#choices oh

[playchoicesconfessions]

Sent by anonymous

‘I MISS YOU BRYCE LAHELA’

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

[choices-ceri]

Not sure why but I photoshopped Choices onto a 3DS

[randombook4idk]

MC to Rafael in B1 diamond scene: What about my family? Well, I have a brother

MC's brother's existance when in B2 his sibling got poisoned with a toxin that had no cure and could've died:

[alj4890]

Mixed Signals

(Dr. Tobias Carrick x F!MC *Chris Valentine) (Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC*Chris Valentine) (Dr. Bryce Lahela x F!MC*Chris Valentine) in an Open Heart Fan fiction.

Masterlist

A/N Sorry for taking so long to post. My health decided to do some wild things since the last post on top of the writer's block just having a field day with this storyline 😑 Anyway, we'll pick up where the last chapter left off.

Chapter 2

Chris slowly came awake. Though she knew in an instant that she wasn't in her own bedroom, the massive hangover she was currently under caused her to not really care where she was. Pulling what had to be some of the softest sheets she'd ever felt up over her face, she began to try and remember what happened the night before.

Flashes of her celebration at Donahue's flickered through her mind. Groaning over not only her actions with drinking way too much, she remembered what happened with Ethan.

Her eyes shot open.

Oh no. Did I go home with Ethan?

Peeking out from under the covers, she tried to discern the furniture around her.

Unless Ethan had done a major renovation since the last time she'd been in his apartment and had moved to a lower floor, she knew she wasn't in his place.

Chris clutched her head.

I know I'm not at Bryce's either. He wouldn't have brought me to his place with Kikei there.

She softly gasped.

Don't tell me I went home with a stranger!

Chris kicked the covers back and breathed easier to see she was still fully dressed. There was no indication that anyone had slept beside her. She did a quick examination of her body and knew she hadn't had sex.

Where am I?

She yanked the covers up when the bedroom door opened.

Tobias grinned at her.

"You're awake."

Chris gaped at him. "I went home with you!?"

He chuckled as he walked into the room.

"You demanded that I bring you to my place."

"Oh lord." Chris buried her head in her hands. Smoothing back her tousled hair, she looked up at him. "I'm so sorry."

He shrugged it off as not a big deal and sat down at the foot of the bed.

"I didn't..." Chris took a deep breath. "I didn't push myself on you, did I?"

Before he could respond, she shook her head.

"Of course I bloody well did. Why else would I be in your home?" She rubbed her hands over her face in an attempt to clear the cobwebs. "You should have given me back to my roommates. Then you wouldn't--"

"Hey!" He chuckled once more. "Easy there, Valentine. Normally, a woman in your condition would not be in my home." He patted her leg. "But, um, you were adamant that your doctor take you to his home."

"My doctor?" Her brow furrowed as she tried to remember the events of the previous night.

He laughed at her confused expression.

"Yeah, Ethan was not too thrilled when you declared I was not only your doctor but also the only doctor you trusted."

Her eyes widened.

What else did I do last night?

"You also told your roommates that you needed me to take you home since you had some medical concerns."

She vaguely remembered talking to Sienna.

"Anyway, I was going to actually take you back to your apartment after your friends left." He explained. "When I checked your wallet for a driver's license--"

"You saw that I still had my I.D. from Inverness." She finished with a groan.

"As much as I wanted to get you safely home, I wasn't quite up for the journey to Scotland." He teased.

Chris flopped back on the pillows with her arm draped over her eyes. This was quite possibly the most embarrassing moment of her life.

She then remembered she should be at work.

"What time is it?!" She sat up too quickly and immediately regretted such a rash action.

"Half past two." Tobias told her.

"Half past--" She scrambled out of bed.

"Whoa!" Tobias stopped her. "Where are you going?"

"I'm late!" She searched in vain for her shoes. "My shift at the hospital started hours ago!"

"Chris." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "I called Ethan this morning and told him you weren't coming in."

"You did what?" Chris gaped at him. "Why?"

"As your physician," he winked at her, "I realized that I never gave you the all clear to return to work. Plus given how many drinks you had last night, I knew you wouldn't be in any condition to help your patients."

"Oh." She sank back down on the bed.

Tobias sat down next to her. He studied her worried profile in silence for a few seconds.

"Hey?" He nudged her with his shoulder. "Why don't you take a shower while I see about lunch?" He nudged her again. "Or breakfast for you?"

Chris snorted back a laugh. "Yes, please feed me after I forced my drunk self into your home."

Tobias grinned at her. "You can force yourself on me anytime."

She burst out laughing then gave him a playful shove.

He got to his feet to open a nearby closet.

"My sisters-in law leave clothes here so they don't have to pack so much when they come for a visit." He explained. "See if there's something of theirs that might do for now."

"I appreciate it," Chris began "but I shouldn't impose on you any--"

"You're not." He went into the guest bathroom to start the shower. "Plus, I insist you stay until I know you're okay."

With a smile that made her heart flip, he left her alone.

Twenty minutes later, Chris found herself clean, dressed in leggings that were too short and in what was supposed to be an oversized sweater, yet just barely went past her waist. She'd finally found a pair of wooly socks to keep her always cold feet warm and began to make her way downstairs, admiring Tobias's townhome along the way.

She paused in the hallway to discern just where her host was.

Tobias called out from a room farther to her left.

"I'm in here, Chris!"

She followed the sound of his voice, pausing at how inviting his kitchen was. Though modern, the warm colors he'd chosen for the walls, decor, and cushions somehow worked. It should have clashed, yet she found herself thinking of her grandparents' home. They had been given all new appliances a couple of years ago. The silver, sleek look met the older bread box, flower towels, and ruffled cushions and soon settled into a hodgepodge that they all ended up loving.

It made her homesick to sit down at Tobias's table.

"Coffee?" He asked from behind the counter.

"Please." Chris rubbed her forehead in an effort to clear the fog she was still slightly under.

"How do you take it?" He poured her a cup.

"Lots of cream and lots of sugar." She mumbled.

"How much is a lot?"

"More than true coffee aficionados can tolerate." She responded.

"This I have to see." Tobias teased.

He brought over the pot of coffee along with cream and sugar.

Chris blushed under his attention as she prepared her cup. Once she was finished, the rich black was replaced with a light beige color.

Tobias chuckled. "I bet you've gotten more speeches on your coffee from Ethan than you have medicine."

"You'd win that bet." Chris took a long sip, sighing in pleasure. "Don't tell me you're a coffee snob too?"

"I'm a to each their own coffee drinker." He teased. "Who am I to judge when I'll drink it any way someone prepares it? Though I will admit, I like mine with a little less cream than you do."

Chris rolled her eyes. "What about the sugar?"

Tobias leaned closer to her. "Who doesn't love something sweet?"

Having him close enough where she could see the flecks of gold in those amazing hazel eyes of his caused Chris to become momentarily tongue-tied.

His cocky smile creeped up at seeing her like this.

His attention next drifted over her face, taking in the strawberries and cream complexion he found rather cute. Her nose had a slight tilt that more than hinted at a stubbornness he'd been witnessed to on previous occasions. Her eyes held such emotion. Those gray eyes of hers could make a man hesitate for fear of wounding her.

How does Ethan keep it professional, he wondered. I don't know what I would do if the positions were reversed and she worked closely with me.

"So?" He cleared his throat and settled back in his chair. "Want to talk about last night?"

Chris's nose wrinkled at the very mention of it.

Tobias eyed her over the rim of his coffee cup. "You don't strike me as the kind of person who regularly gets drunk."

"Because I don't." She took another sip of coffee. "It was stupid of me to drink that much."

"What happened?" He prodded. "One minute, you seemed happy then the next you were downing drinks like you'd seen a ghost or something."

She snorted. If he only knew how right he was. There was nothing worse than a visit from the Ghost of Relationships Past.

Chris tried to avoid his question by focusing on her fork picking at the scrambled eggs on her plate.

Tobias wasn't going to let this go. If Chris really did consider him her doctor then he was going to make sure she was not only physically well after the attack but also emotionally. They were becoming friends after all. Weren't friends supposed to share problems?

He placed his hand on hers, causing the fork to slip from her grasp and clatter onto the plate.

Chris swallowed a tad hard before lifting her eyes back to his.

Tobias searched her steady, vulnerable gaze and gentled his tone.

"What's wrong, Chris?"

Unshed tears began to fill her eyes.

"I--I don't..." she sucked in a deep breath before burying her face in her hands.

Tobias got up and knelt by her chair. He gently brushed back her damp hair. As much as he wanted to demand she talk to him, he knew he could only wait and let it be her decision.

"I'm sorry." She lowered her hands.

"No need to apologize." He tucked her hair behind her ear. "If you don't want to talk about it, we--"

"I don't but I know I should." She took another deep breath. "It's a long story."

"Good thing it's my day off of work." He teased in the hopes of seeing her smile again.

Her lips curved briefly before falling once more. "I guess I should start at the beginning."

Tobias returned to his chair. He remained silent as Chris poured out everything that occurred since she first arrived at Edenbrook. There were many times he wanted to question her and express shock as she told him about her odd relationships with Ethan and Bryce.

Ethan hadn't been able to resist her after all, he thought to himself.

"And then Ethan pulled me away last night and it all began again." She explained. "After he kissed me and wouldn't say what we were, I just needed an escape. Not from him, but I needed to get away from myself."

Tears slipped down her cheeks.

"How can I go on in life in the same, exact, frustrating manner after being given a second chance?" She looked up at Tobias. "I should be making sure that nothing is wasted with this time I've been given, right?"

Tobias slowly nodded. "I think you shouldn't waste your time on anyone who doesn't give you what you deserve."

"Exactly!" Her breath hitched. "If I'm willing to give everything to someone, I should expect he give the same to me."

She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.

"I know some say you should love without expecting anything in return." Her eyes searched his for understanding. "But I tried that and ended up miserable. I can't be that person again. I won't! It takes so much out of me and gives me nothing but mere crumbs to live on."

Tobias opened his mouth to reassure her again, only to fall silent when she continued.

"But what if I miss out? What if Ethan or Bryce is the one? What if I ruin what could be the relationship that will eventually give me what my heart needs? Am I suppose to fall back into what they want in case--"

"Whoa." He took her hands in his. "Easy there, Valentine. You're going down a rabbit hole of what if's."

"I know." She admitted. "That's all I do. I start off saying I won't put myself through this over and over and yet turn around and doubt my decision. I always end up here, questioning whether or not I should change anything."

Chris propped her chin on her fist while staring out of the kitchen's bay window.

"I am drowning in doubt." She admitted. "I am certain in everything I do in life except for love." She refocused on Tobias. "I don't know how to fix this."

Tobias didn't either. If she was suffering from the attack either physically or mentally, he'd have known exactly what to do. When it came to matters of the heart, he knew he was the last person who should give advice.

"The only thing I can recommend," he began a bit hesitantly, "is to only accept what makes you happy."

He took her hand once more. "As a friend of yours, I don't believe you should settle for anything less than what you want."

"That's what Sienna's been telling me for a while now." Chris mumbled.

"See? How can you ignore the advice coming from two different people?" He prodded.

Chris's lips quirked into a brief smile. "You and Sienna couldn't be any more different."

"It's a sign that it's the right thing to do." He argued. "You should tell Ethan and Bryce."

"Tell them?" Chris murmured. "You mean--"

"Tell them exactly what you want, what you expect, and see if they can step up and be that for you." Tobias told her. "Keeping it to yourself is only making you miserable. Plus, if they honestly don't know what you're wanting, how can they give it to you?"

Chris slowly nodded. She had tried to hint and kinda explain what she wanted each time with Ethan, but she'd never talked to him seriously about it. With Bryce, she kept things light and fun. Perhaps she was more responsible for her unhappiness than she originally thought.

"You know what you need?" He relaxed back in his chair. "You need a night out."

Chris blinked. "Isn't that what I did last night?"

"No, that was a celebration. You need a night out with no expectations, no questionable relationships, and no drunken escapes."

Tobias grinned at her. "You took me to your hangout. It's only fair you visit mine."

She began to laugh. "You sure you trust me to see where you love to go?"

"I guess I do." He murmured, grinning even more. "How bout it, Chris?"

"I really should get some sleep." She argued halfheartedly. "I have work in the morning."

"No, you don't." He reminded her. "Remember, I haven't given you the all clear yet."

Chris rolled her eyes over that.

"We both know I'm fine to go back to work."

"I don't." He laced his fingers behind his head to stretch. "You'll have to schedule an appointment with me for a final checkup." He winked at her. "Nice try, but there's no getting out of tonight."

Chris motioned to herself. "I don't have anything to wear."

"I'll take you by your place to change on the way." Tobias got up to clear their plates. "What do you say?"

Seeing no way out of this and was a little curious over where he went to unwind, she decided to give in. Chris admitted to herself that having a drink somewhere without Ethan or Bryce to distract her might be just the change she needed.

Plus, it might help her get the courage up to talk to them.

"If my doctor insists, -" Chris mumbled.

"I do." Tobias interrupted

"Then, I'd love to."

[amortentiaopenheart]

Snow Storm Love

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey X Catherine Valentine

Genre: Fluff

Category: Open Heart, post series

Premise: A new friend joins Ethan and Catherine for their first Christmas holiday as a newly married couple.

Word count: 1K+ approx

A/N: Leave a like/reblog if you feel like it, it always makes a writer happy! ❤️

Prompt used: Rescuing a puppy/kitten and bringing it home for it's first holiday with them.

Quote Prompt used: You look even more beautiful in candlelight.

_______________

Catherine sat by the window, sipping her oatmilk latte as she read 'The Christmas Miracle'.

Keeping her book down, she stretched, looking out of the window, into the pretty white scenery. It was Christmas eve, and she was in the festive mood.

It sucked that Ethan had been called in for work for an emergency, but he'd promised he'd be back as soon as possible.

A sudden gust of wind slammed the window open. "Shit!" She exclaimed. Locking the window, she looked through the glass, rather disappointed and a bit scared to see a blizzard.

She curled up in her reading chair, her eyes darting back and forth between the window and her fireplace.

Boston winters were truly bleak.

She tried to call Ethan, but his phone was out of network service. Panicking slightly, she shot him several text messages, each of which failed to deliver. Keeping the phone down, frustrated, she walked downstairs to see how her daughter was doing.

She walked in on Claire playing a role-play with her Barbie dolls. "Hi, Claire." She said softly, taking a seat beside her four year old daughter.

"Mummy!" Claire greeted her brightly. "When is Daddy coming?" Catherine smiled slightly. "Dad will be home soon, love. Where's Pebbles and Jenner?"

"Oh, Jenner is sleeping in the kitchen. You wanna play doll? Pebbles just meowed at me twice when I showed her the dolls and ran off to the sitting room."

Catherine laughed. "I'll play."

She might have been engaged with her daughter's antics, but some part of her mind kept nagging her. Ethan had promised he would be back by two in the afternoon. It was seven in the evening. Where was he?Just then, the doorbell rang.

In anticipation, she rushed to the hall and quickly opened the door, the light in her eyes dying down as she saw it was only the mailman. "Thank you." She said, smiling blankly, as she took the parcel.

She took the parcel inside her daughter's bedroom, and examined it. It was enormous, carefully wrapped with red and green glitter paper. "Claire, baby, any guesses as to what's inside?"

Claire stared at the package. "That's huge, Mummy. Could it be a doll house?"

Catherine smiled. "It could be. It's from Grandma."

"Grandma? Is she and Grandpa not coming for Christmas? What about Uncle David and Auntie Enid? What about Grandpa Naveen and Grandpa Alan?"

Seeing her daughter get all riled up, Catherine laughed. "Everyone is coming tomorrow, baby. Relax. Now, shall we wait for Daddy to come home so we all can open the gift?"

Claire nodded impatiently. "But where is Daddy?!"

"He'll be home soon, love." Catherine assured her.

Just then, the doorbell rang. "That's probably Daddy." Catherine said, grinning as she got up to go open the door.

Sure enough, standing on the other side was Ethan, snow on his blazer covered shoulders and bag.

"Hi, love, how w-" Catherine stopper short when she saw it. "We have company?" She said lightly.

Ethan nodded. "Found this poor one shivering under a tree. I couldn't leave it like that."

Catherine gently took the puppy in her hands, allowing Claire to go outside and hug Ethan. "I'll warm up some milk for this little one."

Ethan nodded, kissing Catherine as he picked Claire up in his arms, entering the warm house. Locking the door, he carried Claire to her room, and gave a low whistle. "Hello, what's this?"

Claire smiled excitedly. "That's Grandma's gift!"

Ethan nodded. "I'll be back in a moment, baby."

He went into the kitchen, lit with a thousand candles, the kitchen table laid out with Christmas themed desserts.

Slowly approaching Catherine from behind, he hugged her, eliciting a delighted squeal.

"You look even more beautiful in candlelight."

Catherine giggled, spinning around in his arms to hug him back. "I missed you, handsome. I was worried sick when you weren't coming home."

"I missed you too. The goddamn network was inactive, so I couldn't even contact you to let you know I'd be late." He murmured, his lips brushing against her ear.

"Let me look at you." He said softly, taking a step back to admire her, effectively making her blush.

"Is that the shirt I gave you?" He asked quietly, smiling.

Catherine nodded, opening her white sweater to reveal the green shirt.

"You're so beautiful." He mumbled, picking her up.

Catherine laughed. "That's huge, coming from you, handsome."

Kissing him, she took the little puppy in her arms. "Can we keep him?"

Ethan smiled. "I was thinking of asking you that. Can we?"

Catherine nodded slowly. Ethan stroked the puppy's fur. "Name it."

Catherine smiled. "How about Jonah?"

Ethan simply looked at her.

"Well?" She asked, her smile faltering.

"Do you realise how sweet you are?" He asked quietly.

Smiling, she slipped an arm around him. "Jonah...." He murmured. The puppy cocked it's head, as if it was happy with the name as well.

Just then, Claire came running into the kitchen. "Open it." She whined.

Laughing, Catherine and Ethan accompanied Claire into her room.

"Who that?" Claire asked curiously, noticing the little puppy in Ethan's arms.

"Meet Jonah, baby. Your new friend."

Claire smiled. "Hello, Jonah! Oh, he is like Jenner!"

Catherine nodded, smiling. "Yes, baby."

Cuddling Jonah was enough for Claire to forget about the present.

Taking the parcel, Catherine opened the wrapper in one smooth, fluid movement.

The wrapping fell apart to reveal five separate boxes, with little name tags.

"Oh, Claire, look, Grandma even sent a box of chocolates!" Ethan said, smiling brightly.

Claire smiled. "Awww, they are Ferrero Rochers!! My favourite! Wait, Daddy. They stay here to see the gift! Pebbles! Jenner!" She yelled.

The two pets came bounding in, Jenner jumping onto Ethan as Pebbles curled up At Catherine's feet.

They unwrapped the parcel, to find a huge framed portrait, drawn by Catherine's mother herself,of Ethan, Catherine and Claire, Pebbles and Jenner on each side. "This is wonderful. Mum outdid herself." Ethan whispered.

Catherine looked at him, stunned.

"What?" Ethan asked in surprise.

"You called her...Mum." Catherine said quietly.

Ethan gently put the portrait down, and turned to hug Catherine. "C, you are the reason I believe in love. You are the reason I'm such a sap." He paused to chuckle softly into the crook of her neck. "You're my family, C. You, and your parents have been one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Daphne has been the mother I needed, I still need." He whispered.

Catherine smiled softly and stroked his hair, realising the magnitude of his feelings, the depth of his emotions. "Awww, Ethan, that's so sweet." She whispered.

A sudden squeak interrupted them. "Not fair, Mummy and Daddy! I want in on the love!"

Laughing, Catherine picked her four year old up. "Merry Christmas, Claire." She whispered.

"Merry Christmas..."

_______________

Married Ethan X Catherine is 🥹✨️

@choicesficwriterscreations

[choices-binglebonkus]

Really not looking forward to the Storyloom Open Heart resurrection because Open Heart was one of the Big Three series that brought out the most unhinged, rabid, frothing-at-the-mouth drama in the fandom.

[livelaughlovechai]

Watch my crazy delusional ass make open heart desi♥️😘

(mind me making half the characters South Indian lol)not including Jackie(hc malyalee),zaid-baz(headcanon them as Hyderabadi Muslims)and dr Banerjee (CANON bengali king).Set in either Delhi or Mumbai.

Well-

>Ethan-Would be either a syrian Christian (Same first name but would have a name like ethan alan or ethan varghese going on malyalee naming traditions)or still a malyalee (hindu)with a name like arjun or Smth haha.or bengali boy,could explain how he and dr Banerjee bond so well.

>Bryce-gives me major tulu Nadu-kannadiga vibes(he’s one of my people)would have a name like pradeep shetty i have no idea why.

>Rafael-gives me hyderabadi vibes haha.would have a name like raman kameneni lmao again no idea.OR hyderabadi muslim but with a simpler name like imran ali khan?idk.could be a kareem.

>Aurora-Bengali gurl for sure.Would have a name like konkana das

>Sienna- Hyderabadi born Bengali(sushmita sen moment much?).name would be smth like tammanah Mukerjee.

>Elijah-y’all will kill me when I say SoBo/South delhi boy.but yes.tho much more grounded and nice.prolly punjabi hindu.name would be Hrehaan Ahuja or something I am so sorry.

>(Land)ry-pahadi mf I am so sorry.named Tushar,played by Tushar Kapoor(desis know what I did there)

>Kyra-marathi queen.sakshi Tendulkar or Smth lmao.

>Ines-punjabi queen.Harpreet kaur bajwa.

>Tobias-Tamizhan.name like karnan(insert his fathers name cause that’s the naming tradition in TN)

>June-North east indian,nepali/axomiya or sikkimese ig.name is Jaya Denzongpa ig(jaya bacchan vibes)

>Danny-Axomiya.Would be named vishal bodo maybe

>Harper.Bengali.name like Sushmita das ig lmao

>Leland- gujju. Hariom patel or a name like that.

>Esme-Rajput girl.name like aditi singh rajput ig.

>Declan-Snobish NRI asshole.name like Jairam kapoor but calls himself jay kennedy he's defo that type.

THAT'S IT FOR NOW🫡🫡🫡🫡

Some songs cause why not🥰🥰🥰

[adam-writes-stuff]

Open Heart Fanfic Part 1/2/?

Relationships: F!MC & Sienna Trinh

Characters: F!MC, Sienna Trinh

Synopsis: Casey and Sienna have a talk (mentions of Danny, mentions of guilt)

(synopsis my dear mortal enemy)

With a mug of hot cocoa in their hands, they were sitting on the coach once again.

Sienna lightly blew on her drink before taking a sip of the chocolate drink. “I’m sorry for suddenly dropping all this on you. I know it’s hard on the other person listening as well.” she wiped her thumb along the mug’s handle.

“I’ve tried not to let it bother me that I…just ended up drowning it all out so I won’t have to deal with…with all the ugly emotions I was feeling.” she glanced at her friend. Casey was the one to act level-headed in the friend group with some exceptions.

Her friend obviously got stressed or sad, but at the end of the day she was always composed. Sienna couldn’t recall a moment where she had come to her level of emotions and let it all out. Even when she and Rafael got  attacked with Maitotoxin, Casey kept a calm mind to the point accepting that she might die.

Sienna both admired and felt freaked out about that part of Casey. The idea that her dear friend might be bottling up her own feelings and worries for the sake of others worried the brunette, but she didn’t want to pry and knowing Casey - the blonde wouldn’t want to make others worry about her.

Casey put down her drink on the table, wiping the cocoa mustache off her upper lip. “No, it’s fine. Really.” she quickly added so that Sienna wouldn’t argue. “You shouldn’t feel guilty about wanting to talk to someone about your emotions…” the blonde gave her a reassuring look. “Just as you shouldn’t feel guilty for falling in love again.”

Sienna didn’t say anything for a while, glancing back at her mug of cocoa, her reflection being hard to see thanks to the dozens of marshmallows she had dumped in it. “I know. It’s just that…I worry that by dating someone else, I…I-” her grip trampled.

“Forget the person you previously loved?” Casey guessed. Her friend gave a nod of affirmation. “And that I might love the other person more than I loved him.” Sienna explained, fishing out the marshmallows.

Casey took her cup. Just like Sienna, she too had dropped dozens of marshmallows in her cocoa. They had melted in the drink, giving it a sweeter taste.

“Y’know, the thing about love is that it isn't limited and the love you have for one person won’t be the same love you’ll have for another person.” she turned her head at her friend. Sienna glanced at her back before looking away.

“You don’t have to push yourself into dating if you don’t feel ready.” Casey continued. “But I want you to know that falling in love again doesn’t mean you never loved Danny. He won’t lose the place he holds in your heart or get replaced by someone else. The person you like will hold their own, different place in your heart. We love every person differently, that's why comparing love is futile…” she put her hand around her friend’s shoulder. “And that’s why you’re not a bad person for falling in love again.”

Letting out a small huff, Sienna put away her mug before pulling Cassey into the tightest embrace ever. “I’m really lucky to have such an amazing dolphin as my friend.” she heard the brunette say. Casey chuckled. “What did I tell you about stealing my lines?” she patted her back. “I’m not kidding, I’ll get a lawyer.”

Sienna let go of her, chuckling too. “Your lawyer better be fin-tastic or you’ll lose the case.”

When Elijah and Jackie returned they found Sienna and Casey making such terrible fish puns that they wished they hadn’t come back.

[cadybear420]

This has got to be one of the ugliest fucking male underwears in Choices and I refuse to believe Bryce of all people would wear something like that

[moodmusicmonday]

Here's this week's playlist! Thank you to our writers for submitting! All the details are below the cut.

And of course thank you to everyone who follows, likes, and shares our posts week in and week out. We wouldn't be here without all of your love and support. 🥰

Keep an eye out next week for more information on this year's Luck of the Draw!

@cariantha

"Seein' Red" - Dustin Lynch; Seeing Red (OH; Ethan x F!MC)

"Be Kind" - Marshmello, Halsey; War & Peace (OH; Ethan x F!MC)

@txemrn

"Keep Your Head Up Princess" - Anson Seabra; Keep Your Head Up (TRR/TRH; No Romantic Pairing)

"Broken Pieces Shine" - Evanescence; Pour Two Glasses, Chapter 6: ...Everything's Turned Upside Down... (TRR; Liam x MC)

@bebepac

The Vampires Live On, Part 3 (TRR; Liam x MC)

Song 1: "Friday I'm in Love" - The Cure

Song 2: "Together Again" - Janet Jackson

"Lift Me Up" - Rihanna; The Cordonian Arrangement, Part 6 (TRR/TRH; Riley x M!OC)

@tessa-liam

"One Call Away" - Charlie Puth; Marabelle, Chapter 2: Once Upon a Time (TRR; Liam x F!OC)

🎵🎵🎵🎵

[playchoicesconfessions]

Sent by anonymous

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

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

[alj4890]

OK, so I decided to send some Tobias writers a Jesse GIF and ask them to write a little fic based on it. Feel free to play along if you like (or delete - no pressure!)

Okay 😂 Anyone who knows me on here knows I can NEVER resist a picture/gif prompt. This one you sent me @jerzwriter is not only perfect but also has made me think of so many different fic ideas. From the fluffy sweet to the angsty, I think I'll go with one somewhere in the middle 😉 So while I'm stalled on my OH series and all the others 😬, this at least got the inspiration going again.

@jerzwriter @hopelessromantic1352 @choicesficwriterscreations @trappedinfanfiction @twinkleallnight @tessa-liam @kyra75 @coffeeheartaddict2

Masterlist

What Might Have Been

"Hey? Do you hear that?"

Tobias opened his eyes. He blinked at the darkness while a feminine form curled against his side. Though the previous night was foggy from overindulging in both top shelf whiskey and then the actions he'd gotten up to with the woman in his arms, he knew without looking that the hair that tickled his chin was a deep, rich red in color.

Her soft curves nestled up against his body brought back flashes of heated kisses and clothes being thrown about his townhouse.

His mind then slowly registered the sound of someone knocking at his front door.

One quick look at the nightstand clock revealed that it was a little after four in the morning. He couldn't think of anyone who would come to his home at this hour, especially one who would persistently keep knocking.

"Wait here." He whispered.

Getting up, he slipped on a pair of pajama pants and softly padded down the stairs. Stumbling over his discarded shoes and shirt at the foot of the stairs, he peeked out the window to see just who was determined to wake him up at such an ungodly hour.

His heart dropped at the sight of the woman at his door.

Swallowing, he turned the door handle. Seeing her standing at his threshold caused the previous night's events to come flooding over him.

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

Donahue's, mere hours ago...

"Come on!" Chris playfully shoved Tobias. "One more round."

Tobias chuckled as he refilled both their glasses with whiskey.

"Alright Chris," he smiled at her, "but this is the last round. Some of us don't want to fight a massive hangover in the morning."

She snorted in her laughter. Her gray green eyes sparkled as she looked at him with mock impatience. He couldn't think of anyone more adorable than her when slightly tipsy.

"Maybe you'll get lucky." She teased. "I might say something I haven't done that you haven't either."

"Uh huh." He rolled his eyes. "Given my age and my history, that seems highly unlikely."

Tobias unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt. After agreeing to play this Never Have I Ever game with her, he'd drunk more than he had in a very, very long time. He thought the game was asinine at best but he could never refuse a chance to spend time with Chris.

She'd claimed this would be a more fun way for them to get to know one another. He'd been satisfied with their typical nights of sharing stories and yet, he loved seeing her playful/never willing to lose side show up at random times.

"Never have I ever..." Chris began.

She tapped her fingers on the bar. Her lips puckered with eyes narrowed in thought. He snorted softly to see her trying so hard to think of something that he probably had done at some point in his life.

She huffed with irritation when she came up blank with something to trap him in.

"Give up?" He taunted.

"No!" She exclaimed, unable to stop smiling at him. "I'm merely stalled."

"Thank God." He pushed his drink away. "Now can we hang out like normal people?"

"For now." She took a long sip of her drink. "But I will find something to win this game."

He winked at her. "I have no doubt that you will, Chris. I've learned to never underestimate that mind of yours."

Chris beamed at him for that compliment.

He made himself tear his eyes off her face. It was getting harder and harder for him to simply be her coworker turned friend. His flirtatious nature was dying to use everything within him to win her heart.

Chris was an attraction he didn't want to keep fighting against. It'd been about two years now since he'd joined Edenbrook's, famed diagnostics team and that was two years too long of holding back his ever growing feelings for the tall red head.

He knew why he kept holding back. One glance over to the opposite side of the bar revealed the man who had been in the very situation Tobias found himself in. From the bits and pieces both Ethan and Chris had revealed in his time at Edenbrook, Tobias knew the danger of falling for someone you worked closely with on a daily basis.

Unlike Ethan though, Tobias wasn't hesitant to actually be with Chris because of work. His was a worry more so in losing what they already had between them. Given his track record with women, he knew Chris could never be a simple notch on the old belt.

She was something infinitely more.

Eyeing the glasses, he picked his up, took a large gulp, and decided there was no time like the present to say what needed to be said.

"Don't look now," Chris whispered, "but someone has their eye on you."

Tobias looked around until he made eye contact with a woman with long, red hair. Her gaze was fixated upon him and a sultry smile played about her lips.

Chris's smile dimmed once he refocused on her. "Go on. I understand."

"Nah. I'm good." He set his glass down.

"Come on." Chris's laughter lacked its earlier joy. "Even I know that woman's a sure thing."

"I'm not interested in her." He folded his arms on the bar, angling his body towards Chris. "And I thought of a Never Have I Ever."

"Not interested?!" Chris narrowed her eyes in concern then felt his forehead. "Hmm. No fever."

"Hah, hah." He nudged her glass towards her. "Are we playing or what, Valentine?"

Chris hesitated, glancing back at the woman he was turning down.

"Okay. Hit me with what you got."

Tobias picked up his glass. His eyes lowered to the amber liquid swirling around and around while he drummed up the courage.

"Never have I ever," he took a deep breath, "admitted to the woman sitting next to me how much I want her."

Chris's glass landed on the table with an audible thud.

"That's not..." she blinked back a sudden rush of tears, "...Tobias, that's not funny."

"It wasn't meant to be." He reached for her hand. "I'm serious, Chris. I've wanted to tell you for a while now, but given your on and off again history with Ethan, I thought the timing might not be right."

Her stunned silence encouraged him to continue.

"I'm tired of waiting for the right moment, so this is it. I want to be with you."

Chris bit down on her bottom lip. Her eyes searched his for the truth.

"You sure it isn't the whiskey making you think like this?" She prodded. "Because if you're looking for a one night stand, that woman who's been checking you out all night should be the one you use this line on, not me."

A couple of tears spilled out. She quickly dabbed them away with her fingertips.

"I'm tired of not knowing what men want from the beginning. And," she took a deep breath, "I want to be someone's only significant other for a change."

"That's what I want." He gripped her hand. "I want you and me to be together, as a couple."

Chris glanced over her shoulder at the man who had entangled her heart from the moment she met him.

"I need to go talk to Ethan."

Tobias felt his heart drop. He couldn't believe that this was the outcome of his confessing his feelings for Chris.

His fingers clinched around hers before slowly slipping away.

"Wait here." Chris told him, sliding off her barstool.

"Sure." He mumbled.

Tobias downed the rest of his drink, then finished off Chris's.

He watched Chris whisper to Ethan. The two of them headed outside to the back patio to talk. He refused to sit and wait on her returning to tell him she preferred Ethan over him. Why should he make himself even more miserable?

He pushed away from the bar and encountered the red head who'd been eyeing him all night.

"Hi." She cooed, smiling up at him.

His eyes drifted along her striking features. Though she was pale and had red hair like Chris, her eyes were a warm brown and she was a good deal shorter than the one who'd just broken his heart.

But...she was interested in him.

"I hope you weren't leaving without saying hello." She teased.

"No." He forced himself to smile at her. "I was instead going to see if you wanted to get out of here."

Looping her arm through his, she tugged him out the door.

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

Tobias's home...

"Chris." Tobias rubbed his hands over his eyes, hoping this wasn't real.

He'd been so certain he'd brought her home when he first woke up.

"You, Dr. Carrick, do not wait well." Chris teased as she brushed past him. "I'm sorry it took so long with Ethan. We had more to discuss than I thought when I told him about us."

She took her coat off and hung it up on her way to sit down on his couch.

"You told him what exactly?" Tobias glanced up the stairs at his open bedroom door and silently prayed the woman in his bed didn't come down to investigate.

"I thought it only fair to tell him we are now a couple." Chris explained. "I never was really certain what he considered me as, so I wasn't sure if our discussion would be more of a breakup or a rehash that Ethan and I never really got the timing right."

"Oh." Tobias sat down beside her. "Are you okay?"

"I am now." She snuggled against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Once I realized you'd left, it took me forever to find a taxi."

"I..." his heart stopped when he heard the familiar creak of his fourth stair.

"Hey." The woman he'd brought home said timidly. "I uh, I think I should get out of here."

Chris whipped around, eyes wide, at the sight of the person who'd been at the bar.

The other red head gave a quick, apologetic wave then darted out his front door.

Tobias tried to keep Chris in his arms.

She shoved him away, scrambling to her feet.

"Chris!" He chased her into his entry hall. "I thought you were choosing Ethan! I didn't know--"

"Why in the hell would I tell you to wait on me if I was choosing him?!" She jerked her coat on. "I can't believe that I was stupid enough to actually have thought someone like you would want what I wanted."

"I do!" He shut his door when she wrenched it open. "Please, just--"

She pushed him away and ran out his door.

"CHRIS!" He yelled out, chasing her down the block. "PLEASE, DON'T--"

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

"Tobias!"

He jerked awake, gasping for air as if he'd been drowning.

He reached over and flipped the lamp on, heart pounding in fear of the woman he'd see in bed with him.

"Hey," Chris wrapped her arms around him, softly kissing him. "It's okay."

He hugged her close, burying his head against her neck.

"No more thirty-six hour shifts for you." She teased, easing back some.

He gently cupped her face. His attention drifted from Chris to the platinum wedding band glistening in the lamp light that resided on his ring finger.

"Bad dream?" She caressed his cheek.

"The worst." He settled back against the pillows, pulling her within his arms.

"Want to talk about it?" She asked.

"No." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Let's talk about something happy."

"Like what?" Chris laid down next to him.

"Tell me our story." He said softly.

"Our story?" Her lips curved as she snuggled closer. "Okay. How far back are we talking?"

"All the way." He slipped his arm around her to tuck her more against his side.

"Once upon a time," she began. "A young doctor--"

"Exceptionally beautiful doctor." He corrected.

"A young, exceptionally beautiful doctor decided to have breakfast at a cafe with a friend. She saw a man--"

"Devastatingly handsome man." Tobias corrected once more.

"I was talking about the man Aurora and I helped." She poked him in the ribs.

"The devastatingly handsome man approached you afterwards." He continued.

Chris propped herself up on his chest. "Am I telling this or not?"

Tobias began to smile over the memory. "I asked you out right then and there."

"You did." She conceded. "And since you were cute, I said, yes."

"I fell for you right then." He murmured, exhaustion begining to take its toll.

"I fell for you too." She pressed a tender kiss to his lips. "And so the couple dated. The devastatingly handsome man turned out to be a brilliant doctor who saved the exceptionally beautiful doctor's life."

"They married." He yawned, eyes closing as peace fell upon him once more.

"And lived happily ever after." Chris whispered.

Tobias's slow breaths allowed her a chance to relax once more beside him. Hugging him close, she fell into a deep sleep.

[txemrn]

Until You Love Me

Chapter 2: I See Other People...

🖤 We're just getting started! Catch up here!

Pairings: Ethan Ramsey x f!MC (Casey Valentine); f!MC (Casey Valentine) x f!OC (Tatum Erikson)

Series Summary: Constantly worried about Ethan's faithfulness, Casey Valentine's paranoia reaches an all-time high when she meets a blast from his past.

Chapter Summary: Trying to make sense of Tatum's unusual behavior, Casey tries to spy on her as she interacts with Ethan

Music Inspo: "Paparazzi" - Kim Dracula

Word Count: ~2500

Rating/Warnings: 🔞 Mature Audiences Only🔞 This miniseries will contain NSFW material (🍋), infidelity, language, discussion and/or depiction of medical situations, gaslighting, mental abuse & illness, suicide, violence, criminal activity; alcohol use

A/N: I am participating in week 2 of @choicesflashfics prompt challenge! I chose prompt #2: “I can’t believe you would even think to leave me like this.” The prompt will be in bold.

A/N2: This is very much an AU; our main characters will be written OOC; most of these characters and some plot points belong to our friends at Pixelberry. Special thanks to my sweet friends that helped me brainstorm and pre-read various parts of this. This is not beta'd, so please forgive my errors.

~🖤~

‘Do I know you?' 

Tatum’s response replays in my head, sending crippling embarrassment through every cell in my being. This can’t be happening. Surely I misheard her. I nervously titter. “Um yeah,” I fiddle with my fingers, “I’m pretty sure we know each other.”

Confusion etches across her face as she closes the chart. “I’m sorry,” she quickly shakes her head as if to clear the uncertainty from her own mind. “I’m new to Edenbrook–to Boston, actually, and I’ve met and seen so many new faces. My apologies for not remembering,” she holds out her hand for mine, her charming smile brightly painting across her soft lips. “I’m Tatum Erikson.”

‘Apologies for not remembering’? Am I going crazy? How could she possibly forget last night?

I can’t.

And probably never will.

I can still feel her teeth grazing against my most sensitive of areas, her fingers spreading me apart for her tongue to lap up my arousal. When my orgasm tore through me, she tenderly stroked me through my euphoric bliss, her swift teasing sending me into another one.

It was incredible. And she left me starving for more.

But, she doesn’t remember?

The searing burn of bile touches the back of my throat as the room begins to spin. I try to act casual and offer her a friendly smile, but her stare says it all: her eyes are penetrating me with confused judgment; a carefully-groomed eyebrow cocks itself into a high, curious arch; the corners of her rosy lips turn downward the longer the silence festers between us, and she finally puts her arm down.

Damnit. Say something, Casey…

“Um…” I snicker, “right.” I thump my palm jokingly across my forehead. “Sorry, I–I’m Casey,” I stutter, “Casey Valentine.”

Tatum’s eyes widen in realization. “Casey Valentine,” she enunciates slowly, her eyes taking in my whole body as she softly titters under her breath.

She does remember.

I blush, coyly chuckling to myself. I breathe a sigh of relief. “I was nervous you forgot about last night–”

“Last night?” Tatum questions. “At… Donahue’s?”

I blush again, covering my face. “Yeah,” I quietly whisper, combing my strawberry blonde wisps behind my ears, “and… well, with what happened in the bathroom.”

I feel a swirl of heat creep up my neck, a thirsty ache growing between my legs as I remember our impromptu intimate moment together. And I can see she’s remembering it, too as she fumbles with her papers, a rosy pink appearing across her cheeks.

“Um,” she clears her throat, “does Ethan know… um–?”

Shit, is she starting to regret it, too?

“No,” I interject. “But, it’s okay,” I smile. “We can just… keep it between us.”

“Whatever,” Tatum mutters under her breath, chaotically packing up her charts. With the clicking of her heels, she marches down the hallway that connects the emergency department with the rest of the hospital.

I sigh to myself, raking my fingers through my hair. That could’ve gone better… it definitely could’ve been worse. 

I glance around the department, pinpointing the interns. Hopefully none of them saw that exchange. I definitely don’t need this situation growing out of control… and getting back to Ethan. I know it would only upset him. 

I can’t help but smile as I watch this new batch of doctors with their patients, gathering information so they can successfully diagnose and treat. They seem to have everything under control without my help for now.

Gently shaking my watch down my wrist, I look to see that it’s just after 8AM.  Ethan is usually halfway through his first cup of coffee, but that idiot… I laugh to myself thinking about it. He never eats anything with it.  And he wonders why he’s chewing on Tums by lunchtime.

I better grab him a croissant.

Or maybe a cranberry orange scone. 

He seemed to enjoy that the other day when he had his private meeting with Bloom. He looked so distressed, so disgruntled during their conversation, but when he had his pastries delivered…

I touch my fingers to my heart, the memory of that beautiful, crooked grin curling across his face… I exhale heavily, my eyes fluttering closed. 

I love making him happy.

Looking back to my first year residents and seeing that they under control, I decide to take a detour in my day. Humming to myself, I exit the emergency department, reaching the main corridor of Edenbrook. As per usual, it is busy with the Monday morning bustle; it’s comforting being here and watching everything. 

I casually make my way up the back staircase, dodging healthcare providers coming and going.  Ethan’s glass-enclosed office looks out over the commons; it’s the first thing you notice once you’ve reached the second level. As I draw closer, I can see him leaning against his desk, and my heart skips a beat.  I didn’t realize he didn’t shave this morning. I mean, it was a late night, but he knows I love his stubble.

And he’s laughing.  I love seeing him in a good mood; it fills my heart with so much joy knowing that he’s having a good day so far.  I wonder what’s making him so happy–

I freeze in my tracks, my mouth running dry, as a large lump forms in my throat.

No… No… it can’t be.

I clench my eyelids closed, thinking maybe my contacts are blurry, or–or maybe I’m imagining things. But when I slowly open my eyes again, she is still there.

What the hell is Tatum doing in there? With my Ethan?

I slink behind a planter, hiding from their view as I continue to watch the scene unfold in his office.  Tatum is casually sitting in a chair, her long legs crossed, and the hem of that red dress laying uncomfortable short across her knee.

Perfect.

They giggle every so often, Ethan tossing his head forward with his hands in his pockets, but his crystal blue gaze remains fixed on her.

Are they flirting? 

Determined with curiosity, I inch myself closer to the open office door. I need to know what they're talking about. 

I lean in.

Closer.

"...in the bathroom at Donahue's."

"What?" Ethan scoffs, crossing his arms. "Are you kidding me?"

Shit! Why is she telling him? It was supposed to stay between us!

Anger bubbles in my veins as I slowly back away from the office. Fuck, Tatum! How could she betray me like this? And of all people to tell, she told my Ethan!

Oh God…

My love… he knows.

Shit. Shit. Shit…

"Valentine?"

I abruptly pivot around towards the smooth, soulful deep voice, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. 

"Dr. Carrick!" I try to play it cool. "H–how are you?"

He towers over me with his hands on his hips, his handsome stormy eyes pierce curiosity into mine. "I'm fine," he answers, almost like he's asking me a question. He looks to Ethan's open door and back to me. "What… are you doing here? Does he know–?" He motions to me with his finger and back to the office.

"Yes!" I smile, "Sorta… I'm just stopping by to say hi, but he's in a meeting with um, uh… with–"

He quietly whistles through his teeth, crossing his arms as he stares at the blonde bombshell sitting in the office. "Tatum Erikson." He tries to stifle his flirty grin, but he can't help himself. "That is one…" he pauses for a moment to drag his tongue across his bottom teeth, "... gifted woman."

What does that mean? Has she slept with him, too?

"Yeah," I choke out, "she's, um, something. H–how do you know her?"

"Hopkins," he dryly replies, staring intently at Tatum. "She was one of the top students in our class. Even beat out me and Ramsey." 

I nod slowly, continuing to watch the interaction between Ethan and Tatum. They would grow serious until one of them would break the tension, and they would both fall into a fit of giggles. She would occasional swat his arm, or he would give her that adorable crooked smile, his way of checking to see if she caught his dry humor.

They get along well, just like old friends do.

Or lovers.

Stop it, Casey.

"Tobias," I clear my throat, trying to act casual. "Did Ethan and Tatum–"

"Case," he interrupts, stepping in front of me to block my view. He places his large hands on my shoulders, offering me a smile drenched with pity. "Don't." He shakes his head. "Don't do this to yourself, sweetie."

I look down at my Danskos, feeling so foolish. I begin to wring my hands as I slowly nod my head in understanding.

He pats the back of my shoulder. "Now go on. Get out of here," he smirks as he saunters away, pulling out his phone to continue with his day.

Tobias is right. I trust Ethan. He has never given me a reason to question him. He's absolutely perfect.

He loves me.

I glance back to his office one more time only to find Tatum standing at his side looking over his shoulder as they look at a patient’s chart together. Their eyes meet… and linger just a little too long on one another.

I feel my heart begin to drop as my hands grow cold and clammy. I take a step towards the office–

Stop it.

I know he loves me. 

--------

The morning has flown by, and I am quite happy with how my first day is turning out. My interns are sharp; they are doing an excellent job in the pit with assessing, diagnosing and treating patients. They barely even need me. 

It's a gorgeous summer day outside, so I'm hoping to enjoy my lunch at a picnic table in one of the atriums of the hospital. I wish Ethan could come out and enjoy the weather with me, but no doubt his first day with new staff is incredibly busy. I'm trying my best to stay out of his way.

With my lunchbox in hand, I saunter through the telemetry unit, humming to myself when suddenly, a slender arm links with mine and yanks me out of the flow of traffic. Slightly disoriented, I look up and recognize the gorgeous specimen standing in front of me.

"Tatum?"

She holds a finger to her mouth as she looks up and down the hall, ensuring the coast is clear. She laces her fingers with mine before jerking me into a dark medical supply closet. 

Watching her close the door, I curiously watch her figure step closer towards me.

"Tatum," I whisper, my nerves igniting with excitement. "What are you–?"

Her supple lips instantly find mine, as she pushes my body up against the shelving units, boxes of gauze and bandages scattering all around us. Slinking a hand behind my neck, our kiss becomes ravenous, our tongues dancing fluidly with one another.

I gasp as I feel her fingers unfasten my slacks.

And I push her away.

"Tatum, stop." I furrow my eyebrows at her at she gives me a stunned look.

She carefully comes back over to me, gently resting the back of her finger against my cheek. "What's wrong, doll?"

I push her hand away as I comb my fingers into my hair, bowing my head forward. "I… I'm so confused."

She saddles up next to me, her eyes locked on mine. "About what?"

"'About what'?" I blow a raspberry as the stinging prick of tears fill my eyes. "Tatum, you treated me like you didn't know me this morning–"

"Casey… " she croons.

"--and after last night," I sigh slowly. "You really hurt me."

"Doll," she whispers sympathetically. She cups my cheek, gently caressing my soft skin with her thumb. "I'm so sorry I had to do that."

"'Had to'?"

"Of course," she takes a hold of my other hand, bringing the back of it to her lips. "To protect you–to protect this between us."

I give her an inquisitive look as she kisses my hand again, this time her lips gently sucking on me.

"Listen, doll," Tatum leans in closer to my face. "There were a lot of people around this morning, watching us and our every move." Her expression becomes more concerned. "I didn't want what we had last night getting out and getting us in trouble. Especially with Ethan."

She closes her eyes to kiss me, but I turn my face away. "But you went to Ethan anyway. And told him." I grumble. "I saw you. And I heard you telling him."

"Casey doll," she shakes her head, "I swung by Ethan's office this morning to discuss a case that may need to involve the ethics committee." She stares endearingly into my eyes, stroking my face. "He then asked if I got to meet his beautiful girlfriend last night, and I told him I did, and that we even had a girlfriend bonding sesh in the bathroom." Tatum places an arm above our heads, leaning against the racks of supplies as her body presses closer into mine. "He's clueless, doll," she whispers. "He's not going to find out about–"

"But what's with the flirting, Tatum?" I blurt out.

"Flirting?" She sardonically snickers. "I don't know if you know this, but Ethan and I go way back. We're just friends." She starts to play with my hair, twirling it between her fingertips. "Besides… I kinda have my sights set on–" her eyes seductively track from my tresses back to my eyes. "Someone else."

"Really?"

She smirks. "What do you think?" She slowly grazes my mouth with hers, my lips tingling upon impact. 

I shrug off my white coat as she hurriedly unbuttons my shirt, caressing, tasting each and every inch and curve of my bare body.

She really is incredible. And she makes me feel like an absolute goddess when she touches me.

But what about Ethan?

Suddenly, an ear piercing alarm sounds from the hallway. A fire alarm.

Fuck.

I eagerly put my top back on when Tatum puts a hand on mine, making me stop. "And what do you think you're doing?"

She's joking, right? "It's the fire alarm. We need to get out of the–"

Tatum takes my hand, slipping it under her dress and between her legs. No panties. Feeling her warm and already dripping wet makes me shutter. "Tatum, we can't–"

“I can’t believe you would even think to leave me like this,” she giggles, a glint of mischievousness in her eyes. 

She grabs my wrist, bringing my hand to her mouth. She begins to lick her own arousal from my fingers, her tongue gliding in and out, between my fingertips. 

Oh God…

A deep burning builds in my belly as I watch her untie her wrap dress, allowing it to fall from her own body and pool around her toes.

"Touch me, Casey."

~🖤~

Tags (tag list updated 9/26; please let me know if you'd like to be added/removed)

PERMA

@21-wishes @alj4890 @angelasscribbles @ao719 @charlotteg234 @harleybeaumont @issabees @kat-tia801 @kingliam2019 @mainstreetreader @mom2000aggie @neotericthemis @nikirennie87 @peonierose @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam

ALL OPEN HEART

@annfg8 @cariantha @lsvdw-blog @ohchoices @thegreentwin

[amortentiaopenheart]

Paws of Love

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey X Catherine Valentine

Category: Open Heart, pre-series

Genre: Fluff

Premise: Jenner takes a liking to a stranger.

Word count: 200+

A/N: Leave a like/reblog if you feel like it, it always makes a writer happy! ✨️

____________

The early morning wind coloured Ethan's cheeks in a rosy blush, Jenner skipping along his side.

Boston was always quiet at four in the morning, save the occasional car or pedestrian.

He walked around the park, feeling the wind and the sun, and often stopping to pet Jenner.

Just then, something triggered Jenner, for he shook himself off of Ethan's grasp, and bounded into the bushes.

"Jenner! Hey, Jenner!" The young resident yelled. "Dammit."

He quickly followed the leash, and found Jenner on top of a laughing young lady.

"Jenner!" He exclaimed, pulling him away from the girl, as he went red.

"I'm so sorry." He offered, looking slightly mortified, as he offered the girl his hand.

Hardly had their hands touched that Ethan felt a spark, and almost withdrew his hand.

The girl got up, and smiled.

Ethan's breath hitched.

She was lovely.

Blonde-brown hair sparkling in the wintry sunlight, her cheeks rosy and green eyes sparkling. She must've been at least 5'8", and her smile radiated love.

"He's an absolute love. What's his name?" The girl cooed, sitting down on the grass, as Jenner slowly approached her and snuggled into her lap.

Ethan smiled. "Jenner."

An amused smile tugged at her lips. "Seriously? You named her after Kylie?"

Ethan went a bright red. "What-no!" He spluttered. "Edward Jenner was an English physi-"

The girl cut him off, laughing. "I know who Edward Jenner is. But how about you? Got a name, stranger?"

She pat the grass beside her, and Ethan took his spot. "Ethan Ramsey." He said, smiling.

The girl's jaw went slack. "Ethan Ramsey? As in Junior Resident of Edenbrook's famed Diagnostics Team Ethan Ramsey? As in Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome researcher Ethan Ramsey? As in Diagnostic Principles author Ethan Ramsey?!"

Ethan smiled awkwardly. "I assume you're in the medical field."

The girl stared at him incredulously, her hand working on Jenner's fur on autopilot. "You're kidding."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "What gave you that idea?"

The girl stared. "So, what you're saying is, I'm sitting beside the person for whom I am enduring med school?"

Ethan chuckled quietly. "Which medical school, may I ask?"

The girl smiled. "JHU."

Ethan nodded appreciatively. "Which year, Ms....?"

"Catherine Valentine, final year. I'm actually....applying to Edenbrook."

Ethan nodded thoughtfully. "I assume internal medicine, considering you read Diagnostic Principles?"

Catherine nodded, then suddenly smiled. "There's this cute puppy café down the block. Can I interest you in joining me for some coffee and cuddles?"

Ethan smiled. "I suppose...."

______________

POV: This is gonna be a series! <3

[choices-ceri]

I'd love to see your version of Aurora from OH. I have a thing for smug introverts who like to brood and make sarcastic comments in their free time, but need someone to hold their hand whenever they are about to do anything remotely fun and spontaneous. That woman got into rock climbing just to avoid other people when she was out excersising. That's some dedication to lone wolf lifestyle right there. I miss her so much. I'm replaying OH. I just played her scene in second year ch6 and I'm suffering. There is much information on her wiki page that I wouldn't even know where to begin. I think her introduction from first year ch1 could serve as a greeting, but I'm not quite sure how this works

Sorry this is hella late. I was replaying OH for a refresher on her character.

I've made two versions:

A book 1 version where she kinda doesn't like you because people.

And a book 2+ version where you are friends now.