Xena and Gabrielle burst into fits of giggles as soon as they were a discrete distance from town. Even Argo couldn't help snickering. "Poor guy!" chuckled the bard, clutching at her aching sides, "his....face when that camera thing broke!"
"I know" Xena gasped, "I thought.....I thought he was going to.....explode!" They both collapsed on the ground and rolled around trying to calm themselves. Eventaully they managed it and lay side by side staring up at the perfect blue of the sky.

"What were you going to say?" asked the bard.
"Huh? When?"
"When he asked if we were lovers. You started to say 'you see, technically.....' and then all Tartarus broke loose." She stifled another giggle before continuing, "technically what?"
"You know what, Gabrielle" Xena said, turning her head to find sparkling green eyes gazing at her.
"Yeah, I know....but I want to hear what you were going to say."
Xena raised herself up on her elbows and returned her companion's serious, if slightly flirtatious, look before revealing "I was going to say that technically we have never done anything overtly sexual, but....."
"but...?" prompted the blonde as she turned to face her friend.
Xena sat up, leaning back against a tree, and looked down at Gabrielle, her crystal blue eyes warm with love, "but" she continued, her voice throaty now, "that in our hearts and souls we have been and will be lovers for all eternity and so much more than lovers; that the love we share can't be defined or explained or categorized, it has to be felt, and that I do feel it, every day; that I only have to look into your beautiful eyes to feel you loving me."
Without realising it, Gabrielle had risen to her knees before Xena and stopped breathing as she listened to the words. Now she took a deep, slightly shaky breath, and as a single tear rolled down her cheek she reached out to stroke the warrior's face. "Oh, gods, Xena!" she whispered, "I love you so much!"

They stayed locked in eachother's gaze, silently communicating their absolute, unassailable love, and then Gabrielle let her head drop onto Xena's shoulder, pulling the warrior into a gentle embrace and sighing with contentment as she felt the strong arms encircling her and the breath in her hair. There and then the young bard came to a decision and she turned her face to plant a soft kiss on the warrior's neck, smiling at Xena's sigh of contentment. "Xena?" she asked quietly.
"Hmmm?"
"Don't you think it's time we addressed those technicalities?"
The warrior was puzzled and frowned slightly as she asked "What do you mean, Gabrielle?"
The bard pulled slightly away, chuckling to herself as she looked up into the cerrulean eyes of her friend "I mean we should take the next logical step" she explained, her hand gently caressing Xena's thigh as she laughed at the dark woman's obvious confusion. "Xena!" she admonished gently, reaching up to brush a hair from the warrior's cheek, "you must know by know how much I want you, and I can see and feel your desire for me whenever I look at you. We have no reason to hold back, Xena, we both know it won't affect our relationship adversely because, as you said, we have always been lovers. It's the last piece in the puzzle, Xena."
Now it was Xena's turn to let out the breath she had been holding. "Gabrielle," she whispered, her voice filled with wonder, "I....I...uhh".
Gabrielle giggled again, her voice like a tinkling bell, and as she moved closer she asked softly "What's the matter, Warrior? Lost your tongue?" She pressed herself gently up against the trembling, mesmerised woman in her arms and added seductively, as her lips hovered over the warrior's, "I really hope not, because I have special plans for it" and then she kissed her warrior tenderly.

The kiss began softly, tentatively, so sensuous that it made both of them quiver and whimper for more. Gabrielle brought both hands up to cup the warrior's face as she explored the full lips with her tongue, asking gently for entrance. It was granted willingly as the warrior's lips parted and her own tongue began its exploration as her hands ran over the bard's almost naked back. Their tongues danced tenderly around eachother, savouring every taste and sensation on offer and they held eachother closer, Gabrielle's arms snaking around Xena's neck as they sank deeper into the sensuous exploration. Eventually they pulled away and sat staring at eachother, enraptured and breathless, smiles creeping over both their faces as their forheads came to rest on eachother. "Are you sure about this, Gabrielle?" the warrior asked bringing a soft snort from the bard.
"Don't I seem sure?" she teased.
"Yeah" Xena admitted, "but I just wanted to make sure....I mean I don't want.....
"Xena" Gabrielle interrupted, placing her hand over the warrior's mouth before assuring her softly but firmly "I'm sure. In fact I've never been so sure of anything in my life. So stop worrying, okay?"
The warrior flushed and lowered her eyes, "sorry" she murmurred, "I guess....I'm a little nervous."
Gabrielle hooked her finger under the warrior's chin to ease her head back up, forcing her eyes to meet her steady gaze, "me too" she admitted, "but I want this so much, Xena, and I know you do too."
"Yes" the warrior acknowledged, running her fingers through short, blonde hair, "I've wanted it for so long, Gabrielle; dreamed about how it would be. I...I just want it to be perfect."
"It will be, Xena" the bard reassured her gently, capturing her hand and bringing it to her own swollen lips, "how can it be anything else?"

They kissed again, loosing themselves in the sweetness of eachother's lips and tongues, their hands gradually becoming more adventurous with every moan of encouragement. Xena was the first to pull away this time, taking deep breaths to try and calm her pounding pulse. "Gab....Gabrielle, there's an inn in the next village. Let's go there....I...want this to be special."
"Is it far?" asked the panting bard.
Xena chuckled at the bard's impatience and informed her "less than a candlemark. Think you can make it?"
"If we don't dawdle"
"Oh, there's no danger of that, my love. Come on."
The warrior stood on shaking legs and pulled the bard up into her arms. She turned to whistle for Argo, but found the horse already standing beside her, waiting patiently, snickering under her breath and thinking happily to herself 'Well, it's about time!"

* * * * * *

The room was small but comfortable and a welcoming fire crackled in the grate. All that mattered to Xena and Gabrielle, however, was that there was a large bed standing against the wall. The bard entered first and as soon as she heard the door close behind her she turned to face the warrior, who was standing motionless just inside the room. Slowly she made her way back to Xena and stood almost touching her, looking up into her darkening eyes. The warrior's face was a picture of nervous anticipation as she gazed down at her lover, wondering what the hell to do first. "I...I don't know why I'm so nervous" she said quietly, "it's not like I've never done this before."
"I know how you feel" the bard admitted, "I think it's because it's never been so important before, or so.....right." She reached up to stroke the warrior's cheek, running her hand slowly down the smooth skin and down to her neck. Xena caught her hand and kissed the back of it, moving closer to draw Gabrielle into her arms. They held eachother closely but the full effect was impeded by the warrior's breastplate. Gabrielle pulled away with a soft giggle and complained teasingly "this is no good, Xena, I can't feel you. Take your armour off," but as the warrior began to obey the request, Gabrielle's hands stopped her and she said "wait....let me."

Xena stood in the middle of the room while the bard slowly removed her armour, piece by piece, forbidding the warrior to help in any way. Her eyes followed the little blonde wherever she moved and Gabrielle could almost feel the passion in the deep blue eyes burning into her. When she was done, she looked up at the warrior and said "that's good, much better" and moved back to her.
"Not good enough" announced the warrior as she reached out to release the catch on the bard's top and watch with glee as it fell to the floor, quickly followed by the skirt that she had undone quicker than the human eye could see.
"Xena!" exclaimed Gabrielle in surprise but stopped her mock chiding when she saw the warrior's stunned gaze fixed upon her.
"My..gods!" murmurred the warrior, "you are so beautiful"
"Come on, Xena, it's not as if you've never seen me naked before."
"Yeah but I've never looked" she averred, adding at the bard's raised eyebrow, "at least....I tried not to."
Gabrielle giggled and stepped back to the warrior, reaching up to the straps on her shift and requesting seriously, "your turn, let me see you, Xena."

"Gods!" she exclaimed as the warrior's shift dropped to the floor, "you really are magnificent." She ran the backs of her hands slowly down Xena's sides, smiling as the warrior whimpered at the touch. "Why don't we lie down on that lovely bed?" she suggested softly.
"I think we should" agreed the warrior, "before I fall down."

* * * * * *

They explored eachother's bodies slowly, tenderly, driving themselves mad with anticipation and desire and when Xena could take no more she sat up, flipped Gabrielle onto her back and began to kiss slowly but firmly down the bard's trembling body. She took one stiffened nipple into her mouth and sucked gently, smiling to herself at Gabrielle's gasp of pleasure. "Gods, Xena!" moaned the writhing bard as her senses went wild, "what....what're you..doing to me?!"
"Everything I've been dreaming of since I first met you" replied the warrior raspily as she slid up to kiss the bard thoroughly, her tongue flickering over Gabrielle's as her hand slid down to cup her sex and pull a groan of pleasure from her young lover. The bard was on fire, every nerve ending zinging with pleasure. Her hips bucked as the warrior's hand began to rub her clit and a shiver of delight ran through her. Urging Xena onto her side so that they were facing eachother, she reached down for the taller woman's mound and found it dripping wet, her own arousal stoked by Xena's moan of pleasure as the bard's fingers slid onto her exposed clit and began to mimic her own action. There they lay, their fingers dancing over eachothers' most sensitive parts or buried deep within eachother, sometimes kissing deeply, sometimes gazing intensely into eachothers' eyes.

The bard's eyes closed as she began to crest and her body lurched forward, crashing into her partner's. She locked her free arm around Xena's shoulders and buried her face in the dark woman's neck, trying not to bite as the waves of orgasm crashed over her and rocked her small body. Xena had been so close herself that her partner's coming sent her over the edge as well and she was sure that without the bard's arm around her, the explosion of sensation would have shattered her into a million pieces. They rolled against eachother, clinging on for dear life as the spasms slowly receded, leaving them limp and exhausted in eachothers' arms.

Eventually the bard lifted her head from Xena's chest and looked down into her crystaline eyes. "I...I'm speechless" she admitted with a wry little smile.
"Wow," replied the warrior gently, "that's a first."
Gabrielle laughed softly and leaned down for sweet kiss but soon found herself on her back with a pair of sparkling blue eyes gazing down at her lustfully. "So" asked the warrior as her hand began to wander idly over the bard's flat stomach, "are there any other technicalities we need to take care of?"
"I'm sure I can think of a few" claimed Gabrielle as she reached out to pull her lover close.

* * * * * *

When the bard awoke the next morning she found crystal blue eyes gazing down at her and a smile crept over her mouth. "Good morning, my love" she said softly as she reached up to stroke Xena's cheek, "how long have you been lying there watching me?"
"I don't know" smiled the warrior, "it can never be long enough; you're so beautiful, Gabrielle, I can't get enough of you."
The bard's smile broadened as she pulled her lover towards her and crooned seductively "oh, I'm sure you can if you really try."

Their kiss was long and tender, and as they explored eachother's mouths Gabrielle eased Xena onto her back and, sliding on top of her, raised herself up. It was then that she noticed for the first time that there was something around her neck and she looked down. While the bard slept, Xena had carefully placed the gift around her lover's pale throat. It was a delicate golden chain with an emerald hanging from it. Gabrielle's eyes rose slowly to Xena's face and regarded her questioningly. "I've been carrying it around for months," explained the warrior, "I was saving it for a special occasion and I think this qualifies."
"Oh, Xena" sighed the bard joyfully, "it's beautiful; it must have cost you a fortune."
"It was worth every dinar just to see that look in your eyes," the warrior replied softly as she ran her hand through the cropped golden hair, "it matches them perfectly, I knew it would. Those eyes of yours....they've always dazzled me, Gabrielle, right from the start." A single tear tracked its way down the bard's cheek and Xena's face darkened a little with concern as she wiped it away. "What is it?" she asked worriedly.
"It's happiness" whispered the bard wonderingly, "I've never been this happy. I...I love you so much, Xena, sometimes it's...overwhelming."
Xena smiled as she pulled her lover down and gently licked and kissed the new tears away. "Oh, my darling" she breathed as her own eyes began to fill, "I know exactly what you mean."

The love they made that morning was exquisite, so slow and tender and beautiful that it was almost painful, and they shed many quiet tears of happiness and love. When they once more lay in eachother's arms, delicately caressing and nuzzling, Xena quietly broached the subject that had been on her mind since she had awoken in her lover's arms. "you know," she said softly, "there is one more technicality we could address, just to make things absolutely complete."
"I can't imagine feeling any more complete than right now" admitted the bard "but I'm listening."
"How do you feel about getting married?"
The bard's breath actually caught in her chest before she managed to ask "married?!"
"Sure, why not?"
"I...I just didn't think you were the marrying kind, that's all."
Xena laughed lightly as she admitted "I wasn't, but I guess I've changed. Maybe I'm getting old....I don't know...I just, I want to give you everything, Gabrielle. I don't have much but I want it to be yours. I want everyone to know what we mean to eachother. I want to stand up in front of the world and make them see our love and know that we belong to eachother completely and forever. I can't explain it, it never would've bothered me before but now I want it to be official. I guess...it's the last piece in the jigsaw." Gabrielle gazed admiringly at Xena, she knew the warrior wasn't comfortable talking like this and she loved her even more for the attempt. "So, Gabrielle," asked the warrior haltingly, her eyes dropping slightly, "will you? I mean...will you marry me?"
The bard took a deep breath to calm her heart and gazed down into the warrior's pleading eyes. With a little nod of her head she bent down to kiss her lover and then whispered softly, "of course I'll marry you, Xena. There's nothing I want more."

The warrior took in a deep, slightly shaky breath and sighed with relief. "Oh, gods!" she gasped, "for one horrible moment I thought you were going to turn me down."
"Why? Why would I do that?" asked the bard incredulously.
"Well, after that speech and everything. I thought I'd come on too strong."
"Xena," chided the bard tenderly as she lightly stroked the warrior's chest, "it was beautiful." Then, with a teasing edge to her tone, she enquired "you been practising it long?"
Xena's smile lit up her face and Gabrielle couldn't help mirroring it as they fell into chuckles. "A while" admitted the warrior, "you know I'm no good with words and it had to be right."
"It was right, Xena, I loved it."
"Really?" came the slightly tentative request for affimation.
"Really" confirmed the bard before adding with a suggestively raised eyebrow "besides, I like it when you come on stong."

The End

SW
10/07/03