Same disclaimers apply to this chapter as the rest of them. Please refer back to chapter one to read them. Thanks and enjoy!
It was much earlier than usual when Xena devised a new method of waking Gabrielle. Lately she had taken to trying new and slightly, well, creative ways of waking the bard, and she wanted this morning to be no exception.
Xena smiled a feral smile as she crawled up the prone form of her lover’s body. She looked down at Gabrielle's peaceful face, before she decided to be nice and wake Gabrielle up a lithe more gently than usual.
“Gabriellllee...” Xena wheedled just above a whisper. When the bard (suprise) didn’t hear Xena, the warrior princess tried again.
“Gabrielllleeeeee....” Still nothing.
“Good.” Xena said, a playfully evil expression on her face. “Now I get to do this the fun way.”
Xena bent low, and brushed her lips against Gabrielle’s cheek. The bard didn’t move. xena smiled, and then began to place solid kisses all over her lover face. Gabrielle groggily began to stir, until finally, her ivy green eyes slowly opened.
Xena relented her kiss-attack on Gabrielle’s face, but not before she placed a final kiss on the tip of Gabrielle’s nose.
“Ugghhh... Xena... why so.. early..?”
Xena chucked at how adorable her lover was in the morning.
“If we start out now, we’ll make it to Potadaea for sure by midday."
Gabrielle groaned, and rolled over, pulling her pillow over her head.
“Come on, Gabrielle, get up!” Xena said in a overly-cheerful voice.
“Go to Tartarus.” Gabrielle mumbled.
“Don’t make me haul you into the river, Bard.” Xena warned.
Gabrielle poked her head out from beneath her pillow, and actually managed to sufficiently glare at Xena with only one eye.
Xena just smiled.
“Come on, Gabrielle. Up now.”
Still no movement from the bard. Xena knew she had to use her secret weapon now.
“Fine then, I’ll just eat all this nutbread that I secretly bought in the last market place by myself.” Xena gave an evil smile. She knew that this would work. Sure enough, Gabrielle sat up so fast that Xena wondered if she had given herself whiplash.
“Nutbread?” She asked, now sounding fully awake.
Xena, who was not one to lie, went to the saddlebags and pulled from the bottom two loafs of nutbread.
Gabrielle’s eyes looked like dinner plates as she took in the glory that was the nutbread, and Xena smiled, and then handed a loaf to Gabrielle.
“Eat up quick. We’ve got to break camp and get moving.” Xena told Gabrielle. The bard sat the loaf of bread down, stood up, and hugged Xena. The warrior smiled and hugged her back. Gabrielle then stood on her toes and gave the warrior princess a kiss that ended up lasting a bit longer than intended, and both pulled away slightly breathless.
“Well, good morning to you too.” Xena said playfully. Gabrielle just grinned, and began to eat her nutbread.
Xena and Gabrielle had finally got on the road, and they were getting pretty close to Potadaea. Gabrielle was growing more nervous by the second, and Xena was doing the best she should to calm her lover down.
“Xena, they aren’t going to like our being there.” Gabrielle said nervously.
”Gabrielle, they aren’t going to like my being there. You, they will be very happy to see.” Xena said warmly.
“Xena... I really don’t want to do this....”
Gabrielle, who had been walking alongside Argo with Xena perched on top, came to a halt. Xena sighed.
“Gabrielle... here, come ride with me.” Xena extended her arm, and Gabrielle just stared at her.
Gabrielle...” Xena warned.
“Xena, we’ll only get there sooner if I ride, and Argo’s side will be painted a brand new color. With how nervous I am right now, I wouldn’t last too long on a horse.” Xena sighed and dismounted. She dropped Argo’s reins, know that the mare wouldn't go anywhere, before she found her arms full of bard.
“Xena, I'm so scared.” Gabrielle whispered.
Xena gave Gabrielle a loving look, and rubbed the bard’s back.
“Gabrielle, everything will work out in the end. It always does for us.”
Gabrielle snuggled closer to Xena, and the warrior smiled.
“Will you at least try to ride? If you start to feel sick I can let you down right away.”
Gabrielle gave a very small nod, and Xena dropped her arms from around her lover, and in one fluid movement, mounted Argo. She then extended her arm again, and this time Gabrielle took it and pulled herself up into the saddle. At the last moment, Xena shifted and Gabrielle ended up in front of the warrior princess.
“What..?” Gabrielle questioned curiously.
“I just want to hold you, okay?” Xena said softly.
“Why warrior, I do believe you’re getting sentimental.” Gabrielle teased gently as she leaned back into Xena comfortably.
Xena grinned, and wrapped one arm protectively around Gabrielle waist, while her other one held Argo’s reins.
As the rode, they passed a sign that read:
“Potadaea - Straight Ahead.”
To Chapter Three, says I!
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