A/N: Hey guys! Here's another one-shot prompted by a one word challenge in the UF group. I wanted to bring out a more "playful/immature" Xena in this one, just to play with it and see how it went. Enjoy. Happy Reading! :D

Xena stretched and yawned where she sat upon the hillside. She was bored. She and Gabrielle were taking a much needed rest after saving a burning village from a group of bandits that morning. All had gone well; nobody died, all the bandits had been captured and sent to the local jail, and though most of the houses had suffered severe burns, Xena and Gabrielle had managed with help to douse the flames with help of their friend, Joxer. Before leaving the houses were deemed salvageable and the thankful villagers had set about making repairs.

It was a minor job. The bandits had been sloppy, there had been no order in their rampage, and they were cowards. Most of them had fled with their tails between their legs once they'd seen Xena and Gabrielle riding into town. Hardly a challenge.

Still, it had served as something to do. Lately most of her time seemed to be taken up by going out to collect firewood and water for when Gabrielle cooked. It was boring, too domestic and mundane for her. She was used to action, used to the tensing of her muscles when she got ready to block an attack and counter. She loved the sound of metal as her sword crashed into another and the chase that ensued when the enemy tried to escape.

She looked around from where she sat. It was a bright and sunny day, the air warm as it pressed gently against her skin. The slight breeze ruffled the flyaway hairs not pinned back. In theory it was a perfect day, a wonderful day to go out and do something; to save another village or foil the plan of some evil schemer. But she wasn't needed. It seemed that, after the bumpy morning, for once the world seemed to relax.

Xena sighed and sat up resting her elbows on her knees. Not far away, Gabrielle was sat a little distance away down the hill, scratching away at her scroll as usual. Xena pouted. She had been writing for ages. She guessed she was writing about what happened back at the village, but there wasn't much to write about. It was a small in and out job. What more could there be to it?

Being careful not to make any noise, Xena started shuffling down the hill until she was close enough to look over her shoulder a safe distance away. She could see Gabrielle brushing the feather of her quill against her chin as she thought. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous. At least Gabrielle had something to do, while Xena was sat lounging around waiting for someone to be in need of her services.

She combed her fingers through the blades of grass while she watched the blonde bard finally find her thoughts and start scratching away again.

"What you writing?"

Gabrielle didn't look up as she answered. "Just about this morning," she said distractedly.

Xena nodded to herself, squinting at the sun. "I hope you're adding yourself in there."

"You were the hero,"

"So were you. If not for you those villagers would have been stuck in that burning house." Xena pulled a fistful of grass up and opened her palm, watching as the grass was blown away. "You helped them escape."

"Yes, but you fought off all those bandits single handed."

"They were hardly worth the effort. Joxer managed with them. Even my mother could have kicked them all out of the village herself," Xena joked.

Gabrielle stopped for a moment to look up, a smile on her face. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she chuckled, and went back to writing.

Xena smiled at the girl's laugh, but her smile grew bigger when she noticed that a piece of grass she'd pulled up to be blown away had landed on her friend's head. Gabrielle didn't know. She was too busy writing to notice, and the grass was too light to feel. Feeling a mischievous grin stretch across her face, Xena pulled up some more grass.

Quietly and carefully, she leaned forward and sprinkled it on her friend's head. It took a lot of energy not to chuckle as the girl's head became more and more covered. It only became harder not to laugh when Gabrielle sneezed and it fell onto her scroll.

She watched as Gabrielle sat up, brushing the grass away with the back of her hand and carried on. Xena continued pulling up grass and placing it on her friend's head until the blonde caught onto her antics.

"Xena? I'm trying to write."

"I'm not doing anything," Xena said innocently, resting back against the hill with her hands laced behind her head.

"I know when you're doing something. I can feel it." Gabrielle shook her head and sighed as the grass fell from her hair. She plucked the grass from her locks and turned where she sat, throwing it back at the warrior princess. "I know you too well."

They pulled faces at each other until Gabrielle turned back around again. A few minutes passed, but Xena still couldn't relax. Keeping still wasn't for her. She pulled herself to her feet and walked around, swinging her sword and trying out a few practice swings. She even brushed down Argo and threw her chakram around a couple of times, watching as it rebounded off the trees before it returned to her hand.

Normally their spare time was filled up by shopping or sparring. They had already sent Joxer to get enough food to last them until they got to another village, and they had already exercised what energy they usually used to spar with on the bandits. Xena considered having a rest, a quick nap before they started moving again, but she wasn't tired and forcing herself to often made her irritable.

She narrowed her eyes at the young bard, her jealousy making her impatient. Luckily for Gabrielle she had a way to pass the time. Xena often caught sight of her writing whenever she had the chance. Xena had tried it but she wasn't a romantic poet like Gabrielle was. No words came to her when she tried writing, and she had nothing to write about in particular, unlike Gabrielle. She couldn't lose herself as she wrote. Her mind stayed strictly focused in reality to protect herself and her best friend.

Xena sighed, resting her hands on her hips and quirked an eyebrow in Gabrielle's direction. "Are you almost done yet?"

"Do we have somewhere to be?" Gabrielle answered.

"Well, no, but I was just wondering. You've been writing for nearly an hour now."

Gabrielle smiled up at Xena, a twinkle in her eye. "You don't rush art, and writing is an art." She pointed to everything around them. "Like this, the earth is art. Nature is beautiful, can you see it? The clouds, the trees, the sky? Soak it in Xena. Take the time we have to appreciate it."

Xena frowned as she looked up and saw big puffs of clouds floating lazily across the blue. "A cloud is just a cloud."

"You're not seeing it for what it is."

Xena watched a particularly massive cloud drift by and made a face. "A big cotton ball?" she asked.

"Yes, Xena, a big ball of cotton," Gabrielle said sardonically. She shook her head continued looking over her scroll.

Utterly bored and with no means to entertain herself, Xena moved to sneak behind Gabrielle with a twig she found off the ground. She knew it was wrong and immature, but it was rare to find herself in a situation where nobody needed her or nobody came running down the hill screaming for help. Lowering herself into a crouch, Xena lifted the twig and dangled it near Gabrielle's ear. She stifled a laugh as she shook it and the leaves tickled Gabrielle's ear, making her reach up to scratch it.

After a few more times, Gabrielle sighed and rolled up her scroll. "Okay, I'm finished."

"Really?"

"No thanks to your tormenting," Gabrielle accused around a playful scowl. She popped her scroll into her satchel and moved to sit next to Xena, snatching the twig from her grasp. "Y'know, when people read my scrolls in years to come, they are going to read about the great warrior princess on the road to redemption, saving lives and giving back. Maybe I should add in the immature side of you too so they'll know what you were really like?"

Xena grinned. "How do you think people would react to that?" she asked, pulling up some grass and sprinkling it in her friend's face.

Gabrielle closed her eyes in resignation, waiting until she was finished. When she looked at her, she raised an eyebrow. "I think they might be shocked to know you have one."

"Hey, I'm only huma-"

Xena's reply was cut short when Gabrielle threw a handful of grass at her and it landed in her mouth. The sound of her friend's laughter sounded over her spitting it out, plucking it from her tongue. "Did you just?" she asked, but Gabrielle was already running away down the hill, laughing manically.

Xena smiled evilly, spitting out the rest of the grass and rising to her feet. Watching the blonde run down the hill away from her, Xena brushed the grass off and followed after her. The steepness of the hill acted like a propellant, giving her more speed and momentum. It wasn't long before she was right behind her.

"Xena! Come on, please, it was revenge. You started it!" Gabrielle shouted over her shoulder.

Xena smiled, hearing the panic and smile in her friend's voice. "And I'll finish it."

Gabrielle screamed as Xena came behind her and grabbed her, yanking the satchel from her shoulder. She felt the bard wriggle in her grasp and let her go, holding the satchel up high.

Gabrielle hopped up and down, reaching. "Okay, Xena, come on. Give me my scrolls back."

"You want 'em?" Xena asked, dangling them in front of her friend's face. "Come get 'em."

Gabrielle pouted, placing her hands on her hips. She smiled suddenly. "Fine, you keep them. But if you do then I won't cook anymore. I'll get Joxer to do it instead."

Xena's eyes widened at the threat. "You wouldn't dare!"

Gabrielle stepped forward until her face was inches from Xena's. Her green eyes flashed with the challenge. "Try me."

They stared at each other, eyes narrowed, neither backing down. But when the sound of Joxer's armour clunking reached their ears Xena felt her resolve start to dissolve. It was too big a risk to take. She sighed and lowered her hand, dropping the satchel into her friend's waiting hand. Gabrielle smirked as she looped the strap over her shoulder.

"Hey guys!" Joxer said as he came down the hill. "I got the stuff you wanted!" The clunking of his armour got louder upon his approach. He blushed when he saw Gabrielle and his voice became quiet. "Oh, hey, Gabby. Is that a new hairdo? Is grass in?"

"What?"

Xena chuckled as Gabrielle reached up and brushed her fingers through her hair, pulling out more grass. She shot a glare at Xena and turned her smile on Joxer. "Oh, Joxer? I'm not feeling up to cooking tonight. Would you like to cook later instead? I know Xena just loves the rabbit stew you make."

Gabrielle smirked when she saw Xena's grin fall from her face as Joxer jumped at the chance. "Of course, sure I will! I love making that. It's my specialty, y'know? Family recipe, but shh, don't tell anyone," he said and set off back up the hill, his armour clanking and his excited laughter lingering behind.

Xena moved to her friend's side. "What have you done?"

"You shouldn't have started tormenting me." Gabrielle said easily. "It's what you get, Xena. You reap what you sow."

"He's cooking for you too!" Xena said. The only consolation Xena had was in hearing the sudden realization followed by colourful profanities from Gabrielle's mouth as she followed their friend up the hill.

Please R&R if you can :)