Hosie~ One Shots

Workaholic Hope

It was well past midnight when Hope Mikaelson finally walked through the front door, her keys jingling faintly in her hand. The soft click of the door closing echoed through the quiet house. Josie Saltzman sat on the couch, legs curled underneath her, a blanket draped over her lap. She stared at the empty mug in her hands, her chest tight with frustration.

This had been happening for months now. Hope working late, coming home after Josie had already gone to bed, leaving before she even woke up. It felt like they were living in different worlds, their once unbreakable connection now stretched so thin it threatened to snap.

Josie had tried to stay awake many nights, but exhaustion always got the better of her. Tonight, though, she had waited, determined to talk. To finally break the silence that had settled between them like a cold wall.

Hope stepped into the living room, her shoulders slumped, the fatigue evident in her every movement. "Josie..." she sighed, her voice heavy with weariness. "I'm exhausted. Can we talk in the morning?"

Josie's jaw clenched. The words, the dismissal, cut through her like a sharp blade. She set the mug down on the coffee table with a shaky hand and stood up, her eyes dark with emotion. "In the morning?" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. "Hope, that's what you say every night. Every single night. And by morning, you're already gone."

Hope pinched the bridge of her nose, her frustration simmering beneath the surface. "I run an entire office, Josie. I'm the boss. I can't just walk away from my responsibilities whenever I want. You know that."

"But I miss you," Josie's voice cracked, her fists clenching at her sides. "I miss my wife. I miss the woman who used to come home and smile at me, the one whose eyes made my heart beat faster just by looking at me. I miss your touch, Hope.
I miss us."

Her words hung in the air, raw and vulnerable, and when Hope didn't immediately respond, Josie's breath hitched. Her anger melted into sadness, her emotions overwhelming her as tears filled her eyes. "I just... I feel like I don't see you anymore. Like I'm alone in this marriage."

Hope's eyes softened instantly as she saw the tears sliding down Josie's cheeks. The anger in her own chest quickly dissolved, replaced with guilt. She stepped forward, closing the distance between them, her hand reaching out to gently cup Josie's cheek. "Josie..."

Josie let out a shaky breath, her heart aching. "I miss you so much, Hope. We used to have everything, and now I feel like I'm losing you to your job. I just want my wife back."

Hope swallowed hard, her throat tight with emotion. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her thumb brushing away a tear from Josie's cheek. "I didn't realize how bad it had gotten. I never wanted to make you feel like you weren't my priority. I love you, Josie. I love you so much. I just... I got caught up in everything. I thought I was doing it for us."

"I don't care about your job, Hope. I just care about you," Josie's voice broke as more tears spilled over. "I need you."

Hope pulled Josie into her arms, holding her tightly, the warmth of their embrace instantly soothing the ache that had been building between them. "I'm here," she whispered into Josie's hair. "I'm so sorry. I've been so caught up in trying to fix everything at work that I forgot what's most important. I'm here now. I'll do better, I promise."

Josie buried her face in Hope's shoulder, her tears slowly drying as she let herself be held. "That's all I want," she whispered back.

Hope kissed the top of her head softly, her own eyes stinging with the weight of their argument. "I love you," she murmured, pulling back just enough to look into Josie's eyes. "We'll figure this out together, okay? No more staying late every night. I'll make time for us. For you."