D isclaimer: Xena, Gabrielle, Argo and other characters do not belong to me, but to TPTB back in MCA/Universal/RenPic etc. This is not written for profit, but for fun and fun only, so help me Zeus.
W arnings: There's a bit of violence, a bit of humor, loving relationship between two women, but nothing graphic, though. Sorry, folks. If this still isn't your cup of coffee, go grab some cocoa ;)
by
"There is no remedy for love but to love more."
-H. D. Thoreau
“Gabrielle, get behind me!”
Xena unsheathed her sword, pushing the strawberry blonde behind her while simultaneously deflecting the attack of two of the men. A little feinting, a couple of thrusts and parries and one of the seven attackers won the one way ticket to Tartarus.
And although Xena eyed them all, trying to keep Gabrielle protected behind her back, while five ruffians were confronting the tall, dark and lethal, the remaining member of the group tried to sneak up on the bard. When he came close enough, the girl noticed him, though.
Growling to express her irritation at both her overprotective friend and the sneaky roughneck, Gabrielle twirled her staff, venting her anger at the unfortunate man, first whacking him right in the boinker then finishing him off with a blow to his jaw.
The man groaned and doubled over, cradling his hurting manhood with one hand and broken jaw with the other. Heartbeats later he passed out at Xena's feet.
“And stay down!” Gabrielle roared, pointing her staff at him in warning before she scanned her surroundings for another imminent threat.
The dark haired warrior just punched the last of the ruffians in the temple with the pommel, sending him in the land of unconscious people, when she heard the bard's words. She smirked, feeling sorry for the guy who set Gabrielle off. She knew first hand that the bard was the most dangerous when she was hungry, tired, cold or very irritated. Gods have mercy on your soul if she was anything of the above while her cycle was due. Then she was Cerberus incarnate.
Xena put her sword back in the scabbard and gave the sleeping sack of flesh next to her feet a fleeting glance before her eyes shifted to her friend.
Gabrielle was grinning in self-satisfaction, leaning casually on her staff. “See, I can take care of myself.”
Xena graced her with a smirk and a raised her eyebrow. “Okay, time to go. This goons will be on their feet soon.” she nodded in the direction of three very fortunate men who were still breathing.
“Okay.” the bard replied, hopping over one body and hurrying up to catch up with the warrior who was already eight long strides away, along with her trustworthy war-horse, Argo.
“Xena?”
“Hm?”
“You could cut me some loose, ya know? I'd appreciate if you didn't push me behind you every time the bad guys come. I'd like to contribute, too.”
“You're contributing. You're cooking. It's edible. That's contributing enough for me.”
“I meant in a fight, Xena. I could watch your back, I'm not a little girl anymore.”
“Mm.” Xena grunted then sighed inwardly. 'Oh boy, don't I know that.' she thought, glancing at the bard with the corner of her eye.
For a long time now, she watched the girl blossoming into a beautiful young woman in front of her very eyes. And with every passing day, it was becoming harder to resist to her beauty, her intelligence, her strength and her kindness.
“We've been traveling together for how long now?” Gabrielle asked suddenly after a longer period of silence, which could be counted as two full candledrops.
A new personal record for the bard!
Xena looked at her without a word.
“Well, long enough for me to learn how to watch your back and my front.” Gabrielle answered her own question. “And I believe it's time for you to teach me how to use a sword. I'll be more efficient with it.” she added, wielding her staff like a mentioned weapon.
Xena stopped in her tracks and for a long moment just stood there watching, burning holes into Gabrielle's green orbs with her baby blues.
“Forget it, Gabrielle, you're not going to get your hands on any kind of weapon!” finally the warrior grumbled and tugged on Argo's reins, indicating the discussion was over as far as she was concerned and it was time to go on with their travel.
“Well, actually, I already have a weapon.” Gabrielle proudly held up her staff.
“That's a defensive weapon primary.”
“Exactly! That's why I want something more effective, like a sword, for example. Or anything sharp and pointy."
Xena just looked at her.
“Soooo, how 'bout some short sword, huh? Something small, not too heavy, so I can lift it up, y'know? Yours is pretty, but don't wanna anything as big as yours, that's for big, tall, strong girls like you.” Gabrielle smiled and nudged her friend in the shoulder. “Whaddaya say?”
Xena said nothing but returned her gaze forward and picked up her pace. Gabrielle's smile faltered.
“A dagger?” the bard asked hopefully.
This time the warrior didn't even glance her way.
“A teeny tiny breast dagger?”
Nothing.
Gabrielle sighed exasperatedly. “A knife?”
No response.
“A freakin' fork?!”
Not a flinch.
“Oh, come on now! Gimme somethin'!”
Xena cocked her head sideways, looking down at her friend and in an even voice said, “No.”
Gabrielle stopped, shoulders slumped, her eyes, filled with disappointment, tracking Xena walking away. Then, when the warrior was some twenty paces away down the road, the bard started jogging to catch up with her friend.
“But Xena--”
Xena interrupted her. “No buts!”
She sighed and rubbed her temples before placing a hand on the girl's shoulder, squeezing it gently.
“I think we've had a similar conversation in the past. Gabrielle, I don't want you to have anyone's blood on your hands, or worse, your blood on someone else's hands! You're my best friend, I love you, I care about you and I don't want to, 'I can't' , lose you, but that just might happen if you keep insisting on a weapon, 'cause the moment you take a sword in your hands you're not a possible victim anymore. You're a certain threat and thus, a target.”
Gabrielle was so stunned by her friend's words that she just stood there, mouth agape. Putting aside this was the most her tall companion ever spoke, the girl didn't even dare to dream Xena cared about her that much.
No one don't get wrong, Gabrielle was well aware of her feelings, knowing she cared a great deal for the warrior and vice versa, after a year and a half of their traveling together, their friendship had become strong, nurtured by mutual trust and respect. And for Gabrielle's part, she acknowledged that her feelings for Xena went far beyond friendship they shared.
But despite Xena's sometimes (too seldom if you asked Gabrielle), open demonstrations of affection, at times the bard still felt like an unwanted tag along and was convinced that, from time to time, the aloof warrior, especially when she was in a bad mood, thought of her as nothing more than a little chatterbox/sidekick who was permitted to stay only because she could cook really good.
After all, it was just two days ago (though it was happening less often), that she was woken up by a dipper of ice cold water splashed in her face. Admittedly, looking back in the past, the water in her face was a major progress considering the first six or seven moons of their traveling together, when she was roused by a lovely kick in the butt and a growled "wake up".
Glancing at the tall, dark and mostly silent, Gabrielle contemplated how much often Xena tolerated her mistakes recently, how she was trying to answer the river of, sometimes pretty silly, questions with more than monosyllabic words, how she was more relaxed and allowed the bard to be touchy feely with her.
Gabrielle's chest expanded with pride and a dreamy smile appeared on her face. 'Wow! She really likes me!'
She was pulled out of her musings when she realized that Xena and Argo weren't beside her but about thirty paces away. She ran in order to catch up with them. Again.
“Okay.” she said when she was shoulder to shoulder with her tall friend. “I won't bug you about it anymore.”
“Good.”
x X x
After four long, uneventful candlemarks of traveling down the dusty road, Xena expelled a breath of relief when she spotted a small village spreading out in front of them. Gabrielle all but talked her ears off, she was hungry, thirsty for something stronger than water and itchy from all the dust stuck to her skin. The sun beating down hard didn't help matters, either, making her sweaty and uncomfortable under the armor. Although, looking at her stoic face and fluid movements, one could never tell she was anything but indifferent.
“...and then the mi... Ooooh, Aphrodite.” Gabrielle squealed in delight spotting the temple of the goddess of love, their most recent acquaintance and the only ''almost tolerable'' among the gods on Xena's scale.
The goddess seemed harmless enough, although, the warrior sensed she found her companion more than a little attractive and was sometimes too friendly toward her, if you asked Xena. But then again, she wasn't forceful in her advances nor Gabrielle seemed to return her sentiments, so the warrior chose to tolerate the buxom goddess in pink nighty.
Literally pulled out of her musings by Gabrielle's hand tugging hers, the tall, dark and brooding cursed under her breath when she was pulled toward the temple so suddenly she almost lost her balance. Only Gabrielle could catch her off guard and do something like this without serious consequences.
“Let's go say hi.” Gabrielle chirped, wanting to greet her new friend.
“Oh, I'm gonna need something strong today.” Xena muttered, allowing the bard to drag her to the other side of the road.
Hardly waiting to sit down in a tavern with a mug of any kind of intoxicant in her hand, the warrior learned a long time ago she'd get what she wanted sooner if she indulged Gabrielle first. So, with a sigh that would shamed a martyr, she pushed the heavy wooden door open, gesturing with her hand the bard should go on in first.
When they entered the temple, the two women first noticed many gifts from the locals.
'At least someone likes her.' Xena smirked sardonically.
“Wow.” Gabrielle gushed at the tastefully decorated interior. “This is marvelous.”
Xena rolled her eyes. She'd seen better.
“Aphrodite.” Gabrielle called, but no one showed up.
Several calls and long moments later there was still no sign of the goddess.
x X x
Far from the world of mortals and their insignificant lives, the goddess of love had her own problems...
“Give it back, you... infidel!” she yelled, her voice filled with frustration.
But little Eros didn't pay any attention to his now very angry mother. His only reply was his baby laugh.
“Watch it, brat, those pheromones are not toys! Oye, by the glaring Helios!” Aphrodite squealed in exasperation while stomping her feet like a petulant child.
Even Cupid, with all his pranks, wasn't this difficult as a child.
Releasing something between a scream and a squeal, she hopped in the air, aiming to catch her kid who was flying around her, teasing her, deftly avoiding to be captured.
After the fifth attempt, the goddess finally managed to grab the little imp's left wing as he flew next to her. “Aha! Gotcha now, you little spawn of Tartarus.”
But the very next moment the little one just blinked his adorable, sparkling eyes and simply vanished, escaping Aphrodite's grasp.
“Ohhh, for tha sweet love of my daddy, don't you dare to ruin my day by making some major crap 'cause I'm gonna spank your godly little ass so hard all the feathers on your wings are gonna fall off!”
With a huff and another stomp of her foot the goddess snapped her fingers and disappeared in a rain of pink light, just like her little son did a couple of moments ago.
x X x
“What was that?” Gabrielle twirled around when she heard noise coming from a distant, left corner of the temple.
“Dunno.” Xena replied, protectively standing before Gabrielle, ready to pull her sword out if needed.
Gabrielle rolled her eyes, bet let her friend be all tough, snarling and dangerous.
Then, out of the corner in question little Eros flew out, his loud childish laughter filling the chamber. Xena breathed a grumpy sigh and with wary eyes watched the playful little boy flying around the temple. Turning to her friend she watched as Gabrielle giggled, her smile a league wide, delighted by the sight of such a cute child.
“That's baby Eros.” the bard pointed with her forefinger toward the tot.
“Uh huh... And 1,000 dinars question is, what kinda mess the little bugger's gonna cause now?”
“Aaaw, Xena, don't be that way. He's just a kid, he wants to play.”
“Yeah, just play. But this kid's ''playing'' always ends up with a disaster. Remember that last time when he ganged up with Cupid's kid and they made an entire village to fall in love with a cow? A cow, Gabrielle! And the villagers almost killed each other in attempt to win her over.”
Just as Xena said that, both women heard a familiar voice saying, “There you are, you wretch!”
In a matter of heartbeats, accompanied by a pinkish light, a figure appeared.
“Aphrodite.” Xena acknowledged indifferently.
“Oh, warrior babe!”
“Hi, Aphrodite.” Unlike her companion, Gabrielle greeted the goddess with a beaming smile.
“Hi, sweet cheeks!” Aphrodite smiled back, her eyes tracking her youngest son, the troublemaker. “Sorry I didn't return your calls, but as you can see, I'm on a kid hunt.”
Xena snickered. “Kid causing a headache?”
“Ugh! You have no idea!” Aphrodite sighed heavily, putting her hands on her hips. “Lemme tell ya, it's not easy being a mother of a brat whose ultimate fun is stealing my love equipment and throwin' it at random people!!!”
Xena chortled on that remark, but Gabrielle looked at the blonde goddess in her trademark transparent outfit with some compassion. In that very moment baby Eros picked his next target.
“Kiddo, NO!!” Aphrodite screamed when she saw her son aiming none other but the tall, dark and gorgeous with one of the vials. “Don't you da--”
The sound of the vial breaking next to Xena's feet interrupted her words.
“Uh oh.” the little imp giggled, hovering in the air, his little hands clamped over his mouth.
The three women stood motionless, watching as the half transparent pink cloud covered the whole figure of the Warrior Princess.
Xena coughed her lungs out when the pink cloud entered her mouth and nostrils, trying in vain to defuse it by fanning it away.
Looking at his shocked mother, the little prank still giggled, his soft voice echoing against the walls. Then he blinked his eyes and disappeared, accompanied by the pink sparkling.
“Uh oh!” Aphrodite breathed out. “Oh, crap.”
Coming to her senses, the goddess snapped her fingers and the massive temple's door closed with a loud *thud* .
Gabrielle's brows furrowed in confusion. “What are you doin'?”
“Trust me, sweet cheeks, it's for your own good. You two don't go anywhere 'till I find my little evil creature and bring the antidote for the warrior babe.” the voice said because the goddess of love was already gone.
“Now I really need a drink.” Xena coughed one last time before moving toward the door.
“Uhh, Xena, maybe it'd be better if we listen to Aphrodite. You said yourself the kid's pranks are dangerous, and only gods know what was in that vial he threw at you.”
“Oh, gimme a break, will ya?” Xena rolled her eyes then ticked off her left thumb. “After I've been attacked by the most smelliest thugs in all of Greece,” the index finger went up, "served as a practice target for Aphrodite's little spoiled brat" the middle finger went up, "and almost been suffocated by some gods be damned pinkish fog which, by the way, smells and tastes like my leathers after the rain thoroughly washed me and trust me, it ain't a fine fragrance, I think I deserve a mug of fine port.”
She sighed exasperatedly. “Anyway, what else could go wrong today? I believe I've fulfilled my share of 'bad things happens' for a day, don't ya think?”
Gabrielle suddenly grinned and slowly advanced toward Xena, fingering some of the gifts along the way. “Oh, I dunno. Someone could attack us.”
Xena snorted, rolling her eyes. “Oh, yeah, that would be something out of the ordinary...”
“Some other god or goddess could show up unexpectedly...”
“Riiight. They don't meddle in our lives on a regular basis, at all.”
“Someone else could find you rather attractive.” Gabrielle purred in a low, sultry voice, grazing Xena's hip with her own as she U-turned around her.
That got the warrior's undivided attention and prompt arched, first one then both of dark eyebrows. “Excuse me?”
Throaty ''grrrr'' was the only reply she got from her friend.
“Gabrielle, you okay?” the warrior asked with concern, putting a hand on the bard's forehead, checking for the temperature.
“I am great.” Gabrielle replied with a lascivious grin.
Then she reached for her friend's larger hand, slowly moved it off her forehead and traced it down to her chest, where she pressed it to cup her right breast. Xena yelped and withdrew her hand off of the inappropriate body part so fast like she just touched an open flame.
'Sweet mother of holy Zeus!'
It wasn't like she didn't want to do that for a long, long time now. Actually she did that and a lot more in her dreams many times, but this was reality and the real Gabrielle didn't love her like that , and certainly wouldn't agree to all the kinky stuff her dream Gabrielle did to her and with her.
And now, something was definitely wrong with the real Gabrielle, because the warrior was sure she was quite awake.
“Gabrielle, what's gotten into you?”
“Nothing as of yet.” Gabrielle replied sultrily.
Xena almost swallowed her tongue, becoming more than a little nervous, trying to defend herself, without success, of course, when Gabrielle's hands found its way within her breastplate. She slapped the bard's naughty hands away and, gently pushing her away at arm's length, gripped her shoulders. She looked deep into the sea green eyes of her friend and then it hit her; she remembered the vial smashing next to her feet and that funny pinkish cloud embracing her.
“Why, just peachy!” Xena growled, throwing her hands in the air and slowly spinning in circle.
Coming to a halt, she sighed and drew her palm across her face. “That little whippersnapper must've hit me with somethin' that caused Gabrielle to go all sexy on me.”
She hung her head and gritted her teeth in frustration, when another assault from Gabrielle came. The strawberry blonde was now even more eager in her attempt to seduce the tall, dark and frustrated, rubbing herself suggestively against the taller woman's left leg.
“Down girl!” Xena grumbled, taking Gabrielle off of her long limb.
But her young friend had no intention of backing off. Instead, she hung herself around the warrior's neck and pulled her down for a passionate kiss. Xena's eyes widened in surprise when she felt Gabrielle's lips pressed firmly against her own, but she couldn't make her body to obey and move away from the blonde. Surrendering, she closed her eyes and responded to the intimate touch.
“Mmmm.” moaned the bard and that brought Xena back in reality, her eyes snapping open.
“Gabrielle, listen to me.” Xena began after she soundly detached herself from the soft lips.
Gently shaking her friend's shoulders, she looked directly into the green eyes. “Whatever you're feeling for me right now isn't real. You're attracted to me 'cause Eros hit me with Aphrodite's love stuff. Hades, I believe, if they were here instead of you, even the Furies themselves would be chasing me now for a kiss.”
She tilted her head and added dryly, “Among other things.”
The bard just smiled in response and once again tried to capture the sweet lips of one and only Warrior Princess.
“No, Gabrielle, please don't do this to me.” Xena begged, jerking away from her friend.
“Xena, why are you convinced this feelings are nothing more but products of Aphrodite's ''love stuff''?”
There were rare moments when Xena was truly confused, and this was one of them. “Huh?”
“I want you!” Gabrielle growled and surged forward, capturing Xena's lips with her own.
“What? Why? I mean, no! Gabrielle, you don't know what you're doing.” Xena mumbled against her friend's lips, trying in vain to step away.
“You can teach me.” Gabrielle seductively licked her lips when she briefly broke their connection to catch a breath. “Teach me everything you know.”
Xena finally maneuvered out of Gabrielle's hold and shot up her left eyebrow.
“Well, when you won't let me get a sword in my hands...” Gabrielle purred, circling around the tall warrior like a lioness observing her prey. “This is enough dangerous a weapon to handle it with extreme care.” she added, indicating Xena's body as her hand run up and down the tanned arm.
The only things Xena could do was swallow hard, helplessly stand still and feel her whole body shiver under the gentle, exploring touch of the bard.
'By the gods, concentrate.' Xena berated herself.
She closed her eyes and gasped when soft fingertips traveled down her body and suggestively grazed her inner thighs.
'No, don't concentrate on that!!' she cursed, snapped her eyes open and batted the mischievous hand away.
Holding her friend at arm's length, the warrior started to think of how to ''cool off'', at this point, very horny little bard.
“Let's go to the village.” she finally suggested, unable to think of anything else.
The one thing she was certain of was that she had to get away from the confines of the temple and put more than several feet of distance between her and Gabrielle.
“I could really use somethin' strong and you definitely need somethin' veeeery cold. I just hope this effect won't take much longer and I really hope that it affects only you. Otherwise I'm in serious trouble.”
x X x
As soon as they entered the tavern, Xena realized it was a big mistake. When both women were seated, a fat, smelly barkeep all but danced to Xena's side, winking and fixing several remained hairs on his bald head with his saliva.
“Wha' can I get for ya, gorgeous?” he smiled and revealed several remained semi-functional, half-black half-yellow teeth.
Xena just grimaced, rolled her mental eyes and tried really hard to keep her churning stomach in check. However, across the table was something else that was churning, too, and it wasn't Gabrielle's stomach.
“I beg your pardon?!?” the bard bristled, standing up so briskly she almost knocked the bench down.
The audacity of that yahoo! How dare he to even look at her warrior, let alone drool all over her!
Xena squirmed uncomfortably and cleared her throat. “Uhh, nothin', thanks. We've changed our minds.” she gave the man a forced smile, which his delusional mind interpreted as an interest on Xena's side.
Smelling trouble next to her, both literally and figuratively, the warrior quickly got up and pulled Gabrielle out of the tavern.
Once outside, Gabrielle started to mutter a river of curses under her breath, gradually becoming louder. “How's that stinkin' son of a Bacchae dare to flirt with you in front of ME?!” she yelled, her breath coming out in heavy gasps born of rage.
Squeezing her fists so hard her knuckles had gone all white, the bard growled, turning back and heading straight to the tavern with every intention to deal with that insolent yokel of a barkeep.
“Oh no, you don't.” Xena yanked her back and directed her toward the road leading up the incline and toward the temple.
When they were back in the temple, Xena quickly shut the door and pulled a large table in front so nobody could get in.
“There we go.” she said to herself, dusting off her hands then straightening her leathers, smoothing them along her abdomen.
“Nice legs.” Gabrielle winked at the warrior, gazing with her hungry eyes from her waist down and up again.
“Uh huh.” Xena drawled sulkily, looking around for any sign of the goddess of love. 'The goddess of pain in one's ass is more like it.' “Aphrodite!!!”
The goddess in question didn't show up.
“Gabrielle, for Had--!” Xena shrieked when the bard somehow succeeded to sneak her hands under the warrior's leathers.
Xena quickly yanked the venturesome appendages out.
“Don't you want me?” Gabrielle asked dejectedly when for the umpteenth time her advantages were rebuffed.
“Oh Gabrielle, you know I do...” Xena bit her tongue. 'Oh shit, did I just say that at loud?'
“Then just let go.”
“No! Look, Gabrielle...” Xena sighed and steeled herself.
She cupped Gabrielle's face and gently caressed her cheeks with her thumbs, trying to find the right words. After a heartbeat of thinking, she chose to tell the truth. Gabrielle deserved it.
“These feelings are not your true feelings, Gabrielle. I can't even begin to tell you how happy and glad I would be if that what you feel for me is real, 'cause that is how I feel about you.”
Sea green bore into sky blue, holding them captured for a candledrop before Gabrielle spoke.
“Xena, of course my feelings are true. I was having them since that day I first saw you in nothing but your shift when you beat the Tartarus out of Draco's men. And they are growing ever stronger by the day. You make me feel complete, Xena. I love you.”
She chuckled lightly and brushed the dark bangs out of the warrior's eyes. “You know, sometimes at night, when I'm sure you're asleep, I turn to you and just watch you sleep 'cause then you look so peaceful, so content, almost like an innocent child, without demons of past struggling within you.”
Now the bard cupped the warrior's face, outlining full, soft red lips with her thumb. Xena closed her eyes, melting under Gabrielle's caresses and words.
“I listen how you breathe, watching your chest rise and fall with every breath you take and I want to lay my head on your breast so I can hear and feel your heart beat, I want to touch all of your body, but I don't have the courage to tell you how much I'm craving for you, for your love. And in the morning, when you wake up and I look into those beautiful eyes of yours, I quietly thank the gods for having you in my life, although as my friend, my best friend.”
“Oh, Gabrielle...” Xena was overwhelmed.
Embracing the bard, Xena placed a soft kiss on the top of Gabrielle's head. Stepping away, she placed one hand on Gabrielle's shoulder while with her other hand she cupped the girl's cheek.
Gabrielle closed her eyes, leaning into the warm palm and was turning into a puddle of mush underneath such a gentle touch of strong, calloused hands, hands fierce, ruthless in battle yet so soft, so gentle and attentive with her, only with her.
“I've never even consider that you might actually feel for me something other than a friendship. I mean, what would you possibly need from me, an old, scarred ex-warlord?"
“Love.” came the soft whisper. “And in return I'm giving you my love and everything that I am.”
“I thought I'm not worthy of your love. Anyone who ever loved me, I had screwed them over royally.”
Gabrielle smiled lovingly and kissed the warrior fully on the lips. The kiss was so sensual and full of love, it was Xena's undoing.
The warrior felt all the walls she so carefully erected over the years instantly crumbled and she finally let go completely.
“Ooooh.” out of the blue a soft voice filled the air. “That was soooooo sweet I think I just got a cavity on my left upper four. See, I'm even cryin'.” the goddess of love sniffled to emphasize her statement.
Then a pink light twinkled and a figure joined to the voice.
“Aphrodite!” the Warrior Princess growled. “You've had your fun and you and your godly siblings got a good laugh on my expense. Now, can you, please, end the torture and undo whatever caused Gabrielle to get frisky with me?”
“Why, I already did that, warrior babe. First, no, second heartbeat when you shouted for me. Ha! I think I gotta thank to my little brat, he did what I was trying to do in ages! Aaah, warriors...” Aphrodite sighed exaggeratedly and shook her head. “So stubborn.”
She looked at dumbfounded Xena and couldn't hide the big wide grin spreading across her face.
“Wait a...” Xena was confused again and it was slowly getting on her nerves. She hoped it wouldn't become a habit. “Does that mean... I mean, is that... is Gab...”
"Everything Gabrielle told you came straight from her heart, not because she was influenced by my lust pheromones."
Xena was absolutely stunned. She opened and closed her mouth several times in attempt to speak, but no words came out.
“Okay, I've seen enough, I leave you two chicks alone. Promise, I won't sneak a peak.” Aphrodite giggled, snapped her fingers and disappeared in a rain of pink light.
Xena, still a little bewildered, scratched her head trying to think of what to say. She smiled shyly at her friend.
“Uhm...” she began but Gabrielle interrupted her with a passionate kiss. "Wow!" she breathed out when they broke the kiss.
“Don't worry, there's plenty more of where that came from.” Gabrielle assured her with a grin.
“I certainly hope so.” the warrior replied breathlessly. “I think I got hooked up on it.”
Gabrielle laughed, silently thanking Aphrodite and her son for the little nudge in the right direction. Without them, she and Xena would surely wasted many years together with neither of them brave enough to take the first step.
She kissed her warrior one more time then took a hold of her hand and lead them out of the temple. Looking down the road leading into the village, she pulled Xena along.
“C'mon, I think I owe you a drink.”
The warrior chuckled. “Make that two drinks and you've got yourself a deal.”
“You got it. Hey, Xena?”
“Hmm?”
“That pheromones... We should talk about it with that guy Salmoneus told us about, y'know, the guy he told us was an alchemist of a kind. Maybe he can get a sample from you and reproduce it somehow to make a perfume. Oh, and we'll call it ''The Xena Chemistry''. Whaddaya say? We could get...”
Gabrielle launched off, relaying how she'd do the marketing to sell the produce while Salmoneus would manage the actual selling. Xena just smiled and kissed the bard's head, leading them into the village.
Let the bard dream on, the tall, dark and happy one's dream had just come true.
The End
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