The Sunny Side of Dark Romance

by Delenn

A series of individual shorts, based on the lighter side of the relationship between the Warrior Princess and God of War. Most are PG, but one or two are PG13 or R, so that's why there's a high rating. They're all appropriately labeled.

1. Expressions of Love

The Sunny Side of Dark Romance
By Delenn

A series of shorts...

Disclaimer: I don't own 'em.

Expressions of Love. PG. July 24, 2005. 341.

It wasn't so much that the woman intimidated him. Normally, he found strong women at worst intriguing and at best irresistible. But this woman represented a path previously un-tread and a possibility previously un-thought of. No, she didn't intimidate him - she terrified him.

At this point, by all previous rights, he should have turned tail and fled. As a matter of fact, that sounded like an excellent plan. He turned.

"Where do you think you're going?"

There she was, the reason he was going through this torture-experiment. Intriguing, intoxicating, irresistible. And blocking his escape route with a raised eyebrow and expectant quirk of her lips. "Well, I was – I was just-"

Her hand slipped into his. "Nothing, it was nothing."

When she smiled, he was momentarily blinded by the way her blue eyes softened. Distracted by her lips.

Before he could step closer - act on the fantasies musing through his mind - she'd turned back towards the roughened wooden door.

He steeled a will that she would never fully appreciate, following her steps. The door swung open and there stood the woman – with an axe. Oh for the love of Zeus. "Hello, Cyrene."

The woman at his side smiled weakly, a little wide-eyed but hiding it well. Brushing them inside and ignoring the tension of the situation. "Hey, mom. Are we early for dinner?"

Sharp eyes switched from him to the wide-eyed-but-smiling woman at his side – reluctantly setting the axe down and shrugging as the door swung shut. "No, I was just about to bring in some wood for the night. Xena, why don't you go, and Ares and I can talk."

As Xena offered an apologetic shrug and went after the aforementioned wood, strategically taking the axe with her, Ares vowed to remind her of this evening every chance he got. Beyond any shadow of a doubt, this proved it – he loved her to the point of absolute insanity.

Dinner with Xena's mother: more frightening than Hades' pets. At least his parents had the decency to be dead.