

"Wait, I think so. "

He got up, heading to his bedroom. I heard the wardrobe door open and a gentle clutter before he walked out, victorious, photo in hand.

"Here."

"Oh." I laughed at the black and white portrait in front of me, gasping as I realized Tobias still had the same hair now.

"Ethan! Come quick, look at this."

A few moments of shuffling followed before he walked into the living room, puzzled at seeing nothing apparent to notice. I handed him the photo, unable to wipe the smirk of my face, laughing as his features contracted before staring daggers at Alan.

"Dad, why on eart-"

I quickly interrupted him.

"Can i keep it? "

"Sure."

I snatched it deftly from his long fingers, unprepared he wasn't able to grasp onto my prize. Resigned, he plopped down next to me, running a hand along my leg absentmindedly, causing a giggle to erupt.

"You look like Tobias, he still has the same hair. " I laughed at the slightly uncanny resemblance.

"Like whom? Rookie please, there are many other ways to humble me. "

"Well, too bad. Cause I'm using only this one. "

With that he groaned, trying to catch my taunting hand in his but I was too quick, moving from his grasp to run out into the adjoining kitchen, all the while singing, "like Tobias."

Alan and Ethan chuckled, warmth suddenly filling their hearts.

"She is a joy to have around."

"She truly is, Dad. "

"It's lovely to have someone so... constant in this house and your life. She'll be the last person to ever desert you, Ethan."

At the mention of Louise, Ethan tensed, his face growing rigid and impassive. It grew softer as his Dad continued, he finally allowed himself to believe.

" I trust her with my heart, she won't break it, I know. She can't, not with how much I love her. I'll never stop loving her completely irrespective of what she does. "

They sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, before Ethan painfully admitted a truth that had lingered but now consolidated in his mind.

"Dad? "

"Yes? "

"I understand. "

********

@choicesficwriterscreations

[jerzwriter]

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and I felt the need for more art for my precious Casey and Jessica. I'd like to thank the lovely @callmebeem for working with me on such short notice and creating this beautiful art! It's exactly what I wanted, and I love it to bits! ❤️Here's a little fic about their day. 😊

Any Other Day

Book: Open Heart (Prequel - Casey's Med School Years) Pairing: Casey MacTavish (F!MC) x Jessica Philips (F!OC) Words: 1440 Rating: Teen Summary: Jessica's not a fan of Valentine's Day, and she's made that pretty clear, but now that the day's up on them, Casey realizes there's more to it than meets the eye. A/N1: Participating in @choicesfebruary2024, Eros

Valentine’s Day was proving to be a challenge.

Just weeks before, Jessica declared her feelings about the holiday after a particularly long night of studying, and they weren’t pretty.   It was ridiculous, a Hallmark holiday steeped in capitalism, and she wanted no part of it. The intensity and randomness of her girlfriend’s declaration left Casey bewildered. It was so far out of left field she thought delirium may have finally gotten its grips on Jess; after all, sleep deprivation practically had her there, too. But she was tired and eager to move on, so she nodded in agreement, and Jessica seemed pleased to find them on the same page, which would have been great... except they weren’t.

Casey loved Valentine’s Day; she loved every single thing about it. A holiday where she could lavish love and attention on her girlfriend? Where was the problem with that? She agreed such things shouldn’t be limited to a designated day, and she ensured Jess knew how much she meant on any day ending in -y. But now that Cupid’s holiday was here, Casey was conflicted. How could she be expected not to acknowledge it? It seemed cruel, but... she had promised... didn’t she? She heaved out a sigh; perhaps their exceptionally hectic schedules would be her saving grace. She didn’t have to worry about celebrating... or not... if they didn’t see each other.

Jessica was assisting first-year students in distributing breakers in the lab. She was TA for an extra class today, as her professor wanted to take the day off to spend with their wife, and Jess felt a twinge of guilt when she agreed to cover. But she and Casey weren’t celebrating; they agreed to that...didn’t they? Casey said she was on board, but Jess would have to be blind to see how blue her normally effervescent girlfriend was this morning, and she couldn’t fight the feeling that she was the reason why.

The truth was, Jessica didn’t hate Valentine’s Day. She didn’t hate it at all. She hated the memories it dredged up and the feelings of insecurity that followed. She hated the ambiguity of the present and her apprehension about the future. The last time she celebrated was three years before, spending the night gazing at the stars in Ammarah’s arms. She never knew that kind of joy, and when Ammarah promised forever, Jess felt her world falling into place. A blissful dream previously unimagined coming to fruition, only to be crushed in quick succession. When Jess’s competition became the hallowed halls of Oxford, those promises were quickly forgotten, leaving Jess heartbroken when she realized she had never stood a chance.

She promised then and there that she wouldn’t fall in love again, at least no time soon. Ammarah prioritized her career, and now Jess would do the same. Love and other silly notions could wait. And that worked for a while, until that fateful day when an adorable giggle pulled her head from her textbook, and she looked up to find a beguiling smile that made her heart skip a beat. They’d only be friends, Jess insisted. That’s all they could be. But then their conversations lasted into the early morning hours, and the more they learned about each other, the more they needed to know. It's hard to be just friends when they're the first thing you think of each morning and the last thing you think of each night. So she had another idea...we’ll just be friends... with benefits, perhaps, but nothing more. Residency was on the horizon, and both women had been hurt before. They couldn’t let it happen again.  

But in the end, they stepped onto the rollercoaster hand-in-hand and fastened their seatbelts with all their might. Within weeks, “I love yous” were exchanged, both knowing they had an expiration date set from the start. It seemed easy when that date was on the distant horizon, but the closer it came, the more that old familiar pain began to seep in. Valentine’s Day: candles, kisses, and promises made again... Jess couldn’t allow it. But when the bell rang, it only took a student hand a rose to another to make her heart ache for Casey.  

She pulled out her phone and smiled at the sound of her voice. Lunch. She offered. She’d like to take her to lunch. Nothing fancy, nothing special, just grabbing a meal together like any other day, but she needed to see her. No matter how much Jessica studied the human heart, she couldn't see how hard hers was working to protect itself. But Casey was on her way, and that was all that mattered.

Casey hadn’t expected to hear from Jess, and it was easy to see her delight as she rushed down the hall. Nothing made her smile more than Jessica’s melodious laugh, and the closer it became, the more her smile grew.  She couldn’t wait to see the radiant smile that accompanied it, and as she stepped into Jess’s classroom, her wish was granted for just a second before Jess’s face fell.

“What... what the hell is that?” she asked, motioning furiously in Casey’s direction.

Casey looked down, perplexed, rubbing her hands along her torso to see if she had spilled something, but nothing seemed amiss.

“What’s what?”

“Your sweater! Why are you wearing that sweater?”

Casey appeared offended as she caressed her favorite cashmere sweater.

“But... I love this sweater! You love this sweater!”

“I do,” Jess sighed. “But not today!"

“It’s the same sweater as yesterday... the same sweater it will be tomorrow...”

“Yes! But yesterday or tomorrow won’t be Valentine’s Day.”

Casey followed the last student to exit the classroom and shut the door behind her, turning on her heel with crossed arms as soon as they were alone.

“All right,” she demanded. “This level of crazy is usually reserved for me, not you... so what gives?”

“We said no Valentine’s Day, Casey!”

“And besides me wearing a pink sweater, inadvertently, I might add... I haven’t so much as said Happy Valentine’s Day to you.  The holiday isn't causing a problem for us, Jess... but your hang-ups about it might be.  What’s going on?” 

Jess took a deep breath and leaned back against her desk, attempting to put her thoughts into words. “To me... in the past... Valentine’s Day was about promises.  Promises I believed in, even if the person making them took them with a grain of salt.”

“Ammarah?” Casey asked as Jess nodded softly.

“It’s scary, Case. It’s scary to know how fleeting love can be, and it's frightening... it’s frightening to think about what the future holds for us. You’ll still be here next year, but I don’t even know where I’ll be... and that... that just....”

Her words trailed as her head tilted forward. She was proud of herself for being strong enough to stop the tears pooling in her eyes from falling, but she could do nothing to stop herself from trembling.

“Jess,” Casey placed a loving hand on her shoulder. “I know you’ve been hurt, and I have, too... but we can’t live in the past, nor can we live in the future.”

“But, Casey...”

“But nothing! Don’t you see what you’re doing? The past was painful, and the future’s unknown, but you know what we have?” She lifted Jess’s chin until she was looking into her big, brown eyes. “We have today. Today is real, and the only thing that can steal it from us... is us... if we let it.  Come on, Jess,” she smiled, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. “Let’s not waste today."

Jess's head tilted, a crooked smile on her lips. She knew Casey was right, but her stubbornness couldn't be destroyed that easily.

“I still hate the commercialism,” Jess insisted, to Casey’s amusement.

“So do I! Come on, I can spoil you a little bit without turning into a corporate overlord, you know!”

Jess peeked up from under her lashes. “You promise?”

“I promise. Now, can we enjoy the day, please?”

Jess hopped to her feet, a bright grin on her face as she fell into Casey’s arms and a warm, lingering embrace. “Well, I invited you to lunch first... so technically, I started the celebration.”

“Oh, no,” Casey chuckled. “You are not getting the credit here! I think your exact words were, ‘It’s lunch, just lunch, don’t get excited or anything!”  

“Yeah, those were the words,” Jess laughed. “But if I’m being honest... I just really needed to see you. I needed to see you so badly.”

“Well, I’m here.  Can we call it a Valentine’s Day date, now?”

“Sure,” Jess blushed. “But I have to stop upstairs to see the Dean before we go.”

“That works for me,” Casey replied. “I have to put my things in my locker anyway.  Can we meet in front of the building in fifteen minutes?”

Jess reached over and stuck her fingers through the belt loops in Casey’s jeans, pulling her close. “And Casey?” she whispered, her breath tickling Casey’s ear.  “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

~~~~~

A/N: In my mind, Casey tossed her things in her locker and hightailed it to the corner gift shop. Poor Jess was wondering if Casey had a change of heart as she waited outside when two arms grabbed her from behind. Casey handed Jess the bouquet and yelled Happy Valentine's Day. After a cozy lunch at their favorite local diner, they decided they could skip their afternoon classes and headed back to Jess's place for a much more productive afternoon. 😏

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Tagging others separately.

[nmvord]

After all this time, they're still together.

[peonyblossom]

sydney serving absolute cunt

thank you so much @somewillwin for this awesome artwork!!! i am literally so obsessed with it, my boy looks so good!!!

@choicespride

[icecoffee90]

I was lucky enough to be one of the winners of @jerzwriter's tumblr-versary giveaway event and I won a piece by none other than the incredible @/artbyainna on ig. And I couldn't be happier with my prize! 😊 Huge thank you to both of these amazing ladies for this commission of my two absolute favorite Choices characters! 🥰🥰🥰

The idea for this commission came from PB's promotional pics in which Maxwell visited several locations, including Edenbrook.. I figured that Maxwell and Bryce would immediately hit it off! And since there are still a few days of the Pride Month left and both of these characters are canonically queer, I wanted this commission to be LGBTQ+ themed.. That's how I came up with this "Pride office party at Edenbrook" idea..

Once again, Ainna somehow exceeded my already impossibly high expectations!! I said it before and I'll say it again - not even sky's the limit for Ainna's talent!!

[mydemonsdrivealimo]

a messy doodle of a little vacay pic from them!! i have had Many beach thoughts lately and i figured they deserved it