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“Why did you kiss me that night on the dock?” Josie asks.
It’s quiet in the library. Aside from the two of them, it’s completely empty. The rows of shelves stretch into darker areas that aren’t lit by moonlight seeping through the windows, and layers of dust and cobwebs line the furniture. Intricate murals are painted on the ceiling and gold chandeliers hover above.
Exhaustion is settled deep within her bones, but Josie won’t allow herself to sleep. If slumber takes over her consciousness, she’ll never get the answers she so desperately needs.
“You know why,” Hope replies. It’s curt, utterly vague. It crawls under Josie’s skin because the explanation has never been obvious to her. That night on the dock she was running on little sleep, and she's almost convinced herself some of it was merely a concocted dream.
“No. I don’t know.” Josie is irritated by Hope’s inability to be candid. Once upon a time, Hope would let herself be vulnerable in front of the siphoner, trusting Josie with her infinite worries and deepest regrets. Now, all Josie knows is the carefully blank facade the tribrid puts up, masking all of her raging emotions.
Hope staggers as she stands, barely capable of holding her own weight. “I’ll take first watch,” she states, taking every measure to avoid Josie. She sits at a bay window, leaning her head against the glass.
They’re trapped in an abandoned library, protected by a barrier spell that’s draining Hope of her already limited energy, yet Hope still refuses to talk. Still refuses to provide any explanation at all.
A banshee roams outside, lurking and waiting until their defenses are down. They're normally harbingers of death, warning others of their impending doom. Yet, this one seeks to harm them, relentlessly pursuing them until their lifeless bodies hit the floor.
For the past two days, they’ve been leading it away from the school after it desiccated MG with a single touch and almost killed two werewolves with its scream. Every spell they cast only incapacitated it for a short amount of time before chasing after them once more, and all physical attacks phase through its body.
Josie has nothing left to siphon from, and if she takes any more of Hope’s magic, the barrier will dissolve and as of now, that’s their only form of defense against the banshee. Without a source to siphon from, she can’t heal the gashes marring her skin, especially the open wound across her lower back.
The pain isn’t helping her mood in any way, and the cold that bites into her bones is a result of winter’s dawning. Her jeans are restricting, barely fending off the drop in temperature, and the knitted sweater her mother gifted her is tattered and ripped.
Both of them are in desperate need of food, otherwise they won’t regain the energy they need to kill Malivore's latest lackey. Neither of them are in any shape to leave their sanctuary, let alone call for backup.
Their only solace is that Lizzie is tracking them alongside the Super Squad.
“You never told anyone why you broke up with Landon,” Josie persists, wanting Hope to give her more than a three word reply. “After you woke up from being held in my subconscious and saved him, you ended it with him a few weeks after. The two of you were happily in love before I was possessed by dark magic. What changed?”
“I was always choosing others over him,” Hope mumbles, voice cracking. She doesn’t look at Josie, doesn’t dare to fall into the warmth of her brown eyes.
“Then why didn’t you just choose him?”
“My attention was always elsewhere.” Hope pauses, inhaling sharply before harsh coughs escape her lips. Blood splatters the hand covering her mouth, and she wipes away the crimson onto her jeans. “Landon also said some part of him would always be in love with you, so there’s that.”
Air gets caught in her throat. “What?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself,” Hope whispers the next part. “It’s humiliating enough.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Josie shakes her head, wrapping her arms tighter around her body. “He lights up at the thought of you loving him. Like literally, his skin glows with your affection.”
Hope scoffs. “You’re more attentive when it comes to his feelings. I invalidated his desire to be a hero and saw him as a burden on missions. Besides, you’re a naturally good person.”
“And you’re not?” Josie cuts in, shaking her head. “You go out of your way to save the school from danger everyday, and you never ask for anything in return. That’s one of the things Landon loves about you.”
It's one of the things I love about you, Josie thinks.
“I’ve killed people before,” Hope admits, still staring out the window. Her jaw is clenched, and she looks like she’s somewhere else entirely. “And I almost killed Landon the day he stole the knife.”
“I’ve killed Alyssa Chang. MG has killed Landon,” Josie bites her lip, hands trembling. It’s too cold in here. “We’ve all done things we’re not proud of. Landon doesn’t love you any less because of it.”
“Are we seriously fighting over who Landon loves more right now?” Hope turns to her, pupils narrowed.
Josie finally thinks Hope is going to open up. “It’s either that or you tell me what happened the night at the dock.”
Hope clicks her tongue, closing herself off once more. The silence that ensues has Josie standing up and leaving. She might as well make herself useful and pick up a book on Celtic mythology, possibly find out how to slay the banshee.
Anything to distract her from the Mikaelson.
-
Josie doesn’t even realize she passed out. It’s still dark when she wakes, but it’s considerably warmer than before. Goosebumps no longer spread across her arms, and her fingers are capable of feeling something aside from a cooling numbness.
She turns further into the warmth, tucking her head against a soft fabric. The lull of weariness washes over her, and she sighs as she sinks into an unaware bliss. That is until she hears the rhythmic heartbeat of another.
Inhaling, Josie smells the familiar scent of fresh pine and relaxes when she understands who’s holding her. The last time she was this close to Hope was weeks ago at the dock, and before then, well, Josie has shown up at the tribrid’s room on more than one occasion. After the dark magic left her, she was experiencing nightmares galore of it returning, and Hope was the only one who understood what was going on.
Hope was in her subconscious for a time after all.
“Jo, go back to sleep,” Hope murmurs into her ear. The roughness of her voice shoots a chill down Josie’s spine, and she does the exact opposite of what’s asked of her.
Leaning up on her forearms, she rubs the sleep from her eyes before asking, “How’d you know I’m awake?”
“I’ve been listening to your breathing for the past hour.” Hope shrugs, and for the first time since they left Salvatore, she’s actually looking at Josie, tracing her eyes over subtle curves and the blush of her cheeks.
Josie snorts. “Okay, Edward Cullen.”
Hope rolls her eyes, a slight upward curve to her lips. “How does your back feel by the way?”
Josie pauses, reaching behind her as she remembers the searing pain from hours before. The wound that was ripped open earlier is now completely mended without even a scar to replace it.
“You didn’t have to waste your magic on me,” Josie pouts. She’s still in that post-sleep loopy state where she freely adores Hope without having to be cautious of her response to it.
“I’m more worried about you than I am about using up my magic,” Hope soothes, playing with the brunette’s hair. “I can’t have you dying from sepsis.”
“Did you sleep at all?” Josie sits up fully, her back cracking in the process. She wants to sleep more, but Hope needs her rest too.
“I can’t.” Hope rubs her face, huffing. “The spell will break if I fall asleep.”
“Hope, you don’t have to do everything on your own,” she reassures, slipping her hand into Hope’s. “You have me.”
Josie siphons from Hope, only enough to set up a barrier on this half of the library. Watching Josie recite the incantation, Hope allows herself to slump further into the cushions of the bay window. She curls into herself and faces away from Josie, pillowing her head with her arms.
Just when Josie thinks Hope is going to sleep, the tribrid whispers, “I’m sorry I kissed you.”
Josie tenses, wondering if Hope is even aware of what she's apologizing for. She hasn’t slept for at least thirty-eight hours; she isn’t thinking clearly.
“I don’t care that you kissed me,” Josie gulped, biting her lip. She picks at a frayed thread of her sweater. “I just want to know why.”
“Why do you think people kiss?”
“The obvious reason is because both parties are attracted to the other.” Josie stands, pacing across carpeted floors. “But Landon walked in a second before then. It couldn’t have been a coincidence.”
“You really think I would use you to make him jealous?” The pain in her voice makes Josie regret ever doubting her intentions. Hope curls further into herself, fuming because of course Josie thinks she’d have some ulterior motive for kissing her.
She thinks she’s written out her feelings quite clearly.
Josie rubs the sleeves of her sweater between her forefinger and thumb, still walking back and forth. “The timing was too exact.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
Josie gapes at her, practically floundering. “I’m unbelievable? You-”
“I dumped Landon,” Hope grits out, struggling to reign in her frustration. “I left him during what’s supposed to be the happiest time of the year. Do you really think I was trying to make him jealous?”
Josie doesn’t speak, not having the right words to say.
“But you’ve never shown interest in me before.”
Hope scoffs. “Goodnight, Josie.”
-
Josie desperately needs fresh air. She woke up in a cold sweat, gasping for oxygen as the festering of dark magic licked at the nape of her neck.
Memories of hurting Ethan and killing Alyssa haunt her in her dreams, raking her with guilt. When she glances over at Lizzie, her throat tightens and threatens to suffocate her. Josie runs her hands through her hair and tugs at the roots, disgusted by herself. She almost murdered her own twin.
If it wasn’t for Hope’s interference, Lizzie wouldn’t be here anymore.
She wouldn’t be here.
Her body feels like an oven set to its highest degree, and the fabric of her hoodie becomes uncomfortable against her skin. She tugs off the offending article of clothing and gulps down the water bottle placed on her nightstand.
Without conscious thought, her feet lead her to Hope’s room, craving the comfort the tribrid so easily provides. Before she can knock, she grabs a hold of herself, realizing that she’s stumbled into the Mikaelson’s bed the last three nights in a row.
The last thing she wants is to become a burden to Hope. So instead of bothering her, she sneaks out through the back and finds solace at the dock. Her feet dangle just above the water, and she watches the ripples that form with the wind.
The breeze soothes her overheated skin, and the moonlight cascades over the area, basking it in a silvery reflection. She focuses on her breathing, inhaling deeply and dragging out her exhales.
“Rough night?”
Josie flinches at the sound of Hope’s voice, startled by the presence of another. She didn’t even hear the older girl coming, assuming she was completely alone.
“Yeah, uhm, it’s difficult to sleep when my dreams are focused on my evil counterpart,” Josie confesses, swallowing down the knot in her throat. Images of black hair, violet eyeshadow, and dark veins flash through her head, sending a shiver down her spine.
Nausea settles deep within her stomach.
“I thought you defeated the darkness?” Hope’s lips downturn, sure that all dark magic left the siphoner.
“I did, but… I regret what I’ve done,” Josie says, fingernails biting into her bare thighs. “I’ve hurt others. I’ve hurt you.”
She’s sure she’ll spend the rest of her mortal days feeling guilty for hurting her friends.
Hope sighs, sitting next to Josie. Their shoulders graze when they lean close, and Josie is relaxed by their proximity. “I’m not an expert in forgiveness. I’ve done things years ago that I still haven’t fully forgiven myself for. But… at some point you need to continue forward.”
“I killed Alyssa Chang,” Josie emphasizes, stressing to Hope that she’s a terrible person who doesn’t deserve forgiveness. “She was a thorn in my side for the longest time, but she didn’t deserve to die. And what I did to Ethan? That wasn’t provoked.”
“You siphoned black magic from a centuries old demon slaying katana to save your sister,” Hope counters, folding her knees into her chest. “That combined with the manipulation of counterfeit Vardemus wrecked your judgement and severely impaired your decision-making.”
“The same magic that saved my twin almost killed her, too,” Josie says under her breath, nails scraping and scraping into her thighs. The stinging relieves the pressure heavily weighing on her chest and grants her a momentary reprieve.
Hope smells the metallic fluid before seeing it, and she slips her hands into Josie’s, interlocking their fingers. Josie’s lip is trembling, and the reflection of chocolate irises is coated with unshed tears.
“Everyone in this school possesses devastating abilities.” Hope massages Josie’s knuckles, releasing the tension built up within her muscles. “It isn’t abnormal to lash out and lose control, but what matters most is what we do after our mistakes, that we at least try to seek redemption.”
Josie looks down, hair curtaining her delicate features. “I’m always choked up with this overwhelming remorse. I thought I had forgiven myself after I defeated the darkness, but I’m plagued with these intrusive thoughts.”
“At least we know your conscience is intact,” Hope teases, still kneading Josie’s knuckles. Josie rolls her eyes, her lips curving the slightest in amusement. “But… if you need an outlet, I have a sure-fire way to help.”
A smile spreads across her face, although the kind that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Yeah? And what’s that?”
“Well, it starts with…”
With one concise tug of their hands, Josie is free-falling into the lake, crashing into the water completely breathless. Her limbs are entangled with Hope, and for a while, all she can see is the backs of her eyelids.
And then she’s breaking through the surface, gasping for life-sustaining oxygen.
“Hope!” she shouts, flailing around as her entire body quivers. The lake is fucking freezing, and if her skin was on fire before, it sure as hell isn’t now.
A second later the tribrid floats above water, laughing and choking all at the same time. Josie splashes water at Hope, complaining half-heartedly, “You’re such an idiot.”
“Hey! I’ve been on the honor roll since I first attended school.” Hope mocks offense, sticking her tongue out.
Josie can’t help the giggles that escape her, and she shakes her head, utterly captivated by the Mikaelson heir.
“And?” Josie laughs, swimming closer. “It doesn’t make you any less incompetent.”
Hope snorts, wrapping her arms around Josie before dunking her head under. For a suspended moment in time, they stare at each other, holding their breaths as they memorize every inch of the other through the hazy water. And then Hope leans closer, hand caressing Josie’s cheek.
The tribrid kisses Josie’s nose before going back to the surface, not bothering to wait for the siphoner. When Josie is above water once more, she watches Hope carefully, barely able to comprehend the moment they shared beneath the surface.
They play in the water for the next half hour, chasing each other and screaming out when they’re caught. Eventually they tire each other out and lift themselves back onto the dock, ringing out their clothes.
“You got my bunny slippers wet,” Josie pouts, mourning the bunnies.
Hope squishes the excess liquid from them. “Why were you even wearing slippers outside?”
“Going outside wasn’t my first choice,” Josie sheepishly admits, shrugging her shoulders. The stars are twinkling high above them, and she doesn’t quite want to leave yet. Inside school, it’s so suffocating, demanding all of her attention. Everyone is always expecting something of her. But here with Hope, she can just be. “How’d you find me by the way?”
“I was kind of expecting you to come over.” Hope’s cheeks are flushed with embarrassment, but the low lighting masks her heated skin. “You’ve been crashing in my room lately.”
“So you came looking for me?”
Hope ignores the question, swallowing thickly. She reaches out, wiggling her fingers in expectation. “Come on, we should head inside. If staff finds us, Dr. Saltzman is going to give us an hour long lecture on the importance of curfew.”
Josie accepts the prompted gesture, grasping Hope’s hand and swinging their arms between them. “Not yet,” Josie pleads, biting her lip. “A few more minutes?”
Hope’s eyes soften, and a small smile pulls at her lips. “Of course.”
Josie can’t help herself when she wraps her arms around Hope’s shoulders, tucking her chin against the crown of the short girl’s head. Hope is quick to return the embrace, clinging to her waist.
Having Hope in her arms is a comfort Josie wishes to never take for granted. Her natural confidence and unwavering stability enshrouds her anxiety and provides her with security so desperately wanted.
They stay like that for a while, unbothered by their soaked clothes and damp hair. A bright light streams across the midnight sky, and Josie does a double-take, unsure of what happened.
“Wait! I just saw a shooting star.” Josie excitedly points above, squealing like a child. Hope glances up, seeing nothing but Josie in that moment. “Quick, make a wish.”
Hope openly stares at Josie, gaze dancing across her face and resting on her lips. She’s enamored by the brunette, adoring her sentimentality and fond enthusiasm. Her body moves on its own when she reaches up, caressing her cheek with one hand.
Josie looks at her then, eyes roaming over every inch of Hope’s delicate features.
“Can I?” Hope asks for permission, steady and patient.
Josie is immobile, ever only imagining this moment. For the same reasons she crawls into Hope’s bed most nights, she nods as her breath hitches. She feels Hope smile more than she sees it, ocean eyes falling gently shut, a ghost of warm breath on Josie’s lips before hers are against them.
Josie thinks this is the secret to stopping time.
Hope is tender, mouth moving smoothly against Josie’s, the tip of her tongue just barely touching her own. It’s a gentle brush of lips and tongues as they memorize the feeling, and Josie wants more.
Just as her fingers curl into Hope’s hair, anchoring her in a new position, twigs are snapping and leaves rustle from the treeline. Josie pulls away first, seconds away from running because her mind can’t wrap around what just happened.
A pained expression lingers in Hope’s eyes, the blues only darkening in hue. Josie swallows thickly, she feels like a deer in headlights, completely aware that she should leave but unable to.
Landon materializes from the trees, coughing awkwardly when he sees them. “I’m, uhm, I needed fresh air. I’ll, uh, go. Yup, I’m just gonna…”
Josie follows after him, her thoughts knocking around her skull. She’s making assumptions she shouldn’t, connecting dots that don’t align. Hope is calling out for her, begging her to wait.
She doesn’t turn back.
-
“Hope.” Josie shakes her shoulder, sunlight streaming through the window. “Hope wake up.”
Hope slaps away her arm. “A little bit longer, Jo.”
“I found out how to kill the banshee,” Josie announces, tucking an auburn strand behind Hope’s ear.
“That’s great,” Hope murmurs, leaning her head into Josie’s hand. “Now five more minutes please.”
Josie’s actions grow more urgent when the banshee floats into view, tapping against the barrier, as if testing its durability. A pallid woman with long, cascading silver hair and wrinkled skin leers at her through the transparent boundary, baring sharp, crooked teeth.
“Hope, we can sleep in after this, please,” Josie begs, slapping Hope in a last ditch effort to wake her. She jostles at the assault before clambering to her feet, slightly disoriented but conscious nonetheless.
The banshee inhales sharply, and Hope’s instincts are sent into overdrive. On pure adrenaline, she shoves Josie against the cushion of the bay window, straddling her and pressing her hands against her ears.
Josie isn’t even aware of the situation, her entire body burning up at the sensation of Hope’s hips settled against her own. An ear piercing shriek grates against her ears, filtering past the hands blocking her eardrums. Hope lurches above her, trembling as she takes the full force of the auditory bombardment.
When the screeching settles, Hope slumps forward, falling onto Josie’s chest. Her ears are bleeding, and there’s this perpetual ringing that throbs within her head. Josie siphons from Hope, knowing fully that it’ll further agitate her raging headache, and apologizes before ordering, “Phasmatos Somnus.”
The banshee crumples to the floor, thudding like dead-weight. Hope is groaning as she leans up on her forearms, hovering inches above Josie’s face. Fiery locks cascade around them, and the Saltzman twin heats up at their proximity, flushed with shyness.
“You’re an idiot,” Josie says, sitting up and shifting Hope further into her lap.
Hope snorts. “I’m still on the honor roll.”
“Your werewolf ears are more sensitive than mine.” Josie shakes her head at Hope’s teasing, chest entirely too warm. “It was counter-intuitive to protect me.”
“Protecting you is never counter-intuitive,” Hope whispers, running her thumb along Josie’s brow.
Josie coughs, breaking the tension of their shared moment. “We should go. My spell won’t last forever, and we need to find pure gold.”
“Yeah, right, of course,” Hope agrees, standing up and offering Josie a hand.
There’s a thinly veiled layer of awkwardness that settles over them as they search the library. They lost the exit a while ago, their only escape being the windows, but Josie quickly realizes that they don’t even have to leave.
“The chandeliers, Hope,” Josie points out. Her stomach growls, begging her for food, and Hope chuckles at the sound, rubbing her own. “We just have to get it under one.”
“Then we can grab some food,” Hope muses, running a hand through her hair. “We passed a Denny’s yesterday.”
Screaming echoes from one of the corridors, and Hope grabs onto Josie, pulling her alongside the walls. They creep forward, holding their breaths as they scan their surroundings. Ducking behind a bookshelf, they peek through a row of encyclopedias, spotting the banshee. It’s circling around the area, figuring out which way to go.
Josie siphons from Hope, energy pulsing through her and rushing through her veins. The specific nuance to which Hope’s magic vibrates always invigorates Josie because it’s sheer, unadulterated power.
“I’ll divert it and lure it under a chandelier,” Hope whispers, motioning to the banshee. “Just don’t miss, alright?”
“Don’t do something reckless,” Josie says, leveling Hope with an imploring gaze.
Hope smirks, mirth dancing within her pupils. “I make no promises.”
She lingers for a second, still looking at Josie. Hope leans forward, kissing Josie’s cheek before slipping out into the open.
“Over here, you old hag!” Hope yells, waving her arms sporadically. “Has anyone ever told you you’re singing is beautiful? If they did, they’re lying!”
Josie chuckles under her breath, watching as the banshee takes the bait. It sails forward, diving after Hope who easily flips over tables and jumps off the walls. They play a game of tag, Hope being relentlessly chased after, but never being touched. She steps out from behind the bookshelf when the banshee veers under the chandelier.
“Incendia!” Josie exhales, launching forward her arm and flames burst forth.
The chandelier plummets, but the banshee is too swift, dodging the strike at the last second. It turns on Josie, scarlet eyes bear into her soul, and the harsh inhale of air forces her into a frenzy.
“Lecutio maxima!” Electricity sparks forth from Josie, cracking against the banshee and crashing her into a wall.
Hope twists off a gold spike from the chandelier, bolting forward as she stabs the banshee straight through the heart. It releases a final wail, shrieking a powerful sonic wave. Time slows as Josie watches Hope’s unconscious body hurl through a window.
She rushes to the window, leaning out and seeing Hope limp on the ground. Without another thought, Josie leaps out the broken panes, landing awkwardly before tumbling forward with momentum. She pauses, waiting for the momentary dizziness to leave her before she crawls to Hope.
“Hope, please,” Josie chokes out, shaking Hope’s shoulders. She’s unresponsive, barely even breathing. “I know you’re immortal and that- that you’ll be okay. But fuck, wake up.”
Hope’s head is resting in her lap, and she rocks softly back and forth, constantly checking her pulse. Josie heals the cuts littering her face and massages Hope’s hands, waiting for her eyes to flutter open.
When a deep gurgle erupts from Hope’s stomach, Josie laughs through tears, wiping them away as the Mikaelson slowly comes to.
“So Denny’s?” Hope mumbles, blinking open bright eyes.
“I hate you,” Josie almost sobs with relief. Her heart is no longer throbbing painfully in her chest, but she’s still shaking minutely.
“Jo, about the dock,” Hope sits up, massaging her temples.
“You don’t have to explain a thing,” Josie tells her, gripping onto Hope like a lifeline. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“No, let me at least say this,” Hope urges, biting her lip. “I didn’t know Landon was coming when he did. That night was only for the both of us, no one else mattered while we were on the dock.”
“Hope…” Josie trails off, almost as a warning.
“Just know that I meant every moment, okay?” Hope’s voice is steady, a sweet honeyed tone that curls around Josie.
It’s quiet for too long, and with all the blood pounding in her ears, Hope barely hears the breathy “okay” that slips from Josie’s lips—soft and determined. But when she feels a hand slowly cup her chin, guiding her mouth to Josie’s own, everything around them seems to fade to black.
This time, when their lips meet, it’s softer. Any ounce of hesitancy in Josie is gone. Her hands come to wrap around Hope’s shoulders, pulling her even closer as the kiss deepens. Hope practically melts under her embrace.
“You’re still an idiot,” Josie murmurs against Hope’s mouth.
They lean in again, melding together their lips and licking into each other’s mouths. They’re completely unaware of the world around them, including the Jeep Wrangler that drives up beside them.
They break apart when someone honks, surprised and a little bewildered. That is until Lizzie pops up through the sunroof, gagging, “I think I need to bleach my eyes.”
Kaleb leans out of the driver’s window, wolf whistling. “Since when did monster hunting involve that?”
Rafael sticks his head out from the passenger window. “It took you two long enough. I didn't know how many more longing stares I could handle.”
MG pops out of the sunroof, too, wiggling his eyebrows. “I told you it wasn’t one sided, Jo.”
Josie jumps to her feet, pulling Hope up with her. She scoffs, “You’re all unbelievable.”
“And you’re unbelievably gorgeous,” Hope cheekily grins, interlocking their hands and piling into the car.
They inevitably eat at Denny’s, and for once, their voices aren't filled with gravel.