February is a time for exploring the liminal moments when winter softens in one part of the world while summer sparkles in another. This month's theme is all about these moments: when new sparks catch, truths surface, comfort meets chaos, and characters choose the paths that shape who they become.
Prompts
Midseason Revelations
Secrets come to light
Confronting truths
Midnight confessions
Soft moments
New Roads, New Destinies
Choices that change everything
Alternate paths or roads not taken
An unexpected future
Found family
Comfort & Chaos
Comfort
Frenemies
Winter mishaps
Summer storms
Ignite
Sparks fly
Something begins
Rise to the challenge
Heart-stopping moments
Reckonings & Resets
Do-overs
Setting boundaries
Rebuild after fallout
Feeling stuck
Valentine To Do or Not To Do
Valentine's Day
Galentine's celebration
Anti-Valentine
Down with love / Fall in love
Submission Guidelines
Fanworks from all Choices books/series (and Pixelberry) universe are accepted.
You may submit any form of fanwork: fanfiction, fanart, headcanons, moodboards, edits, text fics, etc.
Mention @choicesfebruary2026 in your post. Feel free to also tag my main @liaromancewriter.
Specify the prompt(s) used in the header, as well as book/series, characters/pairings; rating and genre/category if applicable.
All fanworks must be new, and anything posted before February won’t be accepted.
Late submissions will be accepted until March 2nd.
Prompt Use:
You can participate as many times as you can/want, including multiple submissions for the same prompt.
Use the prompts whenever you like and however you like. It’s not about a specific word but rather the creativity it inspires.
Feel free to mix and match/use prompts in the same fanwork; include this info in your header for reference.
Warnings and Labels:
If your work has mature or NSFW content, please label it as such and use appropriate warnings.
Please add a ‘read more’ page break to avoid long posts and hide sensitive content below the line. This prevents exposing other fans to triggering/disturbing or mature content.
Reblogs and Masterlists:
If I don’t reblog your work within 48 hours after it’s posted, send me a DM or submit an ask with the link to the post.
There will be one weekly or biweekly masterlist categorized by book/series (depending on event participation).
If you have any questions, please let me know.
I look forward to seeing and sharing your wonderful creations. Good luck!
Premise: A drink at Donahue’s after a long shift had always been Ethan’s release. But now it’s something more.
Fandom: Open Heart
Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine)
Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff.
Words: 645
A/N: Submission to @choicesfebruary2026 prompt "soft moments"
It was end of shift and, as always, Donahue’s was packed. Dimly lit with a décor that felt very retro—red pleather booths on one side, wooden stools lining the bar on the other, dartboards in the back, with a jukebox in the corner pumping out soft rock.
The dive bar was a favored hangout of anyone working at Boston’s Edenbrook Hospital just up the road, as the din of voices—some excited, others exhausted—attested.
The glare of the neon lights cast a moon-like glow on the liquor bottles set against the mirrored wall at the back of the bar. The place smelled of beer, whiskey, fried food, and sweat under a cover of sharp deodorant.
It was a scent Ethan Ramsey was familiar with. He’d been coming here since his early days as a resident. He might sometimes prefer more elegant venues for a night out with his girlfriend, but Donahue’s was his airlock. A buffer between the hospital and the world.
“Hey. Haven’t seen you around lately,” Reggie, the owner-slash-bartender, commented, setting a shot of whiskey—his usual—in front of Ethan.
“Been busy,” he murmured, raising the glass in a salute of thanks.
He remembered telling Cassie Valentine all those years ago that he’d come here even if he had someone waiting at home for him. But lately, he’d begun to wonder how true that was.
Most evenings, he and Cassie went back to his apartment to unwind over wine as they cooked dinner. Now that she was a junior attending, her schedule had more predictability, and they took advantage of that. His once-quiet apartment had become the new airlock.
But tonight she was hanging out with her friends, and he was back at his usual seat at the bar. He observed from a distance as she bent over the pool table to line up a shot, and tried not to be caught ogling her enticing jean-clad butt.
Memories drifted in, unbidden. A time-lapse of fleeting moments forever imprinted on his temporal lobe.
Cassie approaching him after her first day at Edenbrook and buying him a drink. Scotch, neat, because the ice changed the flavor. Him inadvertently commenting how different she looked in the real world—green crop top, ripped jean shorts, long golden hair brushed smooth, her green eyes sparkling under the neon lights and impossible not to notice.
Her teasing him that he already favored her, and his half-smile denial even as he knew she wasn’t wrong.
All those evenings during her intern year when he slowly sipped his whiskey, covertly noticing how she effortlessly charmed everyone she met. Beating surgical residents at darts. Knocking back shots with her friends. Dancing with grace to cheesy music.
Ethan had watched, wanting quietly, privately.
And then the memories shifted. The two of them, under the glow of the neon moon, no longer circling but choosing each other openly. Talking about nothing and everything as they enjoyed the specials Reggie mixed only for them.
Him smiling at her obvious—and sometimes exaggerated—attempts to flirt with him, and her easy laughter at his mock-sincere pick-up lines. It was a game they liked to play, and it usually led to an early (and hurried) departure to his car.
Of course, sometimes the desire was too strong to wait. On those occasions, he’d end up pressing her against the brick wall in the back alley, his lips covering hers, her soft moans echoing in the dark. Her hands tangling in the hair at the back of his head, tugging him closer.
Tonight, though, he was simply an observer again. No longer distant or lonely. Just… remembering. Donahue’s held so many memories, but the sharpest were reserved for Cassie.
He might come here even if she were waiting at home for him, but he carried her with him in all the best ways.
"You are exhausted, my love. And in pain — though I know you are trying to hide it.
Now close your eyes. Let me take care of you a little longer.
Just rest my love. I'm here."
📖 Ella & Kieran, The Cursed Heart Book 2
💜 Artwork commissioned from the lovely @ / meolkyy
February is a time for exploring the liminal moments when winter softens in one part of the world while summer sparkles in another. This month's theme is all about these moments: when new sparks catch, truths surface, comfort meets chaos, and characters choose the paths that shape who they become.
Prompts
Midseason Revelations
Secrets come to light
Confronting truths
Midnight confessions
Soft moments
New Roads, New Destinies
Choices that change everything
Alternate paths or roads not taken
An unexpected future
Found family
Comfort & Chaos
Comfort
Frenemies
Winter mishaps
Summer storms
Ignite
Sparks fly
Something begins
Rise to the challenge
Heart-stopping moments
Reckonings & Resets
Do-overs
Setting boundaries
Rebuild after fallout
Feeling stuck
Valentine To Do or Not To Do
Valentine's Day
Galentine's celebration
Anti-Valentine
Down with love / Fall in love
Submission Guidelines
Fanworks from all Choices books/series (and Pixelberry) universe are accepted.
You may submit any form of fanwork: fanfiction, fanart, headcanons, moodboards, edits, text fics, etc.
Mention @choicesfebruary2026 in your post. Feel free to also tag my main @liaromancewriter.
Specify the prompt(s) used in the header, as well as book/series, characters/pairings; rating and genre/category if applicable.
All fanworks must be new, and anything posted before February won’t be accepted.
Late submissions will be accepted until March 2nd.
Prompt Use:
You can participate as many times as you can/want, including multiple submissions for the same prompt.
Use the prompts whenever you like and however you like. It’s not about a specific word but rather the creativity it inspires.
Feel free to mix and match/use prompts in the same fanwork; include this info in your header for reference.
Warnings and Labels:
If your work has mature or NSFW content, please label it as such and use appropriate warnings.
Please add a ‘read more’ page break to avoid long posts and hide sensitive content below the line. This prevents exposing other fans to triggering/disturbing or mature content.
Reblogs and Masterlists:
If I don’t reblog your work within 48 hours after it’s posted, send me a DM or submit an ask with the link to the post.
There will be one weekly or biweekly masterlist categorized by book/series (depending on event participation).
If you have any questions, please let me know.
I look forward to seeing and sharing your wonderful creations. Good luck!
Rating: M (I don't think it's explicit enough to count as NS*W)
This is for @choicesfebruary2026 Prompt: Winter mishaps
@choicesficwriterscreations
Lucia bundled up and left her apartment to begin her walk to work. It had been especially cold lately. Winters in Boston were so much worse than they were back home in Santa Fe. There was definitely more snow. Fortunately her apartment was close to Edenbrook, so she didn’t have a long walk.
There was still a lot of snow on the ground after last night’s storm. She trudged her way along, and soon she was standing across the street from the hospital. She moved forward to cross, but slipped on a patch of ice, and fell to the ground.
“Lucia! Are you OK?” Bryce called out to her. He had been approaching the hospital just as she had fallen.
Lucia slowly stood up. “I think so.”
Bryce moved closer to her and put his arm around her. “Well, we’d better be sure. Come with me.”
They crossed the street and entered the hospital. Bryce guided her to an empty room. “Let’s get you checked out.”
“I’m fine, really,” Lucia insisted.”
Bryce grinned. “Well, you might enjoy it.”
“Well, in that case, go on.” Lucia hopped onto the bed.
“Lie down on your stomach,” Bryce ordered.
Lucia did as she was told.
Bryce ran his hands along her body. “Everything feels good.”
“It sure does,” Lucia agreed.
He lifted her skirt and pulled down her underwear. “Your butt looks great.” He caressed her cheeks. “If feels great too. But it may have some bruising later. I’d be happy to help you ice it.”
“I think that will have to wait. We need to get to work.” Lucia pulled her underwear on and adjusted her clothes, then sat up. “But come by after our shifts are over.”
Bastien picked up the keys to the rental car, then turned to Riley. “I’m going to see Juliette.” His ex-girlfriend owed him some answers. Was her daughter his? He suspected so, but he needed confirmation.
“Hold on, I’m coming with you.” Riley rushed over to his side.
“Are you sure you want to deal with my ex?” Bastien asked.
“We’re in this together,” Riley assured him. “Besides, you deal with my exes every day back home.”
She had a point. Liam and Drake were very much a part of their lives. Liam even wanted to make their future child his heir, and Riley wasn’t even pregnant yet.
Bastien followed the directions to the address that Thierry had given him, until he came to a large estate. “This must be the place.”
They parked the car, then walked up to the door and rang the bell. Juliette answered. Although it had been many years since he had last seen her, in many ways she didn’t look all that different, just older. Her brown hair still fell to slightly past her shoulders.
“Hello, Juliette.” He motioned to Riley. “This is my wife, Duchess Riley Foster of Cordonia. May we come in?”
“I suppose. I’ve been expecting you.” Juliette opened the door all the way, letting them pass. She led them into the living room, where they all sat down.
“I assume you know why we’re here,” said Bastien.
Juliette nodded. “Thierry told me he talked to you last night. What the hell did you say to him? My brother has been clean for three years, and last night he came home high on coke.”
“I just asked him if your daughter was mine.” Bastien thought back to the night before. Thierry hadn’t wanted to give him Juliette’s contact information, but he had relented when he asked him how he would feel if someone was keeping his child away from him. He recalled the look of pain on Thierry’s face. “Oh, he didn’t want to tell me how to reach you, so I tried to get him to put himself in my shoes, and asked how he would feel if someone was keeping his child from him.”
“You idiot!” Juliette glared at him angrily. “Thierry has a daughter that he’s not allowed to see.”
No wonder it had worked. “I’m sorry about that. I had no way of knowing. But I am glad that he helped me, because I need to know the truth. Is she mine?”
“Yes,” Juliette admitted.
“I guess it happened just before we broke up?” Bastien asked.
Juliette looked to Bastien. “Do you remember when I had that stomach virus? It messed up my birth control pills. I found out that I was pregnant shortly after we broke up.”
“And why didn’t you tell me?” Bastien demanded to know.
“I still loved you. I was afraid I might take you back. But you had just started working for King Constantine. I couldn’t live with the danger your job put you in. So I moved to Corsica to live with Thierry.”
Bastien wondered what kind of upbringing his daughter had had, knowing that she had grown up with an uncle who had apparently struggled with drug addiction throughout her childhood. But judging by the house, Juliette seemed to be doing well financially.
“Damn it, I had a right to know!” Bastien thought of all the years that he had missed. His daughter was a grown woman now.
“What’s all this noise about?” Amandine came downstairs, followed by Thierry.
Thierry turned to Juliette. “Tell her.”
Amandine smiled at Bastien. “I remember you from last night.”
Juliette took a deep breath. “He’s your father.”
Amandine’s mouth dropped open. “What? But you told me you didn’t know who my father was!”
“I know. I’m sorry.” Juliette looked away.
“How could you lie to me?” Amandine turned away from Juliette, then faced Thierry. “Did you know?”
“No, I just found out last night,” said Thierry.
Amandine moved towards Bastien. “And what about you? Are you a deadbeat dad? “
“No, of course not. Your mother never told me about you,” Bastien explained. “If she had, I would have been there for you. But I hope we can get to know each other now.”
“I’d like that,” said Amandine.
Bastien motioned to Riley. “You may recognize my wife, Duchess Riley Foster of Cordonia.”
“Am I a duchess now too?” asked Amandine.
“I’m not sure it works like that,” Bastien responded.
“I can ask King Liam about that. We’ll see what he says,” Riley told her.
“Come visit us in Cordonia. Stay as long as you like.” They had so much lost time to make up for. But now that Bastien knew that he had a daughter, he wasn’t going to let her slip away from him.
Premise: An anonymous post from a secret admirer has the hallways buzzing, and everyone thinks it’s about Ethan.
Fandom: Open Heart
Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine); feat. Tobias Carrick
Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff.
Words: 1,480
A/N: Submission to @choicesfebruary2026 prompt "confronting truths"
Ethan Ramsey never understood why, but gossip seemed to be the fuel that kept Edenbrook Hospital running—more than patients or medicine, much to his exasperation. Every hospital he’d ever consulted with suffered the same affliction, including their new sister hospital, Mass Kenmore.
A serious-minded man, he preferred science to fantasy, facts to fiction, and straight talk to rumors. But he also recognized he was probably in the minority, so he kept his mouth shut on this particular topic, even if he couldn’t control the eye roll or the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose.
Most of the time he ignored the rumors floating through the hallways and turned a blind ear to the whispers that, he’d long ago surmised, related to his personal or professional life.
Of course, there was the time he’d said, “To hell with it,” and made a public declaration of his relationship with Cassie Valentine in front of the entire hospital at shift change, when everyone was bound to see it.
Notwithstanding that momentous occasion, he stuck to his principles. People respected his stance, for the most part. Cassie and his mentor, Naveen Banerji, refused point-blank to indulge him in this, and he’d given up trying to change their minds.
So when he marched down the breezeway connecting the parking lot to the main structure on a Tuesday morning, he was unprepared for the latest round of gossip making its way through the Edenbrook and Mass Kenmore rumor mills—and for the role he was supposedly playing in people’s speculations.
----
Cassie waited in line for the coffee cart with her friends, Bryce Lahela and Jackie Varma. Desperate for caffeine after a particularly long night shift—the joys of being a junior attending—she leaned against Bryce to take the weight off her feet.
“Hey, did you guys see this post?” Jackie asked, turning her phone to show them the feed on the virtual water-cooler platform for Edenbrook and Mass Kenmore.
“When your attending is attractive,” Bryce read the post title aloud and pouted. “What about when your surgical resident is attractive?”
“Not everything needs to be about you, meathead,” Jackie retorted, handing the phone to Cassie. “Think it’s someone at Edenbrook—someone we know?”
Cassie tried to prop her tired eyes open long enough to finish reading the rest of the post.
“But can’t do anything ’cos they’re married to another hottie doctor. Turned on every day and can’t get ’em out of my mind.”
She laughed at the comments: people trying to guess the identity of the original poster and the attending in question, and the inevitable wisecracks that bordered on the ridiculous.
“I’m gonna assume this is about me.”
“I volunteer as tribute.”
“What level of hottie-ness are we talkin about, OP?”
“Go get ’em, OP! What’s the worst that can happen?”
“Crash and burn.” Stated one reply to the last comment followed by an exploding head emoji.
“Edenbrook has no shortage of hot doctors,” Cassie said, handing the phone back to Jackie.
“You know, you and Ethan fit the bill,” Bryce mused, stepping up to place his and Cassie’s coffee order. “Two hot attendings married to each other.”
Cassie snorted in amusement. “Except his glare is enough to discourage anyone. I doubt OP would be turned on by that.”
“Why not? You were,” Jackie grinned. “Or maybe you just have a thing for grumpy old men.”
“Forty is not old!” Cassie shot back, taking the to-go cup Bryce handed her. “Besides, he was only thirty-six the first time he glared at me.”
“Are y’all talking about that post? And is it really about Dr. Ramsey?” one of the nurses asked, clearly eavesdropping on their conversation.
Cassie groaned internally as she recognized the gleam in the woman’s eyes. This would be all over the hospital before morning rounds.
And she was right.
It was her turn to lead rounds, and she couldn’t help but notice the side-eyed glances from residents, medical students and nursing staff alike. The whole hospital seemed to be buzzing about the post.
The other married attendings basked in the spotlight of potentially being secretly admired, while the single attendings pretended not to be affected. But everyone knew the real speculation was about her and Ethan being the focus of the mysterious admirer.
She doubted Ethan even knew what was going on; as Chief of Medicine, he only led the monthly grand rounds and M&M conferences. Besides, her husband wasn’t one to pay attention to gossip.
She sighed as she made her escape to the diagnostic team’s office.
“Ah, there she is,” her colleague Tobias Carrick drawled as she swiped herself through the sliding glass doors. “How does it feel to be Edenbrook’s celebrity couple?”
Cassie rolled her eyes at the ribbing. Tobias had a wicked sense of humor and loved needling Ethan.
“Don’t think I didn’t see your comment on that post,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest to stare down her nose at him.
“How do you know it was me?” he asked, sprawling in his chair, legs stretched under the table, and locking his hands behind his head.
“I know your chat handle, Carrick,” Cassie said, her lips twisting in wry amusement. “You aren’t as careful when logging on. And is your password really HotCarrick@82? You’re a respected doctor, for Christ’s sake.”
That wiped the grin off his face.
“You got me, Valentine,” he said, spreading his hands in truce.
The doors behind her slid open, and she knew without looking it was Ethan.
“And there’s the man of the hour,” Tobias smirked.
“Huh?”
“Ignore him,” Cassie said, turning to face a perplexed Ethan, a patient chart in his hand. “I take it you aren’t here about the post.”
“What post?” he said, his brows snapping together as he set the chart down on the table.
“About your secret admirer,” Tobias said, tongue in cheek. “Apparently you have a starring role in some resident’s NSFW fantasies.”
“Here,” Cassie said, pulling up the post on her phone to show Ethan.
“Christ,” he grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. He scrolled through the comments. “Don’t these people have anything better to do?”
“It’s just good fun, babe,” Cassie told him, smiling at his reaction.
“Wait a minute.” Ethan looked up from the screen. “How do you know it’s about me? There are no names on this post. Could even be someone from Mass Kenmore.”
“Why don’t you ask your wife?” Tobias chuckled, pointing playfully at Cassie. “Apparently she told one of the nurses it was you.”
“I did not!” Cassie protested—then moaned as she recalled the exchange at the coffee cart.
While she hadn’t confirmed the woman’s assertion, she hadn’t denied it either. She was fairly positive her friends had further fanned those flames. Jackie, in particular, loved having a laugh at her expense.
“Okay, well, maybe,” she sputtered as Ethan turned his patented glare her way. “I didn’t do it on purpose!”
“Great,” Ethan muttered. He exhaled slowly, the way he did when he was trying very hard not to lose patience. “I’m the hospital’s collective thirst trap. Just what I always wanted.”
Tobias barked at his discomfort. “If the secret admirer ever reveals themselves, I expect front-row seats to the drama.”
“Not helping, Carrick,” Ethan snapped.
“Hard disagree, buddy,” Tobias snorted. “Seeing you squirm is helping me immensely.”
“Ethan, relax.” Cassie stepped closer and took his hand, her fingers intertwining with his. “It’s just harmless fun. It’ll die down. It always does.”
He peered at her, blue eyes narrowing in suspicion. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you.”
She shook her head, but the belly-deep laugh gave her away. “Can’t help it. I’m perverse that way.”
Ethan mumbled something unprintable under his breath.
“I’m going to hide in my office until this nonsense dies down,” he said, kissing her forehead to show he didn’t really mind her amusement on his behalf.
“Want me to accompany you?” Cassie called out. “Just in case someone asks you to sign autographs? You’ve gone viral, babe.”
He groaned. “Please don’t put that idea into the universe.”
Tobias burst out laughing. Cassie bit her lip to keep from doing the same.
Resigned to his fate, Ethan strode down the hallway of Edenbrook Hospital, ducking into the stairwell before he ran into someone else.
He really wasn’t a fan of gossip, and yet it was just his luck to be surrounded by it. He always said, control what you can control. But some things were simply out of his hands. And that was that.
Whatever else, he thought, remembering the pleased look on Cassie’s face, at least it put his wife in a good mood. And he had no qualms about taking advantage of that.
He grinned lasciviously.
Suddenly, he was looking forward to the end of shift—and getting back at Cassie later, in their bed.
February is a time for exploring the liminal moments when winter softens in one part of the world while summer sparkles in another. This month's theme is all about these moments: when new sparks catch, truths surface, comfort meets chaos, and characters choose the paths that shape who they become.
Prompts
Midseason Revelations
Secrets come to light
Confronting truths
Midnight confessions
Soft moments
New Roads, New Destinies
Choices that change everything
Alternate paths or roads not taken
An unexpected future
Found family
Comfort & Chaos
Comfort
Frenemies
Winter mishaps
Summer storms
Ignite
Sparks fly
Something begins
Rise to the challenge
Heart-stopping moments
Reckonings & Resets
Do-overs
Setting boundaries
Rebuild after fallout
Feeling stuck
Valentine To Do or Not To Do
Valentine's Day
Galentine's celebration
Anti-Valentine
Down with love / Fall in love
Submission Guidelines
Fanworks from all Choices books/series (and Pixelberry) universe are accepted.
You may submit any form of fanwork: fanfiction, fanart, headcanons, moodboards, edits, text fics, etc.
Mention @choicesfebruary2026 in your post. Feel free to also tag my main @liaromancewriter.
Specify the prompt(s) used in the header, as well as book/series, characters/pairings; rating and genre/category if applicable.
All fanworks must be new, and anything posted before February won’t be accepted.
Late submissions will be accepted until March 2nd.
Prompt Use:
You can participate as many times as you can/want, including multiple submissions for the same prompt.
Use the prompts whenever you like and however you like. It’s not about a specific word but rather the creativity it inspires.
Feel free to mix and match/use prompts in the same fanwork; include this info in your header for reference.
Warnings and Labels:
If your work has mature or NSFW content, please label it as such and use appropriate warnings.
Please add a ‘read more’ page break to avoid long posts and hide sensitive content below the line. This prevents exposing other fans to triggering/disturbing or mature content.
Reblogs and Masterlists:
If I don’t reblog your work within 48 hours after it’s posted, send me a DM or submit an ask with the link to the post.
There will be one weekly or biweekly masterlist categorized by book/series (depending on event participation).
If you have any questions, please let me know.
I look forward to seeing and sharing your wonderful creations. Good luck!
Pairing: Addison Sinclair x Kenzie Bellari [HWU OC]
Book/Story: Hollywood U
Word Count: > 500
Rating: General, no warnings
Synopsis: Kenzie is ready to make things public with Addison
A/N: This was supposed to have art with it, but I haven't heard from the artist in a bit so I'm posting without the art for now :(
It was kinda cheesy.
Who was she kidding? It was definitely cheesy...but that was the point. Addison Sinclair was a special girl, and she absolutely loved silly romantic gestures.
Kenzie noticed the talented fashionista immediately and never really stopped. The way her blue eyes sparkled when she laughed. The way her cheeks flushed pink when Kenzie's fingers brushed against hers beneath the table as they studied.
They hadn’t been together long, but they’d been keeping it low-key while they made sure it was actually something.
And, it was.
So today was the day to make a statement.
Kenzie laughed to herself as she held onto the bouquet of red heart balloons. It really wasn't that dramatic. People had been figuring it out for the past week or so, but Kenzie decided today was the day to remove any question. If Valentine's Day wasn't the day to make a big declaration, when was?
Kenzie stood outside Addison's dorm, positioning herself in view of her window. She drew in a deep breath, her lips curling. She was ready.
It was opening night, the curtains were drawing back, and the spotlight settled on her. A soft start wasn't in the cards; it was all or nothing. Kenzie belted out the chorus of 'You Belong with Me' as if the entire campus had bought tickets to see the show, though it was only meant for one special student. Her powerful voice carried across the quad, garnering the attention of those nearby, but most importantly, it drifted into the window of one, Addison Sinclair.
The beautiful blonde stuck out her head, her face already reddening under the serenade. "What are you doing?!" She called, her eyes widening in slight panic at the unexpected gesture.
"Addison, will you do me the honor of being my Valentine?" Kenzie sang out.
She chewed her lip and shook her head before disappearing from the window. The curtains shifted back in front of the glass, and a muffled squeal could be heard from inside. The crowd that had begun to gather around Kenzie hushed at the lack of reply.
Kenzie paused, not from worry but in anticipation. She was certain Addison felt the same way. She held her head high, waiting for a sign. The sight of Addison running out of the building, her jacket dangling off one arm as she tried to get it on, and into her arms was even better than she had hoped!
"Yes, of course! Yes!" Addison threw her arms around Kenzie's neck, hugging her tight. A small group that was still interested cheered and applauded.
"I think they want to see a little more," Addison teased, whispering into Kenzie's ear.
Addison leaned in, and the world seemed to pause with her. Kenzie barely had time to blink before the kiss landed. It was warm and certain, stealing her breath... but only for a moment. Kenzie smirked into Addison's lips, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. This was her Act One finale, and it was certainly going to be one to remember. And with any luck, it would kick off what she hoped to be an exceptional Act Two!
This is my first time writing these two. I hope you enjoy it!
[All Thomas Hunt x Alex Spencer] [Red Carpet Diaries]
Pairing: Thomas Hunt x Alex (F!MC) [Red Carpet Diaries]
Word Count: <500
Synopsis: As Thomas reluctantly agrees to a Valentine’s Day feature with Alex, he reflects on the divide between public spectacle and private love.
Art by the exceptional artbyainna (IG)
He hated interviews.
He always hated the promotional part of the film industry. Not that he felt the film unworthy of discussion, quite the contrary.
What he disliked was the cheap, shallow, performative spectacle of it.
Interviewers may have some questions about the film, but they were never creative nor ones that mattered. And they were quickly followed by leading questions about on-set conflicts, drama, rumors, and ultimately gossip. The public didn't care about the skill, time, and talent behind the craft. They wanted tawdry tidbits that they could twist into scandal. They wanted access to their private lives to analyze and pick apart.
He hated the reductive spectacle that promotion turned art into.
He hated what it did to their privacy.
He hated the machine the industry turned creation into.
He hated interviews.
And then there were photoshoots, an entirely separate derivative outlet to commodify actors and creators.
With filmmaking, he negotiated for full creative control.
Press and promotion were something else.
For many years, he refused it. Let the work speak for itself.
But now, he tolerated it. Not always, not even often, but on rare occasions.
At least, when they included her.
Ever since their engagement, everyone had been clamoring to get an interview, to document their private moments, to see who they were when they thought no one was watching. Finally, they decided on one interview, one photoshoot, one small look into the life of "Hollywood’s Most Private Couple". Timed for a February release, just in time for Valentine’s Day. A holiday he found a commercialized excuse for selling love. At least this version would be honest. Their connection was genuine and went beyond the lights.
When Alex had suggested it. He hesitantly agreed. It was possible that granting limited access to their life would provide them with some increased privacy as they demystified their life (and relationship) beyond the public eye.
Throughout the interview, he kept his focus on her, the warmth of her hand on his, the press of her fingers against his arm, and the way her eyes lit up as she spoke of their life. His answers were short and deliberate, carefully constructed to rise above questions crafted to stir gossip. During the photoshoot, her presence beside him grounded him. He ignored the pull of the lights and camera flashes. His attention was on her, the only one to make any of this bearable. Between takes, her reassuring gaze kept him there, promising a quiet night at home. Just the two of them, just as they liked it. Their life was quite normal, despite the spotlight that followed their careers.
Beyond the lights and lenses, they were simply two people coming home to each other. No spectacle. No performance. Nothing flashy. Just a life that was theirs, and a love that was everything.
I really loved the reference photo, for Valentine's art for these two, but I didn't have a story to go with it, but at last minute, I wrote this. It's not really focused on the photo, but more on Thomas reflecting between the public life (the photoshoot/photo) and the life they have beyond that, something real, genuine, and just theirs.
Since it's last minute, it's not edited/revised, so please be kind if there are errors 🙈
February is a time for exploring the liminal moments when winter softens in one part of the world while summer sparkles in another. This month's theme is all about these moments: when new sparks catch, truths surface, comfort meets chaos, and characters choose the paths that shape who they become.
Prompts
Midseason Revelations
Secrets come to light
Confronting truths
Midnight confessions
Soft moments
New Roads, New Destinies
Choices that change everything
Alternate paths or roads not taken
An unexpected future
Found family
Comfort & Chaos
Comfort
Frenemies
Winter mishaps
Summer storms
Ignite
Sparks fly
Something begins
Rise to the challenge
Heart-stopping moments
Reckonings & Resets
Do-overs
Setting boundaries
Rebuild after fallout
Feeling stuck
Valentine To Do or Not To Do
Valentine's Day
Galentine's celebration
Anti-Valentine
Down with love / Fall in love
Submission Guidelines
Fanworks from all Choices books/series (and Pixelberry) universe are accepted.
You may submit any form of fanwork: fanfiction, fanart, headcanons, moodboards, edits, text fics, etc.
Mention @choicesfebruary2026 in your post. Feel free to also tag my main @liaromancewriter.
Specify the prompt(s) used in the header, as well as book/series, characters/pairings; rating and genre/category if applicable.
All fanworks must be new, and anything posted before February won’t be accepted.
Late submissions will be accepted until March 2nd.
Prompt Use:
You can participate as many times as you can/want, including multiple submissions for the same prompt.
Use the prompts whenever you like and however you like. It’s not about a specific word but rather the creativity it inspires.
Feel free to mix and match/use prompts in the same fanwork; include this info in your header for reference.
Warnings and Labels:
If your work has mature or NSFW content, please label it as such and use appropriate warnings.
Please add a ‘read more’ page break to avoid long posts and hide sensitive content below the line. This prevents exposing other fans to triggering/disturbing or mature content.
Reblogs and Masterlists:
If I don’t reblog your work within 48 hours after it’s posted, send me a DM or submit an ask with the link to the post.
There will be one weekly or biweekly masterlist categorized by book/series (depending on event participation).
If you have any questions, please let me know.
I look forward to seeing and sharing your wonderful creations. Good luck!
Certainly a Valentine's to Remember, but isn't every day for them?
@weetlebeetle's cheebs are my fave so when she does YCH, I try to get any that fit and it took a minute but when I had this idea and Neb presented me with two facial expressions, this little comic popped in my head so I edited the art into a short video with dialogue, and a special bonus art work that once you see it, you'll understand why it was absolutely necessary, my new favorite thing, and so, so, so them!
I hope you enjoy even half as much as I do. (I will post just the art separate)
Your love has given my life new meaning.
With you, I've discovered parts of myself I never knew existed.
You challenge me, support me, and love me unconditionally.
I'm in awe of the person I've become because of you. ~unknown
Bryce x Olivia, always 💖
Art by one of my faves, @weetlebeetle. I gave Neb creative liberty to surprise me with who she chose for this art and I absolutely love how this came out! It's so perfect! These two just have the warmest love!
February is a time for exploring the liminal moments when winter softens in one part of the world while summer sparkles in another. This month's theme is all about these moments: when new sparks catch, truths surface, comfort meets chaos, and characters choose the paths that shape who they become.
Prompts
Midseason Revelations
Secrets come to light
Confronting truths
Midnight confessions
Soft moments
New Roads, New Destinies
Choices that change everything
Alternate paths or roads not taken
An unexpected future
Found family
Comfort & Chaos
Comfort
Frenemies
Winter mishaps
Summer storms
Ignite
Sparks fly
Something begins
Rise to the challenge
Heart-stopping moments
Reckonings & Resets
Do-overs
Setting boundaries
Rebuild after fallout
Feeling stuck
Valentine To Do or Not To Do
Valentine's Day
Galentine's celebration
Anti-Valentine
Down with love / Fall in love
Submission Guidelines
Fanworks from all Choices books/series (and Pixelberry) universe are accepted.
You may submit any form of fanwork: fanfiction, fanart, headcanons, moodboards, edits, text fics, etc.
Mention @choicesfebruary2026 in your post. Feel free to also tag my main @liaromancewriter.
Specify the prompt(s) used in the header, as well as book/series, characters/pairings; rating and genre/category if applicable.
All fanworks must be new, and anything posted before February won’t be accepted.
Late submissions will be accepted until March 2nd.
Prompt Use:
You can participate as many times as you can/want, including multiple submissions for the same prompt.
Use the prompts whenever you like and however you like. It’s not about a specific word but rather the creativity it inspires.
Feel free to mix and match/use prompts in the same fanwork; include this info in your header for reference.
Warnings and Labels:
If your work has mature or NSFW content, please label it as such and use appropriate warnings.
Please add a ‘read more’ page break to avoid long posts and hide sensitive content below the line. This prevents exposing other fans to triggering/disturbing or mature content.
Reblogs and Masterlists:
If I don’t reblog your work within 48 hours after it’s posted, send me a DM or submit an ask with the link to the post.
There will be one weekly or biweekly masterlist categorized by book/series (depending on event participation).
If you have any questions, please let me know.
I look forward to seeing and sharing your wonderful creations. Good luck!
Premise: Ethan didn’t think his life could ever be beautiful… until he lived it.
Fandom: Open Heart
Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine)
Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff.
Words: 1,240
A/N: Submission to @choicesfebruary2026 prompt "An unexpected future". Also submitting to @februaryficletchallenge prompt 6 "Fluff"
I. The Before
He lay on his back, one hand tucked beneath his head, listening to the chorus of crickets and cicadas in the trees behind him.
They called these times the “dog days” of summer—long and humid with a hazy mist in the air. But twelve-year-old Ethan Ramsey wasn’t sure what dogs had to do with the weather. He should add it to his list of things to look up at the library.
School was still out for another few weeks, but the local library had a better collection of books anyway. Plus, the librarian there wasn’t nosy, always wanting to know why he wanted to borrow a book she considered too advanced for his age.
Learning was learning. What did age have to do with it?
Just the idea of it had him scoffing as he scratched his nose. In a nod to the heat, he’d stripped down to his white Fruit of the Looms, but he could still feel sweat pooling on his back.
He tried to stretch his long legs (he’d grown a whole half inch over the summer), but there wasn’t much space in the old sleeping bag. It was also getting a bit threadbare now, and he could feel the grass poking his bare thighs.
Ethan wished he could’ve gone out of the city to see the meteor shower, but his dad had work in the morning. So he’d parked himself in the darkest corner of the backyard, hoping that with the house lights off it would be dark enough.
He yawned loudly as night settled around him, the quiet punctuated by the occasional car driving down the street.
A million different thoughts drifted through his mind. He worried about what it would be like when school started. Would people stare and whisper behind his back the way they did at Sunday service?
Poor motherless boy, they said, fake sympathy in their eyes. Imagine running out on your family like that, they whispered with sanctimonious pity, all while feeling secretly pleased with their small lives.
His father told him to ignore it, but that was hard for Ethan to do. He wanted to shout at all of them to mind their own business. He might not have a mother anymore, but he wasn’t—and never would be—an object of their pity.
Marriage was dumb anyway, he told himself fiercely. There were more important things in life than tying yourself to one person, pumping out a few kids, and living a life of sameness, day in and day out.
He was going to show them all. He wasn’t going to settle for ordinary in any aspect of his life. One day, the name Ramsey would be associated with refined culture, sophistication and, above all, greatness.
He bit back another yawn as the darkness around him lengthened. Feeling his eyes drift closed, he blinked rapidly to try to stay awake. But it was a losing battle, and he was fast asleep when a streak of light shot across the night sky.
II. The After
Light snow fell outside the tall windows lining the walls of the ballroom. Inside, it was warm and bright, filled with laughter and the possibilities of forever. The string quartet had launched into a medley of famous ballets throughout history, throwing in the occasional aria as a nod to the father of the bride.
The gold band on his left hand caught the soft light from the chandeliers above as he lifted the whiskey tumbler and took a sip of the smooth liquor. Ethan smiled above the rim as he watched his daughter pirouette in the arms of her husband, the skirt of her shimmering wedding gown floating in the air.
Connor MacKenzie looked just as dazed as Ethan had felt a lifetime ago when he’d taken Cassie Valentine’s hand in his and led her into their first dance as husband and wife. It had been a soft waltz then, a bubble of contentment and love surrounding them beneath these very lights.
When Sophie told them she wanted to get married at the Valentine estate in Newport, Ethan had felt transported back to his and Cassie’s wedding.
Of course, it had been summer rather than winter, and the ceremony had taken place in the gardens overlooking the waves crashing on the rocks below. But the reception had been in this ballroom, with its Gilded Age décor and a century of Valentine traditions and celebrations seeped into the walls.
He’d finally felt accepted then—a Ramsey making his mark on this hallowed estate.
Just as he’d finally come to accept Connor’s presence in his daughter’s life.
It helped that the man was clearly in love with her, not merely dazzled by the elegant ballerina Sophie became when she stepped onto the stage. That was all Ethan could ask for his eldest daughter and most sensitive child.
She’d inherited his introspective nature, just as her sister had inherited his no-nonsense attitude. But where Eloise was ready to fight, Sophie took everything in until there was no space left to hold it.
That was often when she’d turn to him to fix what was wrong. When she’d been six, Ethan had been happy to play savior. But as the twins grew older, he and Cassie had taught them everything they needed to live life on their own terms.
He was proud of his daughters, even if he didn’t always understand them. But he supposed that was the case with fathers and their children. He glanced at his own father—well into his nineties now and still relatively active—seated at a table with Eloise, his feet tapping to the music, a content smile spread across his lips.
The years fell away as he felt Cassie’s presence beside him, her hand slipping into his as she leaned into him. He wrapped an arm around her, and she angled her head to smile up at him.
In her gaze, he saw a beautiful time lapse of their lives. Steadying her hand that first day at Edenbrook as they worked on a patient together. Her green eyes flashing in indignation at being called an amateur.
The crash of waves on the moonlit balcony in Miami when he kissed her, throwing caution to the wind. City lights outside his bedroom sparkling like stars the first time they made love.
The quiet contentment when he finally stopped running from his feelings, the tender touches as they slow danced under the kitchen light at midnight.
Proposing to Cassie on the couch as they ate Chinese takeout and watched a ridiculous movie. Bringing their daughters home from the hospital, watching them explore the world.
Quiet Sunday mornings with just the two of them again, and noisy family dinners when the girls visited, full of stories and laughter.
Ethan wondered why he’d ever thought this life wasn’t for him. It had been everything he hadn’t believed he could ever have.
As the dance floor opened to the other guests, Ethan drew Cassie closer, turning her softly until she faced him fully. He cupped her face in his hands, his eyes bright with feelings he didn’t have words for. But she didn’t need them. She never had.
She slid her arms around his neck and tugged him closer, her lips finding his in a gentle, familiar kiss.
Love had found him after all, and his life was richer for it.
