Violence Warning: None, simply romantic fluff.

Subtext Warning: The following story contains a love/sexual relationship between two consenting adult women. If you are under 18 years of age or if this type of story is illegal in the state or country in which you live, read no further.

Acknowledgements: I would like to thank the women who have contributed to the production of my first piece of fan fiction. Without them none of this could have been possible. Thank you?to nadaone for throwing the gauntlet at my feet?to my muses Jennifer and Thumbs?to wolfmoon, Georgia and nadaone for your endless patience and technical support?and last but not least to archaeobard for beta-ing my piece.

Comments and feedback are welcome at roarinfire@hotmail.com

Xena woke with a start. Her heart pounded and her eyes were open wide. In the early light of dawn she could see that Gabrielle was still sound asleep. As usual, an arm and a leg were draped across her body. 'It was only a dream' she told herself, but it felt so real, so intense. Her senses where still reeling; she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.

The emotion and desire evoked by the dream was so overwhelming that Xena whispered softly into the top of blonde hair, "With your body, I feel your presence in my sleep. Your sensuality touches my very soul, renders me completely helpless. On my knees, I beg just for the touch of your hand."

It amazed her just how little it took to ignite her passion for Gabrielle; a look, a touch, a kiss or even a dream. A dream that was so sensual it had Xena completely aroused, so much so, that she thought of taking Gabrielle right then and there. The warrior took another deep breath, breathing in the sweet smell of the bard. She placed tender kisses on Gabrielle's forehead and gently stroked her back. Even in her sleep the bard's body responded to Xena's touch. With a low moan Gabrielle moved her knee, as her hips rock forward causing Xena to grimace and inhale sharply. Gabrielle's knee had landed on her stomach. This immediately changes her priorities. She removed herself slowly, careful not to wake her sleeping bard and headed to the woods, not even stopping to look for her shift.

Gabrielle stirred from slumber to the chatter of birds. She could feel the crisp air on her face and had awoken more from the lack of Xena's familiar warmth than the typical sounds of the spring morning. Opening her sleepy eyes, she wondered where the warrior had gone. She looked around their camp and noticed the fire slowly smoldering, 'Was Xena checking on Argo or getting more wood for the fire?' Gabrielle wondered. She rolled on to her stomach and leaned up on both elbows, as she continued to survey the camp. Well she couldn't have gone too far, the sword and chakram still lay by their bedrolls. 'Oh sweet Aphrodite she's naked, her leathers and the shift are right where we dropped them last night'. With no warrior to be found she rested her head down on her hands, catching sight of the lake and the rising mist. The bard was glad that Xena had agreed to stop and camp there for the night. They had set up in a clearing beside the lake. There were trees all around, so it was nice, quiet and very secluded. Nice and quite were not words most would normally use to describe the Warrior Princess; anyone but Gabrielle, that is. As the bard lay musing, she realized that no matter where her thoughts wandered, they always returned full-circle to Xena.

For just last night, after they had set up camp Gabrielle had gone in search of firewood. As she was walking back with the second bundle, she noticed the sky. The sun, long ago had started its descent, and now the clouds were ablaze. Gabrielle couldn't help herself; she sat down on the shore to watch, awed by the fire in the sky. Just then Xena had returned to camp from settling Argo for the night. She observed Gabrielle sitting by the lake. The warrior usually was too preoccupied to appreciate the beauty of sunsets, or nature at all for that matter. However, she never failed to appreciate the natural beauty of Gabrielle. So it wasn't the sky that really caught Xena's attention, as much as it was the way the light danced off Gabrielle's hair and touched her skin, that warmed her heart and filled her with the desire to share this moment with the bard.

So the warrior had sat down close behind the younger woman, putting her arms lovingly around her shoulders. Gabrielle smiled at Xena's touch, placed a warm kiss on her lover's arms and relaxed into the embrace. They sat in silence and watched the brilliant colors fade to pastels. Xena saw something out of the corner of eye and softly whispered into her lover's ear, "Gabrielle".

The bard turned her head in the direction of Xena's voice, and was thrilled to see the thin sliver of a crescent moon rising above the trees.

"Oh Xena, there's our moon." she lovingly replied.

"Umm hmm." Xena tenderly responded as she tightened the embrace around her bard.

For almost a candle mark they watched and listened to the haunting cries of the loons and the rhythm of the waves as they washed over the sand.

As Gabrielle lay remembering the night, the morning sky began to lighten. Soft pink clouds reflected across ripples on the lake. Just then Xena stepped out of the trees and walked slowly into the water. Gabrielle covertly watched her love wade out, bend down and splash water on her sculptured body. A silhouette against the sun's now golden reflection, Xena turned ever so slightly as a gentle breeze swept through, causing her long raven hair to caress her shoulders. As Gabrielle's eyes moved further down her lover's body she noticed one of the warrior's breasts. Seeing the erect nipple the bard took in a ragged breath, and let out a heavy sigh. She loved watching her warrior, no matter what she was doing. She loved to watch those muscles at work. To Gabrielle even the simplest of movements could be so sensual, such as a mug of port being raised to Xena's lips, could cause liquid heat to run through her body, leaving her wanting.

Xena waded out a little further before suddenly diving into the water, leaving Gabrielle's eyes starving. Gone was the object on which they had been feasting. Gone was the object of her desire. Gabrielle sat up, drawing the fur close to her naked body as she watched the surface of the water. Finally Xena appeared in the center of the lake. Gabrielle, wanting to be closer, made her way down to the shore. The delicate scent of musk filled her nostrils; 'by the Gods I do love the smell of her'. Gabrielle brought a hand up to her nose and savored the sweet scent of the woman she loved. 'I am marked, like a feral animal marks it's territory, I'm Xena's...her scent upon my skin.' Gabrielle thought smiling. She remembered the events of last evening, 'I love to touch her. The feel of her body in my hands, oh those well-defined muscles, strong yet so smooth supple to the touch. To feel Xena's sex was Elysian. To slide your hand into her wetness and have your fingers enveloped by soft, luxurious suede. Oh, and the knowledge that it was for only you was utterly intoxicating in itself. The more I touch her the more I want,' she thought, 'I will never get enough of this woman.'

By now the sun had come up enough to burn off the mist. Gabrielle sat waiting, still wrapped in the fur. The next sight she saw stole her breath completely from her chest, causing her to gasp for air.

"By the gods." Gabrielle whispered at the vision before her.

Xena swam underwater heading towards the shore. In one swift movement, her entire upper body burst through the surface of the water. She slung her head backwards, clearing her face of the mass of dark hair as she gasped for air. Finding her footing, Xena stood in thigh deep water. Opening her eyes, she was startled to find Gabrielle so near, awake and also gasping for air! With a raised eyebrow, Xena looked at the bard, smiling to herself at the desire she found in those emerald eyes and at the way those eyes roamed over her flesh. Not at all surprised by Gabrielle's desire for her, the morning swim had done nothing to cool her own desire for the bard.

Xena steadily made her way out of the lake and stepped onto the sandy shore. As sunlight hit the water cascading down Xena's body, the bard's mind began to race. Watching one glistening droplet make its way down the warrior's bronzed frame, words flood Gabrielle's mind, 'I love wet skin, the feel of it, how my fingers glide. I love wet skin, the taste of it, the smell of it. I love wet skin, how water rolls seductively down. I'd love to be a droplet sliding down your body. Rolling down your forehead, leaving tender kisses in my wake, down your nose, over your lips, your chin, down your throat, to a breast, lingering on the nipple, over the edge, on to your stomach, on to your mound, into your hair, sliding into the middle, getting you wet, down the inside of your thigh, your calf, and off your foot. Ooooh how I love wet skin.'

Xena stood with her hands on her hips, a towering presence before Gabrielle. Arching an eyebrow at the expression on the bard's face she tried hard not to smile.

Seeing that she was deep in thought, the warrior finally spoke, "OK, Gabrielle out with it! I know you're cooking up something in that pretty little head of yours. So tell me."

Gabrielle closed her eyes, took a breath and shook her head at the beautiful dripping image before her. Opening her eyes, she finally made eye contact with Xena.

"Well if you must know, I was simply a water droplet sliding down that wet skin of yours'."

"Oh you were, were you?" Xena teased.

Xena knelt down in front of the bard, took the fur from Gabrielle's hand and threw it back on the ground behind her. Xena leaned forward into the naked bard, her closeness forced Gabrielle to lay back on the fur. On all fours, Xena completely straddled her lover. She was careful not to touch, wanting the only sensation to be the drops of water falling onto the bard's waiting skin. Never losing eye contact, Xena slowly lowered herself, closing the distance between them. Gabrielle shuttered at the coolness of Xena's skin as it touched her warm flesh. Feeling her passion rise Xena rolled over onto her back pulling Gabrielle on top of her. As the bard settled into the warrior, Xena took her lover's face in her hands and whispered a seductive command.

"Ok droplet, start sliding."

The Alpha and the Omega.