He was spiraling into an abyss of darkness and Nora could only watch, paralysed, as he continued to fall into the bottomless pits, torment utterly consuming him. In the span of a few months, Ethan had gone down a path from which he could never return, and no one except her was the wiser.
The world briefly mourned the loss of one of its best diagnosticians. Naveen Banerji had been an incredibly talented physician and saved many lives during his time on the field. At his funeral, several doctors paid their homage to the great man and watched as his coffin was lowered into the ground. Among those, only one was truly affected by the desolation of Naveen’s absence.
Ethan focused on work, tackling case after case, each more complex and difficult than the last. His office remained tidy to the outside world, all the empty bottles of whiskey hidden away in the drawers of his desk. The couch became his bed, the hospital his home, after he nearly destroyed his entire apartment in a fit of rage. Nora had visited once and been horrified at the chaos inside. Broken glass littered the living room, the previously framed photographs torn to shreds. The splintered wood from his trophy case had scratched the already cracked TV screen, his awards thrown carelessly around. Ethan had been sat against the far wall, bloodied and bruised, as he cried for Naveen, shouting about the unfairness of the universe.
Nora tended to his wounds, kissing each one in the hopes of soothing his pain. His usually striking blue irises had been as broken as the shards that tore his skin, misery dulling the vivid colour. Nora cradled him in her arms, uncontrollable sobs wrecking his body. Ethan’s fragility and vulnerability had brought tears to her own eyes. He fell asleep in her embrace, pacified by her comforting presence.
They barely saw each other following that night. Nora understood Ethan needed his space, but she made sure he knew he was not alone. When she was not busy, she would stop by his office to check up on him and grab a cup of coffee. Sometimes, Nora sat down with him while they worked on their own files. Other times, Ethan was having one of his good days and took her to Derry Roasters. He always insisted on paying for her coffee, so Nora relented after a while. She contented herself with the fact that Ethan seemed to be dealing with the suffering a bit better every day.
Naveen had been underground for a little over two months. Nora still smiled whenever they passed by each other in the hallway. However, there was an improvement on Ethan’s part: the acknowledging nod had become a small spark in his eyes at the sight of her.
He often worked cases with her now, careful not to show any favouritism to the other interns vying for the diagnostics position. If Nora were to be completely honest with herself, she had completely forgotten about the competition. Her sole focus was helping Ethan cope with the loss of Dr. Banerji.
She noticed a change in their relationship. She was the only one Ethan allowed inside his walls, which resulted in a proximity between them neither were completely aware of. Instead of consulting at his desk, they’d moved to the couch. A cup of coffee always awaited her at the end of every shift. Nora had begun to stay up late with Ethan. Most nights, she waited until he fell asleep to go home. He was slowly starting to return to his apartment, though. Nora would accompany him and help him tidy it up to the immaculate state it had once been in. The nights he would sleep at his place where the nights he drove her home.
Around Christmas, their friendship strengthened to the point Nora spent the day at his apartment. Her roommates had organized a house party and her place was packed, so no one noticed her absence. He wasn’t one to celebrate, what with no one to share the day with. Still, it might have been one of the best Christmas Nora ever had.
Ethan made an impromptu trip to the supermarket and came back with bags full of snacks for them to eat while watching the usual holiday movies.
He tossed popcorn at the screen when a corny scene came on, laughing when Nora protested. It quickly turned into a small fight, in which Ethan overpowered her and pinned her down to the sofa. His playful smile tricked her into thinking he would kiss her, only to be sorely disappointed when he found her weak point and tickled her to the point she couldn’t breathe anymore.
Nora hid under the covers when he had the brilliant idea of changing the channel to a horror movie. Ethan rubbed soothing circles on her back, chuckling and kissing the top of her head every time a scream scared her.
The next morning, they woke up in a tangled heap on the floor, Nora on top of him. Ethan prepared them breakfast while she cleaned up the living room. He told her she could change into one of his shirts, which resulted in Nora finding a hidden mistletoe in his bedroom.
He laughed in disbelief when he saw Nora standing on her tiptoes behind him, hanging the small plant over their heads. Ethan caught her by surprise, suddenly lifting her onto the kitchen island, and capturing her lips in a passionate kiss that left them both wanting more. The ringing of her phone interrupted any further activity.
As the weeks went by, their relationship progressed from innocent little touches to lustful stares and stolen kisses in his office. Nora blamed Emery’s suspicions on Ethan, because he couldn’t stop himself from touching her in public. Light arm squeezes here and there combined with not-so-subtle smiles were enough to make anyone suspicious, and yet only the Chief of Medicine noticed.
By the time the competition came to a finish, Ethan had his decision made. No one was really surprised to see Nora win the position, though Harper confronted him about it, upset that her niece had failed to meet Ethan’s expectations. Aurora also confronted Nora, accusing her of sleeping with the physician to gain an advantage. Nora had simply rolled her eyes and walked away.
Working on the same team meant spending more time together. Their cases were the same, after all. Ethan became stricter at the hospital, knowing Nora had the potential to be a great doctor. At home, though, he was the caring, kind, playful man she was beginning to fall in love with.
Every weekend, Ethan and Nora visited the cemetery and the former shared stories of his late mentor as they sat in front of his grave. Nora held his hand, showing her support. He kissed their joined knuckles when sadness took over, relieved to have her by his side.
Ethan was smiling again, laughing again. Nora was the one who made him happy and kept his walls down. The hospital staff didn’t understand the lighter change in his behaviour, but no one dared comment on it, afraid they would jinx Ethan’s newfound patience and pleasant mood.
The fear that kept her body in place released her. Nora reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him closer to her and away from the abyss. His arms wrapped securely around her smaller frame, his love for her stronger than the darkness that threatened to pull him under.
Notes — English is not my native language. I’m Portuguese.
If this comes out shitty, I blame it on my sickness. How come I always get sick when I’m on vacation and never during school??
Also, this might be my last fic writing in the second point of view. It’s a bit harder than I originally thought because I get so repetitive with all the you’s and your’s and stuff. I might start writing with my OC, Nora Holland (I’ll post something soon so you can get to know her)
The flashing lights were beginning to hurt your eyes, the loud bass pumping in your ringing ears. All of your med school buddies had disappeared, half having already gone home. The dance floor was packed with drunken club goers, you squashed right in the middle.
As you tried to get to the bar, a heavy body slammed into you, all the air leaving your lungs with the sudden impact. A pair of strong arms caught you before you hit the ground. A tall, blond man carefully dragged you out of the crowd, helping you across the room.
“Thank you,” you gasped, clutching onto the sleeve of his grey sweater. Raising your head, your eyes widened at the stranger, who gave you a confused smile. “E-Etienne?”
“No.” He shook his head. “You must confusing me with someone else, miss. My name is Jack,” he yelled over the deafening music. “Are you alright? My friend’s a bit heavy.”
You blinked a couple times, bittersweet memories flooding your drunken mind. Jack frowned, crouching to your eye-level when you remained unresponsive.
“Miss?”
“Uh? Sorry, sorry. Thanks for helping me, James,” you waved at him as you walked away, mind elsewhere.
“It’s Jack actually!” He shouted after you, though his voice was drowned out by the booming noises around him.
Reaching the counter, you sat down on a stool with a heavy sigh. Jason bore a borderline terrifying resemblance to your ex, which resulted in a bout of undesirable reminders of the French to pop up in your head unannounced.
Etienne had been your first love and first heartbreak. You met in med school, where he was an exchange student from Marseilles. He was charming, sweet and perfect boyfriend material. He held a mysterious aura as the unknown foreigner, which enchanted many boys and girls. But he only had eyes for you.
For a while, you truly believed you had found your Prince, just like you’d always dreamt as a child. Etienne bought you flowers and chocolates every day, left cute notes in your bag when you weren’t looking and took you out on unique dates, each surpassing the last.
Everything changed three years later, when you found him cheating on you with a girl he’d picked up at a random nightclub. He’d tried to apologize, of course, and tell you she meant nothing, but your heart had already shattered into a million pieces and no love profession of his would ever erase the hurt you were feeling.
The alcohol clouding your thoughts cast a fog over his betrayal, leaving only the little things that made you fall in love with Etienne in the first place. Your phone sat in front of you, contact list opened as you pondered your options.
Ethan
heyyy its me! your ex, rember?? i ws thinkin abou u
i know your in paris n oulala but theres this guy who rly looks like u at lux n i misss u
come back pls???
Your head felt heavy, eyes unable to stay open any longer. Your arms formed a pillow, hair sprawling over the wooden surface of the bar, as you allowed sleep to take over, tiredness washing over you.
That was how Ethan found you, over fifteen minutes later, when he walked into the club. You were snoring softly in a corner, phone dangerously dangling on the edge of the counter. He stood behind you for a few seconds, relieved to find you safe. He had been extremely worried when he first received your text, fearing the worst.
Ethan gently laid a hand on your back, his thumb caressing the exposed skin of your nape, softly whispering your name. You stirred, your elbow connecting with your phone. His fingers wrapped around the cold device, preventing its fall. The screen lit up, showing your notifications.
Ethan
Rookie? What happened?
Ethan
How much did you drink?
Ethan
Please answer my texts, I’m getting worried.
Ethan
Stay there, I’m coming to pick you up.
Ethan
Be safe.
Ethan
Please, be alright…
He nibbled on his lower lip, recalling his distress and uneasiness. His evening had been relatively calm. Ethan had been watching TV when he got the first text and immediately began worrying, knowing you would never bother him unless it was an emergency. From what he’d gathered, he could tell you were obviously intoxicated and texted the wrong number. It didn’t sit well with him to leave you in that state.
You came to your senses when he shook you again, moaning at the pounding in your head. Ethan’s concerned blue eyes stared intently at you, watching your every move.
“Dr. Ramsey?”
“Good evening, Rookie.” He gave your shoulder a light squeeze, his scowl melting away, replaced by a small smile. “Glad to see you’re okay.”
“What happened?”
“You got drunk,” he said, handing you your phone. “You texted me, and I got worried. Are you here with someone?”
“Yeah, my—my friends.” You glanced around. “Most of them are gone, I think.”
“Then I’ll drive you home, if you don’t mind.”
“That’d be great, actually.”
The drive back to your apartment was silent, apart from the low music drifting from the radio. Ethan didn’t ask any more questions, letting you sleep a bit more in his car after covering you with a quilt he carried around in his trunk. He steered the wheel with one hand, the other warm on your knee. You suspected it was his way of making sure you were really alright, assuring himself he got you before anything terrible could happen.
He pulled up to your apartment, turning off the engine. You blinked the sleep away, a smile on your lips.
“Thanks for coming, Ethan,” you whispered, a headache forming in the back of your head.
He nodded, his blue depths conveying how much he cared for you. He leant closer, your eyelids fluttering close. His stubble gently scratched your cheek as his lips made contact with your skin, lingering for a moment.
“I’ll see you Monday, Y/N.” Ethan mumbled, pulling back. A pleased smile danced on his lips.
“Yeah.” Your voice came out as a breathless whisper. You cleared your throat as his smile grew bigger, a flush reddening your cheeks. “Thanks again.”
hey! So I was thinking that if I’m going to be continuing my idea of a social Media Fic with Ethan and Nora, I’m gonna do it on Wattpad cause it’s so much easier over there with the format and all. It’ll take a while, but you can follow me (@quininhas) and be notified when it’s fully published!
I’m absolutely in love with this drawing, I couldn’t stop imagining how MC felt in Ethan’s arms❤️❤️. Took me six hours to be done but it’s totally worth it.
Here’s my first drawing for EthanFREAKINGRamsey. I’m not really satisfied with how it came but it took a lot of time to be done so it’s fair to post it. (Probably gonna redraw it)
Due to some complications, I won’t be able to post on Tumblr anymore. Fuck you Tumblr. All of my drawings are posted on my instagram. (This post was served by @blossomanarchy aka Maud aka my manager aka my ex-manager (I quit because Eva wouldn’t buy me an Ipad, she only wanted to give me the box smh bish))
Honestly, this one has taken the most time out of all the single art pieces I’ve ever done… but as they say hard work pays off.
I made this one because I truly believe that Ethan deserves a happy ending with mc. And I love the idea of seeing him as a father. Plus Ethan’s dog Jenner doesn’t get much attention (not even by pb).
This made me so happy, and I hope it brings a smile up on someone’s face.
So@playchoices if you see this please make it happen❤️❤️
P.s. I couldn’t decide what eye color their daughter would have so I got her both.
My previous post almost got deleted, but I ended up taking out the mature one then appealing to it. Luckily my appeal got accepted and added back the mature content. Smart isn’t it? :D
