today was a fairytale
Hope is dumb.
Dumb is a strong word.
But it’s true.
She had just gotten off the phone with Josie and now she’s questioning all of her life choices.
“The costume department is amazing!” Josie excitedly says.
Hope grins and can practically picture the other woman standing in the middle of the hangar that holds some of the movie franchise’s wardrobe. Josie would definitely look like a child in a candy store, staring at all the different goods.
“The fitting was great, they actually loved my input and we’re going to incorporate some of my own style!”
“Really?” Hope adds a couple more strokes of paint to her canvas. “I wish they’d done that for me. They didn’t like any of my clothes and came up with the all leather look.”
At first Hope hadn’t liked her character’s outfits, but over time she’d gotten used to them. Still, the amount of black leather she wears feels a little over the top.
“What? Really? I love it. It looks so badass.”
That makes Hope perk up considerably. “You know what? Maybe there is some truth to that. A lot of fans have told me that my leather jacket wearing arse was their gay awakening and I can live with that.”
Josie is quiet on the other end. They’re not facetiming this time and Josie is driving home from set. Hope is supposed to offer some comfort while Josie navigates her car through busy LA traffic.
“Jo?”
“Yeah. Still here. Sorry.”
“You okay?” Hope has put down her paintbrush and stares at her phone as if she could see Josie if she just tried hard enough.
“Yes… just watched someone run a red.” She says absently. “Anyways. I’m so excited to start filming!”
Hope turns her attention back to the canvas and applies more paint.
“I bet you are! It’s going to be so much fun!”
Josie falls quiet on her end and Hope can hear the muffled noises of traffic and the running engine. It feels like Josie has something on her mind. She’s not her usual talkative self and it confuses Hope. She’s about to carefully address it, but Josie breaks the silence.
“Right. There is just one problem.” She says with frustration evident in her voice.
“What is it? Maybe I can help?”
Hope offers her support, she really wants Josie to feel safe and welcome on set. She is the main star of the movie, if someone can make things work, it’s her.
However just the thought of something or maybe someone making Josie uncomfortable and creating a problem angers Hope. She has to put her brush down or else she’d ruin the painting.
“I have never gotten in shape for a movie. What am I even supposed to do?”
Josie confesses after another beat of silence. The tension that had been building inside of Hope leaves immediately. Helping Josie with workouts is way easier than getting someone fired. She chuckles and resumes her painting. She can’t help but picture the brunette and that’s when a frown forms on her face.
“You are in great shape though, you don’t need to do anything.” Hope says and once her own words echo in her head she almost bites off her tongue.
Did she really just say that? That’s not something friends say or is it? Josie doesn’t seem to mind, because she’s already going off.
“But you do all this training and it’s impossible to compete with that. I don’t want to look like an absolute mess next to you.”
Josie had devoured the script just within hours of receiving the full draft. She’s trying to hide it, but it’s pretty obvious that she’s worried about a new scene that had been added. It might be a steamy makeout scene with not too many clothes involved. Hope swallows hard just thinking about acting out exactly what the script says.
“Well it’s really not that hard, I can show you some exercises.” Hope tries to ease Josie’s anxiety.
“Not that hard? I barely have any time left and you’ve been training for months.”
“There are certain methods and exercises that will show progress a lot quicker.” Hope is already mentally compiling a list of drills that have helped her and could benefit Josie.
“Can you recommend people that can train me?”
It throws Hope off guard. She’d already been picturing showing Josie the ropes and introducing her to her own workout and diet plans. It makes sense that Josie is not considering her and asking for professional help instead. It’s what Hope would be doing too. Yet it upsets her. She has all this knowledge and time. She could really do it. She decides to go out on a limb.
“I can show you. You don’t need to pay other people. I’m right here.”
Josie is quiet on her end again, probably focusing on traffic and considering the offer. Hope’s heart starts beating a little faster. She really wants this. It could be their way of spending some quality time together, they could build chemistry, strengthen their still fresh friendship and hang out. The prospect of seeing Josie in workout gear is also rather appealing. It just makes sense.
“As much as I love watching your workouts on facetime…” Hope sits up straight on the floor. Her easel and canvas are forgotten. Josie doesn’t seem to notice what she’d just said and Hope just stares at her blank tv screen. Josie likes to watch her?
Watch, as in pay actual attention to Hope’s body doing weird contortions? She enjoys watching? She finds pleasure in it?
“I’m afraid I’ll need some in person coaching and access to a gym.” Josie’s voice sounds hoarse and she clears her throat right after.
Hope gets up and starts pacing. “Well. I’m a person and I have a gym.”
She holds her breath. Why is this so important to her? It’s making her all nervous and flustered.
“I know that, but what I meant is that I need a whole plan, routine and whatnot.”
“I can do all of that for you.” Hope’s voice is almost pleading.
Josie sighs deeply on her end. “Hope, we have an nda. We can’t meet up.”
The redhead doesn’t even hesitate with what she says next.
“In public we can’t, but my gym is in my house outside of LA.” Hope stares at the water rippling in her pool. “We could workout, hang out, meal prep…”
“You really think that’s a good idea? What about the paps? They know where you live, right? I can’t be seen at your house.”
Hop scoffs at how ridiculous her friend’s argumentation is. “I barely leave my house when I’m not working. They know that. They have better chances anywhere else.”
Josie sighs again, considering the offer. Hope nervously fiddles with the string of her sweatpants.
“Haven’t you worked out already?”
Hope reaches up to touch the bun on her head that’s still wet from her post workout shower. Of course she has worked out already, it’s the first thing she does every morning. Josie just doesn’t have to know that.
“No. I haven’t.”
“Really?” Josie doesn’t seem convinced.
“Really.” Hope tries, her voice sounding rather weak. “You could come over right now.”
It took another 10 minutes to persuade Josie and another 5 minutes after hanging up for Hope to realize what she’d just done.
She is in fact dumb. There is no other explanation. She’d just invited someone to her house. The house that’s strictly off limits. Not even her ex boyfriend had stepped foot into the building during a two year relationship.
Only Mikaelson family members and more recently Emma had crossed the threshold and only these few people know the exact address.
Hope is standing in the middle of her house, staring at her front door in disbelief, almost expecting Josie to walk in at any second.
The invitation had slipped from her lips so effortlessly. She hadn’t thought twice about suggesting a joint workout. And the weirdest thing is that she doesn’t even regret doing it, she’s just stunned about how easy it was and how her body is already buzzing in anticipation, excited to see Josie.
Huh? That’s new.
She lets her eyes trace over her furniture, distracting herself before her thoughts drift into unexplored territory. Hope’s a relatively organized and tidy person, so nothing looks misplaced or messier than usual. She carefully checks both bedrooms and immediately regrets opening her closet when she falls over a pile of dirty clothes.
°°°°°°°
Right as Hope is shoving her laundry into the washing machine, her phone announces an incoming facetime call. A photo taken on her wedding day appears on the screen, showing Freya smiling brightly, dressed all in white. Hope rolls her eyes at the bad timing her aunt has, but can’t bring herself to deny the call.
She accepts and places her phone on top of the washer, having it lean against her laundry detergent. She resumes her task and throws her clothes into the machine carelessly.
“Looks like someone’s cleaning up.” Freya says casually.
She is seated at her kitchen table, presumably having a coffee and working from home.
Hope rolls her eyes while separating her whites and putting them in an extra pile. “Wow, captain obvious.” She says.
“Good to see you too.” Freya looks at the screen, waiting for Hope’s response.
Hope rolls her eyes, she finally has all her laundry in the machine and throws in a tab. With a little more force than necessary she shuts the door and starts her laundry. Freya watches the whole ordeal with a raised eyebrow.
“Hey, auntie Freya, good to see you.” Hope finally says laced with mock sweetness.
Freya still seems satisfied and sips on her coffee. “So I figured it was time to catch up with my favorite niece.”
“I’m your only niece.” Hope deadpans and shoves the pile of white clothes into a laundry basket.
“Thus far.” Freya busies herself with something offscreen. “So how’s your day? Keelin is dropping off the little one at preschool, I’m pretending to do some work and I guess we’re doing well.”
Hope sighs. She loves her aunts and their almost daily calls, but not right now. Josie is on her way and will arrive within the next hour.
“I’m actually a little busy…” Freya’s laugh interrupts Hope’s attempt to end the conversation before it even starts.
“You? Busy? In what world? You never go anywhere when you’re not booked.” Freya casually takes a sip from her mug and flips through a magazine. She doesn’t even spare Hope another glance.
“If you must know, I’m getting the house ready to properly welcome someone into my home later.” Hope doesn’t even try to come up with an excuse. All of her aunts can read her like an open book.
“Sure.” Freya nods absimentally, a sarcastic smile on her face. “Someone is visiting you? At your house? Your sacred hiding ground only family members have stepped foot into? The HAM-cave?”
“What on earth is the HAM-cave?” Hope asks scandalized. “Sounds like the title of a bad porn.”
Freya puts down her magazine and gives her niece a “duh” look, as if it’s obvious and Hope is too dumb to understand. “You know, a man cave but make it Hope Andrea Mikaelson.”
Hope shuts the door to her laundry room and walks over to the kitchen counter. “My house is not a man cave.”
Freya takes a long sip and then throws her niece a teasing look. “Well, it’s not. It’s a HAM-cave.”
Hope death glares into the front camera of her phone. “Did you know that there is this red button on my screen? I wonder what it does?”
Freya chuckles softly, but lets the topic go. Hope’s not a fan of her aunt’s teasing, mostly because it’s similar to her own. It feels like getting a taste of her own medicine and Hope doesn’t like that. It’s safe to say that Freya has always been Hope’s biggest influence when it comes to quick remarks and banter. They share a similar sense of humor.
“I’m not joking, a friend is coming over.” Hope stands her ground after a beat of silence.
Freya must sense the serious tone in Hope’s voice, because she suddenly completely neglects her tabloid and looks straight into the camera.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
“Hey, Babe” Keelin enters the frame from the right and places a chaste kiss to the top of Freya’s head. “Drop off went well, these are last week’s projects.” She drops a pile of drawings on the table in front of Freya.
Hope watches as the scene unfolds right before her, her aunt Keelin unaware of the ongoing facetime call and her other aunt totally enthralled by the pile of papers. Freya immediately scans her son’s doodles and a fond smile works itself onto her face. She forgets about Hope.
“He’s getting so much better.” The oldest Mikaelson says proudly. “We’re doing something right.”
Hope loves witnessing moments like these, the domestic bliss her aunts always seem to have going for them, has her longing for a significant other.
Keelin wanders off to the fridge in the background and Freya carefully sets aside the drawings.
“I’m still waiting.” Freya directs at her wife. “For what?” Keelin emerges with orange juice and two cups. “A proper greeting.” Freya says simply.
“I don’t know what you mean.” Keelin has a playful smile on her lips.
Freya pouts. “Come here, give me a proper kiss and then say hi to Hope.”
Keelin raises her eyebrows as she finally spots the phone. Hope waves awkwardly, she’s a little embarrassed for just openly eavesdropping. Keelin’s teasing smile turns into a warm motherly one and she disregards the chronological order her wife had given her. She greets Hope first, then closes the distance between herself and Freya. She puts down her juice and glasses and pulls up a chair. Finally she leans over and meets Freya’s waiting lips.
“Gosh, you’re such a drama queen sometimes.” Keelin chuckles while pulling back.
“You love it.” Freya smiles brightly. She pures the orange juice and decides to bring her wife up to speed. “So Hope here was telling me about her friend.”
“A friend?” Keelin looks at Hope expectantly. “Or a friend ?”
Hope groans in frustration and desperately looks for something that still needs to be taken care of. She doesn’t find anything. She gives up and flops down on her couch.
“A friend.”
Keelin and Freya look at each other, a silent conversation seems to pass between them. Hope is yet again reminded of the fact that she’s super lonely and doesn’t have anyone to have telepathic conversations with.
“Who are they? Do we know them?” Keelin is very intrigued, if all the Mikaelsons have one thing in common it’s their huge interest in any kind of gossip or teen drama. She pulls away from her wife’s gaze and focuses on Hope again.
“Josie.“
“Saltzman? That girl you tweeted about?” Freya interrupts.
“I didn’t think one tweet would get you so excited.”
“Girl? That tweet made waves, of course it’s getting us hyped!” Keelin claps her hands together in giddy excitement. Freya smiles fondly and promptly takes one of her wife’s hands to interlock their fingers.
Keelin retrieves her phone from her pocket with her free hand and types away, undoubtedly pulling up Josie’s wiki page.
“You know what. That’s actually not all, babe.” Freya says. “Hope was just telling me about Josie coming over for a visit.”
Keelin almost drops her phone. Her eyes snap towards the screen. “She’s coming to the house?”
Hope rolls her eyes exasperatedly. “Of course, she’s coming to the house. Where else would I hang out with her? You know that I gave up the apartment.”
“Shame. I loved that apartment.” Freya whispers. It earns her a jab from her wife.
“I’m sorry, Hope, of course.” Keelin gives her wife a cautionary look that’s not lost on Hope. “I was just surprised, it’s not like you usually hang out with people, especially not at your house.”
“Well, first time for everything, right?” Hope jokes.
Freya smiles. “I’m proud of you! That’s a huge step out of your comfort zone!”
Keelin is back to google on her phone, but nods in agreement.
“I know.” Hope hesitates for a second, but feels the need to express this weird feeling she had earlier. “It doesn’t feel like that though. I’m not at all bothered by her coming here or nervous. If anything I’m super excited.”
Freya’s eyes widen just a tiny bit, so does her smile. Keelin looks equally pleased. “That sounds great, Hope, that’s how it’s supposed to feel.” Freya says.
“Oh she’s cute!” Keelin exclaims out of nowhere and the sort of vulnerable moment between Hope and her aunts is gone. Freya claws at the phone to get a better look. “Definitely.”
Hope can feel a blush creep up her cheeks. She doesn’t fight it. “She really is.” Hope says softly.
“So, apart from her looks, what makes her so special that she gets a free pass to the HAM-cave?” Keelin raises her eyebrows.
“Not you too? You actually call it that?” Hope groans.
°°°°
Hope is glad she lives in a gated community, this way a phone call from the security gate lets her now when Josie arrives. Her home is as far away from the entrance as it gets, situated in the last row of houses on the street. She has about 5 minutes before Josie should pull up.
She might not invite people over on the regular, but she still knows that it’s polite to offer food and beverages to guests. So after cleaning up and listening to her aunts gush over her little cousin, Hope had decided to make some homemade lemonade. The house smells like citrus and jazz music is playing from the surround sound system.
It feels homier and warmer than the last couple of months Hope had exclusively stayed here. It’s the first time Hope had made any type of effort to feel at peace and comfortable in her own house.
She keeps checking her driveway from the kitchen window, but Josie is taking her sweet time and the road stays empty.
Hope is starting to get antsy, she adds a few strokes to her canvas in an effort to calm herself down, but abandons her art corner rather quickly. She decides to walk and maybe meet Josie halfway.
Right when she’s about to leave, a loud knock at the front door startles her. With a relieved sigh she quickly goes to open the door.
Josie stands on the front porch, a bright smile on her lips. “Hi.” She waves at Hope awkwardly and the redhead finds it incredibly endearing.
She had been pretty relaxed earlier, but now some anxiety seeps into her stomach. What if Josie doesn’t like the house?
Josie is wearing tight athletic leggings that cling to her like a second skin. Her upper body is covered by a loose tank top showing off the straps of a dark sports bra underneath. Her hair is pulled back into a high ponytail and leaves her pronounced collarbones on display. She’s definitely prepared to workout, except for a small pot clasped in her hands. Hope takes a few more seconds to take in her friend, her eyes linger on the collarbones for a second longer than necessary, before she finally meets Josie’s eyes.
“Hi.” Hope isn’t sure where her sudden nervousness is coming from, so she tries to cover it up by talking. “I didn’t see you pull up. I was getting worried.”
To emphasize her point Hope looks down the street and furrows her brow in confusion. There is no car in sight.
“Yeah, I walked.” Josie says, one hand playing with her ponytail.
“You what?” Hope is sure she misheard.
Josie sighs and nervously goes to fiddle with the pot in her hand. “I parked in the parking lot behind the gate and walked.”
Hope raises her eyebrow in confusion and maybe because she’s a little impressed. “So you’re taking the workout so seriously already? Getting some steps in?”
Josie hangs her hand a little, an embarrassed smile pulling on her lips. “I wish I could say that, but I just didn’t know if there was parking available at your house. So I parked there.”
Hope looks at her driveway that’s big enough to hold at least two cars. Josie follows her gaze and smiles painfully. “Oh.”
Hope chuckles and finally tugs Josie over the threshold into her home. “Well, now you know for next time.”
The implications of Hope’s word choice go unnoticed by both of them. Josie is too enthralled by the new space. The dining table is pretty much the first surface the brunette comes across, she absently sets her pot down on it and lets her eyes wander.
Hope feels incredibly self conscious. This house is kind of her safe haven and having someone intrude is weird. Deep down she knows Josie won’t judge her or voice any criticism, but she has this intense need to get her friend’s approval. Josie has to like this house, because it represents Hope so much.
It’s closed off, far from the outside world, sitting in a quiet corner of a gated community. From the outside it looks shiny and well maintained, spotless even, but at the end of the day it still stands alone, just like Hope. Even on the inside it’s not that much different, relatively cold and impersonal. Only a few details offer an insight to Hope’s personality.
To the redhead's surprise those are the first things Josie notices. With a few enthusiastic steps Josie covers the distance to Hope’s art corner. It’s nothing special, just paints and brushes thrown into little bins that are kept on built-in shelves. She usually paints on the floor, her easel is in a smaller scale, commonly used for sitting and painting at a table. Her current work is on display, a wolf from the neck area up, tilting its head towards the moon and likely howling.
“Wow.” Josie bends down to take in all of the painting, her eyes scanning every small element. She reaches out to touch it, but withdraws her hand once she realizes that the paint could be wet.
“This is so beautiful.”
She turns around and immediately locks onto Hope with an intense gaze. Her golden brown eyes are widend in sincerity and convey how much she actually likes the artwork. Hope swallows thickly, because this is something she hadn’t experienced before. She’d inherited her passion for art and painting from her dad, yet she mostly keeps it to herself and only gifts finished products to family members. Of course she’s used to getting compliments, but they are expected from aunts and uncles who obviously support their niece’s creative outlet.
Hearing Josie gush about an unfinished painting like it’s the prettiest thing she’s ever seen is unfamiliar but not unwanted. Hope bashfully drops her eyes to the floor and shrugs.
“Thank you.”
“Seriously, Hope. It’s so good. You’re very talented.” Josie looks back at the wolf and traces its shape. “Are wolves your favorite animals or is it just for fun?”
Hope flexes her jaw, painful memories flowing into her mind immediately. It takes her a few seconds to push them down and a few more to choose her next words. She wants to tell Josie, even if it hurts.
“It’s kind of hard to explain, but I guess the wolf is my family’s spirit animal.” Hope takes a deep breath. “It’s even in the logo of the family company.”
Josi has fallen quiet, probably regretting that she even asked. All Hope can seem to hear is her father saying the same words over and over again. “My dad used to call me his littlest wolf . Mom was little wolf and I was littlest wolf .”
She can’t help it and chuckles bitterly at the memory. She hadn’t even intended to say anything more, but Josie’s mere presence makes Hope throw caution to the wind.
Josie clears her throat. “That’s very cute.”
She looks at Hope questioningly and worries her lip between her teeth. The action distracts Hope enough for her to unclench her jaw. Josie must see the shift in her friend’s body language and takes it as her cue to change the suspect.
“Do you play?” Josie nods at the piano behind Hope and starts walking towards it, passing Hope in the process.
It’s right next to the front door, Josie must have missed it while stepping inside. Hope can’t help but form an awkward grimace. Josie’s attempt at diverting is backfiring. Someone special taught Hope how to play. Hope chews her bottom lip thoughtfully, but still joins Josie at the piano. She’s not sure how she should tell Josie that the few things actually displayed in the house are all painful reminders of things she’s not ready to talk about yet. Or is she?
Something about Josie’s sincere and comforting presence always seems to lighten the weight of painful memories. Hope stares at her friend’s back and wonders how the young woman would handle the heavy weight of Hope’s burdens. Would she help carry them? Or even take some of them away?
The sound of piano keys shakes Hope out of her little trance. Josie uses her skilled fingers to play a lighthearted jingle, something that sounds like the start of a target commercial. She turns a little to meet Hope’s eyes and smiles brightly.
“I’m better when it comes to the guitar or ukulele, but I can play some tunes.” She incorporates her second hand and builds the melody. “You?”
Hope has trouble answering immediately, she’s too enchanted by the visual in front of her. Josie hadn’t bothered to sit down properly, instead she’s standing and bending down to play. Her casual workout attire, bright smile and the few flyaways that have escaped her ponytail make her look so young and careless. Something pulls deep in Hope's stomach as she catalogues the imagery into her brain.
“I know some compositions.” Hope clears her throat. She goes to speak again and in the same moment Josie’s eyes go wide as she spots a framed photograph on the piano, her smile drops immediately. “My uncle taught me how to play.”
Josie sighs and stops playing. She’s looking back and forth between Hope and the photo. Hope bites her lip. They stare at each other unsurely until Hope starts chuckling out of nowhere.
She doesn’t know where it’s coming from and if Josie’s shocked expression is anything to go by it’s not appropriate for the situation and probably a horrifying sound. Hope steps into Josie’s space and sits down at the piano. Her foot finds the pedal and her hand pats the spot on the small bench next to her. Josie looks at her questioningly and only sits down when Hope sends her an encouraging smile.
“My uncle taught me how to play.” Hope says again as her fingers spread out to cover the keys she needs. She tries not to get distracted by the proximity Josie has. Their thighs are touching and it makes heat rise up Hope’s entire body. “He’s the one on the left.”
She starts with a simple melody. Josie follows her gaze and traces the faces on the photograph. It’s pretty much the last photo Hope ever took with both her parents and stepparents. Even though Elijah had ultimately become her stepfather, she had still called him uncle til the end, because he had been her uncle first. The photo was taken at one of Hope’s theatre premieres. She’s in costume and makeup, looking rather misplaced surrounded by four extremely elegantly dressed people. Her mother and stepmother Cami both have an arm slung around her shoulders and smile excitedly, while Elijah and her dad seem rather reserved standing beside their significant others. She knows her dad well enough to make out the hint of a proud smile on his face.
Josie swallows hard, Hope can see her throat bop out of the corner of her eye, so she adds some more tones to her melody and uses both hands expertedly.
“I’m sorry.” Hope says. “I know what you were trying to do. It’s just not very easy to avoid my tragic family history in this house.”
Josie sighs. “I just wanted to change the subject and stepped right into the next trap. I really thought the piano was a safe choice.”
Hope chuckles at Josie’s exasperation. “It’s okay.” She says.
It’s not. At least for Josie. She shifts in her spot and sounds surprisingly serious when she talks.
“Hope, I feel like we’re walking on eggshells around each other. I really like what we have going on here and I know it hasn’t been that long and you don’t open up easily to strangers, but I just want you to know that you can talk to me. Your secrets and everything, are safe with me. I would never spill to anyone, if that’s what you’re worried about.” She sighs and fixates on the photograph.
“I really like you and I want to be here for you. I also don’t want to pressure you, I know healing takes time. So up until you want to talk about things, maybe give me some pointers? Set up some boundaries? I just…” She starts picking at her nails nervously. “I just can’t bear seeing you so sad.”
Hope keeps building her melody, not particularly playing a specific piece, rather toying with the keys and coming up with something on the spot. Her mind is racing. Josie next to her exhales audibly.
“They died in a car crash. A drunk driver was involved. It’s why I don’t drink.”
The melody becomes quicker, more chaotic. Some of the keys Hope plays don’t fit and make it sound distressed and scattered.
“It was bad.”
The distinct smell of disinfectant, the bright hospital lighting and the sound of sneakers squeaking on polished floors overwhelm Hope’s senses.
She knows that this is news to Josie. The general public is not really aware of what went down, the exact course of events only made UK news all those years ago. People know that she’s lost her parents, but not how tragic it really was.
“I’m so sorry.” Josie says after a couple of minutes pass.
“They’re at peace. With each other.” Hope stares at her family’s faces. Her eyes dart towards a different photo set on one of her built-ins. It’s a recent family photo, everyone she has left cramped into the shot and Freya holding her tight. “It helps that I still have them.”
Josie looks into the same direction and smiles softly. A few beats pass, Hope falls back into a familiar song, it’s something Elijah taught her.
“You’re mom is very pretty.” Josie is studying the frame in front of her again. “You look just like her.”
Hope smiles wistfully. “Yeah, she is.”
She tears her eyes away and adds a few finishing keystrokes. They sit in silence for a couple of seconds, before she can feel Josie’s eyes on her. They haven’t been this close since their audition. Their thighs are still touching and the heat radiating off of Josie is comforting, it makes Hope feel like she’s not alone anymore. She turns her head slightly to return the look and can make out speckles of gold in the deep brown of the brunette’s irises.
Josie stares at her a little longer, but then her eyes dart towards Hope’s head and her smile falls and with it Hope’s heart. What did she do? She searches for an explanation in her friend’s gaze and nervously licks her lips. Josie gasps dramatically with a hand on her heart.
“Liar.” Josie grumbles as she reaches her other hand out with zero hesitation. She taps Hope’s post shower bun and furrows her brow.
Hope is super confused about the ordeal, but doesn’t mind the invasion of her personal space.
“Of course you worked out already!” Josie pouts. “You lied to me.”
Hope chuckles at her friend’s dramatics and swats her hand away. She reaches up and feels the still damp hair against her skin. “Maybe I just took a shower, because my hair was greasy.”
“Nah, you totally exercised earlier.” Josie spins around to check her surroundings. “Where even is your stuff? I was promised a fully equipped gym.”
“Oh so you’re done stalling?” Hope challenges. “Let’s do this.”
°°°°
“Just like that, Jo!” Hope urges on. “A few more and we’re done.”
“Define a few.” Josie groans under her breath.
“How about you give me three more?”
Josie doesn’t protest, she just complies and thrusts her hips up.
They’ve been at it for quite a while. The younger woman is currently resting her neck on a bench press, with her feet firmly planted on the patio floor. She is clutching a weight plate at hip level and has to lift herself and the additional load up to complete the exercise. Once her knees are in a ninety degree angle, Hope claps enthusiastically.
“Two more!”
“I hate you.”
Hope laughs the insult off and watches proudly. So far Josie has been an excellent student and she’s definitely in better shape than she’d given herself credit for. Hope doesn’t really understand why she even thinks any additional training is necessary. They’ll start stunt and fight training with the stunt crew next week and usually those 3 weeks of intense coaching are enough to get people prepared.
Josie barely has scenes that require minimal clothing, whereas Hope is often in a tank top or sports bra. It comes with the territory of playing a cocky and confident character that likes to show off. Hope has gotten used to the sexualization of her character. Sadly it’s just how the industry works, if she hadn’t shown much skin in the first movie it wouldn’t have been that successful and sparked a whole trilogy. She finds some comfort in knowing that most of the audience is made up of queer and female individuals.
Meanwhile Josie has finished and sighs dramatically. Hope takes the weight off of her and grins widely. Josie abandons the bench press and sinks to the floor instead, where she promptly spreads all of her limbs out like a starfish.
“I thought this was going to be fun.” She wipes some sweat off of her brow. “And how are you so … relaxed? You did all these exercises with me and you still look like you just stepped out of the shower. And it’s your second workout today? That’s so unfair.”
Hope joins her friend on the patio floor, taking a seat right next to where Josie’s right hand stretches out. “I’ve been doing this for a while longer.”
Of course she had gotten involved too, just talking Josie through drills felt wrong and she’d decided to share the brunette’s suffering. She might be good at playing her actual exhaustion off, but her body feels sore and tired. She can definitely feel fatigue in her bones and muscles.
Josie is shutting her eyes and breathing heavily, still trying to get her heart rate under control. Her hand goes to cover her face and shield the sunlight a bit. “This is horrible.”
Hope laughs carelessly at Josie’s antics. She eyes the brunette discreetly, taking in her soaking tank top that’s clinging to her like a second skin. It gives her an idea. “Maybe I can change your mind about that...”
Josie carefully lifts her hand to reveal that one of her eyes is now open and tilts her head to meet Hope’s mischievous stare, her interest is piqued. “Depends.”
Hope can’t help but grin even more. “We haven’t gotten to the best part yet.” She stands up and offers her hand to Josie.
“And what would that be?”
Josie is sceptical, but retreats her hand from covering her face and stares at Hope’s outstretched hand. Her eyes narrow slightly.
“Come on, it’s not bad. See it as a refreshment.” Hope smiles convincingly and bends down to get her hand even closer to Josie’s unsure form.
Josie just draws her eyebrows together suspiciously and decides to not take the hand that’s being offered to her. Instead she gets up herself and brushes off the dust and dirt from her pants.
Her eyes dart to the pool and for a second Hope thinks her plan is ruined. So she doubles down.
“I made some lemonade earlier. It’s low carb and what not.” She starts walking towards the sliding door that leads into the living room. “Like I said, a refreshment.”
Josie perks up at the mention of drinks and throws caution to the wind. She quickly follows Hope and doesn’t question her further. When Hope is almost at the door, she spins around suddenly and tackles Josie without any warning. Josie shrieks out in surprise and panic, before she can really react in any way, she’s being held up by Hope and the redhead carefully tosses her over her shoulder so that Josie is hanging off of there upside down.
“Hope, put me down! I fucking knew it!” Hope’s grin resembles that of a Cheshire Cat. “Hope, I swear if you toss me into that pool, I will end your career.”
Hope raises her eyebrow in a challenging manner even though Josie can’t see it. “Please try. I’m sick of it actually.”
Josie gasps and starts hitting Hope’s back, kicking and twisting. With a few more steps Hope is standing at the edge of her pool, ready to dump her friend in. She hesitates. This is very out of character for her, she doesn’t even know what has gotten into her all of a sudden. All the conversations her parents had had with her about consent and respect come rushing in and occupy the forefront of her mind.
“I’m sorry.” She’s starting to slowly let go and plans on setting Josie down safely in the patch of grass between pool and patio. “This was uncalled for.”
Josie stops fighting and instead her hands grab a hold of the fabric of Hope’s shirt. “Hope, you’ve come so far, there’s no turning back now. Do it.”
Josie reassuringly pats Hope’s back. The redhead doesn’t hesitate any longer and with a huge lap and a loud shriek from Josie both of them go flying into the water.
°°°°
Later in the evening they’re cleaning off the dinner table. It’s been a day full of activities. After their impromptu swim session they’d both showered in the respective bathrooms of the house. Josie then got her promised lemonade after all. She barely left anything for Hope.
Lunch consisted of Hope showing off all the snacks she prepares to get through a day. It’s a lot of greens, smoothies, granola and nuts. Josie was slightly overwhelmed and took notes on her phone.
Hope outlined a meal plan for Josie and promised to help her out by bringing snacks to set for both of them.
In the late afternoon exhaustion took its toll on Josie and Hope convinced her to take a nap in her guest bedroom while she worked some more on her painting. The nap turned into a 3 hour affair. When Josie emerged she was rather embarrassed and blamed the overly comfortable mattress and fluffy pillows.
“I should probably head home soon. It’s getting dark outside.”
They had fried rice for dinner and it’s now nearing 8 o’clock. Hope takes Josie’s plate and sets it in the dishwasher. “Right.”
Hope is a little thrown off guard by how sad it makes her. She doesn’t want Josie to leave, because she had the best time today. They focused on Josie and her diet, but still made small talk and shared some bits and pieces about each other. Josie definitely avoided talking about her family and childhood, keeping the conversations centered around the movie and all the buzz that’s going to be hitting them soon.
Having someone invade her space as gracefully as Josie had done it, is new. Even while she was passed out in the guestroom Hope had felt at peace and comfortable with her.
She wipes off the table and comes across something.
“You can’t leave until you’ve told me what this is about.”
Hope is eyeing the pot Josie brought with her. It’s made out of ceramic and painted mint green. A tiny green leaf is barely visible.
“Oh my god. I totally forgot!” Josie abandons the kitchen sink and gets a hold off the pot. “I brought you a gift. Like a house warming gift, I guess.”
Hope raises her eyebrow, an amused smile emerging on her lips.
“I know you’ve technically lived here for a while, but I still thought you could maybe use some green in here. And boy was I right.” She looks around the living room and gasps in offense. “Hold on, there is not one plant in here?”
Hope instantly points towards the kitchen, her mouth falling open to defend herself, but Josie swats her hand away.
“The basil doesn't count, Mikaelson.”
Hope closes her mouth and pouts. It’s not her fault that she can’t keep plants alive no matter how hard she tries. Keeping herself alive is a challenge on its own. She swallows thickly, but Josie’s shocked expression saves her from going down a downwards spiral.
“I can’t believe it. We have to buy you some plants.” The brunette seems very eager.
Hope can’t contain her amusement and laughs softly. “I didn’t take you for a plant gay.”
Josie tugs a strand of hair behind her ear and looks at Hope challengingly. “Well you can’t spell plants without pan .”
Hope bursts out laughing, so does Josie. The taller woman then places the pot in Hope’s hands and gives her a quick rundown on how to properly care for it.
“Jo, all my plants die within the first week. I really appreciate the gift, but I think it’s better off with you.”
Josie scoffs and takes a long look at Hope. “It’s very disrespectful to deny a gift, shouldn’t you know that?”
She’s most definitely hinting at the cookie situation back at her mom’s house. Hope bites her lower lip in response to hide a smile. “Touché.”
“See. It’s settled then.” Josie smiles at the plant. “There’s another reason why I got it for you.”
“Really? What’s that?”
“So you can practice what it’s like to let someone in.” Josie smiles shyly. “Now you have someone else to take care of, someone you have to share a space with, someone that needs your attention. A relationship or friendship is all about giving and taking. ” Something tells Hope Josie isn’t really talking about the plant.
“In other words, less dramatically, you have another friend.” Josie adds quickly after clearing her throat for a second.”That makes two friends! Yay.”
Hope rarely shows emotions, but this is really getting to her. She smiles and clutches the pot tighter.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now she just needs a name”
“She?”
°°°°
“I’ll walk you to your car, it’s dark outside.” Hope says in a serious tone. “You shouldn’t walk alone.”
She returns from her bedroom with an oversized hoodie in her hands and hands it to Josie. The brunette accepts it and pulls it over her head instantly. It’s nighttime, the sky dark and the air a little chilly. She’s wearing her own clothes, they dried while she’d taken her shower, but she doesn’t want to catch a cold with the big project coming up.
“Thanks.” She pulls her hair into a ponytail. “But wait, then you’ll have to walk back on your own.”
Hope llicks her lips contemplatively, then says. “It’s okay, it’s not dangerous, it’s a gated community.”
Josie furrows her brow in amusement. “Well then you don’t have to walk me in the first place..:”
“Just let me walk you, woman.” Hope says and pulls Josie outside onto the front porch.
Josie let's her and laughs. Her laugh sounds like music to Hope’s ears. It’s not too loud, carries its own melody and Josie’s nose scrunches in an adorable way.
They walk in comfortable silence for five minutes before the parking lot comes into view. Hope sighs, she doesn't want this day to end.
“I had a great time, today.” Josie says. “We should do this more often?”
It’s a question meant for Hope, she’s testing the waters, making it clear that she wants to hang out again, but only if Hope feels comfortable. Hope can see that.
“Definitely. I had a lot of fun.”
Josie releases a relieved breath. “Great.”
Neither of them suggest any days or times after that, but when Josie reaches her car she does.
“How about this weekend? My mom would love to have you at Sunday brunch with us.”
Hope lingers near the rear end of the car. “You sure?”
“Oh yeah, she’s been bugging me about it, she sends me two texts every day.” Josie unlocks her car.
They’re both dragging out the moment for longer than necessary.
“I think I would just cause a whole bunch of unnecessary effort with my diet and stuff. I don’t want to stress your mom with all of that.”
Josie pouts and steps up closer to her friend. “We usually order from this super healthy vegan place, I’m sure we can find something for you and me.”
Hope can’t resist the cute pout on Josie’s face. Her mouth is twisted into an adorable line, topped off by a sad puppy dog look in her eyes. Hope sighs in defeat.
“I would love to be there.”
“Yes!” Josie jumps up in excitement, but her face falls. “Oh hold on, Lizzie is going to be there too. I totally get if you don’t wanna come. She can be a lot.”
Hope takes a few moments to think about it. She has heard a thing or two about Josie’s sister, mostly from Josie herself and colleagues, from what she has gathered the Saltzman twin is witty and very direct. Caroline had already spilled a whole bunch of childhood stories, humiliating Josie in the process. The prospect of meeting her twin who’s notorious for not holding back is quite exciting. The things she could learn about Josie just at a simple brunch. Before she even finishes her train of thought she answers.
“I’ll be there.”
Josie looks surprised, but pleased. She pulls Hope into a hug and bids her goodbye.
“Text me when you make it home safe!” Is the last thing Hope utters, before closing the car door behind her friend.
She’s left standing in the dark staring at the retreating tail lights. A thought creeps up on here out of nowhere and sends shivers down her spine.
°°°°
As soon as she steps back into her house she gets out her phone and pulls up her aunt Davina’s contact information.
to Aunt D: Wed. 9:58 pm
When did you know Kol was the one?
°°°°
some niche twitter pages/tumblr blogs:
twitter user 1: so are we gonna talk about how Hope Mikaelson and Josie Saltzman are totally hanging out?
twitter user 2: whut?
twitter user 3: they both posted stories and that for sure is Hope’s kitchen and patio. Holy shit! 🤡
twitter user 4: my words colliding, as they should! 😋
tumblr user 1: they really ain’t slick. 💀
tumblr user 2: so Hope Mikaelson and Josie Saltzman? 👁👄👁
tumblr user 3: the full cast for tribrid tales isn’t revealed yet, guys… what if…? 👀
tumblr user 4: hold on. Let me edit a fancam real quick. 🏃💨