Hope & Josie - 17/15 - May 02
Josie looks inside the bag she packed for the day one last time. There's a blanket for them to sit on, just in case Hope forgets to bring one. Sunscreen since it's supposed to be sunny today. A jacket in case they stay out late and it gets cold. Hope's gifts (it took Josie forever to choose it this year). Some snacks, and that's it. The brunette decided to not bring her swimsuit even though they're going to spend the day at the beach. The Spring air is still chilly, and she knows the water must be freezing because of it.
Finally, when Josie's sure she didn't forget anything essential, she closes the bag and walks downstairs. The Saltzman girl decides to wait for her best friend in the living room since Hope should be there at any moment now.
Celebrating Hope's birthday has always been fun. It's always been the perfect occasion to have a big party and see the whole Mikaelson family reunited. That's exactly why Josie was a bit shocked when Hope suggested they'd have a quiet day at the beach, just the two of them. The brunette agreed, 'cause she'd never let the opportunity to spend some alone time with Hope pass. But there's still a tiny part of her brain that wonders why Hope would want that. The Mikaelson girl has a big family that she loves with her whole heart. She has lots of friends, and lastly, a boyfriend.
Why would Hope want to spend her birthday alone with Josie?
Josie sits down next to her twin on the couch. Lizzie's eyes never leave the TV screen, even when she feels someone sitting next to her.
"Ready for your date with Hope?" The blonde asks.
"Lizzie!" The brunette hisses.
Lizzie finally tears her eyes away from the screen as she gives her twin a side-eye look. Josie's cheeks are a deep shade of pink, she's avoiding eye contact and playing with her fingers. None of it escapes Lizzie's watchful eyes, and soon enough she puts the TV on mute, throws the remote away and turns her whole body to look at Josie. The brunette doesn't turn to look at Lizzie, instead she tries to act like she didn't notice her sister's change of behavior.
"So, Hope, uh?" Lizzie asks with a smirk. Josie glares at her sister, but that doesn't seem to bother the blonde. "Since when?"
The brunette sighs loudly. She can act like she's not in love with Hope, but actually saying she's not in love with Hope seems totally impossible to her. That'd be the biggest lie she'd ever tell.
Josie shrugs. "Always, I guess."
Lizzie's eyes go so wide that Josie's afraid they'll pop out of their socket. The brunette squirms under her twin's gaze, the reality of her confession slowly catching up to her.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
When she hears the hurt in her sister's voice, Josie finally looks at Lizzie.
"For the same reason I didn't tell you about my sexuality." Josie sighs and bites her lower lip. "It's hard for me. Add to that the fact that I could lose Hope if she knew, and-"
Lizzie rolls her eyes and quickly interrupts Josie. "I'm pretty sure you wouldn't lose Hope because of that."
"Well, it could make things weird, and-"
The doorbell rings, interrupting Josie's incoming rant. The brunette quickly gets on her feet, ready to make her way to the door since she's almost sure Hope is standing on the other side. Before she can get out of the living room, Lizzie calls her name.
"Josette! Don't you dare think that we're done talking about this." The blonde twin warns.
Josie doesn't turn around, but she does roll her eyes at her sister's dramatics.
Of course she's not gonna drop it so easily. Josie thinks as she gets to her front door.
The Saltzman girl opens the door, and she can't fight the smile that stretches her lips when she sees Hope. The auburn haired girl is wearing a very simple pair of blue jeans, and her top is hidden under a Timberwolves hoodie. Hope's hair is freely falling on her shoulders, perfectly framing her face.
Instead of greeting Josie, Hope steps closer and quickly pulls her in a tight hug. The brunette's hands find themselves on the older girl's lower back, as Josie immediately melts into the hug.
"Happy birthday, Hope." The Saltzman girl manages to see even though she's a bit overwhelmed by her best friend.
The Mikaelson girl seems to try and bury her face even deeper in Josie's neck, making the brunette's knees weak in the process.
"Thank you, Jo."
The way Hope's lips brush Josie's skin as she's speaking makes goosebumps appear on the brunette's body, so she's kinda relieved when Hope breaks the hug after that. The Mikaelson girl has an easy smile on when Josie finally gets to see her face, a smile that the brunette immediately reciprocates.
"Are you ready?" Hope asks.
"Yeah." Josie looks over her shoulder. "Mom! I'm leaving now."
"Have a good day, sweetie! Call if you need anything." Caroline calls out from the kitchen.
"I will! I love you"
As soon as Caroline says "I love you too", Josie and Hope are out of the door and walking to Hope's car. The auburn haired girl takes her best friend's bag and insists to put it in the trunk herself. Then, they both get inside the car, and Josie expects Hope to just start the engine and drive them to the beach, but she doesn't. The older girl doesn't even buckle up her seatbelt. Josie looks at her friend for a while, waiting for her to just say something. The quiet and closed off side of Hope always had a weird effect on Josie. It makes her worried.
"Hope..." Josie softly calls out.
The brunette watches as the auburn haired girl seems to be shaken out of her thoughts. She turns her head to look at Josie and smiles, but it looks forced. Josie reaches out and takes one of Hope's hands softly, her best friend's blue eyes following the movement. They don't move for a couple of seconds after that, but then Josie hears Hope take a deep breath before she slowly intertwines their fingers together. Josie's eyes leave their hands to look at Hope's face, and when their eyes make contact, the brunette feels like she can't breathe. She doesn't know what's happening, or what will happen. All she knows is that she's still hopelessly in love with Hope Mikaelson.
"Tell me something you never said out loud before."
The words are spoken quietly and slowly. It takes Josie a little while to process them
I'm in love with you. That's the first thing that comes to her mind. The most obvious thing to her.
"I believed in Santa until I was like 11." She blurts out instead. "I acted like I didn't, but... there was always that part of me that still believed."
Hope stays serious for a whole second before she starts laughing. At first, Josie tries to act annoyed, but it's no use, she joins Hope's laughter about 10 seconds after it started. It takes a minute or so before the Mikaelson girl starts to calm down. She places her forehead against the steering wheel as she stops laughing. When it's finally done, she slightly turns her head to look at Josie.
"I was expecting something serious... Something deep."
"I know." Josie sighs, but she doesn't say more.
"I broke up with Ethan."
Josie's heart skips a beat.
"You did?" Hope nods. "Why?"
"He told me he loved me. I couldn't say it back, so I told him it was over."
"Hope, I'm sorry."
Hope chuckles and leans back into her seat. She reaches for her seatbelt and buckles it up.
"Don't be, because I'm not. It was fun while it lasted, but now I don't want to have fun." She looks back at Josie with a look the brunette doesn't recognize. "I wanna fall in love this time. Is that what you want too, Jo?"
Josie feels frozen in place. The intensity in Hope's eyes is making her feel on fire, and she's literally refraining herself from leaning over and claiming her best friend's lips. Josie wonders for a brief second how Hope would react.
Would she be mad? Would she hate me? Would she kiss me back?
Josie tears her eyes away from Hope before doing something she might regret. She looks ahead of herself as she buckles her own seatbelt.
"Isn't it what everyone wants?" She ends up saying, her eyes not going back to Hope yet.
"Not necessarily." Hope quickly says back. "And I don't care about everyone, I wanna know what you want."
Josie sighs and crosses her arms, suddenly feeling a little defensive towards her feelings.
"Yes, of course I wanna fall in love. That's why I broke up with Penelope." The Saltzman girl takes a deep breath and finally looks back at her best friend. "Are we going to the beach or are we gonna talk in your car during the whole afternoon?"
Hope's signature Mikaelson smirk slowly appears. She turns the engine on.
"Did I annoy you?" Hope asks, still waiting before getting on the road.
"No. I just don't understand why you're asking these questions, and why you're asking them now."
Hope's smirk doesn't disappear, but she shakes her head before she starts driving. Josie's eyes stay glued to Hope's face. There's a deep confused frown on the brunette's face as she wonders what's going on with her best friend.
"I was just curious." Hope says after a long pause.
"Are you sure?"
The Mikaelson girl chances a quick glance at Josie.
"Yeah." Her voice is shaky, so she clears her throat before speaking again. "Wanna put some music on?"
Josie wants to say more, she wants to know more, but she knows it's no use to push Hope. Her best friend has a tendency to close herself up whenever she's being pushed to talk. So, instead of saying anything, Josie puts music on. The brunette chooses their favorite song, hoping it will get rid of the tension that settled inside the car. As soon as it starts, a genuine smile appears on Hope's face, immediately putting one on Josie's too. The Saltzman girl looks ahead, and together they start singing over the song. It's perfectly them, and it feels good. Josie tries to think of the last time they've been so freely themselves, but she doesn't come up with an answer. Quickly, she decides it's not important. Nothing is more important than the moment they're sharing right now.
As soon as they get to the beach, both girls quickly get out of the car. Hope goes to the trunk and opens it to get their stuff out. It takes a couple of seconds for Josie to join her, but when she does it's only to be quickly pushed back.
"You can't look inside! I prepared a surprise for you, but it's for later!"
Josie chuckles. "You prepared a surprise for me? Hope, it's your birthday!"
Hope smirks and keeps pushing Josie further away. The brunette can't stop the giggles at her best friend's silly behavior.
"And? This day can be special for the both of us even though it's my birthday."
Josie rolls her eyes. "I guess."
The brunette stops fighting her friend, making Hope's smirk turn into a satisfied smile. The auburn haired girl quickly gets their bags and lunch out of the trunk. She hands Josie her bag, but doesn't let the brunette help her with the two other bags and the cooler.
Like Josie thought, the air is chilly, and there's not many people on the beach. She still wonders why Hope insisted to come here on her birthday. She doesn't question her though, it would probably be useless. Together, they find a nice place to lay the beach blanket Hope brought for them. The Mikaelson girl gets a little offended when Josie mentions she brought one too, but Josie quickly makes her smile again by making goofy faces.
They settle on the blanket, and Hope lets out a loud sigh, immediately getting Josie's whole attention.
"Okay, so here's the thing : I don't have a plan for today. I really just wanted to spend it with you." She says with a sheepish smile.
Josie smiles too, and places some of her hair behind her ear, suddenly a little shy under her best friend's intense gaze. She knows she's probably blushing, but that's nothing new. After she broke up with Penelope, Josie's feelings for Hope only seemed to grow. She doesn't even try to fight them anymore. It's no use. She can't do anything about them anymore.
"Do you remember we used to come here with our moms when we were kids?" Hope asks softly. She brings her knees to her chest and hugs them, leaning her right cheek on them so she's still looking at Josie. "We'd collect seashells for hours on this beach. You'd make me hold your hand the whole time because you were scared of the water."
Josie's a little surprised with what Hope is saying. She remembers those days clearly, just like she remembers how happy and carefree she was back then. How oblivious she was to her own feelings.
"I miss that." Hope quietly says, then she takes a deep breath. "I miss you..."
"Me?" Josie can't help but ask. "Hope... I never left. I'm right here."
The auburn haired girl lifts her head and chuckles.
"You never left, but you changed. Just like I did. You dated Penelope, I dated Ethan. I miss the 'me' I was when it was me and you against the world. I... I miss the little girl that'd hold on to me when she was scared, and give me the biggest smile when I'd chase her monsters away."
"Hope... What's going on?" Josie says, now more confused than ever.
"I'm scared, okay?" Hope ends up saying, finally looking at the brunette. "I'm scared because next year I'll be a senior, and then I'll go to college. We'll keep changing, and that's so fucking scary. What will happen to us, Jo?"
"What do you mean? Do you really think you're getting rid of me that easily?" Josie's frown disappears and slowly a smile appears on her face. "No way, Mikaelson, you're stuck with me forever."
It takes a good moment, but Hope finally smiles back. Only then, does Josie stand up and holds out her hands for the auburn haired girl to take. Hope looks at the offered hand for a second, then she looks back at Josie with a raised eyebrow.
"Come on, we're going to collect seashells. If you're lucky, I'll let you hold my hand the whole time."
It takes no time before Hope accepts Josie's hand to get on her feet. Their hands stay glued together for the whole afternoon after that. They spend hours walking on the beach to find the most beautiful seashells. Sometimes they forget about them though, when they are too deep into a conversation, or when the silence is too peaceful to be broken. Neither of them pay attention to the time, so they're both a little surprised to see they spent almost three hours on the beach already when they go back to their blanket.
Josie realises that Hope suddenly seems nervous. The Mikaelson girl insists that they should eat now because after that they need to leave or they might miss part of her surprise. They eat quickly, and it annoys Josie a little, but she says nothing about it. As soon as they're done, Hope gathers everything and they make their way back to the car. The drive to Hope's surprise takes them a good 30 minutes, and when they get there, Josie's mouth drops. They're at the top of a hill, where a parking is. Several cars are parked there with couples and families already outside and waiting to watch the sunset over the town.
"People come here to watch the sunset." Hope says with a smile. "But tonight is special. There should be a meteor shower, and I thought this place would be perfect for the occasion."
"Hope, it's... " Romantic... Josie thinks. "Beautiful."
Hope bites her lip, barely containing her smile. "I knew you'd like it. Come on, we can put our blanket on the grass to look at the sky."
Josie can't stop the fond smile that appears on her face after that. She quickly follows Hope outside, and waits as the auburn haired girl gets something from the trunk of the car. She rolls her eyes when she sees the glowing sticks in Hope's hands, another nod to their childhood. Together they set the blanket on the grass next to a friendly looking couple. They put glowing sticks around their necks and their wrists, and Josie's a little relieved to see they are not the only ones wearing them. They sit down, and Hope wastes no time to link their hands again. Josie allows it, she'd be a fool to pull away. She'll take whatever Hope is willing to give her.
"So... " Hope says, just loud enough for Josie to hear her. "Did you hear anything about your father?"
Josie forces a smile and shrugs. "The restraining order is still in place. Mom mentioned he tried to have it cancelled, but it didn't work."
Hope nods. "What do you think about it?"
Josie frowns. "I... think it's a good thing. This way he can't have me sent to a camp. Lizzie misses him though, she doesn't say so, but I know she does."
"What about you?"
"I don't know." Josie sighs. "I hate how he treated me. I hate that he hates who I am. But I just can't hate him, he's my father, you know?"
Hope has a soft smile on her lips as she nods.
"No one expects you to hate him, Jo. I just... I just hope you won't let him come back into your life before he makes some big changes in his."
"I won't"
Josie sees the soft colors of the sky from the corner of her eyes, and she can't help but tear her gaze away from Hope. The shades of orange and pink that took over the sky as the sun slowly sets takes the brunette's breath away. Her attention is so focused on it that she barely feels it when Hope lays her head on her shoulder. It's only when the sun is all gone that she registers the fact that their sides are pressed together. They must have been cuddling like this for a while, because when Hope moves away, the cold air hits Josie like a ton of bricks. She quickly reaches inside her bag to get her jacket, thankful that she brought it with her. As she puts it on, Josie accidently hits the guy sitting next to her.
"I am so sorry! I didn't mean to-"
The guy chuckles. "Don't worry about it."
"I'm really sorry."
His girlfriend shows her face over his shoulder. "It's alright! He's a tough one. I'm Lexie and this is Diego."
Josie smiles at Lexie's friendly attitude. "I'm Josie, and this..." She points at her best friend. "Is Hope."
"You guys make a really adorable couple. Right, Diego?" The boy nods. "The way you cuddled was so cute, and you look so in lo-"
"We're not a couple." Josie quickly blurts out. "We're just... best friends."
"Yeah..." Hope says with a sigh.
Lexie grimaces. "Sorry, my bad."
"It's fine." Hope says with a forced smile.
"Oh, look! The meteor shower is starting." Diego quickly says.
Josie and him share a smile, both knowing he got rid of a very awkward situation. The brunette turns her attention to the sky, and sure enough shooting stars are falling down like rain.
After a couple of seconds, Josie can feel Hope's eyes on her, so she looks back at her friend. Their eyes lock together for a while, and then Hope's blue eyes flicker down to their separated hands. They had to let go when Josie put her jacket on, and now for some reason the Mikaelson girl seems to be silently asking permission to take it back. The brunette wonders if she's hesitating because of what Diego and Lexie said. Josie gently lays her hand on Hope's, and the auburn haired girl wastes no time to turn her hand and intertwine their fingers. Both girls feel like they can breathe again when their hands are finally linked.
"Are you gonna make a wish, Jo?" Hope quietly asks.
"Does wishing on a shooting star applies when there's a meteor shower?"
The Mikaelson girl shrugs. "I don't see why it wouldn't."
Josie nods. "Then, I'll make one."
Silence surrounds them for a minute. Josie thinks about her wish as the shooting stars keep showing up in the sky. Hope spends more time looking at the brunette than she does looking at the sky. After a while, curiosity gets the best of her.
"What did you wish for?" She whispers.
Josie turns her head to look at Hope. There's a hint of mischief in her eyes.
"I can't tell you, or it will never come true."
Hope rolls her eyes, but she doesn't argue. After all, she wants all of Josie's wishes to come true.
When the meteor shower ends, the girls gather their things, say goodbye to Diego and Lexie, and then go back to Hope's car. They don't talk on the ride back, they just hold hands as soft music plays. It's so peaceful, and so them, that Josie wishes this moment would never end. She wishes she could freeze time, or at least frame this moment.
Unfortunately, the car ends up in Josie's driveway and the day comes to an end. Neither of them speaks for a while, or even move. Then, Hope lets out a loud sigh.
"What about I take you home? I really don't wanna say goodbye yet. We didn't have a sleepover since-" Hope stops herself and looks down.
"Since New Orleans." Josie finishes for her. "Yeah, I know."
"I missed you so much when we came back." Hope says, and it sounds like a confession. "I got used to holding you and to be held by you so quickly... I couldn't fall asleep the first few nights."
"Hope, I... I felt it too. I tried hugging a pillow, but it was not the same." Josie sighs. "Let me text my mom to ask if I can go."
The auburn haired girl nods, and watches as the brunette quickly gets her phone from her jeans pocket. Josie does as she said, and she's relieved when her mother's answer is immediate. The Saltzman girl smiles as she reads Caroline's words, then she quickly looks back at Hope.
"I can sleep at your house."
Hope's smile is blinding. "Perfect."
The ride to Hayley and Hope's house takes about 10 minutes. Josie is glad when Hope stops the car in the driveway, the exhaustion of the day quickly catching up to her. They get their bags and the cooler from the trunk before going inside the house.
"I'll put the cooler back in the garage, wait for me here." Hope says before disappearing.
Josie sighs and takes her shoes off. Just as Hope walks back into the house, Hayley appears from the living room.
"Oh, Josie! Hi, sweetie."
"Hi, Hayley." Josie says with a smile. "It's good to see you."
"It's good to see you too!" Hayley places an arm over Hope's shoulders and leaves a kiss on her temple. "Hi, little wolf."
"Hi, mom." Hope says as she rolls her eyes at the nickname. "Josie's gonna sleepover, okay?"
"Of course." Hayley says with a smile. "Do you want to watch a movie in the living room?"
"I think we'll just head to bed, it's been a long day. Right, Jo?"
Josie always lets a sigh of relief out, but instead she just nods. They say goodnight to Hope's mom before making their way upstairs to the older girl's bedroom. Hope quickly gets some PJs and throws them at Josie before getting some for herself too. Hope goes to the bathroom to change, leaving the room to Josie. After about 2 minutes, there's a soft knock on the door, and since Josie's already changed, she allows Hope to come in. They get under the covers of the Mikaelson girl's bed quickly. Without speaking about it, they quickly settle in a spooning position, with Hope being the little spoon. Josie allows herself to bury her face in the back of her best friend's neck, closing her eyes and subtly breathing her in.
"My birthday really couldn't have been better, Jo. Thank you."
Josie's eyes snap open. "I forgot to give you your gift!"
She quickly untangles herself from Hope, and runs across the room to where she left her bag earlier when they came in. It takes her a couple of seconds to find the small box, but when she does, Josie sprints right back to the bed. Hope is waiting for her, but now she's sitting. Josie hands her the box with a blinding smile.
"You didn't have to." The auburn haired girl says.
Josie rolls her eyes. "Just open it."
Hope shakes her head with a chuckle before she opens the little box. Inside, she finds a very pretty silver affirmation bracelet. Engraved on it is a date, a date Hope immediately recognizes. The sight brings tears to her eyes.
Josie nervously watches her best friend's reaction. Hoping she didn't do too much.
"It's the date of the first time we met." Josie softly says.
"I know." Hope says, a light chuckle leaving her lips. "I love it so much, Jo."
Hope pulls Josie in a bone crushing hug, a hug the brunette wastes no time to reciprocate. They stay that way for a while, just holding each other and the brunette enjoys every second she gets to hold the girl she loves. Then, Hope yawns, making Josie giggle. They silently agree to go back to their earlier position. As soon as Josie is cuddling her best friend again, she sighs.
No one's ever gonna make me feel like she does.
"I love you, Josie Saltzman." Hope says, her voice full of fondness.
Josie can't help but think that these words really shouldn't break her heart, and yet...
"I love you too, Hope Mikaelson."
More than you know. She mentally adds.