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They weren't usually affectionate around others but then again, there were precious few people they trusted and even fewer situations where it would be safe. Here in Cyrene's tavern with no overnight guests for once and Xena's mother putting the baby to sleep was one such rare space. Hercules and Iolaus were on the short list of people they trusted - no surprise considering the demigod's role in Eve's birth. The pair had happened to hear the fuss about a god-driven siege on Xena's hometown and rushed over, arriving just in time to clean up the rubble and help put the town to rights. All four were looking forward to one night with no drama and good company.
Gabrielle was the last to rejoin the group for their impromptu get-together. Fresh from a much needed bath and unwilling to re-don her own battle-worn clothes, she'd purloined the gauzy tunic from Xena's post-resurrection innocent days and paired it with a pair of pants she kept buried in the bottom of her saddlebag for emergencies. Now she was clean, suitably decent (no wandering around naked until their clothes dried here) and feeling unusually soft and delicate in the unaccustomed garb. She knew Xena was in her own back-up clothes - a blue pair of pants from their time in India that drove Gabrielle crazy and a sleeveless top that hid most of her chest but somehow made her arms stand out more. She paused at the bottom of the stairs for a clandestine look, enjoying the relaxed grace of Xena's pose, her easy grin as she teased Iolaus about something.
She paused a little too long. Hercules saw her and gave her a curious head tilt. It wasn't like she had to search the room to find them - they were the only ones here. She smiled and shrugged, making her way over without offering explanation. The bard took note of the empty space next to her partner and promptly ignored it, settling herself sidelong in the warrior's lap instead. The other three gaped as she took a long drink from Xena's mug. The resulting cough and grimace shook Xena from her shock, if only to laugh at her. If Gabrielle didn't care that their friends knew, neither did she.
"Ugh, why is it always port?"
"Serves you right for stealing my drink," the older woman replied without heat, taking the mug from unresisting hands and pressing a second mug into them. "Here, Mom set out a nice cider for you." Gabrielle downed half the cup in one go to wash the strong taste of port out of her mouth before setting it back on the table with a satisfied sigh.
"Thank you, Cyrene - that's much better," she praised the absent innkeeper.
"You're gonna catch flies, you two."
The two men shut their mouths at Xena's reprimand but it still took them another moment to fully recover from the cozy sight before them. Hercules managed first with a carefully casual, "So how long...?" as he waved a hand at the pair.
Gabrielle glanced up as Xena looked down, silently discussing how much either was willing to share. It could be a very long, complicated story that would take all night or they could go with short and simple.
"After Prometheus, before Eve," Xena finally supplied.
"Oh, that narrows it down," a disgruntled Iolaus groused. Gabrielle reached over the table to pat his hand.
"Sorry, Iolaus, you're very sweet but Xena and I have this whole 'soulmate' thing going on. You understand, right?" Her tone toed the line between sincere apology and imp. It was a tone Xena was well acquainted with. Considering their history - now far in the past - she worried how he'd take the news.
"It's her thighs, isn't it?"
Seemed he was more upset at not knowing than the fact of their relationship itself. Gabrielle grinned, leaning forward conspiratorially.
"I mean, yeah, but also she can do this thing with her tongue - "
She found herself reeled back suddenly as Xena silenced the too-chatty bard with a kiss that set the other two gaping for a second time.
"I thought we agreed that was a Xena-Gabrielle only topic," she chastised quietly when she pulled back. "Unless you don't ever want me to do it again?" She arched one delicate eyebrow at her partner who was looking rather dazed. Gabrielle's eyes refocused and her arms, which had snaked around the warrior's neck when their lips met, tightened as she shook her head.
"Nope. Sorry, you're right of course." She turned to regard the two across the table, holding Iolaus's gaze. "You didn't hear anything. We're just friends."
They all looked at the smaller woman, perched comfortably on Xena's lap with her arms still around her neck.
"Very close friends," Xena amended unhelpfully before taking a hefty gulp of what was left of her port. Hercules shook his head, elbowing his partner un-subtly in the side.
"You owe me twenty dinars."
Iolaus grumbled as he counted out the losing bet into his friend's waiting palm.
"You owe me five," Xena whispered in Gabrielle's ear. The bard frowned - why would she have thought their friends had a bet going on them and why had Xena been right about it? Her gaze flicked across the table where the boys were otherwise occupied ("10 - 11 - 12...") before she leaned up to whisper into Xena's ear.
"If Cyrene will watch Eve tonight, I'll pay you back better than dinars."
Both eyebrows raised, expression quickly shifting into a salacious grin as Xena slipped a possessive hand around the smaller woman's waist. Gabrielle had her carefully crafted innocent face on which Xena knew meant she was in for the best kind of sleepless night if she accepted.
"You've got yourself a deal," she rumbled, kissing Gabrielle's neck teasingly, just quick enough for both to recover some semblance of dignity as twenty dinars clinked into Hercules' coin pouch and friendly conversation resumed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Later, once their friends had retired to their rooms and they to theirs, Gabrielle found herself in the same position - on Xena's lap. It really was her favorite place to be. Well, aside from under her but there'd probably be time for that later. This time she was facing the warrior, straddling her hips since there was no need for propriety here behind closed doors. Which was just as well, considering one of the first things Xena had done once she had her alone was remove the stolen top and leave marks all over her chest.
She sighed happily, grinding still-clad hips into those ridiculously toned thighs. There really was no better seat anywhere. Especially when Xena looked at her with that wicked grin and pulled her in close for another mind-numbing kiss. Maybe she should lose bets more often...
Xena took advantage of her distraction to slide both hands down her sides, over the swell of her hips, and down the back of her pants. Gabrielle moaned appreciatively into her mouth and tried to pull herself even closer with her arms around Xena's neck. The other woman chuckled, deep and dark and dangerous in the best way as she let herself be drawn in. Gabrielle had imagined paying off her losing bet by doing the ravishing but if this was how Xena wanted to collect her five dinars, who was she to complain?
Gods, those hands would not stay still. One stayed where it was, tracing figures on the small of her back and occasionally toying with the edge of her underwear, but the other slipped back out and around, drawing up past the ticklish point on her stomach (she jumped a little) and around the side and top of one breast. So close to what she wanted, but not quite there. Of course, Xena knew that. By now, Xena knew her body more than well enough to know she was being a tease. She tried bucking her hips up, but Xena just chuckled again and set to work adding a few marks to her neck to match her chest.
"If you don't - stop that - " she broke for a whimper as teeth grazed under her ear, " - I'm gonna have to - wear that top again tomorrow." She needed Xena to stop doing that before she lost her damn mind. Or maybe do it more; she wasn't sure.
Her protest worked, but not for the reasons she'd expected. Xena pulled back to pout at her, both hands now moving to massage her shoulders, squeeze her arms, and wander all over her chest while studiously avoiding her aching nipples. Gods, this woman...!
"You don't want everyone to know you've got the Destroyer of Nations, the Warrior Princess, ravishing you to within an inch of your life?"
When her voice went all raspy like that it frayed the already fragile ends of Gabrielle's inhibitions but she did her best to mount some kind of defense.
"I don't want your mother thinking about us going at it like rabbits," she hissed, dropping into a moan when one of Xena's thumbs finally - fucking finally - skated up to skim across her right nipple.
"Pretty sure Mom already knows but if it makes you feel better, I'll try not to leave any in places people can see."
"Xena, you've already left some in places people will see."
"Oops?"
"The finest tactical mind in Greece knows what skin is and isn't covered by my leathers. I think she wants people to know what's hers," Gabrielle accused, glare somewhat diminished by the smolder in green eyes.
"Guilty as charged, sweetheart, but the marks are already there so what can I do to make it up to you?"
"You can quit being such a tease and touch me already."
Xena's grin absolutely ruined whatever was left of her underwear as she set to her task with a will. She still had that skilled mouth latched onto whatever skin Gabrielle made available, but she was careful now not to suck or bite too hard. Gloriously long fingers finally found their way where Gabrielle wanted them and she let out an embarrassingly needy noise that Xena had to catch in her own mouth as they pressed over the front of her underclothes.
"I thought you didn't want Mom to think about us getting frisky - pretty sure the whole inn heard that one."
"Please stop talking about your mom. I don't want to think about the boys either."
One hand crept up, featherlight and tantalizing, to spread possessively across her lower back while the other swept up just enough so clever fingers could dip under her waistband and toy with sensitive skin there directly.
"What about thinking at all? Where's that rank on your priorities tonight?"
Gabrielle seized Xena's hair to pull her into a desperate kiss.
"Whatever the bottom is, it's below that," she gasped out, raising up on her knees as Xena helped her shimmy pants and underwear down her hips. With some maneuvering, she peeled off first one leg, then the other without Gabrielle needing to leave her entirely and tossed them somewhere behind her. They didn't land in the fireplace so neither of them much cared about the details.
As she settled back down, Gabrielle realized Xena was still in her own wash-day clothes and, with a thoroughly aroused bard on her lap, those pants would need washing of their own. She'd ask her to take them off, but she wasn't sure she had the brain capacity to return the kinds of favors Xena was giving her right now, hands running slowly, slowly down her sides, around her hips, under her ass, over her thighs and back again to repeat themselves in delicious torture. Besides, she didn't want to get up again and there was something delightfully crude about being thoroughly naked against a fully clothed Xena.
Getting her naked seemed to be the impetus for the warrior to finally address her breasts directly although, with her hands otherwise occupied, she was obliged to use her mouth. Gabrielle wasn't complaining, especially when she did that with her tongue. The only downside was she couldn't hear that beguiling voice saying the most indecent things anymore. Xena wasn't a talker as a general rule but once Gabrielle had gotten her in the bedroom it was like they'd traded places. How serendipitous then to discover that nothing got the bard hotter than her warrior's voice. She could have been reciting nursery rhymes for all Gabrielle cared, especially at the height of pleasure.
The hand at her back pressed in, angling her hips forward and down as the hand in front finally dropped past her curls and oh, Xena's clothes were definitely ruined now. She could feel herself dripping onto the soft blue fabric and groaned as Xena's teeth came into play on her chest. Those clever fingers mapped ever inch of her but, just like before, Xena stopped just short of giving her what she really wanted.
Content that the smaller woman wouldn't move too far and lose what delightful pressure she had, Xena let her other hand wander again. The interplay between them provoked the most delicious responses from her bard. One would swipe up just so and she could feel the muscles in her back twitch. A flick and a circle made her arms strain on Xena's shoulders - biceps, triceps, and all the rest tense and distinct for a split second.
Really, she couldn't understand people's fascination with her when Gabrielle was right there.
Content that she'd used her mouth to the best of her considerable abilities, she lifted her head and dragged her hand up to Gabrielle's neck, the delicate touch eliciting a shiver and another needy noise. Xena suppressed her own shiver in response. She'd forgotten herself and accidentally left a few more marks but really couldn't bring herself to care. She had other things on her mind. Leaving marks was usually more Gabrielle's thing - what really got the younger woman going was less physical.
She knew how her voice affected Gabrielle and she was determined to unravel her completely.
"Gabrielle..."
The other woman whined. So easy - just her name but Xena felt her shoulders tense and her hips clench. The teasing hand showed her some mercy and left its delightful torment to rest chastely on her hip, rubbing soothing circles with her thumb. Another whine at the loss of sensation, however taunting. Xena took her earlobe between her teeth for an apologetic nibble before continuing.
"Do you even know how amazing you are?"
A whimper, hands gripping the back of her shirt.
"Such beautiful, compact power. You could throw me to the ground right now, you know."
"Xena...."
Whatever noise had just preceded her name made Xena's head spin. Gods, what had she done to deserve this woman?
"You could, Gabrielle. But you wouldn't. You won't. You let me tease - "
Xena dropped her head to lick a stripe up the smaller woman's neck that had her gasping and tensing all over.
" - and taunt -"
Her hand, still wet from its earlier attentions, dragged slowly across a nipple and drew another whine.
"-and torture - "
Both hands dropped down to seize her ass for a quick grope.
"-even though you could stop this and take what you want. Do you know how hot that is?"
The other woman let out another loud moan that Xena did her best to muffle by pushing her face into her shoulder. That backfired fantastically - Gabrielle bit down in an effort to stifle the noises but that only made Xena moan in response. No one was looking them in the eyes tomorrow morning, she just knew it.
"Xena, please."
She didn't even realize she'd been waiting for Gabrielle to beg, but that wonderfully broken whisper combined with the sting of the bite convinced her it was time to stop teasing and give Gabrielle what she really wanted. After all, what Gabrielle wanted, Gabrielle got.
Somehow she knew. Gabrielle always seemed to know. Xena couldn't hide anything from her, not anything important. She raised up on her knees again, bracing her hands on Xena's shoulders and whimpering as the cool air of the room hit her wet thighs and the space between. Her grip was tight - the other woman might have finger shaped bruises there tomorrow but they were both beyond caring.
"Please," she whispered again and who was Xena to refuse a request like that? She asked so nicely.
Their new position put those delectable breasts right at face level. Xena knew an opportunity when she saw one. She licked up one at precisely the same time she slid two fingers into the wet heat of her partner. Gabrielle made a noise like she'd been punched in the stomach before it shifted into a cut-off moan. Looking up, Xena grinned to see she had her bottom lip drawn between her teeth in a futile attempt to keep her voice down. Still thinking, clearly - about the other people in the inn and social manners. They couldn't have that, now could they? She had said she didn't want to think at all by the time Xena was done with her.
"Gabrielle..."
Xena immediately followed the bard's name with a nibble to her left breast, partly catching one of her previous marks. Gabrielle fucking mewled and let out a full body shudder echoed immediately by Xena. She pulled her fingers free and thought she heard a breathy No from the bard but they weren't gone for long. She was just so wet, Xena wasn't sure she was getting the full experience with only two.
When she re-entered with three, she distinctly heard a hissed Yesssss after her dazed and pleased Oh.
She was trembling, arms and legs consumed by tremors as she tried not to let the pleasure overwhelm her. Not yet. She wanted to enjoy this for a bit longer. At least now Xena knew it was a good sign. The first time it had happened, she'd stopped and asked if the bard was okay. That had been before they'd gotten together proper, just a heavy make out session. Neither of them had been naked even, just Xena's hand up her shirt and her mouth on her neck. She couldn't help it that Xena got her so worked up so easily and she'd told her so, impatient and embarrassed. Xena, looking shocked and flattered, had apologized and made it up to her.
She couldn't take much more. She was close, so fucking close. She just needed one little push to send all her gathered arousal tumbling over the edge into release.
"Xe-" she tried, but only got half the warrior's name out before a particularly deep thrust provoked a groan. "Xe-na..." she tried again, panting.
"Yes, love?"
Another moan. Gods, why did she have to sound like that?
"I need - " A whine. Xena waited patiently, hand never stopping as her lips detoured down to a nipple. Apparently leaving them alone for ten seconds was ten seconds too long. "I need - more - "
She couldn't articulate beyond that, but she didn't need to. Xena's free hand, which had settled somewhere around her waist, moved to her throbbing clit. With just a few firm circles, she was crying out, collapsing in on herself, burying her face in Xena's chest as her thighs did their best to crush the warrior's hand between them. Considering she was still straddling her lap, they weren't terribly successful. Xena understood and didn't bother trying to free herself, just held her hand as deep as she could. She kept gentle, steady pressure on her clit, delighting in the way Gabrielle twitched into both hands. She thought she heard a sob and made soothing nonsense noises as she rested her cheek on top of tousled, sweaty hair.
How could a few moments feel like hours and seconds at the same time? Gradually the smaller woman's trembling slowed and Xena eased out as gently as she could. Gabrielle tensed at that and made a soft noise that sounded suspiciously like a sniffle. Another thing Xena had learned about her - when they got intense and drawn out like this, Gabrielle could be moved to tears from the sheer overload of feelings and sensations. The smaller woman had brought her to the same peak a few times before, so she no longer worried that she'd hurt or upset her.
Sure enough, Gabrielle let out a slightly watery chuckle and mumbled, "I should lose bets more often."
She had just enough sense and energy left to climb off Xena's lap and tumble sideways onto the bed. Xena smiled indulgently at her groan as her thighs protested their prolonged stretch.
Neither of them regretted a thing.
Green eyes content and tired, Gabrielle propped herself up on her elbows to watch as Xena stood and made a show of peeling off her top. At the warrior's appreciative whistle at the extent of the damp patch on her pants, Gabrielle covered her face in her hands and laughed. She moved her hands just in time to see Xena's enticing little shimmy to get them past her hips. The underwear went too - they were just as ruined as Gabrielle's had been.
Xena returned to the bed, settling on her back as the bard snuggled into the soft skin of her side with a sigh.
"What about you?" Gabrielle asked, sounding half asleep already.
Xena chuckled, less dangerous and more understanding now that she'd had her way with the bard.
"I wouldn't say no, but I think you're about to pass out on me."
Gabrielle just hummed. Xena wasn't wrong - she was gloriously exhausted. Xena turned to her side, pulling Gabrielle closer.
"I have an idea. You don't even have to do anything, just keep holding me like this."
"Mmm...not doing anything sounds great."
Gabrielle felt Xena's hand snake between them down the front of her body. Her hand on Xena's hip rubbed circles just like the warrior's had before. She pressed her head up under Xena's chin like a cat begging for attention and gave an absent-minded lick to the underside of her jaw. Poor Xena was so worked up from working Gabrielle over even these minuscule attentions were driving her to the point of the abyss in mere minutes.
Before long she came with Gabrielle's lips pressed to her neck in a sleepy, sated kiss. She gasped, suppressing her own moans with far more success than the bard had. As if she'd just been waiting for both of them to find release, Gabrielle snuggled closer and her breath slowed as she gave in to sleep. Dropping a kiss to the top of her head, Xena soon followed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She definitely had to wear the more concealing top again the next day. Optimistically, she'd tried her usual leathers first (now clean) but even the incorrigible Xena refused to let her leave the room like that.
"It's one thing saying your mine, it's another when there's so many they start fantasizing right then about how they got there. I don't want to have to kick anyone's ass because they were thinking of you naked and writhi-"
Gabrielle cut her off with a hand over that troublesome mouth.
"Okay, okay, I get it. Gods, Xena, who's thinking of me writhing now?"
She felt Xena's grin and glared as she pulled her hand away and drew the little top back over her head.
"Where did you throw it last night anyway?"
Xena shrugged, unconcerned and completely willing to let her half-nude partner search the whole morning. What a view! Sadly for her, Gabrielle found the top relatively quickly (hanging off the doorknob) and most of the marks disappeared under it. Most, but not all.
"Ah..."
Gabrielle froze. That was the noise of Xena realizing something. Usually something that would make Gabrielle less than happy.
"Something to share, Xena?"
Xena suddenly found the ceiling very interesting. She'd forgotten that, while she could cover most marks with some clever hair placement, Gabrielle no longer had that option.
"No, just, uh....it's a bit of a chilly morning, don't you think? Maybe you'd better wear that scarf we got at the market a couple weeks ago. Or your coat."
Gabrielle narrowed her eyes as she pulled the pants up and made final adjustments before they flew wide and she clasped one hand to her neck.
"I told you you were leaving them places people would see!"
"I'm sorry, okay! Ow, don't hit!"
"'Sorry'! You're only sorry I'm mad about it!"
Xena couldn't help but laugh at that. She got it right on the nose and Gabrielle wasn't really mad, just a little embarrassed.
"Look, I'll take the blame," she offered, catching one of the smaller woman's hands and halting its halfhearted punch to bring the knuckles to her lips for a tender, apologetic kiss. "I'm the one with the bad reputation already anyway."
Gabrielle huffed, reluctant to give up her anger but completely unable to resist. She loved when Xena went all sappy on her. They peeled apart and, as Xena shrugged her leather dress back on, it was Gabrielle's turn to make a noise.
"Um..."
Xena turned to her and quirked an eyebrow.
"Yes, Gabrielle?"
My, would you look at that ceiling...
"You uh...you might want to wear the same top again yourself."
She brushed back Xena's hair and sure enough, one shoulder sported a clear bite mark and the shape of Gabrielle's hands were clearly visible on both. Xena blinked and touched the bite gingerly. Wow, even through the top...
"Huh."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Iolaus made some excuse to flee the second he heard them on the stairs. They reached the common room just in time to see the door shut behind him. There were a few early morning regulars, but the place was fairly empty yet. Cyrene emerged from the kitchen with a fussy Eve that Xena gladly took from her, rocking the infant gently.
Their child was not amused. She didn't come here for cuddles and attention (not right now anyway), she wanted breakfast and she wanted it now. She started to squirm and her face scrunched up the way it always did right before she let out a banshee-approved wail. Xena shot a panicked look at her partner - Sorry for throwing you to the wolves but things are about to get ugly - and Gabrielle sighed, placing a hand on her arm in a conciliatory I understand but you will be paying me back later gesture.
Xena scampered off to feed their daughter somewhere private as Gabrielle faced the aftermath of their indiscretion. Cyrene was grinning like the cat that got the cream and Gabrielle flushed all the way to her ears. Xena's mother looked like she had a million things she wanted to say but silence was by far the worst. Instead she simply asked, "Breakfast, dear?" to which Gabrielle nodded meekly. As the innkeeper disappeared back into her kitchen, the bard took a seat with Hercules at their table.
Everything's fine, Gabrielle, he's your friend. Just play it smooth. Casual. He probably didn't even hear anything.
"Morning," she said as she plopped down.
Was she imagining it, or was Herc finding it hard to meet her eyes? He cleared his throat.
"So...sleep well last night?"
Gabrielle choked on her drink.