Shipmates

part 8

By Azurenon & Savanna Mac

Chapter 8

"Cum’mere," the warrior said, as she laid back on the bed, spread out in all her glory; the bard’s eyes feasting upon this site, as she crawled on the bed herself.

"All the way over," Xena suggested, as only one of Gabrielle’s legs crossed over hers. "No... more like this," she instructed, putting her lover astride her hips. "Hmm, yeah... I liked this position a while ago," she added, running both hands over the bard’s bare breasts at the same time. "Yeah, I like this a lot. Both hands free to... explore."

"Is there anything about this... that you don’t like?" the bard teased.

"Hmm... you got a point there," Xena commented. "I.... I just can’t seem to get enough of you, Gabrielle," she whispered, as she raised her upper body off the bed. "I’ve never felt like this before," she admitted. "Seeing you out there on the deck.... all I could think about was... getting you back in here and... how much I wanted to please you... over and over again. I love the way you call my name... those little moans... your screams of passion.... Umm... you just don’t know what you do to me, love."

"Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea," Gabrielle responded. "It’s the same thing you do to me. I can’t keep my hands off you, either, ya know. Watching you put on your boots or... helping with that sail... seeing the muscles of your body reveal themselves and ripple... it’s...." She paused, rubbing her hands over both her lover’s arms. "it fills me with such longing... to be close to you. To feel these arms around me. I thought I would go crazy before last night. I wanted you... so badly, but... I didn’t have the slightest idea how to tell you."

"I wanted you too," Xena admitted. "And have for a long time."

"How long?" the bard queried.

"Umm. You mean... wanted you like this?"

"Umm-hmm."

"Um... probably since...."

"Before you died," the bard offered.

"Uh yeah. Long before that," Xena answered. "Um, let’s see... Remember that day we were bathing and you were learning to catch fish by diving under the water and lifting rocks?"

"Oh yeah, that day the boy... what was his name... Oh yeah, Icus, showed up... running away from his father who wanted to sacrifice him, right?"

"Um-hm. I could hardly keep my hands off this... lovely body of yours then. Much less my eyes."

"Then why... did you wait so long to..." The bard paused, realizing that she had waited even longer, herself. For, she’d known about her feelings for Xena ever since she’d overheard the warrior with Marcus. She suddenly shook her head to clear it.

"What’s the matter?" Xena inquired.

"Oh, nothing, I... I just had a.... strange thought is all."

"So, how long have you wanted me like this?" Xena questioned, as she kissed her lover’s neck.

"A long time," Gabrielle answered. "I... I think I... fell in love with you the moment I laid eyes on you."
"That long, hmm?" Xena inquired, seemingly quite impressed.

"Loved you, yes... wanted you like this... well..." the bard paused. "Remember Marcus? When he was given his life back for 48 hours."

"Um-hm," Xena said, as if this wasn’t something she wanted to think about at the moment.

"I was... jealous of him, ya know," the bard admitted.

Xena straighted up, facing her lover. "But Marcus was... dead."

"He had you for... several hours, though." Gabrielle reminded her.

"Umph," the warrior grunted. "And I never sensed how you felt. I guess..." she paused, "I was afraid to look too close, because I was... having problems of my own, with my own feelings for you."

"Did you... truly love Marcus?" Gabrielle heard herself ask and regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth.

"Um... in a way, I suppose. I mean, I guess I... still do, but... not like this, Gabrielle. I’ve never... ever loved anyone the way I love you. Never," the warrior added for emphasis.

"Neither have I, Xena," Gabrielle responded and wanted to tell Xena about Perdecus and yet... she felt talked out at the moment.

All she wanted to do now was enjoy the pleasure of being with her lover and making love to her. There’s nothing I can do to change what happened to Perdecus, she thought, no more than Xena can change what happened to Marcus. And we can’t let those memories taint the love we feel for one another now. Nor the pleasure that we share with each other.

"I.... love you, Xena," Gabrielle said, as she wrapped her arms around her lover and pulled her close.

"And I love you, Gabrielle," Xena murmured against the bard’s chest. "And I always w-will," she added, as a sudden movement of the ship shifted their positions; her lover’s body sinking between her open thighs.

"Oh-h-h," Xena gasped, in harmony with Gabrielle, both of their aching desires pressed against one another now.

"Oh swe-et Zeus, don’t move," Xena hissed, opening her legs a bit further and pressing Gabrielle’s hot, wet folds aginst her own. "By the god’s, are you always so wet?" she murmured, her hips starting their slow rhythmic motion.

"Oh yes," the bard whispered near her lover’s ear. "Zeus in his heaven," she whimpered, as Xena’s hot desire massaged her own.

For a few moments neither said a word, but merely whimpered and moaned, as Xena’s hip motion and the rocking of the ship coalesced into one wild and hypnotic ride for both women. Together they crested the heights of the waves of passion, Xena crying out slightly ahead of Gabrielle, but the bard following right behind her. They each muffled their screams of passions burying their faces against one another bodies; Xena lips pressed against Gabrielle’s shoulder, the bard’s against the warrior’s neck. And still they continued; the waves of passion cresting and crashing over them, until both were quite exhausted.

"Oh, Xena," Gabrielle murmured, going limp against her lover.

"I... didn’t believe... it could... really happen," Xena murmured breathlessly, feeling her own throbbing pulse, as well as, that of her lover. "Uh-umph," she grunted, one final thrust of her hips, caused by the shudder that past through her body.

And then... there was nothing but peace. Blissful peace, as her entire body relaxed from head to toe. She laid back slowly, bringing her lover with her. The bard’s legs settled around her hips, their breasts coming together, as if they had planned it just this way.

****

"I never thought that was truly possible," Xena said, after a long silence, in which she could hear nothing but Lao Ma’s voice telling her about an ancient saying regarding love making. The memory had appeared full blown in her mind, as soon as she realized what had transpired between the two of them. This was what had been niggling at the back of her mind, since that first unique experience with Gabrielle.

"Why not?" Gabrielle murmured against her lover’s neck, when the latter did not continue.

"Uh... it’s... never happened before," Xena responded, pushing the memory aside.

"Never?" the bard queried, raising up slightly and moving off to one side of her lover’s body.

"No, never," the warrior responded decisively, as Gabrielle settled herself against her right side; their bodies fitting together so effortlessly and smoothly. "I’ve always dreamed that... there was someone out there who could arouse me to such heights," she continued, repeating a thought from the previous night. "But, I never really believed that I’d find them."

"Um," Gabrielle murmured. "That reminds me of a story I once told Iolaus."

"Iolaus?" Xena asked, a touch of jealousy in her tone.

"Yeah, remember when he was hurt and you and Hercules were freeing Prometheus?"

"Oh, uh-huh," the warrior sighed, knowing Iolaus had been too hurt to have done anything with her lover.

"Would you like to hear the story?" the bard queried.

"Of course," Xena answered, placing a kiss on top of her lover’s head.

"Well, let’s see... a long time ago all human being had four legs and two heads. And then the gods, they... threw down thunderbolts and split everyone into. So now each half had only two legs and one head. But both sides felt a desperate yearning to be... together again, because they still shared the same soul. And ever since then, all human beings spend their lives searching for the other half of their souls."

"Umm, that was lovely, Gabrielle," Xena commented.

"And... that’s the way I feel right now," the bard continued, "like I’ve finally been reunited with the other half of my soul."

"Yeah," Xena agreed, reaching out and lifting the bard’s chin, in order to make eye contact. "That’s how I feel, too," she added, leaning over and placing a kiss on her lover’s forehead. "Now... I’ve got a story... of sorts, for you."

"You.... have a story?" the bard asked, as if in shock.

"Well,... not a real story like yours, but... it’s just something someone told me once."

"Go on," Gabrielle prodded, eager to hear anything Xena might have to say, at this moment.

"Well... someone once told me that... when two people are.. making love and they both experience that... ultimate high together, at the same time... well, from then on the two of them will always share a special bond throughout the rest of their lives. A bond that only they can break."

"Hmm, I like that, Xena. A special bond, hmm?" the bard mused.

"There’s more," Xena said, a bit reluctantly, for she knew that this part was going to elicite questions from her lover that she wasn’t sure she was ready to answer. Yet, she felt she needed to tell her this. "Umm... it’s also said that if... two women achieve this feat together, then... from that moment on, their destinies are... intertwined."

"Two women?" Gabrielle mused, as she looked up at her lover.

Uh-oh, here it comes, Xena thought.

"How... come you seem to know so much about... being with another woman?" the bard queried.

The warrior cleared her throat and tugged on her nose. "I... I should think that kinda... speaks for itself, doesn’t it?" she answered, evasively.

"Hmph," Gabrielle grunted, as she looked away. "Let me get this straight... you mean you knew all about this kind of thing and... wanted me for how long... and never said anything?"

Oh boy, Xena thought, this is getting worse than I thought it would.

"Gabrielle," she said softly, lifting the bard’s face towards hers, once again. "I didn’t want to... hurt you. I didn’t... want to led you astray, if this was not for you. You can understand that, can’t you? I didn’t want to be... selfish. I only want what’s right for you. And... if you ever feel that you’ve having second thoughts or... get tired of..."

"Ssh," the bard interrupted, placing her fingertips over Xena’s lips, silencing her. "I’m... I’m just feeling... jealous is all," she continued, staring into her lover’s eyes. "I don’t like... thinking of you with anyone else."

"I... know," Xena murmured around her fingers, before Gabrielle removed them. "I know what that feels like and... that’s why I’m reluctant to tell you... much about my past. I don’t want to put a face to that jealousy."

"You don’t mean... you’ve been jealous... over me?" the bard queried.

"Oh yeah," Xena admitted, readily. "I was very jealous of... Perdecus."

"Hmph," the bard grunted. "Poor Perdicus," she sighed. "I ... Xena, I ... I’ve thought about him a lot lately and... even though I hate to admit it, because it doesn’t speak well of me, I... I don’t think I loved him enough to... marry him. At least, I know I didn’t love him like... I love you."

"Then why did you marry him?" Xena inquired, a bit of that old jealousy rearing it’s head once again.

"I... I think I was running away from... my feelings for you. I... I felt guilty for... running out on him and... following after you. Especially since it seemed... you didn’t feel that same way about me."

"I.... kissed you," Xena murmured.

"On the side of the mouth. And after were married," the bard said, as if this had been too little, too late.

"No, I mean... when I was... in Autolycus’s body."

Gabrielle blinked several times, taking in this new information. "You... do remember that?"

"Oh yeah, Quite vividly in fact."

"But Xena... you never let me know you remem..."

"I wasn’t sure how you felt about it," the warrior interrupted. "Whether you felt you were kissing Autolycus or me, don’t you see?"

"Oh, I was definitely kissing you, believe me," the bard responded. "The part about his hand on my butt, though, that’s..."

"That was me, too," Xena interjected once again.

"Wh-what?"

"Told you I had a hard time keeping my hands off you," the warrior further admitted. "And... I still do," she added, her left hand going to the bard’s bare backside.

"Umm," Gabrielle mumbled. "What you said about... the others... about not wanting to give jealousy a face..."

"Ssh," Xena said softly, squeezing her bare bottom lightly. "Listen to me, Gabrielle... all you need to know about the past is that... well, it is just that... the past. And that’s where it will stay," she continued, her hand moving from the bard’s hip to her chin, where she lifted it gently to make sure her lover was looking in her eyes. "What I said about never having done that before with anyone else? I truly meant it, love. I... I feel so much closer to you than.... I’ve ever felt to anyone in my entire life. It’s like... an empty place inside of me has finally been filled. You have filled me," she added, feeling as if she were melting into her lover’s sea-green eyes, as tears welled up in her own. "You... complete me, Gabrielle," she whispered.

Tears sprang into the bard’s eyes, as well; her lips starting to quiver slightly. "You’re... the other half of my soul, Xena," she murmured.

The two lovers then kissed, as tears of joy and long pent up emotions flowed over both their cheeks, intermingling and becoming part of one whole, like the two lover’s themselves.

Neither woman paid any heed to the storm that raged outside, as they lay facing each other, their arms and legs settled into comfortable positions overlapping one another, their bodies molded together like two halves of the same unique design; the ship’s motion rocking them to sleep in the small hammock style bed.

continue to part 9

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