#choicesnovember2021

[liaromancewriter]

Still Into You

Premise: Cassie and Ethan celebrate their wedding anniversary and reflect on their relationship.

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine) Rating/Category: Mature. Fluff. Words: 1,005

A/N: The lovely @dorisz created an Ethan & Cassie manip (see below) which sparked my creativity to finally complete this fic, which has been on my mind for a while now. Participating in this week’s @wackydrabbles​, prompt “Use your words” which will appear in bold.

Submission to @choicesnovchallenge2021​ Day 15 prompt “Peace”

Cassie Valentine found herself wide awake in the middle of the night. It was an alien enough sensation that she wanted to pinch herself to make sure it was real and not a dream.

She looked over at her husband of two years, Ethan Ramsey, sleeping peacefully beside her, head facing her on the pillow. Leaning up on her elbow, she pinched him instead.

Well versed in her ways, the man didn’t even flinch. But Cassie knew that he was up from how his breathing changed. Unlike her, he was a light sleeper and an early riser.

“Everything okay?” he asked, those laser blue eyes alert and gleaming in the dark.

“I’m just up,” she shrugged.

He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear before tugging her down. Sighing, she nestled her head in the crook of his shoulder and splayed her hand on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, his lips brushing against her forehead.

“You know it’s July 15 today,” said Cassie after a few minutes of peaceful silence.

“And a Monday,” said Ethan, voice gruff and eyes closed as he settled back. “We both have to be at work in a few hours so we should probably get some sleep.”

Cassie’s response was to drill her finger into his stomach. But the man was impervious and just laughed.

“Very funny, Doctor Ramsey,” she pouted, pushing herself away from him. “You know exactly what day it is.”

“Happy Anniversary, love,” he said, laughter in his voice.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head before leaning down to kiss him. A simple peck turned carnal when his lips parted, taking control of the kiss. His tongue dueled with hers, capturing her moans as he tightened his embrace.

“Happy Anniversary, Ethan,” she breathed out when they broke apart.

She rested her head on his chest, wanting to feel his heart beating beneath her. She pressed a light kiss on the spot just above where she could hear the rapid thud-thud sound.

“Can I ask you something?” she said, fingers tapping on his chest.

“Will you go back to sleep after?” he asked, fighting back a yawn.

“Are you glad you married me?”

“Of course,” he said without hesitation. “Are you?”

When she hesitated and didn’t respond, he stilled. His arms fell away as he pushed himself up to sit back against the headrest, eyes full of worry as the corners of his mouth tightened.

“Not funny, Doctor Valentine,” he grumbled when he saw the teasing look on her face, her body silently shaking with mirth.

Before he knew it, she was laughing out loud, her whole face alight with joy. She scrambled to sit up in bed, crossing her legs in front of her. He couldn’t help but notice her short nightgown riding up and was already devising his revenge.

“I’m sorry, babe,” she said clutching her belly, “but the expression on your face was priceless.”

This time he was the one that rolled his eyes and shook his head. But her laugher was infectious, and he couldn’t help but join in.

He drew her down, closing his mouth over hers and swallowing her laughter. His clever fingers slipped between her legs, teasing the sensitive skin at the top of her inner thighs. He ignored the way her hips rose, and her silent pleas for his fingers to touch her where she craved him most.

“Ethan,” she mewled as his thumb circled closer to where she needed him but then stopped. “Please.”

“What’s that, Rookie?” he said, his palm cupping her. “I didn’t quite hear you. Use your words.”

“I. Am. Sorry.”

She bit out the words, moaning as the heel of his hand pressed hard against her and his fingers stroked her higher before slipping inside to torment and seduce her into surrender.

“You know I will get even, right?” she said when she could speak again.

“I look forward to it,” he grinned. “Ready to go back to sleep?”

“Not yet,” she said, lying back against him.

His chin came to rest on top of her head as his arm circled her neck and tucked her body close.

“I know it’s our second anniversary,” she began, “but it’s really been five years since you told me you loved me. The first time.”

“I remember,” he said, pressing a kiss on the side of her head.

“I was scared of the words then, uncertain even because the last time I said them…well, that love was not returned.”

Knowing he was speaking of his mother, she lifted his hand to place light kisses across his knuckles before entwining their fingers together.

“I hope you know, Ethan, that whenever you say those words to me, they will always be returned.”

She felt him nod above her, his hand squeezing hers in acknowledgment.

“Since we’re married now and all, can I ask you something else?” she said, yawning as sleep started to catch up to her.

“Of course.”

“Remember Nigel the PITA in my intern year? You assigned him to punish me, didn’t you?”

“Seriously, Rookie?” he said, his deep laughter echoing across the room. “Are you still on about that?”

“You know I can’t resist a mystery,” she whined, angling her head to stare up at him.

“What I told you then stands,” he said, his fingers stroking her cheekbones. “I assigned him to challenge you, to push you to be best doctor you could be...”

Cassie stayed silent as she watched him formulate his thoughts.

“But, you’re right that a part of me was also punishing you,” he admitted. “Not because of Naveen or anything like that, but because I was falling for you. And I thought if I pissed you off enough it might create some distance between us until I could find my equilibrium again.”

“How’s that working out for you?” she teased.

“Well, I’m still into you,” he quipped. “So, you tell me.”

“I’m still into you too,” she said with a smile, her lips brushing against his. “Always.”

Tagging in reblog

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

[ellarisms]

A Most Wanted Moodboard

Warning: guns, knife

🙈 Participating on @choicesnovchallenge2021 day 13 with the prompt ‘power’

see under the cut.

°°°

So I tried my hand at making these...

And I'm excited to finally have something with Sam & Dave! These two might just be my OTP ever since reading Most Wanted back in 2016. 💕 and yes, i’m still mad at pb for cancelling mw 😤

Sorry for the other blurry photos; I didn't have a lot of options :'(

The times Sam & Dave says ‘wanna bet?’ because people doubt their capabilities

Dave (Chapter 1): “You walk away now, or I put a 24-7 patrol on you. Constantly following you around, taking pictures, harassing you at work and at home. A nice big dose of your own medicine. How's that sound?”

“Psht. Yeah, right. You don't have that kind of pull.”

“Wanna bet?”

°°°

Sam (Chapter 6): “We’ll see if Tull believes that when I trot you out for the news cameras and say you're fully cooperating with the manhunt.”

“You... you wouldn't!”

“Wanna bet?”

- One wasn’t down to bet, the other disregarded it and moved on.

[lorirwritesfanfic]

My life has been a story of impermanence... of enjoying everything for a time, then moving on to the next adventure. And then I met you, and for the first time in my life I found a true home. A place where I belong... within your heart. I have realized that the restlessness and longing I felt was merely my soul searching the world over for yours. Now that I have experienced the grand adventure of true love, all else pales in comparison. Where once a literal wind filled the sails of my life, moving ever forward... now you are the wind to me.

Hamid’s wedding vows for @choicesnovchallenge2021​ day thirty: home

[julia-highstorms]

Sick Day (Bryce x Rei (F!MC))

Author’s note: This takes place sometime during Book 1. Just a bit of Bryce and Rei fluff 💕  This piece is something that I started writing when the gang was on their intern year, but I just finished it this year and I forgot to post it 😅 but this fits in with Day 14 - Nursing from @choicesnovchallenge2021, I guess? So here it finally is lsmfosnaak

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, not me.

Rating: PG-16

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x Rei Sato (F!MC) - Read more about them here

Word count: +3.1K

_______________________

The inevitable happened: Rei had the flu. A strong one per say.

The amount of people the young medical intern had treated the past few days with sinusitis, faringitis, laringitis, all the “itis” and flu, plus all that stress from the competition for a place in the Diagnostics Team, it was quite predictable that she would end up getting sick sooner or later. 

She was feeling so bad - coughing, sneezing, feverish and tired, body aching everywhere - that she even got two whole days to rest at home.

“I’m sure it’s just a cold—” - she tried to argue, but Dr. Ramsey firmly shook his head.

“Rookie, I don’t want you getting worse and compromising the patients’ health; they’re already sick, they don’t need their doctor to be worsening their cases.” - he stated as he gave her the medical leave himself. Clearly, there was no space for 'buts'.

So, Rei Sato found herself still feeling cold, even though she was buried beneath several blankets, in her bed the next day. Sienna made sure that she was feeling comfortable before all of her roommates left the apartment for work. Rei took her prescribed medicines and slept the whole day only waking up to go to the bathroom. She was pretty sure that resting all day and having a good night sleep would make her feel brand new the following day. 

But by the time her friends came back home after their long shifts, that wasn’t the case.

“You’re still burning.” - Jackie stated. - “And your cough has worsened. Did you take the pills Dr. Ramsey prescribed correctly?”

“Of course I did.” - Rei muttered annoyedly, her voice hoarse. - “I’m sure I’ll be better tomorrow—”

“We can’t leave her alone.” - Sienna told the others as she entered Rei’s room, carrying a chicken soup she had made herself and handing it to her friend. 

“I believe Rei will get better on her own—”

“Yeah, but how? We all have to work tomorrow.” - Jackie completely ignored Landry and asked Sienna, who was helping the sick girl to not spill her dinner on her bed and on herself.

“Hmm, hold on, guys. I know someone who can help!” - Elijah said, wheeling out of the room, his phone in hand.

Rei fell back asleep right after she had finished her dinner, having no idea about who Elijah was talking about. 

_______________________

The young intern was having a nightmare, dreaming about her patients being left alone, the other medical interns sabotaging her, Dr. Ramsey’s cold blue eyes staring disappointedly at her…

When she felt a big, warm and gentle hand on her forehead. She blinked a few times, waking up as she recognised the smiling face of the hand’s owner. That smirk.

“Bryce?” - her voice pitched in surprise, sitting up immediately.

The young woman blinked a few times to be sure she wasn't hallucinating due to fever. She wasn't. Bryce was really there. 

“How one of the best medical interns of Edenbrook Hospital could get sick from one of her patients?” - he asked mockingly, his smile playing on his lips. Rei was hot because of the fever, but she knew that the sudden heat on her cheeks was because of an entirely different reason. He frowned momentarily. - “Are you cold? You’re shivering.” - he grabbed the cardigan hanging up on her chair and put it around her shoulders.

“What about work?” - she finally managed to ask him.

“Today’s my day off. Elijah called me last night asking me if I could come and take care of you.” - he smiled sweetly at her, stroking her cheek. She averted her eyes, too embarrassed to stare back at him. - “Anyway, how are you feeling?” - he took the receipt, carefully reading all the prescribed medicines she had to take. At least she wasn't with an infection. 

“Like I was hit by a truck. I slept all day yesterday, took my remedies, but I still feel so tired and sore.”

“That’s because I wasn’t here.” - he sat down on the edge of her bed, that super sexy (and sometimes annoying) smirk on his face. - “I’m an amazing surgeon, but I’m also a great nurse.”

Rei rolled her eyes, already used to Bryce’s inflated ego.

“You better be, because I have to be back to work tomorrow--”

He shook his head, his smirk still playing on his lips.

“That’s the problem, Rei. You absolutely must not worry about work right now. You have to think about yourself and get better first. Plus, your friends and the other medical interns are there. They might not be the number one, but they’re very capable professionals and your patients will be fine under their care.” - she knew he was right, but she couldn’t help herself. The young surgeon stood up. - "Now, it's almost lunch time, I guess Sienna left a prepared meal for you. I'll heat it up and be right back!"

With her back resting against the headboard of her bed, Rei watched as the man strode outside her room, a lazy smile growing on her lips. Minutes later, Bryce was back in her room, carrying a tray with a homemade porridge on it.

"Voilá! One hot porridge to our lovely patient. Careful, it's hot."

"Thank you." - Rei smiled to herself as he carefully handed it to her. She took a small spoonful of it and the food seemed to melt on her tongue. It was delicious. - "Sienna really is a great cook." 

Bryce sat down on her chair, just beside her desk, smiling as Rei savoured her lunch with her eyes closed, a gleeful expression lighting up her face. When she opened her eyes again, she saw him gazing at her. 

"What?" - she felt her cheeks tingling with embarrassment. 

"Nothing. You just looked so happy for a moment. If you look this happy with food, then maybe I should learn how to cook."  

Her cheeks grew pinker again to his flirting and he chuckled. 

"Uh, have you eaten yet?" 

"Yeah, I ate just before coming here." - she nodded and resumed eating.

"And… how are you? It feels like weeks since I last saw you…" - they would often bump into each other down the hospital corridors, Bryce teasingly shooting her a wink whenever they saw each other.

"Well, you know how it's like to be the number one intern of your year." - he shrugged, with a proud smile. - "I've been good, Dr. Tanaka has been asking me to participate in more surgeries, which are more complex."

"That's good!"

"Yeah, it's been good to put my skills to test."

The young surgeon proceeded on talking about his latest surgery. Rei finished her meal and listened to him patiently, noticing how his brown eyes seemed to shine as he gestured excitedly.

It felt good to just spend some time together, talking and enjoying each other's company, with no one else around. She missed seeing him more often. 

Eventually, sleepiness started to cloud her mind, which Bryce noticed. 

“I talked too much. You should go to sleep, Rei." - he chuckled, taking the tray off of her lap. - "If you need me, I'll be in the living room. I’ll leave the door open so I can check on you without startling you—” - but before he could leave the bedroom, she grabbed him by the hem of his sweater. 

“If it's okay with you… I-I’d prefer it if you stayed here.” - she murmured, fidgeting her hands, her cheeks flushed. - “Unless you’re going to do something that has to be done in the living room--” 

“Nah, I was only going to read a book… but are you sure? Won’t the light distract you?” - she shook her head.

“I can sleep. Just…” - her face turned another shade redder. - “...stay with me, okay?” 

“You’re so adorable, Rei.” - he smiled at her. - “Okay, I’ll stay here. I'll just take this to the kitchen."

He left her bedroom quickly. She heard him washing the dishes and the surgical intern soon was back, a book in his hand.

"I'm back. Now, try to get some rest, okay?” 

She nodded and watched Bryce sitting down onto her chair again. The medical intern curled up in her bed like she always did before falling asleep and closed her eyes.

Somehow, Rei felt like she could finally rest knowing that Bryce was close and there to take care of her. She could feel his presence nearby, the fragrance of his aftershave and cologne, the relaxing sound of his breath. 

And then, her mind slowly drifted off to a deep sleep.

_______________________

A couple of hours later, she suddenly sat up, taking the layers and layers of blankets off of her bed.

“Hey, hey, calm down!” - Bryce said in exasperation, standing up from his seat and putting his book away, as Rei pulled out her sweater. 

“I’m hot.” - her voice sounded muffled as she undressed herself.

“It’s because the fever is going low. That's good. But you can’t stay there naked, Sato.” - he chuckled.

“Uh, but I’m all sweaty!” - the surgical intern laughed again, amused to see Rei Sato pouting and whining. She usually was so guarded and reserved, even in front of him. She suddenly got out of bed. - “I’m taking a bath.” - but the movement was too quick and she felt lightheaded. Luckily he was right there and held her, one strong arm circling around her waist.

“Rei, you aren’t 100% fine yet, you have to take things slower, okay?” - she sat back down on the bed, waiting for the dizziness to wear off. - “Why don’t you pick up a change of clothes while I fill the bathtub?” 

“Okay…” 

A few minutes later, just as Bryce closed the bath tap, Rei entered the bathroom and put her clean clothes aside.

“Done.” - he announced, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and dried his hands with a soft towel. - "Feeling better?"

“Yeah, thank you."

"May I help you?" - he gestured to the top of her pajamas.

"Uh? Sure…" - she nodded, feeling a heat ascending to her neck and cheeks again as  Bryce approached and started unbuttoning it. 

Rei's heart beat louder each time his hands moved to the next button… until, finally she gently put a hand over his. He stopped right away and glanced up back at her face, which was as red as a tomato. 

“Actually… let me do it myself." - she murmured. 

"Right, sure." - he nodded and stepped away. - "Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable."

"No, that's not it…" - she just couldn't tell Bryce that she was near to having a heart attack by watching him undressing her. It would be too humiliating. But still, her heart felt like a sledgehammer. - "Uh, could you turn around?” - she asked, unable to look at his face. Bryce blinked a few times in confusion.

“What?”

“I said, turn around.” - she repeated herself, her cheeks growing even more redder, if that was possible. Realization fell upon him.

“There’s nothing there that I haven’t already seen, Rei—” - he shut his mouth when she finally turned to face him, her eyes shooting daggers. He raised his hands in surrender and took a couple of safe steps back. - “Sorry. I’m turning.” - he chuckled to himself. She was so stubborn, but that was one of the things that he liked the most about her.

With his back finally turned to her, Rei quickly undressed herself from her clothes and entered the bathtub.

“It’s okay now…” - she murmured, her arms covering her breasts. She knew it was stupid; like Bryce said, he had already seen her completely naked a few times by now, but she couldn’t help herself and still felt shy about it. He kneeled beside the bathtub. 

"Is the water good? Too hot? Too cold?”

“It’s perfect.” - she ducked her head a bit. - "I know it was a bit stupid getting all fret… but I get a bit shy sometimes."

"Only sometimes?" - his smirk made the medical intern roll her eyes. - "No need to explain yourself, Rei. Plus, when you act all shy, it just makes me want you more." - he watched with a satisfied smile as she blushed hard.

Unable to say anything, she just started cleaning herself with the soap bar.

"Anyway… Thank you, Bryce."

"No need to thank me. I told you, I'm here to take care of you and because I want to. In fact, let me help you." - he said, gently taking the soap from her and rubbing it against her back. Rei sighed, relaxing against his touch. - "How does this feel?"

"It feels amazing…"

“I told you, didn't I? These hands aren’t made just for surgeries, you know.” - she rolled her eyes again before chuckling softly. Bryce smiled to himself.

Good, she seemed to be getting better. At least, she was back to laughing at whatever thing he said. 

Rei closed her eyes, enjoying the scalpel jockey's help, a low appreciative moan escaping her lips… Suddenly, she gasped when she felt his lips on her bare shoulders and shuddered as they travelled up to her neck and found a spot behind her ear.

"Bryce!" - she yelped at him, who just smiled unapologetically to her.

"Sorry, Rei, but when you make that sound… and look like this in front of me… and we're all alone..." - she blushed harder. - "Well, I couldn't contain myself. But I promise I'll behave from now on. Sorry." 

She nodded, still feeling her skin tingling where his lips touched. But a small smile surged on the corner of her mouth. 

A bit later, she got out of the bathtub, and allowed him to help her dress up again, still blushing a little, obviously. Old habits die hard.

"Fresh and clean." - he grinned when she was finally fully dressed. - "How are you feeling? After a nice long nap and a relaxing bath?"

“Hmmm… I’m hungry.” 

“Gosh, so demanding.” - but Bryce Lahela liked it. - “I’m kidding. That’s a great sign, you’re getting better. What do you want to eat?”

“Hmm… ramen.” - memories of all the times she or Tom got sick and her grandma would cook them that dish floated back into her mind.  

“Alright.” - Bryce fished his phone, searching for the food delivery app.

Half an hour later, they were both sitting by the dinner table, savouring the hot dish. 

“How is it?”

“It’s heavenly. I was starving.” 

“It makes sense; Sienna told me you were barely eating the past days because of the flu.”

They both ate their food calmly, enjoying each other’s company. Rei even taught Bryce how to ‘properly eat ramen’.

“You have to slurp it all! Making noise and stuff. Like this.” - she slurped noisily, making him laugh. - “This means that you appreciated the food and that it was delicious.”

“Well, I don’t know why, but this was sexy. When you slurped that noodle in one go.” 

“Shut up!” - he laughed louder.

While Bryce washed the dishes, Rei plopped down onto the sofa and turned the TV on, mindlessly zapping through the channels. She later decided to put on her favorite show on Netflix.

He soon joined her, sitting down next to her, one arm falling comfortably around her hips as he pulled her closer with a smile playing on his lips. 

"Cosy." - he murmured, before they both fell in a comfortable silence for the next couple of hours, binge watching The Crown and the Flame.

______________________

Rei slowly opened her eyes and yawned lazily. She looked over to the window trying to make sense of the time. The sky was dark outside.

"You okay?" - she heard a welcoming voice coming from the other side of her room, her eyes instantly finding Bryce on her desk, reading his book. She smiled sleepily at him. 

“Yes. Although I thought… I was in the living room."

"Yeah, you fell asleep in the middle of the third episode." - the surgical intern stood up and sat down on her bed, next to her. - "So I brought you back here. You didn't even wake up." - he chuckled. 

"What? Like, carried me all the way here?"

He frowned. 

"C'mon Rei, I'm not like Superman Raf, but I will carry you wherever whatever." - his eyes glimmered as a cocky smirk curled up his mouth. - “You should go back to sleep.” - he murmured, his long fingers stroking her cheek affectionately. Rei took it on her own and kissed the inside of his wrist, which sent a delicious shiver up his spine. She smiled sheepishly at him. 

"Thank you, Bryce."

And then, she drifted back to sleep, much more serene than the days before.

______________________

The next day, Rei woke up feeling brand new. She was at the locker room and had just finished putting her scrubs on when Bryce strode in, grinning when he saw the medical intern there.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah!” - Rei pumped the air, feeling happy and energized, before quickly ducking her head. - “I mean, uh, thank you again about yesterday, Bryce. It was your only day off of the week and you had to spend it by taking care of me…”

“Don’t worry, Rei. I will always be happy to spend my free time with you. Although I’d have enjoyed it more if you weren’t cold and we could have done something more fun…” - her cheeks flushed to the sly wink he gave her. - “You know, whenever you need me, I’m just a text away.” 

“Yeah… thank you. I feel like I own you one.” - she worked up the courage to say the next words: - “So, uh, what do you say we grab dinner together? Whenever you can.” 

“I’d like that.” - his smirk widened, brightly, and Rei felt her heartbeat speeding up like it always did whenever he smiled at her. He was so handsome. And she was so smitten. - “But you know, I wouldn’t mind a ‘thank you’ kiss.” - he added with a wink.

She rolled her eyes before leaning in, her hand on the scalpel jockey’s jaw, angling him face down to meet hers. Bryce corresponded with eagerness, kissing her back demandingly, his strong arms circling around her waist, pulling her closer until she was pressed tightly against his broad chest, as if he already knew that her knees always turned into jelly whenever he kissed her. 

Rei felt her body heat going high, although she wasn't feverish anymore, when Bryce deepened the kiss, groaning with need against her mouth.

“Uh, we should go to work before someone catches us in here…” - she murmured when they finally leaned out, after that breathless kiss. 

“Yeah, you’re right.” - he agreed, his arms still around her. 

And then, suddenly, he pulled away, almost shoving Rei.

“...A-achooo!” - he sneezed loudly. - “Oh crap. I guess I got your cold, Rei.” - the internal medicine intern giggled. - “Hey, this isn’t funny!” 

“Sorry, Bryce. But don’t worry, whenever you get sick, I’ll take care of you too.” 

_______________________

Tag: @nyastarlight @endlessflame @awkwardalbatros @choicesarehard @strangelycami @stillafictosexual @queen-kass-the-writer @indiacater @worldofchoices9-blog @radlovedreamer @fairydustandsarcasm @choicesthot @blackreddish @fluffywhitehair @weavingfractals @eileendannie @hellooliviaolivia  @lahelable  @bucket-harrington @god-save-the-keen @choices97  @allthatglitters2020 @thequeenofpixels @hellomynameisdevi @dreaming-of-movies @maria-lahela @zodiacsign1 @omgjasminesimone @miss-raleigh-carrera @lahellacute @brycesgirl  @raleighcarrera @simsvetements @wolverinesbeer @virtuallytakenby @anotherbeingsworld @teenytinytanya08 @srta-give-me-my-jax-rl @sitsoncornflake @jamesashtonisbae @cashweasel @kelseaaa  @eleanorbloom @freckles-spangledvampire  @choicesficwriterscreations (if you would like to be tagged in (or out of!) upcoming Bryce x MC fanfics/fanarts, please let me know!)

[choicesnovchallenge2021]

Hello everyone!

Due to health reasons, the blog might work a little slower this weekend. I'll still reblog everything and answer any questions anyone might send to me. Just be a little patient with me while I try to get better.

Thank you for understanding.

- Lori

[thequeenofpixels]

When you need me the most, I'll be there. I promise.

Rafael Aveiro moodboard for @choicesnovchallenge2021 Day 18: country

[peonierose]

I’m obsessed with moodboards and made another one for @choicesnovchallenge2021 for the prompt shop and was inspired by Nora and Monica from Save the Date.

Love is love ❤️

Please enjoy 😊

[liaromancewriter]

Thankful

Premise: Cassie spends her first Thanksgiving in Boston working a double shift, but finds small moments to be grateful for. Set in Book 1.

Book: Open Heart Characters: Cassie Valentine, Max Valentine (OC) and the OPH Gang Rating/Category: General. Fluff. Format: Text and pic fic

A/N: Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends and followers. Thought it’d be fun to dive back into Cassie and the gang’s intern year. Submission for @choicesnovchallenge2021​ Day 25 prompt “Thankful”.

Part 1: State of Mind

Part 2: All About Family

Part 3: Grateful Feast

Part 4: Making Memories

Tagging in Reblog

[liaromancewriter]

Baby Wishes

Premise: Cassie and Kyra celebrate Max and Sienna’s new chapter during their first visit to Boston after announcing that they’re expecting their first child.

Book: Open Heart

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Cassie Valentine (F!MC); Sienna Trinh x Max Valentine (M!OC); featuring the OPH Gang

Rating/Category: General. Fluff.

Format: Text and pic fic

Trope: Pregnancy

A/N: This is a companion piece to Loving You, Loving Me and dedicated to @headoverheelsforramsey​ who left a comment that she would love to see what Cassie and Kyra had planned for Maxenna. Hope you like it! The official baby shower took place later in the year and you can see it in The Waiting Game. 

Submission for @choicesnovchallenge2021​ Day 17 prompt “Creativity” and @openheartfanfics​ Weekly Trope Challenge: Week 10.

My apologies in advance for how long this is, but it’s mainly because of the last section.

Part 1: The Prep

Part 2: The Appetizer

Part 3: The Entrée

Part 4: The Clean Up

Part 5: Open Heart Wishes

Tagging in reblog

[lorirwritesfanfic]

MC: So, you're here to... help the children?

Mr. Sinclaire: The women as well. They are doing their best. I've helped a few find other work.

MC: I don't understand why you'd hide such kindness.

Mr. Sinclaire: I don't do it for recognition.

MC: But Duke Richards is telling everyone that you've sullied yourself with the women here. He'll destroy your reputation—

Mr. Sinclaire: I care nothing for the good opinion of anyone who would believe such rumors.

Ernest Sinclaire moodboard for @choicesnovchallenge2021​ day twenty-nine: generosity

[lorirwritesfanfic]

Those in power have a responsibility to use their power for those who have none.

King Liam Rys moodboard for @choicesnovchallenge2021 day thirteen: power | kind

[lorirwritesfanfic]

Heartfelt Apologies

Author's note: Late submission to @choicesnovchallenge2021​. This fic was supposed to written to Silly Love Stories event, got incredibly delayed because I had a hard time to writing it and another week delayed because I was too lazy to edit 😅 [Original characters are creations of this author. The others are owned by Pixelberry Studios] Book: Platinum Pairing: M!Raleigh Carrera x MC (Tiffani) Rating: E Word count: 3442 Reading time: ~14min Summary: After making a dumb comment and causing an internet drama, Raleigh tries to find his way back into Tiffani’s heart. Based on the prompts: Choices November Challenge - day twenty two: music / Baby Come Back

Heels clicked on the marble floor while Tiffani paced in the living room of her penthouse. The wall clock ticked loudly, making her glance at it more often than she would even dare to admit. Weeks passed since she publicly broke up with Raleigh and, deep down, she knew it was for the best. She was growing tired of playing pretend for the cameras and so was he. Yet, she didn't think this necessary distance between them, even if it was just a fake relationship, would be so hard.

To keep up appearances, Raleigh has been seen with the newest Hollywood starlet and he did everything to deflect questions about Tiffani. It was the right move for both of their careers, but certainly not the one they followed.

Tiffani glanced at the clock on the wall again and scowled.

Two minutes?! What the heck?!?

What was it about the time that life seemed to stand still and, at the same, move so fast when he was around, but without him, seconds felt like long tortuous hours? He said he would be there at 12am sharp. Raleigh Carrera isn't exactly known for his punctuality, but he never made her wait. Besides, he wasn't late. She simply was impatient. And the yearning to be with him didn't make it any easier.

Just then, the elevator doors opened. Calmly removing his jacket, he strolled in with a smirk. "Hey, beautiful."

"Finally..." She growled as she rushed to him, locking her limbs around him as she jumped into his arms.

Grabbing her backside firmly, he whispered in her ear making his way to the master bedroom in haste. "If I knew you were still awake, I would've come sooner."

"I couldn't wait until tomorrow morning. We have so little time together…"

Her fingers dug in his hair as he sat on the bed, taking her with him. Her legs disentangled from him and she knelt on the mattress, each leg on either side of him.

His hands moved up to her waist and he smiled, marveling at the view of Tiffani discarding her green sweater on the floor. "Show how much you miss me."

"Gladly."

With a sly grin, she slowly took off each piece of her clothing and rolled her hips back and forth against him. His hands ran up and down her curves, marveling at the view of her grinding on his lap. Fingers dug into her flesh as a bulge gradually became evident in his pants. She then helped him out of his clothes and shared heated kisses with him, proceeding with her slow and sweet torture without layers of fabric.

Pulling her flush against his body, he peppered kissed down her neck, collarbone and breasts. One of his hands trailed down and reached to caress the soft flesh between her legs.

"You're so ready for me, Tiff..." He murmured, stroking her center in small circles.

Moans escaped her lips as the enticing touch of his hand drove her to the edge. Eager to find release, her hips moved faster. Legs began to tremble and her movements became erratic as she reached her high. Before she could recover, he flipped her down on the bed, pulled her legs over shoulders and sunk into her.

The heat within her body increased in tandem with every thrust of his hips. She couldn't fathom how she felt so satisfied a moment ago, but still wanted more. All she knew was her need to feel every little bit of his manhood inside her as his lips whispered the sweetest and dirtiest words along with her name.

When waves of pleasure could no longer be held back, Tiffani cried out, finding release once again. He followed suit, easing out of her and spilling his hot seed on her stomach. She looked at her belly then at him with a curious look.

"You didn't have to do that. I'm still on the pill, you know."

"I figured you would be. But that wasn't the reason why I pulled out." A mischievous smile played on his lips as he gazed at the cum streaks on her belly.

"You perv," she scoffed, throwing the pillow that supported her head at him.

Laughing, he dodged the pillow attack and playfully bit her calf before he got up to clean himself up.

Tiffani watched him walk to the en suite with a content sigh. With all the ups and downs in her career and personal life, moments of bliss became rarer. Which is why whenever she felt at peace, she always made sure she'd savor it to the fullest. She then reached for her phone, tapped the screen a few times and a seventies rock ballad began to play in the background.

"Tiff?"

She giggled. Raleigh was so picky about music and she could only imagine what he had to say about the song. When he poked his head out of the en suite, she got out of the bed to grab a hairbrush from her dresser and winked at him .

"Babe, don't tell me you—" He trailed off as she walked/danced across the room lip syncing the song.

"Spending all my nights, all my money going out on the town..."

"You can't be serious..."

"Doing anything just to get you off of my mind..."

Raleigh pressed his lips together in annoyance, but soon he couldn't contain his amusement. Her exaggerated dramatic performance captured his attention and a smile tugged on his lips. Once she reached the chorus, he pulled her into his arms and swayed to the beat of the song with her.

"You're unbelievable, Tiff," he whispered. "Only you can be this goofy and sexy at the same time lip syncing a tacky ballad from the seventies."

"Hey! 'Baby Come Back' is a classic!"

"If by 'classic' you mean old and tacky..." He teased.

"It's a timeless song! The rhythm is captivating, the arrangements are anything but outdated, anyone can relate to the lyrics at some point in their lives. It's a great soft rock ballad!" She insisted.

"There are better songs, hermosa."

"I beg to differ," she purrs.

"Alright. How about you come back to bed with me, baby?" He waggled his eyebrows.

She chuckled. "So cheesy."

"Says the person who just lip synced 'Baby Come Back'. But hey, anything to make you smile is worth it," he says, tickling her and kissing her neck, coaxing her until they fall back in the bed.

The next day

Tiffani brushed her teeth calmly when a notification pinged on her phone. She glanced at the screen quickly and ignored it. After weeks having her name involved into stupid rumors, rivalry with Jaylen and her fake breakup with Raleigh, the last thing she needed was to check on Twitter and find more gossip about herself.

But as her phone pinged unceasingly with messages, she picked it up. It was probably her manager or producer checking in to see if she has any new material for the next album.

"What the..." She glared at her phone screen, rage coursing through her veins as she read the content of the messages and tweets. "Carrera, you jerk…" She fumed, stomping out of her room.

The moment she stepped into the lounge, Raleigh grinned at her. "Morning, hermosa. How about we—"

"You asshole! How could you?!" She snarled.

His eyebrows rose. "What?! Babe, what's going on?"

"Oh, you don't know?" She sneered. "You're trending on Twitter!"

Tiffani shoved a tablet next to him on the couch. On the trending topics, a hashtag involving Tiffani's name, several tweets of people mocking both them and a retweet posted by Raleigh with the sentence 'bitches be crazy' had hundreds of thousands of likes and retweets.

"Tiff, I didn't mention anyone specifically. It could be about any of my exes."

"Oh, really?" She smiled, but the look in her eyes was ice cold. "Then why is everyone associating it to me?"

"I don't know! I was bored and retweeted something dumb as a joke."

"A joke?! Seriously, Raleigh?!" She snapped. "You don't understand the impact of the words you just said about me, do you? Or how it affects any of your ex girlfriends?"

"Babe, come on... It isn't that bad..."

He moved closer to her, but she stepped back, staring at him in a mist of sadness and frustration.

"You really don't get it, do you?" She shook her head and sighed. "We're done. Get out of my apartment."

"Tiffani—"

"GET OUT!!!"

"Fine! Whatever!" He yelled back, grabbing his jacket and a few personal things before heading to the elevator. "I hope you realize how stupid this fight is before it's too late."

She let out a humorless laugh. "Don't hold your breath, Carrera!"

With that, Raleigh entered the elevator and they glared at each other until the doors closed.

A week later

In the set of One In A Million, shooting any scenes involving Raleigh were a complete disaster. He arrived late every single day, either constantly hungover or still drunk. He barely exchanged words with the crew, ignored many of the producers suggestions and even made a few candidates cry during the mentoring scenes. Though it made his mean jury persona more believable, a few people realized it was more than just another moment of Raleigh's usual rebellious acts.

As he poured himself another shot of whisky, the assistant assigned to him in the reality show knocked on the door and opened it.

"Mr. Carrera, you're on in ten minutes."

"Whatever..." he grumbled, waving his hand dismissively.

The assistant disappeared for a few seconds leaving the door opened while talking to someone in the hallway.

"Close the fucking door, Spencer!" He yelled.

"Sorry, sir..." The assistant replied and looked back at the person outside the door. "Um... Mr. Carrera?"

"What?!"

"Ms. Wilshere is here to speak to you."

"Tell her I'm not available."

"I can hear you!" Avery's melodious voice echoed through the walls.

Raleigh pinched the bridge of his nose, chastising himself. "Ah, what the hell... Let her in..."

Seconds later, Avery walked in and studied him from the reflection of the mirror. "I think the biggest sponsor of the show would be disappointed that you're not having their drink."

"Hm..." He glanced at the mini freezer sent by the sponsor and smirked. "You're right. I should switch to Cuba libres." He then stood up and opened the mini freezer to grab a Coke and a bottle of rum.

Avery shook her head and approached him. "Raleigh, we're not exactly best friends, but I know this isn't you. Do you realize what you've been doing all week?"

"I've been doing exactly what I'm paid to do," he mumbled, pouring the entire content of the mini bottle of rum into a tumbler.

"No, you're not. Your stage persona may be a jerk sometimes, but you're not a jerk!"

"That's not what I've told lately..." He answered as his Cuba libre was done, lifting the glass to his lips.

"Raleigh, I know there's something else entirely and don't try to deny it."

He rolled his eyes. Of course she did. Avery was like a mentor to Tiffani and they became friends surprisingly fast. "What? Are you going to take her side and lecture me about how sexist I was?"

"No. I think the thousands of tweets and articles about you lately made that pretty clear," she retorted.

Raleigh's shoulders slumped in defeat. After days replaying the whole fight in his head and reading the many articles written about it, he understood what Tiffany meant and why she felt so hurt. He was a complete jerk to her and his exes, even he didn't mean to.

"I'm not a misogynist, okay? That was just a..." He squinted his eyes, trying to remember the right words.

"A temporary lapse of judgement?"

"Exactly."

"You have to tell her that, Raleigh."

"Easier said than done, Wilshere. By the way, that's exactly what she said..." He paused as he recalled Tiffani's reaction. Her voice filled with anger and disappointment replayed in his mind once more as he repeated her words to him. "'We're done.'"

"Please..." Avery placed a hand on her hips and stared at him. "You know better than I do that how she feels about you and it won't go away just because you said something stupid. Tiff is a romantic and it won't be hard for you to find a way back to her heart. You just have to admit you were wrong and that—"

"I just can't live without her?" He uttered as the lyrics of a song came to him as a striking realization. The lyrics of that awfully old and tacky song.

"Well, if that's how you feel about her, sure. Why not?"

"Alright." He put down his drink. "I'll do it. But I need your help."

"I will. And now that we're at it, maybe you have to apologize to a few people as well?" Avery suggested as she gave him a sweet and disarming smile.

"Fine..." He sighed.

"Brilliant!" Avery clapped her hands and beamed at him. "Let's go."

"Now?!" He grimaced.

"Yeah now! Come on!" She grabbed his arm, pulling him out of his backstage dressing room.

Three days later

Tiffani closed the door to the recording booth heaving a frustrated sigh. It had been days since she tried to finish recording a song unsuccessfully. Micah was a great producer, tried to be supportive and help her out, but despite his efforts, the song didn't make out as she or anyone at record label hoped. And the pressure to deliver an outstanding second album was rising each new day.

Unluckily, she knew the reason for her creative block. And she had no one else to blame for it if she couldn't sing a song about falling in love when she was hurt. As she passed by the hallway with platinum albums, anger built inside her again. There was another person she could blame for her terrible week. But he wasn't going to just swoop in and save the day. Not this time.

She waved to the receptionist of the studio, walked outside and looked around. But to her surprise, there was no sign of Hank waiting for her. She then picked her phone and called her driver.

"Hank, where are you?"

"Hey, Tiffani. I'm stuck in traffic on Fifth Avenue, sorry... Can you wait inside the studio?"

"No..."

"You had another bad day at the studio, didn't you?"

"Yeah..." She breathed.

She couldn’t hide her feelings from Hank so easily, even if he wasn't looking right at her. Luckily, he was a good friend and there was no reason for her to pretend to be fine inside the car.

"Hey, I'm just a few blocks away. You could take a walk, give yourself time to think... Before you know, you'll be in here and I'll get you home," Hank suggested.

"Okay. I'll see you soon." Tiffani hung up and shoved her hands on her coat pockets to fight the cold.

She was just one block away from Fifth Avenue when someone in a sports car slowed down and got out to reach her.

"Tiffani!" Raleigh called.

"Go away!" She replied without looking back.

"Tiff, please!"

"No!"

"At least, let me explain!"

She turned around, throwing him an icy glare. "Is there really anything to explain?"

"Yeah!"

"I'm not in the mood. I'm going home."

"No, you're not. You'll be in your car, stuck in traffic, eating candy bars and thinking about how much of a jerk I am."

"Don't flatter yourself, Carrera." She scowled.

"I know you will, hermosa." He then stood in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. "And you know what? You're right. I am a jerk and what I did was stupid. But I'm sorry. And I'm ready to do anything for you to forgive me."

Tiffani sighed as mixed feelings built up inside her. "Raleigh, I'm tired. I can't deal with this right now..."

"Okay, okay... But I'm going to prove to you that I can change."

As they approached Fifth Avenue, Raleigh ran towards the middle of the traffic jam.

"What the..." She observed him running between the cars and jumping a few to get to the middle of an intersection. "What the hell are you doing, Raleigh?!"

He turned around and grinned at her. "Enjoy the show, babe!"

Just then, a familiar drum beat and a bass rhythm blasted through the loudspeakers spread on the sidewalks. Tiffani looked around in astonishment as she realized what was happening. "You've got to be kidding me..."

On a small improvised stage in the middle of the intersection surrounded by a large crowd, Raleigh stepped on it to join his band, picked up his guitar and put on a headset microphone as the other musicians continued to play.

"Hey y'all! How is everyone doing this evening?" He greeted the crowd with a smile, who cheered in response.

"I know I screwed up your chances to get home early. Sorry not sorry…" He smirked at the crowd. “By the way, thanks to Avery Wilshere and Hank Hatora for figuring out a way to help me legally jam the traffic.”

“What?!” Tiffani blurted as the crowd cheered at Raleigh, who continued to address them.

"Y'all must have seen a stupid shit I did last week. That cost me so much I can't even put it into words. But I'm going to sing about it and prove to the most beautiful woman I've ever met that I love her and y'all are going help me, alright?"

While the crowd shouted yes and applauded, Raleigh locked eyes with Tiffani, who slowly got closer to the stage.

"Tiffani Liang!" He pointed to her in the middle of the crowd. "This one is for you, babe."

Tiffani stared in shock as Raleigh began to play the guitar and the song started at last. As he sang, goosebumps spread over her skin.

"Spending all my nights, all my money going out on the town,/doing anything just to get you off of my mind..."

That same soft, romantic melody with unique guitar arrangements she had heard and sang along on the radio all her life, the one she lip synced as a joke and he mocked suddenly gained a new meaning.

"But when the morning comes, I'm right back where I started again,/ trying to forget you was just a waste of time..."

In Raleigh's voice, the lyrics were filled with passion and regret. Somehow more romantic and soulful than the original version, the song captivated the audience, who sang along with him the entire time.

"Baby, come back! You can blame it all on me. I was wrong and I just can't live without you!"

During the entire chorus, Raleigh's eyes never left Tiffani's. She was well aware of his tricks to make it look like he was gazing into someone's eyes in the middle of a crowd. But this time, she could feel it.

The song was about to reach its end, he stopped singing and spoke again as he climbed down the stage to meet her. "Tiff, you were about everything. About how sexist I was, how unreasonable I was and about this song. It is timeless and I couldn't stop listening to it since I left your apartment that day."

Her heart raced in her chest and mouth went dry. She could barely believe he revealed their secret.

"You said you're tired. Well, I am too. I'm tired of hiding my feelings from the world, of pretending I don't care about us when you're all I think about." He moved closer, reached for her hand and pulled her close. "Tiffani Liang, will you forgive me and be my girlfriend for real?"

The crowd went wild as Tiffani stared at him mesmerized. This was an insane and completely over the top way to apologize, especially when they weren't supposed to be seen together. Then again, dating Raleigh Carrera meant expect the unexpected.

"You're crazy..."

"That ain't news to you, babe," he joked.

"Raleigh, I..."

"Say yes." He pushed the microphone away from his face to whisper in her ear. "Let me be yours for real, Tiffani."

The crowd surrounding them began to chant 'forgive him'.

"You don't know how to play fair, don't you?"

"All is fair in love, babe."

Tiffani shook her head, but smiled. "I forgive you."

Cradling her face, he leaned in and kissed her as the crowd applauded them. As they pulled apart, she pressed her forehead on his.

"So you enjoy the old and tacky song now..." She teased.

"Hey, don’t mock the classics."

The two of them chuckled.

Avery then swooped in to take the stage. “Hello everybody! Let’s cheer for the happy couple singing our hearts out!”

As one of Avery’s ballads began to play, Tiffani looked back at Raleigh. “It looks like you have everything all figured out.”

“I do. Including a strategic exit just in case…” He nodded towards Hank, who leaned on the car at the corner of the street not far from where they were.

“Are you ready to get out of here, babe?”

“So ready.”

Tiffani then intertwined their fingers as they held hands and disappeared into the streets.

[lorirwritesfanfic]

Best Part Of The Night

Author's note: Oh, look at that. I’m finally adding a tiny bit of romance on Ernest x Alisha subplot 😁 this is also a submission to @choicesnovchallenge2021​ [Original characters are creations of this author. The others are owned by Pixelberry Studios] Book: Desire & Decorum (modern day AU) Pairing: Ernest Sinclaire x F!OC (Alisha) Rating: T Word count: 1654 Reading time: ~7min Summary: Culinary lessons with Alisha make Ernest eager to learn more than just recipes. Based on the prompt: Choices November Challenge - day ten: cupcakes

"No."

Ernest shook his head and quickly unbuttoned his shirt off, tossing it on the growing pile of clothes on the ottoman next to him. Turning back to the clothing racks and shelves in his closet, he searched for another shirt. Among designer jumpers and shirts with different types of sleeves, colors and various kinds of fabric, nothing seemed good enough. He reached for another shirt, pressed it to his chest as he looked in the mirror and made a face.

"Absolutely not."

And just like that, another shirt was tossed aside.

As he looked at the pile of wrinkled shirts, Ernest groaned in frustration. He was an objective man who made smart and fast decisions. Whenever he had a meeting or an event to attend, his outfit was chosen days before to make sure his image expressed exactly who he was and his goals. Yet, there he was, thirty five minutes away from his next appointment, and he couldn't pick up a single shirt.

Just then, a knock interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in!" He ordered.

Carrying a long sleeve white shirt, Lydia Sinclaire strolled into her son's room with a smile. "No luck yet, sweetheart?"

"No. Everything in here looks too pretentious or makes it look like I'm trying too hard."

"You are trying too hard," his mother commented.

His shoulders slumped in defeat. "I don't understand. It's just a cooking class. Why is it so hard to pick up a shirt?"

Lydia chuckled. If she ever told him why he was so worried about a shirt, he wouldn't admit it. So she chose to say something else instead.

"I think only you can find out the reason, but in any case, cooks and chefs in general would approve of a nice white shirt," Lydia said, as she turned her son around and pressed the shirt in her hand to his chest.

Ernest studied his reflection for a moment and nodded. "Hmm..."

"It's a nice choice, isn't it?" She grinned.

"It is. Thank you, mother."

"You're welcome, darling. Now get dressed. I saw Alisha walking into the estate whilst I was bringing you this shirt."

"Is she here?!" His blue eyes widened. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"Oh, don't be silly, sweetheart. She arrived early to set up everything with Mrs. Davies." She patted her son's shoulder as he heaved a sigh. "Don't forget to roll up the sleeves."

He put on the shirt, rolled up the sleeves as his mother instructed and glanced at her from the mirror. "Thank you, mother."

"Of course, Ernest."

Once his mother disappeared from view, he checked himself in the mirror one more time and headed downstairs.

As he approached the kitchen, a gentle humming reached his ears. Clearly, it wasn't anyone from the staff. The manor was so quiet at times that he often forgot he had six employees at home. Ernest then realised it could only be one person.

He leaned on the threshold and smiled at the sight before him. Dressing in her white chef uniform, with her deep dark hair styled in a low bun, Alisha arranged the last of the ingredients on the kitchen island. While humming a The Cure's song, she picked up a tablet from her bag and set it up on the counter.

Is she always like this or is it because she loves her work this much she savoured every single opportunity to be in a kitchen?

She looked so calm in her element he almost felt sorry for what he was about to do.

"Ahem!"

Alisha looked up and greeted him with a smile. "Good evening, Mr. Sinclaire."

For some reason he couldn't quite fathom, right now the kitchen seemed cozy, more inviting. How odd...

"Good evening, Ms. Hastings."

"If I recall correctly, Mrs Sinclaire mentioned that both of you like sweets. For this reason, tonight you're going to learn one of the easiest cupcake recipes you'll find."

As Ernest approached the kitchen island, she grabbed the tablet and showed him the recipe.

"Grass cupcakes?!" His brows furrowed in confusion

"Yes."

"That's an odd name to give to a dessert."

"It's lemon cake actually. But I've been calling it grass cake ever since the first time I tasted it."

Something about the way her smile adorning her face reached her eyes gave him the feeling the story behind it was more than a fond childhood memory. Yet, he decided not to ask about it. At least, not right away.

"Shall we get started then?"

He nodded, taking a place by her side to follow the recipe.

"First lesson of every recipe made in a blender: liquid, creamy and soft texture ingredients first. Then we add powder, solids, etcetera."

She passed him the ingredients and he added eggs, yogurt, sunflower oil, and turned on the blender.

"No milk?"

"No. We already have the yogurt. It'll give the necessary amount of dairy and sourness to make the cake fluffy."

Once she turned off the blender, she continued to guide him through the recipe, explaining the order of the ingredients and giving him the instructions. He added lemon cake mix and lemon jelly powder to the jar. Lastly, she handed him a small bowl with a green liquid.

"I thought all liquids were blended first," he said, adding the ingredient.

"Yes, but this is just food coloring made of spinach. It won't add taste, but it gives a nice color to the batter. I like to save it so I don't exaggerate."

He then turned on the blender again.

"Is that why it's called grass cake?"

"No." Alisha shook her head with a smile as she began to coat the cupcake pan with butter. "A few weeks after I came to Europe, my parents took me to a party and there was a table just with colorful cupcakes. But the kids there didn't like me much. One of them decided it'd be funny to tell me the cupcakes were made of grass and added some to offer me."

"That is..." A mist of shock and anger grew within him as he absorbed the words. "Cruel."

"Well, that's what rich white kids do when their parents don't have the decency to teach them some good manners." she replied, the bitterness in her tone accentuated as her lips were pressed in a hard thin line. "Can you turn on the oven?"

He nodded and followed her instructions in silence. As Ernest looked back at her, he could only think about how stupid privileged children could be. A part of him wished he could apologise for them, but another part wondered how she would feel about it.

"I..." She trailed off as she turned off the blender, an uncomfortable silence settling between them. "I didn't mean to offend you, Mr. Sinclaire. I just..."

"It's hard not to be on the defensive."

She gazed into his eyes for a few seconds and agreed. "Yeah."

"It's okay, Alisha. I understand."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. Still holding her gaze, he studied her features, taking her in, wishing he could figure out the thoughts crossing her mind.

But soon, she looked away, turning her attention to the cakes. “But I didn't mind. For all I knew then, muddy cakes were actually made of mud and I still ate them when I lived in the orphanage.”

"You did?"

"Oh, you know..." She gave her shoulders with a grin. "Kids..."

Her reaction was so spontaneous he couldn’t help but chuckle in response.

"Anyway, let's get these babies in the oven and work on the filling and the frosting."

"Okay."

Once the cupcakes in the oven, they moved along to assemble ingredients and prepare the filling and frosting. The sweet smell of cake perfumed the air as she taught him how to work with the piping bag. But even as someone with a strong liking for sweets, to have her hands over his, to hear her praises when he did something right, to learn more about her was more compelling than anything else.

About two hours later, Alisha beamed watching him set the piping bag down and organize the cupcakes in a tray. "We're done."

He took his time to inspect the cupcakes and nodded. "I guess you were right. That was easy. Are there any other recipes that can be done in a blender?"

"Yeah, there are so many. I can send them to your email.”

“But you’re still going to walk me through it, right?”

“I don’t know. I helped you tonight because you’re still new to cooking, but truth be told, you barely needed any assistance. In time, you won't need me here at all."

"I wouldn't go that far... Decorating cupcakes isn't so easy."

"I agree. But don't sell yourself short. You came a long way from the day you finally learned how to use the stove," she taunted, smirking as she reached for a cupcake.

He pressed his lips together in annoyance. Her talent to get on his nerves, but still make him eager to keep her close was astounding. Yet, before he could reply, his full attention returned to Alisha cutting the cupcake in half and showing him the results with a satisfied grin.

"Look at this beauty..." She said, admiring the inside part of the green cake with a good portion of lemon mousse and the green whipped cream on top. "We did great."

"Indeed we did."

"Are you ready to taste the very first cupcake you made, Mr. Sinclaire?"

He nodded and received one half of the cupcake and took a bite. Rich flavors of white chocolate, lemon and the extra fluffy cake exploded in his mouth. A low moan escaped his lips.

"I know, right?" Alisha gave him a cheeky grin.

His lips curled upwards and they took another bite, exchanging glances from time to time and talking about the cake. Despite the delightful experience of savoring great food, the dishes he learned were just a bonus. The best part of the night was definitely her.

[lorirwritesfanfic]

Not Just A Horse Party

Author's note: Another late submission to @choicesnovchallenge2021​​. Look at me posting a Liam x MC story just so I don’t forget how to write him. [Original characters are creations of this author. The others are owned by Pixelberry Studios] Book: The Royal Romance Pairing: Liam Rys x Mc (Jade) Rating: T Word count: 980 Reading time: ~4min Summary: When Jade isn’t happy, Liam comes up with an idea to cheer her up. Based on the prompt: Choices November Challenge - day five: cake

The Royal motorcade stopped at the entrance of Valtoria estate and the door opened for Liam. As the king climbed out of the car, he was promptly greeted by the staff and headed inside. Yet, the usual peaceful manor was anything but calm today. Servants walked from one side to another, carrying flower arrangements, fresh fruits, herbs and rustic decorations that would make the place look more like a huge farm than a castle from the Renaissance period.

"What's going on in here?" He asked as they climbed up the stairs.

"It's Marabelle's birthday, Your Majesty," Bastien informed.

"Excuse me?"

"Queen Jade's horse. The benefit horse race this morning was to honor Marabelle and the staff is working on the final arrangements for the feast," his bodyguard explained.

"I thought this was to help the Equine Assisted Therapy Center."

"It is, but she chose to do it today because of Marabelle."

Liam looked around, studying his surroundings as he passed by. More servants carried apples and carrots. He always knew Jade loved animals and Valtoria was the perfect place for her. But he didn't know his wife would become almost as eccentric as the former Valtorian duchess, throwing all kinds of events for her pets. Yet, he didn't have the heart to call her out. With the pressure over her to carry the heir to the throne, taking good care of her pets and philanthropy were her way to distract herself from all the incessant questions about a difficult subject.

"Bastien?"

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"On a scale of one to ten, how upset do you think my wife will be when she finds out I forgot about this?"

"Just a moment, sir." Bastien used his earpiece to talk to Mara and whispered to the king. "Twelve."

Liam grimaced.

"Fortunately, Her Majesty's assistant called your assistant earlier this week to remind you. Andrea bought Marabelle a new saddle and matching boots for  Queen Jade. They appeared in the race wearing them."

"Hm... So two?"

"Mara said six. Marabelle was too tired and lost the race."

Liam went silent for a moment, lost in thought. Jade learned how to hide it in public, but she certainly was worried about her horse. But as an idea came to him, he grinned. "Bastien, didn't Lady Carmine have a chef whose was specialist on cooking for animals?"

"Yes, she did."

"Tell Andrea to look for their number. I have a special order for today."

About two hours later, the estate was crowded by the Valtorian citizens and guests. Much like any other event hosted by the Royal couple, the press was there, eager to get the latest gossip, or at the very least, write an article about the Queen's outfit. As the king joined the celebration, he noticed his wife making her rounds talking to everyone, but her smile often disappeared when no one was looking.

When she went to the table where the staff received trays with refreshments and appetizers to sip a glass of mimosa away from prying eyes, he sauntered over, placing a hand on the small of her back. "Good afternoon, my queen."

Jade turned around, eyes widened in a combination of surprise, relief, and tiredness.

"Liam!"

Without a second thought, she threw her arms around him, hugging him.

"When did you arrive? I missed you!"

"I missed you too, my love. I had a few things to take care of first, but I couldn't miss the festivities. How's everything going?"

"We reached our goal of donations to the Equine Assisted Therapy Center in the first hour of today's first event, the head of all noble houses are here to support us. It's been great." She forced a smile.

"But?"

"Marabelle lost. By the end of the race, she was so tired. I asked the vet if she was okay and he said she should no longer compete on horse races." The queen frowned.

"I'm sorry, Jade." He kissed the top of  her head as she hugged him tighter. "I know you wanted to get her back in shape to compete. She still is a healthy and beautiful horse with many years ahead of her."

"Yeah... I have to give her more attention though. Maybe take a stroll with her everyday to stay close and keep her healthy and happy."

"Sounds like a good plan."

"But I’m so bummed I tired her out today. I made this whole thing for her and it became retirement party that the guest of honor can’t even enjoy because she’s too tired." She sighed. “I know this is stupid. She’s a horse. She doesn’t care about any of this.”

Liam cradled her face and gazed at her. "But you do. And you did more than a party for your horse. You’re supporting a good cause. It means a lot to the people from the therapy center."

“I guess...” She gave her shoulders.

"Besides, I think we still can give Marabelle a nice party."

“Can we?”

Just then, a couple servants passed by carrying a three layered cake made of carrots, oats and molasses.

"How about we take the party to the stables so the birthday girl can have her own cake?"

Joy sparkled in Jade's eyes and she rose on her toes to kiss him. "Oh my god! Thank you so much, Li!"

"No problem, my love," he whispered and kissed her forehead.

"And here I thought you had forgotten all about this event when Andrea sent the saddle and the boots in your name."

"I did. But I have some good impromptu ideas from time to time."

The queen giggled.

"Come on. Let's call everyone to sing happy birthday to Marabelle. Then we can join the feast and cut the cake made for humans."

"Okay."

Walking hand in hand, The Royal couple returned to the party to announce the next part of the event.

[lorirwritesfanfic]

James Ashton moodboard for @choicesnovchallenge2021​ day one: writing

[lorirwritesfanfic]

My father made certain I knew how lucky I was to have my freedom. He never forgot what it was like not to have it.

Luke Harper moodboard for @choicesnovchallenge2021 day twenty: black | proud