Transgressions 13

Neighbors

As Xena looked over the old shambled farmhouse, she wished that the place would be as easy to patch up as her wound from Mavican had been. When Ares had transported them there he'd also transformed her bedroom into a tidy, clean space. But the rest of the house was disheveled from being unlived in in the years since she'd gotten Ares his godhood back. The guest bedroom (the one her brothers slept in when they visited their grandparents) still had a hole in the ceiling roughly the size of her chakram. The kitchen was functional, but just barely and needed a good scrubbing. The outhouse was on its last leg and starting to lean. The stables and storeroom were in complete disrepair. When Xena really looked at the place, she mused that Ares might have his new place completely built before they even had this place all patched up.

Ares. She'd seen him only once since the day of the Mavican incident. And, they hadn't really discussed what had prompted him to make such a stupid decision as unleashing that homicidal maniac on her. Xena knew that eventually they would need to talk about it, but at the time, it had seemed like talking about their impending child was more important than getting to the motive of his latest fuck up. She wondered if he was avoiding the conversation and that's why he'd been making himself scarce. Xena knew he had an important campaign going on in Persia and recalled that he'd mentioned something about checking in with Achilles the Younger. She couldn't fault him for taking care of his business, he was the God of War, after all. But, if she was being honest with herself, she was beginning to miss him. And part of her worried if the news of the baby had been too overwhelming for him and that was why he was keeping his distance.

Xena's rumbling stomach reminded her that it was getting close to midday. She walked into the little kitchen and rummaged through a sack that Gabrielle had brought back from the market. A fat green apple was sitting in the bottom. Xena shined it up on her dress then took a hearty bite. It was tart and crisp just the way she liked them.

A knock on the door interrupted her little lunch, Xena groaned. Had to be Greba. Xena craned her neck to look out the kitchen window where Gabrielle and Aleta were breaking up the ground for a vegetable garden in the backyard. She considered ducking out the back and pretending she never heard the thought of that woman and Ares annoyed the piss out of her. Although Xena could never really put her finger on why that particular affair irked her so much. She supposed it was because of how decidedly domestic it felt. Greba had had the opportunity to know him a way that Xena never could, as just the handsome man next door. Xena took a deep breath. It wasn't Greba's fault and Xena needed to just push past it. So with a new perspective, she headed to the door. But when Xena got there, she could feel Ares' presence on the other side. She couldn't believe that he had knocked on her door. She suppressed a smile but she was inwardly thrilled that he'd chosen to make the effort to knock instead of just showing up unannounced.

Xena pulled the door open, revealing a breath-taking God of War wearing black knit pants and a loose fitting, short-sleeved black tunic that left just the tiniest patch of his chest exposed where the hollow of his neck veed into his pectoral muscles. Xena ached to suckle at the skin there. She peeked into the backyard again. Gabrielle and Astra were still hard at work pulling weeds. They'd never know if she pulled him into the bedroom for fifteen minutes of heaven. Xena looked back at him and involuntarily licked her lips as she followed the tunic down its length over his strong hips.

Ares enjoyed being under Xena's hungry gaze but he was surprised she wasn't still upset with him about Mavican. He'd come all prepared with an explanation and a token of apology. Ares pulled one hand from behind his back and produced a single daisy. In his other hand, he held a large scroll of some sort. "May I come in?"

Xena took the flower and the scroll and set them on a nearby table. She checked out the kitchen window one more time. When she turned back to Ares she craned her hand around his neck and pulled him into her mouth and kissed him hungrily.

Ares could taste the juicy apple on her tongue. He couldn't believe she was kissing him here, like that. Not as part of the game but just the two of them, in her space, kissing. It certainly wasn't the reception he'd been expecting.

Xena's mind was afire, she wanted to fuck him like this. Just him and her. No game, no master and sub, no god and warrior, just the two of them man and woman, equals. She pressed her body against him and felt his growing need. Xena had to clench her fist to keep herself from reaching into his pants and taking his cock into her hands. Xena broke the kiss and whispered in his ear, "You can't come in here looking so fuckable, Ares."

"Do you want me to put my regular leathers back on?"

"No, I'd still want to fuck you."

"Ummm, I don't see the problem."

Xena looked over her shoulder. Ares followed her direction and saw the other two women in the garden. "Ahhh, yes. I'm a nasty bit of work and no good for you. And you only want me as a Dom anyway, right?" Ares hoped she'd tell him that she wanted him and not just the fantasy, domination version of him that he gave her during their sessions.

"Ares, let's not do this now."

"You're the one who who devoured me."

Xena looked at the floor guiltily and then turned her attention to the table where she'd put the daisy and the scroll.

"So, back to our originally scheduled programming?" Ares asked.

"Here," Xena handed him the scroll as she tried to ignore the pulsing between her legs. "What's in the scroll?" She asked as she made her way back to the kitchen. Ares followed her as far as the dining table.

He moved a few bowls and mugs around and then spread the scroll out and used the bowls to weigh down the corners.

While he worked on that, Xena found an empty tankard, filled the bottom with water from a pitcher and set the daisy inside the mug. She brought it over to the table to see what Ares was up to.

When she saw the plans, her heart did a little dance. This was it, the house he was going to build to be next to her and the baby. Maybe she would get the chance to know him as the handsome man next door. And, If things worked out the way she hoped, then someday, the house he was building might be her home too. "It's beautiful, Ares, but it's ambitious," Xena commented when she noticed how similar the layout was to the island palace complex he had created.

"Too much?" he asked.

"I like the central atrium, are you thinking of a similar design to what you did on the island?"

"Yes, exactly."

"And the bedrooms will be on the eastern wing?"

"Yes, except the master which will take up the southern face."

"I am not sure the grotto will work. There aren't really any hot springs around here." Their arms touched as they leaned over the table looking at the plans. His nearness made Xena want so much more.

"Then I'll just make it a regular bath house."

"That'll work," Xena agreed.

"Kitchen and dining areas in the North." He pointed to the location of the kitchen, store room, and dining chamber.

"And here, in the West?" Xena asked.

"That's all for you, my dear. The children's rooms will have no direct access to this room. This will be Mommy and Daddy's play space," Ares grinned.

To hell with it, Xena thought. She needed him right now. She sat atop the table and pulled him between her knees. She pulled his head down for another kiss while she relieved some of her tension by grinding herself against him. Ares pressed his hands against the table and let her use his body however she needed. It was taking every ounce of restraint he could muster not to press back. Instead, he rubbed his hands lovingly along her thighs and continued kissing her.

"Ahem," Gabrielle interrupted as she came barging into the house carrying a basket of wild green onions.

Xena pulled away and jumped off the table like a teenager caught with her boyfriend. Ares thought it was cute the way she blushed and hurriedly smoothed her skirt down.

"Gabrielle, I thought you were breaking up land for a garden." Xena blurted.

"We were, but the sun is high in the sky so we are taking a break until it cools off a bit."

"I see, well, we were, uh. . ."

"Yes, I saw what you were doing." Gabrielle rolled her eyes and walked into the adjoining kitchen. She searched her market bag and pulled out a loaf of bread and a cheese wheel. "Ares would you like to join us for lunch?"

Xena scoffed at the thought. But before she could tell Gabrielle that he'd rather roll over and die before being subjected to mortal food, Ares chimed in, "how thoughtful of you to invite me, Blondie. Yes, I will accept your invitation to break bread with you." Score one for the God of War Ares thought, as he watched Xena's jaw nearly hit the floor.

He leaned over and whispered, "you just wait. I am full of surprises."

AXAXAXAXAXAXAX

After lunch, Gabrielle, Aleta, and Xena sat in rockers on the front porch and enjoyed an afternoon herbal tea. From their vantage point, they could see Ares as he began to break ground, digging the foundation for his villa.

"Did you talk to him about Mavican? I'd love to know exactly what that was all about." The bard asked.

"I didn't." Xena answered, never taking her eyes off the god in the distance. "I figured he has been beating himself up over it badly enough, he doesn't need me adding salt to the wound."

"You think he learned his lesson?"

"Oh, I don't know about that. But, I do think he realizes just how close he came to losing everything he's hoped for."

"What makes you say that?"

Xena turned to Gabrielle, "There's a gentleness about him now. Like I'm even more precious to him than I was before. Even earlier on the dining table. He was taking his time, savoring me, worshipping me."

"Okay, that's enough. I don't really need all the lurid details." Gabrielle stuffed her fingers in her ears.

"I'm just saying that I don't want to ride him out of town on a rail. He didn't do it to hurt me. He did it to get on my nerves, to pester me. He never thought she'd actually lay a hand on me. And, if he'd known I was pregnant, there's no way he would have risked it."

"I guess," Gabrielle yawned, the afternoon sun making her tired. "What about Ander?"

"We talked about it briefly. We just see justice through different eyes. I don't know if that'll ever change." Xena lamented.

"By the gods, he is so unbelievably hot!" Aleta piped in. Xena looked over at the young girl and caught the direction of the girl's gaze. Ares had stipped out of his shirt and the late afternoon sun poured delicious honeyed-light over his glistening body. He was digging trenches for the foundation and the hard work had caused a sheen of sweat to break out all over his godly form.

"Yes, he is," Xena agreed, smiling wickedly. "Excuse me, ladies," Xena called and headed into the house. She returned with a wineskin and walked past them without a word toward Ares.

When he saw her coming his way, Ares tossed his shovel aside and stood looking at her with his hands on his hips. "I knew this was going to be bad, but this is ridiculous."

"You should try to work on it in the mornings. Afternoon sun is the most brutal." She handed him the leather wine bag.

"Thanks," Ares took a few sips and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Is this your way of making me pay for my sins?"

"If I recall correctly this was your idea." Xena wiped some dirt off of his face.

"Yeah, but you didn't protest. Wait. You don't think I can do it. That's it, isn't it? You think that I'll give up because the work is too hard? Admit it."

Xena half-smiled and crossed her arms. "Why do you think I want you to fail?"

"Because you do! Part of you does, anyway. Somehow if I fail at this, I will have proved, in your twisted little mind, that I don't deserve you."

"Little mind?"

"I didn't mean that. . ."

"Save it. Look, I came over here to offer you some pointers. Like not working in the afternoon, for one. But, if you're just gonna make everything an argument then I will leave you to it." So much for him being more gentle.

"Xena," Ares sighed in defeat. "I'm not trying to argue. But, I can't really work in the mornings. That's when most of the battles are taking place."

"You can't supervise every skirmish, Ares."

"No, but I'm kinda invested in what I have going on in Persia."

"Because you're playing both sides?"

He smiled his 'you got me' grin. That was one of the things he loved about her. Very little got past her. Ares took another swig of wine.

"You know, you could just let Persia take care of itself," she had the urge to run her fingers through his hair but she resisted.

"Xena, you don't understand. I am a god, I need worshippers. I mean what is a god without a following?"

"An immortal with super powers?" Which had once sounded like the idea of heaven to Xena. Immortality and power without any obligation to anyone.

"Exactly," he spat in disgust.

"Don't you ever get tired of it? People grovelling at your feet?"

"Did you?" He asked pointedly.

Xena shrugged her shoulders, shook her head, turned around and walked away.

"What?" he called after her but didn't give chase. He knew he'd hit a nerve. Ares took a deep breath, picked up his shovel and resumed could hear the farmhouse door slam in the distance.