Work Text:
In Aphrodite's temple
Gabrielle stirred when she felt long fingers trailing through her hair. She was cosy, snuggled under a blanket, and there were sunbeams slanting through the high windows of the temple, a kind of otherworldly sparkle hanging in the air. She felt more content and rested than she had in months.
Blinking her eyes open, she looked up to see Xena gazing down at her, an indulgent little smile playing around her mouth. Xena was sitting propped against a stone pillar with a rolled-up blanket wedged in behind her back. Gabrielle pulled herself up on her elbows, blowing an errant lock of hair out of her eyes. It was getting too long, she’d have to trim it soon.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” Xena greeted her softly. She tucked her hands back under the furs, rubbing at her bump with a slight wince.
“Morning. How’s your back?”
Xena grunted. “Back’s fine. It’s my hips that hurt now.” She rolled her eyes.
Gabrielle shuffled up to a seat, reaching under the blanket with both hands. She started to gently massage around the edge of Xena’s hip bones.
“Does that help?”
“Yeah,” Xena sighed, leaning her head back against the pillar. She cracked an eye open. “Some warrior, huh.”
“Stop saying that,” Gabrielle admonished gently. “Plenty of warriors would faint at the thought of the pain you’re about to go through.” She flinched as she said it. Probably not helpful.
“Thanks for the reminder,” her partner drawled - then she gasped, and jolted forward, pressing her hand to the lower left side of her bump.
“It hurts in there?” Gabrielle was alarmed. Surely it shouldn’t be hurting there yet, unless…
Xena let out a long slow breath, relaxing as the pain subsided. “It’s normal, Gabrielle,” she murmured, her voice low and growling. “It’s just my body preparing for what it’s about to do.”
“Did that - do you remember it from last time?”
“No, but I was a lot younger and a lot more stupid then.” Gabrielle frowned at her. She gave a faint smile. “I wasn’t looking after myself and I certainly wasn’t listening to what my body was trying to tell me. If you recall I was more interested in laying siege to Corinth than having a baby, so…” she shrugged again, trying to shift to a more comfortable position.
Gabrielle resumed her gentle rubbing of Xena’s hips, her early contentment already fading. She hated feeling so powerless in the face of Xena’s pain.
“Wait a minute - where’d you get those?”
Gabrielle’s eyes snapped up to see Xena staring at the red silk pyjamas that Aphrodite had gifted her the previous night. She’d almost forgotten she was wearing them.
“Oh -“ she gave a quick laugh, pulling at the sleeve. “Aphrodite gave them to me.”
Xena’s eyebrows shot up very quickly. “She gave them to you?”
“I couldn’t sleep last night. She came by for a chat.” With a smirk, Gabrielle added, “I’m sure she’d give you some too if you want -”
“I’m good, thanks,” Xena interrupted with a snort. “They’re a bit fussy for my taste.” She brushed her fingers over the smooth fabric on Gabrielle’s leg.
“They’re very comfortable,” Gabrielle said softly. She ran her own hands over the arms and legs, enjoying the feel of sensuous silk against her skin. She glanced up, feeling Xena’s eyes on her. The air seemed to crackle for a moment.
“C’mere. Birthday girl.”
Gabrielle broke into a huge grin, tension falling away in an instant. Xena had remembered, and was reaching for her with an undeniable spark in her eyes - almost a hunger. Gabrielle leaned into her inviting arms, and their lips came together with a muffled sigh from them both. Their skin was warm and soft from sleep, only a thin layer of rustling silk between them, and Gabrielle found herself slipping into a sensual haze within moments. The fire that had ignited in her core leapt a little higher as she felt Xena’s hand slide enticingly under her pyjama top, fingers grazing over her back and then slipping around to her stomach. She broke off the kiss with a sharp inhale as the backs of Xena’s fingers brushed the underside of her breast.
“Is this okay?” Xena asked, voice husky. She lingered close, not wanting to stop kissing.
“Yes,” Gabrielle breathed with almost embarrassing intensity as she resumed the kiss. Xena’s hand was cupping her breast now and it felt incredible. Gods, yes, of course it’s okay. Don’t you dare stop.
“Hey, gals! Oh! - oops. Sorry!”
Aphrodite’s peal of laughter echoed in the temple, cutting through the moment like a blunt knife. Gabrielle clenched her fists in frustration, and Xena groaned as she pulled back, her hand quickly exiting from under Gabrielle’s pyjamas.
Aphrodite, Gabrielle thought bitterly, if you weren’t immortal I’d kill you.
“What are you doing?” Xena demanded in a rough voice.
“I just came by to see if you guys needed anything!” Aphrodite said in an innocent tone. “And to see if Sleeping Beauty is feeling better?” She gave Xena her best look of concern. Xena rolled her eyes heavily.
“Sleeping Beauty would feel a lot better if you weren’t here. ”
“Hey,” Gabrielle murmured, rubbing Xena’s leg consolingly. She turned to face her pouting friend. “Xena’s not trying to be mean, but - we were in the middle of something.”
“Oh, don’t stop on my account!” Aphrodite held up her hands. “No better place to get frisky than right here in my temple. I could -”
“Aphrodite!”
The goddess stopped babbling and made a gesture as though fastening her lips. “I’m not here,” she said in a breathy tone. But she was, and she still hadn’t moved.
“You weren’t invited,” Xena said in a flat tone. Then she leaned forward, eyes flashing. “And while we’re at it - do you usually go around giving other people’s girlfriends silk pyjamas for their birthdays?”
Gabrielle almost choked, biting her lip to keep from crowing in triumph. There was her Xena, all cute and belligerent at the idea of someone else paying her too much attention. She feasted her eyes on her partner’s deadly stare.
Aphrodite, however, was staring at Gabrielle, hands flying to her mouth.
“Birthday?!” she squealed. “Gabs, you didn’t say anything! Oh, I could have made this so much more special.” She gestured around at the temple, still decked out in soft floating drapes and candles. “I could’ve given you wine, chocolates, a pool - nymphs!” She started to rub her hands together.
“No -“ Alarmed, Gabrielle held up a hand to stop her. “We don’t need anything. We came here so Xena could rest, like we told you. And yeah, it’s my birthday today, but - that’s not what’s important.” She laid a hand on Xena’s leg again, glancing up. Xena was looking at her with a conflicted expression. “We’re grateful to you, Aphrodite,” Gabrielle continued earnestly. “And - I’m grateful for your company last night, and your advice. It really helped.”
Aphrodite gave her a look somewhere between a smile and a pout. “Well. If you’re sure I can’t do anything else for ya, birthday girl…”
“I’m sure.”
“Then I’ll leave you in peace,” she promised - not before conjuring a pink rose and blowing a cloud of petals at the pair. “Have fun! Don’t do anything - oh, wait. No. Do everything I would do, and more!” With that she clicked her fingers, disappearing in a shower of sparkles.
Gabrielle shook her head. She turned to look back at Xena. She could feel the tension keenly.
“What?”
“Sounds like you two had a cosy time last night,” Xena muttered, folding her arms.
Oh, come on. I just wanted a bit of a reaction, not this much. Gabrielle’s elation at Xena’s apparent jealousy was fading into discomfort. She hadn’t done anything, despite Aphrodite’s quite blatant attempts to get “cosy”, as Xena put it - but a deep flush began to creep across her cheeks nonetheless. She reached out and pulled Xena’s arms apart, taking her hand and interlacing their fingers.
“She’s my friend,” she said firmly. “She kept me company. That’s all.”
“I’m not sure it’s ever a great idea to befriend the Gods,” Xena said seriously.
“She’s different.”
“Really?”
“I think so.” Gabrielle held Xena’s reproachful gaze.
“What “advice” was she giving you?”
A bashful smile curling around her lips, Gabrielle looked around at the discarded scraps of parchment, and the unrolled scroll containing a couple of paragraphs - the first she’d written in many months. “She was helping me move past my writer’s block,” she said softly.
Xena’s expression changed, the storm clouds lifting for a moment as she looked in surprise at the half-finished scroll. “You wrote something?”
“I tried.”
“That’s great!”
“It’s not very good, I don’t think. But - it’s a start.”
Gabrielle smiled, taking advantage of the shift in Xena’s mood. She shuffled round till she was kneeling in front of her, and ran a hand up over her chest and round to the back of her neck. She leaned forward.
“Now - where were we…”
To her relief, Xena didn’t hold back, kissing her this time with a bit of possessiveness mixed in, reaching round to grip the back of the controversial pyjama top. Gabrielle shivered in delight, hands racing into Xena’s hair. But then she heard more of a grunt than a moan, and Xena went rigid before pulling away with a gasp.
“Xena?”
Xena let out a cry as she pressed her hand to her bump, her face screwed up in pain.
“Okay, okay -“ Gabrielle steadied her with one hand. “Don’t hold your breath - c’mon, breathe out. That’s it.”
With gentle encouragement, Gabrielle managed to help Xena breathe through the pain, locking eyes with her until it faded again, leaving her slumped against the pillar. Gabrielle rubbed carefully at the side of her bump, her heart thumping. This wasn’t even the birth - these were just practice runs, little spasms and contractions, something Xena’s body was doing to get ready for the main event. And it was already awful, seeing her in so much pain, hearing her make those noises. She felt a sheen of sweat forming on her neck, panic rising in her chest. I don’t know if I can do this.
“I’m sorry, Gabrielle,” Xena croaked, running a hand down her arm.
“No - don’t be,” Gabrielle said shakily. “It’s not your fault.” She tried to think straight - there would be no more kissing and cuddling this morning, that was clear. “Would it help to move around? To walk for a bit?”
“Yes,” Xena said with a stiff nod. “I think so.”
“I’ll get everything ready.”
Gabrielle moved around gathering their things and repacking their bags with forced cheerfulness, determined not to let Xena feel she was ruining her birthday. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that they got through the next few days or weeks or however long it would be until the baby was here, and then…well. Who knows.
“I’ll go get the horses,” Gabrielle called over her shoulder as she left the temple. Xena had managed to stand up, the aching in her hips lessening as she began to move. She was shaking out the furs she’d been wrapped in for her long sleep, and when she dropped them down, Aphrodite had appeared again out of thin air.
“Shit - don’t you ever knock?!”
“Hey, it’s my temple.” Aphrodite’s girlish manner had vanished completely. Arms folded across her chest, she gave Xena a cool look. “So what’s your plan?”
“What plan?”
“For Gabrielle’s birthday, of course - I thought it was a super big deal to you mortals!” She raised an eyebrow. “Or were you hoping to get away with a bit of rough and tumble and that’s it?”
Xena felt her blood start to boil. She stalked towards the goddess with a clenched fist. “It’s none of your damn business what I plan to do.”
“She’s my friend,” Aphrodite said fiercely. “And she’s hurting.”
“Hurting? What could you possibly know about being hurt?”
Aphrodite sidestepped the question. “It’s not too late to ask for my help, y’know. I could whip up something real special for your girl.”
“I don’t need anything. And yeah. Keep in mind that she’s my girl. ” Xena was towering over her now.
Aphrodite gave a sultry laugh, stepping back. “Alright, warrior princess, no need to get your britches in a twist. I’m not trying to steal her from you. I just want her to enjoy her birthday.”
“So do I,” Xena muttered, turning away. She made a couple of attempts at folding the blanket properly, but she was too distracted. She balled it up in her arms.
“At least tell me you have something planned.”
Xena sighed heavily. There would be no getting rid of the meddling goddess if she didn’t play along. “I’m taking her to a river valley out west.”
“ Ugh - a fishing trip? Xena, it’s Gabrielle’s birthday, not yours.”
“Let me finish,” Xena snapped. “There’s a waterfall and a swimming hole. And hot springs. It’s beautiful, she’ll love it.” She looked away as Aphrodite’s expression softened.
“See, that wasn’t so hard now, was it?”
“Now will you leave us in peace?”
Aphrodite gazed at her for a long moment. “Just, ah. Don’t forget to pamper her a little. Or, y’know. A lot.” She stroked her chin. “Your girl has needs that are…not being met, if you catch my drift.”
“I’m well aware of what she needs,” Xena growled, turning away to hide the hot flush at her neck. Exactly how much did those two ‘chat’ about? She was keenly aware of how little intimacy she and Gabrielle had recently shared, but felt wholly unable to rise to the occasion. Every time she attempted to use her body to connect with Gabrielle, her body would remind her of just how pregnant she was, and it would feel impossible. She knew Gabrielle was hurting - but there was more to it than Aphrodite could possibly know.
Unless... Xena shook her head, trying to quell her paranoia. So what if Gabrielle confided in the goddess? They were ‘friends’, after all, like she said - no matter how much Xena might doubt Aphrodite’s motives. Who else was Gabrielle going to turn to?
“Because she can’t talk to me, it seems,” Xena muttered under her breath. That was what was hurting most of all.
The trip took longer than Xena had expected, partly due to her own slow pace. They walked their horses upstream through a lush valley well into the afternoon; the sun was casting long shadows by the time Xena called a halt. She squinted around. This was the right spot. The waterfall wasn’t as high as she remembered, but it still had a satisfying power - she could almost feel it pummelling her aching muscles as she gazed at it. The pool it created was a deep green, reflecting the foliage around it, still vibrant despite the late season.
“It’s beautiful!” Gabrielle gasped. The horses immediately moved to drink from the river; Gabrielle hurried to the edge to splash her own face and sip the cool water. She turned around, grinning from ear to ear.
“You’ll never stop surprising me, will you?”
“Not if I can help it,” Xena murmured. She walked over and took Gabrielle by the shoulders, turning her to face the side of the pool. “Look,” she whispered close to her ear. “See the steam just there?” She pointed at the place where a little stream burbled over mossy rocks and joined the main pool. Tendrils of steam were rising lazily into golden sunbeams.
“A hot spring?!” Gabrielle turned in Xena’s arms, gazing up at her with an ecstatic smile. Her nose wrinkled adorably. “I thought I could smell something…you’re a genius,” she whispered as she stood on her tiptoes for a kiss, which Xena gladly returned. This was going down better than she’d imagined.
“It’ll help with the pain, won’t it?” Gabrielle rubbed Xena’s hips.
“Hope so.” It hadn’t been the main reason for aiming for this spot, but the soothing mineral water was a definite bonus.
“How did you know about this place?”
Xena took Gabrielle’s hands from her hips and entwined their fingers. “Call it a sixth sense. I have a knack for sniffing out good bathing spots.”
Gabrielle gave her a sidelong look. “There’s fish in this river, right?”
“There’s fish in every river,” Xena said blandly. “Besides, we need to eat.”
Gabrielle was grinning again. It seemed like nothing could dampen her good mood, which was exactly how Xena wanted it to be.
“Want me to go test the temperature for you?”
“Go ahead. As long as I can watch,” Xena said with a lazy smile. Gabrielle turned away, quickly discarding her wrist guards and crouching to unlace her boots - but her expression grew sly as she had an idea. She drew herself up tall and fixed Xena with her best haughty stare.
“You think it wise to look upon your Queen while she’s bathing, Champion?”
Xena’s mouth quirked upwards as she stifled a laugh at Gabrielle’s attempt to be regal. It was, without fail, completely irresistible.
“If my Queen commands it I can certainly pretend not to look,” she said with a gracious nod of her head. Gabrielle smirked.
“But you’ll still look.”
“Naturally.”
Gabrielle took a step closer.
“Don’t get undressed yet,” she breathed, her voice low and sultry, but still clearly a command. She ran a finger over the edge of Xena’s cleavage and gave her tunic an enticing little tug. “I want to unwrap my birthday present.”
Leaving Xena quivering, Gabrielle strode to the edge of the pool, stripped quickly and then sliced the water in a graceful shallow dive. She broke the surface again with a crow of delight, and Xena felt her heart leap into her throat. She’s happy. Look at her, she’s happy. I haven’t seen her like this in so long.
Xena watched, transfixed, as Gabrielle swam in little circles, laughing, and ducked her head under the water again. As she surfaced, she ran her hands through her hair, eyes closed and face raised to the sun. Droplets glistened on her strong arms. Xena’s stomach gave a lurch. She’s so beautiful. And yet…she sighed, glancing down at herself. At any other time she’d have defied Gabrielle’s command, ripped off her own clothes and dived in, ready to play and splash and kiss her gorgeous lover until the sun went down. But it just didn’t register. It was as if her body was being used for something else right now, and her libido had simply been pushed to the side. It had nothing to do with the stunning woman in front of her, clearly revelling in the attention she was paying. She was just sore, and feeling the size of a whale, and it didn’t matter how many times Gabrielle told her she looked beautiful all the same.
Reluctantly, she moved away from the river bank to unpack their bedrolls and blankets, and the packets of food they’d picked up in the market that morning. Fresh bread, apples, honeyed figs - Gabrielle’s favourite - and a flagon of light wine. They’d picnic on these before Xena fished for their dinner, and then lay out their bedrolls under the stars. It was almost perfect, apart from the dark cloud of doubt and regret hanging in Xena’s mind.
“Aphrodite, you’re going to be very disappointed in me,” she muttered under her breath as she spread out a blanket on the ground. Glancing up, she saw that Gabrielle had moved to where the hot spring burbled into the main pool; climbing carefully on moss-covered rocks, she was dipping her hand in further and further upstream. She looked up and smiled at Xena.
“It gets hot pretty quickly,” she shouted. “But it’s perfect just where the hot meets the cold. I can make it deeper for you.”
She began shifting rocks around, diverting the steaming water into a swirling pool that looked just the right size for them both. She wore a little frown of concentration, tongue sticking out the side of her mouth as she worked. Xena felt another lurch in her stomach, a feeling that could have been arousal if she squinted hard enough, but mostly it felt like a sharp stab; one of those moments where joy is so intense it slips immediately into sadness. Blinking fast, she busied herself laying out cooking and fishing gear.
“Are you coming in?” Gabrielle was sitting in her finished pool, submerged up to her neck, grinning proudly. Xena folded forward in a little bow.
“My orders were to wait until your Majesty undresses me,” she reminded her. Gabrielle’s grin widened.
“Oh yeah. I did say that.” Pulling herself out of the water, slicking back her hair - ooft, there was that punch to Xena’s stomach again - she sauntered over the grass until she was standing over Xena, still kneeling by the blanket. She hooked a finger under the strap of her tunic.
“Stand,” she ordered.
Xena did so, though her knees felt a little weak. Gabrielle started to unlace her wrist guards, not breaking eye contact. She was clearly enjoying this, eyes gleaming with humour and affection, and more than a hint of fire.
Gabrielle kept her movements slow and deliberate, discarding each wrist guard in turn and then shifting her attention to the crisscrossed laces at the front of Xena’s leather tunic. Xena watched her with a leisurely smile, eyes drifting up and down her naked body, which felt wonderful. The water had brought every cell in her being to life, and she was thrumming with energy.
She could see the contrast in Xena, though. She pushed the tunic off her shoulders, letting it fall at her feet, then lifted Xena’s arms for her, bending down to grasp the hem of her shift. She raised it until she couldn’t reach any higher, letting Xena pull it over her head and toss it to the side. Gabrielle looked at her for a moment. The skin was taut and stretched across her bump, and the rest of her was softer, her breasts looking uncomfortably full. She was still in pain; it was obvious from the way she was standing, slightly hunched, hips tight - and she was hiding it, probably to avoid dampening Gabrielle’s enjoyment of her day. Gabrielle felt a swoop of sadness. Xena was trying so hard.
“C’mon,” she said gently, taking her hand. “Bath time.”
She didn’t let go of Xena as she manoeuvred carefully into the pool, making sure she was nestled comfortably into the nook she’d made for her in the rocks.
“Good?”
“So good,” Xena groaned, leaning her head back and wriggling a little to wedge herself in. Gabrielle grinned happily - and the butterflies in her stomach fluttered wildly when Xena reached out, cupped her hand around the back of her neck, and pulled her into a bold kiss. Gabrielle moaned, pressing closer - but her hand lost its purchase on the mossy rock she was braced against and she slipped clumsily into the water. One knee banged hard against a rock, the other against something softer, and Xena yelped in pain.
“I’m sorry!” Gabrielle spluttered, pulling back, ignoring the sharp pain in her knee as she took in the grimace on Xena’s face. “Did I hurt you?” Obviously you did, you idiot.
Xena didn’t answer, cursing under her breath as she rubbed at the side of her bump where Gabrielle’s knee had connected. Gabrielle felt her lip start to tremble. She’d just wanted to make Xena comfortable, and she’d ruined it by being clumsy. She squeezed herself into a gap in the rocks opposite, letting her head fall back against the grassy bank, trying desperately not to cry.
This is so silly. They were both trying too hard, putting so much pressure on the day being perfect. What did that even mean? They were in a beautiful place, just the two of them, sharing their love of bathing and fresh food, with no obligations or interruptions. It was perfect, without forcing it to be anything else. Xena clearly wasn’t comfortable enough for sex, despite her repeated attempts to flirt. Gabrielle was worrying and fussing and trying to make everything okay, when she should just be letting Xena rest.
She was roused from her glum thoughts by a splash, a little wave of water breaking over her chin. She looked up to see Xena watching her, hand poised to splash her again.
“Hey. C’mon. What’re the tears for?” She sent another ripple of water towards her. It was cute, but Gabrielle couldn’t rise to it.
“We’re trying too hard, Xena,” she sighed, suddenly tired.
“Huh?“
“You know what I mean.”
Xena was frowning at her. “You’re - you’re not having a good day?”
“I’m having a wonderful day!” Gabrielle yelled, closing her eyes in frustration. Xena blinked.
“Are you sure?”
Gabrielle burst out laughing, unable to take the charade any more. “No!” She spread her hands. “All I wanted was to spend the day with you, just the two of us, doing something we love. Because soon it won’t be just the two of us anymore.” She gazed at Xena, watching emotions shift across her face as she said it. “And here we are, doing exactly what I wanted, and we’re miserable because we’re trying to make it perfect.”
Xena was looking away. “I thought - this would be enough,” she said in a gruff voice.
“It’s more than enough.” Gabrielle pushed off from the bank and floated over to Xena, reaching under the water to take her hands. “I love being here with you. But I can’t relax, and neither can you. So - can we just accept that today was never going to be everything we wanted it to be? Please?”
Xena looked up at her again. “What do you want to do?”
“Swim. Wash. Feel that waterfall on my back. Sit in the sun and eat those figs we brought.” She shrugged. “You?”
“Same. Maybe do some fishing later.”
“I like it when you bring home fish for dinner.”
“Home?” Xena tried to smile, head on one side.
“Yes,” Gabrielle breathed, placing a hand on Xena’s chest, over her heart. “Home. Here.”
They locked eyes for a long moment, then Xena let out the breath she had been holding. She covered Gabrielle’s hand with her own. “Go have your swim,” she said softly. “I’m going to stay here a while. The heat is helping.”
Gabrielle nodded, then leaned in carefully and pressed a kiss to Xena’s cheek. She pushed away and out into the main pool, slowly submerging herself, her heartbeat starting to return to normal. It had to be said; she just hoped it hadn’t hurt Xena to hear it.
Gabrielle relaxed in the water for a long while, with occasional breaks to sun herself on the bank or eat another honeyed fig before jumping back in. She swam, exploring every inch of the pool; she scrubbed herself till her skin glowed; she stood under the waterfall, letting it thunder over her head and neck. She seemed content to be left alone.
Xena stayed in the hot pool as long as she could. She too ventured out to float and swim, the gentle movement and weightlessness easing the ache in her pelvis, and the waterfall did wonders for her tight shoulders and back. Before the sun dipped too low, she gathered up her fishing gear and waded downstream. They’d been grazing on their picnic, and it would have been plenty, but Xena had her heart set on fish. She made one good catch, and it was enough for them both, deliciously simmered in white wine and sprinkled with fresh herbs.
Drowsy and full of good food, they lay watching fireflies dance above their heads as the sky turned to deep midnight blue. Xena was on her side, gazing at Gabrielle. She was quiet, but seemed relaxed, one hand on her stomach and the other behind her head, her breathing calm. Xena reached out for her, and she turned her head with a smile, eyes soft and sleepy.
“Have you had a good day?”
Gabrielle’s eyebrow quirked. “Ask me that one more time and I’ll throw you in the river,” she murmured. But she took Xena’s hand in her own, circling the palm with her thumb.
“Listen…” Xena began, but her words were refusing to organise themselves into a coherent sentence. Gabrielle kept watching her, expectant.
“I’m listening,” she prompted with a slight smile.
Xena scrunched up her face, stifling a noise of frustration. “I think - sometimes I need you to put into words what I’m trying to say to you,” she muttered, eyes flickering away, embarrassed. She still couldn’t seem to form words that described how she was feeling; that today had offered up so much joy and pain in equal measure. It all sounded inadequate.
“Can I just have another you as my personal bard? Someone who can tell you how I’m feeling better than I can - write it down in a poem or something?!” She was mocking herself, her hand fidgeting in Gabrielle’s.
Gabrielle shifted onto her side, stilling Xena’s hand. “I don’t need you to write me a poem,” she said quietly. “There’s poetry in the way you kiss me sometimes.”
Xena met her eyes, and caught the flash of a hot cinder of desire, before it faded to smouldering embers again. Her pulse quickened.
“Did you want to say something?” Gabrielle asked again, a hint of a teasing smile at her lips.
Xena said nothing, but reached out and pulled her into a deep, heartfelt kiss. She felt a hand slide around her back and press her closer, a moan humming against her lips, and she lingered, to be absolutely sure her meaning was clear.
“Yeah,” she breathed as she finally pulled away. “That.”
Gabrielle’s face melted into pure pleasure, eyes crinkling in a glorious smile. She pressed her forehead to Xena’s with a deep sigh.
“I love you.”
Xena wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in against her chest, cheek resting on the top of her head.
“I love you, too. Happy birthday.”