#ethan x male mc

[justcallmefox89]

Irresistible Force Paradox: Chapter Five - An Open Heart fic

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

After a tragedy, Rory and Ethan call a temporary ceasefire.

I sprint into the waiting room at Edenbrook, frantically looking around for anyone who may have answers about Delores.  I spot Ramsey sitting alone, staring down at his hands, and I rush over to him.

“Dr. Ramsey?  What happened? Where’s Delores?” I pant, bending in half and sucking in air, my hands on my knees.

He doesn’t answer me for several long moments, making me fidget impatiently.  I’m opening my mouth to repeat myself when he finally meets my eyes.

“Delores had a seizure,” he says hollowly, his eyes distant and unfocused.  “Full eclampsia.  We had no choice but to deliver the baby.  It’s 50/50 he’ll survive the night.”

“No…” I breathe out.  My knees buckles but I mange to catch myself on the arm of the chair Ramsey is sitting in.  “Where’s Delores?”

“She died.”

My blood roars in my ears, drowning out all of the other mundane hospital sounds surrounding us.  My eyes burn as small tendrils of grief take root in my chest, quickly stamped out by the heavier, more intense feeling of anger.  Anger at the randomness, the unfairness of it all.  Anger at myself for not having done more, not fighting Ramsey harder, not making Delores understand just how serious her condition was.

NO.

“Dr. Ramsey, - ”

“I’m fine.”  He stands and quickly strides away without looking back. 

A while later I tiptoe into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, clutching that stupid stuffed frog, and silently begin searching the incubators for Delores’s son.  I allow myself a tiny smile when I finally find him and read his name tag.

Ethan Hudson.  How about that…

“Can I help you?”

I whirl around in surprise to face the attending on duty.  “His mother was my patient.  She got to name him?” I ask, vaguely gesturing towards the incubator. 

“She told me just as she was rushed to the O.R.  The poor thing.  We’ll know more in the morning,” she answers, casting a sad look towards the baby.

“Do you mind if I sit with him tonight?”

“Feel free.”

“Do you mind if he has this?”  I hold up the frog.  “His mother wanted him to have it.  It’s been sterilized.”

“Go ahead,” she says, shrugging as she walks away.

I pull on a pair of sterile gloves and place the stuffed animal into the incubator, tucking it close to the baby.  He snuggles weakly against it, and tears prick my eyes.  “That’s it, tadpole.  That’s the way.”

I sit down on the couch next to the incubator and put my hand back inside, allowing the baby to grasp one of my gloves fingers.  I relax into the couch, preparing for a long, sleepless night.

********************************************** Ethan rounds the corner to enter the N.I.C.U. and draws up short as the sound of a now irritatingly familiar voice floats out to meet him.

“Can you believe some people actually think Black Jack Randall is attractive?  Like the book version, not the actor in the series?”

Ethan peers around on the doorjamb to see O’Shea seated next to the incubator housing Delores’s son, having a very enthusiastic one-side conversation with the infant.

“I know!  After everything he did to Jamie… I can’t believe it either.  How do you feel about Lord John as a character?”  Rory pauses as if listening to the baby’s reply.  “Well obviously… clearly you’re a gentleman of taste.  Can I talk about my gripe with Roger for a second?  Because honestly - ”

“Ahem.”  Ethan clears his throat and Rory glances over at him, eyes wide and cheeks pink with embarrassment.  “What are you still doing here?”

“I’m staying here tonight.”  O’Shea turns his attention back to the incubator.  “I hate the idea of him fighting for his life alone.”

“There are plenty of doctors working overnight.  If something happens, they’ll be here.”

“I know.”

The whisper is so soft Ethan can barely hear it.  “Would you mind if I joined you?”

O’Shea’s wide green eyes betray his surprise and it takes him a moment to answer.  “Not at all,” he finally says, shaking his head and scooting over to make room on the couch.

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

Ethan settles down on the couch next to me and for a while the soft, rhythmic whoosh of the ventilator is the only sound in the room.  He catches sight of the stuffed frog and breaks out into a rare smile.

“You gave him the frog.  Delores would have been…”  His face falls and his falls silent at the reminder of the loss of his friend.  “She would have been pleased.”

I bite the inside of my cheek and blink quickly in an effort to hold off the tears that have been threatening to fall all night.

“The first patient I lost… I was in my fourth week,” Ethan says, his voice more gentle than I thought him capable of.  “I didn’t make any mistakes.  He had stage four metastatic melanoma.  He just… fought like hell and lost.  I liked him.  He wasn’t much older than I am now.  I knew he didn’t have long to live, but it still hit me hard.”

I take a shallow, shuddering breath.  “I can’t let this get to me,” I mumble.

“Grieving a lost patient isn’t a weakness.  Good doctors should value life.  For itself.  I’d be more concerned if you weren’t upset.  Just know this wasn’t your fault.  Or mine.  Or Delores’s.  We all made the best decisions we could with the information we had.”

The argument that we could have done things differently is at the tip of my tongue, but I bite it back.  “I could have done more,” I say bitterly.  “I failed her.”

Ethan sighs.  “It’s important to push yourself, Rookie, but you will take a lot of losses.  We all do.  What matters is that you come back stronger.”

I glance at him suspiciously from the corner of my eye.  “Why are you being so nice to me?  Usually you’re…”

“Demanding?” he helpfully supplies.

“An asshole,” I mumble.

Other than a slight raise of his eyebrows Ethan doesn’t comment on my assessment of his character.  He stares off into space, sorting his thoughts.  “There are doctors with unlimited patience,” he says eventually.  “I am not one of them.  Energy I could use socializing, or making someone’s day better, I put towards my patience.  They’re who I’m here for.”

“Well that explains why you and Dr. Emery broke up,” I mutter under my breath.

“Rookie…”  Ethan’s tone is warning.

“You’re a teacher too,” I point out, attempting to backtrack.

“One of many, and you shouldn’t model yourself after any of us.  Idolatry among physicians is absurd.  We’re here to teach you practical medicine.  You need to find your own way of being a doctor.”

“And… how do I do that?” I ask, twisting on the couch to fully face him, ready to absorb whatever Yoda-like knowledge he’s preparing to hand down.

The corner’s of Ethan’s lips tip up into a gentle smile.  “You already are.” 

What the fuck does that mean?

The baby stretches and wiggles, and Ethan scoots closer to the incubator, offering him a gloved finger.  A soft, absent looks washes over Ethan’s face as the baby tightly clutches his finger.

“She named him after you,” I murmur.

His eyes widen in surprise as he looks down at the nametag.  His jaw tightens and his throat works as he swallows.  “I… see she did.”

“Did you know Delores a long time?” I venture.

“Over ten years.  When I first emailed her I only meant to check in.  But she was recently divorced, feeling alone, so she insisted on coffee.  And then it turned into more emails and meeting once every couple months for Sunday roast.

“She sounds like a good friend.”

“I didn’t make friends easily when I started here, so I was always grateful to her for that.”  Ethan swallows hard and falls silent, gazing intently at Delores’s baby.  His eyes are red.

Unconsciously I reach out and place my hand over his.  “I’m so sorry this happened,” I whisper, my voice cracking slightly.

Ethan glances up at me, surprise at first, and then something I can’t decipher in his shining blue eyes.  He holds my gaze, his hand broad and warm beneath my own. 

“Me too.”  He roughly clears his throat.  “I think we need coffee.”

“I can get some,” I offer, not having the heart to tell him I don’t like coffee.

“No.  I’ll go.”

Several minutes tick by as I watch baby Ethan sleep, counting each shallow rise and fall of his chest.  I start to drift off, the ambient hospital sounds soothing me. 

“Here you go, Rookie.” 

I shake my head, trying to clear away the cobwebs, and gingerly take the steaming mug Ethan’s hand me.  I wrinkle my nose as the bitter smell of coffee assaults my senses and steel myself to take a sip.  I fight the urge to gag, rather valiantly I think, and force down the drink.

Ethan attempts to hide a smirk behind his mug.  “You could have said you weren’t a fan of coffee, Rookie.”

Apparently I’m not as subtle as I thought.

I sheepishly set the mug on the small table next to the couch.  “Sorry.  I do appreciate the thought though.”

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

Ethan gazes down at the sleeping O’Shea, who’s currently curled up against Ethan’s side.  The two had talked long into the night, seamlessly bouncing from subject to subject.  Ethan had found himself truly enjoying the conversation; Rory had proven to be well-versed in many subjects, and his quick, caustic sense of humor had Ethan laughing more than he had in months.  Several strands of inky dark hair have fallen over Rory’s face, and his glasses are slightly askew.  Ethan’s lips quirk up at the endearing sight, his breath catching as Rory’s nuzzles against his arm.

“Rookie,” he murmurs, gently brushing the loose hair back away from Rory’s face.  “Come on Rookie, time to wake up.”

Rory sits up slowly, yawning and stretching his arms over his head.  He adjusts his glasses and turns to the incubator.  Baby Ethan rests soundly, still snuggled against the stuffed frog.

“He made it!”  Rory flashes Ethan a beaming smile, unable to contain his joy.

“And he’s getting stronger.”

Rory takes out his hair tie, shaking the unruly strands loose, unable to stop smiling.  He runs a hand through his now unbound hair and checks his phone, his smile falling a little as he notes the time. 

“Damn,” he sighs.  I have rounds in twenty minutes.  I need to go shower.”

Ethan sucks in a shallow breath, fighting to think about anything other than a naked, soapy Rory, hands trailing over lithe muscles…  “I’ll stay a little longer,” he quickly offers.

Rory stands, smiling at the baby one last time.  “Catch you later, tadpole.”

“Rory,” Ethan calls out as the other man is halfway out the door.

Rory skids to a halt and looks back over his shoulder.  “Hm?”

“Thank you.”

[short-black-diamond]

First off, DON'T YOU DARE APOLOGIZE😡It's fine if you don't have ideas to keep going. I am very patient so I don't mind waiting even if it takes forever 🫶 writing ain't easy so I understand

Second, who the hell thought it was a great idea to talk instead of write for the exam about MATH?? HELLO?? THOSE ARE MOSTLY NUMBERS😭😭 Good luck, bubs, I salute

Third, I'm doing lovely and eating well~ I hope you are too! Nah nobody has been bullying me and if they did because I'll go feral on their arse to the point where I can bite😙

Lastly, I demand. For more. TTC Analysis. Respectfully😇 Forgot to mention that. And no I'm not gonna stop with the nicknames, love you🫶

- 🍰nom

huehehhhhh it doesn't sit right with me that you're scolding me..

But mind you my cake, I did better in the oral test then in the written one✌😭💀

I've just read the newest episode of the tomato can and I'm mad that Jamie lost...but I'll try my best with the continuation!

Also I think you didn't receive the second analysis I wrote? But I put it down there so you can read again.

---

part one, part two

i don't have it in me to post more stuff because i am kinda busy rn, as always, but i will do my best. i don't think i will do more analysis, but we can all chat privately or sth idk

-your diamond <3

[jerzwriter]

Feeling Ancient

So I can't get that stupid Roman Empire thing out of my head. Not the actual Roman Empire... I really don't think about that... but the viral phenomenon where we have learned how often men do think of it (I'm just beyond words, lol). I answered an ask on how often my Male LIs think of it, but I kept thinking about how it would play out. So, here's Ethan & Kaycee's version.

Book: Open Heart (Current Time) Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Kaycee MacClennan (F!MC) Category: Text Fic/Silliness Rating: Teen Since @choicesoctober has Anything as a prompt, why not! lol

Text is below the break! :)

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Tagging others in reblog.

[cariantha]

Code Yellow

Book: Open Heart, Book 2 Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Sawyer Brooks) Rating: General Warning: None Category: Fluff Word count: 1K Summary: Recovering in the hospital, Sawyer is having trouble sleeping. A/N: I saw a scene on TV where the female MC spoons her male LI, and ever since I just needed for Sawyer to spoon Ethan.🥰

It had been three days since the poison attack and just as many days since Sawyer last slept. And while there was medication that might help, Ethan preferred to exercise extreme caution, not wanting to risk any adverse reactions with an untested vaccine. 

“Jan, would it be okay if I took a few laps around the floor?” Sawyer asked the night nurse who changed her I.V. bag. 

“Sure, hon. Let me help you with another gown to cover your backside.” 

“But what if I wanted to enjoy the breeze like Mrs. Martinez?” joked Sawyer.

“Bless her heart. She was quite the character,” Jan reminisced as she finished tying the second gown. “Okay, kiddo. You’re all set.”

Sawyer was halfway through her second lap when she approached a nurses’ station on the opposite side of the floor. She stopped before rounding the corner when she overheard someone mention Dr. Ramsey. 

“Hey guys, the Chief has taken over Ramsey’s cases. All but one, that is…” the supervising nurse announced.

“Brooks?” asked Nurse Claire. 

“Yep.”

“God, I can’t even imagine,” Claire shook the terrifying thoughts from her head. 

“Sarah mentioned that Dr. Ramsey comes by and reviews her chart several times a night,” added Nurse Anna. 

“I heard he hasn’t left the hospital since it happened. That he’s been sleeping in his office,” Claire said.

Anna confirmed. “I’m pretty sure that’s true. Last night, I heard Jan instruct an orderly to deliver a cot to his office.”

Ethan stayed with Sawyer for a couple of hours each night after visiting hours, but she assumed he always went home afterward. Wanting to know if the rumors were true, Sawyer backtracked toward the physicians’ offices. 

A few minutes later, she knocked lightly on Ethan’s office door. When no one answered, she took a chance and gently pushed down on the handle, cracking the door open a smidge. 

The office was dark, save for the dim light from the reading lamp on his desk. Ethan's white coat was draped over the back of his desk chair, and his dress clothes were hung behind it, with the hanger hooked on the ledge of the bookshelf. A gym bag was perched on a lounge chair, with a t-shirt carelessly draped over it.

Hearing a murmur inside, Sawyer pushed the door open just enough to carefully squeeze through with her I.V. stand. 

She tracked the gentle snoring to Ethan, who was fast asleep on a fold-out bed next to the floor-to-ceiling window. Lying on his side, his back was to the door. He was clad only in gym shorts, and the hospital-issued blanket appeared to have fallen to the floor.

Sawyer cautiously tiptoed to the foot of the cot and took a moment to watch him sleep. With his chest's steady rise and fall, tears formed in her eyes as she realized he was there for her. Since the day she almost died, the only moments of calm she felt were when he was near. She took selfish comfort in knowing that if he was sleeping at the hospital every night, he was never too far away.   

“Uhn…Sss…No...Stay with me…,” Ethan mumbled in his sleep, his body tense and the grip on his pillow tight. 

Sawyer recognized that Ethan was having a bad dream. She picked up the blanket from the floor to comfort him and draped it over him. Then, maneuvering around her I.V., she joined him on the flimsy twin-sized mattress, spooning him from behind.

She slowly slid her arm under his, resting her hand over his pounding heart. Ethan stirred and covered her hand with his own. After placing soft, barely-there kisses on his shoulder blade, Sawyer rested the side of her face against the warm skin of his naked back.

Ethan, still half-asleep, untangled himself and slowly rolled over to face her.

“Hi,” Sawyer breathed, running her fingers through his tousled hair. 

“Hi,” his voice laced with sleep. “How long have you been here?”

“Not long. Just a couple minutes.”

“You should be resting in your bed,” Ethan reproached. 

“So should you,” Sawyer quickly countered.

His fingers grazed her cheek as he pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. “I’m exactly where I need to be.” 

For a moment, they locked eyes, silently appreciating each other. Sawyer traced the lines of his muscular torso while Ethan raked his fingers through her silky blonde waves. 

“Can I lay here with you for a few more minutes?” she interrupted the quietness. 

Pressing a light kiss to her forehead, he snuggled her tight against his body. “Just a few more.” 

Ethan's worries vanished with her safe and secure in his arms. Finally feeling unburdened, his eyelids grew heavy, and sleep pulled him away once more. As her cheek melted into his bare chest, the skin-to-skin contact also lulled Sawyer to sleep. It was the first time in days that she had closed her eyes and not seen ghosts.

A couple hours later, the high-pitched cry from Ethan’s pager startled them awake. But before reaching for it, he squeezed the woman in his arms and kissed her temple. Rolling to his back, he blindly dragged his hand along the carpeted floor until he could palm the device.

“Shit!” he exclaimed, reading the message.

“What’s wrong?”

“They just called a ‘Code Yellow.’”

“What’s that one again?”

“In this case, it's when a high-risk patient is missing,” he sighed, running his hand over his face.

“That’s not good. Who’s the patient?”

“YOU! You are the patient, Sawyer.” 

“Oh no,” the realization dawned on her, “Jan is going to kill me.”

“We must have dozed off.” 

“Is it awful to say sorry, not sorry? Because that has been the first time I’ve slept since…" she swallowed, "since you were lying next to me in a plastic suit.”

With a suddenly tender and sympathetic look in his eye, Ethan caressed her cheek. “I know, and I’m glad. I slept better, too.” Placing a chaste kiss on her lips, “But come on, I need to get you back to your room.”

Tag List: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics @potionsprefect @jamespotterthefirst @annfg8 @peonierose @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @jerzwriter @quixoticdreamer16 @mysticalgalaxysstuff @inlocusmads @txemrn @trappedinfanfiction @mvalentine @takemyopenheart @ofmischiefandmedicine @openheartforeverinmyheart @doriopenheart @coffeeheartaddict2 @genevievemd @starrystarrytrouble @hopelessromantic1352 @kyra75 @lsvdw-blog @rookiemartin @headoverheelsforramsey

[girlylukehughes]

girlylukehughes’ masterlist

navigation

smut = *

being written = being written

who i write for: jamie drysdale, mark estapa, ethan edwards, luke hughes, quinn hughes, jack hughes, trevor zegras, rutger mcgroarty

series:

folklore hockey fic!(completed)

mark estapa x hughes! reader: mark is dating luke's twin sister (insta edit series)you can request blurbs!

part one, part two, part three, part four, part five

give me a minute hockey fic!(completed)

jamie drysdale x singer! reader: jamie has been in a secret relationship with one of trevor's favorite music artists. (insta edit series)you can request blurbs! (female face claim is lizzy mcalpine)

part one, part two, part three

suneater au!(ongoing)

ex!trevor zegras x reader, jamie drysdale x reader : after a toxic relationship with trevor, peaches gets with jamie. when her and jamie go public it causes a shift in the fan base, especially when jamie convinces her to finally pursue music. warnings: asshole! trevor, cheating mentioned

part one, part two, part three

Blurbs:

coming soon!

Fics:

in between: luke hughes x reader, enemies to lovers, childhood enemies to lovers

heartbreak girl: mark estapa x oc, childhood friends to lovers, male mc pining x oblivious fem mc

boats and boys: luke hughes x turcotte sister! reader, secret relationship (insta edit)

lake house takeover: ethan edwards x zegras!reader(insta edit)

bad idea right?: mark estapa x oc ex! luna l/n (social media edit)

[mvalentine]

my take on the entire ethan x tobias as a couple discourse that’s been going around the fandom even though literally no one asked :)

honestly, personally i always thought of ethan & tobias having more than just a friendship in the past. now i haven’t played book2 in a while but i do remember thinking —- okay so we can all agree that those two were more than just very good & platonic friends right? but even if you don’t agree, that’s fine. people are allowed to have their own hcs on ethan’s character and who his potential exes are. hell, i hc ethan’s family as being completely different from canon—- so who am i to speak on what headcanons people should or shouldn’t have.

that being said, it becomes a fucking issue when people try to push this narrative of ‘platonic love’ all of a sudden. suddenly all these people come out of the fucking woodworks saying shit like ‘well, what about platonic love? what about the importance of male friendships?’ and to that i just have to say…. do you truly believe that MALE FUCKING FRIENDSHIPS are more underrepresented in the media than queer relationships? really? also where’s this energy for male and female friendships? why don’t you make your mcs be solely platonic with ethan and have neither side have any sort of feelings? where’s the importance of platonic friendship then?

[niya-writesshit]

¡! ❞ first of all, i need to say that i love requests so much!!! and would really appreciate it if you did request because i can't think of anything on my own! but! there are some things that i dont enjoy in my inbox - soo

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT I WILL NOT WRITE ABOUT

anal, incest, heavy angst (abuse or sa is the basis of the story)

the next couple are more "maybes" :

NO x OC - the only time i will write a character with an oc is when its a full fic; and since most of my work is oneshots, i just don't like it??

ONLY FEM! READER (maybe gender neutral) - i always feel so bad about this one but i'm so sorry i just cant do male! reader.. i think it must be because i identify as female, and i just can't really write from the perspective of a male!!

WHAT I DO WRITE FOR/ABOUT:

fandoms + characters

challengers

↪ everyone!!!!1!!!!

harry potter

↪ ANYONE.

↪ slytherin boys (canon + non-canon)

↪ golden trio

↪ cedric diggory

↪ marauders

↪ ANYONE (pls keep in mind i dont really mean anyone im not writing fanfiction about peter pettigrew).

scream

↪ ethan landry

↪ chad meeks-martin

↪ billy loomis

↪ stu macher

↪ amber freeman

↪ tara carpenter

spiderman: into the spider-verse

↪ miles morales (+ earth 42 miles)

↪ hobie brown

↪ miguel o'hara

outer banks

↪ pretty much everyone.

↪ mc pogues

↪ mc kooks (NO TOPPER)

↪ barry

the summer i turned pretty

↪ jeremiah fisher

↪ conrad fisher

↪ cam cameron

↪ im a belly hater till i die idc (NO BELLY)

911

↪ evan buckley

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¡! ❞ this is a long read, guys!! proud of you if u made it this far

[peonierose]

Home is where the heart is

Book: Open Heart x Red Carpet Diaries Crossover

Pairing: Bryce Lahela (M!MC) x Luna Auclair (F!OC)

Rating: Fluff

Words: 3,000+

Summary: It’s Christmas time. Luna and Bryce get visited by Ethan & Hayley. But it looks like Luna gets to fangirl a little first.

A/N: I’m participating in the @choicesficwriterscreations Holiday Event as well as @choicesdecember2022 Day 7 - Middle of the Night

It’s that beautiful time of the year. Christmas. Though it is a very non-white Christmas in Hawaii. We still enjoy having a great dinner with family and friends. Sharing laughs and great stories. Exchanging gifts.

Our family loves to spend time at the beach. Going surfing, swimming, and having a great time with the family.

These are things that we want to do with our kids when they arrive in March next year.

When I think back to last year? So many things have changed.

Bryce and I were living with Keiki in Boston. I was working at that awful art gallery, which I’m glad I quit. I found something new and something better.

I proposed to Bryce. Which he still doesn’t shut up about. He says ”She put a ring on it“ I laugh silently at that.

B and I moved to Honolulu. We came back to where we both feel at home and alive. It’s our happy place, because home is where the heart is.

We’re carving our own path. Both B and I. While he works at the Kuakini Medical Center I accepted a job offer to teach art at the University of Hawaii.

Months later Bryce and I got our own little miracle when we found out we were expecting twins. Two girls. Can you believe that? It’s still insane to me and I have to grin at that.

We’re getting married, though we’re postponing it for the time being. We’ve both got so many things going on we just don’t want to get married in a hurry and without our close family and friends on our special day.

We also made some new friends. Two wonderful and amazing women. Meilani and Aubrey. Who are a great addition to our friend group.

”Luna?“

I get thrown out of my straying thoughts when I hear a deep male voice.

I sigh as I have to look up and up.

”So what’s on your shopping list? Did we get all the ingredients for the cookies, pies…and tartelettes? I don’t even know what that is, to be honest,“ Ethan says and moves the shopping cart further down the aisle. Past the bread and cereal. I have to grab some lucky charms for Bryce.

Ethan and Hayley are visiting us for a couple of days, before they fly back to Boston. Let’s not forget Jenner. Cutest dog in the world.

So I took Ethan grocery shopping. Best idea ever.

Damn, I hate the fact that Ethan is so tall. I basically have to run to catch up with him.

”Can you slow down? I’m way shorter than you and I’m also 6 months pregnant.“ I say and Ethan slows down blushing furiously.

”How’s the pregnancy going? Any weird food cravings that drive Bryce up the wall?“ he jokes and laughs.

”Does Bryce count as a food craving?“ I ask.

I am trying to act serious but I have to laugh at Ethan’s expression. He looks as if he bit into a lemon.

”I shouldn’t have asked,“ he mumbles.

I want to pat his shoulder but reach his midriff instead.

I grin.

”Don’t get your panties in a twist my little orange blossom.”

He sighs but endures my teasing.

”I know you love me too much to say anything about these cute little nicknames that I use. Between you and me I know I’m your favorite person next to Hayley.“

He just gives me a look and I grin.

”No weird food cravings. If you don’t count peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with banana slices inside as a food craving. Bryce makes a really good one. His pj and jelly sandwiches are the best.“

”Yeah because he can’t screw that up.“

Ethan laughs.

I pinch his arm and he rubs it afterwards.

”Don’t be mean. You don’t have to play the role of the grinch. It’s too early for that.“

I say and ask him to hand me the shopping list. To see what else we need.

We’re all going to make some delicacies this Christmas.

All of the Auclair family. Meaning me, my cousins Soraya, Evie, and Sky. My gran, my grandpa, mom and dad, my aunt Joe and my uncle Joseph.

Everyone is making a Hawaiian specialty. Can’t wait for that food fest.

Keiki and Bryce are going to help too. Although Bryce is just going to steal cookies and act as if the dog ate them. Nice try Lahela.

Soraya and her girlfriend Meilani, who is my OB/ Gyn and works together with Bryce and his other colleague Aubrey will join us too.

Maxi my best friend and her lover? Date buddy? Adam. I honestly don’t know the status of their relationship, but I’d say it’s somewhere between figuring things out and it’s complicated.

Maxi's mom Amara is going to be there too.

As for Maxi‘s brother Caelum? I don’t think he’s going to join us. Since he and Maxi have to meet again and start to patch things up. I just don’t think they are at that level yet. Rebuilding a relationship takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight.

But hey Christmas miracles happen all the time. I‘d wish they would be as close as they were before Maxi's dad died in a car accident.

Let’s not forget my brother and sister whom mom and dad recently adopted. It’s their first Christmas with all of us. It’s going to be magical.

A static voice sounds from the speakers above.

”Attention all customers. Don’t forget today is 50% off on all products from the produce and dairy aisles.“

Ethan and I move further into the condiments aisle.

”I need some cinnamon. For the snickerdoodles.“

I say and when I turn around I can see Ethan looks like a kid on Christmas morning. I smile and love the fact that he feels open enough to share his feelings. Whether he voices them out loud or just shows them.

We reach the produce aisle. Ever since I got pregnant with the twins I‘ve started to love fresh fruit and vegetables more and more.

I grab some mangos and look up when I almost drop said mangos.

I sigh and gently put the mangos into the shopping cart.

”Oh my god. Do you know who that is?“ I grab Ethan’s shirt.

Ethan looks around and tries to figure out who I could mean.

”Who?“

I take his chin and move it in the direction I meant.

”It’s Matt Rodriguez. Oh my god, I need to get an autograph. How do I look?“

Ethan eyes me as if I don’t have all cookies left in the jar.

”You look beautiful as always, but what about our ingredients for the cookies?“ he asks, looking down into our shopping cart.

”Who cares about cookies when you have Matt Rodriguez standing at the produce aisle.“

I say getting super excited.

”Who is Matt Rodriguez?“ Ethan asks.

”Have you been living under a rock E?“ I shake my head in disbelief.

”Does Bryce know you have a crush?“ he chuckles.

”Pfft. Please his guilty pleasure is Matt’s movie, Cactus Rose. We watch it together all the time.“

Ethan whistles.

”I’m seeing Bryce in a whole new light.“

I grin and can’t believe my luck. To meet an actor I admire and let’s be honest he’s hot. He’s got nothing on Bryce of course, but still, he seems nice and he’s a damn good actor.

I look up at the ceiling.

”Santa, if you're out there, thank you for making my wish come true. I promise I’ll make Bryce’s wish come true too if I can get Britney Spears to sign an autograph.“

Ethan snorts.

”Santa doesn’t exist.“

I gasp and look at Ethan as if I swallowed something rotten.

”How dare you, sir! I don’t even recognize you, Ethan Jonah Ramsey! I’d never think that these are the words that would come out of my male best friend's mouth.“

Ethan shrugs his shoulders.

”Well I was just honest. So how about that autograph?“ he asks and points to Matt who is moving his shopping cart away. I’ve got to go there and ask him for an autograph and maybe a selfie.

”Nice segue. Don’t think this conversation is over. But autograph first, cookie ingredients later.“

I breathe out and take all my courage to go over there and ask Matt for an autograph.

”Excuse me?“ I ask and Matt turns around flashing his megawatt smile. I swear I sighed a little.

”Yeah?“ he asks still smiling.

”I don’t want to be rude but my fiancé and I are big fans of yours would you maybe sign my…“ I ask and realize I don’t have anything for him to sign.

He smiles and gets out a card with the logo of his latest movie Cactus Rose to sign for me.

”Could you make it for Bryce and Luna? Otherwise, he’s never going to believe me I met you,“ I smile and Matt grins.

”Officially I’m on vacation with my wife who’s here somewhere. Here I’ll sign these for you Luna.“

I smile and just nod. Not able to form words.

”I’m sorry I’m usually not that starstruck. I think I’d be even more starstruck if I met Frida Kalo or Pablo Picasso.“

When Matt looks at me with a confused look on his face.

”I’m an artist and work as an art professor at the University of Hawaii.“

Matt’s eyes widen.

”No way! Really? You know it’s funny my wife and I are looking for an artist. We wanted to commission a piece for our new home here in Honolulu. Would you be interested in making an art piece for us? I wouldn’t want you to overwork yourself,“ he says and points to my stomach.

”Oh don’t worry I’d tell you if it was too much. But you know what? You can always check out my art pieces for art on the fence. It’s a non-profit group of local artists who present their work. You can take a look and even buy some art pieces. But if you’re looking for something specific I’m sure we can work something out.“

Matt grins and hugs me.

I must’ve squeaked like a mouse.

”Damn I’m sorry I didn’t mean to hug you too hard. Are you alright?“

He asks concern lacing his voice.

”I was just hugged by Matt Rodriguez. Santa sure was good this year.“

He smiles and we exchange numbers. He promises to reach out so we can meet and discuss the art he’d like to commission.

He walks away but then he comes back.

”Can I take a picture with you? I think you’re one of the prettiest pregnant women I’ve seen, including my wife, so I’d really love it if we took a picture together.“

Matt asks, smiling.

Again I just nod.

We take a pic and he waves goodbye. I must’ve looked like an idiot.

I stand there holding my phone and the autographs and just smile.

As I walk towards the shopping cart where Ethan is waiting for me, a grin on his face, I feel as if I’m floating on fluffy clouds.

”Happy?“ Ethan asks.

I nod.

”Very.“

He shakes his head and grins.

I can’t stop smiling all the way to the cash register. We pay for all the ingredients and go to the parking garage. Hopefully, we got everything, and in my fangirling haze, we didn’t forget any ingredients. If not I’ll just send Keiki or Bryce to the store.

When we reach home I almost rip the door open in my haste to get inside.

Jenner greets me, his tail wagging.

I pat him, walk further into the house and he looks with sad eyes at me.

”Sorry buddy I have to share some news afterward you can have as much Luna time as you want.“

He licks my hand I and I smile at him.

I look around for Bryce as Ethan gets the ingredients inside. He said he won’t let me carry the groceries.

My mom smiles at me and Hayley greets Ethan with a kiss.

”Bryce is outside with Keiki.“

Mom says and I nod. Jenner walks over to Ethan. Who showers him with love.

I spot Bryce and walk towards him and almost knock him over in his seat.

He laughs and steadies me so we both won’t fall over.

”Looks like someone missed me.“

”You’re a sight for sore eyes.“ I hug him, because despite my fangirling moment? He’s my forever love.

I inhale his scent of fresh laundry, the ocean, and Bryce.

He kisses my temple and I relax in his arms.

We hear footsteps and see Ethan walking outside, as he joins us in the garden. He hands me a glass of hibiscus lemonade. My gran made it fresh this morning and brought it over.

”Guys you won’t believe who I met.“

Bryce and Keiki share a look and shake their heads.

”Who?“ Bryce asks.

”Matt Rodriguez. At the produce aisle.“

”Come on there’s no way you met Matt. Pics or it didn’t happen.“

Bryce says and looks at me as if he doesn’t know if I’m making it up or not.

I grin and can’t wait for him to eat his words.

”Oh I got pics alright babe. I got a job for a commission for Matt freaking Rodriguez. He gave me his number and wants me to commission an art piece for him and his wife.“

Bryce and Keiki speak at the same time.

”What?“

They both scoot closer as I show them the picture of me and Matt. Both of us smile at the camera.

Ethan grins as Hayley walks out too.

”What are they all so excited about?“ she asks.

Ethan shakes his head.

”Luna met some guy called Matt Rodriguez. Don’t know who that is. So now everyone is fangirling over him. Even Bryce.“

Hayley squeals and joins the fangirling fest too. Ethan just shakes his head.

They all enjoy some time in the sun until they move back inside to prepare the sweet delicacies.

Three hours later….

”I know you love the British bake-off, but it looks as if you’re not very good at making pastries or sweets in general, am I right?“

”I don’t watch the British bake-off.“ Ethan replies but I just can’t take him seriously when he wears an apron with the face of the grinch. He lost a bet against Hayley and now has to wear it.

I laugh and Hayley joins me but tries to turn it into a cough when Ethan turns around to look at her.

”Even though he watched many episodes he can’t make a pie. Or cookies. Let’s not even talk about pancakes.“

Hayley laughs and steals a piece of apple that’s lying in a bowl for the pie filling.

”You can’t make pancakes? Oh, don’t feel bad pumpkin spice. Bryce can’t make them either.“

I say and roll out the dough for the pie crust.

”Hey come on.“

Bryce says flustered.

”You know it’s true B.“

I say and take the pie crust and put it into the tart mold. So I can pour the filling in and make a beautiful apple pie.

”You’re probably right.“ Bryce sighs.

Ethan grins.

”You folded so quickly.“

He says to Bryce.

Bryce just winks at him.

”Although I’d say Bryce is a little better at pancakes than you are Ethan.“

Bryce kisses me on my temple.

”Beat that Ramsey. Lunes knows her stuff.“

Ethan just stares at us until he smiles.

”I just can’t be mad at Luna.“

Ethan admits.

Hayley grins.

”He’s having a hard time saying no to you.“

Hayley grins and Ethan just sighs but nods.

”He’s not the only one. I meant myself if it wasn’t clear.“ Bryce grins and hugs me from behind.

Everyone laughs and has a great time.

I grin and we continue making pies. Cookies. Anything sweet.

Bryce steals cookies again and tries to blame Jenner.

Shaking my head at him, because we all know he ate most of the cookies.

4 a.m.

I walk down because I didn’t feel Luna next to me in bed.

When I walk down the steps I see a blue light coming from the tv.

Luna snuggled on the couch and enjoying some apple pie.

”So that’s where you disappeared to.“

I say and Luna almost jumps off the couch. Her apple pie flies out of her hand, but I catch it before it can land on the floor and create a mess.

”Oh my god you scared the hell out of me. Never do that again. It was just getting interesting.“

She glares at me.

”You look way too cute for me to be mad at you.“

I notice that Luna isn’t alone.

”Hey buddy. Why is Jenner on the couch? Shouldn’t he be with Ethan and Hayley?“

I ask and Jenner scoots closer to my hand so that he can get some pats. I grin and pat him behind his ears.

”He got kicked out.“

She replies and sits down again.

”Oh? Oh! Got it.“

We both grin as I join her and she leans into me. Jenner doesn’t want to feel left out so he joins us too.

Sprawled over our legs.

”I hope he’s potty trained.“

I smack him on his arm.

”Bryce! Poor Jenner is potty trained. If you’re going to watch tv with us, there are no mean comments allowed.“

”Am I forgiven?“ I ask and hand her apple pie back to her. She sighs.

”Sure.“ She says and I grin at her.

”So what are guys watching?“ I ask.

Luna swallows a bite of apple pie.

”Sailor Moon. Jenner and I are huge fans. It’s just getting interesting.“

”Oh my god. It’s been a while since I’ve watched Sailor Moon.“

I say and steal a bite from the apple pie.

”Wait, you've watched Sailor Moon? That’s really hot.“

She says and stares at me as if she’s seeing me for the first time.

I laugh.

”It was one of Keikis favorite animated tv shows of all time. Next to Scooby-Doo and Power Puff Girls. But Sailor Moon was Keiki's favorite. Every Sunday morning she’d get up early and tune in for Sailor Moon. At first, I didn’t want to admit that it was good but I started to like it. I even bought the mangas. They’re really good.“

Luna gasps.

”I love the illustrations. I’ve wanted to try myself at creating mangas. You know art is very widely ranged. So manga is a part that I haven’t branched out to yet but I’d love to.“

Luna gets all excited and I’m happy for her.

I love her, even more, when she’s all excited and passionate about a new area of art or a new art piece.

”You can borrow my mangas if you want.“ I offer and she nods.

I smile as we continue to watch Sailor Moon stumble upon a cute cat with a moon on her forehead.

Luna smiles at the cat and we keep watching episode after episode until we all fall asleep right on the couch.

It’s a beautiful feeling to fall asleep next to the person you love the most.

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[choicesficwriterscreations]

Throwback Fics #150

Open Heart

Bad Dream | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @cariantha

Rapture | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @jerzwriter

Somewhere with You | Sienna Trinh x M!OC - @liaromancewriter

Unsure Words | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @potionsprefect

Red Carpet Diaries

The Beary Magical Breakfast | Thomas Hunt x F!OC - @theartoflovingthomashunt

The Royal Romance

Cinnamon Spice | unnamed male x f!oc - @bebepac

[alj4890]

Do you have any fics in the works? Tell us about them!

Looking forward to any other writer's upcoming fics? Tell us about them too!

🤦🏻‍♀️ yep. My WIP folder has over seventy ideas/fics/pieces of series/and tons of pic prompts. I've had weeks of writer's block with only an occasional flicker of inspiration 😑

I'm trying to finish up some of those but my brain is not cooperating. The headaches aren't helping either 🤦🏻‍♀️

Fics/series in the works:

Two Thomas Hunt x OC*Amanda series called Worth the Wait and Stepping Forward. Both are angsty so far 🤷🏻‍♀️ but if I can ever get the wording right it will have happy endings 🤣 I'm also attempting to continue my Regency Era RCD AU series, None But You, in the process.

A few Thomas Hunt drabbles also are mixed in that folder 😂

A TRR Olivia series where Liam abdicates to be with Riley thus making our favorite duchess the Queen of Cordonia.

Part two to L-O-V-E

Requests for Liam x Riley and Maxwell Beaumont x OC*Sherry Alcantar that I promise I'm working on. And a couple for my While We're Young AU of characters that were requested months ago. Yes, there will be more glimpses into a couple of princes and their particular ladies and Jackson x Nicky.

An Open Hearts series called Mixed Signals (my first ever 😂) with my F!MC. Chris deals with feelings for Tobias, Ethan, and Bryce. It would start after the attack in Book 2. Though honestly I'm thinking of scrapping all of it to just write the actual storyline I've had in my mind with all the Tobias Carrick x Chris Valentine drabbles I'm working on 🤦🏻‍♀️ Definitely a happier storyline for those two, LOL!

A Perfect Match drabble with Damien and Nadia.

And my first ever Laws of Attraction drabble for my M!MC x Aislinn Tanaka 🤞 Hopefully it will turn out okay. I got inspired when I decided to restart the series and go a Male MC route 😂

And as always, I'm behind on reading fics from everyone I follow. Life keeps getting in the way of me being able to binge and when I do find time to open Tumblr up, I try and focus on that blasted Drafts folder.

[xxluckymisfortunexx]

We all know about PB's questionable fashion choices. Especially when male mc clothes aren't given as much attention as female mc clothes 😒

There are some outfits i liked tho. Like "Sophistication" in Open Heart.

Be careful before you put Dr. Ramsey in cardiac arrest, Dr. Valentine.

I don't see a lot of Ethan x male mc help 😔

[justcallmefox89]

Irresistible Force Paradox: Chapter Four - An Open Heart Fic

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Rory and Ethan team up for a rescue mission, and Sienna offers some advice when Rory’s uncertainties threaten to overwhelm him.

September 18.  11:00 a.m.

“Have you heard anything else about Banerji retiring?” Jackie asks as we both collect some charts from the nurses’ station.

I shake my head.  “Nothing.”

“What you do thin-”  Her pager beeps, interrupting her, and she impatiently checks it.  “Duty calls.  See you later, Rory.”

“Later, skater!” I call after her.  I gather up my charts, preparing to follow Jackie’s example and get to work, when I hear Dr. Ramsey’s familiar shouting.  I wander over to a nearby room and park myself near the door, attempting to look engrossed in my charts.  The door is cracked open, allowing me to hear every word.

“This is preposterous, Harper!  They’re not ready.”

I risk peeking through the blinds and see Ramsey and Chief Emery standing close together, talking in hushed tones.

Standing very close together.  Interesting.

“Ethan…” Chief Emery murmurs, delicately placing her hand against Ramsey’s cheek.

My eyebrows creep up towards my hairline.

My, oh my.

Cursing my nosy nature, I creep a little closer to the door.

“I’m not asking you, Ethan.  I’m telling you,” she continues.

“What else is new?” Ramsey snaps.  “I know this is your hospital now.  Your call.  But I’m warning you… I’ll fight you every step of the way on this.”

“What else is new?”  Chief Emery laughs lightly as she asks the question, lingering just long enough to flash Ramsey a triumphant smile and brush a soft kiss against his cheek before she walks away.

I assume a casual pose against the wall and pretend to studiously examine one of my charts as their footsteps grow closer.  Chief Emery breezes by, not giving me a second glance, and I slowly breathe a sigh of relief –

“Were you eavesdropping?”

Goddamnit.

Dr. Ramsey towers over me, arms crossed, looking furious.

Sometimes the best defense is a good offense.

I lift my shoulders in a casual shrug.  “Can it really be considered eavesdropping if I could hear you shouting out here in the hall?”

He closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose, letting out an irritated huff.  “I don’t have time for this.  Let’s just get on with our lives shall we?”

I stick my tongue out at his back as he impatiently stalks past me.

“Hey there, Doc!”

I turn around and see Bryce wheeling Kyra down the hall on a bed. “Hey gorgeous!  I haven’t seen you since the surgical interns stole you away.”

Bryce smirks at me.  “You say ‘stole’; I say, ‘rightfully took a surgical case’.”

“Hang on, two hot doctors fighting over me?  Did the cancer get me, because this feels like a ‘died and gone to heaven’…” Kyra pretends to swoon back onto her pillow.

“You have a very morbid sense of humor, Kyra.”  I grin.  “I like it. So… is your surgery soon?”

“It’s right now,” Bryce answers.  “A lobectomy, assisted by yours truly.”

“Your having a lobe of your lung removed today?”  A wave of unexplainable dread washes over me.  

Kyra shrugs.  “It happened kinda fast after the C.T. results came back.  But if the last thing I see before I die is your face, well… there are worse ways to go.”

I force myself to smile.  “Well, if on the off chance you do see a bright light, I’m going to need you to picture this face and turn the hell around.”

She playfully rolls her eyes.  “I guess it’ll be harder to die knowing I have a friend cheering me on.”

“Hey, what did we say about all the death talk?”  Bryce nudges her shoulder.

“Sorry, boss.  I’ll start planning for retirement.”

“Good.  Sorry, Dr. O’Shea, but I have to get Ms. Santana to the O.R.”

I grab Bryce, pulling him just out of Kyra’s earshot.  “Take care of her, Bryce.  Please.”

He smirks.  “She couldn’t be in better hands.  I know you haven’t had the full experience yet, but seriously, my hands are incredible.”

I try to look stern, despite the blush I can feel creeping over my cheeks.  “I mean it, Bryce.”

“Hey.”  He steps a little closer, laying his hand against the side of my neck.  He gently strokes his thumb against my pulse point, and smiles at me reassuringly.  “I’m only assisting, but Dr. Zimmerman is an amazing surgeon.  Kyra will be golden.  We’ll bring her back safe.”

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. “Thanks, Lahela.”

He gives me one last smile and returns to Kyra, wheeling her off to surgery. From the bed, Kyra waves goodbye.  I return to the wave, trying to ignore the fear that burrows itself into my heart like a shard of ice.  

“O’Shea!”  Zaid voice shocks me out of my stupor.  “What are you standing around for?  Get down to the E.R. and see if they need any new patients admitted!”

“Sir, yes, sir!”  I give him a little salute and scurry down to the emergency room.  Aurora’s already there when I arrive, surrounded by a group of senior doctors and looking annoyed, as usual.

“I have a patient with chromodoridids if you’d like to assist.  Blue sweat, it’s pretty cool -” one attending begins.

“Thanks, but no thanks,” Aurora curtly interrupts her.

Another attending sidles up to her.  “Dr. Emery, hi!  I brought you a cappuccino -”

“I drink tea.”

I like cappuccino.

Aurora strides away from them, heading my way with a cold look on her face.

“Hey, Aurora!  What’s up your butt?” I greet her.

“Funny.  That’s what I had to ask my last patient.”  She gazes off into the distance, a horrified look on her face. “It was a model train.”

I can’t hold back my snicker.  

She glares at me.  “I’m glad one of us finds it amusing.”

The snickering is threatening to evolved into full blown laughter.  “Ok… but like… why?  And how?”

It quickly becomes clear Aurora has no intention of sating my curiosity.

“You’re no fun,” I mutter.  I glance around the E.R.  “It’s pretty quiet down here today, that’s great!”

“What are you even talking about?  There are no good cases.”

I shrug, smiling.  “And that means fewer people are seriously sick.  That’s a win in my book.”

Aurora stares at me as if I’ve grown a second head.  

I sigh in defeat.  “If you’re so desperate for a cool case, why didn’t you go with that attending?”

For just a moment she look as if she might answer me, but in the end she just scowls.  “Super not interested in explaining myself to you.”

The wail of a siren interrupts my response.  Aurora and I exchange a look and sprint to the ambulance dock, reaching it just as the ambulance backs in.  The doors fly open, and a muscular, brunette paramedic climbs out, helping the nurses unload and unconscious woman in an oxygen mask.  

“Delores Hudson, office fire,” the paramedic reports.  “Her coworkers evacuated in time, but she’s pregnant and couldn’t move fast enough.”

“Did she suffer any burns?” I ask, already doing a visual examination.

“She didn’t encounter the flames, just the smoke.  She panicked and got stuck in an upstairs bathroom.”

“How are the vitals?” Aurora asks.

“Elevated B.P., but she and the baby both have strong heartbeats. Pretty serious smoke inhalation, though. Hopefully I got them out in time to avoid any permanent damage.”

For the second time that day my eyebrows race towards my hairline. “You got them out?  Where were the firefighters?”

The paramedic smiles sheepishly.  “We beat the fire department to the scene.  I heard her screaming, so I broke in and carried her out.”

“We’ll get her admitted and into a bed,” a nurse interjects. “Dr. O’Shea, Dr. Emery, which of you is taking this?”

“Smoke inhalation?  It’s all yours.”  Aurora waves a hand dismissively.  “I’ll wait for something interesting.”

“I’ll take it.  I’ll be right up,” I tell the nurse.

I linger behind with the paramedic while Aurora departs and the nurse wheel Delores to the elevator.

I covertly study him while trying to think of something interesting to say.  “So… you ran into a raging inferno to save a pregnant woman?”

Fantastic, Rory.  Pure brilliance.

He tilts his head to the side in confusion.  “Well, yeah.  Wouldn’t you?”

I laugh softly.  “Hate to break it to you Superman, but I’m more of a Lois Lane.”

He chuckles along with me.  “You’re a doctor.  I’m sure you wouldn’t hesitate.  I haven’t seen you around Edenbrook.  Are you new?”

“I’m Dr. O’Shea.  It’s my first week.”

He offers his hand and I shake it, allowing my hand to remain in his longer than is strictly professional.  

“Rafael Aveiro.  I guess I’ll be seeing you around then, Dr. O’Shea?”

“Oh, I certainly hope so,” I murmur.

“I hope so too.”  Rafael flashes me a gentle smile.  Suddenly the walkie-talkie clipped to his chest squawks.  “That’s my cue…”

“See you later, Superman.”

Rafael laughs, clear and bright, as he races back out to the ambulance. I wait until he’s out of sight before I turn and head towards the elevators.  When I step off the elevator onto the fourth floor the first thing I see is Mrs. Martinez, the patient who flashed me and Elijah on our first day, doing her daily laps of the floor.  I’m surprised to see her walking with the Ice King, holding onto his arm for support. I linger for a moment, watching the pair as Ethan gestures with his free hand, clearly telling a story.  Mrs. Martinez laughs in appreciation, and he laughs along with her, his carefree smile taking years away from his usually stern countenance.  

He looks good when he smiles.

I quickly shake off the thought as Mrs. Martinez lets go of Ramsey’s arm and he begins heading my way.  His smile fades the moment he sees me.

“Eavesdropping again, are we, O’Shea?” he snipes.

I roll my eyes.  “Once again, it can hardly be considered eavesdropping when you were being loud enough for the whole hospital to hear you.”

He lowers his voices to the irritated tone he seems to reserve especially for me.  “Why must you be so difficult?”

“I don’t have time for this.  Delores Hudson isn’t going to examine herself.”

Ramey’s stoic mask cracks momentarily.  “Did you just say Delores Hudson?”

“Yes?”

“I’m coming with you.”

Fuuuuuck.

Ramsey hurries me to Delores’s room and I’m relieved to find her conscious, her oxygen mask replaced with a nose tube.  

“Hi, Ms. Hudson, I’m -”

“Ethan!” she cries out, a huge grin on her face.

“Delores!  What have you gotten yourself into this time?” Ramsey gently scolds her.

“There was a fire at my office.  I was upstairs filing away some papers.  The elevator shut down, and I couldn’t get down the stairs.”

He frowns in concern; an emotion I didn’t realize he was capable of. “I’ll call your sisters so they can fly in from Minneapolis in the morning.  I’m so glad you’re safe.”

“I’m glad you have Superman in the payroll.  The E.M.T. who carried me out was a total hunk,” she replies playfully.

“Rafael?  Yeah, his biceps could qualify as the eighth world wonder.”  I sigh dreamily.

Dolores snickers and looks at Ethan.  “He gets it.”

“I don’t want to interrupt but I would like to listen to Delores’s chest,” I say.  

“Delores, this is Dr. O’Shea,” Ramsey says.  “Delores was my very first patient when I was an intern.”

I feel my lips curling up into an impish smirk and I slowly turn my head to stare at him.

Sensational.

Ramsey narrows his eyes, clearly not liking the look I’m giving him.

“Tell me, Delores, was he always so handsome?”

Ramey’s jaw drops.  “Excuse me?” he sputters.

“He was cute, but to be honest, I think he’s aged like a fine wine,” she answers, playing along.

“Dr. O’Shea, the examination if you don’t mind?” Ramsey barks, scowling at me.

I widen my eyes and pout.  “But I have so many more questions!”

A vein in his temple starts throbbing, so I decide not to push my luck.  I take out my stethoscope and warm the cold metal on my palm before I press it to Delores’s chest.  

“Deep breath for me please.  So what brought you in back then, if I can ask?”

“Burst appendix,” she answers.  “I was totally freaked out, but Ethan calmed me down.  Even kept in touch a bit over the years.”

I arch one eyebrow.  “Dr. Ramsey has friends?”

“Rookie,” he growls warningly.  

“Her breathing is short, as you’d expect.  I’d like to get a chest x-ray,” I say quickly.

Ramsey glances over her chart, frowning.

I move to his side, keeping my voice low.  “What is it?”

“Her elevated B.P.  It should be low after smoke inhalation.  Let’s get a urine sample too.”

“Excuse me, Dr. O’Shea?”  Delores calls.  “I remember having my purse on me when that hunk carried me out.  Did they bring it in?”

I find the bag on the floor beside her bed and watch in concern as she searches through it, frowning.

“It’s not here!  I must have dropped it outside the office,” she says mournfully.  “It sounds stupid, but I saw this adorable stuffed frog on my lunch break and had to buy it for my little tadpole.  Both of my parents are gone and the father’s not in the picture. I just want everything to be perfect for him.”

“That doesn’t sound stupid,” I assure her.  “It sounds like you’re going to be a great mom.”

“Thank you.”  She smiles weakly.  “I just… I really wish I hadn’t lost that little frog.”

“We’ll go find it!” I offer impulsively.

Delores instantly brightens.  “Really, Ethan?  You’d do that for me?”

“Er... um.  Well…” he flounders for a second.  “Of course. But let’s get that urine sample to the lab first.  I’ll give you ten minutes, then meet you in the lot.”

Soon enough I’m in the staff parking lot, easing myself into the passenger side of Ramsey’s luxury car.  He turns on the radio as we pull out of the lot and classical music drifts from the speakers.  I turn to look out the window so he doesn’t see me wrinkle my nose in distaste.

“Sooo…” I draw out the word.  “Are you and Dr. Emery doing the do, or what?”

He gives me a sharp look.

“I saw you two this morning,” I forge on.  “It looked… intimate.”

“I don’t like advertising my private life at work,” he says slowly.

I stare at him, patiently waiting him out.

He sighs.  “We were an item.  And then only on again, off again.”

A feeling I don’t care to identify, something dark and poisonous, curls in my gut.  “And now?” I ask, fighting to keep my tone even.

I don’t care.  I don’t.  I don’t even like him.  Why would I care?

“Off.  As of last year she’s my boss.  Not that my personal life is any of your business.”

“My lips are sealed.”

Ramsey smiles at me briefly.  “Good.”

“Did Dr. Banerji really quit?”

“I was wondering when you’d get around to asking that.”

I shrug.  “It’s all anybody at the hospital is talking about.  So did he?”

“Yes.”

I straighten up in my seat.  “What?  Why?”

“That’s between him and Chief Emery.”  A muscle in Ramey’s jaw twitches.

He’s hiding something.

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

O’Shea gazes at him from the passenger seat, those pale green eyes studying him with intense concentration.  Ethan focuses his gaze on the road, careful not to give anything away.   Rory eventually turns towards the window and he relaxes back into his seat.

“You’re in charge of the diagnostics team now.  That’s a lot of pressure,” Rory murmurs.

“More than you can imagine,” Ethan admits.  “Naveen built that team from his own blood, sweat, and tears. I can’t let him down now that he’s moved on.”

It feels good to confess that, like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders now that the words have been spoken.

“But is that what you want?” Rory presses.

“What I want is to confront the impossible mysteries of the human body, and understand.”

Rory blinks, eyes wide behind his glasses.  “Um, not exactly what I meant but okay.  Did you always want to lead the diagnostics team?”

“The team gives me the opportunity to face the questions no one has answered, so in that respect, I supposed the answer is yes.”

Rory sighs, reaching up to undo the elastic that’s holding his hair back.  He runs his hands through his loose hair, and Ethan risks glancing over, his breath catching in his throat as he admires Rory’s profile in the warm glow of the streetlights. His hair curls gently around his face, brushing against high cheekbones, the rich black of it a stark contrast to his pale skin.  He worries his lower lip between his teeth, and Ethan struggles to resist the urge to reach over graze his thumb over that sumptuous mouth.  Rory glances over at him and he snaps his gaze back to the road.

“I feel like you’re being deliberately obtuse, Dr. Ramsey,” he murmurs.

They drive a few more miles in silence before Rory speaks again.

“I’m actually surprised you were up for this little rescue mission.”

Ethan chuckles.  “You think I don’t want to spend my time searching for stuffed animals?”

“I suppose I thought you’d think it was beneath you.  You’re a busy man.”

“There’s no element of patient care ‘beneath’ any doctor, from interns up to, and including, attendings.”

“And Delores is a friend,” Rory says.

“She’s a patient first, while she’s in our care.  But yes, she’s also a friend.  If a stuffed frog will help her get though this, then I’ll find her the damn frog.”

Rory gifts Ethan with a gentle smile, the expression so different from the usual glares and disappointed looks he gives him.  Ethan tries, and fails, to ignore the feeling that smile gives him.  It’s something he wants to see, wants to be reason for, again.  Many times over.

“I think you might be a softie at heart, Dr. Ramsey,” Rory teases him.

“Far from it,” Ethan scoffs.  “I’m practical.  And that’s enough prying for now.  We’re here.”

Ethan hurriedly exits the car, eager to get some space from the intern, and the feelings Rory stirs within him.

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

The rancid smells of burning plastic and plaster make me sneeze as I get out of the car.  Across the street, firefighters are still battling the blaze that’s fully consumed the office building.

“We can search the perimeter, but if it fell from her purse in there…”  Ramsey looks disheartened.  

“Well let’s hope it didn’t,” I say, marching forwards.  

We search methodically, investigating the street where Rafael may have parked the ambulance.  I’m getting increasingly frustrated and starting to think we’re on a wild goose chase when Ethan cries out.

“Look, it’s there in the storm drain!”  He points down at the small, green stuffed animal.

I eye the storm drain warily.  “Oh, fuck off with that bullshit.  I am not going down there.  Haven’t you seen ‘IT’?”

“Seen what?” Ramsey asks, confused.

I groan loudly and clasp my hands behind my head.  “Fine.  We’ll lower me in.

“Worth a shot.”

I lay down on the ground and slide my top half into the storm drain, leaning into the darkness, Ramsey gripping my left hand to hold me steady. 

“I swear to Christ if I see a red balloon I’m going to shit my scrubs,” I mutter.

“What?”  

I don’t answer, stretching out my free hand towards the frog.

“Can you reach it?” Ramsey asks.

“Almost…” I stretch a little further and – “Got it!”

Ramsey hauls me back out, and I stumble a little as the blood rushes back to my head.  He quickly catches me, his hands on my hips holding me steady.  The warmth of his hands feels scorching, and I look up to see him staring down at me, his gorgeous blue eyes dark and intense.  I shuffle a little closer to him, and Ramsey tightens his grip; I can feel each of his fingertips pressing into my skin through the thin fabric of my scrubs.  The air around us seems almost electrified and I’m suddenly finding it hard to breathe.

I quickly step back, shattering the moment, and hold up the frog. “Mission accomplished.  You’re an excellent sidekick, Dr. Ramsey.”

He shakes his head, as if he’s trying to brush off the intensity of whatever it was we just shared, before flashing a brief smile.  “I’m Batman, you’re Robin, and don’t you forget it, Rookie. Now get in the car, we need to get back.”

8:47 p.m.

“Dr. O’Shea!”  Marlene stops me as I walk by the nurses’ station.  “Miss Hudson’s urinalysis results.”

My shoulders slump as I read the results.  

Shit.

I hurry to find Ramsey.  I find him in Delores’s room, the two of them laughing as they watch T.V.  I knock lightly on the doorjamb and nod towards the hallway, wordlessly urging him to join me.  I hand him the lab results as soon as he exits the room, and watch as he comes to the same realization I did.

“The baby’s in trouble, isn’t he?”

Ramsey meets my eyes, clearly worried for his friend.  “Let’s go tell her.”

I take a few deep breaths to steady myself for the news I’m about to deliver.  I’ve personally never been good at dealing with bad news, preferring to bury my problems so far down that the Earth’s core is the only thing deeper than my issues.

Ramsey turns back to look at me.  “This is the job, Rookie.  Come on.”

“I know!” I snap, surprising both of us with my vehemence, before softening my voice.  “I know it’s the job.”

Delores’s smile fades the instant we re-enter the room.  “What’s wrong?” she demands.

Ramsey nods at me to take the lead.

“I don’t want you to worry,” I begin.

Delores pales.  “That exactly what people say when you should be worried!”

“We found an abnormality in your labs,” I continue, giving her what I hope is a reassuring smile.  “You have pre-eclampsia.  This is a fairly common occurrence in pregnancy, and it’s usually manageable if monitored, but yours is quite serious.”

“How serious?” she asks quietly.

“The flow of blood to the placenta is greatly reduced.  Soon it will start to deprive your baby of oxygen and vital nutrients.”

“Your baby is at risk,” Ramsey says bluntly.

Tears well in Delores’s eyes.  “But everything feels fine!  I can still feel the baby kicking!”

Ramsey takes a small step towards her and softens his voice.  “This just means we’re going to have to deliver the baby early.”

“No!  It’s too soon!”

“Babies delivered at twenty-six weeks have a good chance of survival,” I say soothingly, raising my hands in a placating gesture.

“A chance?”  Delores’s shoulders slump.

“He’ll have to spend time in the N.I.C.U., and there’s risk of post birth complication -”

“And some babies don’t make it at all!  Is my baby in danger right now?”

Ramsey and I exchange an uneasy glance.

“Not immediately, no,” he answers.  “But -”

“Then my little tadpole is staying put,” Delores declares with a firm nod.

“Delores -”

“No, Ethan!  Just… give me a week.  Give me as long as you can.  Please.”

“I’ll give you tonight,” he concedes.  “To come to your senses.”

“I’ll keep checking on her,” I say quietly as we walk out into the hall.  “Maybe we can talk her around.”

Ramsey shakes his head.  “No.  Just go home. Your shift’s been over for hours already.”

I stare at him in confusion.  “She’s my patient.  As long as she needs me, I’m staying here.”

He sighs, rubbing his hand over his mouth.  “I’m taking over this case.”

“You can’t do that!”  I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him.

“Go home, Rookie!” Ramsey shouts.

“Don’t raise your fucking voice at me,” I retort, more out of shock than actual protest.

“You’re not ready for this.  Now go home.” He spares me one final, cold stare before he storms away.

“Fuck!” I grind out through gritted teeth.  I turn to look into Delores’s hospital room.  She lies in the bed, tightly holding the stuffed frog as tears streak down her cheeks.  “Fuck…”

10:23 p.m.

I flop down onto the sofa next to Sienna with a despondent sigh.  

“Are you still brooding about Ramsey?” she asks, setting aside the book she had been reading.

“I don’t brood!” I insist.

Sienna doesn’t bother to reply, merely arching an eyebrow at my protest.

“Much.  I don’t brood much,” I mutter.

“I’m sure Dr. Ramsey had his reasons for taking over,” she says soothingly.  “The patient is his friend after all.”

I snort and roll my eyes.  “His reason is he doesn’t think I can handle it.  He flat out told me I wasn’t ready for it.  If he’s worried why doesn’t he keep overseeing the case? What was the point of kicking me off completely other than to be a massive douche canoe?  I just… I don’t like leaving her there all by herself.  I could have helped, I could’ve walked her through the procedure, answered more of her questions, anything instead of just… leaving.”

“Do you not trust Dr. Ramsey to take care of her?”

“No!  No, it’s not about that.  In spite of being a total jackass, the man is a brilliant doctor.  She was my patient though.  I talked to her, got to know her a bit.  I guess I feel responsible for her now, in a way.  And I’m worried.”

Sienna gives me a kind smile.  “You might be the one person who worries more than I do.”

“You take that back,” I gasp, placing my hand on my chest in mock hurt.

She giggles and wraps her arm around my shoulders in a quick hug.  “You’re a good doctor, Rory.  But there is such a thing as caring too much.  Sometimes you need to take a step back and breathe.”

“Yeah, I guess.”  I lean my head against hers, close my eyes, and try to relax, thankful for the new friendship blossoming between the two of us.

“Hey Rory?” Sienna asks after a few minutes.

“Hm?”

“What’s going on with you and Dr. Ramsey?”

I open my eyes.  “What?”

“This… whatever it is between the two of you.”

“The only thing between us is mutual loathing.”  I turn my head to look at her.

“Are you sure about that?” she counters, smirking.

I throw my hands up in the air.  “Ok, I’ll admit he’s attractive.  I’d have to be dead to not notice how fine that man is.  But he’s just so… Ramsey.”

“Can you expand on that please?” Sienna prompts me.

“You’ve seen what he’s like.  He’s unnecessarily mean to the interns, to nearly everyone actually.  He’s so damn highhanded about everything, and god forbid you have a different opinion than him, because then in his eyes you’re just an idiot who’s wasting his time.  He’s jaded and he always looks for the absolute worst in people and treats everyone like they have an ulterior motive.  And he’s rude and he’s tall and -”

“What does him being tall have to do with anything?”

“I don’t like having to look up when I talk to him,” I mutter.  “It hurts my neck.”

Sienna sits quietly, waiting for me to continue.  

“I don’t know,” I sigh.  “He discombobulates me.  Every now and then it seems like maybe there’s something else beneath all that snark and cynicism and I think we’ve had some moments, but then he’s right back to being an asshole.  I don’t understand him.”

“And that bothers you because…?”

“Because I want to,” I quietly admit.  “But he’s never going to let me.  He dated Harper Emery; he’s never going to look twice at some intern he can barely stand.”

“Dr. Ramsey dated Chief Emery?” Sienna squeals.

“Oh shit.”  I clap my hands over my mouth.  “You cannot tell anyone.  Ramsey made me promise to keep my mouth shut about that.”

She nods vigorously.  “I swear I won’t tell a soul.”

“Thank you,” I sigh, relieved.

“You know,” Sienna says, looking at me out of the corner of her eye.  “There’s this thing called the irresistible force paradox.  Wayne told me about it once.”

I bite my tongue to hold back a snarky remark about her invisible boyfriend.  I haven’t met him yet, but I already hate him, purely for the way he treats Sienna.

“What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object?  Nothing can stand up against an irresistible force.  And no force can budge the immoveable object.  I think in this situation you’re the immovable force and Dr. Ramsey is the immovable object.”

“So what does happen when the irresistible force meets the immoveable object?”

“Nothing.”  Sienna shrugs.  “They cancel each other out.”

I stare at her.  “That is… supremely unhelpful.”

“No, wait!”  She laughs and grabs my hand, pulling me back down onto the sofa as I move to stand up. “You and Dr. Ramsey have all these issues because you keep pushing against each other.  But fighting isn’t getting you anywhere, you just stay in this grey area where you’re angry with each other.  So maybe it’s time to stop pushing against the immovable object.”

I grimace.  “I don’t know…”

“I’m not saying roll over and agree with everything the man says.  But maybe try to be a little more patient and understanding if you want to have anything more than a ‘moment’ with him. He might be a more open if you are too. ”

“I hate it when you’re mature and make sense,” I groan.  

She laughs and gives me a playful shove.  “I call dibs on maid of honor.”

“I think you’re getting ahead of yourself there, Trinh,” I snicker. “We still need to manage to have a full conversation that doesn’t end in an argument.”

My pager suddenly goes off, interrupting the lighthearted moment.   My heart twists as I read the message.

“What happened?” Sienna asks, concerned.

“My preeclampsia patient just got rushed into surgery,” I whisper. “I have get back to the hospital.”

“Go.  Call if you need me.”  Sienna offers me one last reassuring smile before I rush out of the apartment.

[neuswastedlife]

Ethan x Male!MC deserves better

I adore all the Ethan x MC work out there, but I don’t usually look it up because the amount of Female!MC's it’s insane while the Male!MC, which is the option I personally play, is almost nonexistant. Seems like nobody else takes the amazing possibility to choose the gender of our own characters and experience the romance between Ethan and another man. It's the only way I can find him and his relationship with MC really interesting and different. PB has TONS AND TONS of male LIs and dinamics simillars to Ethan's in genderlocked stories, but when you finally can swap some kind of heteronormative boredom to a male-male situation, the experience changes. The white male LI at least is not straight and his inner world could be a little bit more quaint and fresh.

I really respect people choosing the gender they want, the female!MC is wonderful too and, of course, I'm not saying romancing Ethan with another man is gonna fix all his character issues, but simply it makes me really sad that so few people seems to pay atention to the male!MC in this case. Especially if we consider all the problems that we have with PB almost ignoring the other LIs and giving more credit to the only white male of all them, I can’t wrap my head around why the players waste an Ethan Ramsey that, at least, has a minority sexual orientation.

Sadly, this give us a lot to think.

[jerzwriter]

Roman Adventure

As I stated in the Ethan/Kaycee version of this craziness, I just can't get this silly "How often do you think of the Roman Empire?" out of my head. This one is loosely based on the response a male friend of mine gave me. I will never, ever, ever let him live it down. (Don't worry, he has plenty on me to retaliate with!) But this is how I see Casey asking Tobias playing out.

Book: Open Heart (Book 3 timeline) Pairing: Tobias Carrick x Casey MacTavish (F!MC) Category: Text Fic/Fun Rating: Teen Plus (it's them... suggestive, not explicit) A/N: Once again, since @choicesoctober has that wonderful category of "anything" here goes! :)

Text below the break:

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Other tags in reblog.

[hanasbangs]

[mxdanni]

Thinking Straight. Ethan x m!MC

.feat Dolores && baby Ethan

• Kinda continues this-> Likeable (+Dolores)

Summary: As both MC and Ethan stay to monitor Dolores and the baby through the night things take an unexpected turn. Accidental cuddles involved.

m!MC : Dr Cheng Lee

“Mmff?” Cheng leaned to the other side and sighed in content. His arms crossed and chin pressed against his own chest, he has quite comfortably nestled in on the chair. The stable pings coming from all the machines attached to Dolores soothed and lulled him to sleep. She was fighting it, and Cheng felt hope blazing brighter with every passing hour.

Yet the noise cut through his sleep once more. “Cheng?” called out a gentle deep voice. “You should go home.”

“M-no,” he mumbled and nestled his nose under his white coat.

“You are tired,” insisted the voice, and Cheng let out a half-yelp, half-sigh in protest and wiggled around a little. Somebody put a warm hand on his shoulder. It was mere light touch, as if to see if Cheng would move away or shove it off.

Cheng didn’t.

The hand rested a little firmer, more confident, and fingers curled into his muscle. “You’ll fall off that chair, rookie…”

Huh?

“…Rookie. Hey, rookie?”

It was the smell of strong coffee that yanked Cheng awake. He opened his eyes and blinked several times, adjusting to the darkness. The last of his memories were still hazy from the dream– Or wasn’t it a dream? Cheng whirled his head around, eyes lingering on the machines to make sure Dolores was doing just as fine as before. Her heartbeat was steady, Cheng sighed and, finally, looked to his side.

Dr Ramsey stood about two steps away. Cheng blinked again. He had no idea why the other was there but at least two things popped to his mind. First: if before wasn’t, in fact, a dream, Dr Ramsey couldn’t have been that person. He was standing too far to be able to touch his after all. Second thing: the last part must have slipped in while Cheng was waking up. Thus, real or not, that person didn’t call him rookie – no – Dr Ramsey did, and that pulled Cheng back from his daydreaming.

Well, maybe there were a few more, those ideas rushed through Cheng’s head as he shoved away every one of them. Like, Dr Ramsey wouldn’t whisper softly to wake him up. Or touch him. Or care he won’t get hurt falling off that damn chair. Or have such warm hands… Cheng cursed under his breath, “oh just who am I kidding”, and hurriedly looked away. He was staring all this time. At a now frowning Dr Ramsey.

“You feeling alright, Lee?” asked the other rather coldly.

“Dazed.” Cheng rubbed palms against his face and quickly added, “Kind of. Never mind– wait, what about Ethan?” Dr Ramsey tensed, Cheng panicked and blurted, “Well, the baby, Dolores’s baby? Wow, that’s gonna be as hell confusing…”

“He is… he is doing well.” Dr Ramsey didn’t sound that sure but Cheng didn’t push it.

“She’s fine too,” he said instead and nodded towards Dolores.

“I know.”

There was an awkward pause. Then Cheng’s nose caught the coffee smell once again. His eyes followed and landed back on Dr Ramsey. Apparently, holding two mugs of probably steaming coffee.

“Thought you might want some,” explained the other catching Cheng staring. He stepped closer, not close enough still, so Cheng would have to reach out as well when he handed over one of the mugs. “If you are determined to stay the night, that is.” Now Dr Ramsey sounded even less sure.

“I am,” gritted Cheng through his teeth and snatched the mug. “You can’t throw me out.”

Their fingers brushed, and Dr Ramsey jerked his hand away. He coughed and shifted his posture again.

“I wasn’t going to–

“Sorry!”Cheng interrupted in a hushed yelp. He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. “Old habits die hard.”

“You hated me quite a lot, didn’t you?�� Dr Ramsey sighed and then sipped from his mug.

“But I don’t hate you anymore.” The words came easy this time. Cheng even felt as if something inside his chest became lighter.

Dr Ramsey… well, he rolled his eyes and pushed a second chair closer to where Cheng was sitting. And then did the last thing Cheng ever expected him to. Which was confusing, since it was twice for the same night, yet this bet the first one.

Dr Ramsey chuckled. A second later realising it himself and tried to cover the whole thing up with a cough but oh did Cheng heard it. It was odd. And the most unnerving about it was that for a mere moment Cheng did think he kind of liked it. The sound. Right?

“It was the sound,” he muttered to himself in Mandarin. Cheng rarely did so, it was more of a last resort measure. “In a situation like this. It’s uplifting. The sound, not doctor–” Cheng cut himself off. His words Dr Ramsey might either not have heard or just didn’t understand, yet his own surname was another thing entirely. One always snaps to the sound of it somehow, in many cases catching upon the drift even in a foreign language. Anyway, gran didn’t teach him to be careful for nothing.

Cheng looked up to see Dr Ramsey watching him closely. He didn’t get a chance to say anything, the other looked away as their eyes met. Cheng gulped down some coffee.

“Oh hey,” he blurted in a whisper, “this tastes better cafeteria coffee.”

Dr Ramsey shrugged. He was supposedly watching Dolores’s heartbeat on the screen, and yet Cheng still felt his eyes on him. Dr Ramsey might have been glancing his way with the corner of his eye. After all, Cheng could always tell for sure when anyone was looking his way.

“It’s from the coffee machine in my office,” admitted the other. “Don’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t,” promised Cheng and smiled. There was something intriguing about sharing a secret with Dr Ramsey no matter how he fought the idea inside his head. “So…” He traced off.

And they were back to the awkward silence in the intensive care room.

“You really care for her, huh?”

“She is my friend.” Dr Ramsey sipped on his coffee. Tilted the mug in his hands a bit, then took another cautious sip.

Cheng watched closely as Dr Ramsey’s expressions changed. It was nowhere near obvious: a mere shift of his eyebrow, the slightest tug at the corner of his lips, all masked under the usual frown. Perhaps only his Adam’s apple moved way too obvious when he swallowed.

Cheng put the now empty mug under his chair and fiddled his fingers. Dr Ramsey wasn’t looking his way, his eyes were only on Dolores.

“Just my friend,” he suddenly whispered. “But one of the very few.”

“Oh.” Cheng jerked to look away. Where did that even come from– wait, did Dr Ramsey notice him staring? Uh-huh. Oh.

It was surely too risky but Cheng couldn’t help it. The two of them sat in almost complete darkness but for the dim light of all the machines monitoring Dolores. His eyes searched Dr Ramsey’s face, there was something unusual, too… odd about his expression, really. He looked tired, his hair mussed and his jaw darker with stubble.

Somehow, and Cheng missed the exact point, they settled into a friendly conversation. Dr Ramsey even told him about his first patients, his first months of internship, then firsts as a senior resident… Cheng might have confessed a harmless prank they pulled off to cheer up a nurse. Or who toppled a shelf in the supply closet on the fifth floor, the one that miraculously was back in order the next morning. It was refreshing, new that they could just talk like that, and Cheng felt his anxiety lifting as he glanced at his phone screen to check the time.

“They will make it, right?” Cheng wasn’t sure Dr Ramsey heard him, after all his voice came out no louder than a breath.

But Dr Ramsey did.

“I can’t imagine what if… what if…” His shoulders tensed, and Dr Ramsey clenched his jaws. It was quite visible from the way his vein also was showing.

Cheng stood up. His step echoed in the darkness and the next moment he knew, his arms were around Dr Ramsey. They both froze, yet Cheng pulled himself together much quicker. If for some reason came the urge to do it, he decided he would do it right. And think later. If ever.

Cheng tightened his grip around Dr Ramsey’s shoulders and pulled him closer. Now his head was pressed flush against Cheng’s chest, perhaps too close to his heart.

“Rookie, what are you–“

“Sh-h.” Cheng leaned in and rested his chin on top of Dr Ramsey’s head. “There’s a study that says hugs have stress-reducing effects and soothe the nervous system.”

“So… it’s therapy?”

Cheng blinked, he was surprised Dr Ramsey wouldn’t question the source of that idea. Well, maybe it was high time Cheng admitted he was wrong just about everything he thought of the man.

“You came here because it’s so scarier alone to watch them fight for their lives, didn’t you?” Cheng mumbled, his chin still pressed to Dr Ramsey’s head. His nose ended up somewhere in the mussed hair, with a very faint trail of citrusy shampoo to tickle it. “I do feel better now. So, yeah, it’s therapy. Doctor’s orders.”

Cheng almost regretted the last words leaving his mouth. But the corners of his lips quirked up, and his tone… gosh, that’d better not have sounded nowhere near that flirty as his own words echoed in Cheng’s head right after he said them. And Dr Ramsey didn’t move since he hugged him, like, at all. Not even shifted a little bit but gone completely rigid: he neither pushed him away nor leaned into the touch. Which was weird, and awkward, and, honestly? Confusing.

And then he felt Dr Ramsey chuckle. It was felt and not heard because Cheng didn’t hear a thing but the sooting pings of Dolores’s heartbeat. He just felt the body shake a little under his touch, as if the other was laughing but didn’t want anybody else to know.

“Sienna’s hugs are warmer though,” Cheng pointed out. It felt just a little less awkward when he was talking. “Wish I could go and get her for you but her shift ended hours ago. She’s probably sleeping.”

“No.”

Dr Ramsey wouldn’t say anything else so Cheng moved his grip a bit so that he could glance at the other’s face. “Huh?”

Dr Ramsey sighed and very quietly grumbled, “I’m not into physical affection. At all.”

“Oh, should I…?” Cheng asked, yet didn’t let go. Unnerving as it was, he didn’t want to.

“No. You’re fine– I mean, this is fine. Only for tonight.” Dr Ramsey reached up and placed his hand over Cheng’s arm. He was whispering before but the next words sounded even quieter. “It feels nice. Not that I would want anyone to know I said that.” With the last one his tone changed, Cheng recognised the usual snarling notes. A threat.

“I won’t tell a soul,” Cheng mouthed and sighed happily.

An hour or so later, they found themselves back by baby Ethan’s side. Cheng curled up on the sofa, Dr Ramsey sitting next to him a little closer than before. There was still space left in between them, sure, but the previous gap wide enough to fit another third person.

Cheng found himself dozing off with the first pinkish sunlight entering through the window. He did notice Dr Ramsey leave, assumed he went to check on Dolores, and soon the warm body was by his side again.

“Why are you so soft beneath all that?” mumbled Cheng in his sleep and shuffled closer. His arms snaked around an arm, and head rested on a shoulder. Those felt even warmer when something soft was pulled over them both.

“All that what?” asked a very tired voice.

“All that,” Cheng giggle sheepishly and nuzzled into the soft material. “When I first met you I thought you were an ass. When I first met you again this year I thought you were a jerk. And rude. And haughty. And self-absorbed–“

“Rookie–“ the body by his side grumbled.

“I’ve been up for 22 hours. I literally don’t care about anything anymore.” Cheng muffled a giggle and rubbed his cheek against the shoulder. “What fabric is this?” he mumbled. “So so-oft. Like you. Why are you, apparently, acting like a proud jerk but so soft beneath all that, huh, Ethan?”

If the body wasn’t completely rigid before, it was so now. But Cheng sighed happily and nestled against it, pulling the slipping hospital blanket up to his ear.

- - -

The morning confused Cheng out of his wits.

“This is… weird.” He found himself curled up on the sofa in the intense care room. His first reaction was to jerk up but Cheng got tangled in the blanket, he didn’t notice it before, so the sudden motion sent him diving to the floor instead. “Ouch!” His nose and forehead smashed into the floor and caused a commotion.

“Are you okay, Cheng?” called out one of the nurses and ran up to his side.

“Yeah– yeah, I’m fine. How’s Ethan– I mean the baby– and– and Dolores?”

“They both made it.”

- - -

Cheng smiled. A warm feeling glowed in his chest: he watched Dolores, still weak and bedridden, yet beaming so brightly as she rocked baby Ethan.

“You’ve grown so big already,” Dolores cooed, and baby Ethan gooed and raised his tiny arm to clutch her nose. “Yes, you have.”

Dr Ramsey coughed, rather awkwardly, and walked to the door. “I have other patients to take care of so, well, I’ll leave you two for some time then.” He reached for the door handle then stopped and looked at Cheng sitting by Dolores’s bed. “Are you coming, Dr Lee?”

“Nope,” Cheng smiled and shook his head. “My shift was over before lunch.”

“That was four hours ago–“

“I’ll stay just a little longer.” Cheng glanced at Dolores. “You don’t mind, right?”

“Of course, not! You’re good company.” She beamed at Cheng but, for some reason, winked at Dr Ramsey.

He coughed again and turned around. His fingers lingered on the door a little longer.

“Are you okay, Dr Ramsey?” Cheng asked before the other could leave. “Not catching a cold, are you?”

Abruptly, Dr Ramsey closed the door back but didn’t turn around to face them. His shoulders tensed quite visibly even under the bulky white coat. “Why?”

“Well,” Cheng hummed a note and smiled, “we don’t want you sneezing around a newborn, do we?”

Dr Ramsey growled something and added louder, “No, Dr Lee, we don’t. I assure you I’m more careful than that, my health is perfectly fine.” And with that he slightly opened the door and slipped into the corridor before anyone had a chance to answer.

Cheng blinked. “He’s kinda... intense,” he muttered to himself but then just shrugged his shoulders. “Well, guess we’re back to normal.”

Dolores gave him a pointed look. Cheng raised his eyebrows and gestured for her to explain what she meant by it but got a smirk instead.

“What happened while I was out?” Dolores cocked her head, and baby Ethan in her arms squealed as he tugged on her hair.

“Huh? Nothing.” Cheng just stared and racked his brains to remember the night more clearly. He couldn’t, not exactly, some memories were hazy, and Cheng wasn’t sure which of them were real and which mere leftovers of his dozing off. So he went over the things he was absolutely sure of. “Dr Ramsey and I monitored you and Ethan through the night. First, we watched baby Ethan, then I went to check up on you, then Dr Ramsey also came to check up on you, then we went back to intensive care, and there I fell asleep on the sofa. And Dr Ramsey must have returned to your side.”

Cheng found himself biting back the “Dr Ramsey must have pulled a blanket over me before he returned to your side” part. For all he knew, there were not alone at Edenbrook that night so it could’ve been anybody. Like, a nurse. Or some other doctor. Or a passing paramedic. Could’ve been one, right?

Cheng knit his eyebrows together. “What makes you think something happened?”

As he spoke, Cheng did notice Dolores’s smirk fade bit by bit at certain points. She rocked baby Ethan and glanced at the closed door, and the sly glint in her eyes returned.

“Uh-huh. You know.” Dolores chuckled to herself. “Ethan’s clearly hiding something. Alright, never mind. Oh, look, he’s got such blue eyes...” She cradled baby Ethan in her arms and kissed his forehead. “I wonder what colour they might turn out later.” She cooed some time more, and Cheng enjoyed it staying with both of them.

There was one thing though. Cheng almost hated to intrude on the peacefulness of that scene, and yet one thought refused to leave his head. Finally, he decided he’d forget all about it if he knew the answer.

So Cheng called out, “Dolores? Can I ask you something about Dr Ramsey?”

“Ah?” She looked up from her baby absentmindedly. It looked like she has forgotten Cheng was there too for a few moments. “Sure.”

Cheng turned away and now watched the closed door. He could hear somebody outside in the corridor, yet those seemed to only rush by.

“How exactly straight is that man?”

- - -

My Open Heart Ethan Ramsey x m!MC series:

When Push Comes To Shove (p. 1 & p. 2)

He Wasn’t Meant to Hear

Confess (+ the crew at Donahue’s)

Likeable (+Dolores)

this one goes here

The Right Kind of Therapy

- - - 

p.s. title? yeah, pun intended 😉

- - - 

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