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@hopelessromantic1352
Masterlist Links
Red Carpet Diaries (Thomas Hunt x MC)
Open Heart (Ethan Ramsey x MC)
Open Heart ( Ethan Ramsey x MC x Tobias Carrick)
Nightbound (Nik Ryder x MC)
Ride or Die AU (Jason Shaw x OC)
Red Carpet Diaries AU (Thomas Hunt x OC)
Red Carpet Diaries Appreciation Week
You were here 😍😍
Yes!!! I’m in and out here lately lol how are you??? ❤️
Repeat Performance
(Thomas Hunt x OC) in a Choices Red Carpet Diaries drabble.
With the quote: "Thank god I have no idea what you're talking about." He took a sip of his wine. "When you start making sense I am going to panic."
@hopelessromantic1352 came across this quote a while back and we both thought it screamed our favorite director. Sorry this request took so long to answer my sweet friend 🤗
Masterlist
**************
Golden Globes After-party...
"What can I get for you?" A bartender asked.
Thomas eyed the selection of bottles behind the woman. Not seeing his favorite brand of scotch available, he decided to have a glass of wine.
"Cabernet Sauvignon." He responded.
With glass in hand, he turned around to observe the crowd of the rich and famous, mingling around the pool at the Beverly Hilton. He saw many of the usual faces he'd come to know through his years as director. He saw all the usual actions of flirting, rivalry, friendship, and those finagling to secure the next award winning hit.
Normally, he'd make an appearance at one of these events, then discreetly slip away for a quiet evening at home. This night's event though had something that made him want to stay, or more specifically, someone.
That specific someone was one he had not set eyes on, at least in person, in over a year.
Thomas had nearly faltered when he stepped on stage to present the award for best director and saw her in the audience. Since he'd won the award the year before for The Last Duchess, he was unable to get out of coming to this year's event. After his film swept the award's circuit, Thomas had lost all inspiration for another project.
He'd also become somewhat of a recluse once he left the country he'd filmed in.
Cordonia was a great many things. It had a vast array of landscapes that could be beautifully captured on film, along with a wealth of mansions and castles perfect for period pieces. The permits and such were a studio's dream in how easy and cheaply they were to obtain. The people were welcoming and eager to cultivate the relationship between Hollywood and their country.
It also was the home of the woman he'd had a three month fling.
Had it been a fling?
Thomas grimaced as he thought back. The moment he met Lady Amanda, Duchess of St Orella, he'd been instantly smitten. He decided not only to begin a relationship with her within minutes of meeting, but to also tell her from the beginning that it would only last until he finished filming in Cordonia.
After all, it was nearly impossible to maintain a long distance relationship, much less one spanning different continents. He was usually so busy in both filming and teaching and with her diplomatic schedule, court duties, and maintaining her various estates; finding time for each other would be nearly impossible.
And being a long term bachelor set in his ways, Thomas didn't believe that he would want to put forth the effort to have something lasting.
Or so he'd originally believed...
Amanda's agreement and understanding made it perfect. Neither expected anything other than what they were given in those moments. Nothing was planned beyond what they might like for dinner or which movie to watch. No expectations. No worries. No heartfelt discussions.
Nothing.
Nothing at all for Thomas to concern himself.
And yet...
He fell in love.
It was ridiculous. Here he was, a man who knew his own mind, how his bachelor life should go...and he fell in love with a young woman who was completely wrong for him.
No. Not wrong. Inconvenient.
She fit him perfectly. She listened to his concerns with his film, gave intelligent suggestions, and lavished him with the affection he craved from her. Her quiet disposition meshed with his own.
She was somehow the woman he'd been searching for his entire life.
But...
He kept such thoughts to himself. After all, he'd been the one to set the parameters of their relationship from the beginning. He couldn't very well turn around and demand that she remain his. He was leaving her country. She was leaving shortly thereafter for a tour of Cordonia's allies that would possibly take months to complete.
A real relationship was impossible.
So, he left her. No promises given to keep in touch. Nothing more than a friendly goodbye and a final kiss was exchanged.
He tried to keep busy. He succeeded for a while with editing his film. He traveled with friends. He even sat down to begin work once more, only to find that all inspiration had mysteriously disappeared.
For the first time, Thomas didn't have a plan. He wasn't certain if he would ever make another film. He honestly didn't know what to do with himself.
He also realized that he was lonely.
He found himself doing searches of Amanda to see what she was doing, where she was, whom she might be seeing. His depression grew to see various men escorting her to dinners and events. Her warm smile directed on one of her many escorts cut to the quick. Thomas knew he could have easily been the one receiving such attention.
If only he'd said something...
It didn't matter. What was done was done.
He forced himself to stop thinking about her. He quit conducting the many late night searches. He even avoided international news stories just in case her name was said or her image appeared. In short, he tried to move on.
He was absolutely miserable.
To be dragged away from his home for the award's ceremony took something he couldn't ignore. Many of his friends had taken part in the movies that were nominated for best picture and best actor or actress. He couldn't let them down by refusing to attend. Plus, he would take great pleasure in seeing their hard work be recognized for the great films and acting that were presented.
He should have remembered that The Royal Romance would most likely have its author, Lord Maxwell Beaumont attending. Ryan Summers was up for best actor and Tommy Phelps was nominated for best director. Their table was nearly overflowing with the talent that took part in bringing King Liam's love story to life.
If Maxwell was there, then he would bring the one woman Thomas both wanted to see again and dreaded to at the same time.
Seeing Amanda sitting there beside Maxwell almost made Thomas trip during his walk across the stage. It took all the willpower he had to focus on reading the names of those nominated. His attention darted towards her when Tommy's name was announced as the winner.
Amanda's delight over the win brought a reluctant smile to Thomas's face. He watched her laugh as Maxwell jumped out of his seat to engulf Tommy in a hug. The rest of the table beamed at yet another win for their film.
And then, Thomas stood aside while the director gave his thank you speech. Standing in the shadows, he was able to study the young woman who still had the ability to make his heart race. As if feeling his attention upon her, her eyes flickered over to him. Her happy smile turned tender as she met his steady gaze.
He returned it, wishing he could bridge the gulf between them. He'd give anything, to find a way to speak to her alone.
The music starting pulled him away from such thoughts. He followed the winner off the stage and faced the horde of the press along with other famous people stopping him here and there for a conversation. He wasn't given a moment to try and steal his duchess away.
What would he say to her? He couldn't go to her and hope she'd forgotten the year or so they'd been apart. Could he ask her for another chance?
Shouldn't he try, at least for his own sanity?
It didn't matter. By the time he made it back into the main room, people were already leaving. He saw that Maxwell and Amanda had already left along with Ryan. The others were gathering their things together.
Seth and Jessica were lingering behind with Chris Winters and his wife Shannon.
"There you are!" Jessica exclaimed. "Ryan insisted we make certain you come to the after-party."
Given what he knew about Maxwell Beaumont, he didn't doubt for a second that the fun loving noble would make certain to be there and that he would force Amanda to attend as well.
"Where is it being held?" Thomas asked.
"The Beverly Hilton." Chris responded. "Worked out great for Maxwell. He's staying there."
"I see." Thomas became even more hopeful for a chance encounter.
***************
The Beverly Hilton...
Music drifted through the night air. The crowded ballroom of The Beverly Hilton opened out to the pool area, allowing those who didn't wish to dance a chance to mingle in the cool night air. Intimate seating arrangements were set here and there both around the pool and across the hard, clear pool cover. Fire pits were lit for the ladies wearing gowns that did little to keep them warm. Three fully stocked bars were also set up outside along with buffets of various appetizers.
Thomas escaped outside the moment he encountered the crush of people inside. The loud base from the deejay's music choices mingled with shouts of various conversations from those celebrating. He didn't bother to search the dark room with its flashing lights for the woman he hoped to bump into. It was foolish of him to think he would be able to find her in such a madhouse.
With a glass in hand, he turned his attention to those few who had also escaped.
"Found what you're looking for?" Ryan asked from behind him.
Thomas nearly choked on his sip of wine.
"What?" He asked.
"You look like a man who is desperately searching for a lost treasure." Ryan teased.
A slight smirk formed on his handsome face.
"Shall I help you find said treasure?"
"Thank god I have no idea what you're talking about." Thomas took a sip of his wine. "When you start making sense, I am going to panic."
Ryan chuckled. "Fine, but you do look like you're looking for something."
"I assure you I'm not." Thomas grumbled. "I was merely taking in the party." He patted Ryan on the back. "Congratulations, by the way. Your performance in The Royal Romance deserved to be recognized."
"Thank you." Ryan clinked his glass against Thomas's.
The two fell into a companionable silence.
Thomas coughed. "So...is everyone here celebrating all the wins for The Royal Romance?"
"I think so." Ryan gestured with his glass. "Phelps is over there talking to Rami and Nolan. They're both too polite to walk away while he's gushing about his directorial talents."
He then motioned towards the ballroom. "Seth, Chris, Jess, and Shannon were doing some kind of dance off with Maxwell earlier." He nudged Thomas with a grin. "Probably passed out from exhaustion. That man can dance for hours without breaking a sweat."
Thomas nodded. He was hearing about everyone except the only one he truly cared about.
"And as for your lost treasure," Ryan turned a shocked Thomas towards the right, "she came outside about ten minutes ago."
Thomas could only stare at Amanda. She was sitting off by herself near an abandoned fire pit. The flames lit up her face revealing an expression of deep thought. Her attention was directed on the fire as she sat with her head propped up on her hand.
"How did you know?"
Ryan patted his back in commiseration. "I think after all our years of friendship I deserve some credit for knowing you."
Thomas grimaced. "True."
"Go talk to her. Perhaps she has the ability to pull you out of this slump." Ryan gave him a friendly shove forward. "It can't hurt."
"It most definitely can hurt." Thomas argued. "I'm the one who denied us a future from the beginning." He took a deep breath and slowly released it. "Amanda has every right to treat me with disinterest and disdain."
"She's never appeared to be the type of person to hold a grudge." Ryan argued. "In fact, she complimented you whenever your name came up in conversation."
Thomas whirled around, sloshing half his wine in the process. "What did she say?"
"Just what a talented director you are. Your vision for stories is unparalleled." Ryan ticked off on his fingers. "How you see past things and get to the heart of the matter. How your passion in life is reflected in every scene you shoot."
He shrugged. "The typical compliments someone gives when they're a fan."
Thomas felt his face flush. It wasn't like he hadn't heard similar compliments before. Hearing them come from Amanda though meant more, so much more, than anyone else's.
"If you don't go talk to her, I will." Ryan told him. "After all, I have played the man who is best friends with her. It is my duty to make certain she isn't left alone to fend for herself amongst these wolves of Holly-"
Thomas handed him his glass and quickly walked towards Amanda.
*************
Where is he?
Amanda searched in vain for Thomas the moment she entered the party. She knew he wouldn't be out on the dance floor, yet couldn't easily escape Maxwell. She adored her best friend, but good heavens he could be tenacious at the worst possible times.
She knew there were no feelings or anything Thomas might feel for her, which was why she desperately needed to see him. She needed to see, in person, just how foolish she was to love a man who harboured nothing but a simple fondness for their fling.
She'd spent months longing for him. She picked up the phone, preparing to call and confess her feelings, only to throw it across the room so temptation wouldn't get the better of her. Foolish didn't even begin to scratch the surface of how she felt about herself. How had she fallen so deeply in love with a man who wanted no part of her heart?
She tried to move on. The various men she went to formal court events and such were pleasant, kind, some even highly interesting. Yet, they couldn't possibly begin to touch a heart that recognized another as its owner. The kisses she endured did nothing to stir her desire. The fleeting brush of their hands left her cold.
No one had any effect, but the mere thought of Thomas could make her feel everything.
Seeing him step out on stage tonight had made all her senses light up with recognition. It was as if she was coming back to life after a year of being dormant. Hearing his deep voice once more while her gaze greedily took in his handsome form set her heart racing. Her imagination began to think of what might happen if she could get him alone.
And then, he returned her smile. It was sheer heaven to have his attention solely upon her even if it was for a few seconds. A warm flush infused her body.
I have to speak to him, she thought in that moment. Maybe we could have dinner one night before I leave. Maybe make it a date. Maybe end up back at my hotel and we...
When he left the stage, she dropped her head in her hands.
Maybe I'm a masochist who forgot why she came on this trip!
Amanda sighed as she slipped her shoes off and tucked her feet under her skirt. Having finally found a quiet nook at this after party, she was debating on whether or not to leave it.
Thomas hated parties and told her he usually made an appearance and left before getting dragged into too many conversations.
Why stay here when he's probably already come and gone?
"Mind if I sit down?"
Amanda whipped around so fast towards the voice that she adored that she half slid off her chair.
Thomas reached out to steady her.
Once she was back sitting upright, he sat down beside her.
Amanda hoped he thought her face was red because of the flames and not over her embarrassing herself with her clumsiness once again.
They sat there completely at a loss for words.
"May I get you a drink?" Thomas asked.
He cursed himself for not thinking of any other way to break the ice.
"Yes, please." Amanda grasped on that mundane question like a lifeline. "Anything will do."
Thomas waved a waiter down and gave their order. He then searched for a topic of conversation that could lead towards admitting his feelings.
"Hello." She said.
Her smile was once again tender as she looked at him.
"Forgive me for not greeting you properly when you first came over."
Thomas found himself relaxing. "Hello again."
He allowed his attention to take her in. The low cut of her off the shoulder gown teased his senses. She was still just as lovely if not more so as she was when they were together.
"It's good to see you again." She said.
"It's been too long." He added.
She inwardly grimaced. Amanda wished she could just blurt out what she needed to say to him. Her fear of his rejection made her continue in this pointless small talk.
Thomas clasped his hands and leaned forward. He believed it was now or never to finally tell her all the things he wished he had when he had the chance.
"Amanda, I should tell you that I--"
A small group of party goers came over to sit in the empty chairs near them.
Their laughter and talking left little chance to have a private heartfelt conversation.
He narrowed his eyes on the group when they recognized him. They began to pitch a few ideas they had for his next picture. His irritation grew that they were interrupting his first chance to speak to the woman beside him.
Amanda felt her heart drop. She should have known that she wouldn't be able to easily talk to him. Her hesitation alone would make this difficult. Now that this was literally a party meant to encourage the next year's crop of award winning films, talking to Thomas would be impossible.
She quietly slipped her shoes on to leave. She didn't think she could remain here and listen to scripts being bandied about while her broken heart yearned for his attention.
Standing, she smiled at the group before whispering goodbye to Thomas.
He caught her wrist to halt her leaving.
"Where are you going?" He asked, completely turning his back upon the others around them.
"To my room." She explained. "I think I've had enough excitement for one evening."
Thomas held onto her while he stood up.
"May I escort you?" He asked.
Amanda blinked in surprise. "Of course, but you don't have to." She nodded to those behind him. "I know there are others needing to talk to you."
He couldn't care less about anyone else at this party, much less what people wanted from him. All he wanted was right in front of him.
Tucking her hand within the bend of his arm, he led her out of the crush without another word to anyone.
Amanda kept her mouth shut. Normally, she would insist on not needing an escort. This was the one rare instance where she was actually holding the arm of the one man she wanted.
Neither attempted to have any conversation as they navigated their way to the lobby. Once they reached the elevators, they both relaxed now that they were free of raucous party goers.
"I haven't been to an event that crowded in years." Amanda told him as they waited for the elevator.
Thomas frowned somewhat. He glanced over his shoulder at where the party was being held. He couldn't imagine any sane person being comfortable in that environment for hours on end.
"It's awful." He grumbled, following her into the elevator. "One of the few aspects of Hollywood I despise."
Amanda leaned back against the wall to study him. Thomas was leaning on the opposite wall, hands in his pockets, and his lips in a firm, unforgiving line.
"Then why did you come?" She asked.
He looked up at her. Frown easing, he took a few steps towards her and placed his arm above her head. His eyes darted down briefly to her mouth before meeting her startled gaze.
"I came because I thought you might be here." He answered.
"You did?" She breathed.
He nodded, leaning closer towards her.
The elevator dinged with doors opening to her floor.
Stepping back, Thomas allowed her to lead the way to her room.
Hands slightly trembling, she unlocked her door and opened it. She took a deep breath and asked if he'd like to come in.
"We could finish that drink we started downstairs." Amanda added, a little unnerved having his attention solely upon her once again.
"I'd like that." Thomas followed her inside.
He was finally where he'd hoped to be when he saw her at the awards show. Alone. In her room. No distractions.
He could now test the waters before revealing what had been in his heart for so long.
Amanda waved over towards the sidebar.
"Please, help yourself. If you don't see anything you like, I can call room service."
She excused herself then disappeared into the suite's bedroom.
Locking herself in the bathroom, she took some deep breaths to get her nerves under control.
You can do this, she reminded herself. He's just a man you happen to know every inch of. Breathe and get back out there and enjoy having him near once more.
Perhaps for the last time.
When she returned, she felt a deep sense of panic set in to find the room empty.
Her heart sank over the thought that he'd decided not to stay.
"Join me." He called out from her balcony.
She jumped, twirling to see the balcony door cracked open. Twisting her hands in the skirt of her dress, she forced herself to walk at a normal pace.
Thomas leaned against the railing. He sipped his scotch as he considered seeing just what Amanda would accept flirting and touching wise.
He handed her a drink.
She smiled her thanks, eyes lowering from his.
He settled closer beside her, elbow brushing against hers as they turned their attention to the Los Angeles skyline.
"It's beautiful out here." Amanda murmured.
"Yes, it is." Thomas said, sliding a step closer.
She looked up at him and noticed he was only looking at her.
Blushing, she turned back to the city.
"How have you been?" She managed to ask.
"Awful." He replied, setting his drink down.
Startled by that answer, she looked up at him.
"Why?" Her breath caught when he slid his arm around her waist, pulling her against him.
"Did," her voice trembled, "did something happen?"
"Yes." He lowered his head and placed a kiss on her cheek.
Her eyes closed as he kissed along her jawline.
"What, um what happened?" She managed to ask.
"I left you." He whispered, lips brushing against her ear. "And I didn't tell you I was in love with you."
Her eyes flew open. Her heart raced with not only his touch but hearing the very words she'd once dreamed of hearing from him.
Gripping the lapels of his jacket, she struggled to get her thoughts in order.
"You were in love?" Her breath hitched. "With me?"
He lifted his head. His dark eyes held her shocked hazel. Lips quirking some, he shook his head, no.
Before she had a chance to panic, he quickly reiterated his confession.
"What I meant to say was that I fell in love with you and am still in love." He said softly. "You have been all I've thought about from the moment we said goodbye."
"Thomas, I love you too." She tugged him down and kissed him.
He groaned the moment her tongue brushed against his. Clutching her tight, he showed her just how much he missed her.
They somehow got through the balcony doors and ended up in her bedroom. The only light illuminating the darkness was from the city lights creeping through the sheer panels.
Lips barely left the other's skin as they struggled to remove the clothes hindering their attempts to kiss each part of the one they loved.
Once free of all barriers, the two fell upon the bed. Murmurs of love were gasped as they relearned all the different parts of each other. Thomas paused in the midst, smoothing Amanda's hair out of her face.
"Say it again." He pleaded, breathless from holding himself back.
"I love you." She wrapped her legs around his waist. "I fell in love with you from the moment I met you, Thomas."
His mouth crashed against hers. The moment he heard her moan, he broke away only long enough to tell her all that she meant to him, the life he dreamed of having with her, and the future he yearned for.
He then asked the question he knew would only give him all that and more.
With tears in her eyes, she gave him the answer he hoped to hear from her.
"That's all I want." She kissed him tenderly. "Yes, I'll marry you."
Ryan = perfect best friend for Thomas
I love the dynamics between ALL the characters you write with Thomas and Amanda. I feel like Ryan would probably be a great friend to have 🤣
But seeing Thomas and Amanda both yearning for each other, not knowing if the other felt the same… ugh it’s so romantic. And the way Thomas finally said something, and the little touches 😍😍😍 I love them. Have I told you that I love Thomas and Amanda?
Comfort
(Ethan Ramsey x F!MC) in a Choices Open Heart One Shot
As requested by
@hopelessromantic1352 with the prompt "You can't keep doing this."
A/N Here you go my sweet friend. Thank you for sending these requests to me to help with inspiration. I know you specifically wanted this one with both Ethan and Chris, so I'm going back to book 1 for you so that Tobias won't steal her away 😉
I was also inspired by the Dr. Who gifs below for this one. For those who don't know, Karen Gillian is my FC for Chris Valentine. Don't worry, I'm not making Matt Smith my FC for Ethan 😂 This interaction though reminded me of something Ethan and Chris would have done and it fit my idea for the above prompt.
Masterlist
It was too much. All of it was more than Chris could take. Tears blurred her vision as she finally had a chance to react to the mayhem she'd just finished being a part of.
Ripping off the surgical scrubs covered in Rafael's blood, she dashed blindly down the corridor. Her breaths hitched as sobs threatened to spill out. All she could think of was running away from the absolute hell of the subway accident. She needed to get as far as she could before losing her strained hold on her emotions.
Ignoring the alarm of the exhausted nurses and doctors, she ran past them without saying a word.
She stumbled out of one of the side doors of the hospital and barreled into a familiar solid form.
Ethan grunted on impact. He grasped her arms once he recognized her.
"Chris?" He leaned down closer to see her more clearly in the darkness. "What happened?"
Tears began to spill down her cheeks. Of all the people in the world she could possibly bump into at this moment, it would be him.
"I have to go." She choked out, wrenching herself from his grasp.
He grabbed her once more to stop her escape.
"Are you all right?" He demanded in a harsh voice while giving her a slight shake.
There were few things in this world he could not tolerate and seeing Chris in this emotional state topped that list.
"No!" She cried out, her voice echoing across the parking lot.
In a jumble or words and sobs, she managed to tell him about the rush of patients they had in the emergency room.
Once her ability to speak became impossible, he gripped her hand and took her back into the hospital.
"No. I don't want to go back inside!" she struggled against his hold.
She stilled as he led her up the emergency stairwell towards the roof.
He chose a spot overlooking Boston and sat down.
Ethan glanced up and saw she was immobile once again with tears falling in steady streams down her cheeks. Taking her hand, he tugged her down.
She collapsed beside him and buried her head against her knees, her body wracked with silent cries.
He'd seen her like this before. When Delores died, she'd been unable to stop her tears. He'd found her alone in the locker room, silently crying at the unfairness of it all.
Setting his hand on her shoulder, he gently pulled her closer to his side.
"You can't keep doing this, Chris." He told her. "If you keep taking death to heart like this, then being a doctor will destroy you."
She wiped her eyes, and settled her chin on her knees.
"I know that." She said in a voice cracking with emotion. "But it was so much, Ethan. Everywhere I turned there was someone in the midst of dying or who was screaming in pain. I wanted to fix it all but I couldn't."
"Did you help them?" He asked.
"If you can call it that." She said bitterly. "I assessed, tagged, and moved on like Zaid told me to."
He squeezed her in a side hug. "I never doubted for a moment that you did the right thing."
His comforting touch and praise tore at her heart.
"Don't." She pleaded. "Don't be nice to me right now."
Chris could feel the tears rising once more. After all they felt for one another, his quitting, and now showing up when she needed him most; she thought she would truly break if he was kind to her.
She rested her head on his shoulder, nuzzling close to him once his arm dropped. "Please sit here with me, but don't be nice."
Ethan leaned his head against hers and snorted. "Everyone complains when I'm not nice and yet here you are demanding the opposite."
Chris bit back a tearful smile. "I think this is one request of mine you're willing to give in."
"I think we both know I always give in to what you want."
"If that were true, you wouldn't have left Edenbrook." She mumbled. "And you wouldn't have left me."
He cursed. "Chris, you know why I left Edenbrook. And as for you..."
He trailed off.
She looked up at him.
"As for me?"
He met her red rimmed eyes and felt his will falter. He'd once had such plans to protect and guide her career forward. He was going to not only show her how to be a doctor but watch as she became a great one. He'd ended up doing nothing but letting her down in the end. He'd failed to keep his unexpected feelings for her in check and he'd failed her as a mentor.
Seeing the quiet anguish he was under, she nestled her head back on his shoulder, leaving the issue alone for once.
He swallowed the words that were demanding to come out. He wanted to tell her he'd never leave her. He would always want her.
He loved her.
I'm not worthy to tell her anything like that, he thought to himself. Not now, possibly not ever.
"What are you doing here?" She asked after a long stretch of silence.
"Marlene left me a message saying that the hospital needed all the help they could get." He answered, grateful she wasn't pushing him into revealing more of what he wasn't ready for.
"What took you so long?" She playfully nudged him with her elbow.
A hint of smile appeared on her face when she heard his exasperated groan.
"I was out of town, Rookie." He grumbled.
"Having a good time?" She asked.
"I wouldn't say that." He muttered. "I went to see my dad and then I went on to--"
He bit his tongue. He couldn't get her hopes up that his visits to Mrs. Martinez's family would come to any good.
"To where?" She asked.
"Nowhere in particular." He lied. "I needed to drive and clear my head."
"I think I need a vacation like that." She mumbled. "I wish I could forget and leave everything behind for a while."
He wrapped his arm around her once more. "It's a pipe dream. There's no way you can fully leave everything behind, no matter how badly you want to."
"How badly did you want to?"
"More than anything."
She slipped her arms around his waist and hugged him.
He held her, taking every bit of comfort she was willing to give him. It's ironic, he thought. He'd brought her up here to comfort her. He had no intentions of letting her know his own struggles.
Ethan should have known that out of everyone he knew, Chris would know what he was feeling. Not only that, she would also give him exactly what he needed from her in this moment.
Neither was sure how long they sat there, holding one another. The soothing hum of the city below them and the stars above were all they needed as they sat together in companionable silence.
When the first blush of dawn began to light the sky, Ethan whispered that he'd take her home.
He got up first and offered his hand to Chris.
She lifted her tear stained face up to smile softly at him.
Taking his hand, she stood up and was pulled into his embrace. He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead when she slipped her arms around him again.
"You're going to be okay." He said, lips brushing hers with each word.
She nodded, her eyes meeting his after one last sweet kiss.
"We both will." She vowed.
Together, hand in hand, they went off to face another day.
What I look like after reading this ☝🏼
I love your writing so much, and seeing the sweetness Ethan is capable of (even though I know you wanted that to be Tobias so bad 😂) I love to see our book 1 Ethan like this, like he should’ve been. Gah, love this sweet fic, thank you for writing it!!! Now I’ve got to get your requests done!
Perceive
(Thomas Hunt x OC) in a Choices Red Carpet Diaries One Shot
As requested by @hopelessromantic1352 with the prompt: "I see the way you look at me when you think I'm not looking.
A/N Not a part of any of my AU's for this otp, but still one I could see happening for them. For this prompt, Thomas and Amanda only casually know one another through their mutual friend, Ryan Summers.
Masterlist
***************
An exclusive resort in The Maldives...
Ryan Summers, Hollywood's most beloved leading man, was determined to get away for a month. He decided that not only would he leave all his stresses behind, but that those he was fond of should come along and make it an epic vacation.
He gathered his eclectic group of friends and persuaded them to all join him at a resort in The Maldives . He secured the rooms, booked activities, and even made an itinerary of spa reservations he personally selected for each one of his guests.
Now that he was on one of the tiny islands, he immediately began to relax. He looked over at his oldest friend and knew there was at least one in their group who needed to find a way to loosen up and enjoy things that weren't necessarily work.
Thomas Hunt did not want to go on vacation. He would have preferred to remain in his home or even in the studio, preparing for his next project. Unfortunately for him, Ryan was one of the few people in his life he couldn't refuse.
"I think we've finally reached paradise." Ryan removed his sunglasses so he could fully take in the beauty of the white sandy beach and turquoise water.
Thomas merely grunted in agreement.
"You're not impressed, are you?" Ryan asked.
"Of course I am." Thomas replied. "It's only that this is unnecessary."
"Unnecessary?" Ryan repeated in disbelief. "This is extremely necessary."
He placed his hand on Thomas's shoulder and gave him a slight shake.
"You are going to die of a heart attack if you don't find a way to relax every once in a while."
"I'm in perfect shape." Thomas argued. "I eat right, exercise, and--'"
"And when's the last time you took a vacation." Ryan countered. "I mean one, where you traveled somewhere not because you were scouting for possible locations to shoot your next film."
"I don't need vacations." His friend folded his arms. "I'm perfectly content with how I live my life."
"Uh huh." Ryan rolled his eyes. "At least try, for my sake, to enjoy this brief reprieve from your usual schedule."
Thomas watched him walk away to greet a few other people who'd newly arrived. He still didn't see why he had to be dragged along on this venture. He understood that Ryan might need a break from his hectic schedule. The man had been filming back to back movies for the past two years.
Thomas, on the other hand, relished having a packed schedule. Downtime meant the creativity had ceased to flow. He needed it to remain at its peak so that his films struck the audiences with the appropriate emotional gut punch he attempted to have in each one.
Now here he was in what was undeniably paradise with nothing to do.
Releasing a deep sigh, he decided to go see what his villa was like.
*****************
"Room service."
Amanda, the Duchess of St Orella, looked towards her door in surprise. She hadn't ordered anything since she just arrived. She set aside the clothes she'd begun to unpack and went to see just what had been ordered.
"Ryan!" She hugged the man who stood in her doorway. "It's so good to see you again!"
He squeezed her, lifting her off her feet and causing her to giggle.
"How long has it been, Duchess?" He asked once he set her on her feet.
"Much too long." She replied. "Between your schedule and my own, I think the last time we saw it each other was at that charity gala in Madrid."
He winced. "That was over a year ago."
"I know." She smiled at him. "Some of us are too popular to visit friends."
"Trust me, I would happily spend a lot more time in Cordonia." He walked over to the sliding glass door, looking out at the beauty framed before them. "I intend on making some changes in my life."
"What kind?" She asked.
"The kind where I can sit back and enjoy life before I get too old to do so." Ryan replied, turning once more to face her. "In fact, I hope this vacation makes us all want to make those necessary changes."
"I'd like to." She admitted. "After Liam's whirlwind of a coronation and wedding, I could use a break."
"Good." He was relieved to hear her say that. After talking to Thomas, he'd begun to doubt that his friends truly knew they needed a reprieve from their lifestyles.
"I'll leave you to your unpacking." He smiled his megawatt, heart stopping smile at her. "And I expect to see you taking advantage of all the relaxing activities I have planned."
"Can't wait." She told him.
"Don't forget to meet everyone for dinner tonight." He reminded her on his way out.
"I won't." Amanda promised.
She shut her door and began to wonder just who else Ryan had invited along on this journey.
***********************
An hour before dinner, Amanda changed into a sundress. She stepped out on her shared veranda with the the villa next door to admire their private infinity pool. Her breath caught at the site of the sun setting, making everything around seem almost magical.
She'd never really been into tropical destinations for vacations, but even she was moved by the sheer beauty of the place.
Her attention drifted over to the right when she heard the slight shooshing of a sliding glass door being opened.
A smile lit up her face when she saw who her neighbor would be for the next couple of weeks.
Thomas paused when he saw her. A hint of a smile curved his lips as he went to join the young woman he'd come to know through Ryan.
"Amanda." He greeted. "I see Ryan dragged you into this too."
She laughed while shaking his hand. "He is very difficult to say, no, to."
"Indeed he is." He slipped his hands in his pockets. Glancing about, he asked, "Are you here with Randolph?"
"We ended things about six months ago."
"Ah." He replied. "I'm sorry."
"There's no need to be." She smiled at him. "We both realized that though we are fond of each other, there simply wasn't any spark."
"I'm glad then that neither of you is left heartbroken." He leaned against the railing, keeping his gaze upon her.
"What about you?" Amanda asked. "Any new romances the gossip networks failed to mention?"
He chuckled, shaking his head. "None. I've been far too busy to even think of dating."
"What a pity." She muttered.
His eyes narrowed somewhat, wondering what she meant by that.
She cocked her head towards her villa. "Want to walk with me? It's almost time to meet Ryan and everyone else for dinner."
"Of course." He fell into step beside. "We are neighbors, after all."
Amanda's smile grew at the thought. "I suppose that means we will be seeing a lot of each other these next few weeks."
Thomas cut his eyes towards her. "I suppose so."
****************
The next few days, the pair saw each other more than they anticipated.
In the mornings, Thomas took advantage of their private pool to do his daily laps. By the time he finished, Amanda was usually coming out to try and get a tan. It became a habit of Thomas drying off so he could help apply sunblock to her back.
They'd then sit side by side, lounging in the sun together, talking over whatever came to mind. Often they would sit in a companionable silence, simply enjoying the peaceful surroundings.
When lunch time came around, they'd either share room service or go to one of the resort's restaurants. When out, they would be joined by some of Ryan's friends or the actor himself. They'd then go change and enjoy one of the excursions Ryan had planned.
The times where they were invited to do different activities, apart from one another, they'd meet up for dinner.
Thomas found himself enjoying this trip more so than he'd first thought he would.
And then... Ryan's beach party happened.
****************
"Each time I think this place can't possibly become more beautiful, I see something like this." Amanda gestured to the small beach softly lit while dusk fell across the sky.
Ryan handed her a fruity cocktail and nodded as he gazed out at the picture perfect setting.
"This really is paradise." He said, smiling softly at her. "I'm glad to see we are all enjoying it."
"I know I am." She glanced over to where Thomas was talking to a few other people.
Ryan followed her gaze, his brow furrowed for a moment at the way she was looking at his oldest friend.
When Thomas looked over towards them, Amanda quickly averted her eyes.
Ryan was highly amused at this new development. Deciding to see if anything might be revealed, he cleared his throat.
"Now that you're single," he winked at her, "how about I start introducing you to some people I think you might like."
Amanda blushed somewhat. "Given you know mostly glamorous actors, I don't think I would be what they are looking for in a significant other."
"Of course you are!" He made a show of looking about to ask for someone else's opinion. "Thomas!"
Amanda stilled when he motioned for him to join them.
Thomas excused himself and came over. Cocking his eyebrow in question, he looked back and forth between the two.
"I need your opinion." Ryan began. "Now that Amanda's single, don't you think she's perfect for--"
"Stop!" She laughed nervously. "There's no need to ask anyone anything like that."
Her cheeks were burning with the thought of Thomas being put on the spot. Of course he'd say she was perfect for someone else. What else could he say with her standing right there? Pity and kind lies were the last things she wanted from him.
"Then you'll let me introduce you to some people once we return home?" Ryan prodded.
Amanda would have promised him her firstborn just to get out of this conversation.
"Yes." She began to inch away from the two men. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to find somewhere to sit down."
Thomas watched her leave, a bemused expression upon his face.
"What was that all about?"
"Just Amanda being her usual shy self." Ryan chuckled as he finished off his cocktail.
"Ah." Thomas replied.
He continued to study her as she sat down near a place lighted with lanterns and tiki torches.
"She's something, isn't she?" Ryan nudged him with his elbow.
Thomas slowly nodded. "She is very easy to be around."
"That she is." Ryan conceded. "But I think that there's something more to her than that."
Thomas returned his attention to the conversation. "What do you mean?"
"She's attractive." Ryan replied. "Though she doesn't see it, which makes her all the more endearing."
Thomas eyed him. "Is that why you invited her?"
"No." Ryan quickly replied. "I genuinely like her."
"Ah." It was all becoming clear to Thomas. "You're planning on asking her out."
Ryan's eyes widened. "What? No. At one time I thought we might make a good match, but too much time went by and we were too good of friends to chance dating." He shook his head. "I intend on finding her someone."
"Is that why you called me over?" Thomas grumbled, already feeling his rebellious nature rearing its head at the thought of being set up on a blind date of sorts. "You wanted me to be the one with her?"
"Not at all. The thought never crossed my mind of setting up the two of you." Ryan lied. "I simply wanted you to help me convince her that she could easily be a part of our world if she found someone from it she liked."
"Oh." Thomas didn't particularly like that notion either. The thought of her with someone else he knew did not sit well at all.
"Once she falls for whomever I find for her, she'll see that she's perfect within our society."
Ryan, quite pleased with himself, walked away to talk to others after seeing a fierce frown appear on Thomas's face.
****************
Amanda found herself drinking more than she normally would have in the hopes of erasing the fact that she suspected Ryan was talking to everyone about setting her up. She downed a few more fruity cocktails when she recalled that he most likely talked to Thomas about her.
Wincing over that notion, she waved a waiter over for another refill.
"Of all the men," she mumbled to herself, "he would tell that one."
She had no intention of ever falling for a man from Hollywood. She knew her jealous nature and her vast array of insecurities. The thought of seeing someone she was in love with share a passionate love scene with some gorgeous, couldn't be physically possible to look like that, actress would be the end of any peace of mind she possessed.
She knew what she could and could not handle and actors were a definite, no.
What about directors, her traitorous mind whispered.
Amanda lifted her eyes, searching the small crowd for the man she'd grown increasingly close.
She felt herself melt when she saw him illuminated by some torches.
He's so handsome.
Seeing him in various states of dress, from his swim trunks to his suits had done a number on her ability to try to be unmoved by how attractive he was.
She knew she was staring at him more and more as the days went by. The thing was, it wasn't because she thought him the sexiest man she'd ever had the good fortune to meet. She had somehow ended up falling for him.
She loved all the moments she had alone with him. His dry humor had the ability to make her laugh until tears came to her eyes. She adored hearing his deep voice talk about anything from the weather to a movie he thought she might enjoy. His calm nature, though somewhat jaded, meshed well with her own optimism.
She'd even caught him a time or two looking at her with a slight smile to his lips. He seemed to enjoy his time with her as much as she did hers with him.
Or is it because he can only handle these people in small doses, she wondered.
Whatever it was, she was losing her heart and couldn't think of how to make it stop.
****************
Thomas could tell she was staring at him again. Without being too obvious, he cut his eyes over to where she sat. He wasn't one to normally be pleased with drawing attention, yet something about having Amanda's was different.
He actually wanted her to notice him.
He enjoyed having her to himself this past week. And though he initially bucked at the thought of Ryan setting him up with her, he wouldn't mind testing the waters, especially since she seemed more than receptive. He only wanted to do so without any pressure from outside sources.
He watched her as she joined Ryan's group. Her smile seemed a touch strained but her laugh had the same rich sound he'd become used to.
Thomas's brow furrowed when he saw her squeeze Ryan's hand then leave, disappearing into the darkness.
Excusing himself once again from the group he was currently talking to, he pulled Ryan aside.
"Where did she go?" He whispered.
"Who?" Ryan purposely remained oblivious.
"Amanda." Thomas hissed.
"Oh." Ryan shrugged. "She went back to her villa."
"Why?" Thomas prodded. "Was something wrong?"
"I don't know." Ryan replied.
He took a few steps forward to only be yanked back.
"You don't know?" Thomas bit out. "How do you not know? You're one of the nosiest people I know to not have a career in journalism."
"She didn't say why she was leaving. I assumed she was tired." Ryan responded. "And since I assumed she was tired, I saw no reason to question her."
Thomas glared at him. The one time he wanted information on someone and his only source was absolutely useless.
"I'm going to make sure she's okay." He grumbled, walking away.
Ryan fought back a smile.
*****************
"Just a minute!" Amanda yelled out.
She struggled out of her sundress. Once off, she straightened the strapless bikini she'd worn underneath it as she headed towards the door.
Without checking to see who it was, she opened it, stilling at the sight of the man in front of her.
Thomas froze. He'd never seen her before in a swimsuit like the one she was currently in.
"Um." He forced his eyes off her body. "I, I saw you leave and wanted to make certain you were all right."
"I am." She mumbled. "I had too much to drink and thought I should come back here to sober up."
He nodded. She didn't sound too tipsy. In fact, the way she spoke didn't reveal she'd had anything to drink.
"What were you going to do?" He asked, his gaze drifting along her curves.
"I was going to go for a swim to clear my head."
His eyes lifted to hers. Tilting his head in thought, he walked inside her villa, pausing until he was just a couple of feet away from her.
"Want some company?"
NO! Her mind screamed out. The last thing she needed in her current frame of mind was to see him half naked in the moonlight.
"I wouldn't mind yours." She replied instead.
His smile grew bigger. "I'll go change."
She slumped against a chair once he was gone.
"This is a bad idea." She muttered.
A few minutes later, she was cursing her luck. It wasn't like she hadn't seen Thomas in nothing but trunks before. She supposed what was different was that she knew she'd fallen for him and wished she could touch him the way her dreams allowed her to.
Thomas tossed a robe and towel on a lounge chair and dove into the water.
He came to the surface, smoothing his hair back.
"Come on in." He encouraged when she simply stood there staring at him. "The water feels warm."
She slid on the next to the last step and went under.
A slight tremble rushed through her that had nothing to do with being chilled.
She decided to use the steps instead of jumping into the water. She didn't trust herself enough to keep from drowning.
She resurfaced, gasping for air.
Thomas helped get her hair out of her eyes, then set his hands on her waist.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
"Yes." She coughed. "I'm fine."
The two bobbed in the water, simply looking at each other.
"You can, um, let me go. I'm not going to drown tonight." She tried to joke.
Thomas kept his arms around her. He'd thought her pretty, but something about tonight and seeing her in a bathing suit that revealed so much of her figure to perfection, made him make a few quick life changing decisions.
"I see the way you look at me when you think I'm not looking."
Amanda felt like she wanted to walk into the ocean and never stop until she sank beneath the waves.
He's seen me staring at him! Oh dear Lord. What must he think of me?!
"I'm so," she swallowed, trying to find the appropriate words for how embarrassed she felt, "mortified."
"If you'd kept looking," he added, ignoring that confession, "you would have seen me looking at you the same way."
Amanda's eyes flew to his face to see if he was messing with her.
He tugged her close to truly test what might be between them. "And now I wonder..."
Thomas pressed a tender kiss to her lips.
He could feel her stiffen in shock at first, then her arms wrapped around his neck.
The kiss deepened as the two moved even closer together.
Legs tangled while they embraced. Hands moved along the other as desire spiked through their veins. Thomas could feel her smiling against his lips.
He pulled back to look into her eyes. His own lips curved at the feelings of having her in his arms evoked.
"Perhaps I should wonder more often." He murmured.
She smiled, kissing him once more, and whispered.
"Perhaps you should."
I LOVE THIS!!!!
I have missed Thomas and Amanda soooo much, I love seeing the sweet little sneaky glances and his sweet side come out 🥰 these two are my all time favorite couple EVER ❤️
Your mission, if you choose to accept it! :)
I'm sending a GIF to everyone who has participated in Tobias Carrick Appreciation Week this year. Can you create a ficlet (or anything you desire) based on this by Sunday? If so, you'll get one extra chance at the prize to be selected on Monday! :)
Here is your GIF: (Let's pretend this is Chris! lol)
LOL! Okay, I laughed way too hard when I saw this gif and imagined Chris and Tobias having this conversation. This isn't part of any of my AU's (but could possibly become one). Going back to book 3 for this one. I couldn't resist doing this one for the week.
Masterlist
Oops
Chris moaned as she rolled over in bed. Her stomach gurgled, reminding her that it wasn't happy at all with the grilled cheese sandwich she ate late the night before. Clutching it while silently praying for all to calm down, she gave up the fight and dashed to the bathroom.
"Oh god." She choked as the contents of her stomach burst forth.
A sleepy Sienna came to check on her.
"You okay?" She wet a rag and handed it to Chris.
Chris shook her head and curled up in the fetal position on the tile floor.
Sienna sat down next to her, gently repositioning the rag at the back of Chris's neck.
"Thanks." Chris croaked. "You're really good at taking care of people."
She tried to smile at her sweet, best friend.
"You ought to look into making a career out of that."
Sienna chuckled, drawing her knees up and setting her chin on them.
"I'll look into that in the morning. For now, let's figure out what's going on with you."
Chris shrugged and immediately regretted moving. "Probably food poisoning."
"I would agree, but you've started doing this on a regular basis the last couple of weeks. Food poisoning usually lasts about two days. Rare cases go on for longer."
Chris paled some. "Maybe I have a rare one or a stomach virus."
Sienna shook her head. "But you aren't staying sick. Once six in the morning rolls around, you're fine."
Chris shivered as a niggling thought came to mind.
Could I be pregnant?
Sienna placed her hand upon Chris's forehead.
"No fever." She muttered, knowing they should consider something bigger than a virus. "Chris?"
"I know, I'm thinking it too." She closed her eyes.
"You want me to run out and buy a test?" Sienna asked.
"No." Chris sat up. "I'll get one after work."
Sienna wrapped her in a hug.
Chris began to tear up as she held tight to her.
How am I going to tell him, she wondered.
******************
Chris walked into the diagnostics office and nodded a brief greeting to the team.
"Morning." She managed to get out.
"Good morning." Harper greeted. "I stopped off at a bakery on the way in."
She held a box of doughnuts towards her. "Would you like one?"
Chris swallowed against the bile rising up. The smell of the jelly filled ones was sickeningly sweet. Shaking her head weakly, she took a seat at the far end of the table.
"No thank you." She mumbled.
"You're missing out, Chris." Tobias picked another one from the box. "These are some of the best doughnuts I've had in a while."
Ethan paused in choosing a case when he noticed the green tinge coloring Chris's pale skin.
"Are you all right?" He asked.
Harper and Tobias turned back towards Chris in concern.
She pressed her hand to her mouth and dashed out of the room.
The trio watched her run into the bathroom.
"I'll go check on her." Harper followed her out.
*****************
A few hours later, Chris was finishing up some paper work. She was grateful the office was empty. Harper had a scheduled surgery while Ethan and Tobias were making their rounds.
She wasn't up to any more questions concerning the reasons for her nausea.
Her thoughts drifted back to Hawaii. Ines's wedding trip had been the surprising start of Chris's current state. A lot of things began that fateful trip that had surprised her.
One in particular was the doctor who'd volunteered to leave the airport and come along with her to stop a patient from leaving Edenbrook with a ruptured appendix.
******************
Two months earlier...
"I'll go with you." Tobias offered.
Chris stared at him. "You will?"
"Yeah. I don't mind taking a later flight." He grinned at her.
The two ran out of the airport, jumped in the first taxi they saw, and somehow managed to arrive at Edenbrook right as Chris's patient was walking out of the lobby.
After running some more tests, Chris's theory that his appendix was in a different spot of his body, and heavily inflamed, was proven to be right.
"Wow." Tobias leaned closer to study the ct scan. "That was an amazing catch."
"I'm lucky." She folded her arms. "He could have left here and ended up worse than before, possibly dying before someone else discovered his appendix wasn't in the usual spot."
In thanks for saving him, the patient offered his private plane to fly them to Hawaii.
"I'm always coming with you when you have patients." Tobias teased her. "If you're going to get me perks like this, I'm going to be your partner on all your cases."
Chris laughed as she settled next to him.
"If the positions were reversed, I'd tell you the same thing." She said.
Once they were free to move about the cabin, Tobias tugged her out of her seat.
"Let's see what multimillionaires decide are needed for travel."
Chris eagerly went along with him to see all the amenities the plane offered. After being in awe of the theater, the pair stumbled into a private bedroom.
"Want to try it out?" Tobias asked.
He stretched out on the bed and patted the spot next to him.
Chris fought back a smile. "I don't know. Can you be trusted?"
"In bed?" He winked at her. "If you want to have a very good time, then yeah."
She rolled her eyes, her smile flashing over his cockiness.
"Look, I understand if you think you won't be able to keep your hands to yourself." He teased."
"Ha. Ha." Chris climbed into the bed with him. "You wish I'd let my hands wander."
"I mean, I wouldn't say no to some hand action." He snickered when she playfully pushed him.
"You're horrible, you know that?" She laughed when he gasped dramatically.
"And besides," she turned on her side to face him. "I don't touch anyone without kissing them first."
Tobias rolled on his side to look at her. "I wouldn't say no to that either. In fact, I think it might be pretty good."
"Come on." Chris began to laugh. "Do you really expect me to believe you've thought about us kissing."
"Yeah, I do." His eyes flickered down to her mouth before returning to her startled gaze. "Don't you feel it?"
"The sexual tension?" She whispered.
He nodded.
"I do." She bit down on her bottom lip.
"You shouldn't do that." He cupped her face, gently tugging her lip free with his thumb.
"Why shouldn't I?" She placed her hand over his.
"Because then, it'll have to be soothed." He murmured, pressing a tender kiss to her lips.
He took her bottom lip between his and gently sucked on it.
Chris moaned. She pulled him closer, kissing him again and again.
Their heavy make out session turned more intense. Whispering encouragement to one another so the flight attendants wouldn't overhear, they managed to get undressed and slipped under the covers.
Their bodies writhed in ecstasy with each pleasurable sensation the other caused. They couldn't seem to get enough of the other, as they found themselves making love the entire flight over.
When they landed, Tobias asked Chris if she'd like to be his date at the wedding.
"I think we could have a great time." He winked at her.
Blushing some at the way he looked at her, she readily agreed.
****************
The rest of the trip and once they got back had been filled with such moments as those on the plane. Chris and Tobias began a relationship of sorts. They met up whenever they could and things typically ended with them back at his place for sex.
"I've got to get a test." She said to the empty room.
Realizing she couldn't put it off any longer, she headed to the lab.
****************
A couple of hours later...
"Hey." Tobias walked into the diagnostics office. "You paged me?"
Chris clasped her hands in front of her and tried to think of how to break the news to him.
Noticing how pale she was, he reached out and cupped her cheek.
"You okay?" He asked, his eyes narrowed in concern.
"Yes." She swallowed. "I mean, no. Not really."
His eyebrow lifted.
"I'm pregnant." She blurted out.
He stilled, his hand dropping from her face.
"What?" He asked in disbelief.
"I'm pregnant." She said once more. "Seven weeks to be exact."
"Seven." He repeated.
Chris knew he was quickly calculating how long they'd been together.
"We used protection." He reminded her.
"And it was ineffective."
Tobias shook his head. "Condoms don't break."
Chris couldn't believe what she was hearing.. "What?"
"They don't break." He repeated. "Birth control pills can fail easily but condoms are--"
"Hang on!" Chris held her hand up to make him stop talking so stupidly. "Are you, a well respected doctor, seriously telling me that condoms are full proof? A man made product, never fails?"
Tobias knew they failed. He was merely in a state of shock and panic. Fatherhood never came to mind when he thought about his future. And now, here was a woman, one he was truly interested in progressing their relationship, dropping a massive life changing bomb on him.
He fell into one of the office chairs as the realization struck.
"Holy hell." He muttered.
"That's more like it." Chris sat down across from him.
After a few minutes of silence, he reached over and took her hand in his.
"How are you feeling?" He asked.
Tears filled her eyes. "I'm shocked. Scared. I was terrified of telling you."
She sniffed, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "I always wanted children, but I thought it would be years after I became a doctor."
He nodded, lowering his eyes to her hand in his.
"You know I'll support you, however much you want me to." He promised.
"Do you want this baby?" She asked, bracing herself for the truth.
"I honestly don't know." He admitted. "It's not like I don't want it, I just never thought of ever having one."
"I understand." She mumbled.
"Hey." He pulled her over until she was sitting in his lap. "Just because I'm in shock, doesn't mean I won't step up and try and be a good father if you decide to have this baby."
He rested his forehead against hers, cuddling her close.
"I think I do want this baby." She said softly. "I'm terrified to do this alone, but if you see you can't do it, I'll understand."
"You won't be alone." He vowed. "Whatever else happens between us," he gently put his hand on her stomach, "this will always have us as a team."
Chris wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. He hugged her back then simply held her while each became lost in thought.
She rested her head on his shoulder in relief that this part was over. Though the future was still unclear, she at least felt more confident in moving forward.
"What should we do?" She whispered.
"I'm thinking lunch." He grinned when she snorted on a surprised laugh. "Then I think you and I should have dinner tonight."
"You do?"
He nodded. "We're still getting to know each other. I think we should spend as much time as we can to become even closer."
She sat up, looking into his eyes.
Could we possibly fall in love, she wondered.
As if reading her thoughts, he pressed a tender kiss to her mouth.
"Would you like to go out with me?" He asked.
She nodded.
He kissed her again. "Then I'll meet you in the locker room later tonight."
They got up with him heading to the door. He paused and looked back at her over his shoulder. He noticed the calm yet somewhat sad expression on her face. He felt a deep need to remove whatever was making her look like that.
"Hey Chris?"
"Hmm?"
"Just in case you don't know, I am pretty crazy about you."
Her head jerked up with her lips parting in surprise. A slight blush graced her cheeks. Hearing him say something like that in his deep voice gave her hope.
Maybe we will fall in love.
With his goal being accomplished, he left to finish his rounds.
🥹🥹🥹
They are too dang cute together 🥰
Your mission, if you choose to accept it! :)
I'm sending a GIF to everyone who has participated in Tobias Carrick Appreciation Week this year. Can you create a ficlet (or anything you desire) based on this by Sunday? If so, you'll get one extra chance at the prize to be selected on Monday! :)
Here is your GIF:
I couldn't resist doing these others either. Don't worry, I know they don't count for the drawing but it's Tobias Appreciation Week and the man will be appreciated! This one's not part of my AU's but seemed highly plausible given my MC 😉
Masterlist
The Dinner Party
Tobias's home...
"You have a lovely home." Harper commented.
"Thank you. It helps when your mom is a talented interior designer." Tobias offered her a glass of wine. "I'm glad you and the rest of the team took me up on my dinner offer."
"It would have been rude to say no." She pointed out.
"But understandable, especially coming from you and and Ethan."
He checked the time. "Speaking of which, he and Chris should be here by now."
"They're coming together?" Harper asked.
"I don't know." Tobias wondered at her irritated tone. "Do they normally go together to things."
She humphed. "They sometimes do."
Tobias glanced at her when he noted a hint of disapproval in her tone.
"Are they together?"
Harper shrugged while taking a sip of her wine. "I don't think so, but there's no denying he favors her."
Her nose wrinkled. "He's always favored her."
"Really?"
Tobias wasn't that surprised. Even he noticed during his first week at Edenbrook that Ethan seemed to look to Chris when asking for opinions on cases and such. He'd walk by and see the pair alone and talking. He didn't blame Ethan. Chris was both easy to be around and attractive. Tobias would have done the same in Ethan's place.
"Is that your doorbell?" Harper asked.
"Probably." He went to see who it was.
Chris stood on his front stoop, shivering some from the chilly night air.
"Welcome." He held the door for her. "Did Ethan come with you?"
"No." Chris gave him a strange look. "Why?"
"No reason. "He, um, isn't here yet." Tobias offered to hang up her jacket.
"Oh." She smiled at him. "Thanks."
She then handed him a bottle of wine.
"I wasn't sure what you were having," she told him, "but this is one of my favorites."
Tobias recognized the label of a well respected sparkling wine.
"Nice choice." He smiled at her. "We'll use this to celebrate later."
He waved her on into his living room. "I'll go put this in the kitchen."
He'd only taken a few steps before his doorbell rang again.
Ethan stood there, looking rather uncomfortable.
"Tobias." He greeted in a brisk manner.
"Ethan. Come on in."
Ethan grunted as he stepped inside. "Is everyone else here?"
"The ladies are in there." Tobias pointed down the hall. "Make yourself comfortable."
Tobias went back to his kitchen to see how dinner was coming along.
"Something smells good."
He turned around to see Chris watching him from the doorway.
"I don't like to brag, but I am a phenomenal cook."
Chris began to laugh at his typical arrogance. She walked over to observe all the pots and pans in action on his stove was pleasantly surprised with how hard he'd worked on dinner.
"Well, I for one can't wait to see if that's true."
He chuckled. "May I get you something to drink?"
"Yes, please." She sat down at his bar. "So, what made you decide to throw this party?"
"Can one really call it a party when there's only four of us?" He joked while pouring them each a glass of wine.
"It's too soon to call it a double date." She teased.
The lid he'd just lifted off one of the pots clattered back down when her words registered.
"Chris?" He slowly smiled at her. "Are you flirting with me?"
She gave a slight shrug. "Not very well if you have to ask."
"I wouldn't say that. Mostly you surprised me."
He nodded towards the direction Ethan and Harper were talking. "From what I gathered, I might not be the doctor you'd prefer flirting with."
"Ah, I see you and Harper had a very interesting conversation before I arrived."
"It wasn't that interesting." He propped his elbows on the counter and leaned closer towards her. "Nowhere near as interesting as you bringing up a possible double date."
She propped her head on her hand, smiling softly at him. "Maybe we shouldn't make it a double date."
"Want me all to yourself?"
"Maybe." She responded. "But that all depends on when and what you're feeding me."
"Soon and come see for yourself."
Chris hopped off the stool and began to lift the lids for inspection. She then peeped into the oven, inhaling the fragrant aromas wafting out. Everything he'd prepared looked divine.
"Wow. You've really gone all out for this dinner."
"Well, I'd hoped to impress you." He slipped his hands in his pockets and leaned casually back against the counter.
"Just me or the team?" She asked.
"Can't it be both?" He grinned at her. "I am a man who knows how to multitask."
"We'll see." She returned his smile. "Still, you went to a lot of trouble for us."
"I wore my debit card out at the store." He joked. "I guess I went a little too far in trying to win everyone over."
He lifted his wine glass to his lips. "Think I'll still be hot if I end up broke for the rest of the month?"
She burst out laughing.
"I mean, I can't see poverty diminishing your looks."
"So you do think I'm handsome." He smiled at her over the rim of his glass. "Good to know."
"Someone's fishing for compliments," she playfully scolded, "yet said nothing about how I look."
She did a slow twirl for his benefit.
Tobias took in the sight of her in a short black skirt and a hunter green blouse. Her long legs were shown off to perfection in a pair of black stilettos. Her beautiful green eyes were even more vibrant than usual.
"You know you look incredible." He complimented. "Anyone with eyes knows that you are on a daily basis."
Her lips curved. "A double date is definitely out of the question."
Tobias chuckled, stepping closer to her.
"I take it that if I asked you to stick around after the others leave that you might say yes?"
"It's highly plausible." She stepped closer to him.
"Then let's get this dinner party over with as quickly as we can."
I love this 🥰 they’re so cute together and I love to see the early on flirting and banter ❤️
Your mission, if you choose to accept it! :)
I'm sending a GIF to everyone who has participated in Tobias Carrick Appreciation Week this year. Can you create a ficlet (or anything you desire) based on this by Sunday? If so, you'll get one extra chance at the prize to be selected on Monday! :)
Here is your GIF:
Okay. LOL! LOVE the above gif so much. Before I begin a whole new AU about this with my otp, here's a short background on my MC. Chris, is American born to Scottish parents and was raised mostly in Inverness. She has a temper, but usually just tells someone off. It would take a lot to get her this violent, like say someone not only manipulating her but also hooking up with a doctor she's fallen for. Going back to Book 2 and rewriting Canon and my own HC for this one.
Rated Mature for Sexual Content and Language. Chris's upbringing allowed me to find some unique Scottish insults that cried out to be used in this.
Masterlist
Game on
The Edenbrook/Mass Kenmore Softball Game
"Good luck out there, Chris." June said. "Remember to run Carrick's face in the dirt for taking that grant from us."
"Don't worry." Chris told her. "He won't be near as handsome when I'm done with him."
June slowly smiled in hearing that.
"Good. I can't wait to see him get knocked down a peg or two."
Taking a deep breath, Chris began to stretch. Shaking her arms out, she made her way to the pitcher's mound.
Of course, she thought, he would be first up to bat.
"You got this Chris!" Elijah shouted.
"Does she now?" Tobias taunted. "You sure you can do this, Valentine?"
Chris was tempted to stick her tongue out at him. The childish thought made her snicker. Tobias's stance eased when he saw her smile. His own lips curved at how cute she was in her uniform.
It was all the distraction Chris needed to throw the first strike. Shocked, Tobias tried to regroup. He narrowed his eyes at her as he tightened his grip on the bat. She winked at him, shaking his concentration, once more.
"Strike Two!" Elijah yelled out. "I don't know about you, Carrick, but I think she can do this."
Tobias rolled his eyes as he lifted his bat over his shoulder once more.
Chris eyed him, taking in how his uniform conformed to his body. A soft smile appeared on her lips as she thought how he might drive her crazy but he was very attractive.
He blinked at that secretive smile she had. After all the escalation between them with taking patients from one another, he never expected her to actually check him out.
"Strike three!" Elijah cackled. "Oh man. You didn't even bother to swing at that last pitch."
"Take it as a goodwill gesture." Tobias replied. "Next time, I won't go easy."
***************
Between innings...
Chris searched through the coolers of beer until she found a bottle of water.
"Keeping your head clear for the game, Valentine?"
She spun around at the sound of that teasing voice.
Tobias Carrick grinned at her as he reached past her for a bottle of water.
"Glad to see someone is taking this as serious as I do." He winked at her.
"You should wish I wasn't." She couldn't help but smile at him. "Then you might stand a chance to actually hit the ball."
He narrowed his eyes at her. Each time she pitched, he struck out. Though impressed, he wasn't about to admit defeat.
"I've still got a few points on that board." He reminded her. "And there will be even more before the night is over."
Chris stepped closer to him. "You wish that were true."
Tobias took another step closer. "You're going to eat those words."
"Doubtful." Her eyes flickered down his body. "I'm sure you win a lot of things, but tonight isn't going to be one of those nights."
"Want to bet?" He leaned down until his nose nearly touched hers.
His gaze settled on her mouth before locking eyes with hers.
"That all depends," she replied, "what's on the table?"
His lips quirked into a flirty smile. "I can think of one thing I'd like to see on the table."
Her eyebrows rose. The image of just what he'd do to her on that table made a flash of heat go through her body.
"I bet you do." She tilted her head. "I guess we'll just have to--"
"Get away from her!"
The startled pair turned towards a furious Ethan Ramsey.
He moved between them, glaring at Tobias.
"Leave her alone." Ethan bit out.
Tobias narrowed his eyes at him. "What's your deal, Ethan? We were only talking."
"Bullshit." Ethan hissed. "I know you. Chris is off limits."
"Excuse me?" Chris snapped.
"Doesn't sound like she is to me." Tobias winked at her over Ethan's shoulder.
Ethan grabbed hold of Tobias's jersey. "I mean it, Carrick. You've messed with me enough. Just because you poached our patient, doesn't mean you can also take her."
Before Tobias could snap back, Naveen forced them apart.
"Calm down." He ordered. "Take it out on the field."
Tobias snorted. Downing his water bottle, he made sure to knock his shoulder into Ethan's as he walked away.
Ethan grit his teeth, before turning to Chris.
"What did he say to you?" He demanded.
"Nothing but typical trash talk." She replied. "There was no need for you to get involved."
She straightened her shoulders. "I can handle myself. I don't need you jumping in to save me."
Ethan removed his ball cap and ran his hand through his hair. He knew he should have never agreed to play this asinine game.
"I know you can." He looked past her to where the Mass Kenmore team was sitting. "Seeing him try and get close to you, it made me..."
He cursed under his breath.
"So what if he tries to get close to me?" She looked away from Ethan. "It isn't like you want to be in that position."
"Damnit, Chris." Ethan whispered. "You know why I can't--"
"Save your breath." She muttered. "I've heard it all before."
"Wait." He grasped her arm when she tried to walk away. "Carrick isn't the type of man you can tease and not get burned."
Chris jerked her arm away.
"Don't worry." She glared at him. "I know all about being burned."
Ethan watched her storm off with a heavy heart.
******************
After the game, Chris was still full of restless energy. Their win over Mass Kenmore hadn't made her feel any better about the war they'd been having over patients.
When her friends invited her out to celebrate, she sent them on without her. The thought of another night spent in Donahue's with the same faces and conversations didn't appeal to her.
Trying to decide whether or not to just go back to her apartment, she heard her name called out.
She searched for the source and saw Tobias leaning against the side of his car.
"What?" She said once she made her way over.
"Congratulations." He said.
A reluctant smile peeped out at him.
"Thanks." She brushed a lock of hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear. "I didn't think you'd be up for saying that after I hit that last pitch of yours."
"It's just a game, Chris." He responded. "I wanted to win, but I still respect how you played it."
She folded her arms. "Something tells me you like to play a lot of games."
He smirked. "So many things in life are more fun when you make it a game. Why not enjoy it?"
"Is patient care a game to you?"
He rolled his eyes. "Come on, Chris. I'm not heartless. If I hadn't thought that Mass Kenmore could give Stephanie better care than Edenbrook, I wouldn't have offered it."
He leaned closer to her. "You would have done the same if the situation was reversed."
Chris hesitated. "You're right. I would have."
He smiled at her. "You and I are more alike than you think."
She laughed, shaking her head. "I wouldn't go that far."
"No?" He placed his hand upon his chin as if considering that. "I guess I'll have to work harder to prove it to you."
He pushed off from his car and opened the passenger door for her. "Want me to give you a ride home?"
Biting her lip, Chris shook her head. "I don't think I'm going home just yet."
"Where are you going?" He glanced around the nearly empty parking lot. "Looks like everyone else left to party without you."
She shrugged. "I'm not really in a celebratory mood."
"What kind of mood are you in?" He asked.
"Honestly, I'm not sure. I guess I'm more restless than anything else."
"Well, how about I drive you around until you decide what you want to do?" He offered.
"Okay."
She slid into his car. Her heart started picking up speed when she realized this would be the first time she was actually alone with him.
"Where were you going?" She asked once he buckled up.
"Home." He replied with a grin. "To drink my loss away."
She couldn't help but laugh. "I wouldn't mind a drink."
He turned towards her. "And just where would you like to have this drink?"
"I'm not really up for a bar." She admitted.
"My place or yours?" He asked.
"Who said anything about us drinking together?" She teased.
"Why waste this rare opportunity to do that very thing?" He countered.
"True." She relaxed back into the seat. "Let's go to your place."
Cutting her eyes towards him, she noticed his smug smile forming.
"Don't think anything other than a drink is going to happen." She warned.
"Whatever you say." He winked at her.
*****************
One drink and some flirting later, the two wound up in his shower. As the warm water fell upon them, they did all they could to heat the other's skin until they burned.
Chris ran her hands down his body as he kissed her neck. Her pent up frustrations with her life and work demanded she take advantage of her situation. She needed this release, almost as much as she wanted the man driving her on to give in to her every desire.
Ethan's words echoed in her mind, causing her to pause in her caresses.
The thing was, she wanted to burn. Even if it was just for this one night, she wanted to simply sate her passionate nature with no worries about what the morning would bring.
Tobias began to kiss down her body. He noticed her furrowed brow and lack of movement. He knew he needed to work on drawing her back into the night he was imagining.
He reached over and turned the water off, before urging her out.
"You're distracted." He said, handing her a towel. "Do you not want this?"
Chris paused in drying off. "No, I want you."
He stepped closer, all his usual cockiness nowhere in sight.
"Good. Because I've wanted you from the moment I first saw you."
"Right." Chris sarcastically replied. "I'm sure I really caught your eye at that diner."
He settled his arms around her waist.
"I noticed you immediately." He softly brushed his lips against hers. "Each time I saw you after that, I wanted you more and more."
His deep voice admitting to something like that, even though she doubted the sincerity, made her move right back into his embrace. Her lips sought his, and the two raced right back into the inferno they'd started.
Stumbling back into his bedroom, they fell upon the bed, limbs tangling as they continued to kiss.
Tobias moaned as Chris rolled on top of him. Deciding to relax and see what she'd do next, he urged her to take the reins.
His breath hitched the moment she kissed him. Her body moved over his, teasing and promising so much more. He cupped her face, looking into her eyes as she caressed him.
"You have no idea how often I've fantasized about this." He murmured, pulling her down for another kiss.
"Show me." She arched into his heated touch. "I want to do everything you thought about."
That was all he needed to hear.
*****************
As light began to filter through the slits of the bedroom blinds, Chris and Tobias collapsed exhausted on his bed.
Trying to catch her breath, Chris looked over at him. When he turned towards her, a breathless laugh popped out.
"You have some imagination there." She teased.
He chuckled, scooting closer to her. "That was only half of what I've fantasized."
"You're kidding?" Chris smiled at him. "I don't think I have the energy to see what else is in store."
She stretched, drawing his appreciative gaze towards her lithe body.
"There's always later." He reminded her. "Say like tonight?"
"Why Dr. Carrick," she snuggled closer within his arms. "Are you asking me out?"
"That depends." He pressed a lingering kiss to her lips.
"On?"
"If the answer is yes."
She laughed, shaking her head over how good she felt in this moment with him.
"That's a definite yes."
"Then I'm asking you out." He chuckled when she softly groaned.
"You're lucky you're cute." She teased.
"I know." He sighed. "It's both a curse and a blessing."
"You poor, poor man." She patted his cheek.
Tobias took her hand and pressed a kiss within her palm. His eyes found hers as she laced their fingers together.
"How about dinner first?"
"So, it's a real date?" She joked.
"Ummhmm." He rolled over on his back, tucking her in beside him. "Is that still a yes?"
"I will need energy to begin whatever round we're on." She replied.
"Yes, you will." He squeezed her close.
"Then, I guess I'll see you later."
She began to ease out of his bed, only to be dragged back within his arms.
"Where do you think you're going?" He murmured against her neck while dotting kisses along it.
"Home." She relaxed back within his arms.
"No need to rush off so soon." He urged her back under the covers.
"I'll stay if you let me sleep." She warned. "If I don't get a few hours, there's no way I'll be any fun later tonight."
"We can't have that." He laughed when she poked him in his ribs.
She curled up against his side. Her eyes closed and she felt her body relax completely. It'd been a while since she felt so blissfully carefree.
It was a feeling she didn't want to end.
******************
Weeks went by in blur. Chris seemed to find her stride in both her professional life and her personal life. That one night with Tobias had blossomed into a weekly date night, adding even more happiness.
She knew she was falling for him. It was difficult not to. He had the ability to get her mind off the possible shutdowns that loomed over their hospitals. His humor and unending charm kept her thoughts firmly in the moment instead of the fears of the future.
Plus the closeness that was developing between them made her care all the more.
She didn't know which she loved most, the amazing sex or the talks they would have afterwards. The nights spent with him ended up being the best part of her week.
Whatever it was, she wasn't going to question it.
The only problem was June Hirata.
Chris was still a bit uneasy around the diagnostician. Seeing how two-faced the woman could be made it hard to completely trust working with her.
Then one day June approached the team with an idea.
"Did you know Senator Ed Farruiga's at Mass Kenmore?"
"No." Chris replied.
"Apparently he has some illness that no one can figure out." She paused to make sure she had everyone's attention. "I think we should encourage him to come here."
Ethan leaned back in his chair in thought. Baz seemed a little uncertain about the idea.
"I would love to give it a go, but we can't just go take one of their patients." He argued.
"Why not? No one has to stay at a hospital where they aren't getting the best possible care. Can you imagine how much publicity we would get if we helped another famous face?" June glanced at Ethan. "It would help us be able to help more people who really need us."
"It would." He conceded. "And we are a better team than Carrick's."
"Are we really going to do what they did with Stephanie?" Chris asked.
"Don't you want some payback for that?" June countered. "We lost a huge grant! They don't need the Senator as much as we do."
Chris didn't like the idea of continuing the game they'd started with Leland Bloom, especially with how close she'd gotten to their opponent.
"Let's do it." Ethan decided, needing a chance to get back at Tobias.
As they worked out a plan of attack, June checked her messages.
"My contact says that Dr. Carrick and his team haven't diagnosed the cause yet. They have only begun the process of ordering lab work."
She looked at the clock. "Given how long it takes for Mass Kenmore's lab techs to come around for blood samples, I say we have an hour tops to poach him."
"Then let's get going." Ethan ordered.
******************
It took less than an hour to find the senator and to convince him to transfer to Edenbrook. As she followed Baz out of the hospital, Chris heard the one voice she wished to avoid.
"Chris?" Tobias called out. "What are you doing here?"
He noticed the senator further ahead of her, changed and in the process of signing discharge papers.
His eyes narrowed when he realized what was going on.
"Look, I--" Chris tried to apologize.
"Save it." He snapped. "I don't want to hear it."
Without giving her a chance, he stormed back the way he came.
***************
Later that night, Chris headed to a bar she knew Tobias liked to frequent. He'd already ignored her calls and texts. If she was ever going to have the chance to explain, she knew it'd have to be in person.
It didn't take long to find him in the crowd. What surprised her was who was sitting with him.
What is June doing here?
The way the two were laughing and talking, it was obvious they knew each other a little too well.
The more she observed, the angrier Chris became.
"Chris!" June greeted. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"Really?" Chris folded her arms. "I'm surprised. I thought you made certain to know where all your pawns are."
June laughed. "Only the most naive make the best pawns. You've been my favorite by far, Chris."
Tobias eyed her then glanced up at Chris.
June leaned closer to him, placing her hand on his thigh. "Our games are so much fun, aren't they?"
Chris was beyond livid. For months June had used her in every situation. Now to see that Tobias was in on whatever manipulative game they were playing caused her to snap.
She lunged forward almost punching June in her smug face. The table had stopped her momentum right before contact, giving Tobias a chance to grab her around the waist and pull her back.
Chris struggled against him. Her Scottish accent became thicker than usual as she unleashed a flurry of insults upon the pair.
"Let me go, you wee fuckbumper!" She shouted. "I'm going to show that dug licking pish aff a nettle just what happens when she messes with me!"
"Chris!" Tobias grunted when her elbows struck his ribs. "Calm the hell down!"
June began to laugh harder while watching the pair.
"This is the best you can do?" She taunted Chris. "Oh my god, I can't believe I actually thought you might be worthy competition."
"Bolt, ya mangled fud!" Chris yelled.
Still snickering, June gathered her things and headed towards the door.
"Call me Carrick when you're ready to be with a real woman again."
With a last burst of energy, Chris tried to break free of Tobias. She needed to knock June down just once. Her rage demanded to feel that woman's face under her fist.
Tobias yanked her back and half dragged her out the back door.
Once they were outside, he let her go.
They were both panting and glaring at one another.
"What the shit was that?!" He snapped. "If you'd actually touched June, she'd have had your ass in jail so fast it'd have made that hot head of yours spin."
"Do you know what that means?" He demanded when Chris remained defiant. "That means your career would be over!"
"Piss off." Chris hissed at him. "Ya lavvy-heided wankstain."
"Fuck this." Tobias rubbed his hands over his face. "I don't even know why I'm bothering to talk some sense into you."
"I don't either." Chris fought back tears.
"Why did you come here?" He asked when she fell silent. "Just to rub it in that you too can steal a patient?"
"Weren't you the man who said it was all a game?" She shot back. "And if I knew Edenbrook was the best for someone, then I should make it happen?"
"Damnit." He muttered. "Look, June told me you were determined to make me pay for my little stunt with Stephanie."
"That I was?" Chris released another profanity laden tirade.
The more descriptive she got, the more Tobias struggled with his laughter. He was still furious over everything, but he couldn't help but be impressed with her imaginative use of curse words.
After a particularly long sentence about June's reputation with men, all the fire seemed to go out in Chris.
She slumped back against the brick wall of the bar and lowered her head into her hands.
"I know you won't believe me." She began. "But this wasn't my idea."
Against his better judgement, Tobias moved a little closer and leaned next to her.
"What happened?" He asked.
The whole story poured out along with Chris's guilt.
"We never should have gotten close." She added at the end. "Not with all the animosity between the hospitals."
Tobias took a deep breath and slowly released it. "Do you regret it?"
"Stealing your patient?" She slowly nodded. "I don't think it was worth it."
"Not that." He turned towards her. "Us?"
She looked up at him. "No."
Her face scrunched as if she was about to cry. "I mean, I do since you and June had your own thing going at the same time. I know you and I weren't serious, but to have actually been with someone who could be with that two-faced bitch--"
"I wasn't seeing her while seeing you." Tobias interrupted.
She still looked doubtful.
"Come on, Chris." He rubbed the back of his neck. "You know. You have to have seen that what we have is..."
He cursed, kicking at some trash.
"What we have is what? She prodded.
He groaned then yanked her into a heady kiss.
She wrapped her arms around him, giving back as good as she got.
Tobias stumbled back from the passion in her kiss, hitting the wall with her locked in his arms.
When it came to an end, he lifted his head to look into her eyes.
"See?" He said softly.
She slowly nodded.
"Then don't say we shouldn't have gotten together." He cuddled her close.
"What about my part in the senator?" She looked up at him. "Can you let that go?"
"Yes." He tightened his arms around her. "Of course I can."
"Then why didn't you answer my calls?"
"Because June made it seem like you'd strung me along to keep me from suspecting anything when you did eventually steal a patient." He admitted. "Knowing that I'd fallen for you, it stung that you didn't feel the same way. That I was merely your pawn in all this."
"I hate her." Chris bit out.
Tobias snorted. "Yeah, she isn't the easiest person to be around."
Chris bit back the fact he'd found her easy enough to sleep with.
Tobias sighed. "Want me to take you home?"
"No." Chris mumbled. "I'm too keyed up to see my roommates."
A tender smile began to form as he recalled a similar conversation they'd once had.
"Want me to drive you around until you calm down?"
Chris looked up at him, recalling the night of the softball game. Seeing that he remembered it too made her melt against him.
"I'd love that."
Keeping one arm around her waist, Tobias led her to his car.
The whole Scottish cursing made me giggle 😆 I can imagine Tobias trying not to laugh in the middle of her temper tantrum. Love this!!!! It’s funny, sweet, sexy, and angsty all in one 😂
Always Winning
(Tobias Carrick x F!MC) in a Choices Open Heart one-shot.
Tobias Carrick Appreciation Week
Day 2: WWTD? Tobias randomly buys a lottery ticket while getting his morning coffee. Turns out it's the winner, and he's just won $50 million dollars. What does he do?
A/N For this one, we'll set it in Book 3's canon, but my MC is single and perhaps not as against dating someone she works with as she originally thought 😏 This one got away from me.
Masterlist
"It can't be." Tobias whispered.
He stared down at the lottery ticket in his hand, then reread the numbers on the screen.
"Holy--" He covered his mouth, eyes growing larger the more he realized the truth.
He'd just won fifty million dollars.
If it hadn't been for the visit up to New York City to see his older brother and his wife and kids for the weekend, he wouldn't have given in to a wild whim to buy a ticket. He'd decided to top off his gas and grab a coffee for the road before the drive back to Boston. While at the gas station, he remembered how he used to buy a lottery ticket every so often during college.
His younger self swore that all he needed was one set of numbers, just one chance. No need to buy multiple tickets. It made no sense to do so when you already knew you were the lucky, always winning sort.
Remembering that naive, fun loving guy, he purchased one Powerball.
Jumping to his feet with a whoop, he pumped his arms in the air. A thousand, or rather a million, thoughts rushed through his brain on what he should do with the money.
He knew that early twenties Tobias would have blown a large chunk of it on a trip around the world and probably a few sports cars. He'd then have given some to his two brothers.
"I'll still do that." He announced to his empty room. "I'll give some to Hugh and Phillip for the kids' future."
He had no doubt his young nieces and nephews would go far in their chosen careers. They were Carrick's after all. Even though they were all under the age of ten, with one still in diapers; he believed they were on their way to greatness.
A few million invested along with what his brothers already had saved would have them more than ready for a future of buying homes, paying for college, or starting a business.
They might even take after their favorite uncle and want to spend it on a trip around the world.
Tobias began to pace. Having settled on that, he wondered if he should quit work and do that traveling he'd always dreamt of doing.
Granted, he'd already visited many areas of the world that were on his must see list. He'd always been wealthy. Money was never a problem for the Carrick's. Being a physician had only increased his fortune.
The thought of no longer being a doctor made him pause. He couldn't imagine waking up without that purpose. He never imagined retiring early, especially this early in his career.
But if he had the means, should he look into doing something else?
He couldn't think of another profession that could hold his interest like medicine. He thrived on the unending mysteries the human body offered. The innate drive he felt to not only solve those very mysteries along with finding cures was unlike anything else he'd experienced.
"Retirement will have to wait." He muttered.
His mind began to wander to another reason he wasn't quite ready to hang up his stethoscope.
If he did retire, he would lose his time with Dr. Christy Valentine.
His lips quirked into a smile. There was something about Chris that made his days at Edenbrook a delight. Not only was he able to be a part of the famed diagnostics team, he was given an opportunity to get to know her better.
Everything he discovered about her made him want to know even more.
She made work fun for him. He'd originally thought working with Ethan again would be what would make it so, but it ended up being Chris. Her sense of humor meshed well with his own. Her intelligence was something he marveled at. She had a warmth that was irresistible.
He couldn't think of anything he disliked about her, save for one little detail.
She wasn't his.
In fact, she wasn't anyone's. Before he moved over to Edenbrook, she'd teetered on almost being Ethan's. He didn't know the whole story behind that particular folly. All he did know was that Chris had sworn off dating anyone she worked with.
Since he didn't know how to broach the subject that they were perfect for one another, he'd settled (for the time being) in becoming very good friends with her. Many nights were spent over dinner or drinks, talking about anything and everything that came to mind.
He could see her becoming more and more comfortable around him. His occasional flirty comments had the ability to not only make her smile but also blush. He suspected she felt something more for him. Perhaps, the time was drawing near where he could finally make his move.
Glancing down at his lottery ticket, he thought about saving some of the money for his own nest egg. If things went the way he hoped, Chris might one day become his wife. He'd want to build her the home of her dreams.
And maybe...they might start a family of their own.
He knew that was Chris's dream. She told him that since she had the career she'd always hoped for, she wanted to one day have a family all her own.
****************
A few months earlier...
"I don't think that's too much to ask." She mumbled over drinks. "I know my love life is pretty much non-existent, but there has to be someone out there who wants what I want too."
"I wouldn't say your love life is non-existent." Tobias countered. "Just stalled."
Her lips quirked into a brief smile. "That does sound more promising."
"Trust me, Chris," he leaned closer to her, "you will have all that you want."
She lifted her eyes to his. Blushing somewhat over having him so near and for basically crying over her love life, she tried to make it a joke.
"Are we adding fortune telling skills to your resume?" She teased.
Tobias rolled his eyes. "You don't need psychic powers to see that you're the whole package."
Chris stilled. "You think I'm the whole package?"
"Any man who doesn't see it is a fool." He told her. "And I've never been a fool."
Chris's lips parted to say something. The two were interrupted before she had a chance to speak by Bryce coming over to tell them about one of their patient's surgical consultation. The conversation never returned to what they'd been discussing.
Tobias was left wondering what she'd been about to say of his observation.
**************
"Saving for my own future wouldn't be such a bad idea."
Besides, if he and Chris weren't meant to be and he never met anyone else, then he could make certain his nieces and nephews inherited his fortune.
He sat down on his sofa to study his winning ticket. Something was still off about his decision. He didn't really need fifty million dollars. Giving some to his family and of course the taxes that he would have to pay, still left him with more than he needed.
I need more time to think.
Reaching for his phone, he called Ethan.
"I won't be coming to the hospital this week." He told him.
"Are you sick?" Ethan asked.
"No." Tobias sighed. "I need some time alone to figure out a few personal issues."
"Call if you need longer than a week." Ethan told him.
"Will do." Tobias replied.
After ending the call, he decided to sleep on his decisions.
**************
Five days later...
Tobias had just finished a conference call with his brothers when he heard a brisk, yet persistent tapping on his front door.
Curious, he peeked out to see who his unexpected visitor could be.
Eyes widening, he opened the door.
"Chris?" He leaned against the doorframe and flashed his most charming smile. "What brings you here?"
She folded her arms, eyes narrowing while doing a quick study of him.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
He waved down his body. "Can't you tell?"
Instead of her typical laughter whenever he playfully complimented himself, she instead bit down on her bottom lip.
"Ethan said you needed some personal time off."
"That's right." He stepped back to invite her in.
Her worry only grew with how casual he was being about everything.
"May I take your coat?" He asked.
She glanced down at her crisp, white Edenbrook coat. She'd forgotten to remove it when she decided to leave work and come check on him.
Without a word, she shrugged out of it and handed it to him.
"Can I get you something to drink?" He noticed the time. "You probably haven't had lunch yet. I could make us some--"
"I don't want anything." She cut him off.
He raised an eyebrow over her brisk tone.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"You!" She snapped. "I know it's none of my business, but you never take personal days!"
"That's not true." He motioned for her to sit down. "I went to visit my mom last month for her birthday."
"That wasn't personal." She stressed while taking a seat near him. "You always tell me when you plan a vacation or to go see your family."
"I suppose I do." He grinned over that fact.
"So why couldn't you tell me about taking off?" She demanded.
Chris knew she sounded crazy. Something hit her the wrong way when he didn't bother to tell her he wasn't coming in to work this week. Having to ask Ethan if he knew whether or not Tobias was sick had been hard enough.
Weren't they friends? Didn't she tell him everything? Didn't he feel like he could tell her if something was wrong?
Her fear, that had grown larger when she didn't hear from him, was that he was planning on leaving Edenbrook for another hospital. Things had been tense between him and Ethan since he started. She wouldn't blame him for going to work somewhere else.
She couldn't imagine losing him now that she knew him. She refused to dig deeper into why having him near was so important to her.
You swore off men you work with, she reminded herself. See what happens when you actually fall for them.
She jumped to her feet, bumping into his coffee table and nearly tripping over the area rug.
"Chris?" He reached out to try and steady her. He felt his own alarm over her abrupt behavior when she moved further out of his reach.
"I should go!" She raked a hand through her hair, almost yanking a handful out. "I shouldn't have come to nag you into telling me what's going on. It's none of my business what you do with your time. Your reasons are your own for taking off."
"Hold on!" He grasped her arm, stopping her near sprint out of his living room. "I can tell you."
"Really," she tried to twist free, "there's no need."
"I won the lottery." He announced.
She stilled. Her temper nearly exploded over him making light of her concern.
"Fine! Don't tell me." She snapped. "I don't know why I came here."
"I'm serious!" He went to retrieve all the paperwork he'd received when he accepted the winnings. "Look."
She glanced down. Her anger turned to astonishment when she saw his bank draft.
"YOU WON FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS!" She shouted.
"I did." He chuckled over her reaction.
"No wonder you took off work!" She dropped back down on his sofa.
Tobias watched as her surprise gave way to utter sadness.
"Being a multimillionaire isn't that awful." He joked.
"You're not coming back are you?" She asked, fighting back tears.
"Where? To work?" He sat down next to her.
She nodded. A few stray tears slipped out.
"I thought about that." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
She sniffed, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue she'd found in her pocket.
"I'll miss you." She admitted. "I can't imagine not having you around the hospital anymore."
"I'm not leaving." He squeezed her close. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."
She bit down on her bottom lip and kept her eyes averted.
"So, you taking off was to collect your winnings?"
"That and to decide what to do with it." He explained. "I went ahead while in New York and had my brother, Hugh, help me set up trust funds for my nieces and nephews."
Her head jerked up at that. "You gave it to your family?"
"Some of it." He relaxed back against the sofa cushion, pulling her with him. "I plan on keeping some for myself."
He felt a glimmer of hope that his plans for his own share wouldn't go to waste when she remained tucked against his side.
"The rest," he continued, "I'm still debating on."
"Oh." She felt foolish for her behavior.
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to look up at him.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled.
"For what?" He asked.
"My coming over here, forcing you to tell me what was going on, and--"
"You didn't force me." He reminded her.
"Still." She looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. "You should have been able to keep this private."
"I tell you everything as it is." Tobias squeezed her in another side hug. "I was planning on telling you when I was done making decisions."
He watched her fight back a smile.
"I should let you get back to thinking." She got back to her feet. "And I should probably get back to the hospital before Ethan realizes I left."
"He's already missing one brilliant mind on his team." Tobias teased. "He can't have his two smartest doctors missing in action."
Chris burst out laughing.
"I'll see you later." She said on her way out.
"Chris, wait." He followed her out. "Let's have dinner Sunday night."
"Okay." Her smile made his heart flip. "But you're paying, Dr. Moneybags."
He laughed, shaking his head in mock resignation. "I knew you'd only want me for my money."
She waved goodbye, still smiling that particular smile that made him want to admit his feelings for her.
Perhaps dinner would be the perfect time to do that very thing.
*************
Sunday morning, Chris received a phone call from her parents.
Dr.'s Lorna and Jamie Valentine were currently in Yemen working with their Doctors Without Borders team. The married surgeons had been working for as long as Chris could remember to offer healthcare for those in need. She had traveled with them often growing up, only spending time for school in Inverness and Edinburgh with the rest of the Valentine's. When the pair wasn't working with their team, they were traveling to different universities to teach their vast knowledge of medicine.
"How are things going?" Chris asked.
"Even better than expected!" Lorna told her. "We received a donation, one specifically requested for our team to use."
Chris stilled. "You did?"
"Someone who wished to remain anonymous gave us close to ten million." Jamie explained.
"I wonder who it could have been." Lorna added. "I've been wracking my brain to think of some millionaire we've met in the past."
Chris had a feeling she knew who they had met. Though it had been a horrific time in all their lives, they had met a certain doctor when she'd been dying from the attack on Senator Farrugia.
And since he had just won the lottery, that certain doctor had to be the donor.
Her parents continued to tell her how the money would be used for the clinic they'd started. They didn't notice how quiet their daughter was during their excited plans. Once they made sure she was doing well, they ended the call.
Chris couldn't help but be touched that Tobias had thought of her parents' work to give money towards.
"Of course," she mumbled to herself, "it could be someone else they know who secretly has that kind of money to donate."
She knew that was farfetched.
"It was Tobias." She later told her reflection as she got ready to meet him for dinner.
It makes me love him even more, she thought to herself.
She stilled as the realization struck.
No. No. NO! Her mind screamed. Did you learn nothing with Ethan?!
She slumped down and softly hit her head on the bathroom counter, hoping it would knock some sense into her.
"Welp." She muttered once she sat back up. "No stopping it now."
She was and had been, for longer than she wanted to admit, in love with Tobias Carrick.
****************
"Damn." Tobias stood up to pull out a chair for her. "Someone went all out for dinner."
Chris did her best not to be flustered over that compliment. Since she realized what she felt for him, she decided to dress specifically for him.
The off the shoulders, little black dress hugged her curves while showing off her long legs.
"This old thing?" She smiled at him. "I keep this for any normal night out."
"Then why haven't I had the pleasure to see you in it before?" He asked, enjoying the sight she made in it.
"I didn't want to spoil you." She teased.
He snorted, pulling his own chair closer to her side of the table once she was seated.
"Too late." He told her.
She sighed in playful resignation.
"I knew I should have left this hanging in the closet."
"That is not a dress that should be hanging in a closet." Tobias remarked.
"Then where should it be?" She asked.
Chris waited to see if he'd take her flirty bait and run with it. She soon saw that she wasn't going to be disappointed.
He slowly smiled at her, eyes lingering upon her cleavage. "If it's not on you, then it should be on some lucky man's floor."
That was just the opening she'd been hoping for.
"Some lucky man, hmm?" She pretended to ponder that.
Picking up her menu, she cut her eyes at him and waited for him to take a sip of his drink.
"You seem pretty lucky to me." She remarked.
Tobias coughed, choking on his whiskey sour.
Her smile grew over his reaction.
Once he was able to breathe, he studied her face to see just what she meant by that.
She met his eyes, winking at him.
"Of course," she continued, "I would like to enjoy dinner before this dress hits your floor."
"Chris?" He couldn't believe she was actually flirting with him. "Before you continue teasing me like this, you should know that I want more from you."
"More." She repeated. "As in?"
"As in us being together." He explained. "As a couple."
"So if I were to introduce you to someone as the man I'm in love with?" Chris prodded.
Tobias took her hand in his.
"Then I would say it's about damn time since I've been in love with you for a while now."
She squeezed his hand. Her eyes were shining with an emotion he'd hoped to one day see directed at himself. "Good thing I know how to introduce you from now on."
He lifted her hand to press a lingering kiss upon her knuckles.
Tearing his eyes from her, he attempted to study the menu.
"Now that that's settled," he couldn't contain his smile, "what's the fastest thing we can order on this menu so we can get out of here?"
Chris began to laugh as she tossed her menu down.
"Glasses of water?" She offered.
"I have that at home." Tobias reminded her.
"I do like your water." She stood up, pulling him along with her.
"Only the best in town." He added, while paying for his drink.
"I'm willing to see if that's true." Chris tugged him close.
Tobias leaned down the short distance to kiss her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.
When he lifted his head, he found her smiling at him in a way that told him this was just the beginning of all he wanted.
After all, he struck the jackpot when he won Chris.
Tobias Freaking Carrick… why do you have to be soooo lovable?
This was AMAZING!!!! I’ve missed reading your writing and seeing these two flirt and come together was adorable! I love this from start to finish ❤️
YOU WERE HERE!!!!! AAAAAHHHHH, I MISSES YOU ❤️😭
HIIII!!! I know I’ve been off here for a hot minutes 😂 I missed you too!!!
Just a midweek reminder: You're doing great! You've made it this far, so you can definitely make it through the rest of the week. Take 10 minutes today to do something that truly relaxes you, whether it's reading a book, going for a walk, or simply enjoying a cup of your favorite hot beverage. You deserve it! (PS—drink some water 💛)
❤️❤️
You’re so kind! And right back at you, friend!
Lockdown
This is based on OH 2. After I replayed it, I realized how I would’ve actually liked to see the book progress through the maitotoxin attack between Ethan and MC. I’m thinking I’ll try to post one or two more that follow the same storyline. Maybe a mini series? We’ll see. Also, hello Tumblr 😆 it’s been a minute.
Warnings: mentions death, poisoning, sickness
Word count: 2,068
Tags: @perriewinklenerdie @shelivesinthewoods @miss-indecisive-says @alj4890 @naffeesaa @hija-del-universo @confessionsofabrokegirl @usuallyamazinglyaverage @radlovedreamland-blog @lilyoffandoms @cordoniaqueensworld @carreraleigh @ethanplaysfavorites @amillionmoonsred @princess-geek @lapisreviewsstuff @aworldoffandoms @paisleylovergirl @llamasgrl @flyawayboo @timmagicktoad-blog @isabella-choices @ihclipse @sparklinglilac @whenyourheartskipsabeat @desmaranj
The drizzle out the window beats slower than her heart. Her breaths come in ragged gasps, the plastic rustles against the air vent it covers, and the only other faint sound is the steady beep of machines outside the quarantined room where she paces.
Beeps that remind her, Raf is still there.
The nausea has increased tenfold, but Casey refuses to sit down. The numb sensation in her feet and hands tingle with every second, but her stubbornness keeps her upright.
“Case, why don’t you rest for a second?”
The usual bravado in Bryce’s voice is gone, replaced with something she hasn’t heard before.
Fear.
Still wearing the mask around his neck, and bloody scrubs, her eyes try to focus on his expression.
Was the fear because of Kyra or herself?
“You’re here. Does that mean..” The raspy whisper that leaves her mouth is unrecognizable.
The young surgeon looks at her with pure anguish. “She made it, everything went good and she’s resting now. Which is what you need to be doing. You can hardly stand, let alone pace around your room.”
As if on cue, her whole body sways and she grabs the foot of the bed, holding still for a moment before her head and eyes clear again.
Only seconds later, the rest of her friends and the diagnostics team arrive. Faces full of fear, pity, and some anger. She knew why they were angry, she was angry too.
“I can’t sit still, I feel like that’s giving up.” Casey tries to keep her voice as even as possible.
“Dr. Ramsey and I found Travis, he gave us a few more symptoms to go off of before he…” Sienna trails off, biting her lower lip as her eyes shine through the glass.
“He died.” Ethan walks in first, leading Baz and June behind him. “But thanks to Danny, we know what was in the canister and we’ve got people working on an antidote as we speak.”
Casey looks to Sienna, seeing her lips purse and eyes begin to water at the mention of the young nurse’s name. The red head’s heart clenches at her friend’s pain, pain she hoped she and Raf wouldn’t be adding to.
Swaying slightly without realizing it, Casey reaches out to Ethan. His arms encircle her, steadying her as June takes her vitals. The ocean blues behind the hazmat mask seem more dull than usual, or maybe it’s her eyesight, but they don’t break eye contact. Somehow, feeling his covered hands and arms around her soothes her. Just being near him calms her and seems to take away the pain for just a moment.
“Her blood pressure has dropped in the last hour, heart rate is elevated.” The no nonsense tone of June’s voice cuts into Casey’s welcomed distraction.
“Why wouldn’t my heart rate be elevated? I’m having the time of my life in here.” At the attempt of a laugh, coughs take over, wracking her frail body and causing Ethan to tighten his grip on her.
“I can’t stand here and watch this. Are we going to go find a cure for this?” Jackie’s fist rests against the window, her face contorted with anger as she watches her friend writhe in Ethan’s arms.
“Hell yes we are.”
Tobias Carrick’s voice carries down the hall as a group of footsteps echo behind him. With Aurora next to him, the Edenbrook doctors look upon the Mass Kenmore group cautiously.
When Casey’s coughing fit finally dies down, the silence doesn’t stretch long.
“Carrick, why are you—“ Ethan can’t hide the surprise in his tone, or on his face, but Tobias waves him off.
“This is bigger than our competition. No one is letting Valentine die.” Ethan’s old friend eyes Casey with sympathy, internally noting the way Ethan holds her gently and protectively.
“We brought all our best doctors with us, they’re at Edenbrook’s disposal.” Aurora walks to the glass, softly placing her palm on it and worrying over her friend and roommate.
“I can’t thank you all enough.” Shaking, Casey tries to stand on her own, but the arms holding her don’t budge.
Her group of friends all start talking at once, saying their goodbyes and words of encouragement. June and Baz excuse themselves as well, telling Casey to hang in there. But the one steady thing in her world at that moment stays put.
“Casey, I—”
At the despair written on her face, his words die on his lips.
“I’m scared, Ethan. I don’t know— I’m not—”
All the tears she held back since the attack, since Bobby, Danny, and Raf, they rush to the surface and flood down her pale, sunken cheeks.
“Shhh,” the suit crinkles loudly as Ethan pulls the frail woman into his arms. “I am beyond terrified too. The one person I care about more than anything in the world…”
Her sniffling pauses at the meaning hanging in the air, but he begins to move them towards the bed, momentarily distracting her.
“Ethan, please if I lay down I don’t know if I’ll get up.”
He grunts a response as he lays down first before gently guiding her down next to him. “You will get up. Some of the best doctors in the world are fighting for you and Rafael, Casey.”
She weakly nestles into his embrace, silence stretching between them as he stares pensively at the ceiling.
“What were you going to say?” Her quiet question makes his muscles tense next to her, and she worries. “If it’s something you're not telling me about this maitotoxin, it’s not easing my mind.”
“No, no, the reason I cut myself off is the fact of the matter is,” he repositions himself so he can look into her glistening brown eyes. His gloved hand reaches up to cup her cheek softly, urging her eyes to close. “Casey, please look at me.”
The yearning and warmth in his voice pulls at her heart, and with no hesitation, she does as he says.
“When I say you are the most important thing in this world to me, and I care for no one more than I care for you, I mean it.” Fresh warm tears pool in her eyes and her bottom lip trembles. “I love you and looking back at how I’ve treated you… us, it has made me realize how much of a fool I was for pushing you away. I have never been able to deny my feelings for you and I believe I fell for you a long time ago. I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to acknowledge what has been in my heart.”
Tears falling, she closes her eyes but her lips spread into a warm smile, dimming the paleness on her frail body for just a moment.
“I’ve waited so long to hear you say that and now I can’t even kiss you to make you feel how much I feel the same. I’ve loved you for a really long time, Ethan. I wasn’t sure you’d ever feel the same.”
With the hazmat suit between them, Ethan embraces her as tightly as he can without hurting her. Wanting to feel her body and wishing this was taking place in his bed, after a perfect evening together instead of a quarantined room after the harrowing events of the day.
“As soon as you’re healthy, I’m taking you in my arms and never letting go.” The finality to his voice, mixed with the adoration and warmth, it causes Casey to shiver at the intensity.
“I can’t wait to kiss you.” She nestles back into his arms, exhaustion beginning to take over as he simply smiles softly and holds her tight.
As she falls into a deep slumber, Ethan can’t help the mist in his eyes or the deep hope that she’ll wake up to a cure.
The next morning, Ethan is startled out of thought as Casey lurches awake and rolls on her side, crying out in agony.
“What is it? What’s wrong, Casey?” He’s on his feet, pushing his chair back, and takes a strong hold of her hand.
The bed shakes under her violent writhing, one of her arms wraps around her stomach as she cries tears of pure pain. “It hurts so bad.”
After what seems like eternity, the pain subsides and Casey is left panting and sweaty, still gripping Ethan’s hand.
“That was new.” Her voice is weaker and her body shakes from exerting so much energy.
She slowly takes her hand away and sits up, still shaking, but watches as Ethan paces away angrily.
“I absolutely hate not having any control over this. There’s nothing I can do to help you and seeing you suffer, it makes me—” He groans and runs his hand through his hair in frustration.
She isn’t looking at him, her eyes are shut and her fingers dig into the bed. “Ethan, I’m not sure how long I can do this.”
That sentence, just a whisper, is enough to break him out of his rant. Enough for him to realize how selfish he is. Enough for him to realize if they don’t find an antidote, he could lose her.
“No, no, no.” He hurries back to her side, holding both her hands in his, engulfing the coldness. “You need to keep fighting. Please.”
His forehead settles on the edge of her bed as he sits back down, his hands holding hers still as he closes his eyes and begins to pray silently. Desperation coursing through his veins.
“We’ve got it!” Tobias is sprinting down the hall with June and Baz, the rest of Casey’s friends following behind quickly. The sounds urge Ethan to stand.
“But Raf, he needs it more—” her whisper is cut off by a violent cough.
Within minutes, the other two members of the diagnostics team are in Casey’s room, donning hazmat suits and carrying a small syringe.
“Don’t worry, we’ve already given him his dose. So save your energy, you’re going to need it.” June grins triumphantly at her sick colleague and then looks to Ethan who’s red rimmed eyes show their utter surprise. “Would you like to do the honors?” She holds the syringe out towards him.
“Absolutely.” As soon as he has the antidote, he steps over to Casey’s bedside and holds her hand for a moment, gazing at her lovingly. “Are you ready?”
A simple nod is enough answer for him. Gently, he finds her vein and injects the liquid, removing the needle when the syringe is empty.
12 HOURS LATER
“Get up.”
Ethan strides into the quarantined room without a hazmat suit and leaves the door wide open behind him. He grins, and despite the exhaustion in his eyes, he looks happy and at ease.
“You mean…?” Carefully standing, but feeling near normal for the first time in the past 32 hours, Casey looks at him, her eyes trailing over every inch of him.
“Your last few blood tests have shown a slow decrease in the maitotoxin and the very last results showed nothing. It’s gone, so—”
His scientific rambling is cut off by Casey’s small body ramming into his. Her arms wrap around him tightly and she buries her face into his chest, breathing him in deeply. “So I can do this finally?”
A simple nod is his only answer, and when she pulls back to look at him, she understands why. His eyes are full and glisten with unshed tears. His large hand gently cups her cheek, his thumb traces her cheekbone.
“And this.” Before she can question what he means, his lips softly press to hers, his free hand slipping down to rest on her hip.
The silent embrace lasts for just a few seconds before he forces himself to pull away. His other hand slips up and cups her cheek so he’s holding her face. The piercing eyes roam over her face, as if he’s memorizing her.
“I didn’t know if I’d ever feel your lips again.” Her voice quivers and her bottom lip trembles when she sees his eyes glisten in the light.
In answer, he leans forward, pressing a firm kiss to her forehead before pulling her against his chest once again. “I love you.”
His voice is so quiet, she nearly misses the sweet phrase. Her voice is muffled, but she responds as her arms tighten around his waist. “I love you too, Ethan.”
OK, so I decided to send some Tobias writers a Jesse GIF and ask them to write a little fic based on it. Feel free to play along if you like (or delete - no pressure!)
Okay 😂 Anyone who knows me on here knows I can NEVER resist a picture/gif prompt. This one you sent me @jerzwriter is not only perfect but also has made me think of so many different fic ideas. From the fluffy sweet to the angsty, I think I'll go with one somewhere in the middle 😉 So while I'm stalled on my OH series and all the others 😬, this at least got the inspiration going again.
@jerzwriter @hopelessromantic1352 @choicesficwriterscreations @trappedinfanfiction @twinkleallnight @tessa-liam @kyra75 @coffeeheartaddict2
Masterlist
What Might Have Been
"Hey? Do you hear that?"
Tobias opened his eyes. He blinked at the darkness while a feminine form curled against his side. Though the previous night was foggy from overindulging in both top shelf whiskey and then the actions he'd gotten up to with the woman in his arms, he knew without looking that the hair that tickled his chin was a deep, rich red in color.
Her soft curves nestled up against his body brought back flashes of heated kisses and clothes being thrown about his townhouse.
His mind then slowly registered the sound of someone knocking at his front door.
One quick look at the nightstand clock revealed that it was a little after four in the morning. He couldn't think of anyone who would come to his home at this hour, especially one who would persistently keep knocking.
"Wait here." He whispered.
Getting up, he slipped on a pair of pajama pants and softly padded down the stairs. Stumbling over his discarded shoes and shirt at the foot of the stairs, he peeked out the window to see just who was determined to wake him up at such an ungodly hour.
His heart dropped at the sight of the woman at his door.
Swallowing, he turned the door handle. Seeing her standing at his threshold caused the previous night's events to come flooding over him.
*****************
Donahue's, mere hours ago...
"Come on!" Chris playfully shoved Tobias. "One more round."
Tobias chuckled as he refilled both their glasses with whiskey.
"Alright Chris," he smiled at her, "but this is the last round. Some of us don't want to fight a massive hangover in the morning."
She snorted in her laughter. Her gray green eyes sparkled as she looked at him with mock impatience. He couldn't think of anyone more adorable than her when slightly tipsy.
"Maybe you'll get lucky." She teased. "I might say something I haven't done that you haven't either."
"Uh huh." He rolled his eyes. "Given my age and my history, that seems highly unlikely."
Tobias unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt. After agreeing to play this Never Have I Ever game with her, he'd drunk more than he had in a very, very long time. He thought the game was asinine at best but he could never refuse a chance to spend time with Chris.
She'd claimed this would be a more fun way for them to get to know one another. He'd been satisfied with their typical nights of sharing stories and yet, he loved seeing her playful/never willing to lose side show up at random times.
"Never have I ever..." Chris began.
She tapped her fingers on the bar. Her lips puckered with eyes narrowed in thought. He snorted softly to see her trying so hard to think of something that he probably had done at some point in his life.
She huffed with irritation when she came up blank with something to trap him in.
"Give up?" He taunted.
"No!" She exclaimed, unable to stop smiling at him. "I'm merely stalled."
"Thank God." He pushed his drink away. "Now can we hang out like normal people?"
"For now." She took a long sip of her drink. "But I will find something to win this game."
He winked at her. "I have no doubt that you will, Chris. I've learned to never underestimate that mind of yours."
Chris beamed at him for that compliment.
He made himself tear his eyes off her face. It was getting harder and harder for him to simply be her coworker turned friend. His flirtatious nature was dying to use everything within him to win her heart.
Chris was an attraction he didn't want to keep fighting against. It'd been about two years now since he'd joined Edenbrook's, famed diagnostics team and that was two years too long of holding back his ever growing feelings for the tall red head.
He knew why he kept holding back. One glance over to the opposite side of the bar revealed the man who had been in the very situation Tobias found himself in. From the bits and pieces both Ethan and Chris had revealed in his time at Edenbrook, Tobias knew the danger of falling for someone you worked closely with on a daily basis.
Unlike Ethan though, Tobias wasn't hesitant to actually be with Chris because of work. His was a worry more so in losing what they already had between them. Given his track record with women, he knew Chris could never be a simple notch on the old belt.
She was something infinitely more.
Eyeing the glasses, he picked his up, took a large gulp, and decided there was no time like the present to say what needed to be said.
"Don't look now," Chris whispered, "but someone has their eye on you."
Tobias looked around until he made eye contact with a woman with long, red hair. Her gaze was fixated upon him and a sultry smile played about her lips.
Chris's smile dimmed once he refocused on her. "Go on. I understand."
"Nah. I'm good." He set his glass down.
"Come on." Chris's laughter lacked its earlier joy. "Even I know that woman's a sure thing."
"I'm not interested in her." He folded his arms on the bar, angling his body towards Chris. "And I thought of a Never Have I Ever."
"Not interested?!" Chris narrowed her eyes in concern then felt his forehead. "Hmm. No fever."
"Hah, hah." He nudged her glass towards her. "Are we playing or what, Valentine?"
Chris hesitated, glancing back at the woman he was turning down.
"Okay. Hit me with what you got."
Tobias picked up his glass. His eyes lowered to the amber liquid swirling around and around while he drummed up the courage.
"Never have I ever," he took a deep breath, "admitted to the woman sitting next to me how much I want her."
Chris's glass landed on the table with an audible thud.
"That's not..." she blinked back a sudden rush of tears, "...Tobias, that's not funny."
"It wasn't meant to be." He reached for her hand. "I'm serious, Chris. I've wanted to tell you for a while now, but given your on and off again history with Ethan, I thought the timing might not be right."
Her stunned silence encouraged him to continue.
"I'm tired of waiting for the right moment, so this is it. I want to be with you."
Chris bit down on her bottom lip. Her eyes searched his for the truth.
"You sure it isn't the whiskey making you think like this?" She prodded. "Because if you're looking for a one night stand, that woman who's been checking you out all night should be the one you use this line on, not me."
A couple of tears spilled out. She quickly dabbed them away with her fingertips.
"I'm tired of not knowing what men want from the beginning. And," she took a deep breath, "I want to be someone's only significant other for a change."
"That's what I want." He gripped her hand. "I want you and me to be together, as a couple."
Chris glanced over her shoulder at the man who had entangled her heart from the moment she met him.
"I need to go talk to Ethan."
Tobias felt his heart drop. He couldn't believe that this was the outcome of his confessing his feelings for Chris.
His fingers clinched around hers before slowly slipping away.
"Wait here." Chris told him, sliding off her barstool.
"Sure." He mumbled.
Tobias downed the rest of his drink, then finished off Chris's.
He watched Chris whisper to Ethan. The two of them headed outside to the back patio to talk. He refused to sit and wait on her returning to tell him she preferred Ethan over him. Why should he make himself even more miserable?
He pushed away from the bar and encountered the red head who'd been eyeing him all night.
"Hi." She cooed, smiling up at him.
His eyes drifted along her striking features. Though she was pale and had red hair like Chris, her eyes were a warm brown and she was a good deal shorter than the one who'd just broken his heart.
But...she was interested in him.
"I hope you weren't leaving without saying hello." She teased.
"No." He forced himself to smile at her. "I was instead going to see if you wanted to get out of here."
Looping her arm through his, she tugged him out the door.
*******************
Tobias's home...
"Chris." Tobias rubbed his hands over his eyes, hoping this wasn't real.
He'd been so certain he'd brought her home when he first woke up.
"You, Dr. Carrick, do not wait well." Chris teased as she brushed past him. "I'm sorry it took so long with Ethan. We had more to discuss than I thought when I told him about us."
She took her coat off and hung it up on her way to sit down on his couch.
"You told him what exactly?" Tobias glanced up the stairs at his open bedroom door and silently prayed the woman in his bed didn't come down to investigate.
"I thought it only fair to tell him we are now a couple." Chris explained. "I never was really certain what he considered me as, so I wasn't sure if our discussion would be more of a breakup or a rehash that Ethan and I never really got the timing right."
"Oh." Tobias sat down beside her. "Are you okay?"
"I am now." She snuggled against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Once I realized you'd left, it took me forever to find a taxi."
"I..." his heart stopped when he heard the familiar creak of his fourth stair.
"Hey." The woman he'd brought home said timidly. "I uh, I think I should get out of here."
Chris whipped around, eyes wide, at the sight of the person who'd been at the bar.
The other red head gave a quick, apologetic wave then darted out his front door.
Tobias tried to keep Chris in his arms.
She shoved him away, scrambling to her feet.
"Chris!" He chased her into his entry hall. "I thought you were choosing Ethan! I didn't know--"
"Why in the hell would I tell you to wait on me if I was choosing him?!" She jerked her coat on. "I can't believe that I was stupid enough to actually have thought someone like you would want what I wanted."
"I do!" He shut his door when she wrenched it open. "Please, just--"
She pushed him away and ran out his door.
"CHRIS!" He yelled out, chasing her down the block. "PLEASE, DON'T--"
**************
"Tobias!"
He jerked awake, gasping for air as if he'd been drowning.
He reached over and flipped the lamp on, heart pounding in fear of the woman he'd see in bed with him.
"Hey," Chris wrapped her arms around him, softly kissing him. "It's okay."
He hugged her close, burying his head against her neck.
"No more thirty-six hour shifts for you." She teased, easing back some.
He gently cupped her face. His attention drifted from Chris to the platinum wedding band glistening in the lamp light that resided on his ring finger.
"Bad dream?" She caressed his cheek.
"The worst." He settled back against the pillows, pulling her within his arms.
"Want to talk about it?" She asked.
"No." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Let's talk about something happy."
"Like what?" Chris laid down next to him.
"Tell me our story." He said softly.
"Our story?" Her lips curved as she snuggled closer. "Okay. How far back are we talking?"
"All the way." He slipped his arm around her to tuck her more against his side.
"Once upon a time," she began. "A young doctor--"
"Exceptionally beautiful doctor." He corrected.
"A young, exceptionally beautiful doctor decided to have breakfast at a cafe with a friend. She saw a man--"
"Devastatingly handsome man." Tobias corrected once more.
"I was talking about the man Aurora and I helped." She poked him in the ribs.
"The devastatingly handsome man approached you afterwards." He continued.
Chris propped herself up on his chest. "Am I telling this or not?"
Tobias began to smile over the memory. "I asked you out right then and there."
"You did." She conceded. "And since you were cute, I said, yes."
"I fell for you right then." He murmured, exhaustion begining to take its toll.
"I fell for you too." She pressed a tender kiss to his lips. "And so the couple dated. The devastatingly handsome man turned out to be a brilliant doctor who saved the exceptionally beautiful doctor's life."
"They married." He yawned, eyes closing as peace fell upon him once more.
"And lived happily ever after." Chris whispered.
Tobias's slow breaths allowed her a chance to relax once more beside him. Hugging him close, she fell into a deep sleep.
I am so glad you ended it that way 😍😆 such a sweet couple!!! Love these two together 🥰
Me, every time when I see an update of you: Eeeeek, you're here!!!!!! I miss you so much <3
Lol I miss you too!!! I only pop on every once in awhile cause I’ve been so busy. I hope school is going good!!! ❤️
One Shot - Ethan x f!mc
By request of the lovely @hatlley and thanks to the tireless work of @hopelessromantic1352 I present you with this one-shot based on this deliciousness:
Keep reading
LOVE THIS 😍 I love all the little details you added that made it so realistic and it’s just so cute because now this is their everyday reality they get to live, but they still have fun with each other.
What Could Have Been (4/?)
Series Premise: When Ethan breaks his promise, Cassie is forced to accept they’re not inevitable after all.
Book: Open Heart Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine) Rating/Category: Teen. Angst Words: 1,195
Series Masterlist
Chapter 4: New Normal. Old Habits. Time to accept the reset and explore new possibilities.
Whenever Cassie Valentine had imagined her life as a doctor, it invariably involved her medical hero, Ethan Ramsey. Back then, she had only known his words and thoughts on diagnostics.
She had come to Edenbrook to learn from him and hopefully impress him enough that he’d agree to mentor her. Falling in love with him hadn’t been part of her plan.
Their relationship hadn’t been the plan, and yet they were inevitable. Or so she had believed once upon a time.
Nothing lasts forever, she reminded herself as she got dressed for work. She would always carry a version of him in her heart, one she didn’t have but couldn’t lose.
Despite their awkwardness last week, their relationship had begun to… normalize. They were professionals, after all, and loved the work. When it came to the Diagnostics Team, Cassie was already learning so much.
Their latest case involving Lamar Stevenson was the perfect example. It would have never occurred to her to conduct a home visit to diagnose an illness. But the systematic way Ethan walked her through the process opened her eyes.
For a while, she forgot that they were no longer together as a couple. Once they were away from the hospital, the easy banter returned, and so did the light teasing she could never resist with him. Ethan could be too serious, but never with her.
“If I lived here, I would lose my mind,” she said dramatically, gazing at the placid bay.
The beach house didn’t even have the melodrama of angry waves crashing against the rocks. What exactly did people do with so much quiet?
“What about this would make you go insane?” Ethan asked in surprise, clearly not expecting her answer.
“Are you kidding?” She shook her head and spread her arms to encompass the scene. “It’s way too boring! I need to live in the middle of the action.”
“One would think you already get plenty of action,” Ethan grinned, his expression more relaxed than she’d seen in a while.
When Cassie raised one eyebrow, his face flushed, and he stumbled over his words. “I meant your casework. Get your mind out of the gutter.”
“Too late,” she almost quipped but suddenly remembered who they were, or weren’t rather, and swallowed her words.
When she almost fell off the chair while reaching for the photo album from the top of the armoire, she never doubted Ethan would catch her. But she hadn’t been prepared for the scent of his cologne and that feeling of rightness as he held her in his arms.
They stared at each other, blue eyes clashing with green, both reluctant to let go. Following instinct, she leaned closer, and he did the same, their foreheads almost touching.
This is how it could’ve been, Cassie thought wistfully. But it wasn’t; she was only torturing herself and him by letting the moment linger.
That was yesterday. Today, it was back to being Dr. Valentine and Dr. Ramsey.
Cassie exited the subway station with Sienna, half-listening to her friend talk about her intern Mitch. Her mind was jumbled with her dream of Ethan last night and Lamar’s worsening condition.
As they neared the hospital’s entrance, Sienna nudged her shoulder forcefully. Cassie glanced at her friend and realized someone was standing before them, blocking their way.
Nate Hanson looked just as good as she remembered. They had gone on one date six months ago but had flirted plenty over text. Conflicting schedules kept getting in the way of their second date.
And then things between her and Ethan changed after Miami. There wasn’t room for anyone else in her heart after that.
“Nate? What are you doing here?” she asked, wondering if she missed a message from Max that his friend was coming to Boston.
“Board meeting,” he said, smiling in a sincere way that was part of his charm. “My company concluded the research project with the hospital, so I’m presenting final recommendations to the board.”
Nate looked askance at Sienna, who was watching him with curiosity. Cassie quickly made the introductions.
“It’s good to see you, Cassie,” Nate said, the appreciative look in his hazel eyes boosting her self-confidence. “Is it too much to hope you’re still single?”
“She’s definitely single,” Sienna grinned cheekily.
Nate laughed, and Cassie threw her friend a disgruntled look. Unrepentant, Sienna waved it away and slid a lascivious sideways look at Nate.
His phone pinged, and he checked the screen. “Shoot. I have to head upstairs.”
He moved closer, and Cassie tilted her head back to gaze into his eyes.
“Can I please take you to dinner tonight? Our previous efforts at scheduling didn’t work, so let’s be spontaneous,” he added when Cassie looked doubtful.
“I get off at six,” Cassie relented.
“Great! I’ll pick you up at seven from your apartment. If that works?” Nate said.
“Seven is perfect,” Sienna piped in.
He smiled and winked conspiratorially at Sienna, making Cassie huff in exasperation.
“Don’t you want to know where I live?” Cassie called out as he started to walk away.
“I’m a hotshot CEO. I’ll find out,” Nate shot back cockily over his shoulder.
Suddenly, he turned around as if pulled by a string and slowly walked back toward her, looking abashed.
“Sorry. I was trying to be cool,” Nate said, nervously running one hand through his hair. “I have no idea where you live and, short of asking your brother, no way of finding out in a way that would be considered legal.”
“Give me your phone,” Cassie ordered, rolling her eyes but secretly amused too.
Later that day, Cassie sipped the coffee Alan Ramsey had bought her as thanks and absently reflected on her upcoming date.
But her mind kept drifting to Ethan and his vulnerability, barely there before his mask descended when his mother was mentioned. So much of his life was a closed book and always would be, she thought morosely.
Meeting his father, knowing Ethan had mentioned her to him, had been the highlight of her afternoon. And for another brief moment, back at the coffee shop, they’d forgotten about the reset.
She hated seeing Ethan upset and reached across the table to press her hand to his. He didn’t resist. Instead, he gently stroked hers with his thumb. The gesture was so loving and familiar tears pricked her eyes.
“I’m here for you,” she whispered, feeling his anger and pain.
Cassie wanted to wrap her arms around him, for him to be hers again so that she could comfort him in a way not allowed between colleagues. But the spell broke with his next words.
“I mean it, Cassie. This means nothing,” he said definitively. “I don’t even know why my father came all the way here to tell me.”
It was sobering to realize the man she loved could be so heartless. If he was willing to easily cut his mother off and call her a stranger, what chance did Cassie have that he’d eventually let her back into his life?
Despite his gentle touch, Ethan could be harsh and unforgiving. And she would do well to remember that.
----------------
Ughhh the angst 😩
A Kiss on the Hand (Part 2️⃣)
Book: Open Heart Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Sawyer Brooks) Rating: General Warning: None Category: Hurt/Comfort; Angsty Fluff Word count: 2.1K Series Summary: After realizing just how much they mean to each other, Ethan and Sawyer express their love through a sweet hand gesture. A/N: Artwork by the incredible @/artbyainna on Instagram. This is three-part series.
Part One: Soulmates
Part Two: Always Three Times
In his car after the memorial service … apologizing for his behavior when Louise showed up at Edenbrook … after making love at Dagger Mountain … before her flight to Las Vegas … the night of the gala … and a hundred instances in between.
Those were all the times Ethan had held Sawyer's hand to his lips and kissed it. Always three times.
She found it charming the way he did it before saying "goodnight" or "goodbye." Other times, it was followed by "thank you." Occasionally, it was after “I’m sorry.” And sometimes, it seemed to be for no reason at all.
Toward the end of her shift, Sawyer's phone vibrated in the pocket of her lab coat. It was Ethan calling.
“Hi, how are y-” her greeting interrupted.
“Can you … can you meet me? I … I need s-someone to … I need you to drive me home … I would like to go home,” he slurred.
“What’s wrong? Where are you?” her voice was laced with concern.
“Uh … Ha-Harry’s.”
“Harry who?” Sawyer tapped open the map app on her phone and did a quick search. “Harry’s? Is that a bar? The one off of Commonwealth?”
“Mmhmm.”
“I’m calling for a car, okay? I’ll be there soon,” she promised.
Ethan's head was buried in his palms when Sawyer gently laid her hand on his shoulder a short time later. “Hey, you. Are you ready to go home?”
He lifted his head and turned to her in surprise. “You came for me?”
“Of course,” she answered, softly running her fingers through the back of his hair.
This was so out of character for him, Sawyer thought. Ethan was not one to get this inebriated. In fact, it was the first time she had ever seen him in an altered state.
“Did you settle up?” she glanced at the bartender who gave her an affirmative nod. With an appreciative smile, she turned back to Ethan and held out her hand. “Keys?”
Aside from the “I’m sorry” he murmured falling into the passenger seat, Ethan was quiet during the drive home.
When they got back to his apartment, he allowed Sawyer to take care of him. She managed to get him to hydrate and eat a piece of toast, only to watch him empty the contents of his stomach a short while later. After cleaning up, she helped him dress for bed and tucked him in.
Returning from the kitchen with another glass of water and aspirin, she warned, “You don’t have the ingredients for my miracle hangover cure, so you’ll have to settle for coffee and more aspirin in the morning.” She kissed his forehead, feeling sorry for him and the massive headache he would undoubtedly have the next day.
Sawyer got herself ready for bed, and joined Ethan under the covers. He rolled over to face her, taking her hand in his. Their arms each bent at the elbow, he clasped his fingers over hers, and stared intensely into her eyes.
“Are you challenging me to an arm wrestling match?” she raised an eyebrow and giggled.
Though she teased, Ethan was quite serious in his still drunken state. He brought her hand to his lips. One kiss. Two kisses.
“How many was that?” he asked, fighting a big yawn.
“Two.”
He pecked it again. Three kisses.
Sawyer was curious, “Why three times?”
Ethan clumsily attempted to interlace their fingers. “Hmm?”
“When you kiss my hand … it’s always three times. Why?”
Inhibitions forgotten, he answered, pressing his lips to the top of her hand again. “I-”
Then again, “Love-”
And a third time, “You.”
Sawyer's eyes welled up as she returned his love-struck smile. All those times before and she never realized.
Struggling to keep his eyes open, she stroked Ethan's cheek, quickly lulling him to sleep.
When his snores were loud enough to drown her out, she whispered, "I love you too, Ethan Ramsey."
<><><><><><><><><><>
A couple weeks later, a howling nor’easter had settled over Boston. The devastating storm brought heavy rain, flooding, and hurricane-force winds. The city was already experiencing widespread power outages. Traffic lights were out, trees were blown over, roofs were torn off, and cars floated down streets that had turned into rivers.
While all of that was happening outside, there was another storm brewing within the walls of Edenbrook. In a private office on the fifth floor.
Sawyer threw her head back in frustration, “Annnd, here we go again.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You always make it about my career! Ethan, I don’t need to be a famous or groundbreaking physician like you or Naveen or Harper. That’s not my goal. That's not why I got into medicine.”
“And you think that’s why I got into medicine?” he retorted.
“I know it’s not. But the fact is, that's the direction your career took, and it's the standard by which you judge mine.”
“That’s not true!" he objected. Vexed, he ran his hand through his hair. “Look, I know you don’t seek fame or prestige … but you did choose Edenbrook because you wanted to learn from the best. You are incredibly smart, Sawyer. The way you connect the dots to solve a case … I’ve never witnessed anything like it. I can only imagine the kinds of medical mysteries you will be able to solve, and the number of people you will be able to help … with the right training and resources. You have so much potential, and I don’t want to see it wasted or taken for granted at a place like Kenmore,” he disdained. “Not when you can finish your residency somewhere more prestigious and worthy like-”
“With an ethics trial and a two-month psychiatric leave of absence on my record? Ethan. I’ll be lucky if I get selected for residency at Boise Medical Center.”
“No one is going to pay attention to that,” Ethan argued, “... not when they see your name attached to the baumannii-bacteriophage diagnosis. And not when they see you were a junior fellow on the most sought after diagnostics team in the U.S. Plus, you have stellar references from both Naveen and me.”
Having gotten slightly off topic, Sawyer exhaled a deep breath and rubbed her forehead.
“I don’t understand you, Sawyer. I’m telling you that I’ve made the decision to go wherever you want so we can stay together. I am willing to make this sacrifice for our relationship. I thought you’d be happy. I thought that’s what you’d want.”
“How would you know what I want? You haven’t bothered to ask!” With a sigh, “God, Ethan … when are you going to get it? It’s not about what you decided … it’s about the fact that you decided … you always decide what’s best for the both of us. You did it in Miami, and when you ran off to the Amazon-”
Gesturing between them, “Do you not want this anymore?” he cut her off curtly.
"I don't know if that's genuine concern, or if you’re just being an asshole, but please don't go there," she fumed. “Of course I want this. Us. All I'm asking for is a conversation … one where we decide our future together. I don’t want you to resent me later because you sacrificed everything while I got everything I wanted. This is a big decision and I think it’s only fair that I have a seat at the table, Ethan.”
Suddenly their pagers sounded off, summoning them to the emergency room. The hospital was just a few weeks from closing, and many doctors had already transferred, leaving Edenbrook’s trauma center severely short-staffed. Naveen had called on every available resident and attending to fill the gaps.
“I guess we’ll have to finish this later,” Sawyer stood to leave.
“It’s probably for the best. This is neither the time nor the place to have this discussion.”
"Right," she muttered under her breath, as working 16-hour clinic shifts seven days a week had not given them much time to have an at-length conversation.
They walked in silence toward the elevator bay, Sawyer trailing a few paces behind. She saw Ethan press the elevator button, but continued down the hall.
“Where are you going?” he called out.
“I’m taking the stairs,” she replied coldly.
<><><><><><><><><><>
Several hours had passed since their argument, but with the emergency room packed with storm-related injuries, Sawyer hadn’t had much time to dwell on it.
Waiting for an inbound ambulance, she propped herself against the wall and took a moment to catch her breath. No longer running the ABCs of trauma assessment in her head, her mind wandered back to the petty quarrel with her boyfriend. They didn’t fight often, but when they did, they were usually quick to resolve things. To signal the end of each squabble, Ethan would always kiss her hand three times.
It bothered her that this argument still hung over them. Her indignation had subsided and she felt regretful for walking away in anger. She didn't mean to come across as ungrateful either. She was touched that Ethan would be willing to uproot his life in Boston for her. It meant a lot, even if she needed more convincing that it was the right thing to do.
Behind her, she heard his voice giving instructions to a nurse. Sawyer turned around, saw him walking towards her, and met him halfway.
“Hey, can we talk real quick?” she asked. “Wait … why are you wearing scrubs? And a jacket? Where are you going?”
“Boston F.D. needs more hands in the field," Ethan began to explain. "EMTs are struggling to keep up with the incoming calls and the road conditions are causing delay in response time. Not to mention the E.R. is overwhelmed. They’ve requested a few doctors to ride along and administer time-saving treatment in the field, and I volunteered.”
“No! It’s not safe out there. Look around,” she pleaded. “We just treated two EMTs who were hurt because a tree crashed on top of their rig … and … and a firefighter before that who got swept away in floodwaters...”
In an instant, their fight was completely forgotten, as anger and frustration gave way to fear and worry.
Acknowledging her anxiety, he tucked the loose strand of hair that escaped from her messy bun behind her ear.
“It will be okay … we’ll be careful. And you and I will talk later. I promise.” He glanced over her head, through the rain-splattered glass door, where red lights flashed. “I really need to go, they’re waiting for me.” He gave her a reassuring squeeze on the wrist before reaching for the door.
“Ethan, wait,” she tugged him back.
Sawyer raised his hand to her lips and kissed it three times, never breaking eye contact.
She saw the moment it clicked for him … what she was doing … what she was saying. She watched as the edges of his mouth curved into a slight smile.
Despite having agreed to a no PDA rule at work, Sawyer did not care at that moment. Apparently, neither did Ethan. Cupping her face in his hands, he placed a tender kiss on her lips, then on her forehead.
“And I you … more than anything,” he whispered before turning and walking out the door.
<><><><><><><><><><>
Sawyer stood at a desk situated in the middle of the emergency room, dictating lab orders to Megan, one of the trauma nurses. When a distinct ring pattern interrupted them, the nurse held her finger up to ask Sawyer to hold for a minute. Pressing the intercom button, Megan readied herself at the computer.
“Edenbrook Trauma Center, go ahead,” she answered.
“This is Aid Car 23. We are inbound, ETA five minutes. Requesting level-1 trauma on arrival.”
Checking the E.R. board, she replied, “23, your request is granted. Go ahead.”
“Patient is male, mid 30’s, status post-MVC, GCS 8 at the scene. Unrestrained at the time of the accident. Decreased breath sounds … obvious trauma to the chest … major head lac … tachy’s to the 120’s … BP is low and dropping fast.”
“Thank you, 23. We’ll be ready,” Megan confirmed.
The intercom cracked to life once more, “Edenbrook, be advised … patient is one of your own … Dr. Ethan Ramsey.”
Tag List: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics @potionsprefect @jamespotterthefirst @annfg8 @peonierose @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @jerzwriter @quixoticdreamer16 @mysticalgalaxysstuff @inlocusmads @txemrn @trappedinfanfiction @mvalentine @takemyopenheart @openheartforeverinmyheart @doriopenheart @coffeeheartaddict2 @genevievemd @starrystarrytrouble @hopelessromantic1352 @kyra75 @lsvdw-blog @rookiemartin @headoverheelsforramsey
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What??! Noooo 😩 this series is gonna kill me
