Hosie~ One Shots

A Seat At The Table

Hope leaned against the kitchen counter, scrolling through her phone while the coffee machine hummed softly in the background. The apartment smelled like fresh toast and cinnamon—Josie had a habit of adding a little too much to everything, but Hope loved it anyway.

Josie was in the living room, curled up on the couch, phone pressed to her ear. Hope hadn't been paying much attention until she heard the familiar, cheerful "Yes, of course! We'd love to come."

Hope frowned slightly, setting down her phone. Josie's voice was warm, happy—the way it always was when she spoke to her mother.

A moment later, Josie hung up and let out a content sigh. Hope, drawn by her girlfriend's obvious good mood, walked over and wrapped her arms around Josie's waist from behind, resting her chin on Josie's shoulder.

"What's got you all happy?" Hope murmured, pressing a light kiss against Josie's neck.

Josie leaned back into the embrace, her fingers brushing over Hope's arms. "Mom invited us to a family dinner," she said brightly. "Lizzie already said yes, and I told her we'd come too."

Hope stiffened slightly.

Josie immediately noticed. She turned her head, her brows furrowing. "Hope?"

Hope let out a slow breath and pulled away, running a hand through her hair. "I mean... that's great. But—your dad, Josie."

Josie sighed, turning fully to face her. "I know," she said gently.

Hope crossed her arms, avoiding Josie's gaze. It wasn't a secret that Alaric Saltzman wasn't her biggest fan. He tolerated her because she made Josie happy, but there was always this... tension. Like he was waiting for Hope to mess up, to prove that she wasn't good enough for his daughter.

And the truth was, sometimes Hope believed that too.

"Maybe I shouldn't go," Hope mumbled. "I don't want to ruin the evening."

Josie's expression softened. She stepped closer, reaching for Hope's hands and threading their fingers together. "You're not going to ruin anything," she said firmly. "You're my girlfriend. I want you there. Mom wants you there. Lizzie is actually excited to see you. And Dad... he'll come around."

Hope let out a small, skeptical huff. "You really think that?"

Josie squeezed her hands. "I know that."

Hope searched Josie's eyes, looking for doubt, for hesitation—but all she found was unwavering certainty. Josie believed in her, even when Hope didn't believe in herself.

"Okay," Hope finally said, exhaling. "I'll go."

Josie grinned, standing on her toes to press a quick, sweet kiss to Hope's lips. "Good. Because I'm not facing Lizzie alone."

Hope chuckled, feeling a little lighter. "That's fair. She's terrifying when she wants to be."

Josie laughed, tugging Hope toward the couch. "Come on, we have a dinner to prepare for. And don't worry—I'll be right there with you."

Hope stood in front of their shared closet, staring at the rows of neatly hung clothes like they were some impossible puzzle she had to solve.

Josie, already dressed, sat on the edge of their bed, watching her with amused eyes. "You know, we're just going to dinner, not the Met Gala."

Hope shot her a look over her shoulder. "Yeah, well, it's your family, and I'm already on thin ice with your dad. I don't want to make it worse by wearing the wrong thing."

Josie rolled her eyes playfully but got up and walked over, placing her hands on Hope's waist. "You could wear sweatpants and a hoodie, and my mom would still love you. And my dad—" she hesitated for a fraction of a second before continuing, "—is just going to have to deal with it."