Notes — English is not my native language. I’m Portuguese.
If any of you get the reference in this chapter, I’ll give you a cookie. Hint: it’s a place name. This might be my longest fic yet and I am surprisingly satisfied with the results.
The low rumble of the airplane’s engine arouses Nora from deep slumber. Shifting into a more comfortable position, the young physician winces at the stiffness in her nape. Travelling by plane had never been her favourite mode of transportation.
A quick glance around reveals the number of hours gone by since take-off, the moon clearly visible through the small window and stars illuminating the caliginous extent of the night sky. Nora notices her companions rising from their seats, gathering their belongings from the overhead bins. A shadow is cast over her luggage as a towering figure comes into view. Lifting her head, Nora meets the icy blue stare of one Ethan Ramsey.
“Coming, Rookie?” His tone is laced with a slight hint of weariness, product of the long period cooped up inside the aircraft.
“Yes, sir.”
Nora inhales deeply, disconcerted by the sudden blurriness of her vision. A pale hand catches her elbow, steadying her in place. Landry knits his eyebrows in a silent question, to which she smiles gratefully in reply.
He trails behind her as she descends the stairs leading to the tarmac. They join the rest of the group in the shuttle bus, where they sit together. Nora heaves an exhausted sigh, the chilly breeze raising a stream of goosebumps across her skin.
Thirty minutes later, the five interns stand in the lobby of their assigned hotel, watching Dr. Ramsey have a quiet, heated discussion with the receptionist. A scowl twists his handsome features, shoulders tense. Nora can recognize the subtle telltale signs of his anger, such as the small step he takes away from the woman and the clench of his jaw. After a few moments, he grudgingly accepts the access cards from the clerk and turns on his heel, striding towards them with frown lines marring his face.
“Apparently, the hotel made a mistake with our reservations and only one of the rooms I ordered is correct. I apologize in advance for the inconvenience, but one of you will have to share a room with me.” The frustration is obvious in his posture, understandably irritated by the hotel’s faux pas.
Silence falls over the younger doctors, who exchange bewildered glances between them. Landry is visibly terrified with the prospect of being alone with Dr. Ramsey, as is Isabelle Whitman, the intern who surpassed Jackie in the rankings and became the fifth best contestant after spending a week in tenth place.
Nora rolls her eyes at their hesitation, wondering why they were so afraid of sleeping in the same room as their boss. They were all vaccinated grown-ups, after all. What could go wrong?
“Well?” A note of impatience adds an edge to his usual snark, his frown deepening at their lack of response.
“I’ll do it, sir.” Nora volunteers, drawing quiet relief sounds from her colleagues.
He nods in appreciation, giving her one of the cards. “Why don’t you settle in? I’ll have to stay down here for a while to sort some things out.”
Nora inspects the small object, noting their room is located in the seventh floor. When they reach the elevator, Nora is surprised to see the other interns — except Landry — giving her suspicious looks.
“Are you serious right now?” she snaps, annoyed. “None of you wanted to sleep in his room and he was already in a bad mood. Did you really want to be chewed out for being grown-ass adults and scared of sharing a room with him?”
Isabelle and Jackson’s accusing stares soften into sheepish expressions, silently apologizing. Aurora merely shrugs, choosing to ignore them as the elevator continues its ascent to their rooms. Nora is the last one to pile out of the platform, heading in the opposite way.
The door swings open to reveal a cosy space decorated in neutral shades of brown and grey, fully furnished with landscape paintings, a queen-size bed and a wide dresser. Nora pauses, realisation dawning. Groaning, she locks the door behind her and leaves her luggage near the coat rack to search the dresser.
Rummaging through the drawers, she finds an extra set of blankets and an unused pillow. She creates a makeshift bed next to the one offered by the hotel and draws back the curtains, uncovering a glass door leading to a private balcony.
Deciding to explore the new feature later, Nora reaches for her bags and inwardly curses her luck when she finds the packed pajamas. She’d prepared under the assumption of good weather in Seattle and sharing a room with the other girls, thus resulting in a revealing pair of pajamas. The strap top formed a low V from her neckline to the middle of her breasts, exposing nearly half of her belly, and the short shorts were thin and left very little to imagination.
The hot water washes all her worries away for the time being. Nora entertains herself by humming along to a tune she’d heard on the radio recently while applying shampoo and hair conditioner, missing the sounds of Ethan moving about in the room next door.
Turning off the shower, she wraps one of the fluffy towels around her torso, brushes her teeth and gets dressed. She tries to tug down the shorts, to no avail. Steeling herself, Nora leaves the bathroom.
“Holy sh—” Her scream is muffled by her own hand covering her mouth. Ethan turns, startled by her reaction to his sudden presence.
“Yell a little louder, will you Nora?” The playfulness in his blue depths betrays his exasperation, an amused smile rising in his face. Hand falling back to her side, Nora glowers at him.
“Keep dreaming, Ramsey, you haven’t hit that spot yet.” The witty comeback flies from her mouth before she can stop it. A blush sears through her already flushed cheeks, deepening the redness.
Ethan smirks, raising his hands in mock surrender. Nora averts her gaze from his face, instead sweeping down to his bare chest, a sparse patch of dark hair disappearing into the waistband of his grey sweatpants. His abdominals are well-defined, though not overly so. Nora gathers Ethan still makes an effort to keep fit despite his lack of time.
Nora weaves around him, sleep clouding her mind. However, the floor is clear of her pallet.
“Are you coming to bed, or not?” Ethan questions, lifting one side of the blankets and sliding inside. Nora pauses, considering his offer. A small smile grows on his lips when she snuggles into the comforter, sighing in satisfaction.
Her head sinks into the pillow as Ethan rolls onto his side to face her, their bodies separated by a hair’s breadth. Nora runs her tongue along the length of her lower lip, nibbling on the flesh. They had never been this close. His icy blues cause a stream of memories to resurface, bringing forth all the moments in which Nora had felt their bond strengthening over the time they’d known each other.
From watching over baby Ethan Hudson together and her falling asleep on his shoulder to him confiding in her the condition his mentor, his family, found himself in. Nora understood she’d earned Ethan’s full trust when he allowed her to comfort him in the privacy of his home and participate in the seemingly impossible mission of seeking a treatment to Dr. Banerji’s condition. In between that time, she couldn’t help the feelings developing for the man. She had been showed a side to Ethan many few were aware of. A caring man with the kindest soul and most loving of hearts.
“What’s on that pretty mind of yours, hm?” Ethan softly taps her temple, his voice a low murmur.
Nora gives a fleeting smile, leaning closer to his warmth. “In how much trouble would I be in if I said you?”
“A lot,” he muses quietly. “Though, I’d be very flattered.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to inflate your ego, now, would I?” Nora laughs, mindful of the late hour.
Ethan’s fingertips ghost over the exposed skin on her stomach, lost in his thoughts. His hand comes to rest on the small of her back, applying soft pressure. Nora nestles into his embrace, burying her face in his chest and inhaling his alluring scent of Hugo Boss cologne and coffee.
Holding each other, their consciousnesses ebb, being replaced by a world of dreams in which they immerse themselves in, a sweet release from the worries of their reality.
Morning greets them like an old friend, bright sunlight filtering through the gaps in the drawn curtains. Ethan awakes to soft sheets and a delicate being tucked into his side, snoring lightly. He maneuvers his way out of bed, careful not to wake Nora, and heads into the shower to get ready for the day.
Nora is still asleep when he leaves the bedroom, though he is not worried. It’s barely ten in the morning and their reunion with the Chief of Medicine at Harborview Medical Center wouldn’t be happening until after lunch.
He uses his time to explore the city, walking around the block and eventually venturing inside a quaint coffee shop. The elderly owners behind the counter are quite nice and Ethan doesn’t mind chatting with them while drinking their coffee — nothing more than decent in his opinion — and eating their pastries — he asks them for some lemon raspberries to go, figuring Nora will appreciate the gesture.
By the time lunch rolls around, he gathers his group of interns in the restaurant of the hotel and informs them of their schedule for the day. A meeting with Robert Harrington, following a tour of the hospital. Each of the interns would shadow a senior resident at HMC during their shift and return to the hotel for dinner. Afterwards, Ethan would leave them to their own devices.
This field trip had been organized with the intent of his top five learning the different methods of doctors around the United States. Robert was a good friend of Naveen’s and had met Ethan on more than one occasion, always extending the invitation of a visit to Harborview. It would also aid him in deciding if the chosen five would keep their positions.
He didn’t see Nora for the rest of the day. Robert had him conferencing with the heads of departments on how to go about curing difficult patients. Instead of going back to the hotel when he left the hospital, Ethan went to a bar he’d spotted while on his morning stroll.
Donahue’s was much better, though this would have to do. Ethan needed a drink to clear his thoughts and remind himself of the consequences a relationship with an intern would bring. His control had been at test the previous night, the proximity between them only increasing the urge to kiss her by the second. Fortunately for him, the exhaustion and weariness won.
Nora is already in their room when Ethan arrives.
“Stealing my clothes, Holland?” He grins, removing his jacket.
Nora lifts her head, smiling in greeting. “I’m sure you noticed my pajamas were a bit too small last night.”
“Not that I minded,” Ethan teases, plopping down next to her on the bed. His hoodie is two sizes too big on her smaller frame, the white colour worn with time and the Rolling Stones logo faded. He can’t help but admire her beauty in his clothes.
She laughs, setting the book she was reading aside and giving him her full attention. Nora crosses her legs, grabbing the hair tie on her wrist and pulling her light brown locks into a messy bun. Ethan bites his lip, supporting his weight on his right elbow as he watches her.
“Stop staring, Ethan,” Nora chastises playfully, face reddening.
“Why? You’re beautiful.”
The casual reply causes Nora to duck her head with an embarrassed smile. Ethan reaches up and tucks a stray tendril behind her ear, giving a gentle tug to her shoulder. She leans down, lips hovering over his. Ethan rubs his thumb on her cheek in a gentle caress, then lowers his hand to cradle the back of her neck as he pulls her down to him.
Nora drapes a leg over his hips, their lips meeting softly at first. Ethan tilts his head, deepening the kiss. Her fingers grasp at the collar of his shirt as his lips become more demanding, teeth lightly grazing her bottom lip. Her yelp of surprise is muffled by his mouth on hers when Ethan pins her underneath him. He smiles, breaking the kiss, and nuzzles her face with his. Nora opens her eyes, seeing the mirth in his own.
“I bought you scones,” he whispers, smirking as he rises to his feet.
Nora falls against the sheets, disoriented by his kiss. “I — what?”
The rich sound of his laugh brings her back to her senses, a moan falling from her lips at the realisation that he had just been teasing.
“Those scones better be God’s gift to Earth, you bastard.” Nora throws a pillow in his direction, blood thundering in her ears due to her accelerated pulse.
The ease of their relationship in that hotel room astonished them both. Perhaps it was the fact that they found themselves miles away from Boston, where all their problems were located. With Nora in Seattle, Ethan was unburdened by Dolores’ death, Naveen’s sickness and even Harper. Nora, on the other hand, could forget the wedge the competition was driving between her and her roommates and accept her feelings for Ethan as long as he reciprocated. That room was a room solely theirs, neither particularly willing to share with anyone else.
Once again, sunrise finds them tangled together under the sheets. Ethan chooses to stay in bed, and goes back to sleep listening to her heartbeat. Nora is content to draw mindless shapes on his skin, enjoying the warmth of the sunlight and the peacefulness.
Harrington has no more conferences for him to attend, therefore Ethan decides to check up on his interns. He has to scold Aurora for not showing interest in the patients and snap at Landry for being a stuttering mess, but the rest are holding up okay.
It’s nearly six in the afternoon when Ethan sees Nora. He’s leaning against a wall when she passes by, sending him a flirtatious smile. He watches her step inside a supply closet and waits a few seconds, glancing around to see if the coast is clear. The hallway is nearly empty, save for a couple of lingering nurses in the far corner.
He follows after her. Ethan places one of the storage boxes in front of the door, in case someone happened to need something from the closet. He laughs quietly with Nora, feeling like a teenager in love. His hands circle her waist, his lips brushing the slender slope of her neck. He moves to her mouth, kissing her passionately. Nora’s manicured nails scrape the back of his head, tangled in his curls, as the moment becomes heated, their kisses growing more desperate.
Ethan presses her against the wall, leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses on her jawline and hollow of neck, wrapping her legs around his hips. His hands slip under her scrubs, palms hot against the arch of her back. His stubble deliciously scratches her face, her fingers gripping his hair tighter.
Their breathless gasps and moans fill the small room, their desire growing heavy. Ethan glides his lips on hers, swollen and red. He catches her lower lip with his teeth, sucking as he thrusts into her. Nora cries out in pleasure, stifled by his mouth against hers.
He growls, thrusting again and—
“Dr. Ramsey?” The timid knock at the door washes over the both of them like a bucket of ice cold water. Ethan covers Nora with his body, setting her back on her feet. He looks over his shoulder at the still closed door.
He clears his throat, fuddled by the interruption. “Yes?”
“It’s been awhile since you went inside. Is there anything specific you’re searching for?”
Nora snorts and he shushes her with a breathless laugh.
“Just lost in thought. Thank you for your concern,” he replies back, covering Nora’s giggles with his hand.
“Alright.”
Ethan groans in frustration, his forehead hitting the wall as Nora bursts out laughing next to him, sounding slightly hysterical from the lack of oxygen. Ethan turns his head, smiling softly at her. Her face is flushed from their activities, emerald eyes shining with amusement and hair completely disheveled. He touches his fingers to her swollen lips, proud of his doing.
“Fuck, Ethan, you really can’t keep leaving me like this,” Nora falls into him, closing her eyes.
He kisses her temple. “Good thing that woman interrupted us. Fucking you in a supply closet isn’t exactly how I imagine our first time.”
“Oh? Imagine? How naughty of you, sir.”
“Only for you,” Ethan playfully nips the tip of her nose. “I’ll leave first, okay? Wait ten minutes here.”
The rest of the week became a blur for them. Ethan was frequently called by the higher ups to consult and Nora grew increasingly busy following her assignment to Anderson Sterling, the stern attending who had her running around like a headless chicken, giving her case after case without allowing any space to breathe. By the time Ethan went back to the hotel, Nora was already asleep, be it on the bed or in the shower.
The intimacy between the two blossomed considerably. Ethan was much more relaxed around Nora, kissing or hugging her when she least expected. It warmed her heart to see him so loose.
On their last night in Seattle, he told her about a private grotto of the hotel and extended the invitation should she wish to join him.
Nora slides the glass door, stepping into the secluded patio. She makes her way across the pool provided by their hosts and approaches a seemingly normal formation of rocks near the gate separating the hotel from the beach. Finding the fake rock, Nora pushes it aside, clearing the entrance to the grotto.
The way is lit by torches on the walls, illuminating her path to the water. Crossing the stretch of sand, Nora slips through a small gap in the outcrop. The view is breathtaking. In the centre, a natural pool of crystal clear water reflects the moonlight pouring through an opening in the high ceiling, casting a glow in the cavern. Ethan is lying on his back, floating serenely.
Nora shrugs off her floral chiffon kimono, revealing the white string bikini underneath. Ethan is alerted to her presence by the gentle lapping of the water against her legs. He smiles, swimming to meet her in the circle of moonlight.
“This is beautiful.” She cups his face, pecking his lips.
“So are you.” Ethan’s eyes soften with adoration. “I wanted some time alone with you before we got back to Edenbrook.”
“I’m not looking forward to that.” Nora sighs, playing with the hairs at the back of his neck.
“Don’t worry about it now, enjoy the moment.” He starts peppering small kisses on her jawline, lightly squeezing her waist.
Nora splays her hands over his chest, fingertips tracing the outline of his stomach and moving to his back, where she wraps her arms tightly around his torso.
“What are we, Ethan?” she murmurs, meeting his icy blues with her emerald gems.
“I don’t know,” he replies honestly, taking a deep breath. “A relationship would be extremely complicated with me being an attending and you an intern.”
“How do you feel about me?” Nora swallows nervously. “Because I’m afraid I’m falling for someone who won’t catch me.”
Ethan cradles her cheek, thumb caressing the soft skin. His gaze is earnest, the colour of his irises intensifying with the swirl of emotions swimming in that ocean of his. The passion and devotion she sees take her breath away.
“I might be having the worst day, but the moment I see your smile, I feel lighter. Nobody ever cared enough to see through my façade apart from Dolores and Naveen until you came along. You’re always in my head. My first thought when I wake up and the last when I go to bed. I want to be your idea of perfect. I want to be the reason behind your smiles, the light of your life like you are mine. My true happiness is you.”
“Ethan—”
“It’s you. It’s always and it will always be you.”
He touches his lips to her skin, tasting her tears. Nora rests her forehead against his, breath shaking. Ethan lifts her, meeting her lips in a sweet kiss, pouring his love into it. This one is different in the way he is confirming that he will stand by her side no matter what happens, encouraging her to leap for he won’t hesitate to prevent her fall, even if his legs fail him.
Nora inhales, trembling. He kisses her again and the world falls away, their heartbeats blending into a beautiful symphony only they can hear. He carries her to the edge of the grotto, never breaking contact. He lays her on the smooth surface of one of the rocks, the warm water caressing her back.
With practised ease, Ethan peels off the top of her bikini, skillful fingers moving to her breasts, drawing a gasp from his lover.
“Ethan…” Nora moans as he lowers his head, his tongue swirling around one nipple. He sucks gently, massaging her other breast. Nora arches her back, pressing her body against his.
Ethan produces a sound at the back of his throat that arouses her even more, his lips meeting her collarbone. He nips at the sensitive skin, teeth grazing the redness forming there. A shiver of pleasure runs down her spine, her mind a frenzy of sparks.
“Please.” She secures a hold on his shoulders, nails digging into the flesh. Ethan lifts his head, pupils blown with desire.
“Please, what?” He growls, pressing a trail of open-mouthed kisses to her stomach.
“I want you inside me, Ethan.” Nora breathes out.
“My pleasure.” He hooks a finger on the waistband of her thong, tossing them over his shoulder. He spreads her legs, kissing her folds.
“Fuck.”
Ethan smiles against her sex, her wetness soaking his lips. He rubs her clit with his thumb, burying his mouth inside her. Nora whimpers, hands moving from gripping his shoulders to his hair. Her walls clench around his tongue, causing her to come undone beneath him. Ethan licks his lips, tasting her juices.
He removes his swimming trunks, releasing his throbbing manhood. Ethan grabs her hands, intertwining their fingers as he slides them over Nora’s head. He sinks into her, hot breath blowing on the hollow of her neck. Ethan pauses, giving her time to adjust to his length. Then, he starts moving slowly, rocking his hips against hers.
“Fuck, Nora.” His head falls into her shoulder, kissing the curve of her neck. He accelerates the pace, the sounds of their love making echoing in the cavern. He moans, hands drifting to her waist to steady his balance.
He nuzzles her face with passionate kisses, thrusting harder into her. Their mouths encounter messily, swollen lips bumping against each other. The powerful climax leaves Nora quivering, seeing stars.
“Nora—” Ethan buckles, narrowly missing crushing her with his weight. He catches himself at the last moment, his arm trembling from the effort. His head falls forwards, breath escaping him in short gasps.
A mischievous glint appears in his eyes, and Nora laughs breathlessly when he throws her into the water, diving right after. He resurfaces, running a hand through his hair. He grabs her hand, tugging her close to him, and releases it, holding her waist and tipping her backwards.
He captures her lips in a passionate kiss, slowly pulling her to him.
“I believe I just hit that spot.” He smiles cheekily in reference to their first encounter in the shared room.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY PART II!!! This is vocabulary from It’s You (feat. Zico) - Sam Kim. All verbs are in their infinitive form and the list is in alphabetical order.
