Chapter 44:We will be home soon!

Xena POV

Together again...after all the years, the pain…. When I left him years ago I wanted to leave it all behind for good, to never go back to what I was or to him, but now I finally got to understand that I couldn't do that no matter how hard I tried, I longed for him too damn much and this time everything was different...He wasn't the God of War anymore, he was just a man…just him, stripped from all that destructive power.

I smiled at the thought and I rested my head back on his chest, listening to his heart beat while my fingers began their random voyage up and down his chest, daydreaming about a life together…..I kissed him slowly and he stirred but didn't open his eyes. I started thinking about what had happened just a few hours before …He said that he loved me and he never said it before so openly and definitely not looking me in the eyes. In fact he only said it to me once, so many years ago that I could barely remember it…Back then I only thought he was playing with words. My heart was refusing to see it then but now I could…he had changed, he was better, as I said he was a man, a human being, not just a cold, uncaring Olympian.

My heart still flutters when I think about it…Oh gods I loved him too, never stopped doing it but I buried it so deep in my heart that I pretended not to feel it. I had to squash every bit of love I had in my heart for him….I had to forget….

The moment he gave his godhood for me and Adam all those feelings began resurfacing though and the fact that they were so intense half scared me to death given the fact that my mind was still trapped into the past. I constantly feared that under his dark influence I would once more return to being that vicious killer….It was a frightening thought.

…But not after today...The bond that we once had was beginning to take shape again, trust was growing too…It was still difficult but I was willing to try, I wanted to try…

"Are you up already?" He asked, eyes still closed.

I turned around to face him and kissed him deeply. He responded instantly, his eyes opening, switching our positions and kissing me back.

"How I've missed you Princess…"

"I'm hungry..." He smirked.

"Me too." And then he started kissing me again, proceeding down my neck.

"I wasn't talking about that…" I taunted…

"Of course not..." He kissed me lightly and I felt his smile on my lips but he got up and dressed himself while I did the same...I could feel his gaze on me and couldn't help smiling.

"Don't stare, it's rude..."

"I don't care..." He said and came from behind and kissed me softly on the neck.

"I go hunting and you cook." I said, needing to distract myself with something, aware that if I wouldn't there was no way in Hades we would ever go back home to Eve and Adam.

"No…No..." He turned me to him." I will hunt and you..." I stopped his protest with a sweet kiss.

"Xena..."

"Wait here…and start making a fire..." I said before leaving.

When I came back the fire was high in the sky...I smiled at the thought that he had been listening to me. I threw the rabbit to him.

"Auch…" He looked irritated at me when the rabbit hit him straight in the face. "What did I do?" He complained.

"Sorry…now prepare the meal..." I said teasingly, while I took a seat on my bedroll.

"You like this don't you?" He asked after good minutes of silence my gaze probably burning in his back.

"Me? What are you talking about?" I started, acting like a poor victim.

"You know..." He took me by surprise when he landed on me… "You can't be like this with me..."

"Oh no?"

"No..." He kissed me hard.

"Did you put the rabbit to cook?" I asked once I found my air.

"Yes of course boss..."

"Good….obedience is important!"

He laughed and started placing butterfly kisses on my shoulder.

"Ares…"

"Huh?"

"The ra…bbit..."

"Oh yeah! We can't burn the rabbit!" He stopped kissing me and rushed to turn the rabbit on the other side.

"It will be done in half an hour…." He muttered looking down at his grumbling stomach. I made a face too. I was famished. We still had to wait though.

Half an hour later, we were both eating like crazy, no talking, no kissing, no nothing. We only had eyes for the rabbit.

"You know that this was the first and last time you took me as your bard, don't you?" I nodded still amused.

"Still...your cooking skills are excellent. Gabrielle wouldn't stand a chance against you!" I lied and grinned.

"Yeah, sure…"

Once we had finished, we wrapped all our things and I put them on Argo and that's when it struck me…Where was his horse?

"Ares...where's your horse?"

"My horse...? I was drunk, you saw me...I think I must have left it behind at an inn somewhere...I don't really remember…Why? Is there a problem with Argo? She likes me..."

"Just asking... I know she does…" I caressed her muzzle.

I jumped on her and waited for him...I offered him my hand and in a matter of seconds he was behind me.

"Well…let's go than..." I said, urging my horse to go on.

When the night came he took me by surprise by taking the reins from my hands.

"What…"

"Shh..." He said softly in my ear. "Sleep...I know the way too…Tomorrow when you wake we would be there…"

I refused at first but than his warm body and arms around me were like a soothing lullaby and I found my eyelids growing heavy, my eyes closing and my body leaning into him.

"Sleep Princess…We will be home soon."

A soft kiss on the top of my head was the last thing I felt.