Chapter Text
Hope arrived home tired after a day full of meetings at the company.
That week, when they were putting some finishing touches before finally announcing Josie's project for the company and its branches, she had only seen Josie in the meeting rooms and, from time to time, she heard Josie's voice in the background while she was on a call with Dylan.
But something strange was happening in her house. It was too quiet and Hope didn't like it, so without hesitation, she called Josie.
“Where are you?” Hope asked as soon as Josie answered.
“In my apartment.” Josie replied calmly.
“And why are you in your apartment and not mine?” Hope asked, confused this time.
“Did we make plans?” Josie asked with a smile on her lips, already getting up to call her son so they could go to Hope's apartment.
“I didn't know I had to make plans to be with my…” Hope stopped in the middle of her sentence and Josie stopped walking, waiting for the redhead to continue. “Just come, Josie.” End the call.
It was no surprise that Hope got bossier and more cunning when she had a busy week.
When Josie arrived at Hope's apartment with her son, Josie left Dylan watching cartoons and went up to Hope's room, with the excuse that she was going to see if the redhead was okay so she could ask them to come over.
Since Hope was taking a shower, Josie just took off her clothes and got into the shower, hugging Hope from behind and kissing the older girl's neck.
“Next time, please don't make me have to call you.” Hope confesses with a sigh and throws her head back, resting on Josie's shoulder as she feels the brunette run her hands over her body. “You know I like to come home after a tiring week and find you and Dylan.”
“You could have gone to my apartment.” Josie bites Hope's shoulder and brings her hands to the older woman’s breasts.
“Dylan…” Hope whispers.
“He's watching cartoons.” Josie answers and turns in her arms.
“Mommy! Hopey!” Dylan shouts from the door of Hope's room, making the two adults sigh and move away. “I want Italian food.”
“You spoiled this boy way too much.” Josie grumbles to Hope as she watches the redhead apply soap to her own body.
“He always falls asleep faster when he eats Italian food.” Hope replies and Josie smiles, without taking her eyes off Hope's body.
…
Josie felt her body, especially her head, heavy when she woke up that morning.
She was supposed to get out of bed, have breakfast with Hope and Dylan, drop the boy off at school and watch the announcement of her contest launch, but her body was complaining so much about the pain that she just grumbled and hugged Hope's pillow.
Confused, knowing that Hope was always in bed when she woke up, she opened her eyes and saw that she was alone in the room.
“Jo?” Josie hears Hope's voice and lets out a groan of pain as she turns around and can face the redhead. “Are you okay? Dylan is already having breakfast.”
“Five minutes.” Josie grumbles in the same way that Dylan complained when he didn't want to get out of bed. Worried, Hope approached Josie and sat on the bed, putting the back of her hand on Josie's forehead, seeing that the brunette was hotter than she should be.
“Okay, let's go to the living room.” Hope helps Josie get up, even though the brunette complains a lot. Hope managed to carry Josie to the living room, with the brunette leaning on her all the way from the bed to the couch, especially as they went down the stairs of Hope's apartment.
Hope laid Josie down on the couch and went to the kitchen, finding Dylan and Dana in the kitchen, with the woman laughing at something the boy said.
“Is mommy ready yet?” Dylan asks the redhead.
“Your mommy is sick.” Hope says and Dylan's eyes widen in shock. “She'll be fine, I'll take you to school and I'll take care of her.” Hope assures. “Dana, make Josie eat breakfast, even if she doesn't want to, I'll take Dylan to school.” The woman just nodded and Hope walked away from the kitchen so she could call Jade and Penelope to let them know that Josie wouldn't be showing up for work that day, taking the opportunity to tell her own secretary that she would be working from home.
Dylan, as soon as he finished breakfast, ran to his room to get his school bag and, as soon as he took two steps towards his mother to say goodbye to her, Josie had a coughing fit and the boy grimaced before taking a few steps back.
“No, Hopey.” Dylan says when he sees Hope approaching Josie. “You're going to get sick too.” Hope would argue, but she just saw Josie coughing a little more and decided to follow the boy's advice.
…
Josie was forced by Dana to have breakfast and it was through the maid that she found out that Hope had already taken Dylan to school and that the redhead would work from home that day to keep an eye on her.
Josie wanted to have the strength to argue and say that she would indeed work, but her body was complaining a lot of pain, so she just settled down on the couch, thanked Dana for bringing her a blanket and slept.
Josie woke up again to the sound of the television and realized that her feet were not on the couch, but on someone else.
“I hope I'm delirious with fever and Taylor Swift isn't sharing the same couch as me while I have the flu.” Josie grumbled as she settled down on the couch, taking her feet off the woman.
“I'm sorry to disappoint you.” Taylor replied, looking away from the television to Josie. “But Hope left me to babysit while she basically went to get a scroll that Hayley sent her to buy for you.” Taylor calmly reached over and grabbed some medicine and a bottle of water from the coffee table, handing them to the brunette to take. “It's for the fever.” Taylor said, turning her attention back to the television.
And then the apartment door opened, with Hope holding some plastic bags and grumbling as she closed the door with her foot.
“Did you give Josie her medicine?” Hope, still sulking, asked the blonde, who just nodded. ‘Josie, honestly, if your mom calls me one more time saying things you like when you're sick I'm going to curse her.”
“Did my mom call you?” Josie asked, confused, watching Dana take the bags from Hope's hand and the redhead approached the couch.
“Yes.” Hope stated as she lifted Josie's body up so she could sit down and make the brunette rest her upper body on her. “She called me because she couldn't talk to you about the launch of your project and then when I said you were home with the flu she hung up and sent me an email with a list of things you like to do when you're sick and stayed on the phone with me the whole time I was at the supermarket.”
“And there's Hayley.” Taylor remembers and Hope just rolls her eyes.
“Oh, my mom said to tell me that she's coming to stay with you because apparently I can't be trusted to take care of my girlfriend who's sick.” Hope tells the brunette.
“Girlfriend?” Josie asks with a smile on her face, the word being the only thing she paid attention to in Hope's speech.
“Josie, honestly.” Hope mumbles as she feels her face heat up.
“You two are so cute together.” Taylor smiles at them.
“Taylor, don't you have anything else to do?” Hope asks her friend. “You and Lena have the incredible ability to irritate me when I have things to do.”
“You were buying chocolate for your girlfriend.” Taylor replies and Hope shrugs. “And I came here so we could make music, but you were in such a hurry to go out and buy more things for Josie that the only thing you said to me was “give her medicine when she wakes up” pointing to your girlfriend.”
“You asked Taylor Swift to babysit for me?” Josie asks her girlfriend, scared. “I'm sick, and you ask Taylor Swift to keep an eye on me.”
“Nothing more than her obligation.” Hope shrugs. “I've cleaned up so much vomit from her when she drinks non-stop that she can even babysit Dylan until he turns 18.”
“You'd be worse off than me.” Taylor stretches to hit Hope. “Hey, your commercial.”
Josie quickly turned her head to the television, seeing that Taylor was right and the first commercial for her show was playing.
The commercial was simple, just announcing that Mikaelson Sound would be holding a contest for the company's workers and that the winner would be decided by the public. Penelope had insisted that the first commercial would be simple and that, in the next commercial, they would grow more and even use artists financed by the company.
“You know,” Taylor says when the commercial ends. “I still don't know how you convinced me to be a judge for one day of this contest.”
“What?” Josie turns to Hope, even though the medicine she took was starting to take effect. “Did you ask Taylor to be a judge for my contest?”
“No,” Hope denies. “I told her you were holding a contest and that you needed judges, so she said 'just tell me the day and time.'”
Josie really wanted to freak out about the fact that Taylor Swift offered to be a judge for her contest, but she had a coughing fit, turning her body closer to Hope, who moved as far away as she could, still sitting on the couch, unable to help but look disgusted. “Sorry, Taylor.” Josie said and lay down, putting her face in Hope's lap.
“You turned to face me so you wouldn't get Taylor sick, didn't you?” Hope asked, arranging Josie on her lap.
Josie just laughed and let herself fall asleep.
…
Of all the changes Josie had brought into her life, having her apartment full was the one Hope wondered the most about whether she liked it or not.
If you had told Hope months ago that her apartment would have so many people there just because one person was sick, Hope would have laughed.
If Hope was lucky, besides Hayley, she would have Maya visiting her.
But there were her mother, Caroline, Josie's friends and Hope's friends, as well as Dylan, in her living room while Josie sat and curled up in a blanket between her son and her sister.
Hope went to the kitchen, needing a few seconds of silence to keep from freaking out.
“You're going to need a bigger place soon.” Hope is startled by Caroline's voice and turns to the blonde.
“We don't live together yet.” Hope says.
“Funny, because the last time I spoke to Dylan, every time he mentioned being home he talked about this apartment.” Caroline replies.
“Caroline, what do you want?” Hope asks with a sigh.
“Just to say thank you.” Caroline answers and Hope looks at her with a frown. “Seriously, Hope, you're good for my daughter. I just wanted to thank you. At first, I didn't accept you two being in a relationship because, after all, Josie is still my daughter and I'll always want the best for her. But you... you're good not only for her but also for Dylan, and I couldn't ask for a better person to love and take care of my daughter and grandson.”
“Baby…” Josie appears with a sly voice, still wrapped in the blanket, and goes to Hope, hugging the older one. “What are you two talking about?”
“I'm just telling Hope that she needs to be careful with the pout you make when you're sick.” Caroline says with a smile on her face and Josie immediately pouts her lips. “That's right, if she falls into your trap, you won't take any medicine and you'll still complain about being sick.”
“Oh, Taylor almost fell for it.” Hope says, laughing with Caroline. “That's why I sent her to my studio.”
“Argh.” Josie grumbles. ‘You two aren't supposed to get along, remember that?”
“Anything to get you well soon, dear.” Caroline says with a calm smile on her face. “Now come on, I'll prepare your bath.”
Josie immediately let go of Hope and went to her mother, who hugged her from the side and together they disappeared from the kitchen.
Hope smiled satisfied, Josie and Caroline might not have the same relationship as she and Hayley, but it was clear that they still loved each other and cared about each other.
…
Josie was still sick, recovering, but she was sick. So that was why Hope would take Dylan to and from school.
But that day, Hope, who was now also on Dylan's contact list for the school to call, received a call from the principal's secretary while she was in the studio with Taylor and Josie was sleeping in her bed, and was soon forwarded to the principal.
“Miss Mikaelson.” Hope hears the principal's voice as she answers the phone. “We're contacting you to let you know that we need Miss Saltzman at school today.”
“Did something happen?” Hope asks, already getting up to look for her car keys.
“Well, Dylan spent the whole day telling the whole school that Taylor Swift helped him with his homework and that she put him to sleep the night before.” The principal answers and Hope stops walking. “We need Miss Saltzman here because we told Dylan that it's wrong to lie, but he insists on telling anyone the same thing.”
“Maybe because my son isn't lying.” Hope says as if it were obvious.
“Miss Mikaelson, I beg you to understand.” The director speaks as if she were talking to a child with Hope. “We know your position in the music industry, but we also know who Taylor Swift is.”
“Okay.” Hope takes a deep breath so as not to lose her calm. “I'll be there in a few minutes, Josie is sick and can't go to school.” She ends the call without waiting for the woman to say anything.
Hope went to the living room, where Josie and Hayley were watching television.
“Where are you going?” Josie asks, confused when she sees Hope picking up the car keys.
“Pick up Taylor.” That's all Hope says before leaving the apartment.
On the way, Hope called Taylor and asked the woman to be ready in front of the hotel where she was staying so they wouldn't waste time, and so Taylor did.
Hope explained what happened to the blonde, who just burst out laughing while Hope continued to sulk that someone would think Dylan was lying.
When they arrived at school, Hope had to elbow Taylor lightly to make her pretend she wasn’t excited about the whole situation.
“Excuse me.” Hope stopped an employee, who opened his mouth in shock when he saw Taylor there. “Do you know where I can find the principal?” The person simply pointed to the side, still open-mouthed, and Hope thanked him with a smile.
Since it was school time, only a few employees were walking around the school, all of them stopping to see Hope walking angrily towards the principal's office and a smiling Taylor Swift behind her.
Hope only had to open the door to the principal's secretary's office for the woman to look at her in shock and almost fall when she got up to call her boss.
“Miss Mika…” The principal started talking as soon as she left her office, but stopped when she saw Taylor there.
“Well, as you can see, my son wasn't lying.” Hope says impatiently as she points to Taylor. “Can we go to his classroom to make it clear that Dylan isn't lying to his classmates and the teacher?”
The principal swallowed hard and nodded.
“We should do this more often.” Taylor whispered to Hope as they walked towards Dylan's classroom.
Hope had to hide the smile that wanted to escape her lips, but she knew her friend was right.
They stopped at the door of a classroom and let the principal speak to the principal before they were given the go-ahead to enter the room and introduce themselves.
It wasn't surprising to see children screaming when they saw the blonde there.
“Good morning.” Hope says and the children immediately shut up. “I got a call saying that they thought Dylan was lying about Taylor Swift helping him with his homework and putting him to bed. Well, as you can see” she points to Taylor, who gives the children a wave and a smile. “,my son wasn't lying.”
“Oh, no.” Taylor says, smiling at Dylan. “Dylan is very good at math, by the way.”
“I told you I wasn't lying.” Dylan grumbles from his chair because they doubted him.
Hope couldn't say who, but a girl shouted that she wanted to take a picture with the blonde next to her and there, all the adults present knew that they had lost all control over the children.
The redhead, taking advantage of the fact that all the children were distracted, approached Dylan, who remained sitting in his chair knowing full well that he could take as many pictures as he wanted with the blonde at any time.
“They thought I lied.” Dylan grumbles to Hope.
“I know.” Hope sighs. “I told the principal that you don't lie.”
“She didn't believe me.” Dylan continues to grumble.
“I know you're upset, I would be too if I were you.” Hope speaks calmly to the boy. “But we've already resolved this here and you can bet that I'm going to complain to the principal.”
“After you talk to my mom.” Dylan says, not hiding his smile, knowing that Hope wouldn't talk to the principal without Josie present.
“Oh boy, go study.” Hope grumbles and Dylan laughs.
“Your friend is disturbing my class.” The boy gives the same sideways smile as Hope, who just rolls her eyes and starts to walk away, until Dylan holds her hand. “Thanks, Mom.”