Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It’s on a Wednesday that Josie learns that Landon Kirby is awful in bed, much to Lizzie’s delight and Hope’s absolute mortification.

She’s currently sat in the cafeteria, chin resting on her hand and her attention wavering by the second. Lunch has been in session for 15 minutes and Lizzie has spent approximately 14 minutes and 50 seconds of it waxing poetry about how much of an ‘absolute god’ MG is, recalling details from their latest tryst with more detail than Josie ever wanted to know. It’s not a new thing—this oversharing—and every detail Josie has learned about her sister’s love life she has learned entirely against her will. Whilst uncomfortable, Lizzies sordid recaps were mostly tolerable until she started dating their mutual close friend.

“Josie!” Lizzie barks, snapping her fingers in front of Josie’s face. “Are you even listening to me?”

“Uhh—yeah. Of course, I am.” Josie lies, dragging her attention away from the half-eaten sandwich in front of her. She stopped listening one minute into their conversation when it had quickly turned from innocuous to questionable. “You were talking about how you could grate cheese on MG’s abs, right?”

“That was ten minutes ago…” Lizzie sighs in annoyance. “You need to keep up, this is important.”

“What is so important about me knowing that you woke up this morning with almost no voice lef—“

“So, you were listening, then?” Lizzie interrupts, a pleased grin pulling at her lips. Josie kicks herself because that is more than enough encouragement required for Lizzie to launch back into her play by play. “I’m serious though. I had to put a silencing spell on his room…”

Josie sighs quietly as Lizzie continues. She needs to be more subtle, adding in the occasional head nod and hum of agreement to make it seem like she’s listening. At least that way she could get through lunch unscathed. She has a class with MG after this and wants to be able to look him the eye.

“Josie, why do you look like you want to be swallowed by Malivore?” A voice asks, coming from her right. It’s Hope, a small grin adorning her face as she slides into the seat beside her.

“Hope, hey! You’re here.” Josie says enthusiastically, perking up. Her enthusiasm to see Hope is only partly due to the other girl saving her from the current topic of conversation. They’ve haven’t really spent much time together since they’d defeated Malivore a few months prior, with Hope being largely preoccupied with being reunited with Landon. “How’s your day been?”

“Nuh-uh, not so fast. You’re not getting off that easy.” Lizzie chastises her twin before turning her attention on Hope. “As a fellow person in love I’m sure you’ll be more receptive than this stick in the mud.”  

Hope catches Josies gaze and gives her a small reassuring smile before addressing Lizzie. “Receptive to what?”

“Talking about sex, duh.” Lizzie explains as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

Josie half expects Hope to scoff and change the topic, which is something she’s done in the past. Hope is notoriously private and intimate details of her private life aren’t freely given; Josie has come to understand this well. Instead she quirks her left eyebrow and tilts her head slightly, in interest or curiosity perhaps?

Josie isn’t sure.

“Anyways how do you and Landon deal with the whole human vs super thing? Going at it last night I thought I’d need to drink a bit of his blood just to recover.”

“Oh uhh—”

“Stamina too?” Lizzie questions, cutting off a wide-eyed Hope in a rush. “I finished like four times last night and I just can’t keep up…”

Josie has kept her eyes trained on Hope throughout Lizzies questions, watching the other girls’ eyebrows steadily lower into a bemused frown. Her blue eyes flick from Lizzie and land on a spot across the cafeteria. Josie follows her gaze and spots Landon sitting with Kaleb and MG.

Huh.

“Wait, did you say four times?” Hope questions, her gaze centred back on Lizzie and disbelief colouring her tone.

“Well five times if you count the small one at the end.” Lizzie said with a dreamy sigh. “You know how it is when you just can’t keep your hands off of each other, only exhaustion could stop us…”

Hope’s gaze drops down to the table and her frown deepens. A full lower lip gets sucked between teeth in contemplation as the silence between the three drags on a bit too long.

“You do know what that’s like right? Despite the thought making me nauseous, I’m sure the dwarf can’t keep his meaty hands off of you.” Lizzie snarks, all tact. Hope remains silent and Josie feels the urge to line her sister up with a kick underneath the table. Her twin clearly cannot read the room for the life of her.

“Believe it or not Lizzie, not everyone is comfortable sharing the ins and outs of their sex lives.” Josie says, reaching out and giving Hope’s forearm a reassuring squeeze. “You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want.”

“No, it’s okay, I just—” Hope shakes her head, sighing in what Josie thinks might be frustration. “Are you supposed to get there that many times? Is that normal?”

“Well not everyone can be as exceptional together as MG and me of course,” Lizzie flourishes with a wave, clicking her tongue and grinning. “Does twice sound about right for you average folk?”

“Twice?” Hope asks lowly. Her facial expression belies her tone, her eyebrows having crept upwards and her blue eyes widening around the edges as if the concept of twice being the norm has floored her.

“Um, okay, once then?” Lizzie questions, her nose scrunching up in distaste at the thought. “I guess you guys have been together a while. Things are probably a lot more… stable.”

Hope peers at the twins with wide, nervous eyes like she’s been caught out on a secret. She opens her mouth to answer but promptly closes it, cheeks darkening in a blush.

Josie watches as Lizzies zeros in Hope’s silence and changing expression, the blonde’s eyes narrowing in understanding.

“Oh my god, no way!” Lizzie exclaims, her voice rising in volume with each word. She points her finger in accusation, “Landon doesn’t get you there at all??”

“Lizzie, keep it down!” Hope hisses, reaching across the table and grabbing Lizzie’s wrist. Her eyes dart around the cafeteria in a panic, rapidly assessing if anyone had heard the blonde’s loud exclamation. Thankfully the buzz of chatter surrounding them drowns out their conversation, the rest of the cafeteria remaining none the wiser. Hope sighs in relief and releases the hold on the blonde twin.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry...” Lizzie raises her hands in apology, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “But seriously, what the fuck Hope? Never?”

“No… It hasn’t happened yet.” Hope mumbles, her cheeks considerably pinker by the second. “Landon always does but I’ve never… gotten there.”

“Not even during foreplay?” Josie splutters. She doesn’t mean to pry but this revelation has her in the same state of disbelief as Lizzie. Hope and Landon have been getting intimate for a while now… It’s been months since they’ve their biological incompatibility ended and Hope has been putting up with an unsatisfactory end each time? Damn. “Not even with like hands, and… other stuff?”

“No uhh—we don’t do much of that.” Hope swallows thickly, fiddling with her fingers in favour of making eye contact. Lizzie scoffs at the admission. “Landon, he—umm, he doesn’t do that sort of stuff. We just kind of get straight into it.”

“Why in the world wouldn’t he take advantage of getting to touch you?” Josie blurts out incredulously. She can’t fathom that Landon wouldn’t try everything in his power to make Hope feel good when they’re together.

It just seems wasteful…

No answer follows her question, so Josie flicks her gaze to meet Hope’s. Blue eyes are staring back at her with an unreadable expression, a full bottom lip once again tucked between teeth. Lizzie snickers in the background and only then does the context of Josie’s question give her pause.

Her own cheeks redden, and she clears her throat awkwardly. “I just mean that um, foreplay can sometimes be the best part…”

“Oh? And how do you know this?” Hope demands softly, eyes dark and a curious expression adorning her face.

“Um, duh, she's had like had like half of the gay population in Mystic Falls after her.” Lizzie jumps in with a laugh and Josie feels the tips of her ears heat up instantly. Hope just hums slowly, mulling over the admission. “Why are you even with that garden gnome then anyway? I assumed he must rock your world cos we all know you’re not with him for his personality…”

“No, he’s—I mean, he’s good to me in other ways.”

“Clearly not in any ways that count, babe.” Lizzie mutters, her head tilting in sympathy. “Geez, how do you even cope with that level of dissatisfaction? I’d be pulling my hair out in frustration.”

Hopes eyes flash momentarily and Josie thinks Lizzie might be right on the money with her assumption. Her eyes quickly dart to Landon and then back to Lizzie, leaning forward ever so slightly. “Yeah, that’s kind of th—".

The sharp ring of the bell cuts through any response Hope may have given, signalling the end of lunch. Josie startles, clearly invested in the conversation, and bites back annoyance at the interruption. Hope on the other hand lets out a small sigh and looks relived that the interrogation has been suspended.

“Saved by the bell now but we are definitely talking more about this later.” Lizzie promises, scooping up her bag.

The later part of their conversation with Hope comes just two nights after, and sans Lizzie, oddly enough.

It’s 7pm on a Friday and Josie has settled in for the night, a date with Netflix and bag of popcorn fixed firmly on the horizon. Her social life has been quiet lately, to say the least. Ever since her relationship with Finch crashed and burned a month ago, she’s been somewhat hesitant to get back out there.

Lizzie on the other hand is getting ready for a date with MG. Sitting cross legged upon her bed, Josie watches her twin put the finishing touches on her makeup in front of the mirror.

“No need to wait up for me tonight, Jo. I’m gonna be out late.” Lizzie says in between applying lip gloss.

“Yeah, I kind of figured that out already.”

“Hey now, no need to get snarky with me—"

Lizzie is cut off by two sharp knocks sounding from the door. Perking up considerably, Lizzie flounces to see who’s on the other side, no doubt assuming it’s MG.

Josie is pleasantly surprised to see that instead, Hope greets them, a small smile adorning her lips.

“Oh, Hope, it’s you.” Lizzie says bluntly, not expecting the girl to be on the other side of the door. “Come on in.”

“Always good to see you too, Lizzie.” Hope snarks, tucking a lock of her long auburn hair behind her ear. She takes a few steps into the twins shared room and looks around, making eye contact with Josie.

“Hey Hope.” Josie greets unexpectantly, fiddling self-consciously with the bottom of her shirt. Clearly not expecting any guests tonight she had already changed into sleep wear and is now silently cursing her choice of panda patterned crop shirt and matching shorts. “What’s up?”

“Not much…,” Hope says coming to sit at the end of Josie’s bed. “I figured we hadn’t had a girl’s night in a while, and I was just wondering if you were both interested?”

“As delightful as that sounds, I’m meeting up with MG.”

“She seems to do that on all the days that end in Y.” Josie whispers to Hope teasingly, earning a chuckle from the other girl. Lizzie simply flips her off in response.

“Yeah well, someone has to make up for the devastating drain of sexual chemistry emitted by Hope and Frodo. MG and I more than happy to take on the challenge of bringing balance to the universe.”

“You know Lizzie, sometimes I miss the days where we hated each other…” Hope snarks playfully, all bark and no bite.

“Whatever, you know you love me.” Lizzies waves her off with a hand and the two girls share a smile. “Alright, I’m off. Don’t have too much fun without me.”

Lizzie grabs her purse and promptly exits the room, closing the door behind her as she leaves.

Hope turns to her and questions, “What about you then Jo? You have any plans tonight?”

“Well I had my own special date planned, if you must know.” Josie says, trying her best to keep a serious expression on her face.

“Oh?” Hope’s face falls ever so slightly.

“Yup.” Josie says with an emphasis on the p. Reaching forward, she pokes Hope’s thigh jokingly. “Me and my laptop were planning to watch The Proposal for the fifth time.”

“That sounds like the perfect Friday night. Mind if I join you?”

Josie grins and scoots herself back until she’s resting against the pillows near her headboard. She beckons her head and pats the spot next to her, “be my guest.”

The settle into the movie quickly without much fuss. Hope had slipped her trainers off at the end of the bed before dragging herself up to sit beside Josie. Haphazardly throwing the blanket across their legs, Josie wastes no time in pressing play.

They don’t speak much—apart from the occasional muttered yes or no when Josie offers Hope popcorn, it’s relatively quiet. It’s a comfortable silence, which doesn’t surprise Josie at all. They’ve had their ups and down, but Josie has always felt at ease with the other girls’ presence.

Fifty minutes into the movie and they’ve both reclined against the pillows into a more comfortable position. They’re close, the warmth of Hope’s shoulder and thigh is pressing pleasantly into Josie’s left side. It’s almost relaxing.

Almost.

Every few minutes or so—Josie has been distracted by it enough by now to be able to time them—Hope will shift next to her. Josie might have put it down to her friend simply repositioning if it wasn’t for the accompanied sighs that followed. Each one a little heavier than the last until Josie spies Hope gripping a fistful of blanket out of the corner of her eye.

Josie chances a glance from the laptop to Hope’s face, finding a small frown and pursed lips adorning her friend’s face. Biting her lip in deliberation, Josie decides to break the silence, “Hey, are you okay?”

Hope flicks her eyes from the movie to Josie, expression not wavering. “Yeah I—I’m fine.” Hope admits softly, blue eyes meeting her own. She clears her throat before continuing, “why do you ask?”

“Well either something is on your mind or you’ve been glaring holes in the laptop because you think this is the most atrocious movie you’ve ever seen.” Josie delivers the latter part of the sentences jokingly because hello, how could anyone dislike the romcom masterpiece that is The Proposal?

Unfathomable.

“Oh—uhh, no that’s not why I—"

“No, it’s okay, I get it… It’s not just tonight—the last couple of days I’ve noticed you’ve been a bit off too. It’s kind of like you’re on edge?” 

“Oh.” Hope questions with a low whistle. “Have I been that obvious?”

“I mean, no, not really…”  Josie hums, swaying slightly to bump Hope with her shoulder. “Only to people with eyes.”

Hope’s expression softens with a small smile and she pokes Josie in the thigh playfully, “Very funny, Jo.”

Josie waits a beat for Hope to continue, but nothing comes. Hope just stares down at their laps in contemplation and silence falls around them.

Josie doesn’t push—instead she forces her attention back to the forgotten movie in front of her. It’s mostly white noise at this point as her thoughts are firmly fixed on whatever might be troubling Hope. Nonetheless, she’d leave it up to the other girl if she wanted to share or not.

Does that mean she can’t microanalyse it internally?

Pssh, no, that is admittedly a given.

By means of deduction Josie is sure that whatever is bothering Hope is about either a) Landon or b) a threatening supernatural entity. Given that their lives weren’t currently being threatened it is 99.5% likely to be the former. They had just broken up for the eighth time and gotten back together again like three weeks prior, Josie recalls, so it’s surely not about that. Although… it is Hope and Landon so she wouldn’t be surprised if—

“It’s about Landon.” Hope rushes out in an exhale, interrupting her musings.

Ha.

Clearly spurred on for an actual discussion this time, Hope reaches forward and pauses the movie.

“It’s stupid but, I—” Hope sighs, somewhat shakily, and if Josie was speaking to anyone else, she would have sworn the other girl was nervous. “I can’t stop thinking about our conversation the other day about… y’know.”

And—

Oh.

“Oh yeah, uhh—that conversation.” Josie stammers slightly because of course she’s automatically thrown straight to the topic at hand. More specifically, Landon and Hope and knowing way more about their sex lives than she bargained for. Clearing her throat awkwardly, she questions, “What about it?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t put much thought into it before, with Landon and I, but then Lizzie mentioned how it is for her and MG and…” Hope trails off pensively, tucking a strand of her long auburn hair behind her ear.

“You never thought much about it?” Josie isn’t sure how she hasn’t. If that was her and she was never able to… Well, let’s just say it’d be all she could think about.

“No, well, it’s always over so quickly and Landon always finishes so…” Hope trails off quietly, eyebrows pulling into a frown.  “I just accepted that maybe it was a me problem.”

“You what?” The question comes out louder than Josie intends and Hope just looks at her with a raised eyebrow. She flushes slightly, “Did he say that to you?”

“No, he didn’t um—we’ve never really talked about.” Hope shrugs.

Well.

Josie has never been gladder than she is in this moment that her and Landon never slept together.

She dodged a major bullet that day.

“Maybe that’s your problem, then. That lack of communication wouldn’t be helping at all. Why don’t you just talk about it?” Josie questions with genuine curiosity.

“Yeah and say what?” Hope sighs. “I don’t think telling him that he doesn’t exactly do it for me would go down so well...”

“Well obviously don’t say it like that.” Josie flushes at her friend’s bluntness. “I just mean, maybe talk about what you like? Or even just ask to slow down a bit and umm—do some things to work up to getting you to… y’know.”

“And that works?” Hope asks, biting her lip pensively. “The foreplay?”

“Well—yeah.” Josie answers as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Kissing and touching can feel really good to start with, obviously.” Josie clears her throat and waves her hand to make a point. “And umm, then the other stuff—like, grinding or having someone go down on you or using fingers… That can be more than enough to get you there on its own.”

Hope is just sitting there, watching her with a perplexed expression and Josie just knows that her and Landon haven’t done a single one of the things she’s listed…

“God, he really doesn’t touch you at all? Not even during?” Josie blurts out incredulously. Hope just stares dismally back at her, shaking her head and seriously, what the fuck? “This is definitely not a you problem Hope, trust me. The right build up and you’d be fine.”

It’s a censored version of what she wants to say because, really, Josie thinks Hope just needs to just throw the whole boy away at this point. 

There’s a pause of silence and Josie thinks she may have said the wrong thing until—

“Can you show me how?” Hope blurts out. Her eyes widen slightly at the edges, almost as if the question was the last thing Hope intended to ask. There’s no retraction however, Hope just bites her lip and stares resolutely at Josie.

What?

Hope picks up on the shock that Josie is sure must be painted all over her face and a pretty blush blooms at her cheeks. “Just so I can get a good idea how the lead up is supposed to go, y’know, and then I can show Landon…”

“Hope, I don’t know if that’s a—”

“What if it is just me, Josie?” There is an undercurrent of desperation to Hope’s words and Josie feels a stab of sympathy jolt through her. “What if all this extra stuff doesn’t even matter anyway?”

“Hope…” Josie mutters softly, unsure of what to say.

“I just need to know, okay?”

“No, I get that, I really do—but uhh—I’m not really sure why you’re asking me for?” To say that Josie is perplexed right now would be an understatement. “Or like, what you’re even asking for? Because if you want some ideas about foreplay, well… Google is a whole thing, you know.”

Hope lets out a small chuckle then, the sound abrupt and light and it’s pleasing to Josie’s ears. It serves to cut through some of the seriousness building behind their conversation.

“I know that, Jo, I understand the theory perfectly fine.” Hope rolls her eyes good naturedly. “I need to see what it’s like in practice and I don’t know—you sound like you know how it’s supposed to go.”

Josie nods slowly, mulling it over.

“And we’re friends, right?” Hope murmurs, reaching across to gently squeeze her hand. Josie lifts her eyes from their linked fingers and Hope’s staring back at her, eyes wide and expression pleading. “You’re the only one I can ask without it getting weird.”

Huh.

She supposes that part is somewhat true—the thought of Hope asking this of the few other friends she has is kind of laughable.

“What do you say?” Hope questions, and she looks hopeful and expectant and—fuck.

Josie has always found it difficult saying no to Hope Mikaelson, if she thinks about it. Dating back to when they were kids to present day, there is something about the other girl that Josie feels tethered to.

In this moment, despite a growing nervousness that has settled deep in her chest, her resolve is no different.

Josie nods her head in agreement then, and the dazzling smile she gets in return almost makes it worth it.

Josie’s ‘help’, as it were, was required much sooner than anticipated.

Hope was all ready to go as soon she had agreed and Josie gulps nervously, having thought she’d have more time to mentally prepare for whatever this was.

They had spent the last couple of minutes going over some ground rules, most of which was just Josie trying to figure out what Hope actually wanted from her.

Josie, who had initially been under the impression she would only be expected to robotically cycle through a few pointers and call it a day, was corrected quite quickly.

To put simply and with way too much ambiguity than Josie would have liked, Hope had requested for her to treat this experiment as if they were leading up to the ‘real deal’.

Josie had faltered then, obviously, because how was she just supposed to pretend they were going to have sex?? Sensing her nervousness, Hope had splayed her fingers on her forearm reassuringly and advised her to just imagine as if she was doing this with an ex instead.

Um?

The gesture doesn’t help, not even a little. Mostly because this isn’t an ex of hers. Not even close. 

No. It’s Hope Mikaelson.

The mysterious, powerful and absolutely beautiful enigma that made up the girl in front of her. The same girl that Josie had pined over for months when she was younger…

Splayed out on her bed and looking up at Josie expectantly.

Fuck.

Sucking in a shaky breath, determination rose up within her.

If Hope wanted her help with this, then by golly Josie was going to give it her all.

She was dependable, she could do this!

Shifting up onto her knees, she manoeuvres herself to hover just beside of Hope. The warmth of the dim light illuminating the room dances across her friends’ face, enhancing her symmetrical features as she peers back up at Josie with a slightly raised eyebrow.

“Let me know when you want to stop.” Josie murmurs lowly, tucking her hair behind her ear and eyes searching Hope’s face. The eager nod she receives in response is enough for her to shift her weight onto her arm besides Hope’s head, the bottom half of her dipping down until she solidly rests against the warm body below her. 

Lowering her head just enough, she’s close enough now that Hope’s minty breath fans across her face. It’s warm, and dizzying, and her eyes involuntarily flit down to Hope’s lips.

The look soft and full and so… inviting. It would be so easy for her to lean down just a hair breadth and capture them with her own.

Josie’s eyes flutter close and she leans an inch closer. They’re close enough now that their breaths are mingling.

The thought is sobering—if you had of asked Josie ten hours earlier that she’d be here, laying on her bed about to kiss Hope Mikaelson beneath her she would have choked on her orange juice.

Wait.

Kiss??

Josie stops moving and her eyes open in alarm.

She’s about to kiss Hope and—was kissing even a part of the deal?

It’s a part of foreplay, sure, but surely Landon and Hope have got that part down.

They can’t be that useless together.

Besides, call it intuition or whatever, a small part of Josie feels that if anything were to be weird about this whole thing—then it’d be kissing.

Hope thankfully has her eyes closed and doesn’t witness Josie’s indecision. Sidestepping her lips, Josie places a soft kiss to the corner of Hope’s mouth. A puff of air escapes Hope at the contact, from holding her breath or perhaps in relief—Josie isn’t too sure.

Taking her time, Josie trails her lips down the defined angle of Hope’s jaw. Each kiss is a little firmer than the last, familiarising herself with the soft, warm skin beneath her lips.

Her rhythm is stilted and slightly off, an air of awkwardness present to her movements. Josie is sure that it can only be attributed to the unfamiliarity that their situation has afforded them.

Hope doesn’t seem to notice, or if she does, she doesn’t acknowledge it. Instead, when Josie reaches a small patch of skin underneath her ear, Hope bares her neck to the side with a small hum of approval.

She wastes no time in trailing kisses down the long expanse of skin exposed for the taking. Her kisses remain relatively tame, just warm presses of her mouth exploring down the column of Hope’s neck. She covers a lot of ground, the longer she kisses the more relaxed she feels. Josie can feel Hope relaxing too, her body softening underneath her and a hand raising to grasp at Josie’s back.

“Is this okay?” Josie murmurs into the soft skin, still somewhat unsure about the whole situation.

“Yeah, keep going.” Hope hums a little breathily, arching her neck further to give Josie more space and—

Okay then.

Reaching the junction where her neck meets her shoulder, Josie nuzzles slightly into the sweet smell of Hope. A faded scent of something salty and sweet tickles her nose, likely the remnants of lingering perfume, and it’s mixed with something uniquely Hope.

Dried sweat.

Josie gets the urge to taste it on her tongue—so she does.

She places an open-mouthed kiss just above Hope’s collar bone, tongue darting out and swiping at the skin she finds there.

The contact dislodges a quiet, shaky gasp from above her and the sound gives her pause. The hand on her back makes a fist in her shirt and tentative pressure is applied against her—almost as if Hope is encouraging her for more and Josie smiles into her neck.

It’s all the encouragement Josie needs to drag her lips and tongue upwards, pressing a series of slow, open-mouthed kisses up the column of her neck.

Hope squirms beneath her as she goes, and Josie brings a hand up to rest on the other girl’s abdomen to anchor her, rubbing circles absentmindedly with her thumb.

Trailing her mouth higher, a sharp intake of breath is emitted against her ear as Josie reaches Hope’s pulse point, the spot more sensitive to her ministrations than the rest.

Zeroing in on the area, Josie licks a hot wet trail before latching on and sucking slightly. Hope, who is far more receptive to their little experiment than Josie anticipated, gasps loudly this time and scrambles her other hand up to grasp Josie’s bicep.

Emboldened by the response, she sucks harder—the pressure is more than enough that Josie knows it will leave a mark.

Deep down she knows Hope will heal any evidence of a bruise before they’re even finished, but the thought alone causes a burning to settle in her chest.

She delivers a sharp nip to her pulse point for good measure, immediately flitting out her tongue to soothe the affected area and—shit.

Hope lets out a moan then, and it’s short and strangled, almost as if she had tried desperately to contain it and failed.

Pulling back, she surveys her handy work. The pale skin of Hope’s neck is flushed from her attention and a purple bruise is blooming in the centre. The sight sends a small thrill through her and the sudden desire to colour Hope’s entire neck takes her by surprise.

Hope must have the same need and quickly becomes frustrated by the separation of Josie’s lips from her skin, sliding her hand up to the nape of Josie’s neck and pulling her back down.

Josie quickly gets the hint, eager to please.

She attacks every bit of skin she can reach, dragging lips, teeth and tongue across the rest of Hope’s unblemished neck. The hand on Josie’s neck moves up to tangle in her hair in a firm grip, holding her in place.

Hope is shifting continuously beneath her now, almost like she’s writhing and fuck—it’s like she’s so overwhelmed by Josie’s touch that she can’t keep still.

It drives Josie crazy because—god, she’s barely even touched Hope.

Not really.

Just some neck kissing and light touching but Hope is just so receptive. Each new touch or sensation is eliciting such a profound response from Hope that Josie is convinced that the other girl must be desperately touch starved.

She has to be if she’s reacting like this from Josie of all people.

Giving a reassuring squeeze to Hope’s side, she trails her fingers down to the hem of her shirt before slipping underneath. Splaying her hand against the flat plane of Hope’s abdomen, Josie relishes in the heat that burns underneath her fingertips.

She kneads gently, palming at her abs and feeling the muscles tense beneath her touch. She can feel the power the other girl exudes lying just under the surface, the abilities that her biology afforded her ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. In this moment though, Josie notices that there is a delicious softness to her too—in the delicate breathy sighs Hope emits against her ear and the soft gentle curves at her waist.

Josie times a sharp nip at Hope’s collarbone with her nails dragging lightly down the skin of her abdomen. Strong hips stutter upwards, an almost imperceptible buck, and she hears Hope let out a high-pitched whimper. Josie can feel Hope’s skirt ride up and the bare skin of her legs presses deliciously against her own.

Trailing her fingers upwards, she reaches the edge of Hope’s bra. It’s lace, and she focuses on fingering the line of the underwire, not moving any higher.

Josie is content to take her time, Hope however, is impatient.

When she doesn’t move up to where the other girl wants, Hope actually whines in frustration, pushing out her chest into Josie’s hand.

Josie lets out a quiet chuckle against Hope’s neck and trails her fingers even slower.

“Josie…” Hope warns lowly and fuck—her voice is rough, breathy and thick with arousal and definitely not a sound that should be so pleasing to Josie’s ears.

Her hands itch with the need to touch, to explore, to draw more of those sounds from Hope’s mouth. Quickly abandoning the teasing, she hastily covers Hope’s bra clad chest with her hand and kneads tentatively. 

Hope writhes eagerly beneath her and Josie, exploring the weight in her palm, squeezes with more assertion. It’s firmer this time and—shit.

Hope bucks against her at the contact, this time more sharply than the last, and Josie is sent slightly off kilter. The contact dislodges her weight so that she slides from atop the other girl, leaning heavily onto her braced arm.

Immediately missing the feel of Hope beneath her, Josie tries to shift herself back into place by moving her knee. Given the frustrated whine Hope emitted at the loss of contact, she seems to have the same idea as she eagerly shuffles her hips towards Josie.

Their movements cause them to slot together like a jig saw puzzle and—

Oh.

Josie’s breath is stolen with quiet, a shaky gasp.

In their manoeuvring, Hope’s hips moved up as she pressed down and her thigh finds itself lodged directly in-between parted legs as a result.

Josie quickly realises the absence of a barrier between them—with Hope’s skirt having ridden up enough that Josie is pressed almost directly against her. 

The thin material of Hope’s underwear does nothing to hide the heat that burns against Josie’s bare thigh.

God.

The feeling of Hope underneath her like this is dizzying and Josie is caught for a moment—the overwhelming need for more catches in her chest and she wants to give in to the desire to lose herself and just press into Hope again and again and again.

She shifts slightly, and an imperceptible amount of pressure is applied against Hope and the girl below her gasps sharply and scrambles to grasp a hand on her bicep.

It’s unintentional, really. Caught between hovering nervously and attempting to pull away—and she really doesn’t know what she should be doing. Because, sure, grinding is also foreplay so…it counts. But that doesn’t mean they should, right?

Right??

“Hope…” Josie whispers thickly, leaning down now so the words come out in a hot breath against Hope’s ear.  Her lips graze against a flushed earlobe, causing her to quiver. “Do you want to stop now?”

“No.” Hope shakes her head quickly, voice low and rough. Josie feels her other hand snaking down to rest low on her back, urging her on. “Not yet.”

Murmuring her acknowledgement, Josie presses down firmly with her thigh—she rocks her hips with the movement, throwing her weight behind it.

Her thigh fully comes into contact with Hope and oh—

From this angle Josie acutely feels the press of damp fabric against her skin. Her thigh drags, stuttering, and all she can feel is the deliriousness of heat and wetness.

A moan rips from Hope at the contact and she’s unable to censor herself this time, the sound is long and low,and Josie’s mouth abruptly goes dry at the sound.

She stills, her belly swooping with unexpected arousal and fuck—the sound was just so…pretty.

She presses down again, and again and again until they find a coordinated pattern—sliding against each other effortlessly.  Hope pulls Josie into her—grasping tightly at her bicep and fisting at the waist band of her pyjama shorts. Josie obliges, lowering herself down so the length of them presses together.

She lowers her head back to Hope’s neck, gasping hotly and messily pressing her lips underneath her ear.

The pace of her thrusting gradually increases, going from a slow roll of her hips to almost desperate thrusts. It didn’t take much—not with Hope setting the pace by pushing and pulling at her back and bucking up against her to meet each thrust.

It’s overwhelming, to say the least—their chests slide together, and Hope lets out little whimpering moans into her ear and it’s almost too much.

Almost.

And she’s almost bewildered right now—feeling Hope writhe underneath her, hurtling towards the inevitable.

How can Landon not make this his mission to coax this reaction out of Hope? Not when it was this easy, not when Hope’s body is practically singing under a few simple touches—under Josie’s touch.

She leans up and looks down at Hope and she’s struck with the thought of how pretty the girl looks. And of course, she’s normally pretty—duh. It’s just—she’s tried not to dwell on it, because Hope’s her friend, and nothing more. It’s never been something worth thinking too much about, not since she got over her crush all those years ago—except now with Hope on her bed with her shirt rumpled, full lips parted and hair tousled, it’s hard to think about anything else.

“Josie, I—” Hope chokes out, breath harshly catching in her chest. Her hips are stuttering against Josie’s thigh, movements desperate now and with a lack of coordinated effort. Her grip on both Josie’s bicep and waist are almost painful, the pressure applied guiding her hips with each thrust. “God—Josie, I think I’m gonna—fuck.”

Josie knows Hope is close to coming undone completely—she knows that two or three more well timed thrusts would be enough to give Hope what she needs. The more logical part of her wonders if she should stop, if she should untangle their limbs and call it a day.

After all, the result of this experiment is very clear.

The louder, and no doubt more stupid part of her, couldn’t bare the notion of stopping.

Not like this, not with Hope panting and whimpering hotly in her ear, her hands and movements so desperate for Josie—no wait, not for her, but for release. She complies.

Josie’s movements had slowed, and Hope was impatiently bucking up into her, frustrated by the pace. Josie pushes her hips down firmly which effectively stops any movement, holding Hope in place. Her friend whines, trying to move again, but Josie snakes her hand down and grips firmly at her waist.

“Jo, please…” Hope mutters—no, she pleads, and Josie isn’t prepared for her name to sound like that coming from Hope’s mouth.

An assured hand trails down to the bend of Hope’s knee and Josie brings up her leg to wrap around her own, giving her better access. She resumes her grinding, pressing down her thigh hard, and Hope cries out sharply at the sensation.

Josie sets a constant rhythm, barely giving Hope time to breathe, and quickly works the other girl back up to the edge. It doesn’t take long, Hope is remarkably receptive—the slick of arousal against her tells her as much, her thigh sliding wetly with each thrust. Hope is whimpering out unintelligibly, the occasional cry of her name and profanity slipping from her lips.

She presses down once, then twice more before Hope goes rigid beneath her, fingernails digging painfully into her skin. Josie watches Hope as she comes, her eyes clenched shut and jaw slackening as her whole body begins to shudder through her climax, hips bucking erratically. A moan rips from Hope’s lips, loud and long and filthy—and god, Josie has no clue how she’ll ever look at Hope again and not remember the sound of her coming undone.

After riding out the aftershocks—spent and exhausted, Hope’s relaxes beneath Josie, releasing her death grip and flopping back against the bed with a pleased sigh.

Josie just stares down at her friend, she’s glistening with a light sheen of sweat and her cheeks are flushed beautifully. Her gaze lingers, Hope looks content in a way that suggests she’s just been thoroughly satisfied and…

Josie has always been an overachiever but god damn, this experiment went way too well.

Hope must sense her staring because she feels a tug at her t-shirt, pulling her downwards. Josie lets herself be guided down, collapsing her weight on top of Hope. An arm settles around Josie’s back, pulling her in and her face comes to rest in the other girl’s neck.

They rest there like that for a while, and if it wasn’t the occasional sighs the other girl lets out, she might’ve thought Hope was asleep.

Josie though?

Sleep and relaxation are the farthest thing from her mind.

No.

She’s absolutely stewing over the fact that she’s just made her best friend come by grinding on her thigh and what does she even say to that? How do they—

The piercing sound of a phone ringing cuts through both the stillness and Josie’s internal panic, causing them both to startle.

It’s not a tone that Josie recognises so it must be Hope’s phone and—yup, Hope is reaching out to her bedside table before she knows it.

Josie quickly rolls herself onto her side as Hope snatches up the phone and sits on the side of bed.

“Hello?” Hope greets and her voice is low and rough, and it sounds like absolute sex to Josie’s ears. The other girl clears her throat before answering the other end of the line, “No, I’m not in my room right now.” There’s another pause before Hope sighs in what sounds like frustration. “No, what does it matter? I’m just… out.”

Josie doesn’t have to wonder who’s calling.

“No, we didn’t have any plans to—” Hope is cut off, bouncing her knee as she listens to the other caller. “Okay. Yeah, alright whatever. I’ll see you soon.”

The call ends and Hope turns back to her. Butterflies rush through Josie at the sight of her—Hope’s face is still flushed prettily; her hair is mussed, and her pupils are blown.

She looks beautiful.

“Jo, that was umm—” Hope catches herself, awkwardly clearing her throat. “I’ve got to go.”

Josie doesn’t really want to her to go, not after… everything. She wants to say that but—she hasn’t really been in a situation like this and it’s not like Hope owes her anything anyway, right?

Instead she just nods far too eagerly, tongue feeling like lead in her mouth. “Oh umm—okay, yeah that’s fine.”

They make eye contact for a few drawn out seconds before Hope grabs her hand and gives it a squeeze, “Thanks for tonight, Jo, I uhh—I really appreciate your help. We’ll talk soon, yeah?”

Josie just nods again, not trusting her voice.

Hope stands and takes one last look at her before striding to the door and leaving in a hurry.

Josie sighs dramatically and flops back onto her pillow, the smell of Hope still lingering all around her and the image of what they’d just done flashing through her mind.

Her people pleasing problem has taken it too far this time, she knows it.

She’s fucked.

Chapter Text

It’s been a little over a week and things between her and Hope have been weird.

Nothing much has changed, not really—and maybe that’s the problem. Everything goes on, like normal, like nothing had even happened at all. Josie goes to school and hangs out with the super squad and nothing is really out of place.

Except for maybe the fact that Josie is kind of… avoiding Hope.

It’s not intentional, per se.

The school is big, and besides, it’s not like they see each other all the time anyway. They’re busy, too—Josie has school and homework and Hope has, well, she has Landon and her usual brooding to attend to, and both of those things take up time. It makes sense that they haven’t seen each other.

And yeah, okay, so she had seen Hope in the hallway a couple of times here and there but… each time she’d seen a glimpse of auburn hair in the distance she’d panicked and turned in the opposite direction.

Okay, fine.

The avoidance was mostly circumstantial, but also… maybe a little bit intentional.

Who could blame her?

What was Josie supposed to say to her, anyway?

Oh, hey Hope, so sorry that I made you finish on my leg the other night. Also, I can’t get the sound of your moans out of my head. How have you been, bestie?

Ugh.

It’s uncharted territory and Josie has been stressing over the whole thing—an uneasy sense of guilt has settled low in her abdomen and hasn’t budged since.

Mostly because, well, for one it went way further than it should have. She didn’t need to get Hope off for her to learn that Landon has no game.

Secondly, Josie knows she was helping Hope under a strictly platonic basis, but still, considering how far they went, it doesn’t sit right with her given that Hope is in a relationship. If someone was getting her partner off in the name of friendship, well…

Thirdly, and probably the weirdest part, Josie felt herself react to Hope that night—in a decidedly non friendlymanner. She was supposed to be helping her friend, and yet—

Hence, the avoiding.

Deep down she knows she can’t run from her problems, but who says she can’t try?

She tries, she really does… she just doesn’t get very far.

The universe has other ideas for Josie—other evil concoctions designed to foil even her best laid plans.

Enemy #1:

Lunch period.

She’s come out relatively unscathed by lunch this last week, which has obviously lulled her into a false sense of security. Some might say that Hope Mikaelson is a loner—something Josie knows isn’t entirely true—but the girl does value her alone time more often than not. Josie knows the other girl usually just grabs a sandwich from the kitchen and spends her lunch in her room.

Which is why she was particularly confident heading towards the cafeteria, chatting with Lizzie about their recently shared class as they went. She’s two steps into the room when she spots Hope with her back turned to them, sitting with MG, Wade and Landon.

She freezes mid stride, contemplating turning right back around and fleeing but she’s stopped in her tracks by Lizzie grasping at her elbow.

“Josie, what are you doing?” Lizzie asks, and yeah, she’s looking at her like she’s just had a stroke or something. Her sister tugs at her elbow, attempting to urge on towards the rest of their friends.

“Oh, umm—” Josie’s looks across the room where their friends are sat, then back at Lizzie. Her eyes widen in a panic, scrambling for an excuse that could get her out of here. “I just remembered that uhh—I have an assignment due and I haven’t finished it, so…”

“But we don’t have any assignments due…” Lizzie mutters, officially puzzled, and looking at her like she’s officially lost her mind. “We’re in all the same classes.”

Shit.

Josie falters then, eyes back on Hope and Lizzie follows her gaze. Lizzies eyes fall in their friend’s direction, her bemused expression melting into one of understanding. She turns back to Josie with a grin.

“Oh, okay, I get it now. Say no more.” Lizzie says knowingly with a chuckle and umm—what? Her stomach plummets nervously. “You’re having trouble looking at Landon in the same way, too, right?”

Oh shit.

“Umm—”

“I ran into him outside dad’s office the other day and the whole time we were talking I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from making fun of him.” Lizzie groans in exasperation, acting as if it was the hardest thing she’s ever had to do in her life. “Like, I’m sitting on a gold mine of jokes about his sexual inadequacy and can’t use any of them. It’s really testing my loyalties to Hope, not gonna lie.”

Oh.

“Lizzie, that’s not wh—”

“Anyway, you’ll be fine.” Lizzie cuts her off, linking their elbows and pulling her towards the table. “I’ve just started thinking of him like he’s got a condition or something—like a three-legged dog, y’know. Adds a little sympathy in there, makes it easier.”

Josie doesn’t have the words to unpack all of that, but it’s not like she gets the chance either, as MG spots the pair and waves them over. Lizzie’s stride quickens, eager to greet her boyfriend and Josie has no choice but to be dragged along with her.

Lizzie greets MG with a peck to the lips, sliding onto his lap and leaving the last seat beside them to Josie. It’s directly opposite Hope, because, of course it is, and Josie stiffly sits down in her seat.

The boys seem to be engaged in a discussion about something nerdy, comic books or marvel maybe, Josie isn’t sure, but they pause to greet the twins when they arrive. Josie returns their greeting to everyone with a smile and they return to the topic at hand.

Lizzie, being the closet nerd that she is, joins in on the conversation immediately and Josie curses under her breath. There’s no way Josie could follow along, so she doesn’t even bother trying, instead opting to pluck a sandwich onto her plate and begin picking at it.

Josie feels eyes watching her, undoubtedly belonging to Hope sitting across from her, but Josie stubbornly keeps her eyes fixed downward.

She’s about to take a bite of her sandwich when she feels a well-timed nudge against her calf. Josie looks up to find Hope smiling back at her.

“Hey Jo.” Hope murmurs, her voice warm and genuine, a sincere smile pulling at her lips. Josie blinks at her friend in surprise, expecting a different reception. It’s disconcerting, really—Hope affords her in the same manner that she always does, the underlying softness that her friend seemed to reserve only for Josie present like normal. “Thank god you’re here.”

“Why?” Josie asks, eyes widening and voice wavering slightly. Had Hope been wanting to see her? She did say that they’d talk later, but surely Hope doesn’t want to talk about what happened now in front of everyone.

“To save me from this conversation, of course.” Hope jokes with a grin. She gestures towards their friends and rolls her eyes good naturedly, “They haven’t come up for air since we sat down.”

Oh.

Josie lets out a few breaths of stilted laughter, “Glad I could help.”

As soon as the words leave her mouth, she ungracefully chokes on her own spit, cheeks blossoming with a blush.

Glad I could help??

Real smooth considering her ‘help’ was what got her into trouble in the first place.

She curses herself internally as Hope giving her an odd look in response.

Great.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, am I boring you?” She hears Lizzie demand, annoyance colouring her tone. Josie turns towards the sound in time to see her sister lean across and smack Wade on the forearm. “If can listen to your drawn out and wildly incorrect theories for the better part of 2 minutes without ending it all, you can stay awake for more than 2 seconds…”

“Whoa, hey—Lizzie, chill out, I was listening the whole time.” Wade cheeks have darkened at the call out, his hands raised in front of him placatingly.

“It’s not just you Liz, trust me. He fell asleep in history earlier and I had to shove him awake before he got detention.” MG reassures Lizzie with a chuckle. “What’re you so tired for anyway?”

“I uhh—I haven’t been getting much sleep lately. Few too many late nights in the library.”

“The library?” Lizzie questions, confused. “Why were you in there?”

Wade doesn’t answer, instead his gaze awkwardly flicks over to Hope and Landon.

The rest of the group follow his direction until all of them are staring at the pair. Landon, who was mid bite of his sandwich, promptly chokes on his mouthful under the scrutiny.

“No, that’s not—“Landon coughs once, then twice, clearing his throat from food—or just plain awkwardness. He rubs the back of his neck, starting again, “It was only like, 3 times max that we kicked you out so that we cou—"

He doesn’t finish, Hope cuts him off mid ramble with a low warning and a sharp elbow to his side.

She can hear Lizzie laughing gleefully in the background, as if she’d just heard the most amusing thing ever, but Josie isn’t paying attention—too distracted by Hope’s reaction.

Hope is mortified by the admission, naturally, her eyebrows drawn into an annoyed frown and a pretty blush has dusted across her cheekbones, darkening by the second. It’s a knee jerk reaction, really—the sight of Hope blushing involuntarily recalls memories of that night to coming crashing to the surface.

Butterflies swoop low in her belly at the thought and Josie knows she should look away; knows she should think of literally anything but what her best friend looks like when she’s—but, she doesn’t.

She can’t.

Instead, she watches as Hope’s eyes dart down to the table and then, like a train wreck waiting to happen, inevitably they flick up to land on Josie.

Hope’s eyes widen when she notices that Josie’s been watching her, like she’s been caught. Josie wants to smile at her friend to ease her embarrassment, but she can’t—she just stares, mesmerised by the immediate darkening of Hope’s blush that spreads under Josie’s gaze.

Her flushed cheeks catapult Josie back in time, back to that night when they had glowed for and entirely different reason and—

Hope looks away first, distracted by Landon muttering an apology in her ear and putting an arm around her shoulders, and Josie swallows thickly.

Get a grip.

The conversation amongst her friends moves on, but she is entirely too distracted to follow along. Now that the spotlight is off of Hope, the other girl engages in conversation with the rest of the group, laughing occasionally and leaning into Landon’s side.

Josie observes her friend, more discreetly this time, and wonders if maybe she herself might be going a little crazy.

Or perhaps, more logically, she has just built this whole thing up way too much in her head.

She must have, because what other reason would there be for Hope to be acting like nothing had even happened in the first place.

Furthermore, it sounds like Hope and Landon have been putting a fair bit of time into practicing the newfound skills Hope had acquired so maybe Josie’s help really helped after all?

Maybe they don’t need to speak about what happened—maybe it was just a favour that friends do for each and that’s the end of it… 

Josie shakes her head with a small smile, relieved at the alternative.

Going about this as if everything was normal would certainly save her a lot of headaches, that’s for sure.

Whoever said ignorance is bliss was on to something, Josie thinks.

If she doesn’t think or talk about what happened with Hope, she can’t really be troubled by it, right?

And her and Hope, well… they don’t talk about it, or acknowledge it or even act differently around each other at all—but it works.

Sure, they don’t really talk about anything of substance anymore—it’s all surface level stuff. Mostly just ‘hi’ or ‘how are you?’ or ‘how about that magic homework, huh?’ Also, they haven’t been alone together since, only interacting within the safe buffer of the super squad and now that Josie thinks about it, it’s kind of weird…

But hey, at least it’s not awkward now, and there’s no more avoiding going on—Josie is happy about that one, people seriously underestimate how hard it is to plan your day around avoiding someone. Taking the long route around school was seriously messing with her time management and Josie was not a tardy person.

Most importantly, Hope seems a lot less frustrated these days, more at ease—she seems happy, and that is kind of all matters in the scheme of it, Josie thinks.

The tentative normalcy that has returned to her and Hope’s friendship doesn’t last long—it couldn’t, Josie realises much later, but when the dam breaks, she is just as blindsided as before.

It’s a Thursday evening and once again, Josie finds herself alone in her room.

Lizzie is at MG’s watching movies—though Josie highly doubts there is much watching going on. Her sister had extended an invite, like always, but Josie had more sense to decline this time. The very first, and last, time she third-wheeled to one of their movie nights was uncomfortable, to say the least.

Nope.

She had things to do, anyhow, like homework, or watering her plants—which was what she was in the middle of before a knock sounded at her door.

Hope is on the other side, holding a small plate of brownies in her hands, and Josie would be lying if she said she wasn’t surprised.

“Hey Jo.” The girl in front of her greets with a smile, rocking slightly on her feet.

“Uhh—” Josie falters, caught off guard by Hope’s presence. She was the last person Josie expected to see given the scarcity of their interactions recently. “Hey?”

It comes out awkwardly, more like a question than a greeting really, and Hope regards her curiously with a raised eyebrow. Josie just stares back at her, still kind of dumbfounded and waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The silence drags on a bit too long to be comfortable and Hope clears her throat, eyes flicking over her shoulder into the twin’s room before landing back on Josie. “Any chance I could come in for a sec?”

Josie blinks in surprise at the request, “Umm—you want to come in?” Hope looks at her oddly at the question, nodding her head slowly. Josie bobs her head awkwardly, opening the door wider, “Sure, yeah, come on in.”

Hope strides past her and comes to a stop in the middle of the room, turning back to face her.

“You know, Lizzie is out at the moment, so…” Josie mumbles, trailing in behind her.

There’s nothing subtle about her words and judging by the look that passes across Hope’s face, she gets it.

It’s a reminder.

It’s an almost warning.

There’s no buffer, there’s no one here but us.

“Well yeah Jo, unless she’s hiding in the closet right now, I kind of figured that.” Hope snarks with a dry chuckle. She averts her eyes from Josie, looking around the room before mumbling, “I’m uhh—I’m here to see you, actually.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, we haven’t hung out in a while. I thought we could catch up—maybe talk about a few things?” Hope murmurs softly, words catching ever so slightly as her hands clench around the plate she’s holding. The sentiment might have been endearing apart from the fact that Hope is clearly nervous, Josie observes, and it makes her wary. “I brought your favourite.”

A memory flashed through her mind at those words—we’ll talk about this later, okay?—and she wonders if now was that time.

Hope thrusts the plate in Josie’s direction, and she takes it from her grasp, surprised there are no cracks in it from the death grip it was under. She places them on her desk, they look delicious and she knows that if Hope baked these, they’d taste as good as they looked, “Thanks, Hope.”

The other girl just hums in acknowledgment, nodding her head. Silence befalls them, but it’s not quite the comfortable silence that Josie is used to experiencing with Hope—it sets her on edge.

Josie falters in the middle of the room, watching a nervous Hope look at everything but her, and makes a move to sit on the side of her bed. Hope remains awkwardly standing in front of her—it’s ridiculous, Josie notes, and she throws the girl a bone. Patting the spot next to her, she beckons, “Hope, c’mon, sit down.”

Hope does as she asks, dropping down next to her with a sigh.

“What did you want to talk about?” Josie questions, curiosity getting the better of her.

“Oh uhh—” Hope halts, almost comically, and it gives the impression she didn’t expect to get this far. “I was just wondering—I mean, how are you?”

“I’m… good.” She’s bemused and it shows in her tone. Hope is asking her something they cover each time they have small talk, why has she come to her room to ask the same thing?

“Good.” Hope bobs her head a bit too enthusiastically. “That’s really good.”

“And what about Lizzie?” Hope continues, words rushing from her mouth in a mutter. She looks up at Josie then and smiles, but it’s awfully synthetic—too much teeth involved to be genuine. “She’s also… good?”

Josie is officially lost—and also maybe a little bit concerned that Hope might be losing it. “Umm, yes? Not much has changed since you saw her at dinner a few hours ago…” Josie trails off, eyes narrowing in concern. “Are you okay?”

“Me? Yeah, of course I am. I’m good.” Hope interjects quickly, before rolling her eyes at the overused choice of word. “I mean, I’m fine.”

“Hope.” It’s soft, and low, and said in way that translates to ‘I know you better than that. Hope looks at her sheepishly, shoulders dropping in almost defeat and the charade vanishes.

“Okay, that’s a lie, there’s something that has been bothering me.”

“What’s wrong?” Josie prompts gently.

“It’s uhh—,” Hope falters, fiddling nervously with her fingers. Her eyes flick up to meet Josie’s and she surprised to find a blush lightly staining the tops of Hope’s cheeks. Huh?

“Whatever it is, you can tell m—,”

“It didn’t work.” Hope breathes out, eyes a little spooked and blush darkening.

What?

The confusion must show on her face because Hope is quick to clarify, “Your help.” She stares back at Josie, eyebrows raised and lips slightly pouted, and repeats, “It didn’t work.”

“Didn’t work?” Josie blinks, dumbfounded. Her mouth can’t quite keep up with her brain, the words rushing from her completely unfiltered, “Hope… I literally made you come?”

“Oh my god, Josie, that’s not—” Hope cuts her off quickly, words coming out in a panic. She falters, sucking in a breath and shaking her head like she’s trying to brush off the mental image painted by Josie’s words. “I mean with Landon.”

Oh.

Josie flushes hotly, feeling the tips of her ears burn in embarrassment and yeah—seriously considers muttering a spell to make herself disappear right there and then. She chances a glance up at Hope and finds wide, dark eyes regarding her and Josie’s stomach swoops. 

“Oh?” Josie questions, desperate to take the focus off of herself. “I thought you guys were doing well?”

Josie is genuinely surprised at the admission. Given Hope’s apparent happiness and the amount of times Hope and Landon have kicked Wade out of their room… it wasn’t a hard assumption to make, really.

“No, umm—it hasn’t really made a difference.” Hope mutters, chewing on her lip in frustration. “We tried to do the stuff you showed me…”

“And you didn’t uhh—it didn’t work for you?”

“No, it changed nothing.” Hope huffs, and there’s a definite shortness behind her words, Josie notes. She’s frowning now, pinning Josie with a look that puts her on the back foot. “You said it would work.”

And okay, Josie isn’t really prepared for the shift in blame that’s unfolding. Hope is regarding her like she is the reason her and Landon can’t work it out—like Josie has set her up to fail or something and the ridiculousness of it all makes her want to laugh.

“I’m not really sure what to say, Hope. What I showed you—it clearly did work for you.” Josie stresses, holding Hope’s gaze with a pointed raise of her eyebrow. “It’s not my fault if you two aren’t doing it right.”

She won’t have the stellar reputation she has built around helping her friends tarnished.

She won’t.

What was she supposed to do? Write Landon a detailed diagram?

“Do you think that’s why it didn’t work?” Hope asks, surprise colouring her features and Josie thinks she might not have even considered the possibility at all. “We didn’t do it right?”

Yes.

“I don’t know… maybe?”

Hope nods slowly, mulling it over and Josie can see the gears turning behind the other girls’ eyes. “Okay,” Hope murmurs, turning towards her, “if that’s the case, can I show you?”

“Show me what?” Josie asks, bemused.

“Show you how we did it.” Hope says as if it’s the most obvious thing and—huh? “To see how it went wrong.”

Josie opens her mouth to reply, then closes it, positively baffled. How was Hope supposed to show her and Landon during foreplay? Unless they record themselves or something and—oh.

The realisation takes a little longer to hit, but when it does, she flushes hotly in embarrassment.

“That’s okay, you don’t need to show me!” Josie squeaks, averting her eyes from Hope’s as she feels heat creep up her neck. Teaching Hope foreplay was one thing, but watching Hope and Landon get hot and heavy? No thank you. “I don’t need to—I uhh, think you should probably keep that video to yourself.”

“Video?” Hope mumbles, confused. “What do you mean—oh…oh my god!” Her eyes widen comically, and cheeks instantly redden. Reaching out, she swats Josie on the arm and chastises, “I didn’t mean like that, god Josie, that’s so gross.”

“Oh.” Josie whistles, instant relief flooding through her. “Sorry, it kind of did sound like… anyway,” she mutters quickly, sending a sheepish smile towards Hope, “what did you mean then?”

“I meant like, show you.” Hope explains, gesturing with her hands. “Like a demonstration.”

“But Landon isn’t here?” Josie rushes out with a frown. “Also Hope, what the fuck, that’s worse.”

Hope looks at her like she wants to strangle her and—okay, what the hell?

“A demonstration on you, Josie!” Hope exclaims, frustration boiling over at her lack of understanding.

Oh.

She supposes that makes a lot more sense than the alternatives, and if she wasn’t trying desperately to swallow against the lump that’s formed in her throat, she might have laughed at the situation. Instead, she just swallows thickly, staring at a spot on the floor.

“That way you’d be able to see where it’s not working.” Hope continues, the heat behind her words cooling rapidly at her silence. Josie flicks eye back up to Hope, the other girl looking back at her with a look of resignation.

“Oh, uhh— Josie falters, the weighted implications of what Hope is suggesting catching up with her and—are they really going here again? Josie probably should ask, she should clarify what Hope means this time and set boundaries to avoid any further confusion. It’s the logical thing to do, the sensible thing to do, and yet her mouth clearly does not agree. Once again her mouth is on autopilot, her response rushing from her mouth without a second thought, “Okay.”

Shit.

“Okay?” Hope asks, perking up somewhat, expression hopeful.

Double shit.

“Okay.” Josie nods in agreement, kicking herself internally. Why does she always get herself into these wacky situations? This, like last time, is bound to end poorly. “You can show me what you guys did.”

Hope just stares at her, cheeks slightly pink and a full bottom lip tucked between her teeth in contemplation.

“What?” Josie demands softly, acutely aware of how exposed she feels under Hope’s prolonged stare.

“It’s just that, umm—” Hope pauses, an air of awkwardness about her. Shuffling backwards on Josie’s bed, she clears her throat. “You need to straddle me.”

Hope looks up then, watching her expectantly—waiting for Josie to crawl into her lap like it’s a foregone conclusion and the casualness of it all throws her.

It’s just a demonstration, for god’s sake.

The reassurance is a lost cause—because, despite knowing this, why does Hope’s command make her stomach clench in anticipation?

“Right.” Josie nods, slowly rising to her feet. Her legs feel heavy, and awkward, and she pauses in front of Hope, faltering. “I guess I should just—”

She doesn’t waste any more time, climbing onto the bed, knees coming to rest either side of Hope’s hips.

Hands lift up to her back to guide down, and after a moment of shifting her weight, Josie settles in the other girl’s lap.

“Is this okay?” Josie mutters, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Yeah, Jo, it’s good.” Hope says softly, tilting backwards slightly. This position leaves very little room for personal space, Josie notes, as she’s close enough that she can feel Hope’s breath fan across her face as she speaks.

Josie feels the hands on her middle back slide downwards, coming to settle low on her hips.

“Let me know if this gets too weird or umm—you want to stop or whatever.” Hope mutters and Josie wants to giggle, because hello, it’s a little too late for weird.

The hands on her hips squeeze, the pressure firm and reassuring and whatever retort she may have had dies on her lips. Instead, Hope gazes up at her and she just dumbly nods back.

“Okay, uhh—we started with the neck kissing like you showed me.” Hope murmurs, pushing the hair from Josie’s neck and leaving it exposed. Dark eyes flick down, tracing over the skin and catching on her throat, “So I should probably just…”

Hope leans forward, full lips coming to ghost along the sensitive skin of her neck. The heat of Hope’s breath makes her shiver and her eyes flutter closed in anticipation.

“Oh, and there was some touching too.” Hope mutters, rather unnecessarily Josie thinks, against her skin. She just hums, grasping onto the other girl’s shoulder and applying some pressure.

Soft lips press against her gently, once, then twice, before pausing.

“And also—"

Josie halts Hope’s movement this time, stopping her with firm pressure to her shoulder.

“You don’t have to narrate the whole thing, Hope.” Josie says teasingly. “Just—you know, show me the lead up.”

“Like last time…” It’s not really a question, more of an acknowledgment, and the weight of it settles heavily between them. Hope pulls back slightly, raising an eyebrow.

The implication of last time shouldn’t affect her like this, and it’s silly in all honestly because this is not going to end the same way as last time—but the thought inspires butterflies to swarm in her stomach, nonetheless.

She just nods, not trusting her voice, and bares her neck to the side.

Hope doesn’t waste any time attaching her mouth to her skin, full lips pressing against her pulse point in a closed mouth kiss. Her movements are slow at first, just a simple drag of soft kisses mapping the column of her throat.

Trailing down, she reaches the top of her collar bones and pauses, nosing at the skin she finds there and breathing her in.

“You smell so good.” Hope hums in approval, inhaling deeply and Josie shivers in response. The action is somewhat out of place given their arrangement, it’s almost… intimate, and it throws her a little. Hope is quite method in her performance, and it’s a stark reminder that she’s been given a glimpse into her relationship with Landon.

It’s a re-enactment.

She knows that, and yet—

A warm, swooping feeling settles low in her belly all the same.

Lips reattach to her skin, movements much bolder this time. Hope leaves a trail of open-mouthed kisses up the column of her neck, tongue flicking out and swiping at the skin when she reaches her pulse point.

The spot proves to be particularly sensitive under the heat of Hope’s mouth, and Josie can’t help but shiver under the attention. Homing in on her reaction, Hope sucks at the skin hard.

Josie lets out a surprised whimper at that, and okay—once again she’s thrown by Hope’s admirable commitment to the cause. The skin under Hope’s mouth aches just so under the pressure and Josie knows without a doubt that it’s going to leave a mark.

Oh.

Hope is marking her.

Objectively, she should be a little displeased by this—she’s going to have to use a glamour spell to cover them after all, otherwise Lizzie would notice, and she’d have an absolute field day trying to explain away this situation.

So yeah, in theory she’s not a fan, but in practice…?

God.

The reality of Hope colouring her neck for everyone to see is entirely too dangerous, especially when it makes her burn with rising arousal.

No.

Bad Josie.

Hope must share the same enthusiasm though, as she winds her hands around her back and pulls her closer, eager for more access. Josie can’t help but melt under the attention, letting out a trembling sigh and arching her neck even further into Hope’s mouth.

The other girl doesn’t squander the opportunity given to her, as she readily moves on to the next patch of unmarked skin, eagerly kissing, licking and sucking as she goes.

Her neck aches deliciously, the skin there mottled a mix of flushed pink and purple hues.  She’s squirming under the attention now, small gasps and whimpers flowing from her lips and filling the silence between them.

A curious hand slides from its place low on her back, trailing to the front of her t-shirt and pushing its way underneath the hem.

Hope’s other hand quickly joins in on the exploration, dragging across her the heated skin of her abdomen and settling at her the curve of her waist. The other continues its path upwards, settling over her bra clad breast.

Hope palms assuredly at the flesh, placing a well-timed nip to already sensitive skin as she does so and—

The jolt of arousal that rushes through her at the sensation is to be expected at this point.

With the delicious ache that blooms at her neck combined with Hope’s hands mapping her body, squeezing possessively, well—she doesn’t stand a chance.

The intensity of it takes her by surprise, though, her hips jerking forwards abruptly and a startled, breathy moan escaping her lips. Hope’s own breath comes out shakily against her neck at Josie’s response, hands eagerly doubling down in their exploration, one palming over her bra and the other trailing down to settle low on her hip.

The hand at her hip squeezes, strong grip pulling her forwards, guiding her down until she’s effectively grinding against the other girl and—

Oh.

Hope pulls her forward again, and then again, encouraging her to rock down into her lap. It’s almost stilted at first, with their movements not quite meshing together, Hope pushing up just as she falls backwards, and it doesn’t quite… work.

She hears Hope huff in frustration against her neck, abandoning her chest and winding her other hand down to settle opposite the other. Her movements are stopped in their tracks by a firm grip, hands holding in place and effectively stopping the roll of her hips.

Josie can feel the strength Hope possesses, knows exactly what those hands could do, and she has to bite her tongue to stifle the moan threatening to escape.

She’s not entirely successful, especially when Hope begins controlling her movements, pushing and pulling her hips and and bucking her own up to meet each thrust. A shaky gasp tumbles from her mouth as they find a perfect rhythm, the seam of her shorts catching against her just so…

Fuck.

Heat settles high on her chest, quiet, shaky pants stuttering from her lips with each roll of her hips. She can feel the drag of her damp underwear with each thrust, sticking to her uncomfortably and it becomes abundantly clear that whatever they’re doing is dangerously close to crossing the line.

Again.

The grinding is driving her a little wild, it’s too much yet not enough all at once and it leaves her aching for more. It’s enough to work her up towards something, yet it leaves a lot to be desired where it counts, and Josie knows they need to stop now or run the risk of not stopping altogether.

“Hope.” She pants her out, head thrown back and eyes clenched shut. The other girl hums in distracted acknowledgement, delivering a well-timed nip to the sensitive flesh jabove her collarbone. Josie stammers, breath coming out in a sharp hiss, “Should we—fuck, do you think we should stop?”

“No.” Hope is quick to dismiss, the word coming out a little too zealously. “There’s still more I need to show you.”

They’re in precarious waters now, as Josie isn’t sure what more there is to show short of them fucking.

The thought alone leaves her mouth dry.

“Unless…” She trails off hesitantly when Josie doesn’t reply, hands slowing her movements until they eventually come to a standstill. “You want to stop?

The idea of Hope no longer touching her makes her want to scream.

“No, but…” Josie falters, hips seeking out contact and finding nothing. Hope moves her again, recommencing the slow roll of her hips, but it’s still not enough. She whines out in frustration, “I need—”

A hand slides off her waist, fingers ghosting across the skin that peeks out above her waistband, the sensation making Josie tremble in anticipation.

Eager fingers trail downwards, meeting the waistband of her shorts and fingering the elastic in a silent question.

“Please.” Josie hisses, nodding vehemently. The word tumbles out of her mouth like a plea, and she’d have more sense to be embarrassed if she didn’t feel so desperate for more.

Hope slides her hand beneath the waistband of her shorts, wasting no time in directing her fingers right where Josie so desperately needs them. Two pads of her fingertips experimentally find her clit, sliding around its peripheral in painstakingly slow circles.

A sharp moan catches in her throat, the slight pressure making her hips jolt forward unintentionally.

Fuck.

“God, Josie…” Hope breathes out in awe, looking up at her with wide, searching eyes. She moves her fingers lower, sliding through an embarrassing amount of wetness as they come to rest against her entrance. “You’re so wet.”

Oh.

Josie feels heat creep up her neck, the apples of her cheeks growing dark with embarrassment.

“No, it’s—” Hope chokes out when she catches Josie’s reaction, shaking her head and swallowing thickly. Josie feels Hope’s other hand squeeze her hip, thumb running circles around the heated flesh in reassurance, “it’s—god—it’s definitely a good thing.”

It’s hard to be embarrassed by her body’s enthusiasm, especially with Hope looking up at her like this. Eyes dark, pupils blown, expression dazed and in awe—like she can’t quite believe she’s getting to feel Josie like this and hell, the sight of it causes heat to flame low in her belly.

It burns hotly, revelling under the other girls’ attention. The weight of seeing this side to Hope isn’t lost on Josie, seeing her like this, so tentative yet so damn eager for it all, for her—it steals the breath from her lungs.

She doesn’t get much time to linger on the meaning of it all, though, as nimble fingers slide back up to her clit and begin circling. Hope’s movements aren’t so tentative this time around, the speed of her ministrations quickening and—

The sudden change makes her hips jolt into Hope’s hand, seeking contact, and the long, low moan that is drawn from her lips is entirely involuntary. She hears Hope gasp at the sound, exhaling from shaky lips and fanning against her face.

After a particularly well-timed flick, Josie cries out suddenly, hips jolting forward sharply and eyes fluttering open at the sudden sensation. She makes the mistake of looking down, all the while Hope is staring up at her, their eyes locking together in a heated gaze.

It’s loaded, laced with an undercurrent of something more and Josie falters, eyes dropping down to Hope’s mouth. Her lips are full and parted, and she’s caught between the sudden urge to smother Hope’s mouth with her own. She longs to taste the other girl, to swallow her sighs and—

She can’t.

Josie drops her head to Hope’s neck instead, burying her face and nosing at the skin she finds there. Hope hums, hand grasping at the soft flesh of her hip, urging her forwards.

Oh.

Her hips begin to resume their rhythm, rocking and rolling down into Hope’s hand, seeking out any and all friction she can get from the other girl. Hope never applies direct pressure to her clit, only circling it teasingly, working her up in a way that makes her feel like she’s on fire.

She wants more, she wants everything Hope has to offer and it makes her feel—

Wild.

She whimpers then, burying her head further into Hope’s neck and swallowing the urge to sing the other girl’s praises. She feels like if she opened her mouth, she wouldn’t be able to stop, so Josie bites her tongue instead.

Hope doesn’t make it easy though, her ministrations leading her to the edge, pushing her towards something big and drawing small whines and cries from her full lips.

“Josie.” Hope breathes into her ear hotly, voice low and rough and Josie thinks her name has never sounded so fucking good. Full lips tickle her earlobe, breath coming out in a pant, “Does that feel good?”

It’s redundant to ask, really, with Josie practically keening in the other girls lap and she might have laughed if could actually catch her breath.

“Yes.” Josie gasps out against the heated skin of Hope’s neck. The firm hand at her hip squeezes hard, pulling her forwards as fingers slide just so… She stifles a moan at the feeling, the sound smothered between them and her hands come up to grasp hastily at Hope’s shoulders, “Hope…”

Her name leave’s Josie’s lips like a plea, for what exactly Josie isn’t too sure, just for more and—Hope seems to get the message.

She dips lower then, two fingers settling at her drenched entrance, adding just enough pressure to draw out a breathy gasp.

“Is this okay?” Hope asks, and Josie pulls back, dazed eyes meeting intense blue. Hope is looking up at her with flushed cheeks and blown pupils tinged with gold and fuck—Josie is never going to be able to get this picture out of her head.

Embarrassingly worked up and utterly desperate to feel Hope inside of her, Josie can do nothing more than nod her head almost comically, exhaling a shaky breath and bucking her hips forward to make her point.

Hope doesn’t need to be told twice, fingers applying pressure and—

A loud, startling bang sounds against the door to the twin’s room and Josie is subsequently dumped off of Hope’s lap and onto the floor.

Ouch.

The bang is closely followed by Lizzie giggling and murmuring a goodbye to someone, presumably MG.

Hope and Josie stare at each other, frozen and eyes wide with panic.

The doorknob begins to jingle and both girls scramble, both shooting upwards and adjusting their clothes as best they can.

They’re standing there awkwardly, faces flushed and clothes rumpled, when Lizzie bursts into the room after several attempts.

“Oh my god, I think our door is broken.” Lizzie exclaims, eyes glazed over and a happy smile tugging at her mouth.

She’s drunk.

“Lizzie, have you been drinking?” Josie asks, breathless and red faced.

“What’s it to you, mom?“ Lizzie mumbles, giggling at herself as she fumbles with removing her heels, kicking them off across the room. “We may have swiped a few things from dad’s stash.”

“I uhh—I should go.” Hope murmurs quietly beside her and—oh. Right. She chances a glance beside her, biting her lip at the sight of the girl. She’s beautifully flushed, eyes darting nervously around the room and looking like she’d rather be anywhere but here.

“Ah!” Lizzie cries out comically in fright, eyes focussing on Hope for the first time since entering the room. “Mikaelson! Where the fuck did you come from?”

“I’ve been he—”

“Wait, why do you look so flushed?” Lizzie slurs in question, eyes narrowing in scrutiny. She looks between them, exaggeratingly tapping her chin in contemplation, “have you two been fighting again?”

“Oh uhh—yeah.” Josie blurts out in a puff, nervously wringing her hands. “Just a little disagreement over our physics homework.”

Lizzie stares at Josie for a beat before humming, seemingly accepting the lie and turning her attention to undoing the buttons on her shirt.

Thank god.

“We’ll continue this another time, Josie.” Hope mutters, sparing her a small nod before making her way to the door. “Bye guys.”

“Who the hell argues over physics homework?” Lizzie asks with a scoff as soon as Hope leaves, turning to her with an expression that screams of pity. “I swear you both need to get your rocks off like ASAP.”

…

Well.

Chapter Text

To absolutely no surprise at all, Josie sleeps barely a wink after Hope hastily leaves her room.

Her sister’s presence was like a bucket of ice water, bringing her back down to earth and serving as a stark reminder of how close they’d come to disaster.

Josie just thanks her lucky stars that Lizzie came home drunk.

She must have looked a sight—hair mussed, clothes rumpled, and neck mottled. Thankfully for her, Lizzie remained none the wiser, instead opting to shrug off the remainder of her clothes and faceplanting promptly onto her twin bed.

Lizzie’s heavy snores had rung out as her soundtrack well into the morning, pairing well with racing thoughts that would not cease. All in all, it was a wonderful combination for a restless night.

She’d almost had sex with Hope.

Her best friend.

She would have let it happen too, if she’s being perfectly honest.

That’s the part that gives her pause, because all things considered, she was so lost in it all that she was willing to give herself to the other girl without question.

It felt like a natural conclusion.

God, it felt so right.

Her body responded to Hope in ways that stunned her, like she was the instrument and Hope was the grand master, hitting every note perfectly.

It was different, this time around.

She couldn’t put it down to her simply helping Hope with a few foreplay pointers. Last time she could absolve herself of any involvement if she tried hard enough, it was a simple gesture of a friend helping a friend.

No.

This time she was the willing subject, and there was no denying how much she relished under her friends’ touch, blowing past any semblance of boundaries they’d placed without a care.

Josie’s never going to unlearn what it’s like being with Hope in that way, she’ll never forget exactly what she’s missing and—

That thought floored her more than anything.

“All I’m saying is that if you really think about it, I basically did dad a favour by helping myself to his liquor cabinet.” Lizzie nods resolutely, a small, self-satisfied smile pulling at her lips and Josie has no doubt her sister wholeheartedly believes the statement.

“Uh huh, and how is that again?” She murmurs with a good-natured roll of her eyes, shouldering her small backpack as they make their way towards their first class of the morning.

It’s Monday, and Lizzie who had found herself grounded for the weekend for Friday night’s five finger discounts, was happy to be free of the confines of their room. Even if that meant her freedom was spent headed towards their early morning magic class.

Josie though?

She didn’t share the same enthusiasm.

“Because I’m selflessly saving him from inching ever closer to end stage liver cirrhosis.” The blonde hums, and Josie is surprised when she doesn’t tack a resounding duh on the end. “Forget supernaturals, Johnny Walker is coming for his neck.”

“While I completely agree, I’m not sure dad sees it that way.”

They’re nearing their designated class now, steps quickening slightly as the morning bell looms just moments away.

“Yeah, well, it’s not my fault if he can’t see the vision.” Lizzie mutters with snark, reaching the door first and heading inside.

Josie quickly follows suit.

The classroom is mostly full by now, Josie realises, with the majority of students talking animatedly between themselves and setting up for the class ahead. There is an empty desk in the middle row, and Josie trails after Lizzie who had made a beeline for her seat.

She immediately feels eyes on her as she walks, the back of her neck prickling under the attention and she can’t help but turn her head towards the source.

It’s a knee jerk reaction, really.

Her gaze is drawn towards the back of the classroom, eyes finding the culprit and—

Oh.

It’s Hope.

It takes everything in her power not to freeze mid step on the way to her seat, an actual miracle that she keeps one foot in front of the other, mostly operating on auto pilot.

She can’t stop the blush from creeping up her neck, however.

Hope is staring at her intently, eyes dark and expression unreadable. Her eyes track Josie’s every step, unwavering in their intensity and she feels herself grow hot under the stare.

She wants to look away—wants to look anywhere but at Hope and her compelling eyes, but she can’t. She’s caught, spellbound and utterly exposed under the attention.

Their prolonged eye contact is cut off as Josie reaches her seat, fumbling as she turns to slide down next to Lizzie. She stoops down into the chair, tips of her ears warming and a fluttering sensation settling in her belly.

She hadn’t talked to Hope since Friday.

Not since she’d left abruptly that night, not since Hope had almost made her c—

No.

She’s not thinking about that today.

She can’t.

“Alright everyone, settle down.” Their teacher announces, cutting through the chatter and gaining the attention of the room. She begins scrawling a few things on the blackboard and Josie sighs out in relief, thankful for the distraction. “Continuing on from last week’s theory on medicinal apothecary, we’re going to try our hand at a more advanced healing elixir moving forward.”

Josie actually perks up a little at that, her interested piqued.

Lizzie it seems does not share her enthusiasm, if the groan she lets out is anything to go by.

“Now, the ingredients list is lengthy and there’s quite a few steps involved so I want you to familiarise yourselves with the material.” The witch explains, turning and picking up a stack of handouts. “Improperly brewed concoctions can have quite the undesirable effect, so be vigilant.”

The teacher begins handing out the lesson material, and Josie grins when she hears Lizzie sigh loudly.

“I’m just gonna let you take the lead on this one, Jo.” Lizzie advises with a nod, resting back in her chair comfortably and lifting her hands to the back of her head. The words come out as if the blonde is somehow doing her a favour, and Josie might have been a little more irritated by her sisters’ laziness if she wasn’t so motivated to get started. “Never thought I’d say this but having a sister who is a nerd for plants really does come in handy.”

The instructions for the elixir are placed on their desk in front of them, the hand delivering it coming down with a little more force than expected.

“Need I remind you that completion of this task requires dual participation.” The witch delivers sternly, looking directly at Lizzie with an unimpressed arch of her eyebrow. “You’d think you would have learned from the last time you got caught making Josie do your work for you.”

Lizzie panics, fumbling to sit up straight.

“Well, obviously I wasn’t being serious—”

“Oh, I have no doubt that you were, Miss Saltzman. You just didn’t have the sense to not announce your plans with me in earshot.” The woman cuts her off, adorning a small, amused smile. She looks between the two and clicks her fingers, “Alright, you know the drill, time to separate.”

“What? That’s not fair!” Lizzie exclaims in outrage.

“Up the front you go, Lizzie.” The older witch orders, ignoring the blonde’s outburst and directing her head towards an empty seat near the front of the room. “You can work with me.”

The teacher then looks back at Josie briefly, then looks around the room for an empty spot, her eyes settling somewhere in the back.

Josie feels her stomach drop through the floor.

No.

Please, anything but—

“You can take the empty spot up the back with Hope, Josie.” The dreaded outcome is delivered much gentler than Lizzie’s sentence, but the kind tone does nothing to alleviate the dread that’s sinks within her.

With that, the teacher turns on their heel, leaving the twins to gather their belongings.

“Thanks a lot Lizzie.” Josie mutters to her sister as she stands up, the words coming out a little more harshly than she expected. Lizzie gives her an odd look in return, but Josie doesn’t stick around to interpret the questioning gaze, gathering her things and stalking off.

She makes her way towards the back of the class, thankful that Hope has her attention fixed firmly on the open notebook in front of her, not giving away any inkling of a response to the whole incident.

Setting her books down on the desk, Josie drags the chair out next to Hope and settles into it glumly, staring resolutely towards the front of the classroom.

She’s acutely aware of Hopes’ presence next to her, Josie’s whole body thrumming with a nervous energy that doesn’t allow her to concentrate on a word their teacher is saying.

The last two days she’s been plagued by uneasiness, entirely at a loss as to how she was going to navigate the situation she’s found herself in with Hope.

At least after the first incident happened, she’d at least had enough sense to avoid the other girl, keeping her distance and some semblance of self-preservation, but now…

She doesn’t want to be away from Hope.

She wants—

“That wasn’t one of Lizzie’s finer moments.” She hears Hope murmur, breaking the silence and drawing her from the loop of internal conflict she’d found herself in. Her tone holds amusement, but there’s also an underlying cautiousness there that gives Josie pause.

She turns towards the other girl and is surprised to find her staring back, crystal blue eyes studying her intently in a way that belies the casualness of her comment. There’s a glint in her eyes of something that looks a lot like want, gaze dark and searching and—

No.

She has to be imagining things.

“Yeah, subtlety was never one of her strong suits.” Josie settles on after a beat of prolonged silence, swallowing thickly against the nervousness that had taken hold.

Hope makes no acknowledgement of her reply, holding her gaze for a few more seconds before her eyes dip to a point somewhere below her face.

A small, displeased frown draws at her brows when her gaze settles, unimpressed.

“What?” She demands softly, rubbing her neck awkwardly under the other girl’s prolonged stare.

No answer comes, instead Josie waits with bated breath as Hope lifts her hand up, reaching out to touch whatever had stolen her attention.

A lone finger trails heatedly along her pulse point, the pressure making the bruised skin underneath ache and—

“You covered them up.” Hope observes, eyes boring into the skin at Josie’s neck as if she looked hard enough the littering of bruises might suddenly appear. There’s an edge to her voice too, the observation low and thick and it almost sounds like…

Disappointment.

“I—” She falters nervously. It was a feeling she was becoming entirely too familiar with recently, the intensity of the other girl’s gaze at times felt all consuming. She swallows thickly, attempting a feeble smile, “I had to. Otherwise, y’know…”

She trails of somewhat lamely, hand waving across her neck to get her point across.

Otherwise everyone would see what you did.

Hope’s hand falls away from her neck, eyes smouldering at the implication.

“Besides if Lizzie saw them, she’d never let me hear the end—”

“We never got to finish the other night.” Hope cuts her off abruptly, eyes abandoning the spot on her neck in favour of meeting her own. The words come out in a rush, sounding out a little too eagerly between them.

Um.

“What?” Josie breathes out, blinking slowly, the change in topic almost giving her whiplash.

Surely, she can’t mean…

“I still had more to show you.” She continues on insistently, words a little too loud given their surroundings. Dark eyes flick over to the oblivious students around them, before darting back to Josie’s. She leans closer, whispering between them, “To see if we were doing it right.”

“Hope…” Josie trails off with a stilted breath, entirely at a loss in how to respond.

They hadn’t needed to fulfil each move on Hope’s playlist to come to a conclusion, the preliminary results were overwhelming…

“Are you free tonight? I can come around the same time if it suits.”

Oh.

The urge to lean into the request and agree steals the breath from her lungs.

The idea of Hope coming to her room tonight to do that makes a pretty blush blossom high on her cheeks.

Josie hasn’t been able to stop thinking about the other night, want rushing through her at the thought and—

She can’t.

Giving her help to Hope once was fine, twice was questionable—but a third time?

No.

She couldn’t in good conscience continue this under the guise of helping her friend, not when it would be entirely too disingenuous…

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Josie settles on after a few beats of loaded silence, voice unsure in its delivery.

Hope frowns then, eyes swirling in confusion.

“Why not? I thought you said you would help?” She questions quietly, bottom lip jutting out in a pretty pout and okay, that is entirely unfair.

Her resolve can only go so far, especially when Hope is looking at her like that.

“I did, and I have.” Josie murmurs, breath coming out in a huff at the sheer ridiculousness of this whole situation. “Besides, the results were pretty clear from where I’m standing.”

“They weren’t, though.” Hope counters shakily, denial fixed firmly on her features.  “We didn’t get to—”

“We were about to have sex, Hope!” Josie bursts out in a hushed whisper, frustration getting the better of her. Hope’s eyes widen at Josie’s outburst, cheeks colouring.

Josie darts her eyes around their surroundings, her own blush rising up her neck in embarrassment. No one is paying any mind to them thankfully, too engrossed in discussing the lesson.

“What you showed me… it worked, okay?” Josie rushes out between them in a hushed whisper, the heated frustration she’d felt moments before burning off into something a little less urgent. “It worked on me enough that I almost let you—”

She cuts herself off, the rest of her sentence dying on her lips as she chokes out a shaky breath.

Shit.

Hope just stares back at her, lips parted and eyes a little lost.

“And I want help you, I do, but—.” She presses on while she still has the courage, voice trembling but a little gentler this time around. “I think it’s pretty clear by now that Landon is the problem, not you.”

There.

Landon Kirby was a sexual menace and it needed to be said.

Hope frowns in contemplation, mouth opening like she’s about to argue her case, but she doesn’t get the chance.

“Alright everyone, start gathering your ingredients!” Their teachers’ voice sounds around the classroom, effectively commencing the practical part of the lesson.

The relief Josie feels at the interruption is insurmountable.

She was one rebuttable away from giving Hope everything she wants.

A common theme in her life lately, it seems.

Things between her and Hope don’t go back to normal.

She didn’t expect them too, either, not after… everything.

Josie stands her ground on her decision to no longer help Hope with the foreplay practicals—well, it’s not like Hope asks again, but Josie likes to think if she did, then she’d remain united then too.

Pleading eyes and pretty pouts, be damned!

She distinctly remembers Lizzie muttering some snarky comment on her inability to say no to Hope some months back, and it’s times like this she wishes she could disclose the details to her sister so she could rub it in her face.

So much for blind spots.

Although, on the other hand, she did almost sleep with Hope in the first place just because the girl asked nicely, so…

Lizzie would probably die from laughter if she found out that titbit. Not worth it, obviously.

Anyway, things between Hope and her were…

Odd.

She expected some awkwardness, or even avoidance—hell, she even braced herself for Hope straight up ignoring her.

Those things she could handle.

No.

What she got instead had totally blindsided her.

Hope had started looking at Josie in a way that could only be described as…

Desire.

Josie thought she’d been imagining it the first time it’d happened—well, that or she’d fallen asleep in the common room and Hope was headlining another one of her dreams.

It wouldn’t have been the first time.

But no, she was completely lucid when she caught Hope’s imploring gaze from across the room.

It was the day after their shared magic lesson, and Josie had been trying to give Hope a wide berth. Not avoiding per se, no, she was done with that.

Just letting the dust settle.

She’d only entered the common room to grab a textbook from a fellow classmate, her evening plans involving some extra-curricular study, but had gotten stuck chatting for longer than anticipated.

Caught mid laugh between some innocuous joke, her attention had been drawn across the room, her stomach plummeting with nerves when she realised who was in her line of sight.

Hope.

It was happening more often than not these days, her attention compelled to the other girl as if by natural instinct.  Hope, it seems, shared her dilemma.

Curled up on one of the larger armchairs, the other girl was tucked under Landon’s side, the both of them sitting cosily by the fire.

From where she was standing, Landon appeared to be talking animatedly about something, but Hope’s attention was… elsewhere.

It was fixed firmly on Josie.

Set well below her eye level, Hope’s gaze dragged along her body, dark eyes surveying her with unmistakeable hunger.

Josie’s mouth runs dry.

She knows that look.

Hope had looked at her like that before in the privacy of Josie’s bedroom, in between eager touches and shaky moans.

Want.

Dark eyes eventually dragged their way upwards, meeting her gaze in an intense stare.

Hope’s eyes had widened moments later when she realised Josie was staring back at her, cheeks colouring a dark pink. Their gazes held a second longer, before Hope bites her lip, eyes flicking away sheepishly.

Josie had stuttered out an awkward apology to her friend after that, rushing back to her room, pink cheeked and slightly out of breath.

Safe to say she didn’t get much study done that night.

This staring wasn’t isolated, either.

It kept happening.

More often than not Josie would catch the other girl staring at her distractingly, Hopes’ eyes catching hers with a hunger that makes her hot under the collar.

It makes her squirm under the attention, especially when Hope is bold enough to openly stare at her in front of their friends—in front of Landon.

She’s not even sure Hope is aware she’s doing it, she gets the same startled look on her face every time her eyes eventually meet Josie’s, like she’s been caught red handed doing something forbidden.

It’s almost like she can’t help herself, can’t stop her eyes from lingering along the lines of her body, and god…

It’s driving her crazy.

Josie is going to murder Lizzie.

Like straight up, taking a leaf out of her evil alter egos’ book and merging with her twin on the spot kind of murder.

It was an appropriate punishment to fit the crime, Josie surmises, her sister had gone too far.

Much to her initial confusion, Josie had spent the better part of the afternoon turning away a long list of hopeful suitors, the majority propositioning her in ways that left the tips of her ears burning red.

Turns out Lizzie had thrown her to the wolves, announcing her single status and willingness to mingle on one of the bathroom stalls for all to see.

‘If you’re willing to overlook the giant stick up my a**, I’m single and looking for a good time. Come by room if you’re interested – Josie Saltzman.’

It’s beyond Josie how anyone thought that that was actually her endorsing the ridiculous advertisement, but they had, guys and girls turning up to her room in droves with expectations that left her mortified.

Hence why she’s on her way to commit a homicide.

Hell, they were fated to merge anyway, why not speed up the process a little.

She spots her sister sitting on the sofa in the common room, and she marches up to her with single minded fury.

“Do you have any idea what I’ve had to go through because of that booty call stunt you pulled?” Josie demands crossly, an accusing glare pinned firmly on her sister. Lizzies eyes flick up to her, a mischievous glint dancing behind her gaze and Josie can’t help but huff indignantly, “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t set fire to your hair, Lizzie!”

“Ooh, someone’s testy.” Lizzie teases, mirth colouring her tone and a cheeky grin pulling at her lips. “You’d think you’d be in a much better mood considering the amount of ass I just got you.”

“I just spent the last hour warding off the horny masses of SBS, what part of that would put me in a good mood?”

“God, Josie, you’re so ungrateful.” Lizzie says with an entirely too dramatic sigh, staring up at her with an unimpressed raise of an eyebrow. “I matchmake my way into several peoples pants for you and this is the thanks I get?”

“Remind me again what exactly I’m supposed to be thankful for?” Josie asks bitingly, frown still fixed firmly on her face and arms crossed against her chest.

“You haven’t gotten any in months, Jo. You’ve been super antsy lately and the amount of times you’ve woken me up recently making questionable sounds while you sleep is unacceptable. You need to get laid.” Lizzie says grimly, delivering the words with a look that screamed of pity.

That is complete slander.

So yeah, maybe she has been having a few more dreams lately that happen to heavily feature her best friend, and maybe they have been more on the mature side, but who could blame her?  Her and Hope’s close call has been playing on her mind, it’s only natural that it transfers into her dream.

It doesn’t mean she’s sexually frustrated or anything.

She’s not.

Josie’s cheeks burn at her sisters’ words, and Lizzie homes in on the reaction, grinning deviously.

Turning to her right, Lizzie continues on with a smirk, “What do you think, Hope? She totally needs to get laid, right?”

Oh.

Fuck.

Following Lizzie’s line of sight, her gaze falls on Hope. In her single-minded focus of destroying her sister, Josie didn’t realize that the girl was sat on the armchair opposite Lizzie.

Josie chokes around a little startled ‘oh’, her cheeks darkening considerably in embarrassment.

“I—” Hope starts, then falters, intense blue flicking from Lizzie and settling on Josie. She studies her face for a prolonged beat, eyebrows pinched and eyes searching. Oh so slowly her gaze returns to Lizzie’s, a somewhat forced smile drawing at her lips in between a murmured, “I don’t think that’s any of our business.”

“Oh boo, you whore.” Lizzie whines out in disapproval, clearly unimpressed by Hopes’ impartiality.

“Thank you, Hope.” Josie murmurs quietly, cheeks still warm at the realisation that Hope had witnessed a conversation she had thought was private. Hope just gives her a small nod in return, expression indecipherable.

“Nuh uh, nope. Don’t you two start forming an alliance.” Lizzie tuts, snapping her fingers in between them. She turns to her then, chastising, “I’m in the middle of an interrogation here!”

“What—”

“Actually, sit down, Jo. You can help me.” Her sister says with a grin, realisation passing over her face and waving a hand down to the sofa. Josie falters then, the impish look on Lizzie’s face making her want absolutely no part in whatever she’s scheming. Noticing the hesitation, Lizzie pats at the spot next to her, “Sit.”

Josie follows the direction and sits, feeling somewhat awkward. The anger she was feeling a moment ago had mostly distinguished the moment she’d seen Hope, now she just felt out of place.

“Help you with what?”

“Being the good cop to my bad cop, of course.” Lizzie hums, turning towards Hope with a scrutinising expression. “I’ve finally gotten this one alone to talk.”

Oh.

Josie swallows nervously.

“What about?” She asks, aiming for nonchalance. She can’t help but take subtle glances at Hope, who’s now looking at Lizzie with an entirely unimpressed look on her face, lips pursed.

“Sex, of course.” Lizzie says obviously, and really, Josie shouldn’t be surprised at this point.        “I haven’t been able to separate Hope from her conjoined twin long enough to actually continue our conversation.”

Huh.

That surprises Josie, it’s been a few weeks now since that initial conversation and Lizzie isn’t one to let sleeping dogs lie.

“Oh.” She breathes out. She’s not sure she wants to be here for this conversation, but she’s also caught, not wanting to leave.

“Alright, spill.” Lizzie claps her hands, attention firmly fixed on Hope. “Has there been any new developments since we found out Landon is a pillow princess?”

“He’s not—” Hope begins her rebuttable, but is levelled with an incredulous look from Lizzie, and she promptly closes her mouth. Lizzie may lack basic tact, but she calls them like she sees them, and in this case… well.

Hope sighs in resignation then, eyes flicking down to the floor and bottom lip jutting out, “No.”

“Why are you letting him get away with being so inadequate?” Lizzie blurts out, unable to hold herself back from asking the question. She says it with such disbelief that it’s almost comical, like she can’t even fathom the thought of entertaining Landon’s shortcomings. “If that was me, I would have smacked him over the head with a sex ed textbook and then made him memorise it, front to back.”

A laugh claws out of Josie’s mouth before she can stop it, the sound surprised.

She can’t help herself.

Ironically enough, Josie and Hope had tried to help Landon with sex ed—it’s just the methods they used to do that were a little… questionable.

Hope turns to her at the abrupt sound, and the look she pins Josie with in response is enough to stop her in her tracks. Her laughter cuts off, teetering out into a few awkwardly spluttered coughs at the look of betrayal on Hope’s face.

Oh.

Lizzie sniggers at the exchange, not catching the weight behind the hurt in Hope’s eyes.

A petulant little pout settles on the girl’s lips in response.

“I’m glad you both find this so amusing.” Hope bites out, glaring at them both. Her defensiveness is somewhat lacklustre though, Josie notes, her words sounding more tired than angry and her shoulders drop in what looks like resignation.

“Aw, c’mon now, don’t be like that.” Lizzie hums, schooling her features into something more serious. “I’m just trying to understand why you’ve put up with it for so long.”

Hope pauses for a beat in contemplation, mulling over her response.

“I didn’t realize it wasn’t normal until you mentioned what it’s like with you and MG.” Hope eventually settles on, murmuring the words quietly as her eyes meet Lizzie’s somewhat helplessly. A pang of sympathy shoots through Josie then, and god, she truly feels sorry for the other girl. Blue eyes flick over to hers, and her stomach swoops at the lingering look Hope gives her, “I didn’t know it could be that good.”

Her gaze holds with Josie’s, eyes conveying more than her words ever could, and the implication of it all settles heavily in her chest.

Shit.

“No, it can be amazing—especially when you’re with someone who considers your needs and isn’t a selfish fuckwit.” Lizzie retorts, giving hope a very pointed look as she does so. There’s irritation in her sisters’ voice, and Josie can tell that Lizzie is annoyed on Hope’s behalf—she can feel it mirroring her own. “Right, Jo?”

Josies’ eyes widen a little when the attention is turned on her, having been content to be a passive observer. She flicks her eyes from Lizzie’s expectant look to Hope’s, who stares back at her with an underlying emotion that has become all to familiar. She looks away.

“I—yes.” Josie falters, voice coming out a little thick, her throat feeling suddenly too dry. She nods somewhat glibly in her sister’s direction, but she can still feel Hope’s gaze boring into the side of her head. She turns then, completely drawn, and her eyes meet the other girl’s immediately.  She swallows heavily under the stare, “With the right person it can be… exhilarating.

Hope stares and stares and stares, and Josie feels like the couch may just up and swallow her whole.

“Alright, that sorts it, you need to do something about this now. Either get your monkey trained or find your outlets elsewhere.” Lizzie announces with a click of her tongue, oblivious to the shakiness of Josie’s words and nodding her head determinedly.

Um.

“Wait, what do you mea—"

Hope’s name is called from somewhere across the room, effectively cutting the girl off making all three girls turn towards the sound.

It’s Landon, followed closely by MG, both of the boys making their way towards them.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Lizzie curses loudly in irritation at the interruption, annoyance colouring her features. Landon sidles up to Hope’s chair, a happy smile lighting up his face, and Lizzie glares up at him, “Wow, you were able to survive five minutes on your own this time, Landon. That’s got to be a record.”

Landon looks at Lizzie blankly, a bemused look passing on his face as the insult flies straight over his head.

“Lizzie.” Hope warns quietly, shuffling in her seat, making room for Landon as he sinks down beside her.

“Hi babe.” MG greets Lizzie, and his words have an immediate softening effect on the angry twin, her shoulders dropping and pinched expression melting into something a little more relaxed. He pecks Lizzie on the lips, then slides down on the sofa beside her, “Hey guys, what’ve you been doing?”

“Trying to figure out ways that we can cut the cord.” Lizzie murmurs to her boyfriend under her breath, earning a confused look from the boy and a frown from Hope.

“We’ve just been catching up.” Hope settles on instead, attempting a smile towards the vampire but a small frown still pulls at her eyebrows.

Josie eyes the other girl, observing her stiff posture as Landon places his arm around her shoulders.

“How’s your day been?” Landon asks, his question only meant for Hope as he stares down at her with a dopey, adoring expression. He looks at her like she hung the stars in the sky and—

Josie has to look away at that, feeling suddenly uncomfortable.

The pairs begin conversations between themselves, and she shifts somewhat awkwardly from her place on the sofa.

Caught between the two couples, Josie feels out of place, almost like she’s been shoehorned into a place she doesn’t belong.

Something akin to loneliness swells up in her chest, the sensation sinking deep within her, cold and startling.

Shit.

Watching Hope find herself at home under Landon’s embrace is particularly jarring, the sight making her breath catch in her throat sharply.

“I need to go to the bathroom.” Josie announces abruptly, standing hastily as she struggles against the overwhelming urge to flee.

She feels dark eyes boring into her and she knows it’s Hope, but she doesn’t dare look at the other girl, too afraid of what she might find.

Without waiting for an acknowledgement, Josie turns on her heel and scurries off.

Josie finds the nearest bathroom and ducks inside, thankfully finding it empty.

With a shaky sigh leaving her lips, she makes her way towards the basin. Grasping each side of the porcelain sink, she finds herself staring back at her reflection. A faint blush colours the apples of her cheeks, her breath coming out a little heavier than normal and—

God.

She needs to get a grip.

There’s absolutely no reason for her to feel this affected, this unmoored by some simple eye contact, and yet—here she was.

It’s ridiculous because Hope is with Landon, they’re together and happy and Josie is just… a friend.

Closing her eyes, she takes a deep breath, trying her best to quell her racing thoughts.

She hears the door behind her open, and she clenches her eyes closed harder, praying that whoever entered has the good sense to pretend she doesn’t exist.

She should have gone back to the privacy of her own room, the practicalities of a communal bathroom not ideal for a public breakdown, but it was the closest thing under pressure.

“Josie.” Her name sounds from behind her, the voice soft and hesitant and yup, it’s Hope.

Fuck.

“Are you okay?” She hears Hope continue, the question sounding between them tentatively, carrying throughout the quietness of the bathroom.

Swallowing thickly, she turns her back on the safety of the basin, entirely unprepared to face Hope right now. She’s met with a look of genuine concern, and okay, she really can’t be here. There’s no way she can answer Hope’s question honestly without sounding crazy.

Lying is an option too, she supposes.

“I—I’m fine.” She eventually manages, proud of how her words actually come out sounding somewhat convincing. Hope nods, but she’s eyeing her off like she’s a startled animal, one that’s ready to bolt at any moment. She musters up a feeble smile, eye’s meeting Hope’s as she takes a step away from the sink and moves towards the door, “I just needed to use the bathroom, that’s all…”

It’s another lie, one that she hopes will signal the end to this conversation. A flash of guilt rushes through her at how dismissive she sounds, but she perseveres, not wanting to play niceties with the other girl right now.

Her intent is obvious, and she makes her way to the door, arm reaching for the handle.

“Josie, wait—” Hope interjects, shooting out her hand and grabbing Josie’s wrist, halting her escape. Long fingers encircle her slim wrist, the pressure applied pulling her outstretched hand down, coming to hang by her side. The other girl doesn’t release her, instead she squeezes gently and murmurs, “I need to talk to you.”

Oh.

Nothing good ever comes after those words.

Her eyes flick up to meet Hopes’, and she’s surprised by the urgency she finds swirling in the blue orbs.

“Oh.” She breathes out hesitantly, the word coming out in a thick whisper. Swallowing against the sudden lump in her throat, she kisses her chances of absconding goodbye, “Uhh—what about?”

Hope eyes her for a moment then nods, apparently satisfied she’s not going to run and drops the hold she has on Josie’s wrist.

“Right… so umm—I’ve been thinking about—“ Hope falters then, words swallowed by a sharp intake of breath. The other girls’ eyes widen around the edges, gaze averting from her own and it’s almost like the other girl is nervous. Tucking a lock of auburn hair behind her ear, Hope blows out a breath before continuing, “About what you said about it not being a good idea that we continue you giving me uhh—some pointers and…”

Hope trails off, a frown pulling at her eyebrows, mouth pulling in irritation like she can’t get out the right words and—

Oh no.

Josie can’t have this conversation now, not when her defence feels non-existent.

“Hope, I don’t think that—”

“No, Josie wait—just, don’t say anything yet, okay?” Hope is quick to cut her off, eyes flicking back to hers, urgent and pleading. The look is enough to deflate any rebuttable she could have mustered, causing her to bite her tongue. The other girl tilts her head, words earnest, “Hear me out first, and then you can say something.”

Letting out the breath she’d been holding, she nods her head somewhat reluctantly, muttering a quiet acknowledgement, “Okay.”

“You’re right, I don’t think we should continue with your help either.” Hope mutters, nodding her head and um—

Okay?

Even though it was her idea to call it quits in the first place, Josie finds it kind of rude that Hope is so readily inclined to agree.

If you think about it, really hard perhaps, her help was actually just too effective for them to continue.

“It’s kind of redundant now anyway, because the results are clear, just like you said. I think we should skip that and…”

Hopes’ sentence trails off, the girl looking increasingly nervous.

“I think—I think we should just sleep together instead.” Hope blurts out in a rush, the words coming out jumbled in one big breath, and there is no way Hope said what Josie thinks she did.

Um.

“What?” Josie breathes out, dazed and in disbelief.

Pink dusts the tops of Hope’s cheeks, eye’s wide but determined—and she centres herself, taking a breath.

“I think we should sleep together.” Hope repeats bluntly, words much clearer and confident this time and okay, Josie hadn’t been imagining things. She’d heard her right the first time, the words sinking in and—

Oh.

She stares at Hope like she’s grown a second head, the silence between them thick and heavy. Her face feels hot and flushed, and she’s rendered effectively speechless—her mouth opening and closing dumbly.

It wasn’t hard to respect Hope’s request of remaining quiet until she’d had her say, not when her head is empty, not a single coherent thought to be seen that doesn’t involve flashes of them together.

“You were right about Landon.” Hope presses on, a small frown drawing at her brows. The change in direction gives Josie whiplash, making her even more perplexed than before and she stares at the other girl quizzically. Hope rolls her eyes, clarifying, “About him being the problem. He is and—I don’t think it’s going to improve any time soon.”

Well… duh.

“I mean, apart from that, everything is good. We’re happy and I—I love him, but—” Hope stresses, wavering and it almost feels redundant because Josie already knows this, is reminded of it every time she sees the pair together. She’s not sure who the other girl is trying to convince, Josie or herself. “—but there’s just that one small problem.”

Josie wouldn’t classify Landon being sexually inept as a small problem, but it’s a stride away from the world of denial Hope has been living in so… small steps, she supposes.

“I’m not sure what this has to do with me.” She manages to utter, the words twisting on her tongue awkwardly.

“Because I didn’t know it was a problem, not until you and I—not until you showed me what I was missing and now…” Hope murmurs resolutely, words trailing off with a shaky sigh. Eyes that had been taking interest in everything but Josie, suddenly flick up, locking onto her own with an unspoken intensity, “I can’t stop thinking about it, Josie.”

Hope steps forward then, a full bottom lip tucked between teeth pensively and Josie waits on her every move with bated breath.

There’s a beat of loaded silence, their trembling breaths the only thing sounding between them, and then—

“I can’t stop thinking about you.”

The words are whispered so earnestly, the internal conflict playing out openly on her face, and Josie can’t help the gasp that tumbles from her lips at the raw emotion.

Hope shakes her head, reigning in her features somewhat, but her eyes remain fixed on Josie—gaze dark with unmistakable want.

“And as Lizzie said I either fix it or find something else, so…” Hope shrugs, aiming for indifference, but the underlying want in her voice betrays her intentions. She steps forward again, and Josie finds herself caught between the wall just next to the door, and Hope. “That’s where you come in.”

Well.

Josie wasn’t quite sure Lizzie was suggesting adultery exactly, but hey, that’s one interpretation.

“We got so carried away those times you were helping me, Jo… it’s obvious there’s something between us that works.” The words come out much lower this time, murmured pointedly between them. Hope’s close enough now that her perfume invades Josies’ senses, the sweet scent combined with the other girls’ proximity enough to make her dizzy. “This would be a simple fix to my problem.”

The words leave Josie dazed.

She’s stunned into silence, unable to do much more than stare back at Hope, mouth parted and eyes bewildered.

“This could help you out too. I know it’s been a while since you’ve been with anyone.” Hope fills her silence, continuing to mount a convincing case.  “This could be a casual thing with someone you trust instead of sorting through Lizzie’s suitors.”

A hand reaches out then, settling low on her waist. Hope’s barely touching her, but it sets her nerve endings on fire. The thin material of her t-shirt does little to assuage the heat that burns under Hope’s touch, an embarrassing whine threatening to fall from her lips at the sensation.

She’s thankfully able to swallow the sound, a sharp exhale of breath tumbling out instead and—dark eyes zero in on the action, dropping down and settling on her mouth. Josie darts her tongue out, swiping at a full bottom lip nervously and blown pupils trail her every move.

“You must have been thinking about it too…” Hope breathes out lowly, her voice thick with promise and the sound causes fluttering to settle deep in her belly.

Fuck.

“I know it affected you just as much as it did me.” The hand at her waist squeezes, the flesh at her hip yielding under the pressure, the grip feeling almost… possessive. Piercing eyes flick back up to meet Josies’, her eyes conveying an intensity that makes her lightheaded.

“I could feel you, Jo.”

Oh.

Her hand darts backwards to the wall behind her at Hope’s words, feeling her foundation momentarily unsteady. Hope whispers the words between them heatedly, the look on her face making Josie feel weak.

“What do you think?”

Josie needs to say something, anything, but she’s frozen—caught between wanting to flee or throw caution to the wind.

“Hope, I—"

She begins, but wavers, eyes clenching shut against the overwhelming sensations rushing through her. The simple touch and close proximity of the other girl is enough to recall to their previous encounter, the easy muscle memory inspiring arousal to flare within.

“I know it’s a lot to digest and—how about you take some time to think about it?” Hope cuts her off, sensing her hesitation. She squeezes Josie’s waist again, her grip firm and reassuring, and Josie wants to sink into the touch. “Come by my room tonight if you want this too.”

The words are murmured softly, and Josie is trapped, mesmerised by endless blue.

“Okay?” Hope asks pleadingly when she doesn’t answer, eyes staring into her own imploringly, an undercurrent of desperation in her gaze that leaves Josie breathless.

She somehow manages a shaky nod in response, not trusting her voice.

“Okay.” Hope murmurs with a nod of her own, giving one last lingering look at Josie, longing eyes searching her face. Reluctantly, the other girl lets go of her waist and tears her gaze away, making a move towards the door.

Hope is gone before she can even blink.

The door closes with a heavy thud, and she’s left alone, the weight of Hope’s proposition hitting her like a tonne of bricks.

She sags against the wall with a shaky breath, adrenaline petering off and leaving her feeling drained.

What the hell just happened?

Chapter Text

Josie isn’t really sure how she makes it back to her room.

She’d spent at least ten more minutes in the bathroom, braced leaning against the wall where Hope had left her, trying desperately to calm her shaky breathing.

She had to eventually clear out—a few girls from a couple of years below her had waltzed in the bathroom, finding her there looking a little unstable.

Who is she kidding, more like a lot.

They had side eyed her with caution, the memories of dark Josie still prevalent enough to give them pause, and it’s enough to momentarily return the strength to her legs.

So yeah, she had fled back to her room on autopilot.

Never mind the fact that she never returned to her friends in the common room, nor the plans she had after that.

No.

All of that was out the window the second Hope had uttered her proposition.

Instead she just sits down stiffly on her bed, staring blankly at the floor, trying and failing to digest what had just occurred.

Hope wanted them to have sex.

She had proposed a no strings attached, strictly casual arrangement and—

The laugh she lets out is almost hysterical.

Her life is ridiculous.

If Josie had been told a month ago that her and Hope’s relationship would develop like this, well, she would have assumed that she’d somehow wound up in an alternate universe.

The notion would have been entirely outlandish, but now…

It’s different.

Now the thought isn’t so ridiculous, no, and she’s faced with the very real option of taking Hope up on the offer and—

The thought leaves her feeling entirely unbalanced.

Mostly because objectively it’s a fucking awful idea.

There is no scenario where the arrangement would end well, realistically, and they’d be crossing a couple of lines they could feasibly never come back from.

There’s more to it, though.

Because really, if she’s being honest with herself, a not so small and very insistent part of her actually wants to say yes.

A part of her very much wants to throw caution to the wind, wants to sink into Hope and give her everything she so desires.

It would be so easy too, Josie thinks.

It’s a dangerous thought.

It’s also one that sits with her far longer than anticipated, the time passing as she ruminates over the dilemma of her decision.

That’s how Lizzie finds her, much later, sitting on her bed pensively.

“So, this is where you’ve been hiding.” Lizzie comments as she enters the room, nudging the door closed with her hip as she lugs in an armful of random paraphernalia. Her sister lets out a dramatic sigh for good measure, making her way over to her twin bed and dumping down the items, “Given how quickly you made your escape before, I half expected to find your side stripped bare and a getaway note on my pillow.”

Josie blinks slowly, turning her head towards Lizzie who’s looking back at her like she’d grown a second head.

“Oh, right, umm—” Josie clears her throat awkwardly, shaking her head as she tries to rid her mind of thoughts of Hope. “Yeah sorry about that,” she begins, a little more confidently, attempting to present some semblance of a normal façade, “I had to go to the bathroom.”

Lizzie just hums, pursing her lips.

“Oh yeah?” She asks with a disbelieving nod, eyeing her suspiciously. “You fall down a rabbit hole along the way or something?”

Huh?

Josie blinks slowly, attention still relatively elsewhere, and she looks back at Lizzie with a confused expression.

“You never came back! We were in the middle of a discussion.” Lizzie bridges the gap for her, shooting Josie a dirty look. “Not to mention you just ran off,” Lizzie tacks on with a scoff, all faux offense, “like okay, I have the same urge every time I see Landon too, but you’ve got to resist, Jo. It’s rude.”

Well.

Josie’s lips quirk up at Lizzie’s scolding, shaking her head in mild disbelief. She’s not sure that the blonde should have any authority to judge on what constitutes as rude or not, especially considering she greeted the boy in question with an insult.

“I can’t believe I’m getting a lecture on social niceties by you of all people.” Josie mumbles, eyebrows creeping up her forehead. Lizzie just scoffs indignantly in response, shrugging her off with an eyeroll. “Besides, all I did was go to the bathroom,” she says, throwing her hands up in mild exasperation, “that doesn’t need an explanation.”

“Oh, that’s where you’re wrong, dear sister,” Lizzie waggles a finger at her with a hum, a grin adorning her lips. “Your hasty exit inspired a few good conspiracy theories, ya know,” her sister informs her, beginning to sort through the objects on her bed, “the return of dark Josie was a top contender, obviously, but my theory on you just getting a bad batch of tacos for lunch was a close second.”

Um.

It was times like these that Josie wishes they had been separated at birth.

The exasperated look she pins Lizzie with is almost comical, and her sister just throws up her hands in response, chuckling in amusement.

“Oh, now don’t make that face,” Lizzie grins at her, a teasing glint in her eyes, “I’m obviously kidding, there’s no theories.” Josie breathes a small smile of relief at that, the dark Josie whisperings don’t bother her much, she’s used to them by now, but Lizzie’s less than glamorous theory would have.

Lizzie pauses then, tilting her head, “Well actually, except for Landon, he thinks something is wrong with you.”

What?

Her stomach jolts nervously, and she looks at Lizzie with poorly veiled panic.

“Landon?” She questions in surprise, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear nervously. “Wait, why?”

“I don’t know, I don’t really listen when he speaks.” She says with a shrug and nope, it’s not good enough. Josie looks at Lizzie with raised eyebrows, nodding her head for her to continue. “I dunno something about you acting weird around him and looking at him funny,” she mutters, before laughing to herself, “which is hilarious by the way.”

Shit.

Josie thought she’d been more subtle.

She can’t help herself, every time she sees the boy, she’s immediately reminded of his tragic aversion to pleasuring Hope and—

Like okay, sure, maybe his hesitance has something to do with the fact that Hope literally killed him the first time they had sex, but at this point he’s just got to get over it and go down on the girl or something.

There are far worse ways to die anyway, Josie thinks, and besides, it’s just embarrassing at this point.

“Hope went after you after he said it,” Lizzie mentions absentmindedly, and the mention of the other girl makes her freeze. The blonde has thankfully turned her attention back to the bed, picking up an old movie reel in her hands and not noticing her stiff posture. She shrugs absentmindedly, “when she came back, she said she couldn’t find you.”

Oh.

Josie doesn’t respond to that, mind occupied with thoughts of Hope.

The other girl had used her exit as an excuse to go after her, using the opportunity to corner her in the toilets and then had the good sense to lie about it on her return.

This was calculated.

Josie wanders how long Hope had planned this for, waiting for the perfect moment to get her alone and—

“Whoa, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

The comment is enough to break her from her haze, and she turns towards Lizzie, who’s looking at her apprehensively.

“Jo, are you okay?” Lizzie asks with concern, the poking front slipping away, replaced with something more serious. “If there’s something bothering you, I’m all ears.”

Oh.

The urge to take Lizzie up on that offer is so swift that it feels like a punch to the gut.

Word vomit crawls up her throat, and she has to bite her tongue in order to avoid spilling her guts.

She wants to tell Lizzie everything, wants to confide in her sister just as she has done for every other big thing in her life so far.

She needs help with this one, she’s in way over head and sharing with someone might make her feel less like she’s going crazy.

It pains her when she remembers that she can’t.

Whilst not explicitly said out loud, Josie figures that Hope’s proposition came with an unspoken promise of secrecy.

Cheating between friends is not something you openly advertise, she supposes.

She swallows thickly, the urge dying on her lips.

“No, I’m okay.” Josie starts with a breath, running a hand through her hair nervously. Lizzie looks back at her sceptically, and she scrambles to find a convincing excuse. “I was just tired, that’s all,” all she gets in reply is a raised eyebrow, and she tries for a feeble smile, muttering, “maybe dealing with your little advertisement took it out of me.”

Lizzie gasps dramatically.

“Took it out of you, huh?” She demands, a scandalous look overtaking her features. Josie knew exactly what her sister was insinuating, and really, she walked straight into that one. Her cheeks pink involuntarily, and Lizzie homes in on the reaction with a shit eating grin, “Josette Saltzman, you sly dog…”

The groan she lets out in response is painful.

“Not what I meant, Lizzie!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever…” Lizzie just rolls her eyes at her dismissal, then turns her focus back to the task at hand with a small smirk.

“What’s with all the antiques?” Josie questions, itching for a distraction.

She nods her head towards the items Lizzie had brought back to the room.

“MG and I are going to help out with another movie night in the square.” Lizzie says with a hum, seemingly buying her redirection.

“Wait, really?” Josie asks, interest piqued. “I thought the school had fulfilled its community service obligations.”

“Oh yeah, we did.” Lizzie confirms with a click of her tongue, dusting off the side of the movie reel. “But we actually had fun the last time we went,” she admits, before clicking her tongue sarcastically, “well apart from the whole nearly dying thing that is.”

Right.

She’s glad she missed that one.

“Anyway, they’re holding another movie next week, and most of the gang is going.” Lizzie continues, waving her hand. She throws a look over her shoulder, tone leaving no room for negotiation, “You’re coming too, of course.”

Huh?

“I am?” Josie questions in surprise, eyebrows creeping up her forehead.

“Yup.” Lizzie says rather obviously, nodding her head. She gives Josie her attention then, turning towards her admonishingly. “All you do these days is study and talk to your plants,” she remarks, distaste pulling at her features at the thought, “you need some excitement in your life, Jo.”

Ha.

The snort that threatens to crawl up her throat is hard to quell.

If Josie had any more excitement in her life, she thinks she might actually combust.

Josie had never been more grateful for her sisters’ thriving love life.

She’s genuinely happy for her sister, don’t get her wrong, even despite being made aware of the ins and outs of said relationship with alarming detail.

It’s worth it, if she’s being honest.

Especially now.

She’s never been more grateful that Lizzie was off busy with MG.

It’d be kind of hard to have a devastating life crisis with your overbearing sister hovering in the background.

Lizzie had stuck around for a couple hours, before bowing out and meeting up the vampire for dinner. Josie knew well enough by now that it meant she’d be out until quite a bit later, and thankfully it gives her the freedom to be as irrational as she needs.

It’s getting late.

It’s nearing 10 pm now, each minute slipping by like seconds, and she’s running out of time to make a decision.

Come by my room tonight if you want this too.

Hope’s words replay over and over in her head.

After agonising over the decision for longer than her sanity appreciates, the sentence starts to make her feel hysterical.

This has nothing to do with want.

If it were that simple, she would have camped out the front of the other girl’s door as soon as she’d asked.

If she separates this into a purely physical issue, then of course she wants to say yes.

She wants Hope.

Hope was right about that, it was entirely mutual—Josie was just as affected by their encounter, embarrassingly so.

She couldn’t deny that.

So no, it wasn’t as simple as wanting, it was everything else that followed that made it complicated.

The potential fallout of it all, for example.

There’s also Landon to consider.

They had meant something to each other once, however brief it was, and this would mean she’d technically be helping Hope cheat on him.

Even though it was only physical, it still had to count for something.

She mulls it over, considering so many outcomes of the decision, considers everyone else’s feelings on the matter except her own.

It’s dreadfully fitting, Josie thinks gloomily.

For as long as she can remember, she’s concerned herself with everyone else’s wants and needs, often to the detriment of her own and—

It’s exhausting.

She doesn’t want to think about it anymore.

That thought alone is enough to give her pause, and she settles on a moment of clarity.

She’s striding to her door a moment later, not waiting for her conscience to catch up.

For once in her life, Josie decides to be selfish.

Josie doesn’t bother knocking.

The door is unlocked, and she swallows thickly at the silent expectation on Hopes’ part, twisting the handle with trembling fingers.

She slips in quietly, closing the door with a soft thud and stepping backwards to lean against the solid surface. Her gaze falls easily on Hope, who’s appearance makes Josie let out a nervous breath.

Hope, who’s resting back against the pillows of her bed reading a book, looks up at her curiously, a breathy little ‘oh’ sound leaving her lips in surprise.

“Josie.” Hope blurts in greeting, abandoning her book carelessly and rising up to her feet. She stares at her with wide, practically disbelieving eyes, almost as if Josie might up and disappear if she were to look away. “I didn’t think you were coming.”

She stares at Hope as she speaks. Glancing her up and down, Josie surmises Hope had already gotten ready for bed—freshly showered, face bare and glowing and clad in grey sweatpants and a matching tee.

She looked like she’d abandoned the idea of Josie even turning up altogether.

Hope walks forward tentatively, coming to a stop just a step front of her bed.

“You and me both.” Josie murmurs lowly.

Truthfully, she’s still not sure she made the right decision, but there’s no room for looking back now, what’s done is done.

She bites the bullet and pushes herself off the door, driving herself a few steps forwards.

“What made you change your mind?” Hope asks softly, and it sounds almost hesitant to Josie’s ears, like Hope herself is afraid to hear the answer.

Josie deliberates the question for a moment, walking a few more steps until she’s arm’s length away from the other girl. After a beat she comes up with a loss, not really understanding the strike of nerves herself.

“I don’t know.” She admits quietly with a whisper, yet it sounds out between them clear as day.

It leaves her lips candidly, the honest truth, and Hope nods gently as if she accepts the answer at face value.

“Okay, well, whatever the reason,” Hope murmurs with a tender smile, and the sincerity of her expression gives Josie butterflies, “I’m glad you did.”

“Oh.” Josie mutters rather unnecessarily, the words setting a little heavily in her gut.

Hope just watches her softly, the air feeling a little thick between them.

“So what did—”

“Are you though?” She interrupts with a rushed breath, cutting off Hope in the process. She can’t help it, her thoughts materialising before them, unfiltered. Her worries seemingly get the better of her careful suppression, “You don’t think this could be a bad idea?”

The direct question doesn’t really hold much back, and Hope answers her with a look of muted surprise—like it wasn’t even something she’d considered.

“No.” Hope answers honestly, shaking her head. A fondness replaces the startled look on her face as she looks back at Josie. “I mean, I love you, Jo,” she begins like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, “you’re my best friend, there’s no one else I’d rather ask for this.”

Best friend.

It floors her how the title makes her light up yet simultaneously feels wrong to her in a way she couldn’t even begin to explain.

Hope bites her lip, her cheeks flushing suddenly as looks back at Josie demurely. It catches her attention immediately, and she can’t help but stare—making the blush darken under her gaze.

“Besides, umm—” Hope starts, then clears her throat. Josie watches her shake her head then, determination growing in her eyes, “Why would I worry about it going wrong?” It’s a question Josie doesn’t know the answer to, so she just quirks her eyebrow in response. The other girl just swallows, dark eyes gazing into her own. “Not when I already know how good you can make me feel.”

Oh.

The words hit Josie hard, causing her to let out a shaky exhale.

“Yeah?” She can’t help but ask with a whisper, her voice rising high in question—one she sounds eager to hear the answer to.

The incredulousness in her tone must be obvious as Hope is quick to provide her with a follow up.

“Yeah, I mean, actually,” Hope begins, her tone believingly nonchalant, almost like she’s about to mention the weather. That’s why she’s so unprepared when Hope’s voice lowers and she murmurs, “I haven’t been able to—” she pauses then, clearing her throat awkwardly, “get there since uhh—since you made me that night.”

God.

Hope averts her eyes, cheeks still rosy as the admission tumbles from her mouth. The words make her own neck prickle with a rising flush, the image flourishing in her head making it spread hotly to her ears.

“Really?” Again, it’s said with a disbelieving question, and Josie knows she must sound ridiculous. It’s all she can do though, stand in front of Hope Mikaelson and be undoubtedly in reverence of her.

Hope just nods softly, eyes flicking back up to Josies.

“Yeah.” She confirms with a small sigh, and there’s underlying frustration there too, Josie observes. Her lips jut out slightly, in the same way that never fails to make her pause, and she looks at her with a familiar gaze that had been plaguing her for the last week, “and knowing what I’m missing has been making it worse.”

Something perceptibly shifts within her at Hope’s words, a pressure in her chest easing and—Josie thinks it might be her wavering resolve crumbling between them.

The reservations she had about this whole thing seem to drift further away from her, replaced instead with a burgeoning pull just below her navel.

She can’t help but drift closer to Hope, palms itching to reach out and touch the other girl.

“That must be frustrating.” Josie settles on with a low murmur, voice sounding surprisingly rough to her ears.

The words cause Hope to let out a discouraged huff, her eyebrows pinching in a small frown.

“It has been.” Hope admits softly, biting her lip. Her full eyes bore into Josie’s, and she can see the internal struggle play out on her face, plain as day. She looks back at her almost helplessly, and Josie has no trouble in believing the truth to her words. “I haven’t been sleeping, I’ve been irritable,” she says with an exasperated breath, frown deepening, “I’ve got all this energy and I feel like I’m just this close to exploding.”

Josie can sense Hope’s growing frustration now, and it feels almost palpable between them. A pang of sympathy hits her, and Josie wants nothing more than to ease the other girls’ worries.

She reaches out a hand before she can stop herself, resting it gently at the curve of Hope’s waist. Josie squeezes then, aiming to reassure the other girl.

“We should fix that then, I guess.” Josie concedes with a small nod, her eyes darting across Hope’s face searchingly.

They probably should talk more about this, at least lay some ground rules or something—but Hope looks back at her with a flushed, pleading expression, and all thoughts of reason abandon her.

“Please.” Is all Hope can murmur in response, nodding her head a little too eagerly.

She leans into Josie’s touch, sighing quietly as a thumb rubs in circles over the fabric of her t-shirt.

Josie steps into Hope’s space, close enough that they’re breathing the same air, and their eyes lock together.

Josie exhales shakily, the look they share between them making her feel hazy.

This is it.

There’s no going back, Josie thinks.

An underlying nervousness is ever present as she approaches uncharted territory, but she perseveres, bringing her other trembling hand up to rest at the other side of Hope’s waist.

She squeezes again, more firmly this time around, and Hope sucks in a sharp inhale of breath at the sensation.

“You’re sure this is what you want?” Josie questions quietly.

It’s a last-ditch effort on Josie’s part, giving Hope an easy out if she so pleases.

She could say no, Josie thinks, and they could move on like this never happened.

The refusal never comes, however.

Instead, Hope just nods eagerly in consent, blue eyes dropping down to Josie’s lips momentarily before darting back up, pupils blown.

The signal is a blinding, vibrant green and it obliterates any remaining resolve Josie has.

She holds Hope’s gaze for a prolonged moment, the moment loaded with undulating anticipation, before making a move to bridge the gap.

She pulls Hope into her by the hips, the other girl rocking forwards until their bodies settle flush against each other.

Their breaths mingle together, their lips so close they’re almost brushing, and it would be so easy to lean down just a fraction and capture full lips with her own.

Her eyes flick down to Hope’s mouth, the urge to kiss the girl so strong that it makes her falter. She somehow manages to tear her gaze back up to sparkling blue and can’t help but bite her tongue at the expectant look she finds there.

Josie leans forward, angling her head just so, and places a soft kiss to the corner of Hope’s mouth.  The skin is soft under her lips, and the breathy gasp Hope lets out against her ear at the contact sounds so… delicate.

It spurs her on, her mouth trailing a series of eager kisses down the line of Hope’s jaw.

An impatient hand lifts up to settle on Josie’s lower back, and the other girl bares her neck when the siphons lips meet the underside of her jaw. Her lips had barely begun dragging across the pale skin at the top of Hope’s neck when the other girl lets out a soft little whimper.

Oh.

The arching and the noises, everything about Hope’s actions just exudes such neediness for Josie’s touch and god, it made her feel senseless.  

Her mouth wastes no time in latching onto Hope’s pulse point, tasting the salt at her skin and then sucking hard.

It gets the exact response she was hoping to hear.

“Oh.” The sound tumbles from Hope’s lips, sounding out close to her ear in a small gasp. It’s sudden, just like the hand that simultaneously tightens against the place on her back, pulling her closer encouragingly.

She gently releases her lips with a soft pop, placing two gentle kisses and then pressing her mouth against the skin with a small, self-satisfied smile.

Josie had missed this.

She’d only gotten a brief introduction into experiencing Hope like this, but it’s quickly becoming clear that her responsiveness is addicting.

Josie hums, nosing at the skin before once again beginning the gentle press of her lips. She continues her path downwards, mapping the skin with a drag of lips, teeth and tongue.

Josie gets lost in the careful teasing, revelling in the soft little whimpers and exhalations that sound from Hope’s mouth as she goes.

She’s squirming now, too, gently moving against Josie as if the sensations are almost too overwhelming to remain still.

Her mouth meets the junction where Hope’s neck meets her collarbones and then pauses, the t-shirt not letting her progress any further.

Letting out a puff of breath in irritation, she tries nosing it to the side with little success.

Driven by the need to continue mapping Hope’s skin, her hands automatically move to grasp at the hem of the shirt, wanting nothing more than to remove the barrier.

She pulls up slightly, exposing Hope’s midriff, and Josie feels a hand scramble to slide over her own.

A surprised little thrill shoots through her when she realises Hope’s trying to help her pursuit, hastily trying to assist in the shirt’s removal.

It’s pulled easily over her head, quickly discarded as Hope wastes no time in closing the space between them once more.

Josie takes a little longer to adjust, the newly revealed sight of Hope’s state of undress enough to make her breath catch in her throat.

Alabaster skin was coloured with a pretty flush, extending down from her cheeks and spreading tantalisingly across Hope’s neck and collarbones. The girl is panting slightly, chest heaving with each breath and it leaves Josie mesmerised.

Searching hands attempt to pull her back in, keen to have Josie’s touch back on her once more, but she doesn’t readily comply.

Josie is caught, struck with the sudden urge to drop to her knees, to worship Hope in a way that only seems fitting and—

“Do you trust me?” She whispers earnestly between them, hands coming to rest at the exposed skin of Hope’s toned abdomen. She rubs her thumbs in circles, the skin hot under her touch, and she searches blue eyes imploringly.

Hope nods immediately, likes it’s already a given.

“Yes.” She breathes out truthfully, swallowing thickly as she stares back at Josie with want. The sincerity she finds there is almost dazing, and a swooping sensation fluttering low in her belly at Hope’s zealousness.   

“I want to do something for you.” Josie murmurs, Hope’s reaction all she needs to begin walking the other girl backwards towards the bed.

Her knees hit something solid, and the gentle pressure of her hands at Hope’s waist are enough to guide the other girl down to a seated position. She easily lets herself be led astray, looking up Josie with bated breath.

Josie sinks down to her knees before the other girl, staring up at her in almost worship and the choked noise that tumbles from Hope’s lips is entirely improper.

She’s breathes out a startled oh at the realisation, eyes darkening enough that Josie swears she can see burnt gold around the edges.

Shifting forwards on her knees, she brings her hands up and slides them slowly up Hope’s thighs. Legs open involuntarily under her touch, allowing her space to slot perfectly in-between them.

Josie rocks back on her heels, weighing up her options.

If this were occurring under different circumstances, Josie would be more inclined to take her time. She’d ease the other girl into it, work her up with soft teasing touches and loving kisses.

They aren’t together, though.

Not like that.

It leaves little room for the romantic associations that Josie is accustomed to with this kind of thing. That’s not the arrangement they have, and they’ve entered this with the mutual aim for sexual gratification, no more and no less.

Given that, she wastes no time in reaching up and hooking her fingers in the waistband of Hopes’ sweatpants and starts to pull.

Hope gets the hint with a surprised little intake of breath, hips rising up as she successfully shimmies the pants down her legs, taking her underwear with them in one fell swoop.

The other girl rests back on her elbows as she settles, legs parting even further this time and—

The sight of Hope makes her suck in a sharp, shaky breath.

She’s not really prepared for the sight that greets her in between Hope’s legs. The other girl is swollen with arousal, flushed and pink and so wet that it spills out and covers her thighs.

God.

Hope is so ready for her and she hasn’t even touched the girl. It’s a testament to how frustrated she must have been, really, but fuck, it makes her feel hot all over.

Sliding her hands underneath Hope’s thighs, they hook around her hips and pull so that the other girl rests just on the edge of the bed, giving her more than enough room to work with.

Leaning down, she ghosts her breath against the sensitive skin of Hope’s inner thigh, placing a few gentle kisses as she goes. She sucks at the skin then, and it earns a surprised gasp from above her, the other girl not expecting the sensitivity.

Her mouth trails upwards, adding in a few well-timed nips as she goes until she comes to a stop right where Hope needs her the most.

Her hot breath fans across the sensitive area, and Hope lets out a whine, hips pushing forward, desperate for contact.

The urge to tease the other girl is swift, but she thinks better of it, conceding that there will time for that later—when Hope is not two seconds away from combusting and Josie isn’t desperate to have her taste on her tongue.

Leaning forward she presses her tongue flat against Hope, dragging upwards from her entrance to her clit, getting the feel of her.

The moan Hope lets out is immediate, tumbling from her mouth in a ragged breath, loud and startling between them,

Oh.

Josie can’t help but let out her own noise of approval, the sound reverberating against the other girl in a hum and god—.

The taste of Hope’s arousal coats her tongue in abundance, heady and addictive and so fucking good. The smell and taste of the other girl overwhelms her senses, settling cloudily in her head and making her dizzy.

She slides back down slowly, letting her open mouth eagerly meet Hopes slit, tongue flicking out and probing at the entrance.  She doesn’t linger too long, sliding back up until she reaches Hope’s clit, the nub swollen and pulsing under her tongue.

Josie flicks out her tongue purposefully, swiping around and over her clit, testing the waters in the other girls’ reaction.

She finds a rhythm that has the other girl writhing, working her up on her tongue and revelling in the moans that catch in Hopes’ throat.

It’s painfully obvious that Hope has never experienced this before, at least not like this anyway. It’s evident in the way she trembles under Josies’ touch, in the way she’s cries out with each determined flick of her tongue. It’s likes she’s overwhelmed with each new sensation that Josie inspires, squirming and bucking up against her mouth with abandon.

Josie can’t look away.

She’s mesmerising in the pursuit of long-awaited pleasure and Josie’s eyes hungrily soak up every bit of it.  A tantalising blush has spread down her chest and across a quivering abdomen, a light sheen of sweat covers her body and her hands fist desperately at the bedsheets, almost like if she lets go, she might lose herself and—

It looks so fucking good on Hope, Josie thinks, and she can’t fathom how Landon wouldn’t do everything in his power to recreate this reaction.

Almost as if she senses eyes on her, Hope’s hooded gaze flicks down to hers, her eyes wide and desperate and the look she finds there makes Josie quiver.  She’s not imagining it now, gold has leaked into Hopes’ irises, the colour completely encompassing her usual blue and making them glow with unashamed desire.

She poises two fingers at her entrance, not daring to break eye contact as she slides them in, stretching Hope around her digits and curling hard.

“Oh, fuck.” Hope cries out shakily at the sensation, throwing her head back and clenching her eyes shut as Josie presses inside of her just so. A trembling hand darts down to her head, fisting into her hair and holding her firmly against her—

Josie can’t help but moan, Hope’s impatience making heat pool low in her belly.

Hope is close.

Josie can tell by the way she clamps around her fingers, the pressure almost suffocating as it gets harder to thrust.

It won’t take much.

Her name is falling from mouth now in high-pitched whimpers, singing her praises in errant pleas as she hurtles towards the inevitable. It’s not something Josie thinks she’ll be quick to forget, witnessing Hope on the edge of something like this, and instinctively she knows she’ll be hard pressed into giving this up.

Abandoning the purposeful circles of her tongue, Josie sucks the swollen clit into her mouth and sucks hard, doubling the effort with the relentless curling of her fingers and—

It takes Hope by surprise, a strangle noise ripping for her lips at the sensation, hips bucking sharply against her mouth.

She thrusts once, then twice, before Hope is coming against her mouth with a low, desperate moan that sounds absolutely filthy to Josie’s ears.

Fuck.

Hope gushes around her fingers, coming with flood of wetness that soaks down to her hand, and god, Josie is never going to get tired of making the other girl come.  

She doesn’t cease her movements, continuing her thrusts and working the other girl through the aftershocks that jolt through her, squeezing as much pleasure from the ordeal that she can muster.

It’s almost becomes too much, the hand on her hair tightening to signal oversensitivity, and she disconnects her mouth softly. Hope squeezes around a handful of hair in appreciation, before letting it slide down to rest on the bed, utterly spent.

Pulling back, her fingers slip from Hope gently and soft whine sounds above her at the sensation. Her hand is soaked, and she wastes no time in sucking them into her mouth, humming throatily as she licks away the evidence.

“Jo, that was—” Hope chokes out in between panting breaths, words falling from her lips almost dreamily. Her eyes flick open lazily and fall down on Josie, catching her sucking her own arousal from her fingers, careful not to miss a drop. A groan rips from Hope’s mouth at the sight, the sound low and surprised, and she clenches around nothing. “God, that’s so fucking hot.”

Josie grins into the softness of Hope’s thigh, letting out a quiet chuckle as she squeezes the flesh at Hope’s hips appreciatively.

She places a few gentle kisses against the skin, moving so her mouth crosses the top corner of thigh, and moves to ghost just above Hope’s most oversensitive area.

The other girls’ laboured breaths had slowed to content sighs now, and the sound enthrals her ego, a self-satisfied little hum leaving her lips involuntarily.

A strange sensation settles oddly in her chest, and it almost makes Josie feel insatiable—like it’s not enough, like she could never get sick of being with Hope like this.

Without preamble, she drops down and reconnects her mouth against Hope.

Thankfully she’d anchored her arms across hips as the tribrid chokes out a startled moan at the sensation, bucking her hips up erratically.

Josie begins to work Hope up with her tongue, just as relentlessly as she had before.

“Oh, I don’t thi—” Hope begins, eyes scrunching shut and a ragged gasp cutting through her words at a particularly well timed flick. She throws her head back, forehead scrunching and hands grasping desperately at the bedsheets, “Josie—fuck, I don’t know if I can come again…”

Hope’s thighs tremble around her head as she gasps out the words, and she can’t help but grin against her.

Josie increases her speed, and she hears a surprised moan sound above her, the noise choked and keening.

“Oh god.” Hope gasps out shakily, voice quivering and hips writhing against her mouth. “Don’t stop.”

Josie wasn’t planning on it.

There’s no reason to stop this time—there was nothing to interrupt them, nor were there limitations either, no longer working within the confines of the pretence that their demonstrations had afforded them.

No.

Josie has the freedom to touch Hope, to work her up and open the other girls’ eyes to the all the pleasure that she’s been missing out on and—

Fuck.

She intends to make the most of it.

Josie is no stranger to addiction.

She’d become all too familiar with it after her exposure to dark magic, the tendrils quickly taking root and leaving her always wanting for more.

It’s unforeseen when the same wanting rears its head again, but this time dark magic is the furthest thing from her mind.

No.

She can’t stop thinking about Hope.

Well, more specifically, the night they shared together and—

It’s entirely distracting.

She’d caught her mind wandering more often than not these days, thoughts plagued with memories of Hope, her breathy little sounds playing in her head on repeat.

It’s been days since they were together, and she assumed that time might quiet the chatter somewhat, but it doesn’t.

It actually makes it worse.

Probably because she has to see Hope every day, like normal.

It’s maddening because Hope looks at her like she’s thinking the exact same thing, a pretty blush colouring her cheeks every time she glances at Josie for too long.

She tries to be subtle, Josie notes, but her resolve often wavers. Her gaze wanders despite her best efforts, and Josie catches her staring back at her at times, eyes unfocused and biting her lip pensively.

It makes her feel hot under the collar.

It’s been almost a week now since that night and they haven’t gotten together again.

Not for a lack of trying, though.

Josie didn’t want to assume that it’d become a regular thing, so she’d left it up to Hope to make the decision—after all, the other girl had started this.

Hope it seems, was pretty keen on the idea.

She had tried to catch Josie a few times, but time wasn’t really on their side. They’d both either been interrupted, or Landon had been glued to Hope’s side, leaving no room to find a moment alone.

It was driving her a little crazy, to be honest.

Now that she’s had Hope, all she wants is more.

It’s almost addicting, the way she wants to touch her again, the way she—

“Hello, earth to Josie, do you read me?” The voice sounds loudly to her right, abruptly cutting through her daydreams.

She feels a piece of popcorn hit her on the cheek for good measure, and she turns towards the assailant with a startled little frown.

It’s Lizzie, and she stares back at Josie with an inpatient glare.

They’re currently down in the square, having arrived early to help set up for the impending movie night.

“What?” She mutters, blinking slowly.

Her sister just scoffs at her reaction, tapping her foot and sounding entirely unimpressed.

“I’ve been calling your name for like five minutes you weirdo.” Lizzie comments, folding her arms across her chest. She looks at her suspiciously, eyes homing in on the blush that Josie knows is rising across her cheeks. “You’re supposed to be helping me with the seating.”

Josie swallows, nodding dumbly.

“Oh.” Josie breathes out, faltering awkwardly. She glances over Lizzie’s shoulder, spotting the stack of chairs waiting to be placed. “Sorry, I was umm—” she begins with a mutter, running a hand through her hair, “I was just having a break.”

Lizzie’s purses her lips, eyebrows raising.

“You’ve been on a break since we got here.” Her sister complains, waving her hand emphatically. “I’ve done more work than you and that’s saying something.”

Josie blinks slowly.

“Lizzie, you’re literally the one who volunteered?” She questions, bemused.

The blond pouts petulantly.

“Yeah, but when you agreed to come, I thought I could at least delegate half of my jobs to you.” Lizzie whines, looking at her glumly. Her shoulders drop childishly, and okay, Josie is convinced her sister is the most dramatic person she’s ever met. “Instead you’ve been too busy staring off into space and drooling.”

Josie feels her skin heat at the comment, embarrassment crawling up her neck.

“I haven’t been drooling.” She throws back defensively, the words coming out in a huff. She lifts a hand to her mouth self-consciously, wiping around the edges just in case her sister was right.

Thankfully there’s nothing there, but the teasing laugh Lizzie lets out at the action is almost worse.

“Gotcha.”

Josie can’t help but pout.

After initially being startled, Josie had taken a few steps towards helping Lizzie. Instead of continuing though, she plonks herself down on her grass in protest.

“What are you doing?” Lizzie demands.

“Well given that I didn’t agree to come early, you dragged me here,” Josie says, looking up at Lizzie, chin raised resolutely. She gives her sister a smile that she knows will infuriate the other girl, and then shrugs her head, “I don’t actually feel like helping.”

The look Lizzie pins her with could kill.

“Ugh, fine, whatever,” Lizzie snaps, throwing up her hands in defeat. She makes a start to walk off, throwing over her shoulder, “Stay over here and continue your R rated daydreams, see if I care.”

Josie just flips her off in response, but it’s lacklustre, the blush that darkens her cheeks at the insinuation getting the better of her.

R rated indeed.

Josie hadn’t been looking forward to this movie night. She hadn’t really wanted to go, but Lizzie had almost twisted her arm into coming.

When the square is all prepared and the rest of their friends begin arriving, it seems she should have listened to her intuition and just stayed home.

The rest of the gang arrives together, meeting up with her, MG and Lizzie in the square and immediately Josie recognises something isn’t quite right.

She’s obviously a third wheel.

Wait.

If she thinks about it actually, she’s technically a seventh wheel.

Damn it, Lizzie.

The other girl had conveniently neglected to mention the fact that this was very clearly a triple date.

Well, it’s now a triple date plus Josie, and yeah, like that’s not awkward at all.

She spots Kaleb and Cleo first, walking towards them with their hands clasped. Her stomach drops immediately when she sees Landon and Hope trailing behind them, an arm casually draping over Hope’s shoulder as they walk.

Greetings are shared amongst the group, and Josie stands off slightly to the side, feeling incredibly of place.

Her gaze inevitably meets Hope’s, and the other girls’ eyes widen when she spots the brunette.

The flutter that stirs in her stomach at the sight of Hope should really be expected at this point, especially considering she’d been daydreaming about the girl all afternoon.

Hope looks beautiful, Josie thinks.

She always looks beautiful, of course she does, but tonight she looks especially pretty.

Long auburn locks fall over her shoulders in waves, make-up carefully applied to extenuate striking blue eyes and she’s clad in skinny jeans and a low cut, long sleeve burgundy top that compliments perfectly with alabaster skin.

“Josie.” Hope breathes out in greeting, stepping out from under Landon’s arm and moving towards her. She can’t do much but watch as the other girl steps into her space, pulling her into a hug. The cotton body con dress she was wearing does little to protect her from the heat that exudes from Hope as she pulls them flush together. Josie stands stock still, exhaling shakily as Hope murmurs in her ear, “I didn’t know you were coming.”

Oh.

The greeting floors her, and Josie isn’t expecting the hug at all—especially considering she’d just seen Hope yesterday.

Her brain begins to function again after a few moments, and she encircles her hands around the other girl, hugging her back. They fit together perfectly, and Josie sinks into the contact, the sweet perfume clinging to Hope tickles her nose and makes her feel dizzy.

It’s nice.

All too soon Hope breaks the contact, stepping backwards and looking up at her with a small smile.

Josie clears her throat somewhat awkwardly.

“Well, you know me,” she murmurs, rocking on her heels slightly, “if there’s a promise of popcorn and a romcom, then I’m in.”

It’s the truth, actually.

It’s how Lizzie had sold the evening to her, and she curses the fact that she’s such a cheap sell out.

Damn Hugh Grant and his boyish good looks.

Hope smiles at her in amusement, and their eyes lock, words passing silently between them.

And just like that, the moment is interrupted by Landon putting his arm back around Hope’s shoulders, inserting himself into the conversation.

“Glad you could make it, Jo.” The boy nods in her direction, greeting her with a genuine smile, completely oblivious.

It’s entirely innocuous, but it makes her falter with a bite of her lip, dragging her eyes from Hope’s and meeting Landon’s awkwardly.  

Things between her and Landon have been a little bit weird, and no, it wasn’t just since she’d started having sex with his girlfriend.

It’s been that way for a while, things hadn’t been the same since he’d carelessly dumped her—leaving things stilted between them at the best of times.

It’s probably mostly her own doing, but since her and Hope’s relationship had changed, the distance between her and the curly headed boy seems magnified.

“Thanks Landon,” she murmurs, shooting him a small smile. She nods her head rather awkwardly, waving a hand in his direction, “You too.”

Silence befalls them, and it’s not a comfortable one, at least it isn’t for Josie.

Her eyes flick back to Hope nervously, and the look she finds there makes her exhale. Hope is looking up at Landon with a small frown, her expression pinched and—

“Alright,” She hears Kaleb announce enthusiastically, drawing Josie’s attention away from the pair in front of her, “Where are we sitting?”

Josie breathes a sigh of relief, grateful for the redirection as she stares determinedly at Kaleb and Cleo.

MG claps his hands excitedly, ever the gracious host.

“Just over here guys.” The vampire beckons towards the section he and Lizzie had called dibs on, claiming that the area had the best view of the screen. “We’ve got the best seats in the house.”

He begins to make his way over to their seats, ushering them to follow him and the rest of the group follow his direction.

Josie takes the opportunity to grab her sister’s wrist, dragging her back a few paces behind the rest of the group.

“What the fuck, Lizzie?” She whispers indignantly.

Lizzie blinks at her slowly, seemingly confused.

“What?” She questions dumbly, looking at Josie dubiously. Josie just frowns at her sister, tilting her head incredulously. “What did I do?” Lizzie exclaims, eyebrows creeping up her forehead.

“How about forgetting to mention that I’m gate crashing date night?” Josie demands, trying to keep her voice down so the others won’t overhear. She lets go of Lizzies’ wrist with a sigh, full lips jutting out in a pout, “I feel like a third wheel.”

Understanding lights up Lizzies’ face, and she slaps Josie on the shoulder in jest.

“Oh my god, don’t do that to me. I thought something was actually wrong.” Lizzie lets out a laugh, face relaxing in relief. “Anyway, you don’t have to worry about that, Jo,” The blonde reassures her, shrugging her shoulders with a grin, “That’s what you always are anyway, it’s no big deal.”

“What?”

“Yup, it’s true,” Lizzie hums with a nod, all faux contemplation, “I mean, you’re kind of always third wheeling these days if you think about it.” The blonde’s eyebrows pinch together as she mulls it over, lips pursing and shaking her head, “Seriously, even Wade found someone…”

Wow.

She’s not sure where to begin unpacking that one, but the look of offense must show on her face because Lizzie is quick to provide a follow up.

“Doesn’t mean we enjoy your company any less, it just is what it is.” Lizzie says placatingly, patting her on the shoulder. It does little to soften the blow, but her sister is already grabbing her wrist, “C’mon, lets grab a seat.”

Josie allows herself to be dragged towards the rest of her friends.

Just great.

The next couple of hours aren’t actually as terrible as she thought they might be.

Lizzie had ushered her towards a seat near the end of her and MG, which means she’s far away from Hope and Landon, much to her relief.

She’s not sure if she would have survived that.

Not after her and Hope had—

No, it wouldn’t work.

She enjoys herself though, sitting with her sister and her MG, chatting and watching the movie.

The enjoyment had probably lulled her into a false sense of security or something, at least that’s the reason why she thinks she ended up agreeing to grab dinner with the rest of them afterwards.

They make their way over to the Mystic Grill, the waitress there giving them all menus and seating the group in a booth at the back.

Josie follows the couples as they file into their seats, with Cleo near the wall next to Lizzie and MG on one side and opposite the muse was Kaleb, with Landon and Hope next to him.

It was only fitting that it was the four-legged chair at the end that was Josie’s seat.

Lizzie leans over to her just as she sits down, a teasing grin on her face, “Hey Jo, the diner must have known you were coming.”

The blonde looks on in amusement at the rest of the couples, then tilts her head down to the chair, and Josie rolls her eyes.

“Oh, you’re hilarious.” She mutters sarcastically, though a small smile adorns her lips all the same.

Josie shuffles slightly, shifting her weight to her feet so she can pull the chair closer to the table. She drags it enough so her legs slot under the edge, her knee accidentally bumping against a jean clad thigh as she goes.

Oh.

Her cheeks grow warm when she realises the thigh belongs to Hope, the tight confines of the booth bringing them unavoidably close together.

She shifts awkwardly, pulling away from the warmth and muttering an apology.

Her eyes briefly meet Hopes’, and she receives a small nod in response, the other girl seemingly unaffected.

“Hey man, you were right,” Kaleb nods a head in MG’s direction, conceding with approval as he looks through the menu, “That chick flick wasn’t actually too bad.”

Well.

Josie bites her tongue at that, mildly offended.

Notting Hill was a classic, calling it ‘not too bad’ was practically an insult.

“Right?” MG says with a grin. He leans into Lizzie, hand snaking out and intertwining with blondes atop of the table. “Those 90’s movies hit differently.”

“I’m surprised you caught enough of the movie to know if it was good or not.” The comment sounds from beside Josie, leaving Hope’s mouth wryly. Josie watches as the tribrid pins Kaleb with a teasing expression, “Especially considering most of your attention was focussed on trying to locate Cleo’s tonsils.”

The group snickers in amusement at the jab, and Kaleb’s mouth drops open in offense, cheeks darkening.

“We are perfectly capable of multitasking, my friend.” Cleo chimes in with an infectious laugh, leaning across the table to pat Kaleb’s hand in reassurance. They share a look between them, and the look of affection on Kaleb’s face makes Josie smile.

Kaleb contemplates his girlfriend’s defence for a moment, before tilting his head with a hum.

“On second thoughts,” he surmises with a grin, nodding his head towards Hope, “you’re right, maybe a rewatch is needed.”

Laughter sounds around the table, and Kaleb just shrugs his shoulders charmingly at Cleo.

A different waitress from earlier appears next to Josie’s shoulder, a note pad in hand and a bored expression fixed on her face.

“Are you guys ready to order?” The young girl questions, looking down at them indifferently.

Shit.

Josie hadn’t even looked at the menu.

Not that she needed to, really. She’d spent her fair share of meals here when she had been dating Finch, and their vegetarian options left a lot to be desired.

The others begin rattling off their orders while Josie has a quick scan to see if they’ve got any new additions.

She makes it about halfway through before she feels it.

Hope shifts next to her subtly, and the movement is enough to cause their legs to graze against each other.

The contact is fleeting, and clearly an accident.

It’s still enough to make her pause, exhaling a quiet breath.

She doesn’t bother looking up, staring resolutely down at the menu, and just like that, the brief contact is gone.

“And what would you like?” The waitress asks, and it takes Josie longer than she’s proud of to realise the question is aimed at her.

Lifting her gaze up, she meets the waitress’s eyes with a slight flush, internally cursing herself for being so affected by a simple graze.

“I’ll just have the—” Josie begins, but the words abruptly die in her throat.

Oh.

Much to her surprise, the pressure against her leg returns.

She acutely feels the drag of a jean clad leg against the skin of her bare calf, inching slowly upwards.

It doesn’t feel like an accident this time, though.

No.

It feels entirely deliberate, dragging slowly up and down and making her falter.

“Yeah?” The waitress prompts rather impatiently, eyeing her with raised eyebrows.

Right.

She swallows thickly.

“Eggplant parmesan,” Josie ends up blurting rather abruptly, and it escapes her mouth in a half squeak. The tips of her ears burn in embarrassment when the waitress looks at her oddly. “Please,” Josie tacks on for good measure, but she sounds no less affected than before, voice rough.

The waitress gives her a lingering look of judgement, before rolling her eyes and stalking off back to the kitchen.

Josie turns her attention to Hope, eyes boring into the side of her head and—

The nonchalance that exudes from Hope almost makes Josie do a double take.

The other girls’ poker face was impressive.

If she didn’t know any better, Josie might have convinced herself she was imagining the whole thing. Hope appeared entirely unaffected, staring down at the table like she was none the wiser to Josie’s internal panic.

She places her hands down on the table somewhat robotically, shifting nervously as the slow drag against her calf continues.

“Being a bitch must be a prerequisite to work here, I think.” She hears Lizzie comment with a hum, tone snarky. “I mean, first Finch, now that girl… I’m sensing a pattern.”

Hope lets out a snort, rolling her eyes.

“I suppose that’s a good thing for you then, Lizzie.” Hope points out, lips quirking up in a playful smile. “You ever need a job then you’d be hired on the spot.”

Under different circumstances, Josie probably would have laughed at that.

Instead she remains quiet, swallowing thickly against the rising butterflies in her stomach.

“I’d put in a good word for you, but I’d bet you wouldn’t need it either.” Lizzie quips back with a smirk, the banter between them easy and light. “If that Mikaelson money ever runs out we could be co-workers.”

“Wait,” Landon intervenes, a small frown pinching his eyebrows as he listens to the back and forth. He looks between Hope and Lizzie, then shakes his head, “Hope isn’t a bitch.”

He lays a protective arm around the girl’s shoulders as he says it, pulling her into his side and smiling down at her like he’s the fucking boyfriend of the year or something.

The incredulous snort Lizzie lets out is almost comical.

“Do you know your girlfriend, like—at all, Landon?”

Landon frowns, doubt creeping onto his face.

“Well, I mean, she can be bitchy sometimes, sure,” He clarifies with a nod, oblivious to the frown that Hope is now shooting him. “Okay, maybe a lot of the time,” He adds on rather unnecessarily, each word falling from his mouth just digging his grave further, “But she’s not a bitch.”

Two things happen following Landon’s comment.

First, the pressure on her calf stops, much to Josie’s dizzying relief.

Second, the table goes quiet, the rest of the gang looking at Landon with questioning expressions.

“What?” Landon asks dumbly.

Lizzie, who’s lips had been twitching with muted amusement, isn’t able to hold back anymore. She guffaws loudly, eyes sparking with delight.

“Oh my god,” Lizzie gasps out with a laugh, slapping her hand down on the table, “you really thought you did something with that one.”

Landon’s mouth drops his open helplessly, and he looks back at Hope for support.

He doesn’t find what he’s looking for, Hope—who had been looking up at Landon with a frown during his lacklustre defence—now openly glares at her boyfriend.

She shoulders off the arm he’d placed around her, unimpressed, and he closes his mouth with a pout.

Oh.

“Someone’s in the doghouse tonight.” Lizzie murmurs at Landon’s defeat, a shit eating grin on her face. She claps her hands then, turning to the rest of the gang, “Anyway, moving on…”

The conversation thankfully does steer away into much lighter territory, and Josie does her best to keep her gaze fixed firmly away from Hope and Landon.

It’s hard not to, if she’s being honest.

The topic of conversation veers into something much too geeky for Josie’s liking, and all she can do is sit there, attention wavering.

Her gaze drops down to the table, staring intently at the salt and pepper shakers as the rest of them engage in a heated conversation.

She zones out and—

It makes the sudden slide of a warm palm over her bare thigh all the more startling.

The sensation immediately makes her jolt, half choking around a lungful of air. She clears her throat awkwardly, eyes immediately darting up to Hope’s in poorly veiled alarm.

She thought it was hard to act normally the first time around, but this was torture in comparison.

“Are you alright, Jo?” Hope asks her, and wow okay, she’s also doing a pretty fantastic job of acting like a concerned friend.

Her brow is raised, and her mouth is set and yeah—Josie would have believed the bit if blue eyes didn’t spark with something that was anything but innocent.

Fuck.

She doesn’t really trust her voice right now, so instead she just nods—the movement a little too quick to be considered casual.

Hope stares at her for a prolonged moment, before she smiles, seemingly pleased with Josie’s reaction.

Her gaze falls away from her then, turning back to the group, the rest of them none the wiser to the interaction.

Josie can’t help but suck in a sharp breath when she feels Hope’s hand begin to move, trailing delicately upwards.

The sensation makes her feel dizzy, the heat of Hope’s touch practically setting her skin on fire.

Her neck rises with a flush under the attention.

Hope’s fingers move painstakingly slowly, skimming in featherlight circles until they reach the hemline of her dress.

Naively Josie thinks this might deter the other girl, but it doesn’t, and insistent fingers slide straight underneath.

She can’t help the quiet gasp that falls from her lips.

Fuck.

She tries to mask the sound with a cough, and it comes out sounding strangled to Josie’s ears.

Her cheeks burn hotly.

Instinctively the touch makes her shift, her legs separating slightly as she does so, giving Hope a little more room to work with.

It’s involuntary, really. The feeling of Hope’s hand on her makes her burn with arousal, and it’s like she can’t help herself.

Hope must know it, too, if the smug little upturn of her lips is anything to go by.

Oh.

She’s squirming now.

So much so that each touch makes her shift in her seat, arousal settling uncomfortably low in her stomach.

Josie knows she can’t take much more of this, the trajectory of the tribrids hand is nearing dangerously close to the edge of her underwear.

She feels Hope squeeze slightly, and fuck—she has to bite her tongue to swallow the whine that threatens to claw up her throat.

Infuriatingly enough, except for the blush that now colours Hope’s cheeks, she barely reacts to torture she’s subjecting her to, and the small, knowing smile that tugs at her lips makes Josie want to scream.

Her breath comes out quicker than normal, catching in her chest. She feels too hot, too exposed—and god, she needs to leave now or run the risk of completely revealing herself.

As normally as she possibly could, Josie rises to her feet, particularly mindful of the last reaction she got from up and fleeing to the bathroom.

“Just uh, need the bathroom.” She signals with a shaky murmur, giving Lizzie a reassuring nod for good measure, not wanting to indulge the other girl’s propensity for less than flattering rumours.

Surprising even herself, she manages to walk away from the table relatively unscathed.

It’s impressive, really.

Especially considering how fast her heart was pounding in her chest.

If she just so happens to start jogging as soon as she’s out of the squad’s eyeline, it’s nobody’s business but her own.

The restroom is empty, much to her relief.

She wastes no time in striding over to the basin, splashing water on her overheated cheeks.

It feels cold against her skin, but little else—it does nothing to ease the hot burn of arousal that licks throughout her body.

She surveys herself in the mirror once she’s done, and the sight she finds makes her exhale.

Her cheeks are flushed, pupils are blown, and fuck—

It does little to reflect the changes that she can’t readily see, Josie thinks wryly, the uncomfortable drag of damp underwear making her all too aware of the effect the other girl had on her.

She shifts uncomfortably, stomach dropping as she hears the door open behind her.

Brown eyes meet blue in the mirror and—

“We’ve got to stop meeting like this, Jo.”

It’s Hope.

Her tone is casual, the words delivered with an underlying amusement, and Josie whips around to face the girl with a gasp.

“What the hell was that, Hope?” She asks shakily, leaning back against the basin. Her hands fall back to grasp against the porcelain edges for support, and she looks at Hope with wide eyes.

The innocuous little smile she receives in return adds fuel to the fire.

“What was what?” Hope murmurs with a harmless raise of her shoulders, walking closer to Josie as she does so.

Her words don’t match the way she looks at Josie though, her blue eyes surveying the brunette in a way that belies her intentions.

“The touching,” Josie clarifies rather unnecessarily, the words coming out in a sharp sigh between them. She watches Hope helplessly, her fingers trembling when the other girl comes to a stop just an arm’s length away. “Are you trying to get us caught?”

Hope shakes her head, dark eyes never leaving Josie.

“No.” She murmurs plainly, tilting her head.

“You could have fooled me.” Josie admits softly, swallowing thickly under the other girl’s gaze.

She had always loved Hope’s blue eyes and how they could convey so much with just a look, and now it was no different. Hopes’ gaze was all encompassing, surveying Josie with an intensity that stole the breath from her lungs.

Josie can’t help but think Hope looks at her like she’s prey, and oddly enough, the thought alone does nothing to quell the growing pull below her navel.

“I couldn’t help it.” Hope murmurs lowly, biting her lip as her eyes flick across Josie’s face searchingly. She shakes her head pensively, a small blush colouring her cheeks, staring at Josie with reverence.

As if to prove her point, the other girl reaches out her hand and settles it teasingly on her waist.

Josie’s eyes flutter closed under the touch, the heat from her palm sears through the thin material of her dress.  

She feels Hope step further into her space, not quite touching but close enough to feel the warmth that radiates from the other girl.

Another hand joins opposite her waist, and Hope pulls her forward by the hips, and she rocks forward enough so that they meet.

It makes Josie gasp, eyes flicking open as she leans back against the basin.

“Hope…” She whispers out, sounding a lot like a sigh.

Josie isn’t really sure what she’s asking for, but Hope silently answers her plea, grasping her hands and fingernails curl teasingly into her skin.

God.

It’s insane how easily Hope can affect her like this, how responsive she is to her touch, the simple grazes enough to make her feel warm all over.

Their eyes lock and it’s charged, the look loaded with swirling with anticipation, like their just seconds away from inevitably falling into each other and—

Shit.

A voice sounds from just outside the bathroom, loud enough that they can hear, and it startles them enough to make them jolt. Their eyes whip towards the door, half expecting to be caught at any moment.

A few seconds pass by excruciatingly slow, the person moving further down the hallway and it becomes increasingly clear that no one is coming through the door.

It does little to quell the nerves rushing through her, heartbeat pounding so hard in her chest that she feels it in her throat.

When the threat of danger passes, Hope slowly turns back to face her with wide eyes, fingers trembling against her.

It should’ve been enough to knock some reason into them.

If they had any sense they would have separated, they would have swallowed their urges and made a beeline back to the safety of their friends waiting for them, but—

All logic seems to have abandoned Josie.

Understanding passes between them, and a second later Hope is hastily grasping at the fabric of her dress, pulling her away from the basin.

Josie allows herself to be dragged to the nearest bathroom stall, urgency lingering in each hasty step that they make. Nimble fingers make quick work of the sliding lock, and then just like that, she’s pushed up against the wall with a soft thud.

Hands are back on her body without preamble, eager and insistent, and they map up her abdomen with heated purpose.

Her head falls back against the door with a dull thud, eyes squeezing shut and Hope wastes no time in attaching her mouth to the exposed column of her neck.

Fuck.

Sharp teeth scrape hotly against the sensitive skin and a low groan catches in her throat, writhing against the other girl.

“Hope.” She chokes out a sharp gasp as full lips press messily at her pulse point, hips bucking against the other girl involuntarily. She feels nails drag against her rib cage, and she can’t help but arch into the touch with a whine, “They’re going to wonder where we’ve gone.”

Somewhere in the back of her mind the consequences of their actions linger, and she probably should be more concerned with the danger of her their friends catching them out—with Hope’s boyfriend finding out. It feels so far way though, and the whispers are drowned out by the overwhelming arousal that Hope’s touch inspires.

Hope hums against her throat, the sounds low and throaty and it sends a thrill up her spine.

“I guess we’ll just have to be quick then, Jo.” She murmurs against her neck, breath coming out heatedly against her skin. A purposeful hand slides down to mid-thigh, nails scraping upwards.

The movement catches the hem of her dress and drags it up indecently high, bunching it up enough to expose her underwear.

“Oh.” Josie rushes out with a shaky exhale, a hand shooting out to anchor herself, setting low on Hope’s back.

Being with Hope like this had been playing heavily on her mind, and it leaves Josie eager for her touch, content to just sink into the other girl.

Wandering fingers leave her dress and trail a dangerous path up the soft skin of her thigh, and it isn’t long before they brush curiously against the edge of her cotton panties.

God.

The choked moan that tumbles from her lips is almost embarrassing, sounding between them needily and fuck—she might’ve been more self-conscious about it if she weren’t so desperate for Hopes touch.

Hope is so close to where Josie needs her the most, and it makes her throb with white hot arousal.

Josie’s hips rock forward imperceptibly, breathy little pants leaving her lips at the eager drag of Hope’s mouth against her neck.

Hope gets the hint.

Ever so slowly she feels Hope press her fingers against the thin material of her panties.

It’s tentative at first, and the angle doesn’t give the other girl much room to work with. She hears Hope huff quietly against her neck, then a purposeful knee is slotted between her legs, pushing enough that it spreads them apart and—

Oh.

Hope is pressing directly against her now, the thin material doing little to hide the wetness that has them soaked through. Josie knows they’re practically ruined with her arousal and knows that Hope can feel it too.

The other girl sucks in a sharp gasp at the wetness under her fingers, the sound ragged and almost incredulous and it makes her knees weak.

“All of this just from a little touching…” Hope murmurs against her skin, trailing her fingers against the damp fabric, probing at the wetness that accumulates there. The words come out disbelievingly, almost like Hope can’t imagine that her touch alone had been the cause of it all.

Fingers slide upwards tentatively, brushing against her just so, and she can’t help but whimper at the sensation.

It’s not enough.

Her hips buck against the hand, desperate for more.

The hand pressing against pulls back then, leaving her with nothing, and a disappointing whine tears from her lips.

She can feel Hope grin against her at the impatient sound, before eager fingers drag up to the waistband of her underwear and slide underneath.

Fuck.

The slickness of her arousal instantly coats Hope’s fingertips as she slides them through Josie’s folds, and the resounding groan she lets out at the sensation is deafening.

She hears Hope swear under her breath, gliding her fingers down enough to probe at her slit before dragging up to circle at her clit.

She can’t help but slump against Hope, the other girl holding her up against the wall as she works her up on her fingers.

The lips at her neck work their way upwards, dragging messily until they come to rest against her ear. Hope's breath comes out in a hot pant, mouthing against her earlobe and the sensation makes her shiver.

“What do you need?” She breathes out, voice low and rough. The words come out a little hesitantly, but the underlying enthusiasm there makes her feel hot all over. 

All reservations had been thrown out the window, Josie realises, and she’s only got one thing rushing through her mind. 

She doesn’t care that she’s pressed up against a bathroom stall, doesn’t care that her friends could come looking for them at any moment.

No.

All she cares about is Hopes fingers, and how badly she wants them to fuck her.

“I need—“ She chokes out, hips bucking up sharply as Hopes fingers slide teasingly against her. Josie sucks in a shaky breath, hand pulling Hope impossibly closer, “Fuck—I need you inside.”

She’s embarrassingly turned on at this point—so much so that she doubts it would take much to push her across the edge.

Hope lets out a groan at her words, so low it’s almost a growl, and is hasty to follow direction. Her fingers slide down, poised teasingly at her slit before a lone digit slips inside.

Hope meets little resistance as she does so, and she can’t help but rock forward shamelessly, crying out at the sensation.

The sound is loud and needy, echoing sharply off the bathroom walls.

“God.” Hope breathes against her ear, testing the feeling of Josie clamped around her finger. The sound comes out in a whisper, breathy and filled with awe.

She pushes in once, then twice, before removing her fingers entirely. Josie involuntarily clenches around nothing, before she’s suddenly stretching around two digits.

Fuck.

Hope sets a slow pace to start, getting used to the feel of Josie. She listens intently to Josie’s reactions, gauging her response with each movement.

She’s a quick study, curling her fingers just so, hitting a spot inside of Josie that makes her toes curl.

She whimpers, high pitched and desperate. The other girl homes in on the reaction, quickening her pace and curling her fingers relentlessly.

Hopes mouth moves to the underside of her jaw, licking and nipping messily and—

It’s almost too much.

Josie trembles under the assault of pleasure, thighs quivering weakly and threatening to fold underneath her. Hope just holds her there, supporting her with a strength that is limitless, fucking her against the wall. 

She can’t help the noises that sound from her lips, moans and whimpers falling freely between them with abandon. Josie rocks forward onto Hope’s hand, seeking out every bit of pleasure the other girl is willing to give her.

“Shh, Jo.” Hope rushes out in a heated whisper, other hand gripping at her hip possessively. Full lips mouth back upwards towards her ear, nipping at her earlobe and breathing out, “Someone is going to hear you.”

Oh.

She flushes hotly at that and tries desperately to stifle the sounds escaping her mouth, but it’s futile—the thought of someone overhearing them like this just makes her impossibly wetter.

The words don’t match Hope’s actions, the other girl is unrelenting in her pursuit for Josie’s pleasure in a way that is almost unfair. Josie really doesn’t stand a chance, anyway, clenching around Hope’s fingers as a strangled moan catches in her chest.

Hope angles her hand enough that her thumb is able to slide against her clit, working in tandem with relentless fingers and it sends her hurtling towards the edge. 

It doesn’t take much, just a few more well-timed flicks of her thumb and she comes with a flood against Hope’s hand. It’s almost violent in the way it rips through her, building and building until it tips over the precipice, trailing a blaze over every nerve ending in body.

She comes with Hope’s name on her lips.

“Fuck.” Hope breathes out with a sigh, rubbing circles on her hip and thrusting slowly to drag out the aftershocks. Josie’s hips undulate slowly against the other girl, small cries slipping from her mouth at the jolts that rush through her. “You feel so good.” 

Josie can only muster a mewl in response, slumping against the stall door, utterly spent. 

Hope places a few gentle kisses to the flushed skin of her neck, before gently pulling her fingers from Josie, making her whine at the loss. 

She pulls back from her then, still half holding her up in case her legs give out. Josie’s eyes flutter open lazily, landing on Hope. Dark eyes stare back at her, pupils blown, and cheeks flushed.

She reaches out a hand, aching to touch the other girl, and settles on snagging a finger in the belt loops of Hope’s jeans. 

She pulls at her wantonly, needing nothing more in that moment than to return the favour. Her hands still shake from her orgasm, but she persists, pawing at the waistband and attempting to unhook the button of her jeans.

Hope groans in between them, hands coming up to stop the eager effort to slide into her pants. 

“If I let you touch me now, we’ll never make it back to dinner.” She mumbles out roughly, words sounding regretful to Josie’s ears.

Fuck.

She’d completely forgotten about dinner, and her eyes widen at the thought of having to go back like this.

Hope lets out an amused little chuckle at her reaction, reaching her hands out to smooth down her dress that had hiked up improperly high.

“C’mon, Jo, let's go get you cleaned up,” Hope murmurs with a small smirk, rocking back enough to get a good look at Josie. She knows she must look a sight, still slightly out of breath, cheeks flushed and a light sheen of sweat covering her forehead. The other girl hums then, her own cheeks darkening as she murmurs, “You look... indecent.”

The way Hope says it makes a dull throb course through her. It’s almost smug, like she’s revelling in the fact that she’s the one that made Josie so affected.

Hope shoots her one last lingering look before she slips out of the stall, making her way to the basin to wash up.

Josie is left to lean against the wall, exhaling shakily as she questions the reality that is now her life.

What the fuck is Hope Mikaelson doing to me?

Chapter Text

After the night her and Hope got carried away at the Grill, they fall into a consistent routine. 

Well.

That routine mostly consists of them fucking any chance they could get.

The time in between their trysts never exceeds that of the first time, hell, they barely go a couple of days before they’re falling into each other again—incapable of staying away.

It actually surprises Josie how easily they adjust to their arrangement.

From an outsider’s perspective, nothing changes.

Not really.

They go to class and they hang out with the super squad and everything appears relatively the same. The initial weirdness Josie had felt between her and Hope when this whole thing began had mostly resolved, and to her surprise, their friendship was probably the strongest it had been.

So much so that one would never guess what they were doing behind closed doors.

Only then Hope would graze her hand across her lower back or catch her gaze with a weighted look—their unspoken signals sounding loudly between them, the rest of their friends none the wiser. 

Josie got the message loud and clear though, and the expectation behind them made her squirm in anticipation.

Most of the time their rendezvous were quick and impassioned, falling together hurriedly—movements swift and purposeful.

They slip away whenever time affords it, finding each other in hallway closets and bathroom stalls to seek out inevitable release. 

Hope is unrelenting in her pursuit for Josie’s touch, much to her surprise.

She had expected otherwise, if she’s being honest. Josie had thought Hope might have gotten her needs satisfied and that would be the end of it.

It’s entirely the opposite.

It’s never enough for the other girl, she’s consistently eager to have Josie’s hands on her, mapping her body. 

Each time more so than the last even, and it’s almost like she’s been starved, impatient to take in anything she can get.

It’s fitting, Josie supposes, Hope had been deprived for so long with Landon’s mediocrity that now she was seeing things in a whole new light.  Hopes’ enthusiasm naturally makes her own desire for the girl skyrocket, which is something she didn’t think was possible. 

Josie has never really experienced anything like it, being with Hope.

When they’re together all she can think about is Hope, and when they’re not, she’s thinking about the next time they will be.

It’s all consuming, and if she thinks about it, it’s fucking awful for her concentration. 

Kind of makes it hard to focus on things like class and homework when she’s still got the taste of Hope on her mouth.

It makes her grateful that they’ve got rules in place, it keeps things between them straightforward. Their arrangement is almost detached in a way, and Josie believes it saves them a lot of headaches.

There’s no kissing, there’s no cuddling or intimacy afterwards and their touches never linger long enough to be considered anything but purposeful. 

It works.

The boundaries in place keep her in control of the whole thing, Josie thinks. Without them, the tendency to spiral into dangerous territory would have been far more likely.

She doesn’t exactly have the greatest track record when it comes to Hope Mikaelson.

She can’t let that happen with Hope, not again—not when she’s been down that road before and it only brought her heartache. 

Hence the rules, and it’s surprisingly easy for the most part.

Well, mostly.

The physicality of their arrangement was easier than breathing, it was the rest that was… a little more difficult to swallow.

Namely the lying and dishonesty of it all.

She tries not to think about it too hard if she’s being honest, and on the occasions that her mind wonders, a familiar inkling of guilt settles inexplicably in her chest.

She catches herself lying a lot lately.

Lying to Lizzie about her whereabouts, lying by omission to Landon, and—maybe lying a little bit to herself too. 

It’s mostly just white lies, really.

Yet it adds to the roiling guilt that sits in waiting just the same…

It passes through her mind more often than she’d like, and she finds herself weighing up whether the whole ordeal is even worth continuing.

Despite the internal conflict, there hadn’t been a moment yet where Josie had believed that Hope wasn’t worth the consequences.

“Ugh, I am so tired.” Lizzie sighs out dramatically, resting back in her seat and surveying the rest of the dining hall lazily. Her shoulders slump down for good measure, driving home her point exaggeratingly.

MG, ever the doting boyfriend, leans into her sisters’ side and places a reassuring hand on her thigh. Lizzie's head lolls to the side, coming to rest on the vampire’s shoulder.

“You okay babe?” MG murmurs sweetly in question, squeezing Lizzie’s thigh. 

Lizzie just nods glumly in response, lips jutting out in a pout as she laps up the attention and okay, the whole thing makes Josie roll her eyes. The act is convincing, sure, but it’s a load of shit, nonetheless. 

“How is that possible?” Josie questions wryly, flicking her gaze to Lizzie with a raised eyebrow. “You woke up at like ten today and only showed up to one class.”

The look she gets in return is all but impressed.

“Yeah, and…?” Lizzie questions nonchalantly, waving her hand palm up in her direction for good measure. “It’s Friday. It’s lucky I even showed up at all.”

Well.

Josie isn’t sure how that logic works in the scheme of things.

She opens her mouth to respond, but then thinks better of it, and really—she’s learned that sometimes she’s better off not bothering to question the other girl at all.

It’s saved more than a few headaches along the way.

“Speaking of Friday,” Lizzie hums, a grin pulling at her lips as she glances roguishly at her and MG. “We should totally ditch and head into town.”

MG acquiesces easily, nodding with a grin, and Josie thinks he’d agree to the world if the blonde so much as asked.

“Sounds better than sitting through History.”

Lizzie claps her hands enthusiastically, suddenly invigorated by the prospect of ditching, and turns to Josie with an expectant look.

“What about you Jo, you in?”

Oh.

Another day and she might have considered the offer, but she’s already got plans.

Her hesitancy must show on her face because Lizzie scoffs at her, rolling her eyes.

“Don’t try and give me more of your excuses.” The blonde snarks with a snap of her fingers, eyeing her off suspiciously. “I know your last two classes are study hall.”

“Yeah, and I planned on using it as intended.”

Lizzie gives her a strange, almost bemused look, and raises an eyebrow at her in question.

“To actually study, Lizzie.” Josie sighs out with a dry smile, and Lizzie's unfathomable expression twists in distaste. Her gaze flicks away from her sister then, and she slides down into her seat, tacking on after a beat, “I’m meeting Hope at the library.”

Lizzie lets out a groan. 

“Again?” She asks incredulously, eyebrows creeping up her forehead. Josie’s stomach swoops uncomfortably for a convincing moment as she realises this was an excuse she had used more than once before, and her cheeks warm. 

This time she’s actually being genuine, though.

“You two have been attached at the hip recently.” Lizzie comments, lips pursing and eyebrows pinching together. 

She supposes Lizzie isn’t entirely off with that one, attached would definitely be a word that Josie would use to describe them lately. 

“I guess we’ve been hanging out a little bit more lately.” Josie concedes after a moment, the words coming out slow and purposefully. Her gaze flicks back Lizzie’s, eyes slightly wide around the edges as she shoots and misses for casual nonchalance.

“Mhm.” Lizzie hums, tapping her chin in contemplation. “Well, I suppose it makes sense,” her sister agrees pensively, a smile pulling at her mouth, “you’ve both got something to bond over.”

What?

Her eyebrows creep up her forehead, and she stares at Lizzie in poorly veiled dread. 

Josie swallows, running a hand through her hair, and looks at her sister in question.

“Yeah, I mean, you’ve both got the whole tragically sad and sexually repressed thing in common.” Lizzie elaborates with a sniff, bringing her hand up to inspect her nails. “It’s only natural that your shared trauma has brought you two closer together.”

Josie, who was in the process of innocently taking a breath, chokes around a lungful of air at her sisters’ comment. She splutters, coughing sharply as a little bit of spit gets inhaled down the wrong pipe.

If only she knew just how close it had brought them.

When she gets her breath, she pins her sister with an accusing look, eyes wide and cheeks burning hotly in mortification, “Lizzie, what the hell?”

“Okay, calm down, I think it’s nice you’ve got a support group going.” Lizzie quiets her with a shush, smiling in amusement at her reaction. She continues to stare at her sister, her expression morphing into one of contemplation, and Josie feels exposed under the scrutiny, “Just… be careful, is all I’m saying.”

The change of tone gives Josie pause, and she eyes her sister carefully. Lizzie is looking at her, her expression much more serious now, and it makes her suck in an apprehensive breath, “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, you know how you get, Jo.” Lizzie says plainly, giving her an almost pitying look, and Josie doesn’t like where this is going at all. “Spending that much time with Hope,” she admonishes with a wave, “It’s a slippery slope and I really don’t think I’ve got the stomach for another one of your obsession eras.”

Oh.

Josie can feel her heartbeat quicken dramatically at that, the sensation jumping oddly in her throat as she swallows around the churning nervousness that has taken hold. 

“It wasn’t even—” She begins, then falters, feeling acutely on display as MG and Lizzie look back at her with studying looks. She swallows, sighing out a shaky exhale and trying to find some semblance of conviction, “I was never obsessed.” 

She wasn’t.

Her defence sounds shaky at best, and it’s irritating because she’s actually telling the truth this time. It was just a crush, sure it was one that was particularly hard to shake at the time, but still just a crush, nonetheless.

Lizzie scoffs out a laugh.

“Oh no, you were, Jo. You were down bad .” Lizzie refutes, side eyeing her somewhat judgmentally, and okay, rude. “I mean I personally don’t understand the appeal at all,” she continues, nose wrinkling in distaste at the thought, “but that girl is like your kryptonite or some shit.”

Josie splutters, mouth opening and closing dumbly. 

How rude.

“All she has to do is bat her eyelashes and out comes simp Josie.” Lizzie adds on, lips twisting in exaggerated revulsion. She sniffs, levelling her with a look of judgement, and Josie has to stop herself from kicking Lizzie’s leg under the table, “I mean it might actually be funny if you didn’t get so insufferable.”

“Whatever you say Lizzie, it’s not like that.” Josie mutters defensively, cheeks darkening in embarrassment at the call out. She waves her hand dismissively, averting her gaze and wishing desperately for the end of this conversation, “We’re just hanging out, nothing more nothing less.”

Lizzie just hums at her explanation, eyeing her cautiously in a way that makes Josie think she doesn’t believe a word of her defence.

The warning bell sounds around them, signalling the near end of their lunch hour, and Josie sighs out quietly in relief.

“On that note,” Josie begins quickly, taking a stand and shouldering her backpack, “I’m gonna head off.” She pointedly ignores the reproachful look Lizzie is pinning her with, instead she throws a stiff smile over her shoulder as she makes a move to leave, “Have fun playing hooky.”

She makes it a few metres into her hasty escape before she hears Lizzie shout—

“Have fun on your date!”

Her step falters at that, and the resounding laugh Lizzie lets out makes her cheeks burn. 

It wasn’t a lie this time.

Josie was actually going to meet Hope to study. It wasn’t a cover for other things , like they’d used in the past, they actually had some work to do. 

Getting paired together for their shared potions class had meant they needed to finish their joint paper on their final healing elixir, and they’d allocated the afternoon to complete the final draft.

Hope meets her just outside the library like they had planned, leaning up against the wall as she waits for her and looking effortlessly alluring in a way that makes Josie suck in a breath.

The fond smile she receives as soon as Hope spots her makes a pleasant warmth settle in her chest.

“Hey Jo.” Hope greets her, words warm and affectionate.

Josie barely even comes to stop before Hope is tugging her forwards, pulling her into a firm hug and—

Oh.

She’s momentarily dazed. Her arms wind around the shorter girls’ back, allowing herself to be pulled forward enough that she presses directly against Hope, face coming to nose in long, auburn locks. 

She breathes in, and all she can smell is Hope.

It’s new, this whole touching thing.

Josie isn’t even sure Hope is aware she’s doing it, but more often than not her hands seek her out, pulling her close. 

It kind of throws her, if she’s being honest, because Hope has never really been overly touchy. Not really, not with her anyway. They’d hug occasionally, mostly spurred on by some impending threat against their lives, but this—

“How’s your day going?” Hope murmurs quietly, pulling back from the hug and giving Josie a soft smile. 

Josie swallows thickly at the look, her own smile involuntarily pulling at her mouth at the sight of the girl.

“A bit better now.” Josie murmurs with a shrug of her shoulders, biting her lip as she peers down at Hope. She receives a questioning look in return, and she just shakes her head, muttering with a sigh in explanation, “Lizzie .”

Hope’s eyebrows raise in understanding.

“Oh, say no more.” She says knowingly, lips upturned with a grin. The hand that had lingered on her elbow now slides down to her hand, fingers entangling with her own. 

Their hands lace together, and Hope gives her a reassuring squeeze, nodding her head towards the library.

“C’mon, let’s go grab a table.”

Josie lets herself be led away, and she tries her best to ignore the fluttering in her chest when Hope doesn’t bother letting go of her hand.  

A heavy sigh sounds to her right, breaking her concentration and pulling her attention from the pages in front of her.

“One more sigh like that and I swear the librarian just might try and stake you.” Josie mutters as she places her pen on the table, shooting Hope a reproachful glance.

Hope, who had been lazily resting her chin on her hand, turns in the direction of said librarian. She lets out a chuckle when she finds the old woman staring back at her with a filthy glare, then turns back to Josie with a grin.

“I’d like to see her try.” Hope jokes, leaning back in her chair and stretching languidly. Josie's eyes can’t help but track the movement, watching as lithe muscles elongate. “Besides, that’d have to be more entertaining than this.”

Josie raises an eyebrow in offense.

“Oh, come on Jo.” Hope rushes out with a huff, waving her hand in the direction of the strewn books and papers in front of them, “We’ve been at this for ages.”

It’s an exaggeration, one that Josie can’t help but roll her eyes at amusedly.

“Stop being dramatic, it’s barely been an hour.” Josie says, her tone aiming for reprimanding, but it’s coloured with affection. They’d spent the better part of the last hour working away in mostly silence, hands brushing occasionally and shooting each other subtle glances.   

It had worked well, for the most part, and they’d made good strides towards finishing. The last fifteen minutes Hopes’ attention had waned, however, and the distracting sighs had started.

“Yeah, a whole hour. Surely we’re due for a break.” Hope counteracts, shooting her a convincing smile. Josie just stares back at her with a raised brow, and Hope lets out an exasperated groan in response. “Just like fifteen minutes or something. I can’t read about,” Hope leans forward and reads from the text in front of her, “the ashwagandha root and it’s healing properties any longer.”

Josie's faux serious expression crumbles, her face splitting her into a grin.

“That’s the first time you’ve read from that book, right?” 

Hope laughs then, and the sound is pleasing to her ears. It’s light, and happy, and it settles warmly within her chest.

“Yeah, okay, you got me.” Hope concedes with a smile, and Josie shifts slightly in her seat, angling towards the other girl. “I’ll get around to it after a break.”

Josie sighs, officially abandoning her efforts on the half-completed paper in front of her and leaning back in her chair.

“Okay, fine.” She surrenders with a wave of her hand, and Hope's smile widens in triumph. “I suppose we can take five minutes.”

Hope makes a small noise in victory, and Josie can’t help smile in amusement.

“So, do you want to go grab some snacks or something?” Josie questions, watching as Hope purses her lips.

The other girl pretends to think about for a minute, before eventually shaking her head.

“That wasn’t really the kind of break I had in mind, Jo.” Hope murmurs, voice dropping lower than it had been and Josie watches her, mesmerised as a pretty blush dusts across the apples of her cheeks.

Oh.

Blue eyes imperceptibly flick down, before dragging back up to meet hers, and just like that it feels like a switch has been flicked. She suddenly feels too warm given their environment, and it floors her how heightened Hope can make her with just a look.

“Oh?” She questions, her voice noticeably sounding higher to her ears. She feels her own cheeks darken as Hope continues to stare at her with a watchful gaze, and she bites her lip. “What did you have in mind?”

Hope hums, the sound low and inviting.

“Oh, I uhh—” Hope begins, faltering as she breaks eye contact, gaze surveying around the library. She looks back at Josie after a moment, eyes dark as she scoots closer towards her, so close their knees are almost touching. “I thought you could give me a hand,” Hope murmurs, flush deepening under Josie’s waiting stare, “finding a book, apparently its umm—it’s way down the back somewhere.”

The warmth that heats her skin settles low in her stomach at Hope’s words.

“A hand, huh?” She murmurs, and their homework is literally the furthest thing from her mind right now.

Hope lifts her hand up, and Josie waits with bated breath as she ever so slowly brings it up to rest on the bare skin of her forearm.

“Yeah.” Hope responds with a soft little breath, palm burning a trail over her skin.

The touch is innocuous, and objective observers wouldn’t think it’s anything but friendly, but to Josie it feels like a promise of something more.

Their eyes lock, a silent question passing between them, and Josie can’t help but suck in a shaky breath. She knows exactly what Hope wants from her, and there’s no rational part of her thinking right now because she wants nothing more than to take her up on the offer.

The sudden urge to steal away and lose herself in Hope is so swift it makes her falter.

Hope suddenly breaks the dizzying eye contact, her gaze falling somewhere over her shoulder and Josie is momentarily confused by the frown that overtakes the other girls face.

She opens her mouth to ask what’s wrong, but Hope is already speaking and—

“What do you want?” Hope asks shortly, and the tone almost gives her whiplash, a far cry from just moments prior.

She whips her head around to see what’s responsible for the frown that now mars Hope’s features, turning in her seat towards the perceived insult.

Oh.

It’s Finch. 

The werewolf is standing behind her with an almost nervous expression adorning her face, rocking slightly on her heels as she peers down at Josie. She momentarily flicks her gaze to Hope, ignoring the rude greeting altogether, before looking back at her with raised eyebrows.

“Hey Jo.” Finch greets her with a small smile, and Josie is genuinely surprised to see the other girl.

It’s nearing a couple of months now since Josie had broken things off between them, and their interactions had consisted mainly of awkward smiles when they’d pass each other in the hallways.

“Finch, hey.” She swallows thickly, attempting to clear the low quality that had taken over her voice. She looks up at the girl in question, biting her lip as she feels Hope’s hand retract from her skin, “What’s up?”

“Umm—” Finch sucks in a breath, breaking eye contact to side eye Hope somewhat awkwardly. “I was just wanting to talk to you about something,” she mutters with a wave of her hand, gaze shifting back to Josie pointedly, “in private maybe.”

Oh.

She looks back at Finch for a few prolonged seconds, unsure how to respond.

“I—”

“We’re all friends here, Finch.” Hope cuts her off, an edge in her tone as she surveys the werewolf with an entirely unimpressed look. She’s the picture of absolute disinterest in the other girls’ presence, rolling her shoulders lazily. “Whatever it is that you have to say I’m sure you can share with the class.”

Well.

Finch frowns at Hope, lips twisting in irritation and okay, Josie really hasn’t missed this. Hope and Finch’s relationship had always something akin to frosty, and Josie always felt a little uneasy getting caught between them.

“Friends is a bit of stretch, isn’t it Hope?” Finch bites back at the tribrid, a frown fixed firmly on her face.

The pair stare at each other, and Josie can feel the tension rising.

“What did you want to talk about?” Josie interjects, attempting to divert the focus away from the pissing contest that is playing out before her eyes. 

If the librarian had a problem with too loud sighing, she’s not sure she would appreciate Hope smackdowning Finch through her precious oak tables.

Finch drags her attention from Hope, expression softening as she looks down at Josie.

“You know what, I might catch you another time.” Finch concedes with a small nod. She hears Hope scoff, and Josie swears she hears the word ‘ chicken’ mumbled under her breath. Finch must hear it too because she frowns, but thankfully doesn’t take the bait, “Is it cool if I come by yours later?”

Finch stares at her expectantly and Josie clears her throat.

“Umm yeah—sure, that sounds fine.” She eventually manages to mumble out, her tongue feeling a little awkward in her mouth.

Finch doesn’t seem to notice a difference; she just takes her acceptance with a satisfied smile. 

“Great, thanks Jo, I’ll see you then.” She says lightly, giving Josie a lingering look before turning on her heel and heading off with a small wave.

Josie watches her retreating form for a moment, before turning back to Hope with a disapproving expression.

“What?” Hope asks rather dumbly, irritation still colouring her features at Finch’s presence.

“Don’t what me, Hope.” Josie chastises, regarding the other girl with a raised eyebrow. She shakes her head, slapping the other girl gently on the arm reproachfully, “That was so rude.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t like her.” Hope mutters in a way of explanation, face twisting in distaste. “Now that you’re not together, I don’t have to pretend anymore.”

Josie chokes out a laugh at that, the sound incredulous. 

“That was you pretending?”

The question earns a smile from the other girl, the pinched expression falling away easily.

“I mean, I tried.” Hope concedes with a hum, shifting lazily in her seat and shrugging her shoulders. “Can’t say I was particularly successful.”

Josie nods in response, a droll smile pulling at her mouth. That was an understatement and a half, she thinks.

Easy silence falls around them then, and Josie’s gaze falls on the clock in front of them.

“Looks like our break time is up.” She observes, nodding her head in the direction of the time, and Hope follows her line of sight.

The resounding groan she lets out is almost loud enough to get them kicked out.

Her and Hope barely last five more minutes before they’re slinking off and locking themselves in the nearest supply closet.

They crash into each other heatedly, driven by the need to fulfil unspoken promises.

If Hope’s touches held a little more desperation than normal, Josie pretends not to notice.

Super squad meetings were a lot less… intense these days.

Without the looming threat of monsters and Malivore, the demand for their services is just not as prevalent. They still have the errant supernatural threat that comes along, sure, but it’s a lot more relaxed in general.

They still hold the meetings as usual, gathering together a couple of times a week. The thing is, they don’t always use the time together as intended.

These days they mostly just hang out and talk shit, and no one could blame them, really. They’ve earned it, and what Alaric doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

Take this Saturday evening for example, they’re all holed up in one of the rec rooms, lazing about on chairs and the floor, laughing together and having a good time.

“Okay, but what would you rather,” Kaleb calls out with a grin, throwing his arm around Cleo as he does so, “Eat an arachne or a merman?”

The question earns several groans in disgust, and Josie’s lips twist at the thought.

“Okay that depends,” Jed answers seriously, tapping his chin like he’s put a lot of thought into the dilemma, “Is the merman still all slimy and shit? Because if not that would really change my answer.”

“Wait, how would that make it any better…?” Lizzie questions from her spot next to MG, mild disgust colouring her features.

Jed just looks at her like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. 

“For the taste.” He responds obviously, waving his hand around like he’s talking about what spread he likes on his toast. He side eyes Lizzie, tacking on, “Duh.”

Lizzie just squints back at him, confusion colouring her features as she tries to understand his reasoning.

“I’m so not drunk enough to understand that logic.” The blonde breathes out with a sigh, leaning back against MG, eyebrows pinched together.

Kaleb claps at that, grinning as he leans forward and begins unzipping his backpack.

“Say no more.” He exclaims, pulling out a few bottles of spirits, soda and solo cups out of his bag. “This should make us speak Jed’s language.”

That was another welcomed addition to their squad meetings.

Alcohol.

Every other weekend they’d wind up having a few drinks and getting on the better side of tipsy, courtesy to her dad for their supply. His questionable inclination to supply Kaleb with alcohol, whilst wildly inappropriate, had worked out well for them considering the vampire had access to his stash within reason.

It was fun for the most part, but tonight Josie had a little more hesitance around the whole thing than usual.

Mainly because it’s the first time they’re all doing this since her and Hope had started sleeping together, and she’s unsure how she’ll act with lowered inhibitions. 

Historically Josie has been a very touchy feely kind of drunk, and it makes her a little apprehensive considering her baseline, sober state is already compelled enough to want to seek out Hope’s touch.

Shooting a glance at the other girl, her worries are eased somewhat. 

She’s sitting across from her with Landon, tucked into his side and peering up at him with a small smile. They’re talking about something amongst themselves, Landon leaning down closer so he can whisper in her ear and—

Okay.

Scrap that.

She doesn’t think she’ll have any problems staying away from them at all, drunk or not, if the nausea their appearance inspires is anything to go by.

“Alright, who wants shots?” Kaleb asks, pouring generous amounts of spirits into the solo cups he’s lined up.

The rest of the group make sounds off affirmation, and he begins handing them out between them.

A cup is passed into her hand, and her gaze unwittingly meets Hopes’ from across the room.

The other girl has her own cup in hand, and she shoots Josie a soft little smile, eyes warm and happy. She tilts her head and holds the cup out towards her in cheers, before knocking the shot back in one fell swoop.

Josie follows suit, relishing in the burn that follows.

They all get a little bit intoxicated.

Okay.

Perhaps that’s a little bit of an understatement.

They get drunk.

The shots, and subsequent mixed drinks that Kaleb had been pouring had gone down between them a little too easily—leaving most of them loose lipped and more than a little hazy.

The group had spent the last several hours playing games and laughing between them and—

It was fun.

Josie had welcomed the pleasant glow that uplifted her perspective, the familiar alcohol fuelled warmth spreading pleasantly within her, and yeah, the easy fun was a nice change.

She hadn’t kept to her promise to stay away from Hope, but that was harmless in itself as most of the squad had migrated around the room.

She’s currently sat leaning up against a sofa, sitting next to Hope who was next to MG and Lizzie, eyes closed and listening to a song the vampire wanted to show them.

The music is easy and soulful, and it reverberates within her as she nods her head along with beat. Josie can acutely feel the warm press of Hope next to her, sitting so closely that they touch from shoulders down and god, her drunk addled mind thinks it feels so good just to be close to the girl.

“Um, Hope?” A voice cuts through the music, disrupting Josie from her own little world and causing the four of them to turn towards the sound.

It’s Wade.

The dude that has impeccable fucking timing.

“Yeah?” She hears Hope mumble from beside her, tone a little disinterested.

“I’m going to take Landon back to our room.” The fairy says, nodding his head in the direction of the other boy. Landon, who had moved to sit over near Jed and Wade to discuss something comic book related, was now slumped in one of the chairs, mouth open as he sleeps. “He had a bit too much to drink.”

Josie blinks in surprise. She isn’t sure how much time had passed in between; it feels like just a moment ago the boy had talking animatedly with his friends.

“Oh.” Hope says rather obviously, slowly bringing her attention from Landon back to Wade. “Do you need a hand?”

Wade waves his hand dismissively.

“No, it’s all good.” Wade denies with a quirk of his lips. “He just needs to sleep it off.”

Hope nods, and Wade gives them a wave before he’s walking back to Landon and helping him up to his feet.

“We should probably head off, too.” Lizzie murmurs, or slurs out more accurately, from her spot next to MG. Her head is lolled to the side, resting on the vampire’s shoulder, her blue eyes entirely unfocussed as she tries to mount the effort to move. “I might need a hand up.”

“I gotchu babe.” MG says, grinning happily as he slowly rolls to his feet, coordination somewhat impaired. He leans down and hooks an arm under the girl’s shoulder, easily pulling her to her feet.

Once Lizzie has her bearings, she looks down at Josie and Hope, both of whom haven’t made a move to follow.

“You coming Jo?” Lizzie asks, jerking her head towards the door. “We’ll walk you back to our room.”

It’s late, and she knows she should probably head to bed, but she’s comfortable where she is.

“No.” Hope interjects from beside her, tone dismissive as she places her hand gently on Josie’s knee. “I can take her,” she confirms, turning towards Josie and looking at her with a lazy smile, “we’ll walk back together, right?”

Josie is nodding before she can really think about it, the idea sounding immediately favourable.

Lizzie looks at them for a prolonged beat before she’s nodding her own head, the answer apparently satisfying enough for her drunk mind.

The pair mumble their goodbyes, before they too make an exit, leaving Hope and Josie sitting there alone.

The hand on her knee doesn’t move from its place, and Josie doesn’t think to question it.

They eventually pull themselves up from the floor and begin making the trek back to their rooms.

It takes them a lot longer than anticipated because yeah, it turns out walking when you’re very intoxicated is a little harder than anticipated. 

“Josie, stop that.” Hope chastises in an exaggerated whisper, aiming to keep quiet but her words come out far louder than she intends. She catches Josie arm for like the fourth time, stopping her from face planting. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“I’m sorry.” Josie rushes out with a giggle, leaning against Hope heavily and trying to get her footing. She stands up a little straighter then, her hands bracing on each side of Hope’s arms, and pouts, “Walking is… hard.”

“How about I just carry you?” Hope suggests brashly, a glint in her eye like it’s the best idea she’s ever had. A proud look overcomes her features, a goofy little smirk pulling at her mouth as she peers at Josie smugly, “I could totally do that, y’know.”

She feels Hope flex her muscles under her palms and Josie can’t help but snort out a giggle.

Josie has no doubt that Hope could carry like… ten of her, and yeah that fact probably shouldn’t delight her as much as it does.

“I have no doubt about that.” Josie says with a pleased hum, bringing her hand up to rest at Hope’s cheek. She pats her jaw affectionately, and Hope looks up at her proudly, and it’s all so sweet that it makes her bite her lip. “But no that’s okay,” she murmurs reluctantly, lips pursing in determination as she nods steadfastly, “I can’t be bested by this tilted corridor, I must persevere.”

Hope giggles at her as she nods resolutely, withdrawing her hands from the unrelenting support and attempting to march forwards in a straight line.

She makes it two steps before she’s almost toppling again, and Hope is there to steady her once more.

“My hero.” Josie sighs out dramatically, hanging her head in defeat. She peeks an eye open at Hope, shooting her a sheepish little grin, “On second thoughts, perhaps maybe we could come to some sort of compromise?”

With a conceding nod and fond smile, Hope holds her elbow out for Josie to take. Without preamble, she links her arm with the other girls, taking advantage of the support.

They set off again, this time much more steadily, and begin their journey back to their room.

It takes them a while to get there, getting distracted along the way and giggling between them at innocuous and silly things, before eventually arriving outside their respective doors.

“So,” Josie begins as they come to a stop, jerking her head slowly in the direction of her room and mumbling obviously, “this is me.”

Hope nods exaggeratingly, smacking her lips, “ Right , and this is also… me.”

The observations settle plainly between them yet neither make any move to leave.

A few beats of prolonged silence pass before Josie sighs out in a huff, not wanting to leave but knowing she should.

“Okay, I guess I should…” She murmurs, reluctantly making a move to pull away from Hope’s warm embrace. Her shoulders drop somewhat glumly, walking forwards with an uncoordinated wave of her hand.

She only makes it a step or two before she feels a hand grabbing her wrist, stopping her in place. The pressure pulls her back gently until she comes face to face with Hope, close enough that they’re breathing the same air.

“Wait, Jo.” Hope breathes out quietly, her gaze averting as a pretty blush colours her cheeks. Josie stares, her hazy mind mesmerised by the spread of heat. “Maybe you should stay in my room tonight.”

Hope flicks her eyes back up to meet Josie’s, and the look she finds there can only be described as shy. 

She shrugs her shoulders then, aiming for nonchalance but failing terribly , and okay, the sight absolutely makes her chest flutter, “Just in case y’know, you vomit in your sleep or something.”

“Oh?” Josie questions, eyes searching Hopes face, unable to keep the amused grin from pulling at her mouth.

“Yeah.” Hope says with a convincing nod, words a little more believable this time around. “You could choke on it, and uhh, it’s a thing—the threat is very real.”

Somewhere deep down inside, underneath the pleasant glow that engulfs her, a warning bell sounds. It alerts her to the fact that this is probably a terrible idea, and that she should turn on her heel and go to bed—but the signal is drowned out. 

Instead, the world is spinning, and her mind is hazy and all she wants is to be close to Hope.

Josie is nodding before she can stop herself.

“Okay.” She agrees, and the affirmation falls far too readily from her mouth. She feels a flush creep up her own neck at her eagerness, and she eyes Hope reservedly, shrugging her shoulders, “I mean, yeah… just to be safe.”

The smile she receives in return is blinding.

“C’mon.” Hope murmurs happily, her hand sliding down to intertwine with her fingers.

Hope turns towards her door, pulling Josie along with her as she twists the handle and they slip inside.

All of a sudden, it’s like they’re in another universe, and Josie sighs contentedly as they walk further into the area.

Josie had always loved Hopes’ room.

She loved the easel and haphazardly strewn paints, she loved the sentimental knick knacks, hell, she even loved the smell , and—she just loved how uniquely Hope it all was.

It always made her feel a little giddy, if she’s honest, getting to see this side of Hope.

Given how private the girl was, it felt almost personal.

Hope leads her to her bed, and she takes a seat, getting a little lost in surveying around the room. She sees Hope retreat to the other side of the room, absentmindedly registering the opening of drawers and sounds of rustling, before—

“Here, Jo.” A pair of sleep shorts and a sweatshirt is thrust into her hands, and Josie just blinks up at Hope owlishly, broken out of her musings. “Can’t sleep in your clothes.”

Oh.

Right.

Josie slowly looks down at her attire, noting the sun dress she was wearing, before gasping out in realisation.

Hope giggles at the display, batting her arm playfully before retreating once more.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Hope says, and Josie pouts as she watches her disappear into the bathroom.

She huffs out a breath, bewildered by the enormous task ahead of her. By some miracle she’s able to peel off her dress and bra without too much of a disaster—only tripping over herself once in the effort. 

She manages to pull on Hope’s clothes, flopping herself down on the bed after the massive ordeal. Laying on her back, her head rests on comfortable pillows as she looks up at the ceiling with a smile, the world still spinning as a pleasant glow of contentment rushes within her chest.

Josie isn’t sure how much time passes, it could’ve been ten seconds or ten minutes for all she knows, before she feels the bed dip beside her.

Hope appears above her a moment later, face fresh of makeup and donned in sleep wear. She grins down at Josie, eyes hazy and unfocused.

“You ready for bed?” 

Mesmerised by the sudden appearance of the other girl, Josie just swallows against the lump in her throat and nods her head in affirmation, not trusting her voice.

Hope peers down at Josie, biting her lip in thought. Sucking in a breath, she jerkily nods her head, beginning to retreat once more and—

Josie reaches out hastily and grabs her wrist, halting her escape.

“Where are you going?” Josie blurts out against the rising neediness within, the urge sharp and hot in her throat. She doesn’t want to be separated from the girl again, her skin itching to be close.

Hope ushers her head towards a spot over her shoulder, a bemused expression taking over her face. She looks back at her like the answer to Josies’ question in an obvious one, “I’m going to sleep on the floor.”

Josie lets out a noise in protest, pouting.

“Don’t be silly.” Josie says in a rush, shaking her head like the idea is ridiculous—and really, it really kind of is. Hope is ever the gracious host, but she’s not about to make the girl sleep on the floor in her own room. “We can share the bed.”

Josie can see the gears turning in Hope’s mind, mulling over the proposition. Her lips purse, and eyebrows pinch together in contemplation, and Josie thinks maybe Hope hadn’t even considered the possibility at all.

Patience isn’t exactly drunk Josies’ forte, and neither is impulse control it seems, as instead of waiting for Hope’s reply she just tugs on her wrist instead.

She must underestimate her strength because Hope abruptly falls forward, or maybe it’s because the other girl’s usual immaculate coordination is a little impaired right now—either way Hope ends up on top of her.

After the initial surprise passes, both girls dissolve into a fit of giggles.

“Oops.” Josie gasps out in between laughter, the sounds emitted against the other girls’ neck. 

Hope pushes herself up on an elbow, propping herself up haphazardly. She peers down at Josie, laughter lighting up her face, eyes bright and cheeks red with the effort.

Josie can’t help but notice how gorgeous she looks.

It’s all she can see.

Their giggles peter out until they’re both just left with matching smiles, and Josie can’t bring herself to look away, trapped by endless blue.

They’re close now, breathing shared breaths as Hope hovers above her, their bodies pressed together.

A lock of Hope’s hair had fallen forwards, and Josie reaches up to tuck it behind her ear. Her hand had moved on autopilot, unable to help herself, eyes following the movement before flicking back to make eye contact with Hope once more.

The look she finds there makes her belly swoop with butterflies.

Hope is peering down at her with an all-consuming expression, eyes tracing her face imploringly.

Josie bites her lips and watches as Hope’s gaze leaves none of her face unexplored, flicking intently from the line of her jaw, her lips, her cheeks, her nose and then finally settling on her eyes.

The affection that takes up space in Hopes’ gaze makes Josie feel warm all over.

Hope sucks her bottom lip between her teeth, taking a small heaving breath through her nose before—

“You’re so pretty, Jo.” Hope whispers earnestly between them, the words coming out almost reverently, tumbling from full lips in a quiet, breathy sigh.

The words are said with such sincerity that leaves absolutely no room for doubt. Hope is looking at her like she’s just as her words described, and the heated blush that spreads across her cheeks in response is entirely warranted.

Hope is obviously attracted to her, sure, that much is a given considering their arrangement—but in that moment, Josie had never felt more attractive than shew does under the other girl’s stare.

Not with anyone.

Josie wets her lips almost nervously, and Hopes’ keen gaze homes on to the action, staring intently at her pouting mouth.

She can see her hooded gaze impossibly darken, pupils dilating and focus holding in place.

Josie feels like she’s underwater, or in a dream perhaps, the edges of her vision hazy and soft and framing Hope in a way that makes her look ethereal.

Everything feels like its’ in slow motion, and she watches with bated breath as Hope brings up her free hand and ever so gently places her thumb on Josies’ heated cheek.

She delicately slides the pad across her soft skin, looking down at her with something akin to awe as she does so, and Josie’s breath comes out a little stiltedly.

The thumb slides downwards slowly, trailing a line of heat in its wake until it eventually reaches the soft curve of her mouth.

Hope stares unashamedly at her lips, exhaling shakily as she hesitantly drags her thumb across Josies’ cupids bow.

Josie’s lips part almost instinctively, her breath tumbling out heatedly. She inhales sharply when the offending digit begins to move, dragging across her top lip.

Hope explores the uncharted territory, eventually sliding her thumb against her bottom lip too, dragging at the skin and making her lip jut out in a pout.

“I think about kissing you all the time.” Hope breathes out candidly, and it’s almost like she’s talking to herself—the statement coming out soft and sounding far away. Her gaze is still trained on her mouth, fixed firmly and staring in a way that can only be described as mesmerised. 

Something shifts within her at Hopes’ words, a low and smouldering feeling roiling just below the surface and—

“You can if you want.” Josie blurts out before she can stop herself, her desire to feel Hope’s mouth pressing against her own far outweighing reason. After all she had thought about it too, relentlessly, and with her usual voice of reason absent, there’s nothing stopping her from wading into such dangerous territory.

Her words are enough to draw Hope’s attention away from her mouth, blue eyes flicking up to meet her own and the look Josie finds is nothing short of astonished. She blushes, rushing to clarify, “Kiss me, I mean.”

Dark eyes just stare and stare and stare, cheeks flushed, and pupils blown and looking at Josie like her world had just been tilted on its axis.

Hope watches her for what feels like an eternity, before nodding imperceptibly with wide eyes, the quiet acceptance causing butterflies to stir excitedly in Josie’s stomach.

The other girl sucks in a fulfilling breath, almost like she’s trying to find some semblance of nerve. 

She must find some because she leans down then, catching herself mere millimetres from capturing Josies’ mouth. She doesn’t move, hesitating as their breaths mingle together.

Josie doesn’t dare move, hell, she barely even dares to breath, her heart glugging in her chest and—

Oh.

Hope closes the gap.

It’s just a chaste press of warm lips at first, their mouths coming together tentatively. Their lips slot together just so , and the simple contact leaves her dizzy.

Josie doesn’t want to move, doesn’t want to run the risk of spooking Hope. She’s letting her set the pace, and it’ll be up to the other girl if she wants to deepen the kiss or not.

It takes a while for her hazy mind to realise that they’re actually kissing, and when it does finally register, the kiss is over entirely too soon.

Hope pulls back, disconnecting their mouths and Josie can’t help the disappointed little hum that falls from her lips. 

She feels Hope readjust herself, leaning more heavily on her elbow and Josie has to bite her tongue to stop herself from doing something stupid. Namely, asking Hope to kiss her again, which even drunk off her ass, she recognises that’s not a level she’s about to stoop to and—

Fuck.

Her inner turmoil is effectively silenced, her thoughts turning to static in her head when Hope’s lips capture her own once more.

She feels Hope cup her jaw as she slides her lips against her own, and god , the press of her mouth is much more insistent this time around.

Josie feels Hope head slant just slightly, mouth parting in an open-mouthed kiss, their lips sliding against each other deliciously. It’s a little off kilter to start, the alcohol making their movements somewhat uncoordinated, but eventually they find a rhythm that suits.

She lets Hope take the reins to begin, and she’s oh so eager against her, mouth unrelenting. 

It’s all Josie can do is to lay there, letting Hope explore her lips, the shaky little sighs and exhalations that the other girl lets out in the process setting her alight.

Hope’s movements gradually become bolder, lips demanding in a way that makes her light-headed and her hands ache with the urge to reach out and touch.

Hopes lips are so soft, but also searing and unrelenting in a way that leaves her feeling boneless. 

She can no longer hold back when she feels the first tentative swipe against the seam of her lips, one hand settling on Hope’s hip and the other coming to possessively palm at the side of her face. 

She pulls her in, grasping at her face and meeting the kiss with equal enthusiasm, no longer content to be a passive participant.

Hope lets out a startled gasp against her mouth, and Josie wastes no time in sliding a hot tongue past the other girls’ lips. 

Their tongues meet, sliding together hotly, and the maddening little moan that sounds lowly from Hope is like music to her ears.

Her mouth is hot and fierce against Hopes, desperate to take everything that the other girl is willing to give—and fuck, is she willing.

Josie slides a trembling hand into Hope’s hair, grasping at the auburn strands and pulling her impossibly closer, and the soft whimper she lets out makes her grin into the kiss.

Their hands move to map each other’s bodies, but there’s no intent to make it to any finish line, content to just touch and be touched innocuously as they swallow each other’s sighs. 

It’s nice.

Being with Hope like this.

Actually, nice is probably the understatement of the century.

It feels fucking amazing and drunk Josie honestly can’t fathom why they hadn’t done this earlier.

They had been missing out.

She feels warm and light and there's an undercurrent of exhilaration rushing through her that steals the breath from her lungs, and honestly—she thinks she might just be able to do this forever.

Kissing Hope.

It’s addictive, really, and now that she’s had a taste of the other girl she doesn’t want to stop.

Unfortunately, they eventually do, but not a moment too soon—not until long after they’ve had their fill of each other’s mouths.

Sometime much later, when they’re exhausted and barely able to keep awake, Hope collapses against her, her head resting against Josies’ chest tiredly. 

Josie doesn’t question their position, instead she throws the blanket over them and wraps an around Hopes’ waist, pulling her close. Hope snuggles into her, nosing at the skin of her collarbone and fisting at her sweatshirt.

Thoughts still loosened by her intoxication; Josie can’t help but think she’s never fit together so well with anyone.

When Josie stirs awake sometime later, she doesn’t immediately recognise her surroundings.

Something feels off.

Not in a bad way, she’s actually incredibly comfortable, but it’s definitely foreign from her usual sleeping arrangement.

It’s dark in the room, she realises as her eyes flutter open, and she can only assume it’s in the early hours of the morning. Light filters in from the glow of the moon, illuminating parts of the room as it shines through the large balcony window.

Heat cocoons her, spreading across her front and radiating from the body nestled in her arms and—

Oh.

She’s spooning Hope.

The other girl's back is pressed into her front, their legs entangled together and Josie's arm holding her against her snugly.

She sucks in a sharp breath when she realises just how closely entwined they are.

Sometime during the night they’d migrated towards each other, limbs drawing together subconsciously.

Clearly Josie is a handsy sleeper too if the placement of her hands were anything to go by.

The hand that pulls Hope close to her body is snaked up underneath the other girl's sleep shirt, seeking out the delicious warmth of bare skin. It’s resting up indecently high, settling just enough that she’s cupping the underside of her breast.

The rest of them are close too—legs entangled, and her face is nuzzled against the bare skin of Hopes’ neck, the alluring smell of the girl tickling her nose with each breath.

Despite wanting to sink back into sleep, Josie knows she needs to move.

She never read the fine print of their no strings attached arrangement, but she’s certain it doesn’t include cuddling.

It’s a little too intimate to be considered casual, she thinks.

She would just have to reposition herself, disconnect their limbs and settle over the other side of the twin bed and Hope, well, she would be none the wiser come morning.

It’s a little easier said than done, though—especially when Hope has her own arm over Josie’s, keeping her firmly in place.

She manages to untangle their legs easily enough, the soft smooth skin of Hope’s thighs sliding against her as she pulls back.

The same can’t be said about the other part of her careful extraction though.

Ever so slowly she tries withdrawing her arm, her fingers dragging across the heated skin with each inch of her retreat and–

She freezes when she feels the hand on her arm tighten.

“Don’t.” She hears Hope murmur, voice low and thick with sleep. Josie doesn’t think she’s ever heard Hope quite like this, and the sound settles heavily in her chest. 

Josie is rigid against the other girl, muscles tensed, and breath stuck in her throat. She’s caught between staying stock still against the girl and pulling away, an apology forming on her lips. 

“Hope.” She sounds out between them quietly, tone cautious and coming out shakily from her place against the other girls’ neck. Josie pulls back slightly, and Hope takes a small intake of breath, “We must hav—"

She’s cut off by Hope pulling at her wrist, leading her hand back to its rightful place–only this time it shoots past the mark, the other girl placing her palm up high enough that it directly covers her breast.

Oh.

The contact dislodges a shaky gasp from Hope, arching into her hand as she does so and–Josie isn’t much better, her own intake of breath sounding out sharply.

She can feel the press of a pebbled nipple under her palm, begging for attention.

They stay there for a prolonged moment, her hand pressing against Hope loosely and her breath stuck in her throat. She doesn’t dare move, and her inaction must frustrate the other girl as she arches further into her hand.

“Hope?” She calls out again, this time a little more assuredly. She needs to get the other girl’s attention, concerned that she’s still a little intoxicated from the events of last night. 

She must be, Josie thinks, for her to be seeking out her touch like this. It feels so far removed from their normal encounters, a far cry from an upright quickie, and it gives Josie pause.

“Are you still drunk?”

Hope doesn’t answer her straight away, instead opting to shuffle backwards, her ass coming to rest flush against Josie suggestively and—

Oh .

“No.” Hope eventually manages, voice still thick with sleep and something more— the unmistakable arousal there enough to make Josie shiver.  

Although the denial is firm and unwavering, Josie has the need to see it for herself. Leaning back to give herself enough room, she gently pulls on Hope’s shoulder, the pressure enough to cause Hope to shift onto her back.

Her head splays onto the pillow, and Josie hovers above her, peering down at Hope searchingly.

Blue eyes are clear and free from the hazy glow that had overtaken them hours prior, replaced instead by a resolute stare that makes Josie’s mouth run dry.

“I’m sober now, I just—” Hope begins with a murmur, faltering as she sucks in a shaky breath. Dark eyes flick across her face, dragging down to full lips intently before flicking back upwards. The other girl sucks her bottom lip between teeth, whispering shakily, “I just need you to touch me.”

God.

The request sounds of between them so fervently that it makes Josie suck in a sharp breath.

How could she possibly deny such a request?

Especially when Hope sounds like that and is looking at her like she wants to devour Josie whole.

She absolutely does not stand a chance.

Her hand, the one that’s still palming at Hope’s breast without a barrier, moves now for the first time. She drags her palm along the skin teasingly, before giving a gentle squeeze, the flesh feeling so good underneath her hand.

Hope gasps at the sensation, arching her chest out into her hand, baring her neck in the process.

Josie wastes no time in leaning down, dragging her full lips against the column of the other girl’s throat.

“I need—” Hope huffs out impatiently, and Josie can feel her hands fidgeting between them. Her hips buck up jerkily, a frustrated little whine falling from her lips in the process. “You’re not close enough.”

Huh.

It’s an odd thing to say considering Josie didn’t think they could physically be closer right now, and it gives her pause.

It’s only when she feels Hope tugging at her shirt that she understands.

She leans back slightly, and Hope wastes no time in rucking up her shirt, exposing the heated skin of her abdomen. She pauses for a moment, distracted by the unveiling of bare skin, before continuing its plight for removal.

Moments later her shirt is discarded, eager hands fumble hastily between them, intent on removing all of their unnecessary articles of clothing.

Eventually they manage to free themselves, and Josie settles herself back down against Hope, their naked bodies pressing against each other for the first time and—

Oh god.

Josie can’t help the choked gasp that rips from her throat at the sensation.

They press together from head to toe, their soft thighs, the curve of their hips and breasts all pressed together pleasurably and fuck, it feels dizzyingly good.

Hope must agree if the moan she lets out is anything to go by, hips pushing up teasingly at the contact. The other girl snakes her hand up and settles it on top of Josie’s, which currently grasps at her waist, and begins to tug it downwards.

Josie waits with bated breath as Hope trails their joined hands down her lithe body, eventually reaching their destination as she suggestively places her hand where she needs it the most.

The movement is bold, and it makes her burn with blazing hunger when she feels an abundance of wetness waiting for her between parted thighs. 

She’s aroused enough that it coats her inner thighs, and Josie gasps when she eventually trails up and along her drenched folds.

“You’re so wet.” Josie breathes out in awe, consistently in reverence at how responsive the other girl is to her touch.

She glides her fingers downwards for good measure, sliding along Hope’s slit and spreading around the ample wetness that coats her fingers. Hope is warm, and wet, and feels so fucking good beneath her and Josie is struck with the sudden urge to fuck into her again and again.

She poises two fingers at the other girl’s entrance, knowing she won’t need any foreplay to get her ready, and Josie flicks her gaze up to make eye contact. They’re sharing breaths now, brown meeting endless blue in an intense stare, and the whole thing feels unusually intimate.

She tries to ignore the odd pull in her chest, instead opting to push into Hope and stretch her provocatively around her fingers. 

Hope cries out suddenly at the feel of her, eyes clenching shut as her hips stutter upwards, desperate for more.

“Fuck.” Hope hisses out sharply, little whines tumbling from her lips as Josie finds a maddening rhythm, curling her long fingers just so. They slide together in a way that leaves Josie breathless, their naked bodies fitting together perfectly. “I don’t think I’ll last long.”

The admission makes her tremble.

There’s something to be said with how easy Josie can make Hope come undone with just a mere touch. Hope is fierce, and strong, and arguably one of the most powerful creatures Josie will ever come across in her entire lifetime, and yet—Josie has the ability to entirely destroy her with coaxing, purposeful hands.

The thought alone makes her giddy.

Blue eyes snap open then, and a searching hand comes to rest against her cheek. The look in Hope’s eye, determined and wanting, makes her dizzy and—

Oh.

Josie doesn’t have much time to adjust as Hope pulls her down, connecting their lips in a heated kiss.

Fuck.

The action completely throws Josie, her heart pounding in her chest when she realises that they’re kissing again, this time without the protective cover that their drunkenness had afforded them.

Josie didn’t think it’d be something they’d repeat, or even acknowledge in the light of day, yet here she was, licking into Hope’s mouth without a care.

If it felt good to kiss Hope whilst drunk, now as she’s sober, with the girl underneath her writhing as she fucks into her, well—there’s absolutely no competition.

It’s oddly raw, and almost intimate in a way that makes her burn. 

Her heart pounds, and butterflies swarm dangerously inside of her, and Josie knows that everything about this encounter has crossed the line.

Entirely overwhelmed by it all, she pulls her mouth from Hope’s with a shaky gasp, dragging her lips down the line of the other girls jaw before reaching her neck.

She nuzzles into the skin there, her breath coming out shaky and hot.

Her heartbeat thumps in her chest, butterflies rising dangerously within her as she slides intimately against Hope and—

She truly can’t fathom how she’s ended up here.

All she had intended to do was be there for Hope, and when the other girl had sought her out for her help, she had lent a hand.

After all, Josie is not the type to turn away a friend in need. So, when Hope had asked her for help, her eyes full and expression pleading, she had readily agreed.

In this moment though, with the heat of Hope’s breath tickling her ear with each needy whimper, Josie thinks that maybe, just maybe, this whole thing was a fucking awful idea.

She could no longer be impartial about this whole thing, not when their usual casual fucking now borders dangerously on lovemaking.

At least, that’s what it feels like to Josie, and the intimacy of it all makes her feel faint.

“Josie.” Hope sighs out hotly against her ear, the sound tumbling from full lips in a keening whimper, and fuck, she truly doesn’t think she’ll ever get use to her name sounding like that from that other girls’ mouth. It’s so breathy and needy and does little to assuage the self-assured contentedness that had settled within.

The move in tandem together, bodies sliding against each other in sync as Josie continues to work her up on her fingers.

“Fuck, Jo, you’re going to make me come.” Hope gasps out sharply, hips stuttering upwards against her hand, desperate to take any bit of pleasure that Josie is willing to give her. Josie curls her fingers then, hitting that spot inside of her just so, and the filthy moan that tumbles from Hope’s mouth as a result is almost sinful.

She can feel that Hope is close, the tell-tale signs of her impending release are ever present, and she doubles down on her effort to hurtle her towards the inevitable.

Hope’s hands frantically scramble to grab at Josie, one grasping almost painfully at her bicep and the other coming to rest at the side of her face, hastily trying to pull her up.

Josie gets the hint and lifts up ever so slightly, gasping quietly at the sight she finds below her. Hope is beautifully flushed, sweaty and glowing with pleasure. 

Their eyes meet, and the intensity of it steals the breath from her lungs. Hope’s pupils are blown so wide, and the small ring of iris left flashes burnt gold.

The hand on her cheek pulls her downwards and Hope needily connects their lips in another messy kiss.

Josie swallows the moans and whimpers that Hope lets out as she desperately chases her orgasm, fingers getting increasingly harder to thrust as the other girl clamps down around her digits.

Hope’s orgasm hits her mere moments later, slamming into the girl forcefully as it rushes through her entire body. She rips her mouth from Josie, crying her name out desperately against her mouth and gushing a wet flood around her fingers. 

Josie can’t do much except be in awe of it all really, continuing to work her fingers as she catapults the other girl through the aftershocks of her mind-numbing orgasm. Hope just clings to her desperately, shaking as white-hot pleasure wracks her body in little jolts, heated moans tumbling from her lips in the process. 

Eventually she collapses back against the bed, spent and boneless, breathing still erratic as she slowly comes down from the high of her orgasm. 

Josie leans up on her elbow, gently sliding her fingers out of Hope and wasting no time in sucking them into her mouth. She hums lowly at the heady taste coating her tongue, cleaning the wetness from her digits.

Hope watches the action with hooded eyes, trailing her every movement, and as soon as she finishes the other girl pull her back in.

Their lips meet messily, tongues sliding together, and Hope groans loudly at the taste of herself on Josie’s mouth. It’s incredibly erotic, and it makes her even more aroused, which is something she didn’t think were possible at this point. 

It must ignite something in Hope too, because she wastes no time in flipping their positions. 

Hope settles above her, thighs resting either side of her hips, her centre coming to rest hotly against her quivering abdomen.

Josie can’t stop the throaty moan that sounds between them at the sensation, the abundance of wetness between Hope’s thighs sliding against the heated skin of her abdomen and—

Fuck.

Her hands instinctively rise up to settle on Hope’s hips, pulling her forwards, encouraging the grind of her hips in the aim to feel more of her wetness slide deliciously against her.

Hope lets out a low groan at the sensation, eyes rolling back and hips stuttering against her, spreading the abundance of her come.

Small hands dart out to brace against her shoulders, halting her movements much to the disappointment of Josie.

“Nuh uh.” Hope mutters out lowly, voice thick and rough with arousal. She peers down at Josie, pinning her with a look that leaves no room for arguments, “It’s my turn.”

Josie nods her head a little too eagerly, content to let Hope have her fill.

Hope absolutely takes advantage of the opportunity, eagerly exploring her body with her fingers, lips and tongue and making her come alight with pleasure. 

Much later when they eventually collapse, too spent to continue, Hope once again takes her place against her chest. Her breathing eventually evens out to soft little breaths, her hand grasping at her in her sleep.

Josies’ mind whirs with dangerous thoughts, her chest fluttering as she holds the other girl, and this time Josie’s sober mind can’t escape broaching the elephant in the room.

They had completely obliterated three of their unspoken rules tonight, blowing past them without a care and—

Josie has a sinking feeling that she’s gone and done the very thing she’d been careful to avoid.

She thinks she might be catching feelings for Hope.

Chapter Text

Josie is quite a smart person.

Incredibly smart, actually.

That observation isn’t coming from an inflated sense of self either, it’s the truth—her impeccable report cards are enough to attest to that.

She’s always been rather clever, ever since she was little. Josie had taken rather quickly to her studies, proving rather studious and developing a genuine interest for learning early on.

So yeah, she’s normally rather clever, so it never fails to surprise Josie just how stupid she could be sometimes.

Whilst she’s academically advanced for her age, she thinks she might have the emotional intelligence of a five year old.

She must have.

It’d explain why she had a terrible track record with relationships, and also why she had once again found herself in another disastrous predicament.

Josie really didn’t have the best luck when it came to love, no wait, like more rather.

Looking back over her romantic pursuits, there was a glaringly obvious theme that had developed—each and every one had ended in disaster.

Or they fizzled out before they had even truly begun.

She had put it down to a combination of reasons, really. Time and time again Josie, against her better judgement, pursued people that ultimately weren’t right for her.

That was fine to recognise in hindsight, but in reality, she also actively ignored red flags that were right in front of her face.

Okay so sue her, she was a hopeless romantic, she believed in the whole soulmate, one true love schtick that you read about in fairy tales.

She wants that for herself, even if it means abandoning all reason.

Its kind of got her in a lot of hot water, if she’s being honest, and ultimately left her ending up alone in the end.  

Like one would think dating someone that actively hated your sister, used to be their babysitter, or a bird that she had to convince herself she was attracted to would be enough of a deterrent, but…

Nonetheless, it was a pattern, and one she’d found herself repeating once again.

She liked Hope.

As if the first time wasn’t enough of an introduction into having unrequited feelings for someone entirely unobtainable, no, she had to revisit it a second time.

This time was much worse, though.

Hope was not only her best friend this time around, but she was in a long-term relationship with a boy that she had professed was the ‘love of her life’.

Yeah, okay, she knows exactly how insane that sounds.

There was absolutely zero chance of Hope ever reciprocating her feelings, and yet—

Here she was, suffering.

It’s frustrating too because they had developed a good routine, what they had was a no strings attached, mutually beneficial arrangement and she’d gone and ruined it. 

It worked, it was a solution to Hope’s frustrations with Landon and it kept Josie satisfied—having just gone through a breakup a couple of months prior she didn’t want to date, so this was an easy solution.

But no, her dumb feelings had to go and ruin everything.

The morning after what she now refers to as that night, she had awoken with Hope in her arms, sleeping peacefully against the crook of her neck and holding onto her like her life depended on it.

For a brief moment, in that hazy period between being asleep and wakefulness, she had felt truly content.

Then mere seconds later reality had hit, and the events of the previous night had caught up with her like a chair to the face.

She had thought that maybe she’d overreacted the night before, but then Hope had woken up, and everything came crashing back down to earth.

The other girl had slowly woken from her slumber, sleepily trailing soft kisses up her neck before pulling back to peer down at Josie.

Her breath had instantly caught in her throat at the sight of her, Hope’s hair was adorably mussed from sleep, sparking blue eyes were crinkled around the edges and a sleepy little grin pulled at full lips.

She’d never looked more beautiful, Josie had thought.

The butterflies that had erupted in her stomach were to be expected, really.

As if that wasn’t bad enough Hope had leant down and captured Josie’s lips with her own, kissing her lazily in greeting as if they’d done it a million times before.

Their lips slid together easily, and to Josie the action felt easier than breathing, and that in itself was dangerous.

Before that night, they’d never even kissed before, and here Hope was kissing her like they were lovers.

It was confusing, to say the least.

Not for Hope though, it seems, who had been content to kiss her languidly before slowly pulling herself out of bed as if nothing was out of place. 

They had dressed, all the while Hope had been making small talk about her day. She spoke of her plans for breakfast and after how she had planned to shift and go for a run, and then—

Then she had casually mentioned Landon, or more specifically her plans with him and how they were going into town later that day to grab dinner and a movie.

It had sounded very much like a date, and that fact had served like a bucket of ice water dumped directly over her head.

In the confines of Hope’s bedroom, it had been easy to forget about everything else, to forget about the other girl's boyfriend.

Whilst the mention of Landon had made her want to flee, Hope had remained entirely unaffected, and for the second time during this whole ordeal it left Josie feeling like she’s the problem.

Why was she left with a pounding heart and shaking palms, yet Hope was the picture of nonchalance?

After quickly exiting, citing some made up arrangement with Lizzie, she’d returned to the safety of her room.

The room had been empty, and as she began pacing, that’s when her over critical mind had taken over.

The whys and the how’s of her reaction had plagued her racing mind, and that’s when she foolishly came to the conclusion that maybe she was overreacting.

So, in keeping with her consistent track record in making terrible decisions when it came to matters of the heart, Josie decided she was just going to ignore it all.

She was probably just feeling off, Josie reasons, and maybe if she doesn’t pay too much attention to it, then this weirdness might eventually subside.

That’s what she tries to convince herself, anyway.

It had been just over a week since that night and her plan to turn the other cheek wasn’t going well at all.

It was all Hope’s fault.

Naturally, since Josie had made the decision to blatantly ignore the pesky feelings that arisen, Hope it seems was doing everything in her power to double down and remind her of them.

Unknowingly of course, but still.

The other girl was making it damn hard to comfortably live in her bubble of denial.

Especially when Hope seemed to be literally everywhere, reminding Josie of just how easy it was to feel entirely unfriendly things for the other girl.

The past week had seen Hope seeking her out relentlessly. Whilst that night had deterred Josie somewhat, it had served to light a flame within Hope. 

A day wouldn’t go by before she was seeking out Josie, her hands feverish and purposeful with intent. Hell, some days they’d fall together twice, the first time evidently not enough to satisfy their cravings for each other and—

It was making it extremely difficult for Josie to plead ignorant, especially when she’d catch Hope in those moments gazing at her with such gentle intimacy, or capturing her lips with her own and kissing her with an intensity that left her breathless.

It was a lot, and despite her best efforts Josie at times found herself spiralling, entirely spellbound by the other girl and petering dangerously on the edge of no return.

It wasn’t just from the sex, either.

Hope had doubled her efforts outside of the bedroom, too. They were together more often than not lately, if Josie thinks about it—and it was for innocuous reasons, like Hope would meet her outside her door in the mornings to grab breakfast, spending time in between lessons to study or hang out or having movie nights.

It was nice, she loves spending time with Hope, it was just also kind of hell for her at the same time. 

Hope, unknowingly or not, was unduly… affectionate. 

The other girl isn’t known to readily seek out touch, so when she does so freely with Josie it doesn’t go unnoticed.

Josie has come to expect the casual touches now, she anticipates it—the gentle hand at the small of her back, the delicate fingers that push her hair back from her face, the arm that links with her elbow as they walk.

It’s their normal now.

All in all, the girl was relentless, and—

Josie isn’t sure how much longer she can pretend that her heart doesn’t race with each action.

 Josie only makes it about three days more before reality comes crashing down around her.

There’s only so many times Hope can make her knees feel weak with just a simple touch before her endeavour of denial blows up in her face.

It was to be expected, really.

Josie doesn’t know what she was thinking—not much, probably, her sense of reason seems to up and abandoned her when it comes to Hope.

Case in point. She currently finds herself hanging out with Hope in her room, which for someone who’s supposed to be avoiding situations where she’s likely to once again be enthralled by Hope, well—

She’s kind of asking for it at this point.

Alone time with Hope is asking for trouble, especially when it’s alone time with a bed.

It’s playing with fire, Josie knows this, yet she couldn’t bring herself to deny the other girl's request.

It was a Thursday, and classes had let out earlier than normal. Hope had plans to lounge about in her room and draw and had ever so charmingly asked Josie to keep her company for the afternoon.

So of course, she’d set out with best intentions, but with Hope gently playing with her fingers, asking her with a soft voice and an alluring smile, well—

What was she supposed to do—say no?

Anyways, her devastating lack of control had led her to this moment, laid out on Hope’s bed reading a book, the sun filtering through the parted curtains.

Hope’s there too, sitting cross legged across from Josie, her sketchbook propped in her lap as she delicately works away at the paper with charcoal.

It’s a peculiar feeling, the sense of peace that washes over Josie in that moment. They haven’t talked in several minutes, but they hadn’t felt the need to fill the silence either, just content to be in each other’s company.

The sound of purposeful strokes against paper quietly fills the room, and Josie finds her attention straying at times away from the book in her lap, unable to stop her gaze from flicking across to Hope and stealing glances. 

She can’t help herself.

Alone in their room and entirely immersed in the task at hand, Hope is unguarded in a way that captivates Josie. She looks truly in her element, the soft glow from the sun illuminating her as she draws, her brow slightly furrowed and blue eyes alight with purpose.

Josie commits the sight to her memory.

“Not a very interesting book, huh?” She hears Hope murmur, still staring down at her sketchbook, and Josie sees her lips quirk up in a grin, amusement colouring her tone. 

Oh.

Josie’s cheeks immediately flush at the prospect of being caught. 

“No, it's fine, I just—” Josie wavers, her fingers fiddling distractingly with the edge of the paperback. Hope drags her gaze up and their eyes meet, a grin pulling at her lips as she takes in Josie’s flush. 

Scrambling for an excuse, she ends up mumbling, “I was just wondering what you were drawing.”

It’s not a lie exactly, just not the whole truth.

“Oh.” Hope says with a nod, her mouth softening into a pleased smile. She places her piece of charcoal down, and glances at the work in her lap, “You can have a look if you want.”

Josie doesn’t want to pry just because she got caught staring, and she says as much, “Oh, you don’t have to show me if you don’t want t—”

Hope cuts her off with a lilting laugh.

“Jo, it’s fine,” She says reassuringly, handing the sketchbook out in front of her for Josie to take, “I was practically finished anyway.”

Josie searches the other girl's face for any signs of hesitation but finds none, so she reaches out and accepts the sketchbook.

Turning it around, she settles it on her lap, and she can’t help the little gasp that falls from her mouth when her eyes land on the paper.

It’s a drawing of Klaus.

It’s incredibly detailed, almost life-like in its accuracy and it leaves Josie floored. The drawing has Hope’s father with a glass of what looks like champagne poised in his hand, tilted in cheers and Hope has captured the perfect amount of casual confidence reflecting back in the man’s features. 

“Hope, this is…” Josie trails off quietly, holding no words to accurately convey just how in awe she is of Hope’s skill. She gently traces the lines of the page, before looking back up at the other girl, her expression evidently in awe. “Wow.”

A light dusting of pink covers Hope’s cheek at her reaction, and her blue eyes burn with quiet appreciation.

“My dad, he used to paint with me when I was little.” Hope admits quietly, a small, fond smile pulling at her lips as she thinks of her father. She pauses for a moment, tucking a lock of auburn hair behind her ear, before adding, “Art makes me feel close to him even though he’s gone, y’know.”

The words are uttered quietly, but the weight of the admission is heavy with emotion, and it leaves Josie stunned.

She’s taken aback by Hope’s decision to share such information with her, entirely grateful that she felt comfortable enough with Josie to do so and it makes her chest surge with warmth.

“He’d be so proud of your work, Hope, it’s incredible.” Josie murmurs softly, her voice laden with admiration. 

“Thanks Jo.” Hope says, tone warm and thick with appreciation. She bites her lip thoughtfully, seemingly contemplating something before waving a hand towards the sketchbook, “You can have a look through the rest if you want.”

In as many moments Josie is floored once more, understanding how personal it can be to show other people such private drawings.

She tilts her head in question to make sure, and Hope nods freely, watching Josie with a curious expression.

Josie turns her attention back down to her lap, and she takes her time in perusing the artwork that fills the book.

Each page is filled with an entirely different scene, each one it seemed was more detailed and intricate than the last and Josie’s eyes hungrily trace across each piece.

Hope had drawn portraits of ethereal looking wolves, of Mikaelson family dinners, lively streets in New Orleans and more and Josie couldn’t help but comment on each, Hope telling her titbits of information that gave backstory for their inspiration.

She’s almost all the way through the book, turning to the penultimate page and what she finds there makes her audibly gasp.

It’s a portrait of Josie.

Her heart skips a beat as she takes in the drawing, her hands trembling as she traces the careful lines that delicately make up her face.

Hope has drawn her laying down, her head resting on a pillow with her brown locks splayed out around her. She appears to be looking directly at the viewer, a soft smile adorning her mouth and full eyes warm and alluring.

The piece is captivating in ways Josie can’t even begin to describe.

“Hope…” Josie whispers, the sound saturated in astonishment. She drags her eyes from the drawing, raising up to meet Hope’s with wide, questioning eyes. 

Hope looks back at her intently, her careful gaze tracing Josie’s face for a reaction, an air of nervousness having taken hold.

“Do you like it?” She asks tentatively, biting her bottom lip.

Josie’s mouth parts, then closes, at a loss for words. Her eyes flick down to the drawing, before darting back up to Hope, exhaling shakily.

“Hope, is this—” She begins, her voice wavering against a sudden lump that has risen in her throat. She swallows thickly, adjusting in her seat, “I love it.”

As if she’d been waiting with bated breath on Josie’s reaction, a sense of relief washes over Hope, her expression morphing into one of happiness, a bashful smile pulling at her lips.

“Yeah?”

Josie nods silently in affirmation, looking back down at the portrait. There’s something about the way Hope has captured her essence, she had portrayed her in a way that makes her look—

“Yeah.” She confirms quietly, unable to keep the shaky quality out of her voice as she stares down at a reflection she doesn’t quite identify with. “It’s just—you made me look—”

Her words cut off, shaking her head.

“What?” Hope asks softly, prompting her to continue, tone curious.

She looks back up at Hope then, butterflies erupting in her stomach.

“You made me look beautiful.” Josie says simply, brown eyes meeting blue with gentle honesty. It's the truth, the picture in her lap accentuates her features in a way that makes her look soft and inviting.

Is this how hope sees her, she wonders.

“That’s because you are beautiful, Jo.” Hope responds with an air of obviousness that leaves no room for discussion, like it’s an indisputable fact and it makes her heart skip a beat. 

Hope stares at her for a prolonged moment, her blue eyes boring into Josie’s intently, and her cheeks flush under the attention.

“I mean, duh.” Hope blurts out, breaking the heavy silence with a grin and a roll of her eyes. She nods her head towards the book, a slight dusting of pink present on her own cheeks, “You know, you can keep it if you want.”

Josie looks at Hope in surprise.

“Really?”

“Yeah, of course.” Hope murmurs with a smile, reaching across to grab the sketchbook from Josie’s lap. Josie watches as she makes quick work of removing the page, rolling it up as soon as she’s done.

Josie’s satchel lays open on the bed next to them, and Hope leans forward and places it safely inside. She’s about to pull back when something in the bag catches her eye.

The tribrid hums, the smile on her face morphing into a cheeky grin.

“What do we have here?” She asks teasingly, grabbing at the magazine that was tucked in Josie’s satchel, attempting to bring it towards her to get a better look.

Josie, who had been watching the other girls' movements, gets a jolt of panic when she realises what exactly Hope is trying to snoop at. She darts out her hand, attempting to snatch the magazine back.

After successfully taking it from Hope, she folds it in her hand and holds it above her head.

“Nothing.” She quickly dismisses, feeling her cheeks warm in embarrassment. “It’s just one of Lizzie’s magazines.” 

It isn’t a lie; it is actually one of Lizzie’s magazines. It’s one of those women’s lifestyle magazines, one of those ones that are littered with quizzes and advice about sex and dating, and whilst it is Lizzies, Josie had borrowed it without asking to do some research on her current predicament.

And yeah, she definitely wasn’t going to let Hope know about that part.

Hope homes in on her reaction, leaning forward as a mischievous glint forms in her eyes.

“Hope, it’s nothing.” Josie rushes, knowing that look and wanting to extinguish it immediately. Her aversion does nothing but fuel the flames of Hope’s interest however, and she curses internally.

“Doesn’t look like nothing.” Hope says with pursed lips, amusement colouring her features as she pushes onto hands and knees, crawling closer to Josie.

“Hope, no, don’t—

She doesn’t get to finish, Hope had instead launched herself at Josie in an endeavour to grab the magazine from her, and the movement steals the breath from her lungs. 

She tries her damndest to keep the other girl away, but Hope fights dirty, resorting to tactics that leave her no fighting chance. Quick fingers dig into her sides, skating along her ribs and tickling, ripping startled giggles from Josie’s throat.

Hope laughs along with her, and Josie attempts to regain some control, but the damage is effectively done. The attack had left her defenceless, and Hope had easily taken advantage and snatched the magazine from her slack grip.

Now sitting atop Josie, Hope’s knees rest either side of her hips, pinning her down. Josie attempts to make a grab at the item, but Hope easily bats her away with one hand, the other holding the magazine away from her body to give her room to read.

“Cosmo, Josie?” Hope asks with a lilting laugh as she spots the title, her voice teasing. “Didn’t pick you for a fan.”

Josie can’t help but pout.

“It’s Lizz—”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s Lizzie’s, whatever you say.” Hope says, clearly not buying her excuse, eyes flicking down to Josie’s, alight with mirth. Her grin widens when she spots the petulant expression Josie is shooting her, eyes returning back to read from the page.

She reads the first by-line that jumps out at her, snorting in amusement as she goes. “‘How to master the art of the french kiss: 8 steps to improve your smooching skills’.” Hope parrots out, her words thick with amusement, attempting to hold back a snigger, “Doing some homework, huh?”

Josie hadn’t even taken the magazine for that section, instead the by-line opposite had caught her eye, promising foolproof tips and advice on all things love. Despite this, her cheeks still flame in embarrassment.

She lets out an indignant huff, attempting once more to grab at the magazine.

It’s to no avail as Hope instead tosses it out Josie’s reach, hands darting out and grabbing Josie’s flailing wrists and pinning them to the bed.

Josie is pushed down enough so that her shoulders are flush with the pillows propping her up, Hope peering down at her from above.

Oh.

The change in position makes Josie feel like all the air is suddenly sucked out of the room, the atmosphere changed from playful to something more.

Entirely at Hope’s mercy, she swallows thickly as the other girl leans her head down slowly.

“I’ve got to say, Jo,” Hope begins with a low hum, her sparkling blue eyes alight with mirth and something far more dangerous. They trace along her face, lingering on her parted lips, “I don’t believe your technique needs any pointers.” 

Josie sucks in a sharp breath.

“No?” She questions with a whisper, tongue darting out to swipe at her bottom lip. Hope’s gaze follows the action, and the look Josie finds there makes arousal settle low in her belly.

Hope makes a low sound in her throat, her head tilting in contemplation.

“No. Although…” She trails off, pausing momentarily and Josie waits with bated breath as Hope leans down a fraction further. “Maybe I should test your skills just to be sure.”

They’re sharing the same breath now, lips ghosting above her own in a way that makes her feel desperate and Hope searches her face for any sign of hesitation. 

She finds none, instead Josie whines in impatience, and it’s all the motivation Hope needs to lean down entirely and capture her lips with her own.

Fuck.

Josie can’t help but moan at the contact, their lips sliding together perfectly. There’s no pretence about it, Hope setting a pace that makes her feel dizzy.

They’ve kissed several times now, but each time leaves her just as affected as the last. Josie gets lost in the sensation, lost in the breathy little whimpers that Hope often emits against her mouth, and it makes her think their lips were made for each other.

Josie is eager to take anything she can get, and she arches her head up to take more from the other girl, her movements mostly restricted by Hope pinning her down.

It’s not enough, and instead she improvises, capturing Hope’s bottom lip and dragging her teeth sharply against the sensitive flesh.

It rips a startled little moan from Hope’s mouth, and the other girl pulls away, breath coming out in shallow pants.

“Okay, definitely not.” Hope mutters thickly, trying and failing to appear collected. She looks down at Josie with blown pupils, shaking her head, “You’re quite good at that, you know.”

A lazy grin pulls at her mouth, entirely pleased.

“Thanks.” Josie breathes out, voice low and rough. Her eyes flick down to Hope’s lips for a brief moment, distractedly, before darting back upwards, “All the practice I’ve had has paid off.”

It’s meant as a joke, but Hope's eyes flash at the insinuation.

“Is that so?” 

Josie can’t respond, the imploring look Hope is pinning her with leaving her speechless.

A determined little furrow forms at Hope’s brow, and she peers down at Josie for a prolonged moment, before her jaw sets in purpose.

Not a moment passes before she leans down once more, capturing her lips in a heated kiss.

It’s much more demanding this time around, the pressure of Hope’s mouth firm and unyielding. 

Hope kisses her with purpose, almost like she’s got something to prove, pinning her down and devouring her lips in a way that leaves her feeling utterly boneless.

After a few moments, Hope pulls back with a low and throaty hum, her point sufficiently proven.

Josie’s eyes eventually flutter open, flushing when she meets Hope, the other girl looking down at her with a smug expression.

The sense of self satisfaction that exudes from the other girl drives Josie crazy because it’s like she knows exactly how affected she is by her touch.

She doesn’t really give Josie a chance to breathe, leaning down and teasingly dragging her lips from her collarbone up to the line of her jaw.

Her breath comes quicker at the sensation, then hitches entirely when she feels full lips tickle against the shell of her ear.

“Is that why you’re good at the other stuff too, Jo?” Hope murmurs against her ear, making her shiver. She pulls back then, and Josie sees a fiery edge taking up space in her gaze, “Lots of practice?”

Shit.

Josie sucks in a breath, not missing how loaded the question is. Hope looks at her intently, waiting for an answer, and Josie doesn’t miss the subtle vulnerability that colours the edges of her entire being.

“I don’t need practice to be able to make you feel good, Hope.” Josie settles on with a murmur, dark eyes flitting over Hope’s, admiring her without abandon.

It’s the truth.

She might have a bit more experience than the other girl, but that means nothing when it comes to being with Hope like this. Hell, she could have no experience at all and still not have trouble with how responsive Hope is under her hand.

“No?” Hope breathes out, tone curious and prompting.

Josie purses her lips in faux contemplation, shaking her head slowly.

“Nope.” She returns simply, grinning when she sees Hope quirk an eyebrow in response. Josie swallows then, voice lowering considerably when she says, “It is ridiculously easy to make you come.”

Well, not for Landon maybe, but that’s neither here nor there.

The sharp little intake of breath that sounds from Hope's mouth is like music to Josie’s ears.

She watches up in awe at the bashful reaction that Hope displays at her words, a beautiful blush spreading across her cheeks.

“Is not.” Hope manages to mutter in response, sounding out rather petulantly from the girls mouth and—

She can’t help but laugh lowly in response.

“Whatever you say, Hope.” She says amusedly, eyebrows raised knowingly.

Hope stares down at her for a moment, cheeks burning and eyes laden with arousal.

“Maybe you should prove it.”

The words are whispered purposefully, the challenge plain as day as blue eyes bore into her own.

God.

Josie feels Hope squeeze firmly at her wrists, before the pressure slackens, and the other girl leans back slightly.

Josie doesn’t waste much time taking advantage of her release, shuffling back on her elbows until she sits up against the pillows and headboard, pulling at Hope until she straddles her waist. 

She doesn’t need telling twice, especially when Hope is levelling Josie with a look that makes her feel like she could melt on the spot.

Josie reaches a trembling hand up to Hope's face, taking the time to tuck a lock of auburn hair behind the girl's ear. She then rests her hand half on a flushed cheek, fingers curling at the back of Hope’s as she pulls Hope down into a messy kiss.

Hope gasps unashamedly against her mouth at the contact, hips jolting forward against her and Josie can’t help but grin into the kiss.

Their lips slide together for a few moments, tongues meeting heatedly as they eagerly attempt to consume their fill of each other’s mouths.

Eventually Josie, unlike Hope, still has to breathe, her lungs screaming at her for a proper breath. She pulls away much to the other girl's displeasure, a whine of disapproval leaving Hope’s lips at the loss of contact.

She sucks in some air before trailing her lips down Hope’s jaw, the renewed contact appeasing the girl somewhat.

Josie takes her time in mapping the pale expanse of Hope’s neck with her lips, teeth, and tongue. She revels in drawing breathy little gasps and moans from Hope's mouth.

It doesn’t take much to work the other girl up, before long she’s canting her hips forward against Josie and it makes her grin against her neck.

Josie pulls back, content to admire the other girl. Hope continues to grind against her lap, her head thrown back and eyes clenched shut, breath stuttering in her chest.

Josie lazily bucks her hips against Hope, but the movement is lacklustre in its effort, almost teasing in its intention and clearly not enough to give the other girl any form of relief. Hope must agree if the frustrated whine she lets out is anything to go by. 

“Josie.” Hope bites out, low and in warning, and it’s obvious to Josie that she’s not in the mood for this to be drawn out. 

That suits Josie just fine.

Moving one hand to firmly grasp low on Hope waist, she trails the other down the girls’ front, wasting no time in slipping eager fingers underneath the waistband of her sweatpants.

Josie navigates her way under lace underwear, immediately sliding through Hope and—

God.

“Fuck, Hope.” Josie groans out as she adjusts to the sensation of coming into contact with Hope, warm wetness immediately coating her fingers. She’s the picture of desperate arousal, her cheeks flushed, lips kiss swollen and hips bucking against her hand to catch more of her fingers and the sight and feel of it all makes Josie brim with self-satisfaction.

She can’t help the quiet laugh that falls from her lips at the state of Hope.

“You’re really not helping your case here, you know.” Josie murmurs, tone laden with awed amusement as she continues her exploration. Her fingers slide past a swollen clit, the contact making Hope quietly cry out, and she grins as they eventually meet her entrance, slipping through an abundance of wetness. “It’s just too easy.”

“Shut up, Jo.” Hope mutters in a huff, gasping at the teasing pressure of her fingers. 

Hope feels hot and pulsing under her touch, and Josie knows she doesn’t need any build up today, all too eager and ready to accept the stretch. She pushes up and inside, two fingers sliding into Hope easily and Josie hears her moan sharply at the intrusion.

She doesn’t move right away, and Hope quickly becomes frustrated by her inaction, hips jolting forward to get the message across. Josie loves seeing Hope like this, loves how impatient she gets, how eager she is for her touch. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be proving your point?” Hope manages to ask, the question coming out in a frustrated sigh. It only serves to make Josie more amused, her reaction causing Hope’s brows to draw together in an exasperated frown, “Hurry up and move.”

Josie just hums in response, the request falling on deaf ears.

“Why don’t you prove it for me, instead?” It comes out as a question, but Josie isn’t really asking. The hand on Hope’s waists squeezes in encouragement, brown eyes meeting blue heatedly when she says, “Ride my fingers.”

The command draws a deep, drawn out groan from low in Hope’s throat and her hips buck forward erratically, almost involuntarily at the prospect her words create.

“Fuck.”

Too far gone in her pursuit for relief, Hope doesn’t second guess herself as she lifts herself up, testing the waters as she begins to fuck herself on Josie’s fingers. It’s a little awkward at first, her movements slightly off and stilted, taking a few moments to find a good rhythm.

It doesn’t take them long to adjust, with Josie sliding the hand off Hope’s hip to settle low around her back, using her hips to drive up into Hope as she grinds down. She positions her hand just so, with every thrust pushing her palm against Hope’s clit, making her cry out.

Josie’s hand is flooded, and she burns with arousal, the feeling of Hope riding her setting her skin alight.

Hope anchors herself against Josie, grasping at her shoulder with one hand, the other grabbing at her chin and pressing their mouths together.

They kiss once, then twice, before Hope loses all ability to multitask. Instead she pulls back slightly, sharing the same breath as their eyes lock together, Hope’s hand holding her head in place as she slowly rolls her hips.

The air around them is thick, the intimacy of it all making Josie gasp, and fuck— 

Josie’s senses are going into overdrive, entirely mesmerised by Hope and her pursuit of pleasure. She gives herself so freely to the other girl, let’s Hope take whatever she wants from her and it’s then that something shifts within her chest.

She just knows.

She realises with startling clarity that what she feels for Hope could never again be discounted as some fleeting weirdness, realises in that moment she wouldn’t be able to look at the girl the same again, because—

She wants Hope, she wants everything the girl has to offer. The good, the bad, everything. She wants from Hope what is only reserved for her boyfriend.

Josie can feel her heart start to beat faster with every searing touch, the lingering intimacy of Hope’s gaze making her feel like she’s free falling. If she had more sense, she would stop this, but this is Hope and being with her like this makes her feel unlike anything she’s ever felt before, it makes her feel alive.

She’d been running from her feelings for Hope, pretending that whatever is between them is nothing more than friendship and she’s tired, so tired of convincing herself otherwise and—

In that moment, she tells herself that Hope might want her too. In that moment… Josie decides to be selfish.

“Rough night, huh?” Lizzie questions drolly as she slides into the seat across from Josie, placing her textbooks haphazardly down on the table.

It had been a rough night.

Actually, it had been a rough couple of nights if she’s being honest.

Josie hadn’t been sleeping well. 

Turns out realising and accepting that you’ve got feelings for your very taken best friends is rather devastating to one’s sleep schedule.

Her current dilemma has been weighing heavily on her mind, guilt and indecision over the whole situation keeping her up late at night.

Josie doesn’t bother responding with words, instead she just tiredly raises an eyebrow at her sister, her head propped up on her hand.

“Which one of your fixations kept you up this time?” The blonde pokes, taking in Josie’s exhausted demeanour with a grin. 

Okay sure, so it wasn’t that uncommon her sister would find her up at all hours, something having piqued her interest enough to make her willingly forgo sleep. On the other hand, though, she’s just as likely to lose sleep because her sister is hell bent on sucking in the light globes.

“Who's to say it wasn’t just your god-awful snoring again?” Josie mumbles tiredly. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

Lizzie’s cheek tinge pink, and muted outrage colours her features. 

“I do not snore.” Lizzie vehemently denies in a rushed whisper, looking around the dining hall covertly as if Josie had just spilled her most precious secret.

Oh, but she does.

Terribly.

Josie has no idea how MG could sleep so soundly next to the girl, what with his super hearing and all.

“Besides, you’re deliberately changing the subject.” Lizzie snarks, quick to remove the spotlight off of herself. Blue eyes appraise her with scrutiny, and she waves her hand in front of Josie’s face in emphasis, “What’s got you looking like death warmed up?”

Well.

Josie pulled back with a frown, affronted.

She didn’t think she looked that bad—well, not after the second layer of concealer anyway.

Lizzie raises an impatient brow at her when she doesn’t readily answer, and Josie can’t help but swallow thickly.

She can’t exactly be candid about the whole thing, bound by the secrecy that the arrangement with Hope demanded.

She needed help though, or at least some perspective.

She needed—

“How did you know you were in love?” is what Josie ends up blurting out, the words clawing from her throat with no chance of stopping them. Her eyes widened, a sudden bolt of nervousness taking hold in her belly, rising under her sister's stare. 

Lizzie’s eyes narrow in suspicion.

“With MG I mean.” Josie continues in clarification, her foot firmly lodged in her mouth it seems. She clears her throat, head bobbing in forced nonchalance, “I’m just curious, y’know, how exactly you knew.”

Lizzie continues to side eye her with distrust, seemingly unconvinced by her explanation.

“Why the sudden interest in love, Jo?” Lizzie questions with interest, her lips pursing as she surveys her sister, scrutinising. She scoffs after a moment, shaking her head, “Please tell me this has nothing to do with Fido visiting our room yesterday.”

Josie can’t help but groan at Lizzie’s comment.

Of course, her sister would go and make that connection, no matter how entirely innocuous the whole exchange was.

Finch had dropped by the twins’ room yesterday to talk, and ever the eavesdropper that her sister is, it had taken a few heavy-handed hints to get the blonde to give them some privacy. 

Talking with Finch was… uncomfortable, to say the least.

Their breakup hadn’t been the most amicable of partings, with Finch taking the whole thing rather awfully. It had been a long time coming, if Josie thought about it, after months of trying to convince herself Finch was right for her, she’d finally accepted the truth. It was a first for Josie, being the one to end things, but it was a necessary step as she came to terms with her co-dependent tendencies.

Finch didn’t see it the same way.

The werewolf had insisted they were meant to be together and hadn’t taken Josie’s wish to separate in stride. All in all, it had been awkward to see the girl every day, and they hadn’t really spoken since. 

The girl’s visit yesterday had taken Josie by surprise.

Finch had come to her room to apologise for how she had acted in the days following their breakup. 

The whole thing was still a little uncomfortable, but Josie appreciated the gesture, and hoped that it would lessen the awkwardness between them in the future.

Lizzie, of course, had assumed the worst. 

“We’re not getting back together, Lizzie.” Josie refutes, exasperation colouring her tone.

She gets a noncommittal hum in response, Lizzie still eyeing her with some semblance of scepticism.

Despite the werewolves lingering feelings, there was nothing between her and Finch, Josie knew that, but that doesn’t mean she can’t use the werewolves visit as a diversion to cover her true intentions. 

She’d rather have Lizzie think she was falling into old habits than expose her arrangement with Hope.

Hell, Josie thinks Lizzie just might kill Hope if she found out the truth.

“No, but it got me thinking though.” Josie begins, sitting up a little straighter in her seat. She rubs the back, aiming for nonchalance. “Finch told me again yesterday that she still thinks we’re right for each other.” Josie relays, and Lizzie quirks an eyebrow, “I don’t know, is it me Liz? Maybe she’s right, maybe I’m just ignoring what’s right in front of me.”

It’s something she has a pesky habit of doing, especially when it comes to Hope.

It’s a dilemma she’s been ruminating over the last couple of days, second guessing their interactions and putting her ‘feelings’ under a microscope. 

She knew she felt something for Hope, that she had feelings for the girl that she absolutely shouldn't feel—but to what extent? Was she just caught up in it, unable to separate sex from romance?

Or was the situation far more dire than she’d thought? The severity of her feelings left her spiralling at times and she was left wondering if they were barrelling dangerously towards love.

She hears Lizzie let out a comical snort.

“The only thing you ignored in that relationship were the gigantic, red flags waving right in front of your face.” Lizzies comments, words full of snark. She rolls her eyes for good measure, and Josie thinks they might roll to the back of her head if she’s not careful.

She huffs, lips jutting out.

“Clearly I’m colourblind.” Josie mutters, shoulders slumping. She slaps her hand down on the table, levelling her sister with a petulant frown, “I’m being serious though, Lizzie.”

“Oh, I know you are, there’s no way you would have risked asking me if you weren’t.” Lizzie admonishes, a grin pulling at her mouth as she looks back at Josie, amusement dancing in her eyes. “Gotta make you sweat a bit.”

Her frown turns into a glare.

“Okay, fine.” The blonde twin waves in defeat, laughing quietly at the unimpressed look that adorns Josie’s face. “At the risk of sounding cheesy, I kind of just knew.” Lizzie explains, a soft smile forming on her face, “One day he was just MG y’know, and the next—I don’t know, he was all I could see.”

Well.

Despite her own smile involuntarily forming on her face at her sister's lovestruck demeanour, the advice is kind of useless to Josie.

She needs more than that, because she doesn’t just know and—she needs Lizzie to spell it out plain as day.

“Oh, you’re down bad.” Josie says with a grin, chuckling when she sees Lizzie’s cheeks pink slightly in embarrassment. 

“Shut up.” Lizzie mutters with a hush, clearing her throat awkwardly and darting her eyes around the room.

Josie looks on at the display in amusement, and her grin widens when Lizzie attempts and fails to school her features into something resembling unaffected.

“No, c’mon, it’s nice to see.” Josie concedes quietly, and her words are entirely genuine. Watching MG and Lizzie dance around each other for months had been a little frustrating to say the least, but the payoff was worth it. The pair were perfect together, and despite her protests to hearing about the more sensitive details of her sister's relationship, Josie was delighted to see both Lizzie and MG so happy. 

Lizzie just hmphs in response.

“As nice as that sounds though, I’m gonna need a bit more to work with here, Lizzie.” Josie continues with a sigh, tilting her head wryly. “Clearly I’m having a bit of trouble recognising the signs.”

Snatching an apple up from the bowl in front of her, Lizzie takes a bite, chewing thoughtfully.

“Well obviously there's all that corny crap that comes along with it, too.” Lizzie says in between mouthfuls, waving the apple around conversationally. “You think about them all the time, get butterflies when they look at you, can’t envision life without them and whatnot.”

Josie hums, listening carefully.

“They’re just your person, y’know. You feel like you’re drawn to them, like you’d do anything for them without hesitation.”

Oh.

Shit.

“And as much as Finch might have tried to convince you otherwise, you can’t force yourself to feel those things.” Lizzie says with certainty, placing her half-eaten apple down on the table.  Blue eyes look at her knowingly, and the blonde pauses for a moment, before, “There’s a reason why you could never say it back to any of your exes, Jo, and it’s because deep down you knew it wasn’t the truth.”

The truth of Lizzie’s words washes over her and leave her without any room for denial. 

Josie knew on some level that she had never truly loved any of her previous partners, if she really thinks about it, not the way she thought she should anyhow.

The things that Lizzie had described about being in love, Josie hadn’t felt that way about anyone, not until recently anyhow—

Not until Hope.

Josie had come away from her talk with Lizzie with more home truths than she had anticipated. 

Lizzie had inadvertently put into perspective something she’d been desperately trying to deny.

She was in love with Hope.

Josie had gone and fallen in love with her best friend, her entirely unattainable, taken best friend and—

She was well and truly fucked.

There was no doubt about it, she was positioned firmly between a rock and a hard place and she had no idea how she could possibly get herself out of this situation.

She might have given Lizzie shit for it, but the more time that passes, she realises that she is just as sickenly enamoured as her sister and—

It’s taken over her life.

Objectively speaking, Hope Mikaelson was an easy person to fall in love with.

On a surface level, she was easily one of the most beautiful people Josie had ever laid eyes on. Anyone with eyes could attest to that.

She was much more than just a pretty face, though. Underneath her at times prickly exterior, the other girl was incredibly smart, and funny, and absolutely loyal to a fault. She cared so deeply for the people that were lucky enough to make it past her carefully guarded walls, and she was strong and so good.

Josie has always been so inexplicably drawn to the other girl, ever since she was a child. 

They’ve been tethered in ways she’s unable to explain, and in hindsight, Josie feels like she’s been falling for the girl a decade in the making.

Hope, thankfully, seems none the wiser to her newfound revelations, but it's making Josie second guess every one of their interactions. Every look, touch and gesture feel like they’re now under a microscope, and it’s exhausting.

It’s why when she gets wind of a party being held down at the Mill, she’s quick to agree, hoping to let loose and not think so much for once. 

She just wants to get drunk and forget it all for a fleeting moment, forget the constant aching that had taken up residence in her chest, reminding her of the futility of her feelings—reminding her that Hope would never love her back.

She makes her way down to the Mill with Lizzie and MG, the three of them arriving fashionably late. The party is in full swing by the time they arrive, darkness blanketing the forest and the majority of the upperclassmen filling the area, the sound of talking and laughter sounding in the air.

The trio make a beeline for the drinks table, MG taking it upon himself to begin lining up three solo cups and pouring a mix of soda and spirits.

“I’m gonna take it easy tonight.” Lizzie says with an air of reservation, accepting the drink from the vampire with a sniff. “We went way too hard last time.” 

Josie snorts out a laugh.

“You literally say that every time.” Josie says with a grin, accepting her own cup from MG with a thankful nod. She takes a tentative sip of the drink, wincing at the taste, “Fast forward an hour and you’ve downed like six shots.”

“Okay, I said that once.” Lizzie mutters, taking a sizable mouthful of her own drink. She frowns at MG then, gesturing towards the boy with a wave, “Besides, you try and keep up with a vampire’s metabolism. It’s a trap, let me tell you.”

MG grins sheepishly at his girlfriend, placing a hand placatingly on the blondes back.

“Let's just see where the night takes us, yeah?” The vampire says jovially, holding his drink up in cheers in between the witches.

Lizzie reluctantly lifts her own, and Josie meets them in the middle enthusiastically, their cups knocking together in cheers. 

Josie likes MG’s idea, and she lifts her cup to her lips and downs the contents inside, content to hand over and go with the flow.

“So, what you’re saying is that you’re scared?” Josie says with a cheeky grin, sizing the werewolf in front of her up.

Her question earns a few chuckles, and the boy in question guffaws loudly in response.

“For the last time Jo, I’m not scared.” Jed says with a shake of his head, amusement colouring his tone as he looks back at Josie. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Josie purses her lips and hums, mulling over the boy's excuse.

“Yeah, no that definitely sounds like something a scared person would say.” She says teasingly, lips quirking upwards in a grin.

Jed huffs in good natured exasperation.

“Jo, c’mon, there’s no possible way you could beat me in an arm wrestle.” 

Josie bristles at the audacity of the boy, and she puffs out her chest at the dismissal, lifting her arm up and flexing her muscles. 

“You wanna bet?” She challenges, emboldened by liquid courage, the pleasant hum of the last few drinks she’d consumed making her feel ten feet tall.

Jed is about to reply, but he’s cut off by Lizzie.

“What are Hope and Landon doing here?” Her twin questions suddenly, and the group whip their heads in the direction she’s looking in. 

Sure enough the pair are walking into the clearing, hands linked together as they go and Josie’s stomach immediately sinks at the sight.

“I didn’t think they were coming tonight.” Lizzie comments, sipping away at her drink.

Josie didn’t either, in fact she knew that they hadn’t planned on coming to the party tonight.

She had made sure of it before agreeing to come.

Hope had told Lizzie yesterday who had then told Josie that she and Landon had planned on having some romantic date night together, Josie had deliberately zoned out on the details, but she was certain it didn’t involve staying at the boarding school.

Fuck.

The pair quickly make their way over to the group, Hope dropping Landon’s hand the closer they get.

“Hey guys.” Landon greets with a happy smile, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets and coming to stand next to MG and Jed.

The rest of the group murmurs out a greeting in response, but Josie stays still, remaining relatively stunned by the pair's presence. She watches Hope with surprised eyes, her heart rate steadily increasing as the girl makes her way towards Josie.

“Hey Jo.” Hope says to her quietly, her face open and warm as she peers up at Josie from under long eyelashes.

Blue eyes sparkle as they search Josie’s face, a magnificent little smile tugging at her mouth and her breath stutters in her chest under the attention. 

Hope is looking at her like she hung the goddamn stars in the sky or something.

God.

As if that wasn’t enough on poor Josie’s resolve, she feels a soft palm sliding into her own, tangling their fingers together and squeezing affectionately. 

Hope is still looking at her, and Josie realises she’s probably waiting for a response. She can’t speak though, heart pounding and not trusting her voice, and instead she just nods back at the girl dumbly.

How smooth.

“I thought you two had some nauseatingly romantic night planned together?” Lizzie questions with a smirk. Her attention turns to Landon then, blue eyes narrowing in amusement, “That ended a bit prematurely, even by your standards, Landon.”

Landon splutters in response, cheeks dusting pink in embarrassment as MG and Jed laugh quietly at Lizzie’s dig.

“Change of plans.” Hope says simply, tone neutral but leaving no room for any further discussion. 

Landon averts his eyes from his girlfriend, shuffling on his feet and an air of awkwardness falls around the group.

“Okay.” Lizzie whistles, not ignoring the elephant in the room, her already non-existent tact becoming even more depleted with each drink. “That wasn’t awkward at all.”

Hope rolls her eyes, ignoring Lizzie’s comment altogether, her attention shifting back to Josie. She feels the warm hand tangled with her own squeeze again, and Josie looks down at their joined hands and then back up to Hope, brown meeting concerned blue.

“Are you okay, Jo?” Hope questions gently, her gaze flicking over Josie’s face in concern. She leans in slightly, brows furrowing as she lowers her voice, “Your heart is beating really fast.”

Oh.

Her cheeks immediately flush at Hope’s observation, and she internally curses the fact that she’s surrounded by supernatural beings.

It’s ridiculous though, because the question is asked with obvious concern, almost like Hope thinks there could be something wrong with her health, and it makes Josie want to laugh because in reality it’s just because she’s tragically gay.

“It’s probably because she was preparing for a fight just before you guys came.” MG chimes in, his super hearing having picked up in Hope's comment and Josie is momentarily relieved she didn’t have to scramble for an excuse.

Hope bristles beside Josie.

“What?” She demands, an obvious edge present in her voice.

“Yeah her and Jed were about to throw hands.” MG says with a laugh, blissfully ignorant to Hope’s growing discontent.

The tribrid turns to the unsuspecting werewolf, pinning him with a filthy glare.

“You were going to what?” Hope asks, her tone like ice.

Jed’s eyes widen dramatically, and he steps back, hands in front of himself in offence.

“Whoa, it was just an arm wrestle.” The boy exclaims nervously, attempting to escape Hope's wrath. It does little to calm the girls anger though, and Jed gulps, “Besides I’m not stupid, I wasn’t actually gonna do it.”

Hope’s demeanour only softens a little, but she seems to accept the explanation, nodding much to the werewolves' relief.

“Good.”

Josie pouts, offended.

“Only because he was scared.” Josie mumbles, and it sounds out a little petulant to her ears, but she doesn’t care. She could totally take him in an arm wrestle, and that wasn’t just the alcohol talking either.

Okay, maybe it was a little.

It’s the first time she’s managed words since Hope's arrival, and the girl in question drags her gaze back up to Josie’s face at the comment.

The glare that had been firmly fixed on her face falls away, softening into an almost adoration that makes Josie’s heart stutter.

“I bet he was.” Hope murmurs with a small smile, rubbing her thumb along the back of Josie’s hand in reassurance. 

The action is probably nothing more than friendly, but in that moment, Josie thinks that Lizzie must be right, Hope must be like kryptonite to her because suddenly her knees feel weak.

Jed doesn’t seem to appreciate the comment as much as Josie, as he cried out in offence at the insinuation.

“Okay, as much fun as this pissing contest has been,” Lizzie announces wryly to the group, bringing up what Josie is certain is the girl's sixth or so drink to her lips and downing a mouthful, “we should go dancing instead.”

“Oh, I’m so down for that, babe.” MG agrees, sending a blinding smile Lizzie’s way. 

The rest of the group voices their agreement, and Josie feels Hope lean into her side, lips close to her ear.

“I’m so not drunk enough to watch those two grind all over each other.” Hope whispers, and Josie shivers at the sensation of her breath ghosting over her skin.

She pulls back with a smile, nodding in agreement. MG and Lizzie could get very into it, to say the least.

“Care to accompany me to the drinks table?” Josie asks, holding her elbow out.

Hope links their arms together, smiling back at her in a way that makes Josie feel like they’re the only two at the party.

“Lead the way.”

Josie feels like she just might explode at any given moment.

A couple of hours have passed, and no matter what she does, she can’t quite escape the feeling.

Hope is driving her crazy.

Ever since her and Landon had arrived, Josie has been on edge. 

One might think her problem might have been caused by seeing the girl she loved spend all her time with her boyfriend, but that wasn’t the case at all. It had been getting a little harder to see Hope and Landon together lately, sure, but it was a familiar hurt that she’d come to expect.

No.

Hope looks gorgeous tonight, her long locks falling over her shoulders in delicate waves and striking features framed with carefully applied makeup. Josie isn’t blind, anyone at this party can tell the girl looks hot, especially clad in skin-tight jeans and a low-cut top. 

She can’t really blame Landon for being all over his girlfriend, really. She’d do the same if she were in his position.

A few drinks in the pair had loosened up as well, making them more inclined to seek out each other's touch. They socialised and danced together, a proud smile adorning Landon’s face as he gazed at his girlfriend, fingertips never far from seeking out contact.

They were a picture of a perfect couple, and while the sight made her chest burn, it was something she could tolerate if she managed to avoid the pair.

Josie had planned to separate from the group, to remove herself from any reminder of the selfish feelings that bloomed in her chest and just enjoy her night.

She would have succeeded too, if it weren’t for Hope and her relentless endeavour to sabotage her at every goddamn turn.

Every time she turns around, Hope is there. She’s there when they’re dancing, pulling her close and burning Josie’s skin with the imprint of her touch. She’s there when they’re all talking together, sliding her hand into Josie’s and intertwining their fingers. She there when MG cracks a dumb joke, turning to laugh prettily into the skin of Josie’s collarbone.  

She’s there, gazing up at Josie’ like she hung the stars in the sky too, like she might love her just as much as she love’s Landon and—

It’s driving her fucking crazy.

The worst part is this is not new for Hope, this affection, but tonight it feels magnified in ways that have the potential to be dangerous. With her inhibitions lowered by alcohol, Josie feels like she’s having a much harder time resisting the spell Hope has her under—resisting the urge to sink into the other girl and the notion that maybe, just maybe, Hope might just love her back.

It makes her want to believe, makes her fingers burn with the need to touch Hope like Landon so freely can, touch her with an intimacy that’s reserved to fleeting moments behind closed doors and—

She flees instead.

Rather, before impending disaster occurs, Josie makes an exit from the crowded structure and walks several paces out into the forest. 

The cold air provides some relief, and away from Hope and their friends Josie feels like she can breathe again, gulping down lungful’s in an attempt to clear her head.

A few minutes pass, and with each passing moment she begins to feel less panicked, much to her relief.

After ten minutes standing out in the night air, she hears quiet footsteps coming from behind, and her stomach immediately drops at the sound, praying that Hope hadn’t followed her.

“Did you plant a bomb in there or something, Jo?” A voice sounds out, and immediate relief fills her when she realises it’s not the girl she’s trying to avoid.

It’s Finch.

The relief she feels is rather short lived, not really in the mood to converse with her ex-girlfriend either.

Turning around, she finds the other girl with her hands stuffed into her pockets, a small smile pulling at her lips as she looks at Josie.

“Huh?” She questions, absent minded and not having caught on to the girl's question.

Finch steps a little closer to her, shrugging back in the direction of the Old Mill.

“Oh, just your escape back there.” Finch says in clarification, flashing a grin in Josie’s direction. “You ran out so quick I thought the place might be falling down or something.”

Oh.

Josie thought she’d been more subtle than that.

“Oh, right, umm—” Josie begins, her voice a little thick. She swallows around a lump, shaking her head, “No, I just needed some air.” Finch looks at her cautiously at that, and Josie is quick to clarify, “Too many people.”

The excuse is good enough for the other girl, who hums and nods in agreement.

“Couldn’t agree more.”

A few beats of silence fall around them, and much to Josie’s relief, it’s not uncomfortable. 

She’s content to just stand there for a few moments, before her surprise at seeing the other girl in this setting is enough to make her question.

“Didn’t think I’d see you here tonight.” Josie comments honestly, and really, this is the last place she thought she’d find the werewolf. She wasn’t exactly the most social person Josie knew, and would normally avoid parties like this like the plague. “This isn’t your usual scene.”

“No, it’s not.” Finch agrees, lips twisting slightly in displeasure. Josie raises an eyebrow at her in question, and the werewolf sighs, “It was Jed’s idea.” Finch rolls her eyes to herself at the mention of the boy, shaking her head, “Something about it being a good activity for team bonding or some nonsense. He made it mandatory and everything and even said having fun wasn’t optional.”

Finch tacks on the last part in air quotes, sighing heavily.

Josie snorts, a smile pulling at her lips at the mention of the boy. That definitely sounded like something he would enforce.

She eyes Finch up and down.

“Let me guess,” she begins conversationally, amusement colouring her tone as takes in the other girl's derisive demeanour, “you’re having the time of your life.”

Finch laughs then, amusement lighting up her normally guarded features. Josie hadn’t seen the girl smile in a long while, her demeanour normally a lot more closed off in recent times.

It’s nice to see.

“Not quite.” Finch concedes with a grin. She appraises Josie with a soft gaze, tilting her head wryly, “Maybe just don’t tell Jed though.”

Josie smiles then brings her hand to her mouth, miming the action of a key locking.

“Oh, your secret is safe with me.” She assures the other girl, nodding conspiratorially. “Besides, I wouldn’t want to break Jed’s heart like that, he’d be heartbroken if he found out.” 

“He would.” Finch agrees with a nod, laughing.

Their eyes meet then, and the werewolf gazes back at her with a softness that is all too familiar. It reminds Josie of their time together, the affection on Finch’s face plain as day.

“You’d probably have fun if you actually joined in once and a while, you know.” Josie comments, keen to fill the silence, shifting slightly under the other girl's attention. She jerks her head towards the structure, breaking their eye contact, “They’re all in there dancing.”

She hears Finch snort at the suggestion.

“I don’t dance, Jo.” Finch shoots down the prospect, shaking her head at the idea. She grins then, shrugging her shoulders, “Besides, dancing with a bunch of sweaty wolves isn’t my idea of fun.”

Josie giggles at the picture Finch’s words inspire.

“You don’t have to dance with them, you could dance with anyone.”

Finch goes quiet for a moment, mulling over her words.

“Yeah, well, the one person I might actually want to dance with,” she begins, her tone much lower than it was before and a more serious expression adorns her features, “definitely doesn’t want to dance with me, so…”

The girl trails off, eyes boring into Josies and she falters when she sees the look on Finch’s face.

Well, shit.

She walked straight into that one.

It’s no secret that Finch still has feelings for her, still wants her in ways that Josie can’t reciprocate and the look on her face tells her as much. 

Conflicting feelings surge through Josie in that moment, one of the more obvious emotions being guilt. She feels guilty that she just can’t be in love with Finch too, that she can’t be what the other girl wants her to be.

Another small, more dangerous part of her revels under the attention. It’s wrong, and blatantly selfish, but a part of her actually enjoys being wanted by Finch, enjoys having someone finally want her back for once, even if she doesn’t reciprocate.

It’d be so easy to indulge in the affection Finch seems so willing to give her, too easy, and she finds herself crossing a boundary she might end up regretting tomorrow.

“Well whoever that person is sounds silly.” Josie remarks with faux seriousness, nudging Finch’s elbow playfully. The pleasant thrum of alcohol rushes throughout her, and she leans into it, not giving her questionable decision a second thought when she says, “You should dance with me instead.”

Finch blinks at her in surprise.

“Really?”

“Yeah, c’mon.” Josie says, shooting off on one step and looking back at Finch with a cheeky grin. “It’ll be fun.” 

Consequences were future Josie’s problem, for now she just wanted to dance.

Dancing with Finch does actually turn out to be a good distraction.

The girl was correct when she said she wasn’t used to dancing, her movements remaining relatively stiff initially and clearly reluctant to move freely. She does somewhat relax by the second or third song, but by that time Josie doesn't seem to mind, content to lose herself in the music.

There’s nothing too risqué about the whole ordeal. Apart from a few innocuous touches, Finch’s hands stay respectfully to themselves. Josie’s intoxicated, and incredibly lonely, but she’s not stupid. 

It’s simple fun, and a distraction, and it’s nice to spend time with Finch without feeling awkward.

By the eighth or so song however, Josie’s bladder gets the better of her, and she needs to take a quick bathroom break.

She lets the werewolf know as much, promising to meet her back at the entrance before making her way back up to the school.

She gets a little lost along the way, giggling to herself as she goes when she gets side-tracked, before finally finding one of the bathrooms closest to the back entrance. After taking far longer than Josie is proud of, she’s almost ready to set back off, putting the finishing touches on washing the soap from her hands when she hears the door open behind her.

Josie startles at the sudden intrusion, wide eyes lifting up and blinking owlishly in the mirror and—

It’s Hope. 

She shouldn’t be surprised at this point, really, bathroom meetings have kind of become their thing.

“Jo, here you are.” Hope exclaims when her eyes fall on Josie, her expression lighting up in a smile. The girl closes the door behind her, and then proceeds to make her way over to where she’s standing. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

Josie turns around to face the tribrid, taking in the delighted expression on her face when she speaks, and she can’t help the giddy rush that spreads throughout her chest in response.

It’s a knee jerk reaction, really. 

Josie’s natural instinct is to be close to the other girl, torn between the natural urge to match Hope’s enthusiasm and she has to bite her tongue to stop a big dumb grin from forming on her face.

She schools her features into what she hopes is something resembling neutral.

“How come?” Josie asks, shooting for a casual nonchalance.

Hope steps forward enough that she’s almost considered to be too close, and Josie swallows thickly at their proximity.

“Well, for one, MG challenged me to a game of beer pong, and I wanted you to be my partner.” Hope nods resolutely as if Josie was the only conceivable option and Josie sucks in a breath at the assumption of it all. What makes it more questionable is Josie absolutely sucks at beer pong, like she’s comically bad and Hope knows that.

She says as much.

“Hope, I suck at beer pong.” She counters, bemused.

Hope grins.

“Oh, I know you do.” She says in amusement, but when Josie just raises a confused brow at her in question she sucks in a breath. “I also wanted you there because,” Hope begins with a tentative little smile, looking up at Josie from under her long eyelashes, “I kind of… missed you.”

It’s said in a bit of a rush, and also sounds vaguely like a question to Josie’s ears, but she doesn’t miss the weight of Hope’s words.

She stands there, a little shell shocked.

“You did?” Josie breathes out in surprise, butterflies running rampant in her belly. 

Hope nods, smiling softly as affection dances in her gaze.

“Always.” She admits lowly, the word coming out in a whisper, almost like it was a secret—only meant for their ears alone.

Hope inches forwards, coming into Josie’s space and reaches out her hand, resting it teasingly low on Josie’s hip. She waits with bated breath as Hope slowly trails her fingertips along the belt loops of her low waisted jeans, ghosting along heated skin and earning a shaky gasp from Josie at the sensation.

“Hope.” Josie sighs out her name, instinctively leaning into the other girl’s touch.

She hears Hope hum low in her throat, the sound suggestive.

“I didn’t get a chance to tell you earlier,” Hope begins, her eyes dark and loaded with promise.  She feels Hope circle a finger into one of her beltloops, pulling until their lower halves are close enough to touch, “Just how fucking good you look tonight, Jo.”

The words, the touch, it’s more than enough to render Josie senseless, and she feels like putty in the other girls’ hands. She can’t think, all she can see, and feel is Hope, entirely spellbound.

“Oh?” Is all she can manage, tumbling from shaky lips.

“Yeah.” Hope confirms with a nod, biting her bottom lip. Her hand moves from Josie’s waist then, burning a hot trail along the exposed skin at her midriff. “It’s distracting.”

She can’t help but huff out a quiet laugh at the irony of Hope’s assessment, considering the torture the girl had unknowingly put her through for the past several hours.

“What’s so funny?” Hope questions, her own smile pulling at her lips at the sight of Josie’s amusement.

Josie hums, pursing her lips as she lifts a hand up to gently tuck a lock of auburn hair behind Hope’s ear.

“I just think it’s funny that you think you have any monopoly over deciding who’s the distracting one.” She murmurs quietly, brown eyes flitting across Hope’s delicate features. She brings her hand up cup the girls’ cheek, dragging her thumb across the soft skin almost lovingly, “Especially considering I haven’t been able to take my eyes off of you all night.” 

Josie is dangerously close to showing her hand here, but she’s tipsy and tired of carrying such a burden, her feelings for Hope threatening to spill over at any given moment.

Hope flushes beautifully under her compliment, her cheeks dusting pink and eyes smouldering.

Blue eyes dip down mere moments later, her darkened gaze latching on to Josie’s full lips before flicking back upwards. Hope looks at her almost like she’s hungry, like she wants to consume Josie, and her chest flares in nervous anticipation. 

She knows that look, knows exactly what Hope wants from her, and sure enough moments later she feels a hand grasp at her face, pulling her down.

Their lips crash together heatedly, and Josie can’t help the moan that tumbles from her mouth upon the contact.

Hope kisses her in a way that embodies her words, she kisses her like she had missed Josie terribly, kisses her with an intensity that steals the breath from her lungs.

She kisses Josie like she’s the only person in the world that she wants to be kissing, and it makes Josie forget for just a moment that that notion couldn’t possibly be true—makes her forget that Hope is someone else’s girl.

It’s sobering.

It’s enough to remind her that they shouldn’t be doing this, not here and definitely not now, not when Landon and Finch are outside waiting for their return.

She pulls back enough that their mouths separate, but it doesn’t do much to deter Hope, who seamlessly transitions to dragging her lips down Josie’s jaw and neck. 

“Mhm, Hope.” Hope’s name falls from her kiss swollen lips with a sigh, and it takes every last bit of self-resolve not to throw caution to the wind. A moan crawls from her throat when Hope applies just the right amount of pressure against her neck, and she darts her hand upwards, grasping at Hope’s shoulder. “We should stop.”

She feels Hope nuzzle into her shoulder, a noise of discontent rising from her throat.

“Why?” She says, slowly pulling back. Her eyes meet Josies then, searching her face for any signs of concern. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, I just—” Josie falters, running a hand through her hair restlessly. “We should probably get back is all,” she says, plastering on a synthetic smile, “Wouldn’t want to miss your game of beer pong.”

Hope huffs out a laugh.

“I don’t care about that.” She murmurs, leaning her head down to place a gentle kiss on Josie’s shoulder. She feels the hands at her waist squeeze firmly, and the sensation makes Josie sigh, “Besides, we can always go back after I make you come.”

Josie can’t help but groan, hips pushing forward involuntarily and she feels Hope grin against her skin. 

Her body flares with arousal, and god does she want nothing more than to let Hope make her feel good, but she can’t. It’s too much, she had been warring with her feelings for Hope all night and there is no guarantee that in the heat of the moment she wouldn’t be compelled to say something she’d regret.

“As good as that sounds, we probably shouldn’t.” Josie sighs out, the reluctance in her voice as plain as day. “Landon is probably looking for you,” The mention of the boy leaves her lips a little stilted, and it almost feels wrong to mention him when they’re together like this, “and I told Finch that I would only be a minute.”

Oh.

Hope immediately stiffens against her at the mention of the werewolf, muscles tensing and demeanour shifting. 

Josie can feel the air between them change, becoming thicker and almost stifling.

“Hope?” She questions tentatively when the other girl doesn’t reply, and she pushes gently on the other girl's shoulder, needing to see her face. 

Hope pulls away slowly, her expression a far cry from the happiness that had taken up space just moments prior, her lips set grimly and a frown now furrowing at her eyebrows.

“That’s why you want to rush off?” Hope asks of her quietly, and Josie is surprised to hear the shaky quality to her friend’s voice. She looks down at Hope with wide eyes and the look she finds there makes her falter. “To go back to Finch?”

The abrupt change in the situation gives her whiplash, and she blinked owlishly in attempts to adjust.

“Well we were hanging out.” Josie says in confusion, her words slow as she attempts to understand Hope’s sudden hostility at the mention of the werewolf. “I had planned to head straight back.”

Hope takes a step back then, posture rigid and frown deepening.

“So, you’d rather get back to hanging out with her than spending time with me?” The question comes out hastily, Hope’s mouth twisting when says the word like the thought of Finch alone is enough to make her angry.

What surprises Josie even more is the raw hurt in her words, and it bleeds into her entire being, her posture and facial expression screaming at Josie in accusation.

“What?” Josie stutters out, blindsided. “Hope that isn’t fair.”

It really isn’t.

Hope’s assumption couldn’t have been further from the truth, and Josie really isn’t sure why the other girl is giving her the third degree.

“Isn’t it, Josie? You already ditched us to go dance with her,” Hope says heatedly, waving her hand in front of her and using the word us when Josie suspects she means me. The other girl shakes her head, “And now you’re doing it again.”

Josie can’t actually believe what Hope is saying to her right now, and it makes her snort in disbelief.

She can feel roiling irritation begin to surge in her chest at the other girl's misplaced grievance.

Hope is being entirely unreasonable right now and Josie can feel herself getting angry at the entire situation. Hope has no right to dictate who Josie spends her time with, especially considering Josie had to watch the other girl spend half of the evening with her fucking boyfriend.

Josie knows she needs to leave before she says exactly what’s on her mind.

“I think we should talk about this later.” Josie says dismissively, irritation bleeding into her tone and the need to avoid confrontation and flee taking hold.

She makes the move to leave, taking a step around Hope and heading for the door.

Josie only makes it a few steps before she’s stopped in her tracks, a hand encircling her wrist. 

“Don’t go.” She hears Hope whisper from behind her, sounding like a quiet plea to Josie’s ears.

She turns around to face the girl and finds an urgency in Hope’s expression that she doesn’t quite understand.

“Why not?” Josie asks, voice soft with confusion.

A beat of loaded silence passes between, and Hope stays resolutely silent, a full bottom lip tucked between teeth as she stares back at Josie.

“I don’t get what the problem is Hope.” Josie rushes in a huff, searching the other girl's face for answers. “I’m just dancing with a friend.”

Her words are enough to inspire a reaction, Hope's face twisting in distaste and scoffing derisively.

“Friend?” Hope asks in disbelief, shaking her head as she thinks of the werewolf. “She’s been looking at you like you’re a piece of meat all night, she doesn’t just want to be your friend.”

The words fall from Hope's mouth angrily, almost like she hates the idea of Finch looking at her, almost like she’s jealous.

It immediately puts Josie on the back foot.

“So what, Hope?” Josie demands, her anger matching the other girls. “What does it matter if she wants more from me?”

Hope has no right to judge her, not like this.

Blue eyes burn with irritation at the prospect, and she clenches her jaw as she mulls over Josie’s question.

“Is that what you want?” Hope mutters quietly, looking like it’s painful for her to even ask the question. “You want to get back together?”

Josie is painfully tired of this conversation, has been since the minute it began, and she doesn’t have the energy to bother defending herself.

Doesn’t bother telling Hope that that’s the furthest thing she wants at all, doesn’t tell her that all she could ever want was her, doesn’t bother even replying at all.

Instead she just sighs heavily.

“You can’t.” Hope answers for her, squeezing her wrist gently. She says it like it’s an absolute certainty, like there’s no option in the matter at all.

It does very little to sooth the irritation swirling within.

“Why can’t I?”

Hope looks at her like the answer is obvious.

“Because she’s not right for you, Josie!” Hope exclaims in a huff, shaking her head. “Can’t you see that?”

Josie feels like she’s being attacked, she feels backed into a corner and her judgement ridiculed and—

She can’t help but lash out in response.

“That isn’t for you to decide, Hope.” Josie bites back, her tone heated and rushed. “Landon clearly isn’t right for you either, but you don’t see me shoving that in your face!”

The words explode from her mouth like a bomb being dropped, and when the dust settles a moment later the silence that blankets them is stifling.

Hope's eyes have widened at her outburst, appraising Josie in surprise.

“That’s different.” Hope eventually manages, the words whispered out softly between them.

It isn’t.

“How?”

Hope sighs in resignation, her eyes scanning Josie’s face imploringly.

“Because, I—“ Hope begins, her conviction wavering momentarily. The girl averts her eyes to the ground, gaze wavering and brow furrowing, searching for the right words. She sucks in a shaky breath after a moment, before murmuring quietly, “Because I don’t want you to.”

Hope's words are spoken quietly, but they hit Josie with full force, sounding out deafeningly.

If they were uttered in a different context, Josie might have had a varying reaction, as it is all she feels is anger.

“No, you don’t get to do that, Hope. You don’t get to have your cake and eat it too.” Josie snaps, pulling her hand from Hope’s grasp and stepping backwards. “I can dance with whoever I want. I’m not your girlfriend, so stop treating me like it.”

Josie had been struggling with how Hope had been interacting with her all night and this conversation was just the cherry on top. Hope had been treating her like she was her girlfriend, or at least a replacement for Landon, and the sudden display of possessiveness had pushed Josie to her limit.

Hope it seems, was entirely oblivious.

“What?” She utters, shocked by the insinuation. She frowns gently, shaking her head and peering up at Josie with lost eyes, “I haven’t, I—we’re friends.”

Friends.

Unknowingly or not, her response is like a knife straight to Josie’s heart.

“I’m perfectly aware of that, Hope.” Josie says despondently, taking another step backwards. She can’t be here any longer, she needs to leave. “I need to go.”

She doesn’t wait for the other girl’s reply, instead she just turns on her heel and rushes for the door.

Josie ignores Hope calling out her name as she goes.

Josie somehow manages to make it back to her room without breaking down entirely.  

She had quickly walked away from the spot where she left Hope, hands shaking and heart pounding as she did so, wasting no time in taking a direct route back inside the boarding school.

She doesn’t even bother letting Finch know she’s leaving, too upset to feel guilty for bailing on the girl as her breaths come faster with each step.

The hallways are dark and empty, the only sound coming from her hurried steps and her door closing roughly as she ducks inside.

Inside the safety of her room, she lets her poorly crafted mask finally slip, her face crumbling as her conversation with Hope runs through her mind. 

Everything that had been said between them only painfully reinforced what Josie already knew. 

She’d foolishly gone and fallen for Hope and—

The other girl would never see her as anything more than a friend. 

Deep down she was well aware of that fact, hell even her naive twelve years old self knew Hope Mikaelson would never look at her twice, and yet…

It did nothing to lessen the raw hurt that bloomed in her chest.

It rose up within her, quick and stifling, aching in a way that made it hard to catch her breath. 

Sucking in sharp lungfuls of air, she walks shakily over to her bed, trying and failing to find some semblance of calm. 

Josie had given a lot of thought about love.

When she was little, she used to envision how she’d eventually grow up and fall in love. Josie would meet the perfect person for her, they’d fall head over heels for each other and the rest would be history.

It would be easy.

As she got older, she realised it wasn’t always that simple.

There had been suitors along the way that had volunteered their hearts to Josie, but she could never return the favour. Not completely, anyway.

It had never felt right, if Josie thinks about it—there was always something that was missing, not quite meeting up to her preconceived expectations. 

She had wanted something perfect.

Her arrangement with Hope was far removed from anything she’d expected, and yet—

She’d fallen for the girl anyway.

How ironic, she thinks bitterly, and how awfully cliché—in love with her best friend and feeling the painful thorns of unrequited love.

Her eyes burn with the beginnings of tears, and Josie clenches her teeth, desperate to quell them before they can begin to fall.

The door to the twins’ room pushes open suddenly, and Josie’s head lifts up towards the sound, startled.

It’s Lizzie.

“This is where you’ve been hiding?” Lizzie comments amusedly, turning around to close the door. She whips back around, a grin pulling at her mouth. “You’ve been gone for ages, Finch was about to send a search party.”

The blonde walks forward as she talks, coming to stand near where Josie’s seated. She peers down at her, and Lizzies amused expression slowly morphs into concern when she takes in the sight of her sister.

“Shit.” Lizzie mutters quietly, eyebrows creeping up her forward. “What wrong, Jo?”

There’s no mistaking the worry Josie can hear in her sister's voice, and as her eyes meet Lizzies, she sucks in a wavering breath.

One moment, then two passes, before it feels as if something breaks within Josie.

The weight she has carried for far too long gives way, and the floodgates open, full tears marking a warm trail down her cheeks.

Josie’s lips part, words threatening to tumble from her mouth and—

This time she doesn’t stop them.

Chapter Text

Expressing her wants and needs is something that Josie has struggled with in the past.

It’s one of her more obvious issues, and it’s impacted her and her relationships in various ways over time.

Codependency is a bitch, she thinks.

It’s stolen her ability to own her feelings at times, too concerned with others and their perspectives to honour herself and her needs. She puts that power in other people, and along the way it’s hurt her.

She’s done a lot of work on that, and Josie is proud of how far she’s come—but there are times where she falters, reverting back into old habits.

Take her situation with Hope for example.

Throughout her arrangement with the girl, there had been times Josie had questioned her own feelings to the detriment of herself, going against her intuition. Along the way she had fallen for Hope, fallen so irrevocably head over heels that it left her entirely foundationless, and yet she’d attempted to run from it—swallowed it so far down that her silence had all but imploded within.

The burden of her feelings for Hope had been complicated by the fact that she’d had to wear that reality alone, shouldering the dilemma and carrying the turmoil silently.

But now, with her latest conflict with Hope leaving her fighting back tears, Josie knows she can’t do it anymore. With Lizzie looking back at her with alarmed concern, anguished tears freely falling down her face, Josie’s resolve wavers.

She breaks.

She tells Lizzie everything.

From start to finish, Josie tells her how it began as an innocuous favour to a friend and somehow devolved into a full blown physical affair. She left no stone unturned, telling her sister about how she fucked everything up by falling for Hope.

It’s oddly freeing, a weight easing in her chest as she goes and by the time she’s finished, Josie’s heartache has been uncovered.

Lizzie had been quiet throughout her emotional word vomit, a storm brewing on her face with each detail that Josie reveals, and by the time she’s finished her features are marred with anger. 

Her story concludes, and there’s a loaded few moments of silence that pass between them before–

“Right, are you finished?” Lizzie mutters abruptly, looking back at her with a pointed expression. Josie wipes at her cheek with her thumb, nodding in confirmation, expecting her sister to weigh in on the matter, but instead—

Lizzie suddenly jumps to her feet, fists clenched in anger as she makes a move towards the door.

“Wait, where are you going?” Josie blurts out, darting out her hand to grab at her sister in alarm.

She halts Lizzie in her tracks, and the blonde turns back to her with an impatient scowl.

“Where the hell do you think I’m going?” Lizzie questions bluntly, expression deadpan and an incredulous eyebrow raised. Her eyes narrow, jaw setting when she mutters darkly, “I’m going to kick Hope’s dumb fucking ass.”

Oh.

Shit.

Josie’s mouth opens dumbly in shock, faltering as she digests Lizzie’s intentions. She had expected her twin to have some colourful words to say about the situation, but Josie hadn’t anticipated her sister would want to throw hands.

“Lizzie, no, you can’t!” Josie exclaims in a rush, tugging at her sister's arm with a panicked look on her face. She shakes her head pleadingly, “Please, you can’t say anything.”

Josie watches as Lizzie’s eyes narrow in contemplation, silently mulling over her request.

She doesn’t give it much consideration though, scoffing humorlessly only a few moments later.

“Oh don’t worry, I’m not going to say a word.” Lizzie says, and Josie might have found some relief in her words if her blue eyes weren’t blazing with murderous intent, “Except for maybe a spell that’ll set that bitch on fire.”

Lizzie is seething, and Josie has no doubt in mind that her sister would actually go for Hope’s neck right now, despite the futility given the other girl’s indestructibility. It makes her stomach sink with dread.

“I’m being serious, she can’t know that you know about this,” Josie says, and she’s bordering on begging here. The situation is already dire enough, she can’t fathom how complicated Lizzie intervening would make it all. 

Lizzie is about to open her mouth to interject, but Josie beats her to it, resorting to desperate measures.

“I’m pulling out the veto card on this one, Lizzie.” Josie says firmly, the seriousness of her tone matching her expression.

As soon as she says it, the blonde groans in frustration, knowing she’s been beat. It’s a low blow, Josie knows it is, but she knows Lizzie will respect the request. She has to, going against it would be in direct violation of the very rule that Lizzie herself created. 

It started when they were eleven and both twins found themselves crushing on the same boy. Lizzie had come up with the genius plan of the veto system, getting one veto every six months, only to be used on the most serious of matters. 

Lizzie, of course, had immediately used her veto then and there, immediately squashing her chance. It had seemed so dramatic at the time, but right now she wishes her life were that simple again.

“Ugh, fine. ” Lizzie reluctantly grumbles, throwing herself back down on the bed petulantly, “Dick move, Jo.” She shakes her head, looking at Josie incredulously, “Honestly, how can you be protecting her right now?”

Josie’s eyes widened slightly at the question, caught off guard. 

“Protecting? I’m not, I—” Josie begins, blowing out a frustrated huff of air. She’s not protecting Hope, she’s saving herself the embarrassment. “She didn’t do anything wrong, Liz. I’m the one that fucked up.”

It’s the truth.

Sure, Hope acted like an ass at the party, but it definitely wouldn’t have wounded her this much if her perspective wasn’t ruined by her love for the girl. 

Lizzie doesn’t seem to agree if the dramatic sigh she lets out is anything to go by.

“Josie, I’m going to say this as nicely as I possibly can, okay?” Lizzie hums, patting her hand and looking back at Josie with a look dripping in condescension, and just like that, she knows that whatever she has to say is going to be anything but nice.

Josie just sighs, nodding wearily.

“You’re like smart as fuck normally, but when you add Hope Mikaelson into the mix you suddenly become dumb as rocks.” Lizzie deadpans, eyeing her critically and with an air of judgement. “Like no thoughts head empty kind of dumb,” She scoffs, lifting her hand up to Josie’s temple as if to prove her point, “Worms for brains kind of stupid if you know what I me—”

Josie slaps Lizzie hand away from her head, unimpressed.

“Please tell me what part about that is supposed to be nice?” She mutters petulantly, scowling at her sister. 

“Oh trust me, that was the heavily censored version of what I wanted to say.” Lizzie sighs out like she was doing her a favour and it just makes Josie’s frown deepen. Her sister is honestly down right insufferable. The blonde shakes her head then, scoffing, “I’m serious though, how can you think she’s innocent in all of this?”

She bites her lip.

“I’m not saying she’s innocent, I just—” Josie sighs heavily. “We had an arrangement, we had rules and I’m the one that ruined that.”

Lizzie squints in response, tilting her head like Josie was speaking an entirely different language altogether and—

The need for her sister to just understand leaves her feeling unsettled, a sickly anxious sensation settling thickly in her chest, rising up her throat in a panic.

“She’s got a boyfriend, Lizzie, and we’re friends .” Josie rushes out, overwhelming sadness washing over her and making her throat burn. “She never gave me any false pretences and I fell for her anyway.”

The words come out in a whisper, utter resignation filling her tone as she looks helplessly back at Lizzie.

The blonde's face morphs into something more serious, poorly disguised pity colouring her features as she reaches out her hand and places it comfortingly over her own.

Josie huffs when she feels her eyes prick with tears, surprised she’s got anything more left in her to cry.

“ Jo.” Lizzie murmurs quietly, and fuck, the compassionate tone her sister holds makes the tears come thick and fast. “You did nothing wrong.”

Josie wipes away at the warm tears tracking down her cheeks, stubbornly averting her eyes.

“I did, Liz, I ruined our friendship.” She admits brokenly, her breath catching sharply in her chest. A lone tear falls, dripping down her cheek and this time she doesn’t catch it, “I ruined it.”

She feels Lizzie tugging on her arm, and she reluctantly looks back in her direction.

“She blurred the lines of your friendship the moment she asked you to sleep with her, Jo.” Lizzie murmurs, brow pinching in a frown. “I know it might come as a shock to you, but normal friends don’t just start sleeping with each other because their boyfriend can’t get them off.”

Lizzie gives her a pointed look and Josie feels her cheeks heat in embarrassment.

“I was just trying to help.” She mumbles.

Lizzie scoffs disbelievingly.

“You couldn’t have like, oh, I don’t know…” Lizzie slowly deliberates, tone dripping with sarcasm, “Sent her a few wikihow links, instead?” A derisive laugh crawls out of her mouth, looking back at Josie incredulously, “Or better yet, given Landon a treasure map with X marking her spot.”

Well.

She should have seen this coming, really, and regret flashes through her at saying anything at all.

Josie just sniffs, jutting out a full bottom lip sadly.

“Okay, that’s besides the point, I’m being serious here.” Lizzie comments with a wry grin, attempting to school her features. “How you fell face first into her lap is irrelevant, my argument still stands.”

“What was that supposed to be again?” Josie grumbles, giving her sister an unimpressed look. 

The message had gotten lost in all the shit Lizzie had been talking.

“That Hope is the one that fucked up, not you.” Lizzie says it like it’s a given, and her face hardens at the mention of the other girl, irritation swirling in her eyes, “She’s the one in the relationship, and she’s the one that’s put you in the middle of it by using you to make up for Landon’s inadequacies.”

Oh.

“And honestly, considering you’ve probably been in love with Hope in some type of way since we were kids,” Lizzie murmurs, shaking her head and levelling Josie with a serious expression, “You never really stood a chance.”

Shit.

Deep down she knows Lizzie is right.

Josie feels stupid for thinking this was going to end any other way than in the situation she’s in right now, in love and in pain.

Fresh tears well up in her eyes, bubbling over and dripping down her face, the inevitability of all making a sob crawl from her chest.

“Come on, Jo.” Lizzie says, ushering Josie to shift herself backwards up the bed. She lets herself be guided, too exhausted to do anything but lay herself down on the pillows and curl up into a foetal position. 

The bed dips, and not a moment later does she feel Lizzie settle down behind her, an arm coming to rest at her waist and pulling her close. The position is one the twins had found themselves in countless times before, with Josie more often than not being the big spoon, but now it’s her turn.

Josie sinks into the embrace, soaking up all the comfort she can get, letting someone else share in her pain for a brief moment. Tears fall freely now, slipping from the corners of her eyes and staining her pillow. 

She doesn’t try stopping them, crying silently in the darkness of their shared room, letting herself truly feel for the first time since her arrangement with Hope began.

Lizzie doesn’t say anything further, doesn’t need to really, she just gives her the space to just be . 

Eventually when exhaustion gets the better of her she drifts off into sleep, and like most nights, her dreams are filled with Hope.

Josie doesn’t leave her room for the rest of the weekend.

The next day is a write off, obviously. She wakes up feeling drained and exhausted, brown eyes puffy around the edges from all of the crying she’d done the night before.

Lizzie stays in with her, foregoing her plans for the evening with MG to instead throw an impromptu movie night. So she lazes about for most of the day and her and Lizzie end up watching sappy rom-coms, both of them eating their body weight in ice cream and–

It helps.

By the time Sunday rolls around she’s feeling better, albeit marginally, and despite the fact that Lizzie is still looking at her like she might just break at any given moment, Josie ushers her off with a wave of her hand. 

Her sister can’t babysit her forever after all, and whilst it might feel like she’s dying on the inside, it’s just a wounded heart and she’ll live. Besides, just because her love life is in tatters doesn’t mean Lizzies’ has to be too, so she convinces her to meet up with MG and after some stern encouragement the blonde eventually leaves.

Josie isn’t quite brave enough to venture outside the room herself, despite Lizzie’s offerings, too worried that it’d be just her luck that she’d run into Hope.

The universe, it seems, isn’t inclined to agree with her tactic of avoidance, because ironically enough it decides to bring the girl to her anyway.

Barely an hour after Lizzie had departed, a knock had sounded on the twins' door, drifting across the space and making Josie pause. She’d just got done showering, towelling off her hair when she heard it, and part of her thinks she must be hearing things.

Wrapping a towel around her head, Josie exits the ensuite a walks over to her bed, in the middle of grabbing her hair brush when–

The knock sounds again, this time much louder.

Josie freezes.

She isn’t expecting anyone, hadn’t made any plans today that would require her to see another person at all so she’s surprised by the sound. 

The first place her mind jumps to is Hope, of course it does, her thoughts are like a broken record more often than not. Her immediate reaction to the possibility of it being the other girl at her door is to ignore the sound, not at all prepared to talk just yet.

Doubt creeps into her mind though when she considers the other possibilities, like the person on the other side of the door being her dad, or hell, Finch…

Indecision wars within, but eventually obligation wins out, erring on the assumption that Hope would probably be off with Landon right now, not here at her door.

She flings her brush down, taking a step towards the door but stopping suddenly when she hears a voice sound out tentatively.

“Josie?” 

It’s Hope.

She sounds almost hesitant, an unusual uncertainty colouring her tone as she calls out her name quietly. 

The sound of her voice and the fact that the other girl is standing less than a few metres away from Josie makes her mouth dry.

She can’t respond, hell, can barely even think over the loud pounding of her heart beat, the sound thundering in her ears.

“Jo, I know you’re there.” Hope calls out, her voice a little louder this time and Josie’s stomach immediately sinks through the floor at the call out. She feels entirely exposed, frozen on the spot. “I can hear your heartbeat.”

Fuck.

Once again Josie curses the unavoidable fact that she lives with a bunch of supernaturals with invasive super senses.

It’s not fair.

She can’t even avoid the girl she loves in peace without them knowing, and God , she really needs to put up a silencing spell because in this moment she feels like she could just die on the spot.

Less than a minute passes, but to Josie it feels like a lifetime, the silence between them magnified, feeling thick and stifling before–

“Josie, I’m—” The other girl begins, then wavers,  the rest of her sentence cutting off with a despondent sigh. Josie waits for her to continue, her breath getting stuck in her throat. She hears a soft sound against the door, and she suspects it’s coming from Hope’s hand pressed against the thick oak, “Please don’t shut me out.”

Oh.

What is she supposed to say to that?

She’s not shutting Hope out, she’s not it’s just—she needs a bit more time to just… dust herself off. Josie took quite the hit the other night, and she’s just not ready to have her unrequited love for the other girl thrown back in her face.

Again.

She’s not strong enough.

Her silence alone is an answer in itself however, and she hears Hope let out a sigh, the sound filled with resignation.

It’s not long before she no longer feels the other girl’s presence at her door, and it’s only then that Josie feels like she can breathe again.

As soon as her heart stops pounding, Josie throws herself back into bed and burrows herself under the covers, resigned to the fact that the rest of her day will be spent moping.

Josie unfortunately can’t hide away in her room forever.

She’s got these pesky things called responsibilities to attend to, like classes and squad meetings, and come Monday she has to dust herself off and plaster on a brave face. 

She sees Hope, of course she does, they share classes together it’d be impossible not to see the girl at all. It’s in passing is mostly so far, with Hope watching her sadly from a distance, their eyes meeting every so often and—

It’s weird.

Going from basically having all of Hope, from them spending most of their time together in between classes, to having minimal contact is… jarring, to say the least.

She hates it.

Josie hates everything about it, hates that Hope isn’t the first person she sees in the morning and the last person she sees at night.

She misses the girl terribly.

She misses her dumb jokes, and protective touches and the soft smile she reserves just for Josie and—

It hurts.

The only thing that brings her a small amount of comfort about it all is that Hope looks just as miserable as she feels.

It’s also worth noting that the other girl had tried to talk to Josie, several times actually. She would have succeeded too if it hadn’t been for Lizzie.

Her sister had taken it upon herself to become her bodyguard, flanking her every move and making her virtually impenetrable from the outside world. Wherever she went, Lizzie and MG followed, and her incredibly blunt demeanour had stopped Hope from even getting a word in edgeways.

Lizzie was being protective, and she was worried about her and Josie appreciated her intentions more than anything, but—

She needed just a second to herself.

It had been two days of this now and she just needed a moment alone—away from Hope’s sad blue eyes and Lizzie’s watchful expressions.

Josie manages to break free for a bit, citing to Lizzie some made up excuse about discussing an assignment with a teacher. It was convincing enough that Lizzie quickly bowed out of that one, content to avoid their teachers unless absolutely necessary. 

She decides to head to the library to spend her moment of freedom, intent on finishing up some homework in the afforded peace and quiet the space brings. Josie doesn’t think anyone will look for her, nestled way down the back where no one could see her.

She had deliberately avoided the table her and Hope had sat at just weeks prior, the sight of it bringing back memories that simmer just underneath the surface, a yearning for that moment settling swiftly in her chest.

The quiet brings with it a sense of relief that she’d taken for granted, and she’s able to focus productively on her work without intrusive thoughts stealing her focus.

She gets about twenty minutes of uninterrupted peace before a throat clearing breaks her attention.

Looking up she finds the last person she expected to be there.

It’s Landon. 

He’s looking down at her hesitantly, an air of uncomfortability around him that makes Josie think he’d rather be anywhere but here right now.

Josie looks up at him in surprise, a small amount of dread prickling unpleasantly along her skin at his presence.

“Umm—hey, Josie.” The curly headed boy mumbles in greeting, hands stuffed in his pockets and rocking slightly on his heels. He averts his eyes for a moment, flicking around at the shelves closest to them, before reluctantly coming back to meet her own. “Can we talk?”

Oh.

The dread she feels intensifies at his request, a ball of nerves roiling uncomfortably in her stomach. 

Her and Landon never just casually talk, it’s not a thing they do. Their relationship had been distant since their break up, becoming tentative friends at best after that but then Josie had started sleeping with his girlfriend and, well–

It had all gone downhill from there. 

So no, they don’t chat, most days Josie can barely look him in the eye without feeling guilty, or jealous, or a painful mix of both. 

Whatever he is here for is for a reason, and Josie’s mind races anxiously with the possibilities.

Does he know?

Had Hope let slip of their affair after their fight, was he here to confront her and–

“Uhh, sure.” She settles on, swallowing thickly around the ball of nerves that has taken up residence in her throat.

Landon gives her a small smile, taking that as an invitation to sit down at the desk, pulling out the chair across from her and sliding into the seat. 

No one talks for a few moments, instead Landon just averts his eyes down to the table, chewing on his bottom lip nervously.

What the fuck?

“So…” Josie prompts when the silence gets to be too much for her, her skin itching with the need to know why Landon is here, shifting nervously in his seat like he’s got fucking worms or something.

His eyes widen slightly, lifting up to meet brown.

“Right, sorry, I normally wouldn’t bother you with this stuff, but…” Landon begins, trailing off as he clears his throat somewhat awkwardly, “I need to ask you something about Hope.”

Oh.

Shit.

Well, this is it, she’s been caught. There’s no way he doesn’t know , not with the way he’s here and asking about Hope and—

It’s over for her. 

They’d had a good run, Josie thinks, lasting a good few months without him knowing.

She sucks in a shaky breath, playing it cool. She’s not saying a word, he can be the one to spell it out between them, tell it to her face that she fucked his girlfriend.

“What about her?” Josie asks, tone giving nothing away, and damn, she’s actually kind of impressed with herself.

An almost pleading look takes over Landon’s face then, a desperation about him that makes her pause.

“I need a favour, and I’m sorry to ask but I’m like really desperate.” Landon rushes out, a hand lifting up to rub behind his neck. “I need you to fix things with Hope.”

Um.

What?

“Or like, just talk to her or something.” Landon continues, taking her stunned look as motivation to plead his case further. “She’s been like a total mess since you guys fought and I dunno what to do.”

Oh.

Oh.

The breath she lets out in realisation is almost comical. 

Well.

In hindsight that being Landon’s reason for talking to her makes a lot of sense actually.

The boy looks no way near angry or humiliated enough to have just found out that one, his girlfriend was cheating on him, and two, that he was devastatingly incompetent in bed.

She really needs to stop jumping to conclusions.

“She’s been a mess?” Josie whispers, entirely stuck on that bit of information, surprise colouring her tone.

It throws her.

“Yeah.” Landon affirms with a nod, concern colouring his features. He shakes his head, murmuring, “She hasn’t been right for weeks now but the last few days have just been… awful.”

He trails off, a heavy sigh falling from his mouth.

Wait.

What?

The last part makes Josie do a double take.

“What do you mean she hasn’t been right for weeks?” Josie asks with a small frown, curious it’s colouring her words because—

Hope had been fine .

Actually, Hope had been better than fine, she’d been… wonderful. She’d been affectionate, engaging and seemingly happy.

Josie wracks her brain to come up with any explanation behind the boy's words, but finds none.

“She just hasn’t been right.” Landon discloses with a hum, breaking her from her musings. “She’s been like, really irritated by everything I do lately,” The curly headed boy admits, a frown pulling at his features as he thinks about his girlfriend, “Withdrawn too… it’s like she’s a million miles away.”

Josie bites her lip as she takes in the boys account.

“I had planned a special night to try and cheer her up, I even bought her a promise ring to let her know that I’ll always be here for her, you know, but—“ Landon cuts himself off, a weighted sadness bleeding from his being and Josie feels like she’s intruding upon something she’s not supposed to hear. 

Her chest feels tight as landon speaks, her breath feeling shallow and trapped as discloses details that make her feel like running.

“I’ve had to postpone it seeing as she’ll barely even see me.” Landon murmurs, brings his eye contact back up to Josie’s and she’s shocked by the desperation she finds. “She wouldn’t tell me what you guys fought about, only that you did and ever since she’s been worse.”

Landon had gotten Hope a promise ring.

Josie can’t even begin to process the rest of what Landon is saying, too stuck on that fact, her mind running wild with assumptions.

She imagines the boy setting up a romantic evening, giving her the ring with heartfelt promises attached. She imagines Hope tearing up at the sentiment, accepting the ring with dreams of their future in mind and—

Panic grips at Josie’s chest, washing over her like a bucket of ice water. 

She had been living in a fantasy land, taking what Hope had given her and being content with the fleeting scraps of affection, but speaking with Landon has all but burst the bubble.

They love each other.

Josie knew that, she did, but this just reinforces just how fucking stupid she’d been.

There had been a dangerous part of her, albeit also a very delusional part, that whispered selfishly in the times when Hope had caressed her so tenderly or looked at her with such gentle reverence, that maybe there was room enough in her heart to love Josie, too.

Sitting here, listening to Landon speak, she realises just how foolish that notion was.

Two’s company, but three is a crowd, and Josie… well, she had never been more than a placeholder for the real thing.

“So do you think maybe you could speak to her?” She’s brought back by Landon’s repeated question, her silence enough to make him interject. “You guys are best friends, can’t you just like, work through whatever it is that happened.”

No.

She doesn’t think they can work through this, or at least, they can’t continue how they had been.

Josie needs to stop this, that much is evident.

“You really love her, don’t you?” Josie can’t help but ask quietly, a shaky quality present in her voice that she prays Landon won’t pick up on.

The question is rather redundant really, because she already knows the answers–knows that Landon’s love for Hope is bared for all to see in everything he does.

In that moment though, she wishes the answer was no. She wishes with every fibre of her being that he was out of the picture, wishes that he wasn’t the one thing standing in between her and the first person she’d ever been in love with.

She’s not proud of it, but at that moment…

Josie hated him.  

The sensation brews dangerously within her, brimming wrathfully just underneath the surface, the intensity of it almost taking her breath away.

She hates that Landon takes Hope for granted, hates that he doesn’t do everything in his power to make the girl happy, but more than that, she hates that despite that all, Hope still loves him back.

Jealousy rears its ugly head, and Josie burns with it.

“Of course I do.” Landon replies obviously, a small, self satisfied smile pulling at his lips when he thinks about Hope and–

Resignation settles in her chest.

“I’ll talk to her.” Josie concedes, wanting nothing more than this conversation to be over.

Landon doesn’t notice her inner turmoil, instead a happy grin lights up his face at her acceptance.

“Thanks so much, Josie.” The curly headed boy says obliviously, clapping his hands and a hopeful glint appearing in his eyes. He stands then, his chair scraping back loudly in the quiet of the library, “I really owe you one.”

It takes everything in her not to scoff petulantly.

He owes her a hell of a lot more than he knows.

She ends up just nodding amicably, knowing that something bitter would end up crawling out if she dared open her mouth.

He leaves her then, murmuring his goodbyes, and Josie all but slumps down into her chair as soon as the boy is out of sight.

Josie had so desperately wanted a moment for herself, and boy had she succeeded…

As she sat there though, staring numbly down at the oak table, Josie had never felt so utterly alone.

Josie had come away with a few hard truths after her talk with Landon, but one more so than others.

She has to talk to Hope, not because of Landon’s request, no, she truly couldn’t give a fuck if their fighting had infringed upon his plans, but—

Josie had to put an end to their arrangement, that much was obvious.

She was bowing out.

Josie had been running on borrowed time, breaking her heart each time they were together in the hopes of owning a mere piece of the other girl and… she was exhausted.

If she couldn’t have all of Hope, then she had to settle for nothing, finding it much too painful to be stuck in limbo.

She was going to tell Hope they should just be friends, the type of friends that Lizzie had spoken of—ones that didn't know each other in the biblical sense.

Hours after she had left the library, and countless pep talks later, Josie had worked up the courage to seek out the other girl.

She tells Lizzie of her plan, and after declining her twins enthusiastic offer to come along as her ‘muscle’, Josie makes the short trek across the hall.

She knocks once, then twice, and she’s not surprised at all when she receives no answer. Hope is stubborn in her need for solitude, especially as of late, worsened by her less than sunny disposition. 

Josie lets herself in instead, something that she had freely done several times before, an open invitation extended by the other girl early on in their arrangement. 

She isn’t sure just how welcoming Hope would be under the circumstances though, and her hands shake nervously as she siphons the lock on the door, quietly opening it and slipping into the room.

Josie finds Hope over in the corner of her room, standing behind her easel, paintbrush in hand and staring intently down at the canvas before her. She’s dressed in faded overalls, hair tucked behind her ears and errant streaks of paint colouring her clothes and skin.

Sunlight filters in through parted curtains, falling across Hope and basking her in a warm glow and Josie’s chest tightens at the sight.

She looks beautiful. 

Blue eyes flick up at the sudden intrusion, widening in surprise when they land on Josie. 

“Jo.” Hope breathes out in acknowledgement, an element of awe present in her voice, like she can’t quite believe Josie had sought her out like this. 

Hope hastily puts down her paintbrush, picking up the cloth on the easel to wipe off her hands, before stepping around and walking forward towards her. Josie takes a few steps forwards too, and they come to stand a few paces from each other. 

Josie is able to get a better look at the girl now that they’re closer, and what she sees makes her falter. Hope looks tired. Her blue eyes look a little weary around the edges, a faint purple colouring the edges in a way that makes Josie think that the other girl hadn’t been sleeping very restfully. 

“What’re you doing here?” Hope asks, a tentative hopefulness present in her voice as her gaze flits across Josie’s face.

Her hand shoots out between them, reaching halfway before Hope seems to catch herself, stopping awkwardly in the air before swinging back towards the other girl’s side. Josie watches as Hope clenches her fist, and she hates everything about the action, and it pains her that there is any awkwardness between them at all.

“Landon came to talk to me today.” Josie begins with, swallowing around the lump of nervousness in her throat, voice soft and hesitant.

A frown pulls at Hope’s face at the mention of the boy.

“Landon?” Hope breathes out in question, confusion colouring her tone. Her head shakes imperceptibly as she seemingly tries to digest why her boyfriend had sought Josie out, “Why?”

There’s an element of apprehension edging into Hope’s features, her bottom lip sucked between teeth nervously, almost as if the thought of Landon and her talking makes her worry. 

“He asked me to talk to you.” Josie admits, and she’s not sure if Landon had wanted that part kept between them, but she doesn’t really care. She watches Hope carefully, murmuring, “He said you weren’t doing that great.”

Hope’s jaw sets at that, frown deepening.

“That wasn’t his place.” Hope mutters, lips jutting out in anger. She’s very obviously annoyed by how forthcoming Landon had been, irritation rolling offer her in waves. “He shouldn’t have asked you to do that, he shouldn’t have said anything.”

Josie can understand her frustration.

“I know.” She concedes, tone gentle and reassuring. Her palm itches to reach out and touch the other girl, to provide consolation to her in a way that feels so natural to Josie, but she can’t. Not anymore. “Regardless, we probably do need to talk, though.”

It’s an understatement and a half. Lately they had touched too much, and talked far too little—not about the things that needed to be said, anyhow.

Hope’s face softens, the irritation slackening and giving way to something far gentler. She nods, deflating with a heavy breath as she watches Josie with a pensive expression.

“Hope, about the other night, I—”

“I’m sorry.” Hope blurts out, cutting Josie off in a rush. She looks at Josie with an underlying desperation, her eyes wide and regretful.

Huh.

Josie blinks, taken aback.

“What?”

Hope sucks in a steadying breath, shoulders dropping in resignation.

“I’m sorry.” She repeats quietly, looking awfully apologetic as her blue eyes bore into Josie’s imploringly. “I fucked up, okay, and I’ve wanted to apologise you as soon as you walked out of the bathroom.”

Oh.

Josie breathes out a surprised breath.

“I was tipsy, and emotional, and I shouldn’t have been such an asshole about you hanging out with Finch.” Hope continues on, filling her stunned silence. The werewolves name leaves her mouth stiltedly, her lips twisting mildly in distaste, but the sentiment remains genuine.

Josie burns with inquisition, and she can’t help but ask—

“Why did you act like that over Finch?” Josie murmurs softly, the question full of probing curiosity. 

She’s still left scratching her head over Hope’s overreaction that night, the other girl's explanation leaving a lot to be desired.

A beat of prolonged silence passes between them, Hope staring at her with a quiet intensity, blue eyes burning with something that Josie can’t quite identify.

“I meant what I said about her not being right for you, Jo.” Hope eventually settles on, voice low and serious, adding in an eye roll for good measure. It’s a recycled cop out, and the excuse leaves a bitter taste in Josie’s mouth. “But you were right, as your friend it’s not my place to force my opinion like that.”

No.

It wasn’t.

The reality is that Hope also wasn’t acting much like a friend at all actually, but Josie isn’t going to go there today, she’s not even going to bother.

She’d already played that card, rather foolishly might she add, and the other girl's consistent emphasis on friend tells Josie all she needs to know.

“Please say you’ll forgive me?” Hope whispers, a pleading quality to her voice that is tinged with despair. She takes a step forward then, darting out a shaky hand to wrap gently around Josie’s slim wrist, “Not being near you the last few days has been killing me, Jo.”

What the fuck is she supposed to say to that?

Josie can’t help but stupidly melt at the words, any resolve she might have had evaporating on the spot under Hope’s tender gaze and God, her heart literally beats for the girl in front of her. 

Hope squeezes her wrist gently, dragging her thumb against the delicate skin of her pulse point, and her stomach jolts with butterflies. Josie can’t speak, not trusting her voice, and instead she just nods dumbly.

Hope takes that as an acceptance of her apology, her face lighting up in a relieved smile, and Josie then suddenly finds herself wrapped up in an all consuming hug.

The other girl hugs hers like they’d been apart for months, pulling Josie oh so close and burying her face into her neck without abandon. The breath of relief Hope lets out against her skin is almost dizzying, the heat of it making her hair stand on end and knees weak.

Josie can’t help but sink into the embrace, nosing at the auburn locks and inhaling deeply. A warmth that she didn’t fully realise she’d been missing rushes through her, and the spellbound part of her brain whispers dangerously at the edge of her mind, dancing with the notion that this is what home feels like.

Home.

She feels home in the arms of a girl who belongs to another.

The thought is sobering, laughable even, and it’s enough to give Josie just enough clarity to be able to pull back from the hug. She doesn’t break free completely, Hope’s arms had looped around to settle low on her back, keeping her in place, and fuck—

The position change is almost worse.

Their bodies are still pressed together, and Josie watches as Hope’s eyes flutter open, her warm gaze meeting Josie’s with unabashed affection. 

Her stomach swoops as she peers down at the girl, eyes tracing across delicate features, getting lost in Hope’s alluring beauty. Her hand raises up off its own accord, thumb coming up to drag across the skin of her cheek, brushing off a small smudge of paint.

The gentle grin that pulls at Hope's lips makes Josie’s knees a little weak, and Josie wishes she could live in this moment, wishes she could never leave this bubble where she could convince herself that Hope loved her back.

Nonetheless, she doesn’t, and Josie indulges in the fantasy for one more lingering moment before she pulls away with a sense of finality.

“Hope.” Josie murmurs with a quiet breath, trying to work up the courage to broach the topic she came here for in the first place, her pulse quickening.

The other girl reads the hesitation on her face, picking up on the change of demeanour and looking back at her with mild concern, “What is it, Jo?”

She swallows, biting the bullet.

“It’s just—“ Josie begins, wavering momentarily, shaking her head in muted frustration. She knows this is the right decision, so why does it feel so difficult? “Speaking with Landon today, and what happened at the party, it got me thinking, and…” She manages, averting her eyes and sucking in a shaky breath, before, “It’s probably wise if we went back to being friends.”

There. 

She said it.

She chances a nervous glance at the other girl, and the confusion she finds colouring her face is profound.

“We’re already friends, though?” She asks obviously, eyes puzzled as tries to contemplate the request. 

Irritation spikes within Josie.

“Just friends, Hope.” She reiterates with a sigh, words coming out with a bit more sting than she intended them to have. She gives the other girl a pointed look, “Ones that don’t fuck each other behind their boyfriends back.”

The words spill messily between them before Josie can stop herself, and as they do she feels like the air has been all but sucked out of the room.

Hope sucks in a surprised breath, eyes widening.

“Oh.” She says, the word exhaling from her lips, sounding out awfully shakily.

Josie feels like she’s ripped a bandaid off, venturing into a topic that was completely out of bounds between them, breaking an unspoken agreement. It feels wrong almost, to mention the elephant in the room like this.

“Why?” Hope asks quietly, voice shaky and unsure and looking up at Josie eyes that are more than a little lost. A frown pinches at her eyebrows, and she shakes her head like she’s going to find some semblance of control in the action, “I thought that we—”

Hope stops then, swallowing against the trembling quality of her voice, pinning Josie with a vulnerable look when she says, “Do you not want me like that anymore?”

Oh.

God.

The raw insecurity in Hope’s words is like a knife to the heart, and Josie, fuck—she’s struck with the urge to sink to her knees in front of the girl, compelled to demonstrate exactly just how much she does want her. 

Josie burns with want for Hope, drowns in it,  and that’s exactly the issue.

“That’s not—” She tries, tongue feeling thick and awkward in her mouth. She swallows, shaking her head at the absurdity of it all, trying her best to tamp down an incredulous scoff. She takes a steadying breath, eyes dark and serious, “ God , Hope, that couldn’t be further from the reason.”

She wills herself to stop there, clenching her jaw. 

Josie knows if she continues she’ll never stop, her love for Hope seconds away spilling from her lips unwittingly. She would lay herself bare to ease the look of uncertainty that clings to Hope right now.

“Then why?” Hope murmurs, lips jutting out in a soft pout, perplexment colouring her features.

Josie sighs.

“Because you and Landon are serious, Hope, and he’d probably be devastated if he found out we were doing this.” Josie mutters in a way of explanation, and even as she’s saying it, it sounds awfully lacklustre.

Once more with feeling, she thinks to herself. 

Thing is, she doesn’t give a fuck about Landon’s feelings, she might have once, but now… she honestly couldn’t care if he found them in the act to be honest.

Hell, maybe he could learn something from it.

“I don’t want to get in between your relationship.”

Hope frowns then, chewing on her lip, seemingly unimpressed by the excuse.

“Why the sudden change of heart?” Hope pointedly asks, shaking her head. She looks at Josie with a scrutinising expression, “Getting between Landon and I never stopped you before?”

Well.

Damn.

Hope is calling her out, and Josie can’t pretend that the other girl isn’t one hundred percent correct in her assessment, but it’s different now. 

I wasn’t in love with you before, Josie wants to scream. It didn’t break my fucking heart loving you when you love him.

She doesn’t say it, she can’t, instead she just bites her lip and swallows her feelings and does what she does what she does best in this situation–

She diverts.

“You know he told me today he wants to give you a promise ring.” Josie says, the words leaving her lips in an almost scoff, shaking her head. The other girl's eyes widen, mouth parting in surprise, and the cynical part of Josie wonders just how happy that bit of information makes her. “He wants to promise you forever, and it just got me thinking, what are we even doing here?”

Hope remains silent, face serious and carefully guarded.

“I know this started as me helping you out, but if he’s who you love—if he’s the person you truly want to be with, then…” Josie continues, trailing off as she searches Hope’s face for any inkling that it’s not the truth.

It’s wishful thinking, and when she doesn’t find what she’s looking for, she sighs heavily.

“Maybe you should be honest and try and work through your issues, because—” Josie runs a trembling hand through her hair, biting the bullet when she says, “You can’t just use someone else to replace a very important part of your relationship forever.”

A loaded silence falls over them as soon as Josie’s finishes speaking, thick and stifling.

She hadn’t meant to deliver such heavy home truths, but Lizzie was right— regardless of how Josie feels for the other girl, Hope is definitely playing with fire.

Blue eyes swirl with roiling emotion, her face conflicted, and in that moment she wishes more than anything she could read her mind. She can’t even begin to interpret what the other girl is thinking or feeling, and the not knowing makes her heart pound painfully in her chest.

Hope doesn’t say anything, an acute melancholy overcoming her features as she mulls over Josie’s words.

She looks almost defeated, a quiet resignation colouring her demeanour.

Each beat of silence makes her skin prickle, anxiousness settling in her chest and—

“Besides, I’m in a better place now to be open to dating someone,” Josie blurts out, adding on rather unnecessarily, the strong urge to fill the silence and divert the blame winning out. She shifts on the spot a little awkwardly, forcing a quiet laugh, “Probably should start that with a fresh slate, y’know?”

Hope’s eyes bore into her own imploringly at that, frown pulling at her eyebrows as she takes a sharp breath.

“You’re dating again?” 

The words are surprised, and more than a little accusing, and Josie feels her breath catch in her lungs.

“Not yet.” She admits softly, trying to have some semblance of conviction in her words. It’s a downright lie, she couldn’t even begin to fathom dating someone, not when all she could think about was Hope. “But maybe soon.”

“Oh.” She breathes out, the sound almost astonished, like she hadn’t considered the notion at all.

Hope averts her eyes then, stormy blue eyes flicking down to the floor, lips pursing in discontent.

Once again the silence drags, and Josie knows she can’t be here any longer.

If she stays, hell, even for five minutes longer, she can’t guarantee that her resolve won't break and she’d end up taking everything back. As it stands her palms itch to do just that, and so Josie knows she needs to leave.

“I um—I promised Lizzie and MG I’d meet them for dinner, so I probably should…” Josie whispers, head ushering towards the door, swallowing thickly against the burn in her throat. She turns back to Hope, making eye contact as she murmurs, “Are we okay?”

Josie hates that it’s something she even has to ask, hates with everything that this feels like it could change things between them in a way that she has no idea how to come back from.

Hates that, above all, this feels more like a break up than any other she’s ever had.

Hope nods, the action entirely despondent, and Josie’s heart fractures a little bit more.

“I’ll see you around, Hope.” Josie promises, to herself or to the other girl she’s not sure, but her words feel a little desperate to her ears.

She chews on her lip, giving one more lingering look at the girl she loves, before turning on her heel and not looking back.

As much as Josie wishes it would, her relationship with Hope doesn’t magically revert back to the ease it held before all this began.

She would be foolish to expect it to, especially given everything. There had been far too much water under the bridge for that, clearly.

Josie is really trying though, she can’t lose the other girl over this, she won’t. Going from lovers to whatever it is they are now is an adjustment though, and–

It’s hard.

It’s been over a week since that night, and Josie can’t help but miss the other girl terribly. 

They still speak, they still see each other around the school, but… it’s not the same. It feels awfully dramatic to admit, but Josie feels like she’s lost a part of herself—losing what she had with Hope—and she’s left with this suffocating sense of desolation in her chest that she can’t begin to shake.

She yearns for the other girl, longing for the secret connection they had so carefully cultivated. She misses the other girls all encompassing attention, her affection, her touch…

Josie wonders if there will come a time where she’ll be able to look at Hope and not feel like this, wonders if she’ll be able to look at her and not mourn for everything they could have been.

So yeah, it fucking hurts, but she’s trying.

It’s small steps, and Josie kind of feels like they’ve been catapulted back to the weirdness just after their first tryst had occurred. There’s a careful distance in place, they don’t speak about anything outside of surface level topics and they’re never alone together in the same room, not trusting themselves. 

Hope appears to adjust relatively easily, she thinks bitterly, and it adds to her heartbreak. She respects her boundaries, she doesn’t push and maybe that’s why it hurts all the more, because Josie wants her too. She stupidly wants her to fight for what they had, she wants the other girl to pursue her, wants her to show some inkling that she’s suffering with the loss just as much as Josie is.

It’s the stupidly hopeful part of her talking, the part of her that clearly hasn’t learned her lesson, and she shouldn’t even entertain the idea, but…

Sometimes she catches Hope looking at her, and it spurs a hint of hopeful validation within.

She catches her looking at her secretly, eyes dark and regretful, and Josie can’t help but think that maybe she feels the same way.

That maybe… Hope looks at her and wonders just what she’s missing, too.

Josie tries to avoid being in the vicinity of Hope and Landon together as much as she can.

Whilst she was once able to tolerate seeing the pair together, now it was just too much, the sight of them too painful to tolerate.

Seeing Landon is particularly difficult, and it throws her just how viscerally she reacts to his presence.

The unbridled jealousy that swirls within her at the sight of the curly headed boy is almost dangerous. 

She hates what he now presents to her, hates that he owns his inadequacy without consequence, hates that he gets to be a boyfriend to Hope when she could do it so much better.

It makes her want to confront him, or do something, an undercurrent rising up in her that makes her falter.

So yeah, hence the avoiding.

Thankfully Josie mostly succeeds in her endeavour, rarely having to witness the pair, avoiding all scenarios that might place them all together at once.

That means skipping out on planned group hang outs, missing out on squad meetings and avoiding the dining room at meal times.

It’s kind of lonely, she’s not going to lie, but it’s worth it if it means she doesn’t have to see Landon’s dumb face.

There are occasions where it’s unavoidable however, like classes, and unfortunately Josie found herself currently in said scenario.

She didn’t share many classes with Landon, none actually except for the mandatory all faction PE hour that was held fortnightly. Apparently it was supposed to avoid a total separation between the groups, prompting unity and understanding her father had said.

Josie just thought it was bullshit.

Especially right now, having been sorted into a team with the very people she’s trying to avoid.

The universe must hate her.

They were currently mid way through a pointless game of volleyball, and Josie would rather be anywhere but here.

She was on a team with Lizzie, Finch, Hope, Landon and a few others and thus far it had sucked. 

They were winning by a large margin, which only made it worse because Landon insisted on celebrating each point with Hope like they’d just won the damn championships or something. He’d try kissing or spinning the girl in victory, despite the fact that his useless self hadn’t even contributed to the tally once.

Even worse was Hope kept trying to talk to her throughout the game, being encouraging and praising her when she scores and… Josie just wasn’t in the mood.

“Alright, swap servers.” Their gym teacher calls out after the last point concludes, signalling a swap over. Everyone had cycled through once by now, except for Lizzie who had conveniently avoided serving thus far. “That means you Saltzman, you know the drill.”

Lizzie shoots the man a withering glare at the call out, grumbling as she reluctantly moves into position in the service area. Finch throws her the ball from her position in the front zone, and the blonde catches it wearily, eyeing the ball with disdain.

Josie can’t help but grin a little bit at the display, Lizzie’s aversion to group sports was notorious.

Lizzie surveys the court for a moment, eyes narrowing mischievously as she sets her focus on where she wants to deliver the ball. She throws it up in the air then, jumping up and spiking the ball with impressive force.

It careens forward, however it’s much too low to make it over the net, instead it makes a beeline for the players standing at centre line and—

The ball crashes straight into the back of Hope’s head.

The sound of the ball colliding with the girl's skull makes an impressive thud, and Hope makes a startled noise in surprise, turning around to level the blonde with an indignant frown.

“Ow, Lizzie.” Hope snaps angrily, rubbing at the back of her head. “What the hell was that?”

The blonde holds her hands up in front of herself innocuously.

“Oops.” Lizzie says with a light shrug, her tone sounding somewhat embellished with regret however the small smirk that pulls at the corners of her mouth betrays the performance. “I probably should have warmed up a bit better, huh?” 

Hope’s eyes narrow at blonde's obvious lack of remorse, and she pins Lizzie with a scowl that would have made a grown man falter.

Lizzie however is entirely unaffected, looking back at Hope innocently and grinning to herself when the girl turns back to face the net.

Josie sends her sister a reproachful look, knowing that the slip was no way near an accident but Lizzie just waves her off, pretending to focus on the next serve.

Going through the motions once more, she lobs it and spikes the ball hard, the serve once again going nowhere near the other side of the court.

Josie watches on as the ball makes a beeline for Landon this time, and isn’t at all concerned when it too lines up perfectly with the back of his head.

Landon, who is not afforded the same luxury of increased strength and resilience, does not fare as well as Hope when he takes the hit. The force of the ball careens him forward, and he lands faceforward onto the court with a thud.

“Oh wow, I really am off my game today.” Lizzie comments drolly, lifting up a manicured hand to inspect her nails, not expressing a single care for the boy despite the fact that he’s now groaning on the floor in pain.

Josie hears the coach sigh heavily at the display, before she hears the sharp sound of a whistle blowing.

“Alright everyone, let's just take five.” He calls out tiredly, making his way over to Landon to see if he’s okay. 

Hope is kneeling beside the boy with ball in hand, who now looks a bit dazed and shaken, and Josie can’t quite help the petty sense of satisfaction she gets at the sight.

“You know, for two service faults, they sure were accurate.” Josie comments, dragging her eyes from the pair and levelling her sister with a raised brow.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Jo.” Lizzie denies with a hum, but the mischievous glint that dances in her blue eyes suggests otherwise. Her gaze flicks over to the pair, before looking back at Josie smugly,  “Also, you’re welcome.”

Josie is about to reply, but a voice sounds beside them.

“Hey guys,” Finch murmurs, looking between the twins and Landon when she comments, “Mean serve you’ve got on you there, Lizzie.”

It’s said with an air of appreciation, and Lizzie laps it up.

“Yes, well, it’s just a shame it’s not cooperating,” Lizzie sniffs, holding her hand out in front of her and regarding it like it’s a fucking deadly weapon or something, “As you can see the collateral damage can be devastating.” 

Josie groans, her sister was ridiculous.

Finch just snorts in amusement.

“Hey, I’m certainly not complaining.” The werewolf murmurs with a grin, waving an encouraging hand between them, “Especially if it gets us out of this game quicker.”

Lizzie hums in agreement, and a lull in conversation falls over them. Josie’s gaze flicks over to Finch, and she finds the other girl looking back at her, a small smile adorning her face.

“Seeing as we’ve got a sec though, I um—.” She begins a little stiltedly, hands stuffing into pockets and brown eyes only for Josie. “I wanted to ask you both something.”

Oh.

Something tells Josie the question might be more for her than Lizzie, but she nods anyhow.

“A friend’s band is playing a gig in town on Friday and I was wondering if you wanted to come.” Finch asks, the words a little rushed in their delivery, an air of nerves present. Her lips quirk up into a grin, “You changed my perspective on dancing the other night, I thought maybe we could do it again.” 

Her words are careful with their intent, and there’s a cautious hopefulness in her gaze that makes Josie’s stomach flip uneasily. 

Despite the amplified loneliness she’d felt that night at the party, Josie hadn’t been stupid enough to cross any boundaries with Finch. It had remained friendly, but the way the werewolf looks at her lets her know she wants more than Josie is ready to give.

“We could all go together as friends,” Finch is quick to cut through the hesitation that grips Josie, and her eyes flick between her and Lizzie, “You and MG should come too.”

Her mouth parts, a tentative dismissal forming on her lips, however Lizzie beats her to it.

“We’d love to.” Lizzie interjects with a clap of her hands, the smile on her face more cunning than sincere. Her blue eyes flick over Finch’s shoulder, smiling widening before she turns back to Josie, elbowing her in the side, “Wouldn’t we, Jo?”

What the fuck?

Her narrowed gaze meets Lizzies, and she tries her best to subtly convey her irritation, eyes blazing with betrayal. The blonde just gives her an infuriatingly innocent look, seemingly waiting on her answer, and Josie has to tamp down the urge to kick the girl.

She swallows thickly, turning back to back to Finch when the silence waiting on her input gets a little too prolonged. She nods a little stiltedly, “Yeah, that sounds fun.”

Finch’s face immediately lights up.

“Okay, great!” The werewolf breathes out, any caution having melted away from her demeanour, replaced by an excitement that makes Josie bite her lip. Finch rocks forward slightly, hopeful eyes peering back at Josie, “I’ll pick you up at eight? Maybe we could grab some dinner before—“

A loud, startling bang sounds throughout the gym, echoing around the space and effectively cutting Finch off. The three of them whip their heads towards the source, only to find—

Hope is staring across at them with a scowl, the volleyball she was holding crushed between a suffocating grip, a gaping hole in its side from the mounting pressure.

Oh.

“Shit, Lizzie, she doesn’t look too happy with you for hitting her boyfriend.” Finch whistles lowly when she catches a look at Hope’s death stare, eye brows creeping up her forehead.

The blonde is standing next to the werewolf, and Josie can kind iof see how Finch would assume that Hope was looking at Lizzie like she wanted her to spontaneously combust but–

She wasn’t. 

No, her smouldering gaze was trained directly on Finch.

Lizzie snorts in amusement at the oblivious observation.

“Oh don’t worry about her,” Lizzie dismisses with a wave, amusement colouring her tone as she observes Hope with a derisive look. She turns back to Finch then, commenting contemptuously, “She gets way too territorial over the things she thinks she owns.”

Oh God.

Finch just nods, taking the comment at face value, the double entendre of Lizzie’s words flying straight over her head. 

“Anyway, MG and I already have plans for dinner,” Lizzie continues, picking up from where Finch left off before the disruption. Keeping consistent in the theme of throwing her under the bus, the blonde doesn’t stop before volunteering, “But I’m sure Josie would be up to grab something with you and then we’ll meet you guys there.” 

Josie has no doubt that Lizzie knows what she’s doing right now, especially if the deepening scowl on Hope’s face is anything to go by. The casual acceptance had put Josie in an awkward position however, leaving her no room to back out of the offer, and she hopes her sister knows she’d be getting an earful about this when they’re alone.

Josie finds her irritation with Lizzie in that moment is overshadowed however, the swirling discontent that has arisen by Hope’s reaction at the forefront. She’s annoyed by Hope’s anger, and also more than a little confused. She had said that she shouldn’t have kept her disapproval of Finch to herself, so why was she now looking at the werewolf like she wanted to rip her heart from her chest?

“What do you say, Jo?”

Josie drags her gaze from Hope at the question, too tired to care about the other girl's childish jealousy. She meets Finch’s eager expression with a small smile, nodding in affirmation.

“Sounds good.”

Josie is running late.

She really didn’t mean for the time to run away from her like this, but regardless, here she now sits in front of her dresser, hastily trying to finish off her makeup.

Perhaps her tardiness had something to do with the fact that her anticipation for the night ahead was at an all time zero.

She appreciates the offer, and she’s sure that the night ahead won’t be awful , but the thought of being subjected to Finch’s hopeful gaze for the next several hours fills her with dread.

Fucking Lizzie.

If only she’d shut her mouth then all of this could’ve been avoided.

Whatever.

She did actually have fun dancing with Finch, so she’ll keep an open mind. After all, after the week she’s had Josie feels like she deserves a night to blow off some steam.

If that just so happens to involve her ex girlfriend, then so be i—

A knock at her door interrupts her inner musings, the sound startling enough that it makes her jolt, disrupting the perfect line of eyeliner that she’d been carefully applying.

Shit.

“Come in.” She calls out, too busy to get up and entertain the visitor at her door.

It’s unlocked and it’s probably just Finch, anyway. They were supposed to be meeting up at the front of the school, with plans to take the werewolf’s scooter down to the Grill in about twenty minutes or so, but maybe there was a change of plans.

The door opens and shuts quietly, and Josie is surprised when she spots who it is through the mirror.

It’s Hope.

She’s standing there with a tentative expression on her face, and a sweatshirt balled loosely in her hand.

“Hey Jo.” She murmurs softly, voice warm and inviting, and Josie can’t help the slight shiver that runs across her skin at the other girl's sudden appearance in her room. She watches as Hope’s eyes widen when she registers that Josie is clearly getting ready to go somewhere, “Oh, you’re busy.”

Josie hums, resuming the task of applying her eyeliner, ignoring the way her hand shakes slightly.

“I’m late.” She murmurs in a way of explanation, flicking the pen back down to the table and snatching up her mascara. She applies a few strokes to her lashes, watching as Hope tentatively approaches the bed closest to her, taking a seat, “What’s up?”

“Not much.” Hope begins nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders and looking down at the sweatshirt in her hands. She raises it slightly, shaking it when she says, “You left this in my room and I thought I’d return it to you.”

Josie had thought the shirt looked vaguely familiar. It’s hers, so it’s not a lie per se, but the whole thing sounds suspiciously like an excuse if she ever heard one.

“That’s been in your room for months now, Hope.” Josie says simply, finishing off her mascara. She makes eye contact with the other girl in the mirror, raising an eyebrow, “Why the sudden need to return it now?”

Hope maintains the facade for a few more seconds, before it drops, caught out. The corners of her mouth upturn in a smile, blue eyes dancing with amusement. 

“Okay, you got me.” Hope concedes, a roguish little grin adorning her soft mouth, and the sight makes Josie’s stomach flip. It’s amazing how just a look could have her so affected. She tosses the shirt behind her, shrugging her shoulders, “It’s been a while, maybe I just needed an excuse to talk to you.”

Oh. 

The comment makes Josie pause, and she puts down the mascara, turning in her seat to face the other girl.

“You never need an excuse to talk to me, Hope, you know that.” Josie murmurs, trying her best to convey the seriousness behind her words because—it’s the emphatic truth. They’re best friends for god sake, or at least they were before all the confusion was added to the mix, and she never wants Hope to feel like they can’t even talk freely anymore.

The teasing on her face falls away, and Hope looks at her with a searching gaze, eyes dark as they drag over Josie with intent, brimming with unspoken words.

“Don’t I?” Hope asks, voice laid bare and openly vulnerable. “Because these days I feel like you’re impossible to reach.”

Shit.

Josie’s breath comes heavy at the statement, the atmosphere in the room getting thicker by the second. Suddenly they’re talking about something so far removed from a stupid shirt, and Josie is frozen under Hope’s gaze.

What is she supposed to say to that? The thing is, Hope isn’t even wrong. She’s been trying her hardest, but to heal her own raw heartache, she’s probably come across as awfully distant in the process. 

Regardless, Josie can’t do this right now.

“I—“ She falters, averting her eyes uncomfortably. She stands then, running a hand through her hair, gaze tentatively falling on the other girl, “I need to change, I’ll just be a sec.”

It’s a cop out, she knows it is.

Josie barely waits around to see Hope quietly nod in acknowledgement before she’s retreating to the closet, and okay, she definitely doesn’t miss the irony of that sentiment at all.

When she closes the door behind her, Josie feels like she can breathe again. She anticipated this tonight, hadn’t built her walls up high enough in preparation to talk to Hope, and she’s entirely caught off guard. 

She briefly considers setting up shop in here, away from Hope and Finch and all of their expectations. It sounds nice, but alas, she’s no cliche and she can’t hide in the closet forever. 

She hastily grabs the dress she’d picked out, or rather that the one that Lizzie had insisted she wear. It’s a soft lavender body con dress, stopping at around mid thigh and hugs her in all the right places. 

She pulls it on like it’s armour, sucking in a breath before exiting. 

Josie doesn’t spare too much of a look at the other girl, instead she makes her way back over to the dresser, her attention deliberately focussed on her jewellery.

“So…” Hope trails off conversationally, voice a little rough, “What're you doing tonight?”

The question is entirely innocuous, but the way it falls between them sets her on edge.

“I’m meeting up with Finch.” Josie murmurs, reaching up to insert an earring. She chances a glance at the other girl and finds her gaze fixed firmly on the floor, brows pinched. 

Her explanation feels rather redundant leaving her mouth, Josie knows that the other girl is already perfectly aware of where she’s going. Hope would have been able to hear every word of their conversation in that gym, and judging by her reaction there’s no use in retelling the story.

“Oh.”

Hope doesn’t bother acting surprised either, instead the word is breathed between them with a sigh of resignation. 

Josie isn’t really sure what she’s supposed to say, she knows this has been a touchy subject between them, and it makes her feel awkward.

She settles on saying nothing, instead putting the last of the earrings in her ear and then moving on the necklace she’d picked out. She picks the delicate silver chain up and moves to wrap it around her neck, attempting to do up the clasp.

Her trembling fingers are not her friend at the moment, however, and it takes several more unsuccessful attempts before she sighs in frustration.

“Do you mind helping me with this?” Josie eventually resorts, throwing a helpless look over her shoulder at the other girl. 

Hope nods quietly, rising from her place on the bed without question, and closes the gap between them to come to Josie’s aid. 

She feels Hope step into her space without preamble, the warm ambrosial scent of her perfume invading Josie’s senses and making her dizzy. Delicate fingers reach up and gently remove the ends of her necklace from her grasp and Josie, well—

She can’t quite help but think this was a mistake.

Hope’s delicate touch grazes ever so maddingly along the sensitive skin of her neck as she works the clasp, and Josie can’t help the quiet sigh that escapes her lips at the contact. 

After what feels like forever, Hope eventually attaches the clasp, fingers repositioning the necklace, drifting gently across her skin as she does so.

“Thank you.” She murmurs out, the sound coming out far thicker that it should, and she curses herself internally at how affected she sounds. 

It’s pathetic, okay, she knows it is, but Josie can’t help it. It’s been two weeks now since she last felt Hope’s hands on her, or even felt her this close at all, and she’s been on edge. Going from having sex every damn day to nothing has been rough, so it’s only natural that in her touch deprived state she’s reacting like this. 

That’s what she tells herself, at least.

She feels Hope shift slightly to her right, and she sees her through the mirror as she appraises Josie, eyes dark and appreciative. 

“You look beautiful, Jo.” The other girl murmurs lowly, and Josie’s stomach flutters dangerously at the compliment. 

Hope’s gaze drags across her intently, smouldering admiration in her eyes and Josie can practically feel it lick across her skin. It’s dizzying, her breath catching in her throat, and she turns to face the other girl, the action almost on autopilot.

They’re close now, too close to be considered friendly, and when their eyes lock Josie finds nothing but desire swimming in endless blue.

“Yeah?” Josie whispers, not able to say much else, mesmerised by the way Hope looks at her.

Hope hums, biting her lip.

“Yeah, this dress…” She trails off, eyes dragging up and down her body admiringly, and fuck , a pull settles low at her naval under the attention. Hope inhales, meeting her gaze as she sighs, “God, you wear it well.”

As if to prove her point, Hope darts her hands out to settle low on Josie’s hips, hands getting a feel of the fabric before squeezing appreciatively. The contact is sudden, but oh so familiar, and she melts under the touch.

The quiet whine that tumbles from her traitorous mouth makes her cheeks burn.

“Shit, sorry.” Hope’s eyes widened slightly, looking down at her hands as if they got there on autopilot. She looks back up at Josie then, looking sheepish, but makes no move to remove the contact when she says, “Old habits, I guess.”

Josie can understand that.

Every cell in her body is screaming at her to just sink into the other girl’s touch, and it almost feels like going against the urge would be unnatural. They moved so easily together, they knew each other's bodies like they knew themselves, and she would be a hypocrite to fault the other girl.

Hope tentatively palms at the flesh on her waist, chewing on her lip as she clicks her tongue with an incredulous shake of her head.

“What?” Josie probes, the question a whisper in the quiet between them, wanting nothing more than to know what the other girl is thinking.

Hope shakes her head again, eyes swirling with gentle disbelief.

“It’s nothing, I just—” Hope sighs, dragging her eyes up to meet Josie's, hands pulling at her hips for good measure, “I just wonder if wanting to be with you like this will ever stop feeling like second nature.”

Oh.

The question is filled with quiet astonishment, and it hits Josie square in the chest, stealing the breath from her lungs. 

“You feel that too?”

The question falls from her lips incredulously, not bothering to censor herself as Hope’s confession leaves her foundationless. She feels it acutely, has felt that way since the first time Hope had asked her to touch her, and she’s shocked the other girl feels the same.

“Of course I do,” Hope’s lips quirk up ever so slightly, eyes boring into Josie’s with a burning seriousness, “I haven’t been able to think of much else, lately.”

The quiet admission rocks Josie to her core, her breath coming out in a trembling rush.

Dark eyes drop down to Josie’s lips then, the intensity of her stare all consuming, before flicking back up to meet Josie’s knowingly, and fuck—

Josie feels it too.

She feels exactly what Hope is feeling in that moment, that inexplicable pull that draws them together, and god it’s almost impossible to resist.

They’re closer now, they’re bodies drawing them together like magnets, and it wouldn’t take much to close the distance—wouldn’t take much to fall together in a dance they know so well.

Eyes lock, swirling with unspoken desire, and Josie knows she can’t resist this.

Their close enough that she can feel their breaths mix together, fanning out in what feels like loaded anticipation, before—

They crash into each other, lips connecting in what feels like a forgone conclusion.

They whimper into each other’s mouths at the contact, and Josie feels the relief at the feel of Hope so acutely that her knees almost buckle underneath her.

They kiss each other like they’re starving, like they’d been apart for far longer than two weeks, and it steals the breath from her lungs.

Hope is frenzied in her need for Josie, unable to get enough, and her hands reach down to the back of her thighs, and—

Josie whimpers in surprise when she feels Hope lift her up, carrying her like she weighs nothing, and hastily placing her on the dresser without even faltering. 

Fuck.

Josie knows exactly where this is headed, her body thrums with the anticipation of what’s to come, and she can’t bring herself to even entertain the notion of stopping.

Not with the other girl's hands now dragging hotly across her body, never stopping in one place for too long, almost as if she wants all of Josie all at once.

Hope’s hands map her body with an air of desperation that makes Josie breathless, purposeful in their intent, grasping at her like she’s making up for lost time. She gets frustrated after a moment, breath coming out in a sigh against her neck, hands pulling at her dress in exasperation.

Eventually the other girl pulls away, and Josie whines at the loss of contact, acutely feeling the loss.

Eager hands drop down to the exposed skin of her thighs, nails dragging upwards towards the hemline of her dress, the sensation making her hips jolt upwards. 

Oh.

She hears Hope laugh then, the sound low and teasing, and Josie flushes under the attention. She knows she must look a sight, legs parted, skin flushed and lips swollen, and she’s entirely at the mercy of the other girl, but—

She doesn’t care.

All she wants right now is Hope’s hands on her body.

“Hope.” She murmurs, the sound embarrassingly needy to her ears, eyes flicking open in frustration when the wait becomes too much.

Her eyes meet Hope’s, a teasing glint dancing in mirthful blue, and she watches intently as the other girls gaze eventually drags down her body, settling at her hands. Grasping at the cotton material, Hope drags her dress upwards, tugging with purpose. 

Josie gets the hint, lifting herself up enough to aid in the process, and in no time Hope has rucked the material up high enough that it bunches up around her waist. 

Hope makes a suggestive noise at her sudden exhibition, the sound low and throaty, eyes burning at the sight. Josie feels suddenly exposed under her gaze, the red lace of her underwear now on full display. 

The other girl steps back in between her legs, hands settling on her hips and grasping in a way that’s awfully possessive. 

God.

Hope leans in and noses at the skin of her collarbone, dragging her lips up her neck heatedly until she reaches the shell of Josie’s ear, breath ghosting across her skin dizzyingly.

She feels a hand snake down to the edge of her underwear, fingering at the waistline teasingly.

“Did you wear these for her, Josie?” Hope murmurs against her ear, delivering a sharp tug at her lingerie as if to prove a point.

The question is pointed, an underlying edge present in her voice that makes Josie tremble. Her breath catches in her throat, any response she could have had dying on her lips. 

Oh.

She buries her head in Hope’s auburn locks, biting her lip to stifle a groan, the underlying possession in the other girl's tone leaving her breathless. She hadn’t worn the lingerie with Finch in mind—hadn’t given it much thought at all, actually—but she can’t even begin to form a reply, not trusting her voice.

Hope is seemingly displeased by her non answer, delivering a well timed nip to her pulse point. 

Josie gasps shakily, hips bucking forward, desperate to be touched where it counts, having gone far too long without this.

“Hope.” She sighs out, grasping at the other girls back with shaky hands. She’s in no mood for teasing, not when her body is currently burning with need for the other girl. She sighs out a pleading breath, “ Please.”

She receives a non committal hum in reply, but Hope thankfully concedes in her request, her fingers moving at a glacial pace as they slowly dip below the waistband of her underwear. 

Josie waits with bated breath as practised fingers slide down teasingly close to where she needs them most, and she lets out a frustrated puff of air at the delay. She feels Hope grin against the skin of her neck, and Josie is just about to open her mouth to demand more, when—

Nimble fingers slide across her clit just so, and whatever retort she had dies on her lips, replaced instead with a sharp cry of pleasure. 

The relief is minimal though, as Hope moves lower down, her fingers sliding against the abundance of wetness she finds there.

Hope groans against her neck at the feel of her.

“What about this, Jo?” Hope mutters heatedly against her neck, fingers trailing throughout the embarrassing amount of arousal as if to prove her point. Fingers probe against her entrance, teasing in their pursuit, “Is this for her too?”

Oh.

Fuck.

Josie’s skin burns at the comment, a heated flush spreading across her body and stoking the blazing heat that takes up space low in her abdomen. Her breath catches sharply in her chest, sounding out like a soft whine between them, and god, Josie really isn’t sure why she’s so damn affected by the question.

There’s an underlying edge to Hope’s voice, like she knows the answer but she wants Josie to say it.

Her silence only spurs the other girl on, her fingers applying a teasing amount of pressure, making small circles but never truly giving her what she wants.

“Hmm?” She prompts, full lips pressing heatedly against her pulse point.

The sound is low and provoking to Josie’s ears, and she can’t help but clench her eyes shut, overcome with how entirely at Hope’s mercy she is in this moment. 

“No.” She gasps out, shaking her head back and forth against Hope’s shoulder, breath coming out in trembling breaths. God, it’s completely redundant to even answer because Finch is the furthest thing from Josie’s mind right now, all she can see is Hope. “ Fuck Hope, it’s not, it’s—“

It’s all for you.

Hope hums knowingly, the sound dripping with satisfaction.

Her fingers trail back up to her clit, circling for a few maddening seconds, before they are removed entirely and Josie all but deflates.

Seconds later she feels Hope hook her fingers in the material of her underwear, getting a good grip before pulling.

She tears them off of her in one fell swoop.

The sound of material ripping is loud between them, and Josie gasps in surprise, the sound morphing into a quiet moan after the fact at the overt display of strength. 

“I didn’t think so.” Hope murmurs, a self-satisfied lilt present in her voice that sets Josie on edge. 

She feels hands on her waist then, pushing her back slightly, and she gets the hint—hands falling backwards to prop herself up on the dresser. Josie’s eyes flutter open at the sudden change, gaze coming to rest on Hope who’s looking at her with hunger in her eyes.

Hands fall down to her hips, gripping firmly and shimmying her closer to the edge, before—

Hope drops to her knees.

Oh.

Josie watches with hooded eyes as Hope looks up at her, gaze reverent in its admiration, pupils dark and hungry as they drag across her body. Her breath hitches at the sight of Hope like this, on her knees and gazing up at Josie like she’s her last fucking meal on earth.

Firm hands come up to wrap around her thighs, pushing her legs open further and Hope’s gaze locks on her glistening centre, mesmerised by the display.

She doesn’t waste any more time in teasing Josie, too determined to get her own fill it seems to continue the little game they’d been playing, much to Josie’s absolute relief.

Instead, she leans forward and places her mouth right where Josie needs it the most, finally, tongue dragging from her entrance up to her clit.

The sound Josie lets out at the contact borders on indecent, a long and low moan ripping from her lips. Josie should have more sense to be embarrassed right now, sitting on her dresser, spread open for Hope like this, but fuck— all she can think about right now is her devastating want for the other girl.

After what feels like an insurmountable time apart, Josie now feels like she’s drowning in the best way possible.

Hope shares in her enjoyment, it seems, a throaty moan reverberating against her at the taste of her, and—

Wasting no time, Hope begins to work up her in an achingly familiar way, her tongue making practised movements against her, never quite applying direct pressure but giving enough stimulation that it builds her up to something more.

She’s knows she’s not going to last long.

That much is clear, she’s embarrassingly worked up already and she’s barely been touched.

Josie is flushed, and glassy eyed, and warm all over—breath hitching deliciously in her throat at a well timed flick, her head thrown back and eyes clenching shut.

Fuck.

Hips jolt upwards needily, and her hands grip at the unforgiving woods under her palms, knuckles turning white under the pressure, and—it’s not enough. She wants to feel the other girl, wants everything Hope has to give her, and her fingers move to thread through long auburn locks. 

Josie’s grip is firm, the pressure against Hope’s head steady as she bucks into her mouth, and the other girl lets out a hum of approval at the action. 

Hands squeeze abruptly at her thighs, wrapping around more securely, and Josie’s eyes flutter open at the action. She looks down, and her gaze unknowingly connects with the other girl’s. 

Oh God.

Hope is staring back up at her intently, irises ablaze with a vibrant gold, seemingly lost with her own desire. The sight steals the breath from her lungs, the moment more intense than she anticipated, and Josie watches with bated breath as Hope holds the eye contact, gaze deliberate as she moves to capture her throbbing clit into her mouth.

She sucks gently, tongue flicking directly over the sensitive ball of nerves, and—

Fuck.

Josie cries out at the sensation, a bolt of pure pleasure rushing through her, stoking the flames that had been building since the moment Hope had touched her.

She can’t bare to look away, and Hope doesn’t either, their gazes locked intimately as she continues to work her up, and fuck, it only adds in the intensity of it all.

Noises fall freely from parted lips now, the sounds sharp and breathy.

Dazed and near delirious with mounting pleasure, Josie is struck with the sudden need to have Hope close. She’s hurtling towards the edge and she needs the other girl's skin against her own, needs to be sheltered in place and right now she’s much too far away. 

Feverish little whines tumble from Josie’s lips, and she tugs against the other girl's hair, “Hope, please… ”

I need you.

Hope gets the unspoken message, yielding under her redirection and rising to her feet. Josie whimpers at the loss of her mouth, and Hope wastes no time in standing between her trembling thighs, fingers quickly replacing where her tongue once worshipped.

She delivers a couple of expert circles to her clit before sliding down to her slit, two fingers poised teasingly.

Josie feels desperate to feel Hope inside, almost like it’s an absolute, she needs it like she needs the breath in her lungs.

Hope drags her lips messily along the line of her jaw, coming to ghost along the shell of her ear, and Josie can’t help but shiver.

“I’ve got you, Jo.” Hope murmurs heatedly, voice breathy against her skin, and the sentiment leaves her dizzy, because—

She does have her, she has all of her, unknowingly or not.

It’s not long before two fingers push inside, stretching her just so and curling with a familiar ease. Hope is well acquainted with knowing just what Josie likes, and she finds the spot inside that makes her whimper, finding a rhythm where her fingers repeatedly brush against the sensitive area with each thrust.

A skilful thumb raises up to circle at her clit simultaneously, and the combined sensations rip a choked moan from her mouth, sounding out more like a sob than anything.

Her hands grasp desperately at Hope’s back, nails sliding down pale skin. Thighs wrap around the other girl's hips, pulling her closer as she catapults towards the inevitable, the action all but desperate

Hope nips at the skin at her neck, her efforts eager and determined, almost like she has a point to prove, and god—Josie feels like she’s putty in her hands.

“Come for me, Josie.” Hope demands of her, the words murmured directly in her ear, leaving absolutely not room for discussion and—

Josie doesn’t comprehend anything else, her eyes rolling in the back of her head as her orgasm slams into her suddenly, leaving her entirely foundationless. 

White hot pleasure spills over inside, and Hope’s name rips from her lips in worship, the sound strangled and breathy. 

Hope holds her throughout, unintelligible praises falling from her lips in reverent whispers, trailing gentle kisses along her skin as she goes.

Josie eventually collapses against the crook of Hope's neck, soft and boneless, the waves of pleasure washing through her receding until she’s left basking in a pleasant glow. Her thighs tremble with aftershocks, quiet whimpers sighing from her mouth, muffled against heated skin.

God, she’s not exactly sure how they ended up here, again, but being together like this just served as a stark reminder of how right it felt. Josie never wanted to leave Hope’s arms, she wanted to stay here in the safety of it all, untouchable to the outside world.

They stay like that for a good few moments, just revelling in the moment, no need for words, just the passing of quiet breaths between them. 

“You feel so good.” Hope eventually breathes out with a sigh, voice thick with admiration, and Josie’s belly swoops at the praise. Albeit reluctantly, she feels fingers withdraw, drawing a quiet intake of breath from her lungs at the loss, “God, Jo, I—“

Hope cuts herself off then, words dying in her throat and Josie feels the other girl shake her head against her neck. She inhales shakily, before—

“I”m sorry, I know you said we had to stop this.” The other girl murmurs against her neck, breathing her in. Josie hums, and Hope continues with her justification, “I couldn’t resist though, I—“ She sighs heavily, the quiet admission being swallowed by a shake of her head. “We slipped up.”

Oh.

Josie tenses at the words.

It’s like a bucket of water is thrown over her head, extinguishing the hazy glow that enveloped her and leaving her feeling cold.

A slip up? Is that what this was to Hope?

“Josie?” Hope asks when she feels her stiffen under her touch, pulling back to get a better look at her. 

Josie looks at Hope, takes in the pretty flush adorning her cheeks and the probing look in her eyes, and wonders how they could be so close yet so far away.

“A slip up?” Josie asks, voice surprisingly neutral considering the hurt that runs rampant within.

She should be used to it by now, should be familiar with the heartache that comes with loving Hope, but in this moment it feels as fresh as ever.

Hope nods gently, biting her lip as she regards Josie carefully, looking almost sheepish.

Hope had come here whispering quite admissions that made her heart race, had fucked her in a way that made Josie feel loved under her touch, and… it was just a simple relapse.

She feels the need to flee rise up swiftly, the wound that had been healing over in the past two weeks now rubbed raw.

Josie shuffles forwards then, and Hope moves backwards, giving her enough space to slip off the dresser.

“I’m gonna go.” Josie mutters, her words short, wall coming back up right before Hope’s eyes. She runs her hands through her hair, then tugs shakily on her dress to smooth it back into place, “I’m late.”

Her appearance is in shambles and Josie knows she must look a sight, but she needs to leave or run the risk of crying in front of the other girl—which is something she is absolutely not going to do.

It’s like a switch has been flicked though, and Hope is left looking dreadfully confused by her sudden change.

“Josie, wait—“ Hope calls out, reaching out to grab at her wrist, halting her plans to escape. She turns back to face the other girl, finding her features marred with concern. “What’s wrong?”

Her voice is filled with worry, and on a normal day her concern would have been appreciated, but right now it just makes her angry.

It rises up, and she can’t quite tamp it down, Hope’s almost disregard for what they just did making her want to lash out.

“A slip up? Is that what it was to you?” The questions burst from her lips in rush, harsh and accusing, unable to keep it inside any longer. “You make it sound like a careless oversight or something. We had sex, Hope.”

Her words come out heated, pouring out of her in unrestrained anguish, and Josie feels like it’s an accumulation of her mounting heartache.

Hope regards her with wide eyes, looking more than a little lost, “Jo, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like th—“

“This isn’t just something I can do and get over like it’s nothing.” She spits out the last word, the insinuation burning her tongue. She feels wild now, chest aching and tears threatening her eyes as she fronts the other girl, “I’ve spent the last two weeks just trying to survive you, and now—”

Her sentence cuts off, a sob crawling up her throat, unable to hold her back from her turmoil any longer. Tears well at her waterline, teetering on edge of spilling, and she feels like she’s suffocating under the weight of her emotions.

Hope’s eyes had widened substantially at her outburst, her expression bewildered and more than a little panicked around the edges.

“ Josie.” She breathes out after a prolonged moment, voice soft and hesitant, almost like she’s talking to a wild animal that could startle at any moment. 

Hope steps forward, her other arm outstretched to touch her shoulder, her aim to presumably provide comfort, but—

Josie can’t accept it, can’t let Hope touch her now because she knows it will work —knows all too well that the other girl's touch is what got her here in the first place.

“Stop it, don’t touch me. You don’t mean any of it.” Josie snaps out brokenly, tears finally falling over, burning a shameful trail down her face. 

She pulls away from Hope’s grasp, wiping furiously at her damp cheeks, “You get jealous and possessive over me hanging out with Finch, you come here and fuck me knowing I’m going to see her,” she says accusingly, words hurt and bitter, “But it doesn’t mean a fucking thing, does it?

The question is rhetorical, Josie doesn’t expect an answer to a question that she already knows. She doesn’t wait, doesn’t let Hope say anything, continuing her assault—

“It’s like you don’t want me but you don’t want anyone else to have me, either.”  Josie mutters, the assessment falling from her lips in quiet anguish. She searches Hope’s face, vision blurred with tears, continuing in a whisper, “You’re in love and you’ve got Landon and I’m just some slip up.” 

She throws the other girl's words back in her face, delivering the final blow, and when she finishes Josie deflates with a trembling breath.

Hope, who had looked progressively more affected with each accusation, now looks back at Josie with something akin to heartbreak. Her eyes are glassy, and watery around the edges, and her lips tremble as she makes a move to speak.

“Josie, I—“

“Just save it, Hope.” Josie cuts her off. 

She’s not strong enough to stand here and be looked at with pity, she can’t hear the empty excuses after she’s just laid her heart bare like this.

She can’t.

So instead she gives Hope one last broken look, humiliated tears falling freely down her face, before turning around and fleeing.

Chapter Text

Hope is no stranger to loss.

Life had felt the need to teach her that particular lesson early on, not wasting any time in hardening her heart in irreparable ways.

Love and the subsequent loss that followed had become one of the only constants in her life, and she had come to expect the painful fallout that letting her walls down afforded.

After she lost her mother and father, something broke within Hope that she couldn’t even begin to put back together. Instead, her fractured heart was enveloped in stone and the walls she built up around her were almost impossible to reach.

Almost.

Time, as they say, had not healed all—not even close, and Hope didn’t think it ever truly would, but… It had softened it somewhat, taken the edge off enough that she felt like she could breathe again.

The agonising heartbreak she’d felt as a fifteen-year-old, filled with burning anger and a desperate sense of loneliness, was not something she believed would ever ease. 

She felt like she might drown in her grief.

Ever so slowly though, it had lessened, day by day she felt her parent’s absence a little less acutely. It was still there, the ache that took up space in her chest a constant reminder, but it was much less raw, less stifling.

Hope was surprised to find the impenetrable armour she wore had degraded somewhat over time, too. 

Unwillingly or not, her defences had been breached, and before she knew it Hope had found herself caring again. She hadn’t set out with such intentions, but one day she woke up with the confronting realisation that she once again stood to lose the things she held close.

Hope was tethered to this place, to these people that she’d found a home in, and—

She wasn’t the same as she was when she lost her parents, powerless in the face of what felt like the inevitable, and this time would be different.

This time she’d do everything in her power never to feel that way again.

Falling for Landon was never part of her plan.

After letting her guard down with Roman inadvertently led to her mother’s death, Hope had shut down the idea of letting herself be that vulnerable with someone again—not when she’d been so severely punished the first time around.

She’d been prickly to any advances, understandably so, but then suddenly Landon had reappeared in her life again—with his curls and boyish smile—and his presence transported her back in time. Back to the fond memories of heading down to the Grill and stealing shy glances at the dorkily charming boy that served her milkshakes, and right back to the innocent, fumbling crush she’d harboured on the boy.

It was almost too easy to fall into Landon and his easy affection, indulging in the opportunity to explore the feelings she’d resigned to a what if lost to circumstance. That’s not to say the beginning of their relationship was easy by any stretch, it wasn’t by any means, it was complicated by forces intent on keeping them apart.

Landon had wormed his way into her heart regardless, and when they eventually stumbled on the fact that he was immortal, Hope had released a breath she felt like she’d been holding since their first kiss. Granted, immortality meant little in a world full of loopholes, but it brought her guard down more than his once perceived human fragility ever afforded. 

Something shifted within her after that, and for the first time in a long time she felt like she'd found something not even fate itself could steal from her, no matter how tumultuous their relationship seemed to be at times. 

The universe seemed to have a sick sense of humour though, because despite their combined absence of an expiration date, Landon seemed to do everything in his power to leave her anyway. Over and over fate tried to pull them apart, proving hell bent on driving home her fears that they’d been doomed before they’d even begun.

Her endeavours not to succumb to the suffocating tendrils of loss left her actions with an air of desperation, and Hope found that the tighter she held on the faster everything ultimately slipped through her fingers.

She couldn’t run forever though, the inevitable consequences of loving someone had eventually caught up with her in the end.

Landon died.

Like actually died, and not in the boy who cried wolf kind of way that she’d become so familiar with, but six feet under kinda dead.

She had killed him, which was awfully ironic in hindsight if she thinks about it, but it was a foregone conclusion that they never stood a chance of escaping. 

Months had passed since that night, since his death had felt like an accumulation of her trauma all rolled into one, and in true Landon fashion, he had been able to find his way back to them.

Malivore had been defeated and with it brought a sense of peace that the boarding school hadn’t been afforded in a long time. It felt strange to Hope at first, being allowed to just exist for once without facing what felt like a never-ending threat on her life. Considering she had felt like her existence could be summed up by the universe trying to rewrite the cosmic mistake of her creation, being able to just be had felt a little strange at first.

With it had also brought a sense of normalcy to her relationship with Landon that was entirely foreign to Hope. The basis of their interactions thus far had been marred with a sense of underlying urgency, and while they had been able to steal away moments of intimacy that was just their own, a lot of their energy had been sacrificed towards surviving the next threat.

Now that the dust had settled, they could just be simple teenagers, allowed to be young and in love without danger breathing down their necks. It felt strange to Hope though, the startling realisation that she had no idea how they existed together outside of the context of being star crossed lovers left her feeling foundationless. 

He was here though, and he loved her, that she knew for sure, and—

She’d been given the opportunity to subvert from the only constant she’d ever known, and she wasn’t about to let that go to waste.

Hope can reluctantly admit that maybe it takes her way longer than it should to come to terms with the glaringly obvious problem in her relationship.

She’s not like, completely in denial or anything, she knows that her and Landon don’t have a perfect relationship one hundred percent of the time. They have their struggles, especially now that they actually have to work through their issues—their previous elation at surviving near death experiences had a pesky habit of making their problems miraculously dissolve in the past.

It was hard at times. Hope’s issues surrounding loss don’t magically disappear, her need to make up for Landon’s shortcomings apparently bordered on suffocating at times and the boy had voiced his displeasure at her actions leaving him feeling emasculated. 

Conversely, she found that Landon’s promises often didn’t match his actions, and there were times that Hope got the feeling that maybe he loved the idea of her more than the reality. 

So yeah, it wasn’t always easy, but they loved each and that counted for something.

For the most part Landon was attentive, and caring, and he tried and on paper that was enough.

Maybe that was the problem, maybe that’s why she tried so hard to convince herself that there wasn’t something wrong, because—

It was enough until one day… it wasn’t.

It had been a bit over a few months of navigating the newfound peace with Landon and she could no longer avoid the elephant in the room.

Whilst she was mostly satisfied emotionally, she’d found that her other needs had kind of been falling by the wayside.

She wasn’t going to sugar coat it, okay, because listen—

Hope was so sexually frustrated that she felt like she was on the brink of snapping.

Months had gone by and she could no longer pretend that sex with Landon didn’t leave a hell of a lot to be desired. 

Her reluctance to admit the issue was understandable at first, especially considering it wasn’t an area either of them were particularly well-versed in.

Their first time was obviously a write off.

Understandably so, because really, whose first time actually ends up being that good, anyway? She was prepared for that, she had heard that it could be awkward, and fumbling, and not at all as spectacular as people built it up to be.

On the other hand, nothing could have prepared her for Landon literally melting into a pile of goo moments later, so maybe she kind of has monopoly over terrible first times, but still, the act itself was predictably lacklustre.

The first few weeks after they had found each other again Hope didn’t have much expectations, either. She wasn’t expecting it to be perfect straight away, they’d need time to acquaint themselves and become familiar with what each other liked.

So, she gave it time, but when the days passed and nothing changed, Hope realised she was in trouble. The more her and Landon were together, the more she suspected that maybe things weren’t going to get better at all. 

It wasn’t horrible. 

It wasn’t, it’s just—

Landon was always considerate of her comfort, and he made it as romantic as a teenage boy living in a boarding school possibly could, but it didn’t make a difference—it always ended the same way, regardless.

It was quick, and anticlimactic and always left Hope feeling like it had fizzled out before it had truly begun, never getting her anywhere close to even—

Anyway.

Hope had quickly come to the conclusion that this was not an issue they both shared, Landon’s enjoyment of it all was never something that was up for debate, that much was obvious.

No.

She was alone in this, this was her problem and the more days that passed without an improvement, the more Hope began to question herself.

On paper she knew the expectation behind the act and what it was supposed to feel like, and her experiences didn’t quite match up. Sex with someone you loved was supposed to be this magical experience, it had been built up to be thing incredible thing and for Landon that may have been the case, but for her…

She never quite got it, no matter how hard she tried to force herself into feeling what she was supposed to feel.

Instead, the whole thing just left Hope feeling increasingly frustrated, and confused, and—

More than a little broken.

It’s on a random Wednesday that she finds out that maybe she wasn’t the problem after all.

She’s in the crowded dining hall when she’s hit with the realisation, the sudden change in perspective being spurred on by the current topic at hand.

Sex.

It definitely wasn’t something she’d been anticipating when she sat down at the table with the Saltzman twins. She’d spotted Josie from across the hall looking like she’d rather be anywhere else than listening to whatever spiel Lizzie is delivering, and the soft little pout that pulls at the brunette's features makes Hope grin.

She probably hasn’t been the most present friend to the pair the last few months, agonising over her perceived inadequacy had kind of been distracting from most things lately. Hope had missed the pair though, and when she spots them, she doesn’t hesitate to make a beeline in their direction.

In her endeavour to save Josie from her sister, Hope hadn’t anticipated that she’d be the one to get caught up in the crossfire, but more fool her for expecting anything less from Lizzie.

She should know better by now.

To say she’s thrown at the blonde’s openness regarding her and MG’s sex lives is an understatement though, and the shock must show on her face, because—

Four times?

She can’t help but blurt it out in clarification, thinking there is absolutely no way she heard that right, but when Lizzie nods eagerly in affirmation she’s officially stunned. 

Her silence following the revelation borders on awkward, her mind racing, and Lizzie homes in on her discomfort with practised ease. Josie being Josie senses her unease, and she’s grateful that the other girl is gracious enough to offer her an out of the conversation, and normally she would have taken her up on it. Normally she would have avoided this topic like the plague, but Lizzie’s proclamation has thrown her expectations way out of whack and she’s burning to know more.

She can’t stop herself from questioning the legitimacy of Lizzie’s claims, unable to hide the baffling surprise from her voice. 

It’s a mistake though, because no sooner does Lizzie clarify her question, she turns her attention onto Hope’s sex life, and that’s when she knows she fucked up.

If she were to look back on this moment, it’s right at this exact second that she could identify where the shift into no return occurred. Lizzie being Lizzie sees through her dwindling resolve, and just like that she’s been caught.

Her heart pounds in her chest as she watches the twin’s expression morph from confusion to surprise, and her stomach bottoms out completely when Lizzie all but announces the devastating state of her sex life to the entire dining hall.

In between shushing the blonde in hushed whispers, it becomes alarmingly clear to Hope in that moment that her situation with Landon mustn't be normal. That much is made clear by the varying reactions evident on the twins' faces.

Lizzie stares back at her with abject disgust, her features devolving even further with each bit of detail that Hope reveals. Josie similarly shares in her sister's disbelief, but unlike her twin's overt distaste, the brunette's features are much softer, brown eyes looking back at Hope with quiet sympathy. 

Her gentle gaze swirls with unspoken questions, full lip sucked between teeth, before—

Why in the world wouldn’t he take advantage of getting to touch you?

Oh.

The question is breathed out with such incredulousness that it makes something shift in Hope’s chest.

She phrases it in such a way that implies that the initial act of exploration would be a privilege in itself, and fuck, her perspective makes Hope falter.

The picture that Josie paints, Hope imagines what it would be like, and… being with Landon feels like worlds away.

He doesn’t do any of that.

He doesn’t touch her just for the sake of touching her, he doesn’t take the time to explore her body, he doesn’t engage in really any foreplay at all if she thinks about it. Some hasty kissing and fumbled palming are the extent of it, and the more Hope considers it, the more she understands the twin’s reactions, because maybe Landon—

The bell cuts them off, and the disappointment that runs through Hope in that moment cuts like a knife. She had held the weight of this alone for months, but the last fifteen minutes alone had given her more insight into the situation than she’d been able to find.

The flood gates had opened, and she wants nothing more than to talk about it further, because maybe—

Maybe she isn’t broken, after all.

Maybe Landon has more fault in this than she’d even considered.

Hope knows a lot of things about Josie Saltzman.

They’ve been in each other's lives for more than a decade now, indirectly or not, and it was only normal that she’d filed away a few details about the girl.

She knew little, inconsequential things—the things that probably aren’t important in the scheme of things, but she had noticed anyway. Like how her face scrunches up when she eats something she doesn’t like, or how her affinity for plants is bordering dangerously on addiction if the state of her room is anything to go by.

She knows the big things, too. Hope knows how much she struggles with herself, and how difficult she found it accepting the parts of herself that she deemed unworthy. She knows how strong she is too, and how loyal she is to her friends and family, even when it’s often at her own detriment. 

She knows Josie.

One thing she’d never thought she’d learn about the girl, though?

She never in her wildest dreams expected to know what it felt like to have her world come undone by the girl's touch.

God.

It was never something she expected to discover—to experience how it felt to be dizzyingly caught underneath Josie’s gentle weight and worked up by her practised guidance, but boy did she find out.

Hope had gone to the twin’s room that night to talk. 

It had been two days since their conversation in the dining hall and Hope felt like she was going crazy. She had been absent minded, distracted by her newfound revelations as she analysed her relationship with Landon in a different light. 

She couldn’t stop thinking about how it should be, how it could be with Landon, and her relentless musings had seen her arrive at the twins' door when she felt she could no longer hold it all in.

Lizzie, as it turns out, has already got a date planned with MG and it throws a spanner in her plan for some twin bonding time. Josie is staying in though, and her offer for Hope to join in on her movie night, whilst not exactly what she came here for, might be just the thing she needs to take her mind off things.

It isn’t.

Not even close.

Miraculously she lasts about forty-five minutes before Josie is pausing the movie and asking her why she looks like she wants to snap her laptop in half.

Hope thought she was being more subtle, but regardless, not even a shirtless Ryan Reynolds was enough to keep her attention. Each few minutes that passed, she had become more restless with the urge to word vomit what was on her mind, but beginning the conversation had her stumped.

How does one even broach that topic anyhow?

Somehow, she thinks that straight up asking Josie how sexually satisfied she was in her previous relationships was not the way to go about it.

Thankfully Josie spares her from the trouble, broaching her unease, and giving her the opportunity to spill what’s on her mind.

Now, if you had asked her going into this conversation what her intent was, asking Josie for foreplay pointers neverwould have been on the table.

She’s being honest.

It’s how Josie reacts to the conversation that plants the seed. She’s shocked and more than a little angry on her behalf, brown eyes disbelieving at Landon’s inadequacy.

She insists it’s not her fault, talking about needing the right build up and she’d be fine, and it makes curiosity burn within Hope.

She’s overcome with the need to know what it’s supposed to feel like, to experience it for herself so she could know the truth, and it’s how she finds herself suddenly underneath Josie, looking up at the girl with bated breath.

Nothing could have prepared her for what it feels to be touched by Josie.

It’s unlike anything she’s experienced before.

Once the hesitation in her actions wear off, Josie touches her like she already knows her body, her lips and hands finding her sensitive spots with ease, and—

It drives her fucking crazy.

It’s almost like a fire has been lit within her, Josie’s touch coaxing the flames higher with each drag of her lips and kneading of her hands, leaving a trail of electricity in its wake that pools heatedly in her stomach.

Long forgotten is the initial goal of this demonstration, taken by the burgeoning pleasure that leaves her feeling senseless, entirely lost in Josie. She’s mesmerised by the other girl, caught up in her enticing smell that leaves her dizzy and entranced by the small sounds of approval that leave full lips.

When Josie’s strong thigh comes to rest between her legs, any semblance of her sanity is lost. 

Josie gives her an out, asks her if she wants to stop, but she doesn’t entertain the idea for a second, because—

Hope couldn’t bear the thought of stopping.

Not now.

Not when—

She says as much, and Josie gives her what she needs, driving herself forward with purpose and sending her hurtling towards the point of no return.

Josie is everywhere, mouth panting heatedly into the skin of her neck, body pressed deliciously against her own, the maddening pressure of her thigh unrelenting, and—

Fuck.

Hope holds on for dear life, clinging to Josie as she’s rendered near delirious from her touch, unable to do much else but succumb to the inevitable. 

She’s struck with overwhelming pleasure moments later, her orgasm crashing into her and ripping the most indecent sound from her throat. Her breath is stolen from lungs, body bucking off of its own accord, filled so full to the brim she feels like she might burst.

She eventually collapses into the bed, flushed and panting, dragging Josie down with her as her skin burns for an intimacy that is out of place. She couldn’t care though, warm and content and basked in the afterglow, feeling more satisfied than she had in months—

The sound of her phone ringing abruptly had pierced through the comfortable quiet, sharp and jarring, and just like that Hope feels like a bucket of ice water has been dumped over her head.

She knows that ringtone, knows exactly who is on the other end of the phone, and her stomach sinks in realisation.

It’s Landon.

With the warm glow that enveloped her moments prior all but vanished, she rolls over and hastily answers the call, her hands shaking nervously. 

The boy's voice is bright and curious, his intentions for the call merely seeking out her whereabouts, and she’s thrown by the burning irritation that settles in her chest at the interruption. He’s completely none the wiser to what had just occurred, and when she isn’t immediately forthcoming with her whereabouts it doesn’t spark an inkling of suspicion, instead he just invites himself over to her room to watch a movie.

His intrusion into whatever Josie and her had just shared is jarring, and she has to bite tongue from snapping back at the boy, the frustration she’s feeling somewhat out of place.