I've always wanted you.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Josie cradled Hope in her arms, her breathing evened out as Hope was focused on was Josies touch.

'Josie wasn't leaving her', she reminded herself. Hope didn't know if that comforted her or scared her more, she didn't want to think too deeply about it.

Hope moved her head from Josies chest and looked at her girlfriend. Her perfect, beautiful, amazing human being who wanted to be with her forever.

"I forgot to say I love you. And thank you," Hope started, "for not leaving," she smiled slightly.

Josie saw her eyes were red from previous tears making the glow of her cheeks all the more noticeable. She was so pretty even after crying.

Josie kissed her forehead before holding Hope again. Hope was sat, her back leaning on Josie as Josie wrapped her arms around Hope's stomach.

"I love you so much," Josie whispered in her ear.

She felt Hope relax into her and was so unbelievably grateful that Hope found comfort in her.

A butterfly landed onto Hope's wrist and she smiled. Noticing it's wing was broken, she cast a spell to heal it. Josie watched as Hope seemed so perfectly innocent, using her powers for such a what some would call meanial task Josie found it adorable.

Hope was still struggling massively, her trauma attached to her like a paper kite she couldn't let go of. But she wasn't holding it alone, Josie helped.

She was tired, weak, empty but no longer by herself.

The two sat in the field of tall flowers for hours. Not talking, just being comforted by the presence of eachother and the sounds of birds across the sky.

Josie pulled Hope to lie down. The two were now facing eachother as Josie moved a strand of hair from Hope's face.
"How bad do you feel right now. From one to 10. 10 being the worst," Josie asked as she joined hands with Hope.

She knew Hope was tired and probably not up for talking about how she felt in depth.

"7 and a half," Hope responded honestly, "but only because I'm with you. If you weren't here then 9," Hope said as she smiled slightly.

Josie smiled too.
"Well then I guess I'll just have to be here with you all the time," she responded.

Of course Josie was still worried about her, watching her body language constantly for signs of stress. 7 and a half was still terrible, but it was better than she was. Josie would take any sort of betterness from her and protect it with her life.

"Can I tell you a story from when we were younger?" Josie asked. Partly because she could see Hope was fighting sleep and this would help, and partly to cheer her up a bit.

Hope nodded tiredly.

"It was in 6th grade, Mr Williams was teaching us the origins of species by letting us paint the different creatures. We were allowed to pick our creature. Mine had a witches hat and green skin from the many times Lizzie made me watch the wizard of Oz. And I walked over to look at yours. Of course your brilliant painting skills still amaze me to this day, but it was a painting of a wolf: they had vampire teeth and a witches mark. Of course the school didn't know what species you were then, you still went by Hope Marshall at the time, and we all thought you were a regular witch.

I said what you had drawn wasn't real. And you looked at me and said 'it's what I'm going to become someday'. Of course 7 year old me was in disbelief, but you trusted me enough to tell me about your family. How your dad was your superhero, and how he taught you to paint. How your mom braided your hair before school everyday. And you told me your real name. I knew that I was supposed to be scared of you. I mean we had heard storied about the big bad Mikaelsons. But I never was. Not once. I knew in that moment that everything we had been taught about monsters, villans, and even Mikaelsons was just from one perspective. Because I knew that someone that pretty and kind would never hurt anyone," Josie spoke as she stroked Hope's hand with the back of her thumb.