Warning: This story portrays Xena and Gabrielle in an intimate relationship.

Bard's Boring Bits: There are none.

clairewithercross@altavista.com

Moonlight sliced through the window to illuminate the sleeping forms in the bed. The two women appeared to be merged as one. The tall dark-haired warrior lay on her back, arms and legs entwined with the short blonde-haired bard, whose head was resting on the warrior's chest.

The bard moaned in her sleep and shook her head.

"Pwwph!" Xena blew the blonde hair away from her mouth. "Pphhph!"

"Awwsstobit," came a mumbled response.

"Awk!" the warrior pulled a face and bit her tongue at the ticklish breath on her chest. Her body twitched.

"Keestill!"

The command was accompanied by a light slap to the warrior's stomach. The brief movements from both cleared the offending hair away from the warrior's lips.

"Mmmbedda," Xena sighed.

"Wassat?" Gabrielle turned her head and looked up at the face of her 'pillow'.

"Snufin," breathed Xena in reply, and returned to sleep.

"Origh," said Gabrielle. She plumped the breast under head and settled back down. In doing so her hair drifted back into the warrior's face.

"Pwwpht! Pwwph!"

"Wasitnow?" grumbled an irritated Gabrielle. "Tryinasleep."

"Moveyerair."

"Uh?" Gabrielle jerked her head up to look down at her lover.

"Bedda," mumbled the warrior. "Staylikat."

Gabrielle exhaled in exhaustion and flopped back down. The warrior grunted at the impact, then started snoring.

"Shuddup!" Gabrielle moaned, poking the warrior in the ribs.

"Uwuwuwuwuwu."

"Aaarshuddup," whined the bard.

"Kaaaagggghh," the snore rattled in the back of Xena's throat.

"Mmmmmm," Gabrielle growled in frustration, and put her hand over the warrior's mouth. Xena fell silent. "Atlasss," sighed the young woman. She settled once more.

Within a minute the only sound was of the two women sleeping peacefully.

One second later the peace was shattered by the crowing of a cockerel.

"Aww," Gabrielle raised her head and yawned. She blinked away her dreams and looked down into the smiling face and smiling blue eyes of her lover.

"How did you sleep?" asked Xena.

"Beautifully," replied Gabrielle. "I wish every night could be as restful as that."

"Me too," agreed the warrior.

THE END