Hosie~ One Shots

The Art Of Argument

Hope Mikaelson prided herself on being the best debater at Mystic Falls High. No one could match her sharp logic or commanding presence—except Josie Saltzman.

Josie was her equal in every way, and that infuriated Hope. Every tournament, every match, they were locked in a battle of wits, neither willing to yield. Their clashes were legendary—Hope's aggressive, fact-driven style against Josie's precise, emotionally compelling arguments.

And now, thanks to some cruel twist of fate, they were stuck at the same overnight debate competition, sharing a hotel floor, barely a few doors apart.

Their school's teams had both advanced to the finals, meaning they'd be going head-to-head tomorrow. The tension was unbearable.

That night, Hope couldn't sleep. She paced the hotel hallway, her mind replaying every argument Josie had ever used against her. If she could just find a flaw in Josie's technique, she could finally win.

Then, she saw her.

Josie was sitting alone in the dimly lit lobby, a legal pad resting on her lap, her fingers absently twisting the cap of a pen. She looked different—tired, vulnerable.

Hope hesitated. This wasn't the confident, infuriating Josie she knew. This was someone weighed down by something unseen.

Against her better judgment, Hope sat across from her.

"Couldn't sleep either?" she asked.

Josie looked up, startled. "No. Too much on my mind."

Hope nodded. "Yeah. The debate?"

Josie huffed out a soft laugh. "Partly." She hesitated, then, in a rare moment of honesty, admitted, "I don't know why I care so much about beating you."

Hope smirked. "Because you hate losing."

Josie shook her head. "No. It's because you make me better. Every time we argue, I have to push myself. No one challenges me like you do."

Hope's heart did something weird in her chest. She should have felt smug, victorious even. Instead, warmth bloomed in her stomach.

"I could say the same about you," Hope murmured.

Josie smiled softly, but there was something nervous in her eyes. "It's funny, isn't it? We spend so much time fighting that we never stop to think about why."

Hope's breath hitched. There was something electric between them, something that had always been there beneath the rivalry.

She could walk away. She could pretend this conversation never happened. But for once, she didn't want to.

Taking a leap, Hope leaned in, her voice quieter now. "Maybe it's because we don't actually hate each other."

Josie's lips parted, and for a moment, she looked as stunned as Hope felt. Then, slowly, she closed the distance between them.

The first brush of Josie's lips against Hope's was hesitant, but then the hesitation faded, replaced by something deeper—something that had been waiting to surface for far too long.

When they finally pulled apart, Hope exhaled a soft laugh. "So, what does this mean for the debate tomorrow?"

Josie grinned. "Oh, I'm still going to destroy you."

Hope smirked. "Not if I destroy you first."

But this time, their rivalry felt different—charged with something new, something undeniable. And for once, neither of them minded losing.

Hope woke up the next morning with a strange lightness in her chest—an unfamiliar feeling that had nothing to do with debating and everything to do with the girl who had kissed her in the lobby last night.