January 2012
Disclaimers: The characters of Xena, Gabrielle and a couple of others belong to whoever owns them now. No infringement on their rights is intended.
This very short story came about as a result of fanfic challenge to write a story about Xena and Gabrielle's first kiss. The story is set shortly after the events in Hooves and Harlots.
Teaser: When and how did Xena and Gabrielle first kiss and what effect did it have on them? Perhaps it happened like this…
- - -
Discoveries
Gabrielle flexed her shoulders and shook out her arms as she walked through the Amazon village. She was enjoying the staff training sessions with Eponin but they were making her use muscles that she didn't know that she had, and those muscles were now complaining a little about their unaccustomed efforts.
She wandered purposefully between the huts mentally going over the staff drills that she had been practising when, out of the corner of her eye, something happening between two of them caught her attention. She stopped and couldn't help staring. Two Amazons were pressed together in what was obviously a passionate embrace. One had her back to the hut wall while the other leant into her with one leg squeezed between the other's slightly parted legs. They were kissing deeply, hands roaming freely over their respective bodies and tangling in hair.
Gabrielle watched, enthralled, for several heartbeats until she eventually realised what she was doing. She blushed and glanced around, hoping that no one had noticed her voyeurism, and slowly resumed her walk back towards the centre of the village to re-join Xena, her mind spinning over what she had seen giving her something new to think about that was totally outside her experience.
- - -
“Xena?”
“Mm?”
They had left the Amazon village earlier that morning and now they were about to set off again after a short stop for a bite to eat.
“I… um… didn't see any men around the Amazon village.”
Xena stopped arranging things on Argo's saddle and turned to look at Gabrielle, a small frown on her brow. “No, you wouldn't.” She continued to look at her friend wondering if further explanation would be needed.
Gabrielle simply raised her eyebrows in question.
“Don't you know about Amazons?”
“Of course I do!” retorted Gabrielle, indignantly. “Well… I'd heard of them,” she continued in a softer tone. “But I suppose I don't know much about them.” She had the grace to look sheepish.
Xena smirked. “The Amazon nation made a decision that they didn't need men. Well…” she said with another smirk, “apart from needing them for the obvious reason.”
Gabrielle frowned for a heartbeat before shaping her mouth in a silent ‘Oh!'
“So, men are actually not normally allowed in their village at all. That's why you didn't see any.”
Gabrielle mulled that over for few heartbeats. “But what do they do for…” she blushed, much to Xena's amusement. “Um… you know… company.”
“You mean sex?” asked Xena, innocently, thoroughly enjoying her companion's naïve discomfort.
Gabrielle nodded demurely.
Xena shrugged and turned back to finish organising her saddle. “They have each other.”
“Mm, thought as much,” mumbled Gabrielle, barely loudly enough for even Xena to hear.
Xena stopped what she was doing again and looked over her shoulder.
Gabrielle seemed to be deep in thought for several heartbeats. “I wonder what it's like?” she eventually whispered, more to herself than to Xena.
“As with men,” Xena answered without turning from her task, “it can be very good.”
Gabrielle's eyes widened as she stared at the back of her friend's head. “You've…” her voice squeaked, so she cleared her throat and tried again. “You've… done it? With a woman, I mean?”
Xena turned again to look at Gabrielle squarely in the eyes. “Gabrielle, where's this coming from? Did something happen in the village?” She felt an unexpected clutch in her chest as possible responses from her young friend flashed through her mind. Gabrielle was a very attractive young woman and, especially now that she held a princess' right of caste, she would be a very desirable target for several Amazon women's advances.
“No, nothing happened. I just saw a couple of the women embracing and… um… making out.”
Xena raised an eyebrow.
“Well, it was not something that I'd ever seen… or actually even heard about before, so…” Gabrielle shrugged.
Xena nodded and turned back to Argo, expecting that to be the end of the conversation.
“So, have you?”
Xena sighed. “Yes.”
“What's it like… kissing a woman?”
“You've kissed before.”
“Only men. Is it the same?”
Xena was quiet for a few heartbeats. “No, not really.”
Gabrielle waited patiently, eventually realising that there was nothing further forthcoming. “How is it different?” she prompted, quietly.
Xena turned and gave an exasperated look at her friend. “It's hard to explain in words.”
Gabrielle nibbled her lip deciding whether or not she dared ask. “Will you show me?” she whispered.
Xena gazed coolly at her young friend finding herself conflicted. Not that the prospect of kissing her was in any way unattractive, far from it in fact. It was more a case that it felt like she was taking advantage somehow. Ever since Gabrielle had joined her she had felt responsible for Gabrielle's safety and that meant more than just her physical protection. Her reaction in the temple during their adventure with the Titans, when she thought that Gabrielle had lost her virginity to that acolyte, demonstrated just how much her friend's well-being meant to her.
On the other hand, Gabrielle was obviously curious about something that was important to her newly adopted family of Amazons. Knowing Gabrielle as she did, she would eventually satisfy that curiosity, probably the next time they visited the village, and in that environment Gabrielle could very quickly find herself out of her depth and consent to something that she wasn't ready for.
Weighing up the alternatives, Xena decided that she would kiss Gabrielle, give her the experience, answer her questions and that would be that. Thereafter, Gabrielle would be driven by the usual romantic feelings and not be tempted by a simple curiosity.
The instant that Xena made the decision her stomach fluttered oddly, but she ignored it and stepped into Gabrielle's personal space.
Gabrielle's eyes widened as she looked up into blue eyes that shone with something that she hadn't seen in them before. Her heart started beating rapidly and her breathing came in short, shallow breaths.
Xena reached out and took Gabrielle's shoulders in her hands, leant forward and pressed her lips delicately over Gabrielle's mouth, moving them gently, finding herself revelling in the smooth softness. Her best intentions, of giving Gabrielle a quick kiss, evaporated as her tongue, completely of its own accord, slipped out to caress the full lips of her friend. She didn't notice when Gabrielle's hands slid up, around her neck and into her hair.
Xena did notice when Gabrielle's lips opened and her tongue found itself being teased, tentatively with a warm, wet muscle before being sucked gently into the blonde's mouth.
The quiet moan that Xena's throat produced seemed to shock her back into rational thought. She pulled away from the kiss, slightly more abruptly than she would have wanted to, and held Gabrielle at arm's length. She swallowed hard, struggling to rein in the powerful, yet totally unexpected, surge of desire that had taken root in the pit of her stomach. This was not what she had intended and was certainly not what she felt Gabrielle needed.
“I hope that answers your question, Gabrielle,” she eventually managed to say in a reasonably normal voice.
“Mm!” Gabrielle replied, somewhat puzzled and confused by the feelings surging through her own body.
“Come on, let's get moving otherwise we won't reach the place I want to camp tonight.” Xena turned back to Argo, finished tying on their belongings and swung herself up onto the horse's back.
Gabrielle fussed with her own bag and then slowly followed Xena as she steered Argo back onto the trail.
Neither of them spoke much for the rest of the day, each having made an unexpected discovery that neither of them quite knew what to do with.
=== End ===
Thank you for reading.
If you'd like to comment, please drop me a line at: yorksbard@yahoo.co.uk