Hosie~ One Shots

After The Fall

The night was cold, and the rain drummed a relentless beat against the pavement outside the old warehouse. Inside, Josie Saltzman and Hope Mikaelson stood in tense silence, the mission ahead demanding their full attention. But despite the looming danger, the tension between them was palpable, electric, a storm of emotions neither could ignore.

It had been months since their breakup—months of avoidance, half-hearted attempts to move on, and a mutual ache they both tried desperately to bury. But now, circumstances had forced them back together, and the cracks in their carefully constructed walls were starting to show.

The mission was simple enough on paper: infiltrate the warehouse, retrieve a powerful magical artifact that had fallen into the wrong hands, and get out. But the simplicity of the task was overshadowed by the complexity of their unresolved feelings.

"Let's just get this over with," Hope muttered, her voice strained as she adjusted her leather jacket and avoided Josie's gaze.

"Right," Josie replied, equally terse. She kept her focus on the door ahead, her heart pounding for reasons that had nothing to do with the mission. Being this close to Hope again, after everything, was like reopening an old wound.

They moved in tandem, their training kicking in as they entered the warehouse. The air inside was thick with dust, and the faint glow of magical wards lit the way. They communicated with brief glances and curt gestures, a stark contrast to the easy understanding they once shared.

The artifact—a glowing orb that pulsed with dark energy—was nestled on a pedestal in the center of the room. It seemed too easy, and that alone put both of them on edge.

"Careful," Hope warned, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the area for traps. "This doesn't feel right."

Josie nodded in agreement, feeling the familiar surge of magic at her fingertips as she prepared for anything. "I'll dispel the wards," she said, her voice softer now, though still laced with tension.

As Josie focused on the wards, Hope couldn't help but steal a glance at her. The sight of Josie, so focused and determined, sent a pang of longing through her chest. She tried to ignore it, reminding herself of the pain they'd caused each other, of the reasons why they'd broken up in the first place. But the feelings were still there, buried beneath the hurt, waiting to be acknowledged.

Josie dispelled the wards with practiced ease, and they both stepped closer to the pedestal. Just as Hope reached out to grab the orb, the ground beneath them shook violently, and the room was suddenly filled with a blinding light.

A trap.

The explosion of magic sent them both flying backward, crashing into opposite walls. Pain flared through Josie's body, but it was the sight of Hope lying motionless across the room that sent a jolt of fear through her heart.

"Hope!" Josie scrambled to her feet, ignoring her own injuries as she rushed to Hope's side. Her hands trembled as she reached for her, relief flooding her when she felt Hope's pulse—strong, steady, alive.

Hope groaned, her eyes fluttering open. "Josie?" Her voice was weak, but it held a note of surprise, as if she couldn't believe Josie was there, holding her.

"You're okay," Josie whispered, her voice breaking. She hadn't realized just how much she still cared until that moment, until the thought of losing Hope had gripped her heart with icy fear.

Hope sat up slowly, wincing at the pain in her ribs. "I'm fine," she said, though her eyes betrayed the truth—she was shaken, just as Josie was.

They sat there in the rubble, the artifact forgotten for the moment, as they faced each other with a vulnerability neither had allowed themselves to feel in a long time.

"I thought..." Josie began, her voice trembling with the weight of unsaid words. "I thought I lost you."

Hope looked at her, really looked at her, and saw the fear, the love, the regret in Josie's eyes. It mirrored everything she'd been trying to push down, everything she hadn't wanted to confront. "You didn't," she replied softly. "I'm right here."

There was a long pause, the kind that spoke volumes more than words ever could. The tension between them was no longer born of anger or hurt but of something deeper, something raw and unspoken.

"I never wanted to hurt you, Josie," Hope finally said, her voice thick with emotion. "But I was scared. Scared of losing you, scared of how much I love you."

Tears welled up in Josie's eyes, but she didn't bother to hide them. "I was scared too. That's why I pushed you away. I thought... I thought it would be easier. But it wasn't. It never was."

Hope reached out, her hand trembling slightly as she cupped Josie's cheek. The warmth of her touch was a balm to Josie's aching heart, a reminder of all the love they'd shared, and all the love that still remained.

"We've been through so much together," Hope murmured, her thumb brushing away a tear from Josie's cheek. "Maybe... maybe we can get through this too."

Josie leaned into Hope's touch, closing her eyes as she let herself feel everything she'd been denying for so long. "Maybe we can," she whispered back, her voice filled with a fragile hope.

Their eyes met, and for the first time in months, the wall between them crumbled. The love that had always been there, waiting beneath the surface, surged to the forefront, undeniable and all-consuming.

Josie leaned in, and Hope met her halfway. Their lips met in a kiss that was tender, filled with the promise of forgiveness and the possibility of a new beginning. It was a kiss that mended the broken pieces of their hearts, a kiss that spoke of the love that had never truly faded.

When they finally pulled away, they rested their foreheads together, breathing in the shared relief, the shared love that had brought them back to each other.

"We'll take it slow," Hope said softly, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions swirling inside her. "We don't have to figure everything out right now."

Josie nodded, her hand slipping into Hope's, holding on tightly as if she never wanted to let go. "As long as we're together," she whispered, "we'll figure it out."

The artifact still glowed ominously in the background, but for now, it could wait. There was time to save the world later. For now, they had each other, and that was enough.