"You actually have a list?"
The sound of Bo's voice jerked Tamsin from her semi-comatose state; she had watched so many reruns of Animal Planet that she had started to merge into the couch. "No," Tamsin said as she shifted her weight on the couch so she could turn to look at the succubus currently standing in the makeshift kitchen, one hand on her hip as she waved a tiny slip of paper back and forth. Letting her eyes fall on the piece of paper she frowned as she realised she had no idea what she was even denying, from reflex more than any kind of guilt. "Wait, what are you even talking about?"
Bo grinned as she stepped forward. "Really?" Making a show of clearing her throat the succubus held the note in front of her with two hands as if she were about to deliver an important speech. "Number one; flaunt my hot as hell body as an inspiration to all the New Year wannabes at the gym."
Raising an eyebrow as if signalling a challenge she shrugged, "You can't prove that's mine… although this-" Pausing to gesture to herself, Tamsin continued, "Totally deserves to be flaunted."
Bo matched Tamsin's stare but also allowed herself a second to mentally admire the other woman's physic, the couch forming an unwelcome barrier between the two that stopped her getting any kind of lingering look that she had stolen many other times before. Realising she had zoned out a little when she heard Tamin chuckle, Bo fought to keep the blush from her cheeks. To deflect from herself she focused her attention back on the list. "Number Two," she said, "Buy Mama-Kenzi that kick ass pair of boots she was super pissed no one brought her for any one of the many human-fae holidays."
The smile instantly fell from Tamsin's face as she realised how busted she was, keeping her expression as calm as she could, and her voice even, she slowly rose from her seat on the couch. "Where did you get that?"
"Oh, around…"
Placing her hands on her hips she took a deep breath and shot her friend a warning smile. "Give it back and no one has to get hurt."
Bo paused to give the impression of at least considering of the request. "Number Three-"
"Like I care, I totally wrote that when I was all baby-fae or whatever."
"So you wrote, and I quote here…" Reading from the paper Bo's lips curved into a smile at the familiar phrase, "Get so cranked that if a vampire bites my neck they'll get a bloody mary, when you were a baby-fae?"
Tamsin let out a small growl at the self-satisfied grin that was being blasted full force in her direction. Edging forward ever so slightly she waited, bidding her time until she knew she could catch Bo by surprise, all she needed was a window. As soon as she saw Bo look down to the list again, apparently enjoying her victory a little too much, Tamsin pounced. Launching herself over the side of the couch she almost managed to rip the note from the other woman's hands, instead the succubus moved just in time to invade her outstretched hands and twist around so Tamsin collided with her back.
"I don't think so," Bo sang even as she fought to keep her outstretched arm away from Tamsin's as the Valkyrie tried to wrestle the list from her grasp.
Accepting that she wasn't going to be able to wrestle it away Tamsin switched tactics, and wrapping both her arms around Bo's waist she quickly picked her up, laughing at the way Bo's feet kicked in surprise at the sudden lack of ground.
"Put me down!"
"Nu-uh, not until you give me what's mine." Before she could tighten her grasp though, Bo managed to wiggle her way out. She hadn't given the other girl enough credit for how squirmy she could be when she needed, and as she felt Bo drop from her hold she didn't even have time to contemplate her next move before the succubus had turned and put enough space between them to take away any potential advantage she had before.
With a playful glint in her eye Bo laughed, "You're move, Valkyrie."
"You are going to regret-" Her comeback stuttered and died at her lips as she finally got a glance at the note in Bo's hand, and like a bad post-party flashback she remembered what the other numbers on her list contained. All her previous playfulness drained from her in an instant, her shoulders tensed almost to the point of being painful. "Bo, I'm serious. Give it back." She could feel her heart thudding in her chest, had Bo read them all already? Had she… "Now!"
Bo merely rolled her eyes, "I am not falling for that Tam-Tam." Dancing backwards as Tamsin tried once again to lunged forward and take the offending piece of paper she read out, "Number Four; finally tell Bo that I… oh."
Tamsin froze. She could feel Bo's surprised stare focused on her but all she could do was glare at that goddamn stupid list. Why the hell did she write any of that down? Seriously.
"You… I…" Bo stuttered, unable to latch on to any one emotion long enough to form a coherent thought, let alone a sentence.
Finally managing to get her body to obey her brains commands to move, Tamsin reached out and ripped the paper from Bo's now limp grasp. She immediately tore it into pieces and shoved the remains into the pocket of her jeans, making mental note to burn it later. "You had no right to read this," she said hating the way her voice shook harder with every syllable.
Bo nodded her guilt evident. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that you-"
"Don't," Tamsin said as she brought up a hand to silence the other woman. "Please don't say it, I already feel stupid enough and last thing I want to hear is…" Trailing off she shook her head dejectedly. She had never been good at dealing with humiliation. "You know all of the times I thought about telling you; this is not how I ever pictured it."
Taking a tiny step forward and trying not to scare her away Bo said, "How did you imagine it?"
Raising her eyes from the floor Tamsin sighed as she stared in those eyes that, both blue and brown, were for once looking at her as though she was the only person in the world. Maybe it was that which gave her the spark of courage to lift her hand, her fingers tracing the soft skin of Bo's jaw as she drew their bodies closer together. "I'm not even sure now," Tamin said her words leaving her in a shaky breath, "I think, all I ever really pictured was you being here in front on me and I would be in your arms and…" Her words caught in her throat as she felt one of Bo's arms wrap carefully around her, her hand resting on the small of her back while the other grasped her gently at her hip. They were impossible close now, so close she feared that Bo would be able to feel her heat beating frantically in her chest. She let her eyes dance across the face in front of her, her lips flickering into a nervous smile as she met Bo's once more.
"And…"
Tamsin smiled slowly when she felt Bo's grip on her tighten, the only real sign that the succubus was as nervous as she was. It felt good to know that she wasn't the only one. "And then I would look at you and I would tell you, how perfect you are to me." She thought back to the time before, when drunk and guilty, she had broken into the other woman's home under the pretence of stealing all her booze and ended up crawling into her bath and confessing feelings that she had prided herself on keeping buried. She remembered how Bo's skin had felt under her touch, how warm and soft, and she had always wondered what would have happened if she hadn't pulled away. Something she had a habit of doing when Bo was involved. The bath. Brazenwood. Lauren's apartment. The lab. She felt as though she had been keeping the words locked tightly in her chest for an eternity, as though all of her lifetimes she had been waiting for this woman, a woman who she had never believed could exist. "I love you, Bo."
The smile that lit up Bo's face made her heart skip, and as she let the other woman draw her closer she knew her own smile was even bigger. Dipping her head slightly she closed the already narrow space between them and placed her lips on Bo's, a wave of content washing over her as she relaxing into the arms that held her. She sighed gently when she felt Bo deepen the kiss, which was so different than the ones they had shared before. This wasn't out of the need to heal, or a drunken lustful kiss stolen while slammed up against a table, it wasn't an apology or a test. It was real, even when everything she had known told her that a moment like this couldn't exist, it did. When she felt the words whispered against her lips as they broke apart, forehead resting together and bodies impossibly close, she praised every choice she had made, every good or bad decision, which had led her to stand at Bo's side.
"I love you too."