”I am not!” Gabrielle laughed, whacking the warrior’s shoulder. ”Let me up! I wanna see!”

”No, not yet,” Xena smirked, leaning onto her arm, with the other still disappeared between their bodies. Between Gabrielle’s legs – her soft, creamy legs. Xena had to shake her head to focus again on reassuring the woman who had gone from friend to lover all in one night. But wasn’t that how it always worked?

Xena couldn’t have taken it any slower – not with Gabrielle’s gentle pleas in her ear, or those soft hands pulling her closer.

She started pushing her finger into Gabrielle again, and her little bard put up no protests. In fact, she was begging all over again – her legs locked at Xena’s sides. Her back was arched and her body was hungry.

Xena would deliver.

With a little attention in just the right place, Gabrielle was climbing to something inconceivable. She was so absolutely shocked by the feelings taking her over that she verbalized all of them.

”This is … something’s happening to me … Xena … Xena …”

”It’s okay, Gabrielle … Is it building? Is it good?”

”It feels … sogood … sogood … Is it – Oh Gods!”

”That’s right … relax your body … relax every muscle …”

”I can’t!” Gabrielle gasped, her body trembling without intention. It was happening so quickly. ”I can’t control … it …”

”Relax, Gabrielle … Relax …” And through repetition, Gabrielle finally found it in herself to relax her body and surrender to the feelings that were shaking her. It felt so incredible to give herself over willingly, all the while glancing into Xena’s eyes, and looking down her own body to the faded darkness. It was lighter outside than she remembered from the last time she had opened her eyes.

Xena teased with touch until she could sense that Gabrielle couldn’t take it anymore, and then she focused her fingers and watched Gabrielle crumble in her hands.

”Xena!”

It was the last thing Gabrielle cried out before she held onto the warrior with a surprising strength that came from within, projecting her into a sense of being she had never known.

Xena watched Gabrielle climax, nearing it herself just at the sight. She never thought she would live to see the day Gabrielle came, trembling in her arms. She had wished it many times – flashes of her life would go by when she was touched by the blade of another’s sword – and Gabrielle’s face was always there among everything else. At night, she would wish she knew how Gabrielle looked or how she tasted. Xena still didn’t know either yet, but she was panting at the possibilities, watching Gabrielle tremble and shake over the grass. Weak and defenseless under her. Wanton.

The water was lapping against itself when Xena looked over to it, then grinning down at her beautiful love.

”I’ve wanted that for longer than you can imagine.”

Gabrielle smiled up at her, still lost in ecstasy. ”Oh … I think I can imagine just fine.”

”So … to the water …” Xena suggested, placing her hand softly on Gabrielle’s heated abdomen.

Unknowing that Xena would do as she asked, Gabrielle teased her. ”Yeah … carry me, would you?”

So she did.