Part 2 of 2 of Queen
Under any other circumstances given how incredibly turned on she was, Xena would have ripped the clothes right off of Gabrielle. Instead she found her hands to be unsteady on the queen's hips. Looking into Gabrielle's eyes, the warrior hesitated. Gabrielle smiled at Xena's sudden uncharacteristic pause when it came to undressing her. Gods, she couldn't even count the number of times Xena ripped her skirt from her or tore open her top, not to mention the times the warrior hadn't even bothered and simply left Gabrielle's clothes on and worked around them in frenzied lovemaking. A queen's work was never done it seemed as Gabrielle pulled Xena closer, moving to put the warrior's hands behind her back.
"Skirt."
She murmured as she turned her head, admiring the flex of Xena's bicep against her leather armband (which Gabrielle decided to let Xena keep on for aesthetic reasons). Feeling Xena's fingers undo her Amazon belt, Gabrielle felt the weight of the ornamental piece drop to the floor, the layers of brown and purple skirt falling with it.
Xena took a sharp intake of air when first her hands felt and then her eyes saw that the queen wore nothing on under the skirt. It shouldn't have been a surprise, but it was in the sense that Xena was rocked by the sudden warmth of bare skin. Pulling away from the warrior, Gabrielle let Xena's hands linger on her waist and eyes on her golden softness.
Xena could have gotten lost in those soft tangles and she wouldn't have minded one bit. In fact, she hoped to be very lost in them before the night was over. Before the queen could even speak, Xena knelt on one knee and started to unlace her boots, her eyes completely preoccupied with the sight before them. Firm thighs and soft curls were only inches away. When Gabrielle stepped from her boots, Xena pushed them aside without a second thought as she moved to lean in, all she wanted was the slight hint of her queen's scent and taste.
Before she got any closer though, Gabrielle's hand at her head brought her eyes back up. With a smile and hand movement, the queen ordered Xena to stand again, denying her for the time being. A deep breath and a slight shine of perspiration dampened the hair at the warrior's temple were testament to the strain her body was under. Holding out one of her arms, Gabrielle nodded down at her woven leather gauntlet. Xena's hands complied as she stripped the left one from Gabrielle, dropping it to the floor. Holding out her arm, the queen indicated that her armband should go as well.
With that taken care of, the only thing that remained other than Gabrielle's Amazon top was her ceremonial Queen's insignia. Xena knew this piece of crafted metal was Gabrielle's emblem of position and rank. She watched as the queen turned her body slightly so that her right gauntleted arm was facing the warrior. For the first time, Xena noticed that there were many candles lit throughout their room as the soft light warmed the metal with a gleam. Xena could not keep her eyes off this one piece of adornment, somehow transfixed not only by the sight of it against Gabrielle's arm, but also by the meaning it held.
Before she touched it, Xena glanced to Gabrielle's face and received permission with a smile. Turning back, the warrior reverently raised her hands and unclasped the gauntlet from the insignia and removed the leather from Gabrielle's arm, unhooking a strip of soft suede from one of the queen's fingers and dropping it to the floor. Xena's fingers moved up and over the crafted swirled metal, surprised that Gabrielle's body had warmed the piece. With her head turned slightly, the queen gazed on as she let the warrior's fingers touch the warm metal. Leaning down, Xena let her lips brush against the swirled pattern, closing her eyes at the slight metallic taste. With one hand, the warrior reached around and untied the long ties at the back of Gabrielle's top, her lips remaining on metal until the queen turned back to face her.
Smiling, Gabrielle gave a nod of her head and Xena reached for the soft leather straps and gently pulled the brown golden stitched fabric from her queen's body, the metal insignia still attached. Instead of dropping it, Xena reverently reached her arm over and laid it gently on the small table next to the bed, her eyes never leaving Gabrielle.
Now, the two of them stood before each other without any barriers. The only things adorning Xena's body were her two leather armbands, the bronze swirls glowing faintly in the candlelight. For the queen's part, she only wore her Amazon choker, its row of soft feathers gracing the softness of her skin. Everything intensified as they gazed at each other, their eyes falling on soft curves and then catching each other's increasing passion -- golden green turned to the color of a rich dark forest; sky blue turned the color of a swirling wild ocean. Queen and warrior positively buzzed.
The queen made the first move, naturally. She reached out, taking Xena's hand in her own and pulled them towards the bed before she stopped the warrior at the edge. From somewhere outside, the warrior heard faint music drifting up through their balcony door, most likely from downstairs, her mind mused, before her attention was directed back to the queen. Gabrielle had climbed up on the bed and had settled herself in the midst of a multitude of soft, dark blue and green pillows. The queen looked entirely regal, her muscled legs casually stretched out in front of her, one hand resting on her firm belly as her fingers idly traced small circles against her skin. The slight movement was hypnotic. Xena finally raised her eyes to meet the queen's in quiet servitude born of love.
Smiling, Gabrielle nodded her head and glanced at a spot on the bed in front of her where she expected her warrior to sit. Xena's eyes remained on Gabrielle as she put her hands on the edge of the bed and then her knee, easily crawling to her place on the large bed. The silks of the sheets below her felt slick and cool to the touch, a relief for her overheated skin. Glancing to the queen's left, Xena noticed for the first time that the table held a tray with cups and a flagon of wine as well as bowls of sweet treats. Her lover had prepared in advance and Xena smiled inwardly, recognizing just how adept Gabrielle was at being a queen, always one step ahead of the warrior tonight. Still on her hands and knees on the bed, Xena waited for a sign from Gabrielle.
With a chin lift, the queen granted her permission to settle back on her knees and sit, her hands simply resting on the top of her thighs for wont of a place to put them. There was something in the way Gabrielle's eyes narrowed and took on a light of their own that told Xena the queen was done playing around. The warrior's eyes caught the slight movement of Gabrielle's hand at the same time she watched one of the queen's legs bend up, her foot coming to rest on top of the bed. Blue eyes took on the blaze of the sun as she saw Gabrielle spread her legs. Quickly she looked up into smouldering dark green, before her gaze fell back down the queen's body. Slowly, Gabrielle's hand slid down over the rippled muscles of her belly, fingers gliding through tangled soft golden curls, and coming to rest between two glistening rubied lips. Xena swallowed hard.
With a thrumming murmur, the Queen issued her next order in a voice that was pure white hot in its intensity.
"Watch."
How the warrior managed not to dive forward and pounce on Gabrielle at that moment would be a mystery they would debate for moons. With that one word, the queen had Xena's full and undivided attention, not to mention her complete and utter devotion. Even if she wanted to, Xena couldn't have moved a muscle, so transfixed was she by the sight in front of her eyes. In rapid succession, she let out a low rumbling half-growl, her breathing increased twofold, her hands gripped her thighs, her face flushed dark red, and she practically melted at the sight. Gods, Gabrielle was good.
The queen lay sprawled back on her pillows, looking for all the world like she was a goddess or even more perfect than that. On first contact, Gabrielle shut her eyes as she inhaled a quiet breath, knowing that she wouldn't have to worry about Xena not following her order. With the same infinite patience she had shown throughout the night, Gabrielle took her time. The queen intended on putting on a royal show for her audience of one.
Xena watched as Gabrielle barely moved, two fingers nestled between wet lips. Blue eyes narrowed when she saw those fingers curve just a bit, barely slipping inside. Gabrielle's low exhale of breath easily went straight to Xena's ears and down from there. Slowly, Gabrielle pulled out, the wetness covering her fingers completely. Opening her misty green eyes, the queen then used that very hand to motion Xena forward to a spot between her spread legs. She wanted her warrior close at hand. Reaching out to Xena, Gabrielle whispered in a low voice.
"Taste."
Like Xena wouldn't jump at the chance. The warrior bent forward and hungrily opened her mouth, taking both of Gabrielle's fingers in her mouth. Without thinking, Xena reached for the queen's wrist in a tight grip, not wanting the gift to be suddenly taken from her. Closing her eyes, she growled in the back of her throat at the exquisite flavor that filled her mouth. Savoring it all, Xena let her tongue wash over each of Gabrielle's fingers, slightly sucking down the length. Her queen's taste made her bite down gently, her teeth holding each finger while her tongue slid around and between. She wasn't planning on letting go until she had every single drop of Gabrielle.
Opening her eyes, Xena got a view of a very raised eyebrow looking back at her. It wasn't that the queen minded what she was doing, it was the presumption that the warrior could simply decide to do what she wanted by holding Gabrielle's wrist. Truth of the matter was that Gabrielle much enjoyed watching Xena's reactions, but she was calling the shots here after all. Looking down, Xena quickly let go of the queen's hand as Gabrielle pulled back. The warrior couldn't help but smile a rakish grin and shrug her shoulders. Gabrielle's hand quickly went to Xena's chin and she caught the warrior's eyes with her own in challenge.
There was silence for a few moments as blue and green dueled. With one of her fingers, Gabrielle moved it up and traced it over Xena's bottom lip, the slight hint of her taste still lingering. Taking a deep breath, Xena narrowed her eyes, the muscles in her body twitching at the pressure of her arousal. Gabrielle's chin raised a fraction of an inch and her warrior relented, lowering her eyes first. Gabrielle smiled as her fingers moved to smooth over heated cheeks. The queen had won again.
Reaching down, Gabrielle took Xena's hands in her own and bending her other leg, she placed them on her upraised knees. She smiled a bit when she felt Xena's strong grip and warm hands. Her warrior was definitely ready and she wanted Xena to be in contact with her body for this.
Xena watched as Gabrielle's hands moved down over her own thighs, her touch was light as her fingertips just barely grazed the surface, skimming over light blond hairs. One of the queen's hands continued to move up her hip and then across her muscled belly, taking her time before she reached her final destination. The warrior's breath caught when she watched Gabrielle's fingertips lightly move over a breast, circling the smooth full curves before hovering just above her nipple. Glancing up at Gabrielle's face, Xena took a breath and looked back down at the queen's hand.
With maddeningly slow movements, Gabrielle's fingertip started to circle around her nipple, the sensitive flesh responding to the light touch immediately. The queen let out a breath as each circle brought more pressure from her fingertip. Xena was barely able to keep still as she watched a flush cover Gabrielle's face when she stopped circling and started squeezing against the hardened flesh. Pulling back on her nipple, the queen let out a slow moan, closing her eyes at the sensation. Xena's body jerked uncontrollably at the sound and then she realized that Gabrielle's other hand had started its own exploration. She was going to die, she knew it. Watching Gabrielle was always a slow, sweet death.
Xena's eyes were riveted on her queen's fingers as they once again made their way through the tangle of wet golden hair. With skill born of experience, the queen's fingers dipped first inside and then moved up to where the center of Xena's entire world was at the moment. Gabrielle let out a louder groan as her fingers found their familiar place. She knew exactly what she was doing.
Xena gripped Gabrielle's knees tighter as her head lowered almost unconsciously between the queen's knees, her eyes flicking first from slick fingers to flesh being pulled and squeezed to the queen's expression. The warrior let out a whimper at the look on Gabrielle's face. With her head turned slightly to the side, the queen's eyes were closed as a red blush traveled up her chest and neck to her cheeks. Her lips were parted as her breathing came quicker and her low moans came louder. Slight perspiration above her brow dampened her golden bangs. To Xena, Gabrielle never looked more beautiful than she did at moments like these.
When she felt the queen's hips begin to raise just a bit, Xena's eyes were once again drawn down between Gabrielle's legs. Without thought, she turned her head and hotly kissed against the inside of Gabrielle's knee all the while keeping her eyes on the queen's hand. She wasn't sure exactly what Gabrielle was doing with her fingers, but the queen had done the same to Xena enough of her to know exactly how it felt: brilliantly intense. In a rhythmic swirl, Gabrielle's fingers pressed against herself, her fingertips gliding over and around the small hardened tip, reddened with arousal. With each press and each circle and each rub, the queen's low moans got louder and more prolonged and more warrior-lust provoking.
Xena's own breath was coming fast against Gabrielle's leg as she held onto the queen's knees and watched Gabrielle's hips rise and fall in the same slow rhythm her fingers were moving. The warrior's teeth found the soft flesh of Gabrielle's thigh, near her knee, and she bit down gently as she kissed. She needed to be totally connected to the queen as her body responded in kind to what her eyes were seeing. She was beyond wet.
The warrior's eyes went to the queen's when she felt Gabrielle take one of her hands from her knee and clasped her fingers tightly with Xena's. She held onto the warrior as her other hand kept up its steady movements. With her eyes firmly locked into Xena's, Gabrielle started to shake as her moans softly filled the room and the warrior. She wanted Xena to hear exactly how good what she was doing felt and she wanted the warrior to see everything. Chariots couldn't have dragged Xena away from her queen. Gabrielle was breathtakingly beautiful.
Raising her hips up and keeping them at Xena's eye level, Gabrielle's fingers glided slow and slick, rubbing with perfect precision against very sensitive flesh. The warrior was breathing heavily right along with Gabrielle as she kept her lips and tongue and teeth against the queen's thigh. She felt Gabrielle's fingers squeeze against her own when the queen stilled all but her fingers.
Catching Gabrielle's eyes, Xena saw the struggle she was having to keep them open. With her head against the pillows, the queen's mouth was open but no sound came out. She could see that Gabrielle was right at the very edge and Xena waited in absolute stillness with her, helpless to do anything but watch as her heart skipped a million beats. The only movement between the two was Gabrielle's fingers, rubbing in slow deliberate cricles, as both of them held their breaths. It was a moment of sheer perfection.
Suddenly, Gabrielle's hips raised just a bit higher and Xena heard her breathe out 'Oh Gods' as the queen brought herself to a sensuously slow, prolonged release. Leaning her head back against the pillows and shutting her eyes tight, Gabrielle's low breathy moans kept time with the rhythmic circling of her hips. Her fingers kept up their slow persistent movement as she coaxed each wave from her body while her other hand clutched Xena's tight. With one last hip raise, Gabrielle let her body fall to the bed, her legs stretching out involuntarily as she took deep breaths. The queen's hand remained where it was, resting gently against soaked curls. To Xena, Gabrielle looked magnificent: completely, utterly, and without question, edible.
The queen was faintly aware of Xena letting go of her hand and the bed moving slightly as she caught her breath. The thought that had sent her over the edge was the warrior's reaction to what she had shown her tonight. She knew that she had almost pushed Xena past the point of all her well-laid plans. Feeling warmth over her body, Gabrielle slowly opened her eyes and looked up at a very hot and very aroused Xena on her hands and knees above her. The queen realized that if she intended to keep her warrior in check, she was going to have to lay favor to her most loyal. Reaching up, Gabrielle's hands glided up Xena's muscular arms, over broad shoulders and up the smooth column of her warrior's neck. She could feel the tension in Xena's body, that unreleased pent-up warrior thing she loved so much.
Xena's entire body was vibrating as her eyes pleaded with Gabrielle. Every inch of her buzzed warmly at the queen's light touch as if tiny pieces of the sun hummed against her skin. Looking down at her queen, Xena was not above begging. Now, some may think that The Warrior Princess does _not_ beg, but tonight, Xena had fully immersed herself in what had started out as a little bet but had become a seduction of epic proportions. Part of what was so arousing was how improbable the idea of the warrior submitting to Gabrielle was, but because she had allowed it, and because Gabrielle had played her part so convincingly, it had worked. And oh, how well it had worked.
The minute Gabrielle placed her hands on her heated face, Xena shut her eyes briefly, a flash of memory of what those hands had just been doing raced through her mind and body, reminding her of exactly how much she needed the queen. Opening her eyes, she caught the queen's own eyes, deep warm green regarding her with incredible love and a promise. Gabrielle appeared to be waiting for the magic word before deciding her next course of action. With her arms starting to shake at the strain, Xena breathed out her word.
"Please."
At that moment, Gabrielle felt a wave of strong emotion wash over her as she realized the sacrifice and strain she had placed on her warrior. That one word spoken had sent a signal from Xena's lips to Gabrielle's heart. With a warm smile on her face, Gabrielle slipped her hands behind Xena's neck and pulled down. With infinite affection, the queen's cool facade was gone from her voice and replaced by a tender whisper.
"Come here, love."
Xena let out a low whimpering moan when she let her arms collapse, her eyes closing at the supreme pleasure she felt when the length of her body pressed down on the warmth of her queen. With deep breaths, she nuzzled her face into Gabrielle's neck, inhaling the sweet scent while her skin tingled where they touched. Feeling the queen's arms around her body, Xena could only place small breathless kisses against her neck. It was overwhelming really, how much she loved Gabrielle -- that love could make her as weak as a pussycat or as strong as a tiger. And right now, with the queen's hands moving in gentle sensuous circles on her back, Xena felt like purring.
The warrior was aware of Gabrielle turning her head, and with her eyes closed, Xena felt the queen's soft lips on hers in a gentle kiss. All Xena could do was open her mouth when Gabrielle kissed against her, the queen's tongue pressing inside with smooth care. With a halting breath, Xena's body shook gently when she felt Gabrielle's hands move through her hair as the queen pulled her deeper into the kiss. Xena put up no resistance when Gabrielle gently rolled them over and let her body come to rest on top of the warrior's. As much as Xena was feeling, the queen could have demanded anything from her and she would have given it as freely as she gave her love to Gabrielle. It was that intense.
Feeling Gabrielle slowly pull back from her lips, Xena kept her eyes closed as the queen's hands stroked through her hair and her fingertips touched over the warrior's heated face. Taking a deep breath, Xena opened her eyes and looked up at Gabrielle, the soft smile on her face framed by golden hair falling to the sides. The queen had one hand on the bed to the side of the warrior's shoulder and her knees were tucked against Xena's warm sides and hips. It was then that she also realized that Gabrielle was pressed against the lower part of her belly, the warmth and wetness causing an almost imperceptible tremble to move through her body. It seemed the only thing Xena could focus on was the soft feathers strung from Gabrielle's Amazon choker, swaying with hypnotic grace.
Reaching down, Gabrielle continued to gaze into blue eyes as she took one of the warrior's hands in hers, fingers entwining. Sitting up just a bit, the queen reached and took Xena's other hand and gave it a squeeze. Xena watched as Gabrielle lifted both of her hands and softly gave a kiss to each, as if blessing them, before she leaned forward and moved them above the warrior's head, her breasts dangling very close to Xena's face (Gabrielle would never know exactly how close the warrior came to losing the very, very small amount of control that remained in her body at this tantalizing sight).
Xena tilted her head so she could look up as she felt Gabrielle's hands move hers to two of the carved wooden posts of the bed's headboard. She remembered the row of dark wooden posts that ran across the length of the headboard with a certain fondness and nostalgia. That Dionysian weekend had been...inventive. Smiling to herself at the memory, she looked back into Gabrielle's eyes before the queen let go of her hands. With a sultry purr, Gabrielle issued her next command, falling easily back into queen mode.
"Hold on..."
Moving back just a bit, Gabrielle let one breast fall against Xena's face as she dragged her warm flesh down along Xena's brow and cheek. With a smile at the warrior's involuntary shake, the queen moved her body to the side, making sure her other breast and nipple slid across Xena's cheek and over her lips before Gabrielle leaned down to whisper in the warrior's ear.
"...and don't let go."
Wrapping her hands around each post, Xena tembled as she complied, steeling herself as she watched Gabrielle sit back and admire the warrior's frame. She could have ripped those posts from the bed without so much as a second thought and she wasn't shackled, but to Hades if Xena was going to let go. Flexing her muscles, she saw the queen's eyes gaze at the strain of leather against the warrior's biceps.
Xena was stretched out on the bed below her queen, her arms above her head, muscles rippling down the warrior's entire frame. Letting out a breath, she felt Gabrielle's hands reach out and glide down the undersides of her arms with her fingertips, causing a jump and bicep flex. Glancing down, the warrior watched the queen's hands move down lightly along her sides and she bit her lip to keep from jerking against the ticklish feel. Moving her fingertips, Gabrielle brought them up along the sides of Xena's breasts, barely touching against the warm skin. Xena couldn't help but move her hips at the light touch but when Gabrielle stopped her hands and raised a golden red eyebrow, the warrior forced herself to hold still. The queen smiled down at her in reward.
With the same crazy slowness that she had shown earlier, Gabrielle's fingertips began to lightly circle the warrior's breasts, starting at the outside curves before making her way towards the centers. Xena inhaled a breath and held it when the queen's fingers touched against the very edge of the dark circles around her nipples. Looking down at Gabrielle's hands, Xena exhaled as the queen's fingertips moved slowly over tightening flesh. The warrior lifted up her hips when she saw Gabrielle hover just above her nipples, her dark brows furrowing and her jaw clenching in anticipation. She nearly died right there when the queen's hands stilled over her body.
Gods, she could _not_ take much more of this...torture. Gabrielle had all out tortured her from the time she walked down those stairs until this exquisitely painful moment. Taking her time, ordering Xena around, tempting her at every turn, teasing her unmercifully. It was cruel punishment! Anyone could see that! Did the queen treat everyone she ruled with such an iron hand? Xena was quite convinced that she might not get out of this queendom alive. After lowering her hips, the warrior felt Gabrielle's fingers press against her aroused sensitive nipples with those same soft hands. Then again, Xena mused, what a way to die.
Groaning at the touch, Xena held the wooden posts tightly as she felt Gabrielle tease against her nipples, pressing and pulling, brushing and rubbing. Locking her eyes into green, the warrior's breath came in rasps, the attention her breasts were receiving from the queen tingled throughout her body. Without moving her hips (she had learned her lesson after all), Xena slightly arched up, making sure the queen's hands had full access to every curve she wanted. Xena would give a queen's ransom to feel Gabrielle's lips on one of her nipples. Hades, she'd even throw in five dinars extra for her tongue if she were in a position to bargain...which she wasn't.
Using her thumbs, Gabrielle gently stroked against each nipple, smiling down at Xena with each shake she felt from the warrior's body. The queen increased her pressure, squeezing the aroused flesh much to Xena's supreme enjoyment. Pressing her thumbs down, Gabrielle leaned forward, settling her weight on Xena, and brought her lips close to the warrior's mouth, stopping just a hair short. Xena looked up into green eyes and swallowed when she realized that Gabrielle wasn't going to kiss her, she was just going to let her lips almost touch Xena's own. The warrior could feel the queen's warm breath tickle against her face. Torture.
With a touch as light as a whisper, Gabrielle brushed her lips just to the side of Xena's and let her tongue tease the corner of the warrior's mouth before trailing along lightly against her jawline. Flexing against the strain as she held the posts, Xena felt Gabrielle's lips kiss her neck, biting a little to mark her skin before kissing her way to her ear. The queen paused, simply breathing in the warrior's ear for a moment, letting Xena think about...everything. Letting her tongue dip in quickly and withdraw, Gabrielle whispered to her warrior.
"Close your eyes."
Xena inhaled the soft scent of Gabrielle's hair draped across her face before closing her eyes, painfully aware of how much she wanted to watch everything the queen did to her. Suddenly, she felt Gabrielle pull away from her, lips from her ear, hands from her breasts, weight from most of her body. All that remained was the queen sitting low on her hips and belly. With her head tilted back just a bit, Xena tried to use all of her other sense to figure out what Gabrielle intended to do to her.
The queen smiled down at her warrior, the picture of hair trigger tension. With her long dark hair spilled across the pillows of the bed and her bronze skin shining in the candlelight, Xena looked sumptuously hot. Her lips were still parted from when they had expected a kiss and her cheeks were red with warmth. Gabrielle had to take a breath herself at how much raw power lay beneath her body. She knew she could never shackle Xena and she never intended on robbing her of her freedom -- quite the opposite, in fact. Just as much as Xena had freed her from a life not particularly worth living, she had helped the warrior find her own path to redemption and hope. Together in love, they had found liberation.
Right now however, the queen was finding Xena's submission intensely inspiring. Xena felt Gabrielle's weight shift a bit, wetness pressing against her own muscled belly. She could hear the queen rummaging somewhere to her right. A light metallic sound caught her ears before she felt Gabrielle settle back down against her. With her eyes closed, she tried to feel exactly what was happening. Two small points of coldness against the outsides of her ribs made her jump just a bit. She had no idea what she felt trailing smoothly and coldly up her sides and arms before tracing back down. What could be circling her breasts in the same exact pattern Gabrielle's fingers had just traversed, Xena couldn't tell. All she knew was that whatever the two things were, they weren't the queen's fingers. They felt hard and cold against her skin, exciting her with the mystery of it.
Then she felt nothing, heard nothing. Taking a deep breath and holding tight to the bed posts, Xena waited, for what, she didn't know. It seemed like an eternity or more. Licking her lips, Xena swallowed. Somewhere above her, Gabrielle's voice drifted down with a subtle warm honey quality to it that was enough to lull Xena into anything.
"Ready?"
That question surely had to be rhetorical because Xena was about as ready as they came. Her body had withstood a major assault of the senses and Gabrielle had pushed her a bit further every step of the way. If Xena wasn't ready, they'd have to come up with a new definition of the term and put the warrior's face next to it in the scrolls. With no longer a voice, the warrior could only nod. Enthusiastically.
At first, she felt nothing, then all of a sudden, she felt an explosion of sensations all mingled together. Pleasure, pain, pressure, relief, tension, release -- all of it combined. She fought herself to keep her eyes closed, but she didn't have to see to feel exactly what Gabrielle had done to her. She moaned loudly at the thought and the feeling and the sensation. Gods!
Gabrielle's eyes took on a darker tint as she appraised the warrior. The candlelight in the room highlighted the tint of metal. Somehow, she knew that Xena would appreciate this. And to be honest, Gabrielle appreciated it just as much. The queen had clearly staked her own personal claim on her warrior. There, in contrast to the warrior's dark skin, squeezing with perfect pressure, lay two buffed golden Amazon clips attached to Xena's nipples.
It was simply exquisite -- that was the only word Xena could think of to describe what she was feeling. It was the right amount of pressure without too much pain. Every sensation raced from her body to those two points of pleasure, feeling like the heat of the sun and the cold of the sea were both focused on her nipples. She could no longer think straight, her body was totally on fire.
Reaching out, Gabrielle lightly let her fingertips touch over the gold clips, eliciting another moan from the warrior. Those clips had been a present from Ephiny, intended for Gabrielle's hair but perfectly suited for their current assignment. She could see Xena's body was desperately and truly in need. Even when she shifted her weight, the warrior moaned at the slide of wetness against her skin. Every part of Xena's body was sensitized to Gabrielle's touch. It was time to set the warrior free.
Xena could feel Gabrielle's body lean down over hers, the queen's breasts pressing against her own making her very aware of the clips, of Gabrielle's own nipples, and of the delicious weight of her lover's body on her own. She could feel Gabrielle's warm breath against her ear, whispering.
"Don't move."
And with that, Xena protested with a groan when she felt her queen's body move off of hers, the sudden loss of Gabrielle's warm skin against her own was not welcome at all. The warrior gripped the wooden posts as she felt the bed move and Gabrielle get up, leaving Xena alone sprawled across dark blue silk sheets. Taking a deep breath, the warrior tried to do a little meditation, anything she could think of to bring the heat of her body under control. Exhaling with failure, Xena shook her head, 'Free myself of desire, yeah right'.
Cocking her head, the warrior listened, her acute hearing even more sensitive to her surroundings. She could hear Gabrielle standing near the bedside table, pouring a glass of wine. She imagined the queen was gazing at her with an air of supreme confidence as she raised her glass and drank, the thought of Gabrielle's green eyes roaming over her body sent a little shiver down her spine. Gods, you'd have thought she was a Hestian virgin the way she was feeling, naked and waiting for her goddess. With a light breeze of air, Xena felt Gabrielle move close to the bed.
Then her lips were being painted with warm wine from Gabrielle's fingertip. Xena couldn't help herself and her tongue flicked out, tasting against the salt and grapes on the queen's finger. She heard Gabrielle chuckle as the queen let Xena have her way, for now. For some reason, Xena was thirsty beyond belief, the relief of the liquid hardly enough to satisfy her. The queen's finger left her lips but returned again, this time after two of them had been dipped in her glass of wine. Taking Gabrielle's fingers in her mouth, Xena sucked on them much like she had before, just as hungrily. The wine's sweet relief was tempered by the warrior's growing need.
Gabrielle's fingers withdrew and this time, came back against the warrior's lips with sticky sweetness on them. Xena hummed as she sucked the honey from her queen's fingers, it's golden taste filling her mouth. When Gabrielle withdrew and returned again, it was with a syrupy glaze of berry jam, currants and figs mixed in. Each time, Gabrielle came back with something new for Xena to suck from her fingers...sugary creams, sticky pastes, crushed fruit. It was a savory assault that left an incredibly sweet taste in Xena's mouth, Gabrielle's tender feeding excited her palate as much as her body. The final flavor the queen left in her mouth was the most delicious of all, Gabrielle's own sweetly tangy taste. Gods, her queen _knew_ what she was doing.
Feeling Gabrielle's fingers withdraw from her mouth and not return, Xena furrowed her brow and had to bite her tongue to keep from speaking out. It was true that Xena chose her words wisely, but the words she was trying to keep herself from choosing were very raw because what was going through her head was decidedly...primal. She wanted to beg Gabrielle for things, she wanted to order Gabrielle to do things, and she wanted to scream. Loudly. She growled out her frustration and pulled a bit harder against the wooden posts, the wood creaking under the strain.
A noise to her right distracted her and she listened, hearing Gabrielle move throughout the room, shuffling stuff here and there, opening drawers, doing whatever. What she wouldn't give to open her eyes and see what the queen was up to -- that was maddening in and of itself -- the not knowing part, especially when she knew how creative Gabrielle could be. Despite Gabrielle not having the extensive experience that Xena did when it came to intimate matters, they had more than made up for it over the two years they had been together. Besides, Gabrielle had an innate sensuality all her own that came not from experience, but from being a passionate bard and the fact that she noticed...everything. She noticed the little things Xena liked, the things that could get the warrior's attention, the things that could calm her down or heat her up. Gabrielle knew how to make love like she knew how to tell stories...with a naturally intense, creatively passionate skill.
Xena heard the queen's light bare footsteps cross back over to the bed where they stopped. The warrior was barely able to hold her body still in anticipation. For some odd reason, it felt like her body hadn't had Gabrielle's touch in days, how long had it been? Forever? All she could think about was the Queen. All points of her body positively ached for Gabrielle, some more than others. Her muscles flexed and her body twitched against her will. Xena was a caged tiger, waiting to pounce or be tamed.
Near the foot of the bed, she felt Gabrielle climb up and settle herself near the warrior's feet. She could hear the queen's light breathing, the rhythmic beat of her heart, the way she licked her lips. Xena moaned when she felt Gabrielle's hands reach out and barely touch the bottom of her feet. She could even hear Gabrielle's smile at that. Xena felt the queen stroke lightly against the bottom of her feet with her thumbs, and while it might have tickled under any other circumstances, it did nothing but drive the warrior out of her mind. With soft stroking rubs, Gabrielle's thumbs moved over Xena's feet before her hands slipped up and wrapped around the warrior's ankles, the queen's gentle grip somehow grounding her.
Xena's body at this point was pliable, despite the tension. Gabrielle could have moved her any which way she wanted, she wouldn't have protested one bit. The bed and the queen shifted as Xena felt Gabrielle push her legs up until they were bending at the knees. Xena could hear Gabrielle's breath as she spread her legs apart, making room for herself to kneel between them. Wherever the queen's hands touched her, she tingled.
Gabrielle gazed down at Xena, her eyes completely dark green at what she saw. Her warrior was holding on to the bedposts for dear life, her eyes were shut tight, her mouth was slightly open, a light sheen of sweat covered her entire body, her legs were bent and spread, and Gabrielle's clips were shining in the candlelight. She wasn't sure she could satisfy a need as big as Xena's but damn if she wasn't going to try. Besides, she had pulled out all the stops tonight and after all, she was the queen.
Xena felt Gabrielle's body shift against the insides of her legs, the queen's hands running up along the outside from her ankles, over her calves, and down her thighs until her hands rested on the warrior's hips. With gentle pressure, she felt Gabrielle's hands pull up, signaling the warrior to raise her hips for her queen, which she did. Xena had to again bite back the desire to speak out, to plead, to beg. The warrior felt Gabrielle's fingers give a gentle squeeze against her skin before she felt one of the queen's hands leave her hip.
She cried out at Gabrielle's first touch of where she was all heat and wetness. She had to fight back her body's instinct to let go right then and there at the queen's fingers gently gliding over her. Her hips jerked in response and she nearly let go of the bedposts. Every ounce of her being was focused on Gabrielle's fingers. With deliberate slowness, she felt Gabrielle trail her fingertips down one side and up another, barely touching against dark curls that were thoroughly soaked. She cried out again when she felt the queen brush against sensitively aroused flesh, her hips rising a little higher, her toes digging into the sheets when she felt soft pressure against her. Her mind went totally blank when she felt Gabrielle lean down and blow a warm breath gently against where her fingers were massaging. Gods...
Just when the warrior thought for sure her body was going to stop holding back and simply collapse into itself in one big ball of pent-up energy, she felt Gabrielle's fingers move down. With a groan of frustration, Xena threw her head back into the pillows and clenched her jaw. Denied! Then she felt the gentle pressure of Gabrielle's hand at her hip, bringing her back, promising more to come. Taking a deep breath, she felt the queen's other hand slide down, her fingers gently moving over wetness and spreading her apart, not that she wasn't already open and ready.
Gabrielle's fingers withdrew and for a split second, Xena knew what it must be like to lose one's mind from sheer arousal and overwhelming need alone. It was almost scary. The bed shifted and then she felt both of Gabrielle's hands at her hips again, gripping, until surprisingly, she felt something press between her spread lips. Moaning, Xena felt Gabrielle start pushing in against her as her hands pulled the warrior's hips to her. It was then, when she felt leathered smoothness enter her, that Xena realized that she was, in fact, Gabrielle's slave.
Queen's orders be damned, Xena's eyes flew open and the warrior nearly passed out at the sight. There, between her legs, Gabrielle knelt, holding her hips and pressed firmly against her. Gods! Xena growled loudly as her eyes caught the queen's. Gabrielle had a sexy little smirk on her face and her green eyes positively sparkled. It was clear she was enjoying herself. With the slightest raise of her chin, Gabrielle challenged Xena as she pulled back slowly, withdrawing the fullness from the warrior's body. Xena moaned at the sliding pressure and then again at the subsequent lack of that pressure. Her queen was superb.
Gripping Xena's hips, Gabrielle's eyes darkened and her face took on a more seriously sensual look. The warrior watched as the queen's hips slowly moved and the leather piece entered her again. Apparently, this was what Gabrielle had secretly bought when they stopped in Thrace last week, except at the time she had told the warrior she was shopping for Lila. Very sneaky. And _very_ good. Glancing down, Xena saw a soft brown leather belt fit snugly around the queen's waist and judging by how it felt inside of her, the leather piece attached to the belt was a good hand and a quarter in length. The details immediately lost importance to Xena when Gabrielle slowly moved her hips in a circle, pressing fully inside of the warrior. All Xena could do was raise up higher and spread her legs wider as she groaned out her pleasure.
Holding still, Gabrielle's hands started to wander over Xena's body, down along the outsides of her thighs, up along her sides, back to her hips and then under, gently grasping firm curves before traveling back over smooth skin and muscles. Xena was finely tuned power and grace all waiting for the queen to take. Gabrielle's eyes never left the warrior's as her hands went back to Xena's hips and she pulled back again, slowly and deliberately drawing out of the warrior's body except for the very tip of the leather. Xena gripped the posts above her head tightly and willed the queen for more.
Pausing, Gabrielle surveyed the warrior, moving from blue eyes to gold clips to dark curls and back up again. Slowly pressing forward, the queen watched as Xena's body trembled against the strain and the pleasure. When her hips finally came to rest against the inside of Xena's thighs, filling the warrior, Gabrielle shifted. Slowly, the queen's body came down to almost cover Xena's. With her hands on the bed at either side of the warrior's body, Gabrielle's belly pressed against Xena's own as the queen held herself just above her warrior. Golden hair fell to the sides of Gabrielle's face as her eyes burned into Xena's. With a slight thrust of her hips to further press into the warrior, Gabrielle's voice melted down and dripped over Xena.
"You like?"
With a vigorous nod of her head, Xena replied. Gabrielle chuckled and smirked.
"Yeah, I thought you would..."
The queen's smile faded with a slight shift of her hips, pressing. Xena had never seen Gabrielle look so...intense. The queen was completely focused on her, the muscles in her arms easily holding herself up as she lay between Xena's legs. Gabrielle licked her lips and shifted a bit, pushing inside even more, making Xena well aware of just how much she needed this. Lifting one of her hands, Gabrielle let her fingers softly touch over one of the golden clips on Xena's nipples. Xena took a breath and held it as she watched Gabrielle lean her head down until her lips were just above her nipple, her warm breath falling over her body in waves. Glancing up to the warrior's face, the queen quickly undid the clip and completely covered the warrior's nipple with her mouth, sucking hard at the engorged sensitive flesh.
"Gods!"
Xena couldn't help but yell out as her head slammed back in the pillows and her knuckles turned white from gripping the posts. What Xena was feeling was an impossible combination of sensations, the release of the clip, the heat of Gabrielle's mouth, the flood of pure intensity filling her body. It was almost too much. When she felt the queen's mouth pull back from her nipple, she growled at the loss. But then she was moaning again when Gabrielle undid the other clip and the queen's warm mouth was sucking on her, laying claim to her breast. Xena wondered if perhaps she could stop breathing and simply exist somewhere in timeless space with Gabrielle, floating and feeling this good.
Then she was pulled back to the here and now when Gabrielle's hips moved again. Opening her eyes, she looked up into the queen's face and simply drowned in green. Taking a deep breath, Xena felt Gabrielle withdraw slowly and fully until just the end remained inside. With a quick glance down and a lift up, Gabrielle caught the shine of wetness on the leather and looked back up at Xena with an almost primal fire in her eyes. Hovering just above her, the queen's voice was deeply demanding.
"Beg."
Xena swallowed. If ever she were in a position to plead, it was now. She could see that Gabrielle was on the verge of giving her everything she wanted if only she would ask. Most of her body wanted very much for her to beg the queen...and a small part of her body wanted to take. Once again, she was caught between a push and a pull. Like a good warrior, Xena decided to compromise. Letting go of the bedposts, Xena grabbed Gabrielle's hips, gripping firmly and pulling the queen down on her as she growled out her word.
"Please.."
Gabrielle's hips pushed down and suddenly, Xena was deliciously filled. She moaned at the feeling of Gabrielle's weight between her legs. There was something so intense about that feeling, it was like Gabrielle fit perfectly in the very place that had been reserved only for her. Xena knew that whatever she had before had been...inadequate. Now, however, she had it all. With her thumbs hooked in the leather belt around the queen's waist, Xena's hands slid around Gabrielle they were resting on firm curves, pulling the queen to her body.
Blue eyes sparkled as the warrior watched Gabrielle's brow raise. The queen obviously didn't expect that. But then again, she wasn't at all surprised either. After all, she had pushed Xena beyond all reasonable expectations. If anything, she was surprised that the warrior had lasted this long in captivity. Letting her body down slowly, Gabrielle's arms tucked under Xena's and her hands moved under and gripped the warrior's shoulders. Pulling herself up slightly, Gabrielle brought her face mere inches from Xena's and let her lips almost touch the warrior. She wasn't ready to give up just yet though.
"So..."
The queen purred as she withdrew just a fraction, her eyes firmly locked on Xena. With an incredibly slow sensuous circle of her hips, Gabrielle smiled down at Xena.
"You want to be Queen now, hmm?"
After the question, Gabrielle pressed her hips down and made sure the leather fully entered the warrior, smiling to herself as she felt Xena's hands grip her more firmly. Leaning up, Gabrielle let her tongue lick against the warrior's lips before she pulled her hips back again slightly. With a quick thrust, the queen pressed the leather into Xena, the warrior's slickness making it very easy. Xena inhaled a breath at the fullness and then felt Gabrielle slowly grind against her. Leaning down, Gabrielle let her lips slide to the warrior's neck where she bit lightly against the skin where Xena's pulse point throbbed. With the queen's breath warm against her neck, Xena heard Gabrielle's softly firm words.
"Because if you do..."
Another slow circular grind as leather moved inside of Xena, causing her to moan and squeeze against Gabrielle's curves. Reaching down, Gabrielle let her hand slide under the warrior's thigh and with a gentle grasp, she pulled Xena's leg up a little further and tucked it against her side. Biting down again on Xena's neck, Gabrielle marked her while her hips pulled back, sliding the leather out just a bit. She smiled against the warrior's neck when she felt Xena's other leg come up and tuck against her without any prompting. As she pressed slowly back into Xena, she spoke again.
"...I'll be happy to let you."
Pushing up with her feet, Gabrielle worked her way so her lips were just above Xena's. Narrowing her eyes down at the warrior, who looked back at her in a state of total and complete lust, the queen let out a little growl of her own as she roughly kissed Xena. Her tongue lashed out against Xena's mouth as she once again claimed her warrior. When Xena was breathless, Gabrielle pulled back and looked at her. The queen began to rock between the warrior's legs, the leather moving inside with subtle pressure. With a whisper, Gabrielle quietly spoke.
"But you don't want that, do you?"
Xena looked back up at Gabrielle as she let out a low moan at what the queen was doing to her. Her hands and arms had wandered up Gabrielle's back, encircling her, her legs were bent back, feet completely off the bed. She was so ready and so willing that she couldn't even speak. Her body was craving for release and had been for some time now. The thought of Gabrielle having her this way sent a shiver down her as she looked into green eyes. The queen regarded her with love and affection...and desire. It was clear that Gabrielle was as much into this as she was and that idea thrilled Xena to no end. The only thing Xena could do was let her surrender show in her eyes as she nodded her head 'no'.
Gabrielle continued to rock against the warrior slowly, knowing that she was pressing in and filling. Against the top of her thighs, she could feel wetness, hers or Xena's, she didn't know. The part of her belt that held the leather piece was pressed against her, soft suede touching her, so when she moved against the warrior, she felt it in all the right places. And it was pressing against Xena in all the right places as well. Even though this was a new experience for Gabrielle, it didn't take much to figure it out and besides, Xena certainly was liking what she was doing if the amount of liquid she could feel and how easy it was to slide in was any indication. Gabrielle was just going with her instincts here and so far, they had never failed her in the past when it came to making sure her warrior was satisfied.
Leaning her head down, Gabrielle found Xena's ear and kissed against it as her hips continued to slowly rock, barely pulling out and pushing in. Xena was breathing heavily at the incredibly sweet but completely hot way the queen was making love to her. That leather was no proxy for a man, not at all. That smooth hard leather piece was Gabrielle's fingers and her tongue and her lips and her mouth and every other gorgeous body part of her queen. Gabrielle was a woman who knew exactly how to love another, how to love Xena. Gods, the warrior felt blessed to have found her. Xena heard a whisper against her ear.
"You're so good, Xena..."
Xena closed her eyes and held on to Gabrielle tighter, their bodies gently moving together against the sheets. The feel of the queen's body on top of hers and the kisses against her neck and ear and all of it, everything, was so damn intense. With each of Gabrielle's small thrusts inside, Xena let out a breath, the heat of their bodies starting to slick their skin with sweat.
"So warm.."
With a kiss against her ear, Gabrielle closed her eyes and let herself feel everything as she picked up the pace just a bit, her hands holding tight to Xena's shoulders. The warrior half growled, half moaned at the fullness and the feeling between her legs.
"I love the way you sound.."
Xena felt Gabrielle bite lightly against her neck and she pulled the queen to her tighter. Wrapping her legs around Gabrielle's trim waist, Xena arched her body a bit as the leather continued to move inside of her and the queen's body move against her. Gabrielle moaned softly in her ear as the slight shift resulted in perfect friction for her. Taking a breath, the queen let her lips rest against the warrior's ear.
"That feels..."
Gabrielle moaned again when Xena's own hips started moving them a bit faster, her legs pulling the queen to her tighter. The warrior's breath was coming quicker as she moved them both, her muscles easily working with the queen's body to find their perfect rhythm.
"Oh Gods, Xena...that's feels soo good.."
Gabrielle panted out her words as the leather rubbed against her. Reaching one arm up, Gabrielle grabbed a post at the head of the bed and used that to help move against and inside the warrior. This was becoming entirely too hot and too good.
"You are so..."
The queen's words stopped when Xena turned her head and captured Gabrielle's lips with her own, kissing with that incredible warrior-lust kind of intensity that Gabrielle simply couldn't resist. Both of them moved against each other, tongues and lips all fighting for space like their lives depended upon the contact. When Xena's lips finally slid away from Gabrielle's, the warrior rasped out her words.
"Too much talking..."
Gabrielle would have laughed if Xena hadn't urged her to pick up the pace even faster, the warrior's hands going back down to the queen's lower back and waist, demanding more. And then, Gabrielle really got into the groove, her strong compact body gliding and pushing against Xena. The warrior's growls became louder as her queen pressed the leather into her with abandon, Gabrielle's own pants matching the rhythm of her hips.
Xena found Gabrielle's eyes and they locked together, their lips touching each other as they moved. Right now, the world could have simply vanished in a puff of smoke and neither one of them would have noticed. The bed shifted with each thrust, silk sliding under Xena's back, against Gabrielle's legs. Queen and warrior were loving without limits.
Xena's eyes turned darker as she listened to Gabrielle. She knew the sounds her lover made when she was close to letting go. The queen's soft cries against her lips were coming faster, louder. Gazing up into Gabrielle's eyes, she could see the look she knew very well. Green and golden blended as Gabrielle lost focus and struggled to keep her eyes open while her body moved faster. It would appear that despite everything, Xena was going to outlast her queen.
If it hadn't been for a slight shift and that combination grind and thrust move Gabrielle pulled at the last moment, that might have been the case. What that accomplished was to make Xena entirely aware of the pressure and slide of leather inside of her and the rhythmic rub outside. Combined with that was Gabrielle's hotly erotic breathing and moaning and pure wet heat. It was just too much for the warrior.
Xena's hand went into Gabrielle's hair and she pulled the queen down roughly to her lips and kissed her while her body clamped down on leather. That was when her mind went totally blank and all that existed was Gabrielle. Throwing her head back into the pillows, Xena screamed out her release, the rhythmic motion of the queen on top and inside of her pulled each wave of pleasure from her body. She positively fractured into a million pieces.
With her lips and teeth attached to Xena's neck, Gabrielle rode out the waves below her, pushing and pushing until she became acutely aware of her breasts rubbing against Xena's and leather rubbing against her sensitive flesh. That was enough in and of itself, but hearing Xena still loudly moaning put her over the edge. Muffled against the warrior's warm sweat-soaked skin, the queen cried out an incoherent stream, Xena's name mixed with some other words mixed with purely raw moans.
In those blissfully perfect moments, their bodies and hearts could not have been closer. Xena and Gabrielle stopped being two, stopped existing separately. It was as if the love combined filled them both and formed a whole. Finding the other half of their souls was one thing, but embracing the joy and beauty of that discovery was another. This was what Xena and Gabrielle did every day of their lives.
They moved together, gasping while their bodies slowed. Xena's legs gave out and she had to move them, stretching them out against Gabrielle's. The queen's long hair covered her neck and shoulders as Gabrielle still nuzzled against her, breathing and kissing at the same time. With one hand still on the queen's lower back, Xena, with eyes still closed, reached up with the other and pried Gabrielle's fingers from around the bedpost and entwined them together before bringing their hands to rest at the side of her head. Taking a deep breath, the warrior's body finally settled down.
Gabrielle gave one last kiss to Xena's neck and then lifted her head from under the warrior's chin. Xena felt green on her and she opened her eyes. There, looking back at her, was the love of her life with one of the most beautiful soft smiles on her face. It was a smile and a look that told the warrior that Gabrielle's heart was hers forever. Letting her own love show, Xena's eyes softened and she smiled as well. It was affirmation, a promise, peace and happiness all combined into one.
Neither of them spoke for long moments, too overwhelmed, too tired, too much. Xena could not have put into words what it took to describe how she felt or what she was thinking. It was all one big glowing ball of pure intense feeling directed towards one magnificently beautiful, passionately gentle Amazon Queen. There aren't words for that, only feelings. Letting her lips gently press against the softness of Gabrielle's, Xena whispered the only thing she knew for a fact.
"My queen."
And so they rested in a state of supreme comfort, unmoving, soaking in each other's souls. The night had been one long, glorious, intensely emotional experience. Clinging to each other, they could only marvel at the perfect closeness they shared, powerless to capture in words this all-encompassing bliss.
Gabrielle still covered the warrior, her arms holding her tight as she rested her cheek against the pulse point of Xena's neck. Her eyes were closed and she was humming softly as she breathed, feeling for all the world like she had found the most secure and warm haven she had ever known. With each one of the warrior's breaths, the bard fell deeper in love if that was even possible.
Xena's arm was securely around Gabrielle's body, holding her tight against her. Resting her chin on top of the bard's head, she felt Gabrielle's soft hum against her skin. She smiled to herself, lightly squeezing the bard's body to her before bringing her other hand entwined with Gabrielle's to her lips. With a soft kiss on her fingers, the warrior returned that love as easily as it was given. Xena was captured most willingly.
This night had been exquisitely powerful to say the least, but through it all, Xena had trusted Gabrielle. She was willing to let go of the iron control she usually had and put total faith in the bard. Not that she had any doubts, but Xena had never let anyone get so completely inside her heart until Gabrielle. It was scary sometimes, knowing how much and how deep she loved the woman in her arms. The warrior felt something she hadn't let herself feel in a long time, vulnerable. The surprising thing was that it hadn't hurt her to feel that, and she knew it was because Gabrielle loved her in a gentle way that only the bard could. She let Gabrielle in unconditionally and trusted her without limits. Now that...that was true freedom.
Her blue eyes sparkled when she felt Gabrielle shift as the bard crossed her arms on Xena's chest and laid her chin on top, smiling up at the warrior. The bard's golden hair was tousled, streaks of lighter blond mixed with reddish tints cascading over her shoulders. That crinkle by her nose was back, the one she got when she smiled and Xena couldn't help but put both arms around Gabrielle and pull her tight. The warmth of her lover's body covered her completely. Softening her eyes, Xena smiled and spoke quietly.
"Hi you.."
She felt Gabrielle chuckle against her as the bard continued to smile. Xena shifted just a bit and let her foot rub against Gabrielle's. The bard looked at Xena and almost started to get up as she spoke.
"Hey, do you want me to move?"
The warrior held tight and smiled as she shook her head.
"No way. I like you exactly where you are."
Gabrielle laughed and shifted her hips a bit, her belly still resting flat against the warrior's. Taking a deep breath, Gabrielle let her eyes be captured by deep blue and she smiled softly.
"You know Xena, I think I'm in love with you."
She felt the warrior's low rumble laugh under her body as Xena smiled at her and moved one hand through the bard's hair. Her heart was completely held prisoner by this young woman in her arms and she never intended on breaking free. With her usual deep voice, Xena raised an eyebrow at Gabrielle.
"Oh, you do, do you?"
"Mmmm.."
Was all Gabrielle could do in answer. Closing her eyes, she kept smiling as Xena's hand moved to the back of her neck and shoulders, gently kneading and touching. Today had been pure bliss. The warrior laying under her never ceased to amaze her. Xena had allowed herself to loved in a way that left her very vulnerable. Gabrielle knew that only because Xena trusted her completely would she have given up the kind of control she was used to maintaining. That made the bard's heart hurt at how much Xena was willing to give to her. Gabrielle would never take advantage of that kind of trust and love. If anything, the bard would defend it with her life.
A hand at her waist broke her out of her revery and Gabrielle opened her eyes. Xena was smiling at her with a bit of an eyebrow raise, her finger hooked in the leather belt. Pulling slightly, Xena raised her eyebrow even higher as her voice rumbled amiably.
"So this is where all your dinars went, huh?"
Gabrielle blushed just a bit and smiled. Oh yeah, her...purchase. Biting her bottom lip, the bard let out a little chuckle and covered her eyes with her hand. Funny that she should be shy about it now, but that was so Gabrielle. Peeking through her fingers, the bard caught the twinkle in the warrior's eyes and the smile on Xena's face. Lowering her hand, she smiled.
"Well, um...you know...I wasn't sure if you'd like it or what you'd think..."
Catching Gabrielle's hand in hers, Xena brought it up and kissed it before her eyes turned serious. In a quiet voice, she spoke to her lover.
"Gabrielle, you never, ever have to worry about me not liking _anything_ you do or want. I think you know me well enough by now to know that."
Gabrielle nodded her head, smiling back when she saw the warrior's lip form a soft smile. The warrior said the exact thing she needed to hear. Of course, she had felt it in her heart, but it was also nice just to hear it said out loud.
"Gabrielle?"
The bard's eyes went to Xena's as she gave the warrior her full attention. Raising one of her hands, Xena lightly traced her fingertips over Gabrielle's face as if memorizing how she looked at this moment. With a whisper, the warrior spoke.
"Do you know just how much I love you?"
Gabrielle continued to look into blue and what she found there rivaled any ocean in depth and clarity. Swallowing, she nodded slowly as Xena's hand rested against her cheek. Smiling softly, Xena closed her eyes briefly and opened them again, nodding a bit herself. With a bigger smile, she spoke again.
"Good, because that is never going to change. You're stuck with me, bard."
Gabrielle smiled back as she chuckled a little. Squeezing Xena tight, the bard's green eyes sparkled as she raised a golden red eyebrow and wiggled it a bit.
"Stuck with you, stuck on you, stuck to you...it all works for me."
She felt Xena laugh under her, smiling that magnificent smile the warrior reserved only for her. Love could be like this, a wave of happiness just rolling over and tickling from head to foot. It made Gabrielle want to laugh and cry at the same time. Nothing could compare.
Gabrielle shifted a bit and smiled. Watching Xena's eyebrow raise, the bard felt a tug at the belt around her waist and heard the warrior's low silky voice.
"This _is_ adjustable, isn't it?
Gabrielle closed her eyes and smiled, letting her cheek rest back down against the warrior's chest, hugging Xena close. In a dreamy voice, the bard murmured against her lover's skin.
"Oh yeah..."
She felt the warrior's chuckle rumble under her as she snuggled contentedly on top of Xena. Love filled her as she hummed again and nuzzled her face against the warrior's neck. Would it be possible to stay here forever just like this without moving? Xena's steady breathing was starting to lull her into a very lazy place of pure warmth as the warrior's hands smoothed up and down her back.
Suddenly, Gabrielle remembered. Lifting up her head, she caught Xena with her eyes closed and a smile on her face. One blue eye opened and looked at her with a slight brow raise.
"Xena? What about our bet? Who won?"
Leaning her head down, Xena let her lips kiss softly against the bard's forehead before she laid back and closed her eyes. Grabbing part of the silk sheet, she threw half of it over them, the coolness feeling divine against their skin. Her arms went around Gabrielle tighter as she murmured.
"I'd say we both did, wouldn't you?"
Gabrielle smiled and hugged the warrior under her. She couldn't argue with that statement, now could she? Well, technically, she supposed she could, but what would be the point? She had been Queen for a night and really, that pretty much was like being given the Sumerian treasure. Laying her head back down on Xena's chest, she shifted her hips just a bit and smiled when the warrior murmured something incoherent.
Settling down, they both relaxed into a very peaceful place where their hearts beat in sync and they breathed in the same slow rhythm. The candles lit in the room scented it with a hint of delicate flowers and spice. The music from the room below had faded down to a very soft instrumental piece, barely heard. Athens was starting to become a favorite stop of theirs, particularly this Inn, a place where they could renew themselves and could love on their own terms. But truly, no matter where they were, Xena and Gabrielle made their own special places and times for each other. After all, this particular lifetime was short and there was lots of loving to do.
"Xena?"
Gabrielle's voice touched lightly against the warrior's neck and softly floated up, swirling around them.
"Hmm?"
Xena's low response vibrated like distant thunder rolling between them, soft and strong.
"Can I be your slave now?"
The warrior exhaled a breath in a half-chuckle as she smiled wickedly to herself and hugged the bard to her.
"Oh yeah..."
And so it was.
************************************************************************ Colophon: The writing of this story was greatly aided (and truly inspired) by ROC in The Quest, Tangerine Wavelength Fruitopia, and the music of Sarah McLachlan--the entire "Touch" cd. ************************************************************************