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All standard disclaimers apply:

Xena, Gabrielle, etc. belong to MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. I'm merely borrowing them or my own deviant purposes.

Sex - You betcha! Explicit sex between two consenting adult women. My Beta Reader demands it be included! Please wait until you're old enough to read this if you're under eighteen.

Violence - Nada

Angst - Well, some hurt feelings here and there.

Copyright - Barb Davey

                   December 1998

E-mail - barbd@peganet.com

A LOVE LIKE THIS

by PatsBard

"You're sure you don't want to talk about it." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yup."

"You won't let me help you."

"Nope."

"Even though you know you'll feel better if you talk it out."

"Yup."

Gabrielle hated these kinds of conversations. They made her feel frustrated, and she was frustrated enough lately without having to deal with a petulant warrior princess on top of it. She let out an exasperated sigh and went over to her small pack on the other side of the fire pit.

Xena watched the small blonde pick up the pack, sling it across her back angrily, and stride out of the small clearing. She kept an eye on the bard just long enough to make sure she was headed toward the small town down the road, then settled herself more comfortably and closed her eyes. Sometimes it was so difficult to be nice.

Gabrielle had worked herself into a full-blown rage by the time she entered town. She headed straight for the inn intent on drinking as much ale as she could before Miss High And Mighty Warrior Princess strolled into town. She knew Xena would make her switch to cider.

"Barkeep! Get me an ale!"

Jonas eyed the bard warily. He couldn't say Xena hadn't warned him, but he still couldn't help being a little surprised at the extent of the blonde's anger. He filled a mug and slid it toward her. "You're name wouldn't happen to be Gabrielle, would it?" he asked mildly.

"Yeah...what's it to ya?" Gabrielle jutted out her jaw belligerently and glared at the innocent barkeeper. Deep down she knew she shouldn't take her frustration out on this man, but he was a lot closer than Xena was.

Gabrielle slapped a dinar on the bar for her drink and Jonas slid it back to her. "Everything's already paid for."

The bard turned her glare on the unsuspecting customers scattered around the room. "Someone hoping to get lucky?" she spat out. "Well, it'll be a cold day in Tartarus, let me tell you!"

Jonas heaved a silent sigh and cast a quick prayer to any gods who were listening. "No, miss. It wasn't any of these men." He consciously kept his tone calm and soothing. "Why don't you go on up to your room and take a nice, long bath? When you come back down, I'll have your meal ready."

Artemis happened to be on 'Guard Gabrielle' duty that day and unobtrusively answered the barkeeper's prayer. She really loved her Chosen, but the girl did have her moments.

Gabrielle's anger faltered. "Room...long bath…” then in a more hopeful tone, "…dinner?"

Jonas nodded quickly and took a chance on giving the young woman a small smile. When she didn't snap his head off, he spoke again. "Whatever you wish. Everything's taken care of."

"Oh. Well then." Gabrielle eyed the man uncertainly. "Who paid for all this?" She had a terrible sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She only knew one person in this area. Xena.

"I really can't say, miss. But you're not to worry about a thing."

She nodded absently, then got off her stool to follow the serving girl who had suddenly appeared at her elbow. Innate stubbornness made her keep a shred of anger intact, which lasted up until the serving girl opened the door to the room. A gasp escaped her lips and tears formed in her sea-green eyes. Her anger dissolved in a swift attack of remorsefulness.

The room was huge. A fire crackled merrily in the fireplace along the left wall, a pair of candles graced the sides of a steaming bathtub, and on the right was a wide bed practically smothered in soft pillows. A table with two high-backed chairs was situated just in front of her with a stack of parchment, a dozen quills, and bottles of ink atop it.

"I'll come get you when your dinner is ready, milady." The serving girl's soft voice caught her attention and Gabrielle turned to her, eyes wide with wonder. "There's a note on the table." With a slight nod toward the table, the girl left the room.

The bard leaned her staff against the bedpost and set down her pack. Her fingers shook as she slowly sat and perused the note.

Gabrielle,

I know things have been difficult lately, so I wanted to do something to make you smile again. The room is yours for a week...all you have to do is enjoy yourself. I wasn’t sure how much parchment you had left, so I purchased more, in case you wanted to take the time to write. I'll be close by. If you need me, just tell Jonas and he'll find me. I have some things to take care of, but I'll be back by the end of the week. I hope this makes up for anything I may have done...I love you.

X.

"Oh, Xena..." Gabrielle clenched the note to her chest and let the tears fall freely. The gods knew, Xena had done nothing wrong. She wasn't quite sure what the problem was, but she had gradually distanced herself from her best friend and by the time she realized how far apart they had grown, it was too difficult to find her way back. She reread the note through blurry eyes. Sweet Aphrodite! How was she supposed to make it a week without seeing her?  

The days passed with excruciating slowness. After the initial awkwardness, Gabrielle had made friends with the barkeeper who, it turned out, owned the small inn. The serving girl was his daughter, Mariah, and she kept the pair entertained with stories while she waited for time to crawl by. They, in turn, made sure Gabrielle had plenty to eat, and kept a supply of parchment and fresh quills handy. On the third day she could take no more.

"Jonas. Xena said you would know how to reach her." She paused expectantly.

Jonas exchanged a glance with his daughter and sat back slowly in his chair. They had just finished breakfast and Mariah busied herself with removing the dirty plates. "You have a few more days, you know, " he began quietly.

"I know that, Jonas! But I miss her so! I mean..." she stammered to a stop, not sure how much she should reveal. Xena liked to keep their relationship private. No one needs to know how close our bedrolls are, she had told her once, teasingly.

Jonas merely smiled gently. "I will go look for her tomorrow, child."

"Tomorrow?" Gabrielle was ready to scream and plead for mercy. She didn't think she could wait another day.

"Tomorrow," Jonas said firmly. "I have much to do today." He left Gabrielle sulking at the table, and entered the kitchen to see what supplies he would need from the market. The girl ate like a horse!

Gabrielle pouted for a few more minutes, then heaved a sigh and went outside. Taking a deep breath of air, she caught the strong scent of the stables. Maybe visiting with the horses would ease her mind a little.

The stable door creaked slightly as she entered and she left it open to let in some of the sunshine. She took her time crooning to the four horses within, petting each one and promising to bring them apples the next time she visited. As she was turning to leave, a muffled snort came from a stall in the far corner.

"And who is this?" she whispered aloud. A horse blanket had been draped across the front of the stall and she lifted it gingerly to peek inside. "Great Zeus! Argo, what are you doing here?" The palomino mare whickered softly and nuzzled Gabrielle's neck. Gabrielle laughed and ran her fingers through the horse's silky mane. "If you're here, where is Xena, hmmm?" A noise behind her caused her to swing around in fright, then she gasped in wordless delight and ran into Xena's waiting arms.

She felt the tears start and couldn’t stop them. The warrior’s arms tightened around her and she buried her face between Xena’s breasts. If she could have crawled inside her, she would have. Gabrielle inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of hyacinth, leather, and hay that arose from her lover’s skin.

Hay? Gabrielle unobtrusively slid her hands along Xena’s back, ignoring for the moment the erratic heartbeat beneath her ear. She lifted her head slowly and stared at Xena’s tear-streaked face with narrowed green eyes.

"Xena? Where’s your armor?"

"In the loft," Xena replied unthinkingly. Darkening green eyes alerted her to her mistake.

"The loft," Gabrielle responded flatly. Without speaking another word, she turned back to Argo and felt along the horse’s flanks. The mare was groomed to a sheen and showed no indication of having been ridden in quite some time. Argo stamped her hooves and whinnied…impatiently, it seemed to the bard.

Xena shifted her weight nervously. She’d been hiding in the stables since shortly after Gabrielle had arrived in town. Since neither of the women was familiar with the area they were in, Xena had felt uncomfortable going too far away from Gabrielle. She also knew that Gabrielle needed some time alone and this was the best solution she could come up with. At least, it had seemed to be a good plan at the time.

"Gabrielle?"

Gabrielle took a deep breath and summoned all of her bardic skills to school her expression into an impassive mask. When she felt she could face her warrior without breaking into a grin, she turned around. She favored Xena with a cool stare before stepping to the ladder and climbing up to the loft.

She moved to the side to give Xena room to stand beside her. As she glanced around the loft, she found the shift she’d been missing. It was folded carefully and placed next to the wadded up blanket Xena had been using as a pillow. Gabrielle felt an ache deep within her chest as she realized Xena had used the shift to keep her presence near. Her warrior never ceased to surprise her. With a soft sigh she lowered herself to the pallet of hay, and was helpless to stop the fond smile from curving her mouth as she looked up at the nervous warrior.

"Have a seat, Xena," she requested quietly, patting the place beside her. Once Xena was settled, Gabrielle took one her strong hands into her own and studied the prominent veins and tendons. She found reassurance in the strength and warmth of it, and began to speak again without lifting her gaze.

"These past few months I’ve felt like I was missing something. As the days wore on, the feeling grew stronger and stronger and the space inside me kept getting bigger and bigger." Her fingers caressed the inside of Xena’s forearm. "The more I thought about it, the emptier I felt until the least little thing would make me angry." She lifted her gaze to troubled blue eyes. Her own filled with tears.

She laid trembling fingers across Xena’s lips before she could speak. "Let me finish."

Gabrielle lay back on the pallet and stared at the roof. She smiled as Xena stretched her tall frame out next to her. Their eyes met and held, the blue of the sky caressing the green of the sea.

"These past few days, I’ve felt the emptiness even more. So much that I thought my heart was going to break. And I finally realized what I’d been missing…you." She turned her body so they were both on their sides facing each other. She let her hand drift across Xena’s face and neck. "The more I went inside myself to try to find the answers, the further away from you I got. And when I finally saw how far apart we were, I couldn’t figure out how to find my way back to you."

Both women had tears streaming down their faces. "We haven’t made love since before Hope…." Gabrielle’s voice trailed off and she turned pleading eyes to her best friend and lover.

Xena let out a shaky breath and folded the smaller woman in her arms. "I thought you didn’t want me any more," she admitted reluctantly.

Gabrielle gasped. "Oh, Xena! I’ll always want you." She pressed heated kisses into the curve of Xena’s neck. "I love you so much, I’d die without you. How could I have been so stupid?"

Xena clasped the bard tightly and rolled onto her back. She wrapped strong legs around Gabrielle’s and spread light kisses into her silky blonde hair. "Not stupid, Gabrielle. We were just lost for a while."

Their lips met in a burning kiss, each trying to show the other through touch alone what words couldn’t express. Mouths and hands explored every bit of reachable flesh, and when that wasn’t enough, cloth was torn and leather ripped. Giggles and husky laughter filled the air of the loft, as the lovers stripped each other with eager hands until flesh met flesh in aching triumph.

"I can’t wait." Xena’s eyes flashed with blue fire as she stared down at Gabrielle.

"You don’t have to," Gabrielle answered, her face awash in desire.

There was no gentleness in this joining. Xena thrust two fingers deeply in Gabrielle’s heated center, then latched onto her neck with desperate lips as the bard arched into her. Small hands dug into her shoulders as Gabrielle let out a shuddering moan, and Xena ground her hips into a heavily muscled thigh. Xena’s head fell back with her imminent release and when Gabrielle took her nipple into her mouth, she screamed out her name. With two final thrusts, Gabrielle followed after her, fingers gouging deep scratches in Xena’s flesh from the strength of her release.

They lay panting heavily for a few moments, gathering themselves. Xena pulled the limp form of her bard into the curve of her body and stroked her back gently, murmuring soft words of love that she’d been holding back for months. Before long, the light strokes changed to lingering caresses and Xena’s mouth traced a moist path along Gabrielle’s collarbone down to her breasts.

"Gods, I love you," she whispered against a rosy nipple before sucking it into her mouth. A muffled groan was her answer as Gabrielle arched into her. She eased her weight down until she felt the moist heat of her lover’s center against her stomach. A wicked smile crossed her face. Ignoring the protests, she pulled away again and was rewarded by a sharp gasp when Gabrielle felt a hard nipple being pressed against her clit.

"Oh my…." Gabrielle’s head fell back, overwhelmed by the erotic sensations of the soft breast being rubbed along her center. Her hands tangled in Xena’s hair as her hips arched into her. Waves of heat enveloped her and she cried out in ecstasy, tears falling from the strength of it.

Minutes, hours, neither was sure how long a time passed. They lay snuggled together in peaceful bliss and merely listened to their hearts beating. Gabrielle idly traced patterns on the strong stomach beneath her hand.

"Are we okay?" Xena finally asked hesitantly. Her enemies would have fainted dead away had they heard the tentative tone in the Warrior Princess’ voice.

Gabrielle shook her head. "No. We’re not." The hard stomach muscles contracted under her hand and she moved to wrap her arms around her lover. "Not until you let me try that last trick on you…."

Xena released a heart-felt sigh of relief and gave a dazzling smile. Then laughed as the small bundle of energy pushed her down and Gabrielle tested out the new trick…and several others until even the stars gave up and went to sleep.

The End