Open Heart One Shots (Choices)

Little Things

Summary: When life gets busy, Ethan and Cassie make it a point to enjoy the little things that bring them joy.

Cassie Valentine knew her stomach was growling, and it was all the fault of one Ethan Ramsey.

She had started the day early (her worst nightmare) on account of a department head meeting. No one had told the new administrative assistant that doctors liked to start their day with coffee (the bigger the better) and processed sugar. The poor man thought working in a hospital meant serving fruit cups and kale juice for breakfast.

The way her eyes had narrowed at the beaming nitwit had worried her boyfriend enough that he'd promised unspecified sexual favors if she just kept her cool for the next two hours.

"Fine," she had huffed, taking her seat on the far side of the room, away from the simpleton grinning as if he'd done good; he hadn't. "But if I see melon in that cup, the deal's off."

Ethan rolled his eyes, but Cassie knew it was just for show. The man was well aware of what sugar deprivation did to her; she wasn't one to keep her displeasure hidden.

Four hours later, she still hadn't received her reward for not pelting the idiot admin with melon balls. After their meeting, he'd been pulled into some emergency or the other and Jackie had voluntold her into leading morning rounds.

Normally, Cassie loved rounds as she enjoyed interacting with the next generation of physicians. Today was no different until they reached a patient that had an untouched breakfast tray in the room. The slice of chocolate chip banana bread still wrapped in plastic film had her salivating. It had taken all her willpower to keep her eyes and brain focused on the interns.

The Diagnostics Team didn't have any patients today, so she put in hours in the community clinic. When she walked into her office, she suddenly stopped.

There on her desk was a large coffee cup from Derry Roasters and two chocolate caramel cupcakes. She smiled as she unfolded the note next to the cup, but was puzzled when she read the words, "Happy Anniversary" in Ethan's untidy scrawl.

"Planning to share those?"

"What's this?" she said, turning at the sound of his voice behind her, note still in her hand.

"Don't you remember what today is, Rookie?" he said with a grin.

Straightening away from the door, he walked towards the desk and picked up the cupcake to unpeel the wrapper. He held it out for her, waiting until she took a healthy bite, his breath catching as her lips lightly nipped his fingers.

"Anniversary of Operation Cupcake?" he said, looking expectant.

Her face cleared as the memory came flooding back of how that day two years ago had ended.

"I'd completely forgotten," she exclaimed, finishing off the first cupcake and reaching for the second. "This is just for that?"

"Not completely," he admitted, taking a smaller bite when she offered him the rest. "Consider it a reward for not killing Justin at the meeting and for showing incredible restraint during morning rounds."

When she looked puzzled again, he chuckled.

"I know how much you love chocolate chip banana bread, Cassie," he said, laughter in his voice. "The fact that you didn't swipe it off the tray was very mature of you."

"It was a close thing," she admitted.

"I'm sure it was, love," he said, wiping some chocolate from the corner of her mouth with his thumb. "I have to go, but see you tonight at Donahue's?"