I Hate the Way...

Part 54: "It Was Okay"

The brunette swallows thickly as Hope begins to turn around, making Josie deflate as she releases a breath she didn't realize she's been holding in.

"Oh, and for the record," Hope turns back around to face Josie, who looks up to meet her gaze curiously, "Last night, our wedding night, and every night in between...you're the best I've ever had." With that, Hope moves to pick up Josie's dishes from the table, and her own, before making her way into the kitchen, wearing a successful smirk on her lips, while Josie is left feeling like a complete mess, stimulated in the best and worst ways at the same time.

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Later, the couple lay in bed, with Josie writing song lyrics in her journal while Hope sketches beside her, Peaches laid comfortably across the foot of the bed. Occasionally, Josie will strum a light tune on her ukulele, and Hope will smile soft at the brunette's humming along with her tune. "You know, you could just sing whatever words you've written on that page."

Josie raises an eyebrow, sparing a glance in Hope's direction, "And you could show me what you're drawing."

Hope chuckles, nodding her head, touché. She sets her pencil on her nightstand and closes her sketchbook, placing it there as well, "I'm not drawing."

"Smart ass," Josie rolls her eyes. But she can't seem to fight her oncoming smile as Hope repositions herself, propping up on an elbow and wrapping an arm around Josie's waist. The auburnette leans in to leave a kiss on Josie's cheek, then her jaw, and her neck. Josie giggles lightly when Hope's nose brushes a ticklish spot on her neck, making Hope's smile grow as Josie grips her shirt, giving in, "Okay, okay! I'll sing some of it for you."

Hope leans away, laying on her side and propping her head on the palm of her hand, giving Josie just enough space to play her ukulele. She simply hums for a second, trying to get in the right key. When she's satisfied, she strums the tune that's beginning to grow familiar to Hope. "I was fine before you walked right through that door,-- and now I'm something more than I ever imagined.--I was so sure I knew exactly who you were,-- but you were something more than I ever imagined.--" Josie glances up to meet Hope's adoring gaze, before looking back down at the lyrics on her page, "In your arms, I'm safe and sound.-- You turn my world right upside down.-- But all the hell we've been through had a purpose.-- Together, we are chaos and it's perfect.-- Always though those feelings, they were stories not meant for me.--It's terrifying, but I'm pretty certain...it's worth it."

Josie finishes singing the first verse, the one she'd had written for a while now. She sets her ukulele to the side before looking up at Hope, "Do you like it?"

Hope actually seems speechless. But Josie can tell that she heard every word, judging by the look in her eyes. Hope nods slowly, only a single time, before she leans in. Josie didn't expect this reaction, but she definitely doesn't disapprove as Hope assumes their previous position, bringing their lips together in a slow kiss. Josie can't help but smile into the kiss, truly wishing it could last forever. But unfortunately, Hope pulls away much sooner than Josie would've preferred, resting their foreheads together, "I love it."

Josie's heart skipped a beat. She thought Hope was about to say something else. Maybe a part of her hoped that she would. It felt like one of those moments, one like you would read about in a fairytale. It felt like one of those feelings, one like she wrote about in her song.

Josie reluctantly pulls away, making Hope do the same as the brunette clears her throat lightly and begins to gather up all of her music.

Hope furrows her eyebrows, wondering why there was a sudden shift between them, and not a good one, "What's wrong?"

Josie slips out of bed with her journal in hand, "Nothing, it's just--its not finished." Josie dismisses Hope's concern, who nods her head slowly, not fully believing the excuse. But she doesn't press any more as Josie tucks away her journal and ukulele before returning to bed.

Josie slips beneath the sheets again, laying on her side and facing Hope, absentmindedly dragging her fingertips up and down along Hope's arm.

Hope studies Josie for a moment before asking, "What's on your mind, love?" She can tell Josie's in thought about something.

Josie's got a lot on her mind currently. She ponders how to approach a certain subject that's been on her mind a lot, especially today.

"So...You're the Tribrid, right?"

Hope furrows her eyebrows, a glint of amusement swimming in her eyes, "Um, yes, I think we've established that," She responds a bit teasingly.

Josie deadpans, deciding to ignore Hope's sarcasm. "So you're a vampire, witch, and werewolf. An alpha, too..."

Hope still has no idea where this is going. She nods slowly, "Technically, yes."

Josie sighs, still not making eye contact with Hope as she states, "Well, you're just...You're not like most alphas."

"Well," Hope props her head up again, considering that for a moment, "The hex my family put on me doesn't just limit my magic. It suppresses every supernatural part of me, including my wolf."

Ohhh. Josie curses herself internally for not thinking about that. She nods as she lets that sink in.

Hope can practically see the gears turning in Josie's head. She tries to change the subject, though, before they can get too far into that conversation, "So when are you gonna perform that song? You haven't talked about doing shows in a while."

Josie shrugs, "Well, we've been really busy, like, all the time."

Hope furrows her eyebrows, "Jo, please tell me you didn't throw your music career away because of me."

Josie shakes her head, as if it's not a big deal, "I didn't throw it away, I just--put it on pause... When you got back after the accident, my priorities kind of shifted, and doing shows wasn't one of them."

Hope thinks it's a bigger deal than Josie's making it out to be. She feels guilty about it. "I'm sorry, Jo. You shouldn't have had to do that--"

"I didn't have to. I wanted to," Josie finally meets Hope's gaze, playing with the baby hairs on the back of her neck, admitting, "And I wouldn't change any of it now."

Josie can see the disbelief in Hope's eyes, or maybe it's more surprise at hearing that.

Hope sighs softly, "Well, maybe for one of our date nights, I could attend one of your shows?"

Josie chuckles, shaking her head, "It won't be our next date night. I still owe you for screwing up your plans for our last date...What did you have planned by the way?"

It's Hope's turn to be a bit dismissive, half-shrugging, "Oh, it was nothing."

But Josie can see that it actually does mean something to Hope, "It's not nothing. Come on, tell me." Josie wears a pout to try to convince Hope, and she can see that it works.

Hope tilts her head as a thought crosses her mind, "Want me to show you now?"

"Now?" Josie gives Hope a look of disbelief, though a smile forms on her lips, loving the spontaneity of the suggestion. Hope raises an eyebrow suggestively, and Josie pauses, realizing she's so serious. Josie chuckles in disbelief, giving into the temptation, "Let's go."

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