Lauren and Tamsin drank together, of course. Occasionally they went out to The Dal or the small bar by Tamsin's place, or enjoyed a glass of wine or two with dinner. But ever since that Thursday all those months ago when Lauren drank too much wine and called the valkyrie 'Bo' one too many times, they kept their wits about them. Today was their 4 month anniversary, however, and Tamsin insisted that they celebrate (it's been centuries since she had been in a relationship, after all, so this was definitely worth celebrating in her mind). Lauren of course didn't protest, even when the valkyrie breezed into her apartment with two bottles of liquor and a huge grin on her face.
"I almost thought you were kidding about the celebrating, Tamsin." The doctor smiles as she rises from computer to greet her girlfriend with a chaste kiss.
"I never kid about drinking. You should know that by now."
Lauren laughs and takes the bottles from Tamsin before heading to the kitchen to fetch them some glasses.
"Whoa whoa whoa, Lewis", Tamsin interrupts her as she is about to open up the first of the two bottles. "Those are for the after party."
She raises an eyebrow. "After party?"
The valkyrie practically skips around the kitchen island to wrap her arms around Lauren's waist. Lauren let's her head fall back onto the other woman's shoulder, humming happily when Tamsin places small kisses on her cheek.
"I'm taking you to my favorite bar."
"Your favorite bar, huh? I wouldn't have pegged you as someone that has a favorite."
"Lauren", Tamsin spins the doctor around to eye her seriously, leaving her hands on her hips, "I drink. A lot. I've been to lots of bars. Of course I have a favorite."
**********
The bar is everything that Lauren and Bo used to joke about – motorcycles are parked out front, leatherclad men and woman adorn the outside, and there is the distinct sound of peanut shells cracking under their shoes as the pair enters the bar. Tamsin is smiling hugely as they walk in, so Lauren throws her usual caution to the wind and closely follows behind the valkyrie. They find a spot towards the end of the bar, where it is the least crowded, and Tamsin leaves to get them drinks. Lauren takes this opportunity to take in her surroundings (she's never been to a dark bar, of course) – there are several large men occupying the pool table, and another group of them crowding the dart board. A small group of women, who look strangely out of place in their polos and pearls, are sipping margaritas at a table in the center of the bar. Standing in the corner around a lopsided table, drinking and loudly whooping and laughing amongst themselves, is another group of women. They are all tall, all of their heads are adorned with golden blonde hair, all of their eyes are a shade of piercing green or blue – they are all very beautiful. And, as Lauren takes note of once she gets a better look at the group, they all share a striking similarity to her girlfriend. Once Tamsin returns from the other end of the bar, drinks in her hand and a smile on her face (Lauren will later swear, in a drunken stupor, that Tamsin only ever smiles like that when there are cold drinks in her hands, or Lauren's head between her legs; Tamsin will agree), Lauren happily receives both her rum and coke and a kiss.
"Tamsin...", Lauren says slyly as the valkyrie slides onto her stool, "Do you know that group of women over there? You all look... interestingly similar to one another."
Raising her beer to her mouth, Tamsin lazily turns her head to where the group of golden haired women is standing. She almost spits her drink out all over the table, causing Lauren to quickly stand and pat her back as she struggles to catch her breath. In all of the commotion (which involved not only Lauren worriedly standing in a rush, but knocking over her own drink and the tray the drinkrunner behind her was straining to balance), a woman from the group noticed them and happily sauntered over. She slams her large slender hand on Tamsin back, and another on Lauren's shoulder.
"Lady Tamsin of Muspelheim, as I live and breathe."
Tamsin, trying to smoothly wipe the remnants of beer off of her chin, clears her throat before looking up at the large woman.
"Annicka", she rises to embrace the woman, now that she has caught her breath, "it's good to see you. You look well."
"As do you!" The woman smiles, and pulls Tamsin into another embrace. Lauren, as curious as ever, takes a step back from the pair to observe. She still doesn't know much about Tamsin, not of her life before she came to work with Dyson, so she hopes that this will grant her the opportunity to learn a little bit more about the woman that makes her so happy.
"And this striking creature", the other woman, Annicka, falls to a knee and takes Lauren's hand; Tamsin rolls her eyes but doesn't drop her smile, "who might you be?"
Lauren smiles, definitely impressed by the other woman's charm. She is beautiful, much like Tamsin in stature, and pleasantly draws out all of the words the way only a woman of Nordic decent does. The doctor laughs quietly, relishing in the blush that rushes to the valkyrie's cheeks as she does her best to curtsy.
"Lauren. Dr. Lauren Lewis. It's nice to meet you."
The woman kisses Lauren's hand and stands, slapping a hand on Tamsin's shoulder roughly as she does. Tamsin keeps her beer in her mouth (just barely), and Lauren registers the internal struggle to not glare at the woman going on behind the valkyrie's eyes.
"A human, Lady Tamsin? Not what I would have ever expected of you. But she is beautiful. And a doctor none the less!"
The valkyrie rolls her eyes again as she takes an uninterrupted gulp of her beer. "Oh, she's alright I guess. Don't blow her head up too much though, some of her science might fall out."
Lauren laughs, sticking her tongue out at the valkyrie, a gesture she returns before laughing as well. The two blondes chat for a while, Lauren enjoying her quiet observation. From what she can tell, they have known each other a long time, and it has been quite a while since they'd seen each other. Tamsin is laughing happily as Annicka shares stories of her many travels over the years, mocking her when she gets the chance, providing humorous hindsight at every turn. After a short time, and 3 beers for each of the Nordic woman, Annicka politely asks Lauren if she could steal 'Lady Tamsin' (Lauren makes a mental note to ask her about that later) away for a moment.
"That group of woman I was with would just love to see this face again", Annicka says as she playfully pinches one of Tamsin's cheeks, "if you don't mind her absence?"
"Oh please, take her away. I take as many breaks from her as I can get."
They all share a small laugh, and Tamsin leans in to kiss Lauren before being practically dragged to the group – not before whispering 'I promise I won't be long' in Lauren's ear. The group receives her happily, many pulling her into a tight embrace. Lauren watches, smiling, from her spot at the bar, twirling the melting ice around in the bottom of her empty drink – she rarely sees Tamsin act 'goofy'. The valkyrie is always so composed and focused, her snarky attitude barely shedding light on the wonderful personality she keeps carefully hidden. It's nice to see her acting the way she is around the group of woman. She looks comfortable. And happy.
"A woman like you drinking alone?"
Lauren turns in the direction of the clicking tongue she hears directed at her; sitting next to her in the stool Tamsin vacated is another beautiful woman, but beautiful in a totally different way – she is dark skinned, with dark hair and expressive dark eyes, and teeth so white that the contrast almost throws Lauren off when she smiles. The doctor raises an eyebrow, forever oblivious to someone actually finding her attractive.
"For the time being. Just waiting on someone."
"Oh?", the stranger smiles again, "Let me buy you a drink. In the meantime."
She orders Lauren another rum and coke, and makes polite conversation with the doctor for a few minutes. They discuss fae politics, the weather, and medicine (Lauren is happy to discover the other woman actually knows what she's talking about when Lauren brings up a few medical journals she's been reading). When they get to the subject of dating, to the existence or lack there of significant others, the woman slides a little closer to Lauren at the bar – she places her hand gingerly on the doctor's knee as she offers her another drink. Suddenly everything registers in the doctor's brain and she smiles despite herself, looking up at the ceiling as she chuckles.
"Oh. No, thank you. I'm really am just waiting for someone. My girlfriend", Lauren tries to act casual as she spins around and points at the valkyrie, who is still laughing happily with the same group of women from earlier, "is right over there."
The woman's face falls, her sultry expression dropping and being replaced by one of surprise. Her voice is filled with an almost shocked humor when she speaks.
"Your girlfriend is a valkyrie? You're dating a valkyrie? That valkyrie?"
Lauren raises an eyebrow at the stranger sitting next to her, not sure how to feel about her reaction. She may be human, but she knows more about the fae than most fae seem to; she knows most fae don't like others to know what kind they are. It gives their enemies a chance to discover their weaknesses. And if there's one thing the doctor's girlfriend truly dislikes, it is weakness.
"How did you know that she's a valkyrie?"
"Well", the woman spins to look at the group with Lauren, "all of those ladies over there are. Well, some of them were. But the whole group, they're maidens of Odin. Powerful group." She nods for emphasis before laughing, throwing Lauren off a little. "I didn't know she dated nowadays. And a human! How funny."
Smiling back at her uncomfortably, Lauren decides it's time for her to take her leave – the woman is starting to get on her nerves and the fact that the alcohol is finally hitting her system isn't helping her usual unflappable patience. She thanks the stranger for the drink before pushing herself off of the bar to head back over to the table. The woman grabs her shoulder, however, and roughly pulls her back to the bar. Lauren lets out a little yelp as her hip collides roughly with the stool she had just vacated, but doesn't have time to protest – the stranger, still smirking, quickly leans forward to try to capture Lauren's lips in a kiss. Lauren raises her hand to slap the woman, her anger finally getting the best of her, but doesn't have to chance to before Tamsin appears behind her and grabs the back of the other woman's head by the hair. The valkyrie's patented shit-eating grin never leaving her face, she easily slams the offensive stranger's face into the bar. She recovers quickly, blood dribbling down her chin from where her mouth hit the hard wood, and spins to face Tamsin. The doctor is curious, and getting increasingly more uncomfortable by the second. The stranger's smile definitely isn't helping.
"Tamsin! How nice of you to join us. I was just about to introduce myself to your pet-"
"Girlfriend." Tamsin quickly corrects. "What do you want, Natasha? Other than to endlessly torment me."
The smile on the other woman's face drops as the group of valkyries move to stand behind Tamsin. Her shit-eating grin turns to an almost scowl as she eyes the woman – Natasha – more seriously.
"Well?"
Natasha shifts awkwardly on her feet and raises a hand to wipe the blood from her mouth. When she speaks, her voice is quiet – the doctor senses a hint of respect, and a hint of fear. She recognizes it, she will realize later, as the way she used to address The Ash – the first Ash she served, all those years ago.
"I apologize, Lady Tamsin of Muspelheim. I just couldn't believe my ears when I heard that you were dating that. A human."
She throws Lauren, who has moved behind Tamsin to clutch at her hand, a dirty look. Tamsin squeezes the doctor's hand reassuringly before looking past her and to Annicka, who she offers a small nod. Annicka cracks her knuckles, a vile smile covering her previously soft and beautiful features, before approaching Natasha.
"Let's take Natasha home, ladies", the woman rally behind her and all offer Tamsin and Lauren a smile before filing out of the bar one by one. Lauren and Tamsin are left standing in the bar, neither of them sure who should say something first. The doctor, whose patience has indeed run low between the drinking and the night's strange events, decides it must be her.
"I believe you owe me a story, Lady Tamsin."