Dearly Loved
AN: Not entirely sure if I like how this came out, but the words flowed so I went with it. Also, there's an original piece in here, but it still references the show, so I can't really call copyright, but it is mine, so...yeah.
Tamsin knew something was wrong when she heard the melancholy tune drifting down the stairs. Following the sound, she found Bo in their room (her heart nearly beat out of her chest when the succubus first called it that) staring at nothing while she strummed a slow air, singing in an absentminded murmur. "What's wrong?" the Valkyrie demanded gently, hands on her hips.
"How do you know something's wrong?"
Tamsin gave her a look that screamed "oh, please." "You're playing Heather Nova's 'Only Love.' Something is wrong."
"It's a pretty song."
"Bo…"
The succubus sighed, still looking off into some unknown distance. "It's Lauren and Dyson." Tamsin tensed in panic but relaxed when Bo continued, "Why can't they just be happy for me? They just assumed that I would choose between them, and when I didn't…" she turned to the Valkyrie. "I mean, I understand that they're jealous, but do they have to take it out on me?"
Tamsin took the guitar from Bo and leaned it against the wall before sitting by her side, wrapping an arm around the brunette's shoulder. "You don't owe them anything, succulette. If they're gonna be dicks about it, that's their problem, not yours."
Bo leaned into the blonde's embrace, resting her head on the taller woman's shoulder. "I feel like it's my fault for stringing them along, but…they want so much from me. Can't they just value the friendship I have with them?"
"Hey, you did not string them along. Relationships fail; shit happens. It's not your fault they're being clingy."
Bo tilted her head to look at Tamsin with a skeptical expression. "And what do you know about relationships?"
Tamsin met her gaze with a smirk. "I had a few flings in my past lives that lasted long enough. People just can't get enough of a Valkyrie." Bo poked her in the side and the blonde chuckled. "You're right: I don't know much about relationships. But I know Lauren and Dyson and I know how they feel about you. You're an incredible woman, Bo; it's only to be expected that they're going to want to cling to you. It's gonna take them time, but eventually they'll pull their heads out of their asses and cherish the friendship they have with you now. And if not, just sic Kenzi on 'em."
It was Bo's turn to smirk. "'Incredible,' huh?" she teased, running her hand along Tamsin's thigh.
The blonde shrugged. "Mostly in bed."
"'Mostly'? Oh, Valkyrie, you are going to pay for that."
"That's what I was counting on, succulette," Tamsin replied as the two tumbled backwards on the sheets.
…
The Lughnasa celebration inspired Trick to start holding trad sessions at the Dal every Sunday open to any Fae with an instrument, Light or Dark. Light Fae were quick to join, but the Dark were wary until they saw Tamsin ("I told you I would have you playing at the Dal!" "Yeah, yeah.") and the owner of the music shop take part along with the infamous Unaligned Succubus. After that there was a grudging amiability between all the musicians who partook.
"Let's end it with something slow," Trick said one Sunday night that had become a few minutes into Monday morning.
"I've got one!" Bo requested. "Er, if that's all right with everybody." When the gathered Fae nodded their assent, she began an old Irish piece. Immediately recognizing the chords and rhythm, Tamsin began the melody on her violin, the low tune sweeping the room in soothing waves. As Bo had been the one to choose the song, the verses were hers, and she began in a sweet voice that never failed to give Tamsin chills.
"There's not but care on every hand,
In every hour that passes-o,
That signifies the life of man,
T'were not for the lassies-o."
All the Fae not accompanying on woodwinds joined the chorus:
"Green grow the rushes-o,
Green grow the rushes-o,
The sweetest hours that 'ere I spent
Were spent among the lassies-o."
Even as her fingers drifted across the strings of her violin, Tamsin was still able to watch Bo with a fond smile. The succubus's eyes always shone just a little brighter when she was caught in her music, and even the simplest of songs seem to relieve her of her burdens, if only for a little while. As if sensing her gaze, Bo turned to Tamsin and smiled: that carefree, loving smile that only the Valkyrie ever saw.
It was in that moment that Tamsin realized something very, very important.
When the song was over, Tamsin didn't even bother to put her instrument away before rushing over to Kenzi. Seeing the blonde's haste, the human came to attention wide-eyed with worry. "What is it? What happened? Who do I have to kill?"
"It's nothing bad, momz, it's just…" Tamsin fiddled with the strings of her violin and took a deep breath. "I need your help."
…
Tamsin clapped her hands over her ears to try and lessen the pain of Kenzi's shriek, the volume of which nearly made plaster fall from the ceiling. The two of them were sitting on the Russian girl's bed in what had been a deep discussion before Kenzi freaked out. "Keep it down, momz!" Tamsin hissed in complaint.
"I can't!" Kenzi squeaked. "OMG this is just so fantastic I can't even!"
"Momz – "
"My widdle Tam-Tam is gonna pwopose!" the human gushed, wrapping her arms around the Valkyrie.
"Not if you squeeze me to death I'm not!"
Kenzi gave Tamsin one last squeeze in retaliation before pulling back, bouncing and flailing on the bed. "So what are you going to do? How? When? Where?"
Tamsin shrugged, embarrassed. "I dunno. Can't I just ask her? I mean, I know I have to get a ring…"
Kenzi slumped with an "are you for real?" expression on her face. "Tam-Tam. Honey. You can't just throw the ring at her head. You've gotta get down on one knee at least. But this is Bo-Bo! You gotta make it special!"
"I know! I really wanna get this right, but I don't know how! I mean, Valkyries don't… We pledge ourselves to our chosen warriors, but it's not really a marriage thing, but I want this to be perfect for Bo, so…"
"Oh my God this is better than any shit Nicholas Sparks could ever dream of!" Kenzi swooned. Tamsin rolled her eyes.
"Come on, momz, pull it together and help me out here!"
"Fine! Fine! Well, there's the ring – duh – and then a lot of times people get the parents' blessing first 'cause tradition and…oh…"
The two women stared at each other in wide-eyed horror before simultaneously panicking, "Trick."
…
"So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Trick asked Tamsin when the two had reached his lair. The Valkyrie opened her mouth to say something, shut it again, then began to pace.
"I just…well I was told it's tradition to…I mean…" Finally she just stopped and clenched her eyes shut. "IwannamarryBo," she blurted out.
Trick didn't respond, and Tamsin cautiously opened one eye to see what was happening. To her immense surprise, the Blood King was wearing a wide grin. "Tamsin, that's wonderful!"
"…Really?"
"Yes! I'm so happy for you both! When are you going to propose?"
"You…you're not mad?"
Trick frowned. "Why would I be mad?"
The Valkyrie hung her head. "Because of what happened on that battlefield all those years ago," she whispered, forcing out the words. "That day I traded you a soul so I could live longer."
The silence in the room was thicker this time, weighing heavily on both their shoulders. Then the Valkyrie felt rough hands take both of hers, and she looked down to meet the Blood King's earnest gaze.
"That was a long, long time ago, Tamsin. We've both made mistakes and we've both paid the price for them. I would be a hypocrite to hold that against you, for I was just as wrong that day. But I wouldn't change it for the world." Upon seeing Tamsin's incredulous astonishment, he smiled. "If I hadn't given you those extra lives, you wouldn't be here today asking for my blessing to propose to my granddaughter."
Tamsin wasn't sure where the instinct came from, but she found herself on one knee with her head bowed. "Of my own will, I pledge my fealty to you, Blood King, and humbly request permission to marry your granddaughter."
Had Trick his sword, he would have lain the blade across her shoulder in acceptance. Instead he responded with a gentle hand. "I accept your fealty and grant you your request." The Blood King took his hand away and shifted uncomfortably. "Now please get up before we both embarrass ourselves."
They both smiled at each other as Tamsin got to her feet. "I have just the ring for you to use," Trick said as he made his way to one of his many cabinets. Reaching into the back of one shaped like a small wardrobe, he pushed a small panel that opened a hidden drawer along the side. Taking a velvet drawstring bag from the compartment, he carefully opened it and poured the contents into his hand: the most gorgeous ring Tamsin had ever seen. Surrounded by a multitude of diamonds, the center stone matched the blue of Bo's eyes when she released her succubus side. "It was my wife's," Trick explained, gazing at the ring fondly. "It's said to enhance a succubus's powers."
"It's beautiful," Tamsin breathed. "But Trick, it was your wife's…I can't take this from you."
"Isabeau would want her namesake to wear it," Trick cut her off. "She would be proud of the woman she has become. She would be proud of both of you."
Tamsin would never admit it, but there were tears in her eyes as she accepted the ring with shaky hands. "Thank you," she whispered with all the gratitude in her heart. "Thank you."
"You are very welcome. Now – go propose to your chosen warrior."
The Valkyrie shook her head even as she grinned – she should've know that Trick would understand the Valkyrie way. With one last smile, she made her way up the stairs.
Tamsin would have run straight from the Dal had she not come to a screeching halt in front of Lauren and Dyson, both standing with their arms folded over their chests and expectant expressions.
"Proposing, huh?" Lauren queried in a deceptively casual tone.
Tamsin put her hands on her hips as she stared them both down. "You know that eavesdropping is kind of rude, don't you?"
The pair of exes looked at each other and then back to Tamsin. "You're hardly an example of politeness yourself," Dyson noted, and the Valkyrie rolled her eyes. After a pause, he continued, "If you hurt her, you know I'm going to have to clip your wings." His voice was calm but Tamsin could hear the threatening undertone and knew it was sincere.
"If I ever hurt her I will hand her her dagger and let her cut off my wings herself," the Valkyrie replied with just as much solemn sincerity.
Dyson blinked in surprise, but after a moment, he smiled. "Good answer, partner," he murmured, and with those words Tamsin knew that all was well between them.
Lauren tilted her head and observed the Valkyrie. "I suppose she could do worse," the human commented.
"Cheers, Doc," Tamsin replied with dripping sarcasm.
Lauren chuckled with a shake of her head. "I'm glad it's you, Tamsin," she admitted. "I really am. But if you hurt her, I will find a way to make you suffer for the rest of your life."
"So noted. And for the record, she still cares about both of you. You're still both important parts of her life – of our lives."
"Yeah, we know," Lauren replied, albeit sadly.
"Good. Can I go now?" Dyson gestured to the door of the Dal the way an usher might. "Thanks, wolf."
"Come on, Dyson – let's get drunk," Lauren said. Each threw an arm around the other's shoulder as they made their way to the bar.
…
Kenzi sat slack-jawed as Tamsin finished her story. "Wait…you…they…what?!"
The Valkyrie would've rolled her eyes had she not been pacing. "I thought asking Trick would be the hard part! But now what? This has to be special. This has to be perfect."
"Relax, Tam-Tam, Mama Kenzi's got this," the human reassured her, grabbing her arm and pulling her to sit on the bed. "I did me some thinkin' while you were doing your trial by fire. Now, what is it that brought you and Bo together?"
"…Music?" Tamsin replied, not sure where this was going.
"Ex-actly. So, what would be the most special way to propose to the love of your life that you're playing duets with in more ways than one?"
"…Music."
"Ex-actly! You've god mad violin skillz! Serenade that girl with something! You've been around long enough to know a few love songs, right?"
A smile slowly crept across Tamsin's face. "You know, I think I have an idea…"
…
Tamsin was beginning to rethink her idea as she paced back and forth again. "Really, Tamsin?" Bo asked from their bed. "You're nervous about playing me a concert?"
"It's just one song," Tamsin mumbled, plucking at the strings of her violin. "It's nothing fantastic or anything. It's just – "
"Tamsin. Start playing."
Her commanding tone made the Valkyrie smirk. "As my lady wishes," she teased, and Bo's laughter eased her nerves. Readying her violin, she slid her bow across the strings.
The song was neither fast nor slow, neither upbeat nor melancholy but rather balancing in the space between. As it was during their first duet so long ago, the notes floated through the air like wishes blown on dandelions and fireflies at twilight. Eighth note triplets wove a dusk-lit sky and dotted it with stars of sixteenth-note graces and fluttering trills. Fingertips glided along the fret to make upward sweeps of notes along the staff and curl around the verses in repeat. Bo almost forgot to breathe as the song wove its way around her in warmth and light and love that made her eyes sting with tears. The final notes drifted through the air to leave whispering kisses across Bo's cheeks before Tamsin lowered her bow.
"Well?" the Valkyrie asked, trying not to sound too needy for approval.
"Oh, Tamsin," Bo gasped, finally remembering that she needed air. "That was beautiful! What is it?"
Tamsin scuffed her foot along the floor, turning her face to hide her blush. "I kind of wrote it."
"You wrote that?" the succubus exclaimed. "I…how…God, it's just…"
"So you like it then?" Tamsin asked with a smirk and an arched eyebrow as Bo fumbled for words.
"I love it!"
The Valkyrie beamed. "Good," she replied, and her cockiness made Bo grin right back.
"So is there some special occasion I should know about that involves you playing me a song you wrote?" Bo teased as Tamsin put her violin away. The Valkyrie tensed, knowing that this was the moment she'd both been longing for and dreading.
"Sort of," she began as she turned to face the succubus still sitting on the bed. "I wrote it because… Well, I wanted to… You see… Oh, fuck this," she finally gave up and dropped to one knee. "You once said to me that I was the melody to your harmony," Tamsin spoke from her heart as she pulled the ring from her pocket. "I was kind of hoping we could stay that way. So, Isabeau Dennis, will you marry me?"
Time stopped in a breath-held fermata as the two women met each other's gaze. Tamsin's eyes were filled with hope and Bo's were filled with tears as she slowly, shakily held out her left hand to the woman she loved. Tamsin's world seemed to burst into blinding light as she slid the ring on Bo's finger, kissing the back of her hand.
"Yes," Bo choked, feeling that same light flow within her. "Tamsin, yes, always, yes!"
Unable to contain herself, Tamsin leapt to her feet and tackled Bo to the bed where the two laughed and cried and kissed over and over in each other's embrace.
When they'd finally managed to calm, Bo held her hand out to admire the ring. "It was your grandmother's," Tamsin murmured, kissing her cheek. "According to Trick it's supposed to enhance a succubus's powers."
"You told Trick?"
"Well…it's more like I asked for his blessing…"
Bo giggled and pulled her into a kiss. "Such a gentlewoman," she commented when she broke away.
Tamsin shrugged and smirked. "Eh, Kenzi said it was tradition."
"Kenzi knows, too?"
"She was the one I went to for advice. And then Dyson and Lauren overheard me talking to Trick and sort of gave me their blessing but with the promise of bodily harm should I ever hurt you."
Bo's smile faded. She took Tamsin's face in her hands and pulled her into a slow, sweet kiss. "The only way you could hurt me is if you left me," Bo murmured against her lips.
Tamsin tightened her embrace. "I'll never leave you, Bo." After a moment of comfortable silence, the Valkyrie whispered, "It has words, too. The song."
Bo nuzzled her face in Tamsin's neck. "Sing it for me?"
Kissing the succubus's forehead, Tamsin began to sing in a low, husky voice that made Bo shiver in delight.
"Neither Light nor Dark,
With eyes both brown and blue,
Virtuous yet lustful,
With heart that's brave and true.
She knows the secrets of my past
And still has come to trust me.
After all that's come between us,
I can't believe she loves me.
She's looked into my darkness,
Run her hand along my wings,
With gentle hands she plays our songs,
With gentle voice she sings.
We've played duets in bonfire's light,
In sunrise she has kissed me.
Safety lies in her embrace,
I cherish that she loves me.
I vow to her my sword and shield,
In her light, I will shine.
My love, my life, my warrior,
My Valkyrie is thine.
I love her with all that I am,
Together, love has saved me.
I give her my forever
For as long as she will have me."
Each word of each line filled Bo's heart with joy until she couldn't help but sob, unable to contain the emotions overwhelming her. Tamsin held her close and kissed her tears away, murmuring soothing sounds as she stroked her hair. "I love you, Bo," she whispered.
"I love you too, Tamsin," Bo replied with a gasping breath. "And you already have my forever."
AN 2: Tamsin's song doesn't have a tune, so if you want to come up with one, feel free and please do. Also, for those wondering about random musical terms, a fermata is a note or rest held as long as the conductor feels like holding it, so depending on the conductor it can be a real bitch.