After several moments Xena opened her eyes to the disappointment of the loft instead of the warm comfort of the bard in her fantasy. She pulled her breeches on, trying hard not to think of the loneliness she felt. It was a feeling that she found familiar, but harder to live with each passing day. To be so close to Gabrielle yet needing to be closer still, to show the woman who had become more important to her than anyone else just how much she loved her. "Just wishful thinking, Xena." she chastised herself before sliding down the ladder and returning to the house.
The first thing that Xena's senses picked up when she opened the door was the aromatic smell of meat cooking. She entered the kitchen to find Gabrielle standing by the stove. "What are you doing out of bed? I told you I would take care of dinner."
"I know, that's why I'm out of bed." the bard replied, turning and handing the taller woman a hot cup of tea. "My hand is broken, not my leg. There's no reason I can't move around and help out." she retrieved a mug for herself and sat down at the table opposite the warrior. The oversized shift hung down in the front, revealing a vast amount of the bard's attributes. Xena immediately focused her attention on the contents of her mug lest the bard see the hunger in her eyes.
"You're recovering from being kidnapped and beaten to a pulp. There's no reason for you to have do too much right now." she leveled a look at Gabrielle.
"You know, Xena, when I was hurt as a child, my mother wasn't nearly as protective as you are." she reached out with her right hand and placed it over the warrior's larger one resting on the table. "I'm not fragile. I'm not going to break just because I get up and make dinner or have to cross the room to reach the pot."
"I know you're not frag-"
"Then why do you insist on treating me like I am?" Gabrielle exclaimed. "Don't get me wrong, I truly appreciate that you took such good care of me but I'm feeling better now." she regretted her words the instant she saw the hurt look on Xena's face. "Hey..." she softened her tone and moved until she was sitting on the same bench as the warrior. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I know you're just trying to take care of me and I love you for that, I really do. But just how long did you honestly think you could keep me in bed? Especially if it meant that you were going to do the cooking?" she smiled brightly when she saw Xena's lip quirk up at their long-standing joke. "Look, I'll make a deal with you, I promise not to act like I'm in top form and you promise not to treat me like I'm at death's door, okay?"
"You weren't all that far from it, Gabrielle." the warrior said seriously, her eyes downward, focusing on nothing. "If I hadn't gotten there when I did and stopped that bleeding…." she left the sentence unfinished, choosing instead to gulp down the remainder of her tea and to shake the image of her beloved bard chained up in that cell from her mind.
"Xena…Xena look at me." she rested her right hand on the warrior's larger left one and dipped her head, forcing blue eyes to meet green. "You *did* get there in time and you *did* save me." she had hoped that her words would help erase the pained expression from the warrior's face, but they didn't. "Xena…you couldn't have gotten there any faster than you did."
"You're wrong, Gabrielle. I should have gotten there sooner. I lost the trail and came upon a fork in the road. I ended up taking the wrong one and had to double back." her voice was full of the previously unrevealed guilt. "Don't you see? I failed you. If I had gone to the right at the fork instead of the left-" she was silenced by the bard's fingers pressed against her lips.
"You didn't fail me." Gabrielle said firmly, her heart breaking at the forlorn look in the beautiful blue eyes that she loved. She wanted to do something, anything to ease Xena's pain, so she did the only thing she could think of. She leaned forward and replaced her fingers with her lips, giving Xena a gentle kiss. "I love you, you could never fail me." she whispered before pulling back.
Gabrielle had expected Xena to mumble something about having to go take care of Argo or sharpen her sword or any of the multitude of excuses the warrior used to avoid having to deal with her emotions. What the bard didn't expect was to feel Xena's arms wrap around and pull her against the leather covered chest. Although the grip wasn't so tight that it was painful to the still healing ribs, it was tight enough that Gabrielle knew something was wrong. The strong jaw rested against the top of her reddish-gold hair and a large hand began rubbing up and down her back in a comforting motion. She shifted just enough to put her splinted hand in a comfortable position before allowing Xena to pull her close again.
"It's going to be all right." the warrior crooned while continuing to gently stroke the bard's back. "You're going to be fine." she turned her head and allowed her cheek to slowly rub against the golden hair. Gabrielle realized that this was Xena's warrior way of getting comfort while denying that any comfort was needed and she pulled herself as close as her now aching ribs would allow. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy the feeling of her face pressed up against Xena's skin and leathers. The scent was much stronger than on the shift and Gabrielle inhaled deeply, letting it out as a soft sigh of contentment. The warrior had stopped speaking but never ceased her restless hand from running up and down the bard's back. Right there, at that moment, Xena was certain she was in her own Elyssian Fields. Her lungs filled with the fragrance of Gabrielle's hair, her lips tingled with the all too brief kiss, and her arms were wrapped around the one calm port in her stormy life. The comfort Xena had been seeking came to her now and she gratefully allowed it in.
Only the smell of burning meat broke the magical spell that they were in. "Oh gods!" Gabrielle yelped, peeling her cheek off the leather and rising to her feet. She reached the stove and glared at the two blackened pieces of meat. Xena looked at what was not going to be dinner anymore and couldn't suppress a chuckle. "And just what is so funny? One of those was yours, you know." the irritated bard asked.
"Well, I guess you'll never complain about my cooking again, will you?" she grinned in a most annoying fashion, completely amused by the situation.
"Xena, my one experience with burning dinner is but a grain of sand compared to your desert of charred meals." Gabrielle replied, showing off her bardic skill. The grin on the warrior's face disappeared, replaced with the look of someone trying hard to come back with a sharp comment but just can't come up with one. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she finally gave up and smiled.
"That's a good one, Gabrielle. Yup a reeeal good one. Just for that, you can curl up with a good scroll tonight." she said while rummaging through the foodstuffs to find something else for dinner.
"Well at least a scroll won't steal three quarters of the bed." the bard replied, taking the pack of dried beans from the warrior and pouring them into the pot.
"Steal three…oh yeah, this from the blanket hog. I have to sleep close to you because that's the only way I can get any of the covers." Xena protested while reaching for some potatoes.
"Here's the knife. Remember, it's a potato, it's harmless. You don't have to stab it to death before you cut it up." they both laughed when Xena held the knife as if to do exactly that. "I knew underneath that do-gooder warrior skin was a bloodthirsty warlord just waiting to come out and commit untold acts of mayhem."
"Don't forget debauchery." Xena added, wiggling her eyebrows.
"How could I possibly forget that?" she responded, giving the warrior a playful poke in the ribs, knowing full well that Xena wouldn't dare retaliate. "I'm surprised you've lasted this long. What's it been? Ten…twenty moons?"
"Hey…" she said, feigning hurt. "It hasn't been *that* long. Just because I don't tell you when I get it doesn't mean I don't get it occasionally."
"Uh huh." Gabrielle replied, not believing a word of it. She was fairly confidant that Xena's last relation was with Marcus and that was close to twenty moons ago. "I'm amazed you've lasted this long." she pulled the lid off the pot and waited for Xena to put the pile of potato cubes in.
"I'm sure there's a lot of things about me that'll surprise you." the warrior said casually. She poured the potatoes into the simmering stew and turned away from Gabrielle, supposedly to wipe her hands on the towel. 'I'm surprised I've lasted this long too.' she thought to herself.
"Naw…" the bard said, shaking her head. "I think I know you pretty well…I'm sure there's nothing you could tell me that would surprise me."
Xena's hands clenched the towel as she bit her lip to keep the reply from bursting forth. She took a deep breath and thought carefully before releasing her death grip on the towel and turning to face Gabrielle. The bard's attention was on the stew. "We'll see about that." Xena said, placing a quick kiss on the top of the smaller woman's head. "I've got to bring some more wood in for tonight. Try not to burn dinner twice, okay?" she ducked out of the kitchen just as a stray potato cube found itself flying through the air at her.
"No."
"Gabrielle, it's mine. Give it back."
"No."
"Gabrielle...." her tone was low and playfully menacing. "That's the only shift I have."
"Too bad." she grinned. "I'm wearing it right now and you can't have it back."
"And just what am I supposed to sleep in? My leathers?"
"Sleep in the nude. You're not getting it back." she pulled the blanket up under her chin. She was enjoying the feeling of wearing the warrior's shift and had no interest in returning it. "Come on, Xena, you know it's more comfortable than my clothes and after all, my ribs are still healing. You wouldn't want me to try and struggle into one of my shifts, would you?"
"Well, you'd fit into it a lot easier than I would." she tugged lightly on the blanket.
"No. The only way you're getting it back is to tear it off my body." the words conjured up a most pleasant vision in the bard's mind and she secretly wished that Xena would do just that. The words created a similar vision in the warrior's mind and she felt a familiar heat begin. She knew there was no way she could touch the bard at that point without revealing her true feelings.
"Hmmpf." she grunted. "Fine. I'll let you win...this time." a few quick tugs and the leathers were off, leaving Xena with just her short breeches. The light from the fireplace glowed off her full breasts, giving the bard a most enjoyable view. She crawled over Gabrielle's blanketed form and flopped down on the bed next to her. "Now are you going to share the blanket?"
"I don't know." she tilted her head as if seriously contemplating the question. "After all, who knows when that bloodthirsty warlord in you might pop out."
"I'm too tired to commit mayhem tonight."
"What about debauchery?"
"Oh, I'm never too tired for that." Xena replied with a lecherous grin. In the back of her mind she wondered if Gabrielle realized that she was playing with fire.
"Figures." the bard laughed, giving up her hold on the edge of the blanket. Xena scooted under the wool cover and rolled onto her back, making certain that there was a hand's width of space between their bodies. All was quiet for several moments while both women sorted through their thoughts. Xena was just about to roll over when she felt Gabrielle move, pressing their bodies together. "Good night." she whispered before giving the warrior a gentle kiss on the corner of her mouth. She scooted down slightly and laid her head against the startled warrior's upper chest, sighing against the warmth of Xena's bare skin. She was blissfully ignorant of the slight ache in her ribs from the movement. It was worth it to be so close. Unsure of what to do, the warrior decided that inaction was the best course and lowered her arm to wrap around the snuggling bard's back. There were a few minor adjustments made as arms and legs found more comfortable niches to rest in. Once the shifting was done, Xena was certain she wouldn't be able to relax enough to sleep. Gabrielle's head was now pressed against her bare breast, the soft breaths cascading over the warrior's nipple in a most maddening fashion. Xena laid there and waited until she felt the breaths become deep and steady, indicating that the bard was sound asleep. With slow, careful movements, she tilted Gabrielle's head to a less torturous position. For the next candlemark Xena laid awake, simply enjoying the soft comfort of holding her bard before sleep finally claimed her.
************************
"Make sure you get all the soap out." Gabrielle said. She was reclining in the small tub, enjoying the gentle hair washing from Xena, who was kneeling on the floor next to her. Even though it had been over a moon since the incident with Abrama, the bard's left hand had still not healed completely. Although normally she would complain or be upset, it did make for a great excuse to have Xena help her wash.
"Don't I always get all the soap out?" the warrior replied, reaching her fingers into the water and giving the bard a small splash. "And don't think that I don't know that you're perfectly capable of doing this yourself."
"I could." she admitted. "But it wouldn't be anywhere near as enjoyable as being pampered like this." Gabrielle turned to give the warrior a huge grin. "Besides, I think you like doing this."
"You just wait until that hand is better. You'll be washing my hair for the next six moons." Xena replied, ignoring the bard's comment. Truth be told, she loved the feeling of her fingers sinking into the golden hair, of rubbing her fingertips along the bard's scalp, of just plain touching Gabrielle in any way she could. Only when she was certain that every strand was perfectly clean did the warrior finally relent and begin rinsing Gabrielle's hair. The bard had been busy washing herself and Xena made certain to position herself in such a way as to enjoy the show. She was glad that she was kneeling just behind Gabrielle's line of sight because she knew there was no way to hide the hunger in her eyes when the bard began rubbing the soapy cloth over her breasts. Xena sat there, completely mesmerized by the sight of the wet pink nipples. The water dripping off, the suds clinging, the cool evening air causing them to harden invitingly all beckoned to the warrior. So enchanted by the sight, she never noticed when Gabrielle stopped washing herself and looked at her.
The bard remained shock still as she watched Xena staring at her breasts. The normally guarded features were open, revealing a desire that Gabrielle had only dreamed of seeing on the warrior's face. Her brain tried to absorb the information and what it meant. "Xena." she whispered. The dark head jerked up, guilt and fear fighting for dominance in the crystal blue eyes. Gabrielle quickly put on a concerned face. "Where'd you go? I was talking to you and you just stared off into space." she shook her head and resumed her washing. "So anyway I was talking about how Lila and I were trying to get some honey from this hive…Xena don't you remember any of this?" she knew damn well that the warrior didn't because she was making it up as she went along.
"Uh…yeah…you, Lila, beehive…sorry." she gave a quick smile and stood up. "I'd better check on Argo before we turn in."
"Oh, okay. I'll just soak until you get back." Gabrielle replied.
"You do that. I'll be back in a little while." Xena said, already heading for the door.
Once outside, she leaned against the house and let her head fall back. "Damn." she cursed. "You almost caught me this time." she said to the night sky. Her brow furrowed. "Or did you?" she tried hard to remember anything about the story Gabrielle said she was telling her. Just when she was ready to accept that she had been so engrossed in watching the bard's breasts that she didn't hear her speaking, Xena remembered one important fact that Gabrielle had told her a long time ago…Lila was allergic to bees. "You did catch me." she whispered.
Gabrielle watched the door close and grinned knowingly. 'Now I understand why you didn't tell me about coming on to you that night.' she giggled at the thought of how hard it must have been for Xena to restrain herself. 'I'll make it up to you tonight, I promise.'
When Xena returned to the room almost a full candlemark later, she found Gabrielle already in bed, the covers pulled up to her chin. "I thought you had fallen asleep out there."
"No, sorry, just giving Argo some extra attention." she replied while stripping off her leathers. "Did you have any trouble getting out of the tub by yourself?"
"Not really." she lied, ignoring the throbbing in her left hand. "I left some water over the fire in case you wanted to wash up."
"Oh thanks, that's a good...wait a moment, what do you mean not really?" blue eyes looked suspiciously at the bard.
"Um, well..."
"Gabrielle..." the tone gave clear warning to come forth with what happened or else.
"I slipped getting out." she pulled her hand out from under the blanket. "I wasn't thinking and reached out to stop myself from falling." instantly Xena was by her side, unwrapping the bandages and removing the splint to check for any new damage.
"You should have waited for me." she admonished gently while carefully feeling the bones in the bard's hand. "Does it hurt?"
"A little." she admitted. "But not like I broke it again or anything." her gaze settled on the warrior's naked form, a most appetizing sight.
"Hmm...good." Xena murmured. Her methodical examination confirmed that nothing had been moved around and there wasn't any swelling, another good sign. "You'll be fine. Your hand's almost healed. I think in another quarter moon or so we'll be able to leave the splint off completely, although it'll probably be a couple moons before you'll be able to use your staff."
"Thanks." Gabrielle said once the hand was rebandaged and splinted. She reached out with her right hand and rested it on Xena's forearm. "You know..." she leaned up on her elbow, bringing her face close to the warrior's. "You've been so good to me this last moon, taking care of every little thing, well...I just wanted to thank you."
"You don't have to thank me, Gabrielle. You would have done the same thing for me if the situation was reversed." she stepped back and crossed the room to retrieve the bucket of water from the fireplace. The bard laid back and enjoyed the view of Xena's muscled thighs and shapely rear. 'Definitely tonight.' she thought to herself, the heat between her legs building with every innocent movement of the warrior's naked form. The look in Xena's eyes earlier had confirmed to Gabrielle that she wasn't the only one holding back feelings.
Xena made quick work of her bath and dried off. She looked around for her shift, frowning when she saw it draped across the back of one of the chairs, a puddle of water forming on the floor. "What happened?"
"Oh, that. I told you I slipped when I was getting out, right? Well, I had your shift in my hand at the time and it fell in the tub." she said, hoping that the warrior would buy her lame story. Truth be told, the sneaky bard had deliberately dropped the cotton garment into the tub so it couldn't be worn to bed.
Xena nodded and threw another log on the fire. She knew damn well that her shift was laying on the bed when she left earlier. There was no way the bard could have accidentally soaked it so why…? The blue eyes closed and a smile formed on her face when she finally understood what was going on. With a joyous feeling in her long battered heart, Xena extinguished the candles before heading for the bed. She went to climb over Gabrielle only to find that the bard had moved to the inside of the bed instead of the outside where she usually was. Xena pulled back the blanket and slipped under it, rolling over so that she was facing away from Gabrielle. Although the warrior was brave in many ways, she was still too scared of having misinterpreted the signs to make the first move. She heard and felt the bard moving closer and made silent thanks to whatever god had seen fit to allow her to have this much happiness. Gabrielle's right arm snaked over her waist and Xena felt the bard's body pressing up against her back. Her blue eyes widened at the feel of naked skin against hers and she bit her lower lip to keep from groaning. "Xena?" came the soft voice so very close to her ear.
"Yeah?"
"You know I remember something else about that night." she whispered as her fingers began to make small, lazy circles on the warrior's firm belly. "I remember asking you if you ever thought about what it would be like. I asked you that, didn't I?" she pressed closer, letting the soft curls press against the small of Xena's back.
"You did." the warrior admitted, all of her attention focused on the small hand traveling back and forth across her midriff and the implication of that action.
"And you said that it wasn't a good time to discuss it."
"You were drugged at the time." her words came out a bit raspy as the bard's hand began to travel upward.
"I'm not now." Gabrielle replied, removing her hand from Xena's waist and brushing the long tresses of hair off the warrior's shoulder. "So answer the question."
Xena rolled over and placed the palm of her hand against the bard's cheek. "Have I ever thought about what it would be like to make love to you?" she let her thumb brush back and forth. "Oh yes." she whispered. "You have no idea how much I've thought about it." She reached between them and lifted the bard's left arm until it was resting on the pillow above her head. "I love you."
"Well, let's stop thinking and start doing." Gabrielle replied, sinking her fingers into the ebony hair.
"Sounds good to me." she murmured, lowering her lips to barely brush against the softness of the bard's. One whimpered and the other moaned, but neither knew which sound they were responsible for.
Xena pressed herself closer, wrapping her arms around the smaller form and sighing at the feel of skin touching skin. "Oh yeah...so nice." they kissed again and when she pulled back to look in the bard's green eyes she found herself frustrated by the dimness of the night. Gabrielle mewed a complaint when she felt the warrior slip out of the embrace. "Wait...I want to see you." Xena said, leaning in for another kiss before quickly lighting several candles. When she returned to the bed, the bard held the blanket open in silent invitation. The warrior stood there for a moment, drinking in the sight revealed to her. The candlelight flickered and bounced off the pale skin, the erect nipples causing small shadows against the bard's breasts.
"Please..." Gabrielle whispered, letting the blanket fall as she reached out her hand to grasp the taller woman's. Xena lowered herself onto the bard, sighing when she felt the hardened nipples pressing against the underside of her own breasts. Bracing herself with her elbows, she slid her hands under Gabrielle's shoulders and sought out the softness of the bard's mouth with her own. Soft, gentle, languid kisses went on and on until Xena let her tongue slip out to caress Gabrielle's lips. Instantly she felt the younger woman tense up. Concerned, she lifted her head and looked at the bard questioningly. "I..." Gabrielle began, obviously nervous. "I don't like that." she turned her head and looked away, certain that she'd ruined everything. Xena shifted until she could support herself with her right elbow and used her left hand to gently turn the bard to face her.
"Hey..." she said softly, letting the deep love she had show in her face. "I won't do anything you don't feel comfortable with. Are you..." she tried to find the right words to express her fear. "Are you having second thoughts?"
"No. Oh, Xena, no." she replied quickly, shaking her head. She leaned up and kissed the warrior, trying to reassure her. "I want this, I really do." they both smiled at the vehemence in the bard's statement. "But when Per-" she stopped herself, unsure if Xena would be upset with her mentioning her late husband. "Never mind." she tried to move in to kiss the warrior again but Xena pulled back.
"But Perdicus what?" she urged gently, pushing down her own fears about what happened on Gabrielle's wedding night, a night that Xena tried desperately to pretend never happened. "It's okay, tell me."
Looking up at the shadowed face of the woman she loved more than anything else, Gabrielle found the courage to continue, albeit a bit nervously. "Well, when he did that, you know, with the tongue..." even in the dim candlelight Xena could see the bard blushing slightly. "It was all sloppy and everything." she smiled at Xena's attempt to suppress a grin. "I didn't like the way it felt." she had expected the warrior to be upset by her declaration, thinking that she was comparing the two, and was very relieved to see a knowing smile cross the bronzed face.
"Gabrielle…" she drew her thumb across the beautiful bardic lips. "It doesn't have to be like that. I want this to be as enjoyable and special to you as it is to me. We won't do anything that you don't want to do. But I'll tell you this," Xena flashed a smug grin. "I've never gotten a complaint about my kissing."
"I'm not complaining so far." the bard replied with a shy smile. "I like the way you kiss."
"Good." she used her fingertips to trace the outline of Gabrielle's mouth. "Let's see if we can keep it that way."
Xena lowered her mouth and gently kissed her bard. She deliberately held back, wanting Gabrielle to set the pace. Soon she felt the increased pressure of the younger woman's mouth upon hers as well as a small hand pressing on her shoulder. She laid back and allowed Gabrielle to take control.
Looking down at the blue eyes and seeing the love they held for her sent a shiver through the bard. "Are you cold?" Xena asked, her hands already groping for the blanket to cover her lover with. Gabrielle rested her hand on the bronzed cheek and smiled.
"Oh no, Xena. I'm not cold at all." she whispered just before placing a series of small kisses from one corner of the warrior's mouth to the other. "In fact…I'm…feeling…rather warm at the moment." she said between kisses. Keeping her left hand safely out of the way, she shifted more of herself on top of Xena, enjoying the contented moan that escaped the warrior's lips.
Placing her hands on the small hips, Xena gently urged more of her lover's body on top of her, satisfied only when she bore the full weight of the bard. "So nice." she murmured, pulling Gabrielle's bottom lip between hers and running the tip of her tongue across it. She was rewarded with a soft moan. Xena felt the bard's tongue brush across her lips and immediately parted them in silent encouragement. Gabrielle spent long moments exploring the warrior's lips, losing herself in their softness, but eventually needed more. Her tongue swept across Xena's teeth then probed even further. Both moaned when the bard's questing muscle came into contact with the warrior's. Xena let her hands travel up and down Gabrielle's back while their tongues danced together in her mouth. Eyes closed, both floated in the sensation of the intimate contact. The kiss started as a tiny ember and grew in intensity until it was a raging fire, robbing both women of any awareness of their surroundings. Xena's hands roamed downward until they cupped the bard's shapely rear. Long fingers splayed out to gently squeeze the firm cheeks while simultaneously pressing Gabrielle against her. Only when the need for air overrode their passion did they reluctantly separate. The bard shifted down slightly and rested her head on the powerful shoulder, resting her right hand on Xena's upper chest. She smiled as she felt the same rapid pounding beneath her fingers as she felt in her own heart. "Gods…"
"You can say that again." the warrior husked, bringing her hands up to gently caress Gabrielle's back again. They stayed like that for several moments as they struggled to get their breathing to return to normal.
"I didn't know kissing could be like that." Gabrielle whispered, placing a soft kiss on Xena's collarbone. "When can we do it again?" the long body beneath her shook with silent laughter and she felt the warrior's strong arms squeeze her. The bard didn't have the energy to try and reclaim Xena's mouth so she resumed her kissing of the skin she could reach. She worked her way across the collarbone until she reached the warrior's throat. When she heard the half whimper/half sigh and felt the long fingers sink into her hair, Gabrielle realized that she had found a pleasurable spot and began sucking, her tongue stroking the skin captured between the parted lips. Xena pressed down with her hand, encouraging the bard's actions while her body arched into the blissful sensation.
Gabrielle took her time, branding the warrior in a way no one had ever been allowed to do before. The raven haired woman alternated between moaning and gasping as the bard's lips moved up the length of her neck. When Gabrielle finally reached her mouth, she wrapped her arms around the small back and, making sure the injured hand was out of the way, rolled them over so that she was on top. Xena was on her hands and knees, straddling the excited bard. Gabrielle swallowed when she saw the look of loving desire in the blue eyes. Then her gaze lowered, watching the candlelight flicker on the full lips, the way shadows danced across the graceful neck, and lower still until it settled on the scar above the warrior's right breast. Gabrielle thought about how many times she had wanted to kiss the thin white line left by a dagger long ago and couldn't. The realization that she finally could caused her pulse to flutter as it began beating at a pace almost as furious as when they kissed. Wrapping her right arm around the stronger woman's back, Gabrielle gently urged the warrior to lower herself so she could claim her prize.
"So nice." Xena murmured, letting her eyes close as she felt the bard's lips and tongue on her skin again. She felt Gabrielle's hand begin traveling around to the front, moving closer and closer to… "Oh gods!" she exclaimed when fingers callused from staff use grasped her breast. "Yes, Gabrielle…touch me." she growled, arching into the glorious touch. The bard mouth moved down and Xena moved up until warm lips closed around an erect nipple. "Yessss…" she hissed as she locked her elbows and let her head drop to enjoy the sight of Gabrielle making love to her breasts.
Eyes closed, the bard lost herself in the exquisite feeling. She ran her tongue over the pebbly flesh before narrowing her focus. Capturing the hard nipple between her lips, Gabrielle flicked it, causing Xena to inhale sharply. Encouraged, she began licking in earnest while her forefinger and thumb kept pace on the other breast, pumping the erect flesh in rhythm to her oral ministrations. Her 'Mmm's drowned out the sound of the warrior's sighs and moans. Xena spread her knees, lowering her center against Gabrielle's muscled abdomen. Both women groaned at the contact. The warrior pressed herself against the now soaked flesh, crying out at the feeling of the warm skin against her. The bard sucked harder in response to the searing wetness bathing her. "Oh gods, Gabrielle…yeah, that's it…" Xena gasped, dimly wondering if she'd climax just from the feel of the bard's mouth on her. "Harder…ahh, yesss." she cried, feeling a surge in the fluids pumping out of her.
Kissing her way over the soft flesh, Gabrielle took the other nipple in, treating it to the same lavishing of love and passion. Her ears filled with the enjoyable sounds of Xena's cries and pleas for more. She realized that she'd never seen the warrior in the throes of desire and she found the sight to be more beautiful than she ever imagined. Unable to use her right hand to reach the other breast, Gabrielle traced a path down Xena's skin until she was able to cup firm warrior flesh. which she felt needed to be squeezed and fondled.
Xena quickly realized that she'd never last long if the bard's hands got any closer to her overheated center. She reluctantly pulled her breast out of Gabrielle's mouth. Looking down at the mouth that had brought her so much pleasure, Xena lowered herself to her elbows and possessed the bard's lips with her own. When her tongue requested entry, Gabrielle immediately complied, letting the warrior in to explore. Xena felt the hardness of the bard's teeth and ran the tip along them before diving in. As their tongues danced together, the warrior shifted to lay on her side, her leg draped over one powerful thigh. With her right hand now free from having to support her, Xena placed it on Gabrielle's belly. She traced her finger through the area slick with her passion then moved up, squeezing the underside of the bard's breasts while her mouth continued to wreak havoc with the younger woman's senses. Gabrielle's breathing became more labored as long fingers reached up to caress her nipple and her hips rocked of their own accord. Xena reacted straddling the bard and pushing her knee to part the younger woman's legs. "Oh god!" Gabrielle cried when she felt the warrior's strong thigh press against her soaked curls. She spread her legs wider, opening herself for her lover.
"You're sooo wet." Xena breathed into the bard's ear before taking the lobe into her mouth and suckling it. Gabrielle could only groan a weak reply and press herself harder against the raven haired woman's thigh. She was keenly aware of every place where she was being touched by her warrior; the teeth and tongue on her earlobe, the fingers that teased her nipple, the damp hair that pressed against her hip. All served to fan the flames of the bard's passion, but Xena's muscle pressing against her center was what was truly driving her insane with desire.
"P-l-e-a-s-e…" Gabrielle groaned, pressing against the warrior's shoulder with her hand. Xena sucked her way down the jawbone until she reached her lover's chin then dipped down to capture the arched throat. "Gods yes." the bard sighed, sinking her fingers into the raven hair. She cried out when Xena's hand moved to her other breast and squeezed firmly.
Hearing, watching, and feeling Gabrielle react to her touch was having a pronounced effect on the warrior. Her slim control shattered by the bard's cries, Xena slid down, sending her hand between their bodies to press against the soaked mound while her mouth claimed a willing breast. She sucked and licked hungrily, certain that she'd never get her fill of Gabrielle's body. Xena nibbled the aching peak while one finger slipped between the folds to find itself drenched with hot wetness. "Gods, Gabrielle…." She groaned against the bard's breast, feeling a surge of warmth between her own legs. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to touch you like this." she wiggled her finger to emphasize her point. The quivering woman reacted immediately, bucking against the happy digit and letting out a sensual moan that reverberated through both of them. It threw more oil on their already out of control fire. Xena responded by attacking the nipple with renewed vigor and allowing her finger to gently stroke the swollen clit. Gabrielle's moans were now constant except for the occasional 'oh gods'. Her hips jerked against the long finger, begging for more and her warrior complied, stroking with more purpose while her mouth alternated between breasts. As much as she was enjoying touching the bard's sex, Xena wanted…no needed to taste the sweetness that was pulsing against her finger. She slid down, letting her tongue taste the thin layer of sweat that covered the muscled abs. As she moved even lower, the warrior came upon another flavor, one which she was well aquatinted with. She sucked and licked the remainder of her wetness from the Gabrielle's skin before gently nipping the rest of the way down to the soft golden curls.
The bard's heart pounded wildly in her chest when she watched the warrior lower herself between her legs. "Yes." she whispered. Xena smiled at the way the word sounded like a plea. She placed a kiss on one outer fold, then the other before letting her tongue slip between them, bathing in the taste of Gabrielle's passion. A small hand clamped down on her head as hips pushed closer to her mouth. The bard's vocabulary was limited to 'yes', 'please', 'oh gods', various versions of her lover's name, and 'don't stop', all of which were repeated over and over between moans while Xena's soft firm muscle discovered all her secrets.
She greedily drank up all that Gabrielle had to offer, trying very hard not to miss a drop of the sweet nectar. Wrapping her arms around the writhing form's hips, Xena hungrily licked and sucked the bard's clit, her ears treated to the sound of her lover's voice calling her name in increasing volume as Gabrielle rose closer and closer to crashing over into indescribable ecstasy. The warrior was relentless in her oral ministrations, bringing her bard close then easing off, prolonging and intensifying the feelings. Gabrielle's heels dug into Xena's back while she ground her sex against the warrior's mouth. "Oh gods, Xena PLEASE!!" she screamed, her hand blindly clawing at the ebony head. Xena trapped the desperate clit between her teeth and brushed her tongue back and forth across it with firm strokes. Bardic thighs trembled and Gabrielle was unable to keep her eyes open when the tremors started. Holding her breath, Xena sucked the pulsing clit into her mouth and flicked it hard with her tongue. The bard arched off the bed, her weight completely supported by the back of her head and her thighs wrapped around the warrior's shoulders. Eyes squeezed tight, jaw clenched, body taut as a bowstring, Gabrielle felt the first wave crash over her. "Xe-Xena…oh gods…Xena, Xena!" she repeated again and again, crying out her lover's name to the night, telling all that might hear the name of the woman that held the key to her heart, the other half of her soul.
Xena felt the release and changed her strokes, drawing out Gabrielle's orgasm as long as she could. When the bard collapsed back onto the bed, she gave the swollen folds a gentle kiss before scampering up to pull the still quivering woman into her arms. The candles had burned down, casting only a dim light over the lovers, but there was no mistaking the look on Gabrielle's face. It was a look that Xena could only previously imagine and looking at the afterglow on her lover's face, she decided that her imagination was sorely lacking. "So beautiful." the warrior murmured, planting several small kisses on the bard's face. She was surprised to taste the saltiness of a tear against her lips. Pulling back, she saw that indeed her bard was crying.
"I'm sorry." Gabrielle sniffed. "I don't know why I'm crying."
"I do." Xena whispered, fully in awe of the power her lovemaking had on the beautiful bard. She lowered her mouth for a loving kiss. The bard tasted herself on her warrior's lips and her body trembled with the memory of them sending her higher than Mount Olympus. Xena lovingly kissed away every salty drop while Gabrielle struggled to return her breathing to normal.
"I love you." the bard whispered several moments later. She was gently wrapped in the strong arms, her head nestled against the crook of Xena's neck. Her splinted hand was resting on the muscled stomach. The warrior kissed the top of the golden hair.
"I love you too." she brought one long hand up to gently stoke the soft cheek. "You okay?" she queried softly.
"Yeah." Gabrielle nodded, placing a soft kiss on the warrior's neck. "That was…" she tried to think of a way to describe the incredible feeling. "…exquisitely intense." she sighed.
"Oh it was, was it?" Xena chuckled. "Guess that means you liked it, huh?" she was answered with a series of gentle kisses on her neck as the bard wormed her way back on top of the older woman.
"No." Gabrielle mumbled as her mouth fondled the soft skin. "I love it." she shifted down, letting her legs fall to either side of the warrior's muscled waist and exhaling a contented sigh when she felt her damp curls brush against the bronzed skin. "Now I want to show you how much."
Helpless to the softness of her lover's mouth, Xena laid her head back and let the backs of her hands rest against her forehead, giving Gabrielle the freedom to explore at her own pace. Bardic lips and tongue slid across the scarred flesh, dropping lower to gently suckle the inside of the full breast. Xena sighed and brought her hands down to sink into the golden hair. "So nice…" she growled when those wonderful lips moved up the heaving slope and captured the puckered flesh. Gabrielle's own passion coupled with her deep desire to bring pleasure to the warrior was expressed with every touch of her mouth. Her tongue rasped over the hardening skin, pulling it into her mouth and sucking. Lips and teeth nipped and nibbled while her soft firm muscle continued to turn on every nerve ending in Xena's body. Feeling the pressure of the strong hands against the back of her head, Gabrielle began sucking in earnest, treating her lover's breasts to the same ministrations she had given them earlier.
Xena's body reacted quickly, flooding the insides of her thighs with renewed passion. Removing her left hand from the bard's oh so soft hair, she reached down and lifted Gabrielle's right leg until she could rest it between her legs. "Please…" she gasped when she felt the muscled thigh press against her overheated sex, jerking her hips upward to increase the pressure. She wanted it to last, to take her time and enjoy the experience of having her beloved make love to her, but her body was screaming for contact.
Gabrielle relished the sharp cry of pleasure she heard from Xena when she bit down on the swollen nipple while grinding her thigh against the drenched area between the warrior's legs. The feeling on the hot liquid against her skin caused the bard to moan around the tender flesh in her mouth. "Xeeennnaaa…"
Gabrielle's sensuous tones and wandering hand drove the raven haired pile of quivering desire wild. Slim bardic hips slid off her belly and settled against her waist, pulling the wonderful thigh away from her center. Before Xena could vocalize her protest a small hand pressed against her slippery womanhood. "Oh gods, yes!" she cried, gripping Gabrielle's wrist and arching up. "Please…touch me there…oh-"
Xena gave up the fight for speech when four fingertips stroked the length of her sex. She quickly began rocking against the gentle touch, expressing her need with each desperate motion of her hips. One rather excited jerk brought the tips against her soaked tunnel. There was no way Xena could deny herself the pleasure. Using her longer fingers to guide Gabrielle's, she arched up and groaned when she felt two fingers embed themselves in up to the first knuckle. She let go of the smaller hand and let the bard take control.
Gabrielle gasped at the warm wetness surrounding her fingers. She slowly moved in and out, sliding in deeper each time as the sweet cream coated her fingers. Lifting her head from the warrior's breast, the bard shifted down and watched as she moved in and out of Xena. The visual image intensified the feeling of having her fingers gripped by the warm wet inner muscles. She began kissing the soft skin above the wiry dark curls while increasing the speed and depth of her thrusts. Xena began moaning then…a soft exhalation of pleasure that fed the bard's confidence. Shifting her hand, Gabrielle rubbed her thumb across the hard button while continuing to stroke her lover's inner walls. "Xeeennnaaa…" she sighed when each plunge caused the boiling fluid to pump out onto her palm and wrist. Her mouth slipped down to suck the soaked hairs of the warrior's triangle. "Oh yessssss…." she whispered, moving her lips lower to draw more of the ambrosia.
Xena knew she was close and tried valiantly to hold out against the ministrations of Gabrielle's hand, wanting the glorious feeling to last as long as possible. But when she felt the bard's mouth against her nether lips, the warm breath caress her soaked flesh, the soft tongue snake out and dip in to taste her, all was lost. Gabrielle held on as the inner muscles clamped down, holding her fingers captive, and a strong hand pressed against the back of her head, keeping her lips and tongue against the throbbing clit. "OH GODS…Oh…OH, OH GODS…OH……..GABRIELLE!!!" Xena arched up, taking the bard with her as waves higher than any Poseidon could create washed over her. Gabrielle couldn't believe the amount of fluid pumping out onto her hand. She greedily tried to lick it all up while slowly pulling her fingers out of their warm cocoon, stopping her oral efforts only when she felt Xena's hand move from her head to her back, stroking it gently. Rubbing her sticky hand along the length of the warrior's thigh, Gabrielle gently kissed the outer folds over and over, putting her deep love and devotion in each touch of her lips against the tender flesh before moving up to nestle against the broad shoulder.
"Gabrielle…." the name was said with such love, such devotion, nothing could ever sound sweeter to the bard's ears.
"I'm right here, Xena." she murmured, gently kissing the shoulder she was resting on.
"You know how you described it before? Exquisitely intense?"
"Yeah?"
"Yeahhhh." she sighed, drawing a silent chuckle from Gabrielle. The movement jarred the splinted hand, causing the bard to jerk slightly. "Okay, I think it's time to switch sides. I don't want to be responsible for rolling over and hurting it during the night." Xena said, helping Gabrielle slide over her body to reach the outside of the bed. They shifted around until both were comfortable, bodies as close together as possible. Xena reached out and pulled the blanket over their naked forms. Curled up in each others arms and feeling more contended than either had ever felt before in their lives, both fell into a peaceful slumber.
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"I guess there are advantages to riding Argo." the bard sighed. She was sitting in the front, facing Xena, thighs draped over the taller woman's while strong arms behind her back helped keep her balanced. "That's right, keep a good hold on me so I don't fall off." she hissed when she felt the hot tongue dance across her bared breast.
"Don't worry, I won't let you fall." Xena replied, pushing the green top up off the other breast before giving that one the same thorough oral examination. "And yeah…" she whispered, bringing her hand up to cup a willing breast while looking at the smoldering green eyes. "there's lots of advantages to riding. Let me show you."
Gabrielle closed her eyes and let her body concentrate on the sensations caused by the warrior's hands and mouth. Long fingers stroked her inner thigh. "Gods, Xena…you sure do oh, have a way of…hmm, expressing yourself." she arched her back as the warrior's lips and tongue continued to explore. Suddenly the lips that were pleasuring her so much were gone, her top roughly pulled back into place. Green eyes opened in confusion before twisting in her seat and seeing the reason why Xena stopped.
"Well if it isn't my two favorite mortals. So Xena, showing off some of your many skills?"
"Charon, what are you doing back up here?" she asked, annoyed that her special moment with the bard had been interrupted. Gabrielle was busy trying to adjust her top and skirt while slipping her thighs off the warrior's.
"Oh, slight mechanical problem. Some Amazon went berserk and stabbed a hole in the bottom of my boat with her sword. It's in dry dock for a little while so I figured I'd pop up here and see some of the sights. After all, I've got at least three candlemarks until the next dancing show."
"And just what did you do to cause her to run her sword through the boat?" the bard asked after being helped down from the tall steed by her powerful lover.
"I didn't do anything!" the ferryman protested. "All I did was give her hand when she was getting in the boat."
"Was the hand on her ass?" Xena asked, rolling her eyes at the lecherous grin that spread across his face.
"Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time." satisfied that the leather clad woman wouldn't use him for chakram practice he approached them. "So I hear you two have been busy these last couple moons. Every so often I see another reject from the hot house returning."
"Any idea how many more are still left up here?"
"No, Xena. But let's think about it. How many have you killed? Can't count that high, eh?" he took a step back at the withering glare. "Well, everyone below lost count of how many got out and I gave up after two hundred something coming back. Not that you were responsible for all of them returning." he said to her surprised look. "Seems that these guys don't know enough to keep their bodies off the ends of swords." he scooted closer to Gabrielle. "Hey sweetcakes, how about a dance for old times sake, huh?" his black tongue quickly flicked over his equally black lips.
"I never danced for you." the bard replied, tapping her fingers on the folded up pieces of her staff sticking out of the saddlebag.
"Ah, but tell the truth, Gabrielle, you want to." he said, taking a healthy step back and bumping into an immovable object.
"There you are." Hades said, clapping his hand down hard on the ferryman's shoulder. "Good news. The boat's fixed. Now all you have to do is apologize to the Amazon and then everything will be fine." he turned his godly eyes upon the two women. "Xena, Gabrielle, I'm glad to see that…" he looked from one to the other. "…everything worked out for the best."
With a move that surprised everyone, including herself, Xena reached her arm around her lover's waist and pulled her close. "Yes, everything worked out…" she turned her attention totally to the young woman in her arms, "for the best." blue eyes twinkled at green. Once again the world fell away. Xena found herself lost in the depth of the love she saw in Gabrielle's eyes and knew that her own were reflecting an equal love back.
"Is she gonna kiss her or just stand there like an idiot?" the ferryman asked after a moment.
"I don't think it matters." Hades replied, nodding in silent approval at the raven haired woman. "I think Xena's happy just breathing the same air with Gabrielle."
Hades was right.
THE END