Author's Note: This story was written as a response to OH! by Archaeobard.
Feedback: The Shark
In her dream she had been talking to Xena, who explained she was leaving once more to visit Chin, and would not be returning for her. Xena would then turn and walk away, and as much as Gabrielle tried to give chase she could never catch her to make her come back. Her fear of losing Xena was becoming stronger and the bard did not like it at all.
She looked over now to see Xena sleeping on her side and felt a sudden urge to snuggle into her back, but would never do so without Xena's permission; so she had another idea.
"Xena, you awake?" she asked softly, knowing that Xena slept very lightly.
"What's up, Gabrielle?" muttered the tall warrior, turning over onto her back.
"I had that nightmare again."
"Again? Isn't this the third time?"
Gabrielle nodded with tears in her eyes. Xena did not know what the nightmare was and Gabrielle had always been reluctant to tell her.
"Come here," Xena said, stretching her arms out to take Gabrielle within them. Gabrielle rolled herself into the outstretched limbs and pressed herself against Xena's warm body. She snaked her arm around the warrior's waist and Xena rested her chin on Gabrielle's head against her own breast.
Xena kissed Gabrielle's hair and took in a breath of her that made her heart quicken, but said nothing. Gabrielle's heart had already begun beating with some force simply due to the proximity of her warrior.
Morning soon came and no more nightmares had invaded Gabrielle's dreams, but Xena had decided it was time to discuss the recurring problem with her friend.
The natural pool with a beautiful waterfall which had drawn them to camp at their current location the night before beckoned. Soon both women were ready to test the invigorating water. Xena stood in front of Gabrielle while the bard removed the last of her clothing, and she could not help but pause to look at the warrior's muscled back as she started her dive into the pool. As Gabrielle's eyes followed the lunge, an urge that had recently become familiar to her arose again. Xena soon surfaced and waved for Gabrielle to come join her.
Gabrielle stepped to the water's edge and knelt to test the temperature before going in. Xena looked over the bard's naked form, the taunt muscles of her legs holding her small frame as she crouched.
The warrior watched as Gabrielle walked slowly into the pool so the chill hit her legs. A spray of goose bumps ran up and down her body, her nipples stiffened, and again Xena's heart quickened at the sight of the woman. She drew Gabrielle to her and began to wash her back as usual, but today she had also decided to talk to Gabrielle about the last few nights.
"Gabrielle, what's going on?" She asked while washing the bard's back with a strip of Gabrielle's old bilious green sports bra.
"What?" Gabrielle asked, her eyes dropping as Xena ran the rag over her body and wished the warrior's fingers would brush against her skin.
"You know, the nightmares you've been waking up from in a sweat? and the talking in your sleep is really quite worrying?" At this Gabrielle's eyes snapped open and her cheeks changed to a sharp crimson.
"Talking in my sleep?" A pause, "Have I been doing that?"
"Gabrielle, you always do that...but recently you seem scared when you talk and you scream my name in a panic...what's going on?"
"It's just a nightmare Xena, it's nothing, believe me" Gabrielle said, shifting uncomfortably but not wanting to leave Xena's side.
"No, it's more than that Gabrielle, please tell me," Xena said and placed a caring hand on Gabrielle's arm.
A bolt of white hot lighting shot up Gabrielle's arm and she had to calm herself before she could talk, "OK Xena," she said as the warrior slowly washed her neck.
"Tell me," Xena said, momentarily flustered by an urge to kiss Gabrielle's neck. She steeled herself and carried on ignoring the desire as she had learnt to do since the bard first joined her on her journey.
"I keep having a dream where you tell me you are going back to Chin...and you're not coming back," Gabrielle's voice started to break as she felt tears prick behind her eyes, "and you don't want me with you, but I don't want to leave you, so I try to chase you, but I can't reach you." The tears had already started their freefall and a sob escaped from her throat as the words tumbled out. Gabrielle's hands covered her face and she sobbed at the thought of losing Xena.
Xena's heart was breaking and she did not know if she would cry at the thought of losing Gabrielle. Somehow she managed to maintain her control. She slowly dropped the cloth she had been using and wrapped her arms around Gabrielle's waist, pulling the smaller woman close and resting her head on her shoulder as Gabrielle cried.
Gabrielle felt herself being pulled back slightly and her back pressed into Xena's chest. The feel of Xena's breasts against her was becoming too much, so she turned to face Xena while the warrior's arms stayed about her, holding her softly. Gabrielle's body was electrified with Xena's touch and when their eyes locked a feeling of love enveloped her.
"Xena," the bard began, "I don't want to lose you, and it terrifies me to think I might."
"Gabrielle, I won't leave you, not even in death. I'll always be here. I love you," she said hugging her best friend, all the while sadly knowing she could never get closer to the bard than this. The swell of Gabrielle's breasts against her own felt wonderful and she relished it for as long as she could until Gabrielle pulled away.
"I love you too, Xena."
"Gabrielle, you're my best friend and I would never leave you, not for good, I would always come back," she said lightly kissing her friend's cheek. As Xena started to pull away Gabrielle quickly turned her head and caught Xena in a kiss.
Gabrielle wrapped her arms around the warrior. The kiss was unlike any other they had shared as friends. Instead of the comfort of each other's presence there was severe passion, and in place of their friendship was a love Gabrielle has never truly known until this moment.
Xena released the kiss and looked into Gabrielle's eyes before questioning, "Gabrielle?" "Xena," she whispered before kissing her deeply again, but this time Xena broke off the kiss almost immediately.
"Gabrielle, what are you doing?"
"Well...um...ah..." Gabrielle didn't dare say, and daren't tell her about the other dream she had been experiencing.
"Come on Gabrielle, you have to tell me what is going on in that head of yours," Xena breathed, cupping Gabrielle's face in her hands.
"Ok, ok...well there's been more than one dream."
"Another nightmare?"
"No, gods no! A good dream that I have been having recently...it involves me and you...doing things that...we've never done before, like kiss like that and...erm...be in the same bedroll together, doing things..."
"Things? Things as in sexual things?"
Gabrielle's cheeks again changed to a crimson red and Xena smiled, already knowing the answer but still wanting Gabrielle to say it, just to make sure her own dreams had finally come true, "Well?"
"Yes..." Gabrielle nodded, "sexual things, together," the bard tried to pull herself out of Xena's embrace but the warrior would not let her. She found herself being pulled closer so their breasts just lightly touched.
"Like this?" Xena asked, lowering her head and kissing Gabrielle. She slowly started to stroke the blonde's skin; her fingers slid down and caressed the small of her back. A small moan escaped Gabrielle's lips as they kissed. Xena loved this woman and had done since the day they had met, and more, she had wanted her for just as long.
"Yeah like that," Gabrielle said after breaking the long and sensual kiss, "please tell me you truly want me too, Xena, and please don't be doing this just for my sake."
"Gabrielle, I have always wanted you. I just never thought that you would want me ? or any woman after marrying Perdicus," Xena said, casting her eyes away from Gabrielle's gaze.
"Xena," the bard began, "when I married Perdicus I was a young, naive child who thought that you had to be married to be happy, I didn't love Perdicus the way I love you."
"Let me show you how much I love you Gabrielle," Xena said. The warrior dipped her head to Gabrielle's neck and kissed it hard. Gabrielle's back arched to push herself closer to Xena's body and she felt liquid flow within her. She needed Xena somewhere other than her neck, but she knew she must wait and let Xena take control. Xena moved her legs round and placed Gabrielle on her knee facing her and kissed her hard as her hands caressed the bard's still damp thighs. She let her fingers slowly move towards Gabrielle's wetness. Gabrielle moaned as Xena's fingers slowly caressed her labia. Xena felt herself become wet at the sound of the woman's deep moans and movements. Gabrielle wrapped her arms around Xena's neck and pulled herself close for a kiss, Xena's fingers slowly crept up to Gabrielle's swollen clitoris and began to gently rub against it making it pulsate. Xena's other hand worked its way up to Gabrielle's breast and started massaging an erect nipple. Gabrielle's breath became quick and she began to grind faster against Xena's fingers.
Xena lifted Gabrielle with her legs slightly and took a nipple into her mouth and lightly bit it.
"Oh Xena!" Gabrielle whispered, soon she reached her crescendo and her own liquid mixed with the pool water. Xena and Gabrielle's lips met and kissed each other hard. "That was amazing," Gabrielle sighed as their lips parted.
"You think that was it?" Xena said as she lifted Gabrielle off of her knees and lead her from the water. She laid her down on her own bedroll and held her self over Gabrielle's still wet form, water from her own body dripping onto Gabrielle's stomach. Xena let herself slide down slowly to Gabrielle's nipple and gently started to suck and bite on it as Gabrielle writhed beneath her.
"Oh Xena...please don't stop," Gabrielle moaned, running her hands through Xena's long, dark hair. Xena soon finished what she had planned to do on the nipple and ever so slowly ran her tongue down Gabrielle's chest, over her stomach and down through the small nest of hair that led to the area Xena wanted the most. "Xena?" Gabrielle questioned.
"Gabrielle? if I'm hurting you, just tell me," Xena said hoping Gabrielle would not tell her to stop.
"What are you going to do?"
"You'll see," Xena said, and her face soon disappeared only for an amazing sensation to come over Gabrielle's body that almost pushed her over the edge instantly, but Xena pulled away suddenly leaving her needing.
"What was that?! Please don't stop Xena!"
"You want more? are you sure?"
"Yes," Gabrielle purred, and Xena stroked her tongue slowly back over Gabrielle's clitoris. The blonde almost screamed out and she shuddered under the sensation. Xena carried on for a few more strokes until Gabrielle climaxed so hard that she raised herself up off of the bedroll pushing into Xena. The warrior held on tight, still licking as wave after wave of orgasm hit Gabrielle through shivers and screams.
Soon both women were laid in each others arms, kissing and slowly stroking each other.
"Xena, why did you never tell me before that you felt like this?" Gabrielle asked.
"I never thought you would feel the same way about me until the other night," Xena said and laid on her back with Gabrielle's head back on her bare breast like the night before.
"The other night?"
"Yeah, you remember don't you? You said that you wanted to use me in a erotic play with Joxer. Joxer, of all people! You really think I fell for that?" Xena laughed.
"Oh," Gabrielle said, blushing slightly.
Silence fell over the two for a while as they gathered their thoughts. Where would they go from here?
"Xena? you awake?"
"Yeah."
"Can it stay like this? Can we stay like this? I really don't want this to end, and I worry it might if you meet another man."
"Gabrielle," the warrior paused a moment to find the right words, "as long as you promise me it will stay like this then it will. I've never loved anyone the way I love you, not Marcus, not Borias...certainly not Caesar...none of them, and I don't ever plan to let go of what we have now...I have waited a long time for this," Xena smiled.
"Good," said Gabrielle, and leaned up to kiss her warrior before the two fell under Morpheus' spell.
END