Xena's Gift
Jul. 13th, 2022 08:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
apachefirecatTitle: Xena's Gift
Dedicated To: <3 To my Prince/King, who inspired some of Xena's thought process herein <3
Fandom: Xena Warrior Princess
Author: Apache Firecat
Characters: Xena/Gabrielle
Rating: PG-13/T
Summary: Xena knows she must not waste her gift.
Word Count: 1366
Written For: Sunshine Challenge: Day Two: Rose Quartz
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
Gabrielle walked softly among the stones, eyeing them with both curiosity and wonder. They were beautiful, glowing a soft pink, and she could almost feel power radiating from them. Xena had told her to give her about a hour and come to her, and with everything they'd been through in the last few fortnights, it had been difficult to wait. She worried about her, although she knew Xena could take down a whole army with a single swing of her chakram. She loved the woman more than she had ever thought she could love anyone, and she couldn't wait to see her again, to be with her, to be touched by her, most of all just to make certain she was okay...
She wished she could talk her Warrior Princess into retiring, but she had learned better long ago. Xena was never going to stop. She couldn't stop, and although there was a part of Gabrielle that loathed the day she had talked Xena into returning to the battlefield, she also could not truly consider persuading her to stop. If they could be married, have kids, and settle down, that one be a different, far better matter, but as it was, every time they thought they could settle down, something had to happen. People just seemed to hate them, no matter how many stories she told or how many lives Xena saved, including those for whom she nearly sacrificed her own to rescue.
The stones were beautiful, magical, and enticing, but Gabby had far more important matters on her mind. Her pace quickened as she noticed the underground pool seemed empty. Yet just as she reached it, Xena bobbed to the surface. Gabrielle released her breath. Xena quirked a brow. "What? Did you think the Hydra had gotten me?" she asked with a sly smile.
"Hush," Gabrielle said, and hurried to hush her Princess with her lips. Xena was a warrior and a hero first and foremost. She could never settle into ease whenever there was anyone who needed help, no matter what she had to sacrifice in order to provide that help. She worried about her nonstop, though she dared not admit it aloud. She tried telling Xena she worried over her and knew how well that went over.
But she had a right to worry. They had been through so much recently, Hydras being only one of a dozen or so monsters Xena had had to slay. Still, even as hard and ferocious as her most cherished friend could be, Xena remained her Princess. She was the Princess she'd waited for all those years back in the village, always thinking, so foolishly, it was going to be a Prince who was going to carry her out of that mundane life. Then she had met Xena, and the rest, as the scrolls said, had been history. It hadn't exactly been happily ever after, what with monsters, Demons, and Gods constantly interfering in what should have been their happily ever after, but she was happy. She was always happy when she was alone with Xena and would have chosen no other.
Besides, there was a vulnerability, a softer side to the Warrior Princess that very few ever got to know. Gabrielle knew she was the luckiest of them all. She had held Xena so many times, comforted her in times of sorrow and hurt, and had often been rewarded with seeing through and under all her many layers which she had honed over her decades of battle to perfection. None would ever guess that she could be so soft as the woman awaiting her now, her blue eyes full and shining in the dark interior of the cave.
The rose quartz stones made a soft glow around them that seemed almost to grow in brightness and magnitude as Gabrielle swam to her lover. She bobbed up in the water and gave a swift look around them.
"We're safe," Xena assured her.
"I know that," she said, almost rolling her eyes. "I was just looking at the stones."
She could hear Xena's patient, understanding smile in her tone as she answered, "Aphrodite gave them to me. She said that they would come in handy tonight when we finally got to rest."
Gabrielle swam up to her, took the sponge from her hand without asking, and circled around to her back. She gasped in surprise. "They're for more than a good time."
"Yes, they have healing properties."
"And swift ones," Gabby observed. She ran a hand slowly, tenderly down Xena's back. The Hydra had tried to use her for a chew toy and almost succeeded. There had been so many bites and claw marks... but now Xena's back looked smooth, untouched, and deliciously tanned as always. Smiling, Gabrielle leaned forward and kissed the spot right between the warrioress' shoulder blades. Then she ran her tongue down her back. "I've missed you," she whispered.
"And I you," Xena agreed, turning to meet her. Her hand cupped Gabrielle's waist, steadying her in the water, as she took the sponge from her and gingerly dabbed at the cut right above her eye. The Harpy had come so close -- she'd almost lost her lover's beautiful, green eyes.
"We really need to stop meeting like this for a while." Gabrielle laughed through the pain, pain, she noted, that was already beginning to ease... What had Aphrodite done to those stones, or perhaps put into the sponge Xena with which Xena was so tenderly washing her?
"Or perhaps," Xena spoke softly, her soulful eyes slowly lifting to hers, "maybe we need to meet like this more often?" Her free hand softly caressed Gabrielle's bruised and battered face. Gabby leaned into her touch, as she always had and always would. "I almost lost you this time," she whispered softly. "It was a miracle I got you back last time." She dared not think she would be that lucky again. Maybe it was time to retire, before she did lose this wonderful woman, especially before they ever got to experience the calm and joyful life just writing stories and living as normal, married people did that her young lover so richly deserved.
"I'm sorry," Xena whispered, tears suddenly springing into her blue orbs. She had come so close to losing this precious girl again. Had she not learned her lesson with as many times as they'd both been killed, or come damn close to it? If she continued to fail to appreciate the greatest gift the Gods had ever given her, maybe They would take her away for good. She blinked back against her tears and cleared her throat.
Gabrielle was looking at her curiously, her lovely, green eyes full of questions. Xena cleared her throat again, this time more urgently, and Gabby's eyes moved from hers to check the surrounding shadows in search of hidden, incoming enemies. "I was thinking," Xena spoke, drawing her gaze back to her, "maybe we could stay here for a while. Right here," she said, and Gabrielle understood she meant this very cave, with its healing stones, refreshing natural spring water, and... Well, she was sure Xena could find them something to eat, but more importantly, there were not bound to be any intruders to this very well hidden cave.
There were not bound to be any interruptions. There were not bound to be any damsels or other people in distress coming to beseech her beloved Warrior Princess' aid. It wasn't retirement. She couldn't keep her safe forever, but... For a while? Oh, yes, for a while for it just to be the two of them languishing near this pool, making love whenever and however they chose, and not being bombarded with requests or hatred! That sounded like their own little piece of the Elysian Fields!
"Yes!" she agreed, enthused. Catching Xena's face in her cupped hands, Gabrielle kissed her long and deep even as her cuts began to seal. "Oh yes!" She kissed her again and again, eventually bringing laughter and even giggles from her beloved Princess as the Goddess of Love looked on with wise eyes and a kind but knowing smile. The stones had done their work.
The End
Dedicated To: <3 To my Prince/King, who inspired some of Xena's thought process herein <3
Fandom: Xena Warrior Princess
Author: Apache Firecat
Characters: Xena/Gabrielle
Rating: PG-13/T
Summary: Xena knows she must not waste her gift.
Word Count: 1366
Written For: Sunshine Challenge: Day Two: Rose Quartz
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
Gabrielle walked softly among the stones, eyeing them with both curiosity and wonder. They were beautiful, glowing a soft pink, and she could almost feel power radiating from them. Xena had told her to give her about a hour and come to her, and with everything they'd been through in the last few fortnights, it had been difficult to wait. She worried about her, although she knew Xena could take down a whole army with a single swing of her chakram. She loved the woman more than she had ever thought she could love anyone, and she couldn't wait to see her again, to be with her, to be touched by her, most of all just to make certain she was okay...
She wished she could talk her Warrior Princess into retiring, but she had learned better long ago. Xena was never going to stop. She couldn't stop, and although there was a part of Gabrielle that loathed the day she had talked Xena into returning to the battlefield, she also could not truly consider persuading her to stop. If they could be married, have kids, and settle down, that one be a different, far better matter, but as it was, every time they thought they could settle down, something had to happen. People just seemed to hate them, no matter how many stories she told or how many lives Xena saved, including those for whom she nearly sacrificed her own to rescue.
The stones were beautiful, magical, and enticing, but Gabby had far more important matters on her mind. Her pace quickened as she noticed the underground pool seemed empty. Yet just as she reached it, Xena bobbed to the surface. Gabrielle released her breath. Xena quirked a brow. "What? Did you think the Hydra had gotten me?" she asked with a sly smile.
"Hush," Gabrielle said, and hurried to hush her Princess with her lips. Xena was a warrior and a hero first and foremost. She could never settle into ease whenever there was anyone who needed help, no matter what she had to sacrifice in order to provide that help. She worried about her nonstop, though she dared not admit it aloud. She tried telling Xena she worried over her and knew how well that went over.
But she had a right to worry. They had been through so much recently, Hydras being only one of a dozen or so monsters Xena had had to slay. Still, even as hard and ferocious as her most cherished friend could be, Xena remained her Princess. She was the Princess she'd waited for all those years back in the village, always thinking, so foolishly, it was going to be a Prince who was going to carry her out of that mundane life. Then she had met Xena, and the rest, as the scrolls said, had been history. It hadn't exactly been happily ever after, what with monsters, Demons, and Gods constantly interfering in what should have been their happily ever after, but she was happy. She was always happy when she was alone with Xena and would have chosen no other.
Besides, there was a vulnerability, a softer side to the Warrior Princess that very few ever got to know. Gabrielle knew she was the luckiest of them all. She had held Xena so many times, comforted her in times of sorrow and hurt, and had often been rewarded with seeing through and under all her many layers which she had honed over her decades of battle to perfection. None would ever guess that she could be so soft as the woman awaiting her now, her blue eyes full and shining in the dark interior of the cave.
The rose quartz stones made a soft glow around them that seemed almost to grow in brightness and magnitude as Gabrielle swam to her lover. She bobbed up in the water and gave a swift look around them.
"We're safe," Xena assured her.
"I know that," she said, almost rolling her eyes. "I was just looking at the stones."
She could hear Xena's patient, understanding smile in her tone as she answered, "Aphrodite gave them to me. She said that they would come in handy tonight when we finally got to rest."
Gabrielle swam up to her, took the sponge from her hand without asking, and circled around to her back. She gasped in surprise. "They're for more than a good time."
"Yes, they have healing properties."
"And swift ones," Gabby observed. She ran a hand slowly, tenderly down Xena's back. The Hydra had tried to use her for a chew toy and almost succeeded. There had been so many bites and claw marks... but now Xena's back looked smooth, untouched, and deliciously tanned as always. Smiling, Gabrielle leaned forward and kissed the spot right between the warrioress' shoulder blades. Then she ran her tongue down her back. "I've missed you," she whispered.
"And I you," Xena agreed, turning to meet her. Her hand cupped Gabrielle's waist, steadying her in the water, as she took the sponge from her and gingerly dabbed at the cut right above her eye. The Harpy had come so close -- she'd almost lost her lover's beautiful, green eyes.
"We really need to stop meeting like this for a while." Gabrielle laughed through the pain, pain, she noted, that was already beginning to ease... What had Aphrodite done to those stones, or perhaps put into the sponge Xena with which Xena was so tenderly washing her?
"Or perhaps," Xena spoke softly, her soulful eyes slowly lifting to hers, "maybe we need to meet like this more often?" Her free hand softly caressed Gabrielle's bruised and battered face. Gabby leaned into her touch, as she always had and always would. "I almost lost you this time," she whispered softly. "It was a miracle I got you back last time." She dared not think she would be that lucky again. Maybe it was time to retire, before she did lose this wonderful woman, especially before they ever got to experience the calm and joyful life just writing stories and living as normal, married people did that her young lover so richly deserved.
"I'm sorry," Xena whispered, tears suddenly springing into her blue orbs. She had come so close to losing this precious girl again. Had she not learned her lesson with as many times as they'd both been killed, or come damn close to it? If she continued to fail to appreciate the greatest gift the Gods had ever given her, maybe They would take her away for good. She blinked back against her tears and cleared her throat.
Gabrielle was looking at her curiously, her lovely, green eyes full of questions. Xena cleared her throat again, this time more urgently, and Gabby's eyes moved from hers to check the surrounding shadows in search of hidden, incoming enemies. "I was thinking," Xena spoke, drawing her gaze back to her, "maybe we could stay here for a while. Right here," she said, and Gabrielle understood she meant this very cave, with its healing stones, refreshing natural spring water, and... Well, she was sure Xena could find them something to eat, but more importantly, there were not bound to be any intruders to this very well hidden cave.
There were not bound to be any interruptions. There were not bound to be any damsels or other people in distress coming to beseech her beloved Warrior Princess' aid. It wasn't retirement. She couldn't keep her safe forever, but... For a while? Oh, yes, for a while for it just to be the two of them languishing near this pool, making love whenever and however they chose, and not being bombarded with requests or hatred! That sounded like their own little piece of the Elysian Fields!
"Yes!" she agreed, enthused. Catching Xena's face in her cupped hands, Gabrielle kissed her long and deep even as her cuts began to seal. "Oh yes!" She kissed her again and again, eventually bringing laughter and even giggles from her beloved Princess as the Goddess of Love looked on with wise eyes and a kind but knowing smile. The stones had done their work.
The End
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Date: 2022-07-15 08:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-07-16 07:19 pm (UTC)