"Come on - tell me."

Gabrielle's voice was soft against the loud thunder overhead, even through the thick branches of the forest. A rain storm had just passed, but the thunder still trailed along.

Xena looked up into the darkness of the sky through the thicket, and then back down to the woman working at the fire.

"They're still dry - I DID keep them dry," Gabrielle assured, busying herself.

At that, Xena grinned, and inspected her sword again before she put it to the stone. "I'm sure they're dry."

"Okay, and where is my answer?" Gabrielle asked, always capable of cutting to any part of their conversations. The glare in her eyes was soft and patient, but persistent. "Why don't you wanna tell me?"

Xena leaned over, bracing her forearms onto her loosely parted knees. "Why don't you go first then."

"Fine," Gabrielle smiled at last, dropping the tinder and sticks to the ground in order to fasten all of her attention on her lover. "I have always wanted that one - where you play ... you know."

Given the vague suggestion, Xena couldn't help but smirk. "Think you could be a little more specific?"

"The warlord!" Gabrielle whispered shyly, with a tone of voice admitting she was anything but. "And I'm the helpless maiden ..."

Xena rolled her eyes without apology, trying to bite back her smile as she went to sharpening her sword once again. She sharpened the blade with a thin, crisp sound. It was a ringing in their ears that had become a familiar ode to their journeys together.

Instead of finding great offense in the reaction, Gabrielle bit her lower lip. "Oh come on, Xena ... you're strong. You're ... you make me crazy when you pin me down, and-"

"THAT'S different," Xena insisted, still working on her sword and paying little attention to Gabrielle. That is, until the laces of Gabrielle's top began loosening.

"Oh Gods ... just thinking about you commanding me ... treating me like you owned every inch of my body ... stripping me ..."

Xena was enticed, but it was by her love's excitement. She watched as Gabrielle sat back on her folded legs, squirming her hips only gently. That very same motion often implied that she wanted Xena's hands on her, and the action was not lost on the warrior.

With the top of the laces pulled, Gabrielle leaned forward only as much as was necessary, in order to reveal the swell of her breasts to her lover's prying eyes. She took great pride in Xena's silence and stillness - the eyes that bore into her. The mouth hanging open in wait.

"Ohh ... I've thought about it so many times," Gabrielle added, moving to lean onto her side.

"Gabrielle ... it's not really like that," Xena breathed, still entranced but attempting to maintain their conversation. "You ... don't know what you're talking about."

Gabrielle rolled onto her back, wriggling around so that she could turn to look at her companion.

Xena continued her explanation to grasp at reality and logic: "I'm scared for you all the time - that someone would hurt you that way. I would never want to see that fear in your eyes ..."

"But it's with you," Gabrielle moaned, "Do you really think I'll look afraid ...?"

"Gods, Gabrielle. What're you doing to me?"

"Don't you ever think about me that way?" Gabrielle whispered, licking her lips. "Don't you feel how weak I am compared to you? Don't you want me to play? Want me to do whatever you say? Hmm, Xena? Don't you want it hard and fast?"

Xena cleared her throat. She often liked to have Gabrielle in a rougher fashion, but they had never idealized such an aggressive scenario before, and Xena was worried to do so.

"I'm just having fun, Xena. Come on - I'm some naive maiden and you're a dangerous warlord, come here to ravish me. Wouldn't that be fun?"

Setting her sword down on the grass, Xena got up on her feet and stepped over to her partner's side. Staring down at her with honesty. "First of all, that's not a fantasy to me at all, Gabrielle. Some 'dangerous warlord' isn't going to care for your pleasure or even your personal safety. They would just as soon slit your throat as pass you by and I wouldn't feel right about that sort of ... pretending."

When Gabrielle looked down with guilt and embarrassment, Xena crouched next to her and gave a simple smile: "Second of all, I don't believe for a second that you'd play a very convincing 'naive maiden' with me."

Gabrielle did smile, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. "I'm sorry. It was stupid."

With no other words of explanation, Gabrielle excused herself into the gathering of trees, and Xena watched her go.

Xena didn't press the topic when Gabrielle had returned at last, because it was clear she had been upset, but she did bring it up once they had laid down for sleep that night. The air was cool and silent except for the nature surrounding them when Xena turned onto her side toward the woman she loved.

"Gabrielle ... are you asleep?"

"Yes," Gabrielle teased, her tone even and irritated.

"Look ... tell me why you like that fantasy."

"Why? - So you can tell me I'm disgusting again?"

Xena was offended with the implication, but she responded without hesitation: "I never said that, and I never would. I just ... don't understand it, Gabrielle. I'd think that would scare you more than entice you is all."

"And it WOULD. If it were anyone else but you."

Listening to the stillness around them, Xena relaxed on her side, enjoying the quiet with her companion. "You really think it would be fun?"

"Sure it would. I'd like you to tease me and undress me and ravish me ... I don't see what's so wrong with that."

"Me? You want me to act like a 'dangerous warlord'? But they're such terrible company."

"Well, you'd have to keep in mind that I'm your lover," Gabrielle answered with a smile Xena could sense in the dark. Then a kiss extended to Xena's lips, and she closed her eyes instinctively to the gentle contact. "But I think it could be fun ..."

"Fun, huh?" Xena smirked back, tilting those lips back to her with fingers under her partner's chin. She smiled with Gabrielle's soft giggle.

"Mmm ..."

"Xena?" Gabrielle asked, pivoting on her foot with eyebrows scrunched together. She had gone to relieve herself, and suddenly her lover was nowhere to be seen. "Xena? ..."

A voice boomed over to her: "Who is this ... Xe-naaa?"

Whipping around again, Gabrielle had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. There stood Xena in what looked like an over-sized sack - both arms out at her sides to imitate a psychotic bird. And what was that accent she was trying? Gabrielle wondered. Certainly she hadn't gone crazy overnight?

Clearing her throat, Gabrielle glanced over her talented charmer-turned-fool.

"Umm ... she's ... about your height," Gabrielle teased. "She's got your eyes, too. Actually, now that I'm looking at you ... I see quite a resemblance."

"Question is," Xena continued, unfazed. And with great emphasis, she held her sword out toward her partner with a wicked smile. "Who ... are you?"

The look on Gabrielle's face had Xena dropping her sword to look at her own choice of outfit. Shrugging.

In a quieter voice - her usual voice - Xena whispered over the ten feet of distance between them. "What? Is it too much?"

"More like not enough," Gabrielle ventured, whispering back. "What're you doing?"

Xena relaxed her posture completely, shrugging again - exasperated. "I don't know, Gabrielle. Warlords dress like gorillas. They're in hideous attire. I thought you wanted a warlord."

"Okay, okay," Gabrielle smiled, clearning her throat and straightening her grin. "Okay, sorry. You're right. I'd like to try it."

Correcting their attitudes toward one another, Gabrielle hid her smile, and Xena cleared her throat.

"Now ... I said ... who are you?" Xena repeated, holding her sword up again when she remembered it was meant to intimdate. However, with the smile lit anew on Gabrielle's lips, she doubted if it was doing much intimidating.

"Oh, I umm ... I'm a farmer's daughter. You know ... just a naive maiden."

Xena let out a breathy air of laughter, dropping her sword again. "You can't just say that, Gabrielle! You have to ACT it - you know, SEEM naive."

"Right," Gabrielle agreed, pushing her shoulders back in correction. "I mean - I'm a farmer's daughter. All I know is the farm. What is it to you, you ... you ruffian?"

Xena shifted closer and flaunted a smile at Gabrielle's dramatic act of righteousness. She swayed her hips and spun her sword at its handle as she approached the back-tracking young woman. "Oh ... just out for a stroll. Looking to kill someone maybe."

"Xena!" Gabrielle chuckled, putting out her hands. "You can't say something horrible like that! I'm trying to get in the mood. It's a fantasy. In my fantasy, you would never kill me."

"... I said MAYBE."

Gabrielle laughed, and then slapped her cheeks to continue with their charade. "Xena, come on. We can do this."

"Okay, okay. I mean ... I was just out for a walk, but I was distracted by a sweet young thing who makes for an easy mark."

"Oh no - anything but that! I'm so helpless!" Gabrielle exclaimed, only emphasizing her terror by running up to Xena and grabbing at the sack just near her collarbone - grabbing the coarse material into her fists. "Oh, please no! You must leave - leave at once! Oh Heavens no!"

Xena arched a brow.

From the side of her mouth, Gabrielle mumbled: "Too much?"

Xena grinned, watching Gabrielle collect herself again and continue as she stroked her chin to try and keep up a menacing appearance.

"Leave here," Gabrielle trembled animatedly, "And ... and I won't tell anyone you bothered me so."

With a simple but meandering strut, Xena walked right up to Gabrielle and held the sword under the strap of her shirt. "Does it look like I care?" And with that, she sliced the blade through the material.

Gabrielle gasped with true incredulity. "Hey! Now what am I supposed to wear?"

"But why would I care if I was just some warlord?" Xena asked aside, before resuming her character. "Now do what I say or the other side gets it."

Gabrielle put her hands up toward her loving warrior, as if to signal that no more of her clothing could be harmed in their little game. "Okay ... I give. Just ... tell me. What are you going to do to me?"

"I'm going to make love to you until the sun sets," Xena threatened, discarding her sword to grab Gabrielle and pull her close.

Gabrielle giggled for a moment, her arms pinned between their bodies. "No - not make love! You're going to take me wildly, remember?"

"Right," Xena agreed with a smirk, pulling even a little tighter. "I'm going to take you hard and wild all day and night," Xena cackled with exaggeration.

"Ooh, anything but that," Gabrielle purred, squirming only gently in Xena's grasp. "How will we start?"

"I'll ... push you to your knees so you can taste me ..."

"But I want you to touch me first," Gabrielle whispered excitedly, interrupted by Xena's confusion.

"A warlord wouldn't want t0-"

With great frustration, Gabrielle's patience had crumbled. She wriggled and freed herself from the grasping hold of her warrior companion. "Xena! Enough with the warlord rules. It's just a fantasy! Please, Love ... who cares."

"You ...? I thought ...?"

Gabrielle leaned in and planted her lips to a full, eager set that massaged and licked at her own. She was so in love with Xena that even their worst attempts at excitement made her yearn for more.

"Xena ... I just wanted you to take me in different ways and pretend like it was all your idea. That fantasy is so exciting because you can take control, and I don't have to feel guilty for wanting everything so badly." She breathed down, her eyes tracing up from Xena's bare neck to that delicious ear she loved to nibble. "I ... I never wanted you to do me any harm - just really really HAVE me." After a moment of guarded silence, Gabrielle confessed: "I never wanted you to act like a REAL warlord."

"NOW you tell me," Xena growled, just nearly tackling Gabrielle to the ground.

"Ow! What was that for?" Gabrielle panted, turned swiftly onto her stomach as her skirt was pulled down her legs and her top pushed crudely up, under her arms. "Xena!"

"Don't worry, my little maiden," Xena moaned teasingly into Gabrielle's ear from behind her. Lying on top of her body - pinning her to the ground. "You just want me as I am ...? For me to do what I want with you ...?"

Gabrielle moaned, in ecstasy with two expert hands moving over her, under her. Xena's touch and commanding voice were better than anything she had imagined. "Yes ... touch me ..."

Xena licked Gabrielle's ear, feeling up her sides. "You should have told me long ago, Love."

"Xena ..."

"Long ... long ago ..."

The End