Chapter Text
"I feel… silly," Gabrielle admitted slowly.
"You shouldn't feel silly," Xena said as she fiddled some more with the buckle, "you should feel powerful, and sexy."
Gabrielle bit her lip and pretended to think it over loudly. "Hmmm. Nope. Not getting either of those at all."
Xena leaned back on her heels to meet her eyes, but didn't remove her hands form the belt hanging off of Gabrielle's hips. A look washed over her as she examined Gabrielle, it was gentle and understanding, but Gabrielle could see past it where there lingered some sign of a genuine concern.
"Do you want to stop?"
No, she didn't.
Sure, this was a bit intimidating. And new. And strange. And really embarrassing so far. But it had been a miracle when Xena had suggested it, and she wasn't about to back down now and lose the chance to ever actually try it. If she showed fear now, Xena would suspect her next burst of confidence to be an attempt to win her over, instead of being genuine.
Besides, the awkward set up to this hadn't actually done much to lower her libido, she was just really nervous.
As their relationship had developed, so too had a lot of Gabrielle's private fascinations. Normal things, mostly. The kinds of kissing and touching that had become common between them. But also things that up until recently Gabrielle had categorized alongside other impossible things never to be shared with Xena for fear of rejection. Fear that Xena would find her particular fascinations and fixations distasteful. And it should have thrilled her that Xena had brought this up herself without prompting. Saving Gabrielle the fear of being the first to speak of it, and assuring her that she was not alone in this want.
It was a relief, and it was an amazing testament to just how well they matched. But…
There was a big difference between imagining herself wearing a strapon, and the reality of actually having the thing buckled to her groin for the first time.
She was having trouble saying all of this, getting more and more red in the face as she struggled to form words. Xena, seeing her discomfort, went on without waiting for her answer. "It's alright, we don't have to-"
"No, I don't want to stop, it's just…"
She wasn't sure how to explain it. She was sure Xena wouldn't understand if she tried to.
Xena had plenty of experience using this thing, almost as much as she had with a sword. But Gabrielle had none at all. They were worlds apart in this regard. Gabrielle was expecting to do very poorly. And while she wasn't expecting Xena to be critical of her performance, she did predict she'd fall short compared to the near infinite list of the people who've already been in this position with Xena.
This was an extremely unfamiliar position for her. Both in literal terms, and in terms of her role.
The heavy flutter of nerves in her chest was both parts nervousness and excitement, but it was definitely leaning a bit on the side of nervousness.
Gabrielle took a deep breath to ease her nerves, and then sighed. She needed to let at least some of these anxieties off her chest, even if she wasn't sure how much Xena would understand.
"I'm worried that I'll be really bad at this. And you'll be thinking the whole time about how terrible I am at it, and I'll just embarrass myself, and you won't even like it..."
"It's normal to be bad at something when you do it the first time" Xena replied, unbothered by her lack of confidence.
"Yeah, I bet you weren't though."
Xena smiled. For a moment it looked like she was recalling a memory. But she very quickly returned to the present. "I think you'll do just fine," she said, pulling another notch through the buckle, and then experimentally tugging on it to test its hold on Gabrielle's hips. It held firm. "Comfortable?" she asked.
"I guess." There really wasn't anything that felt natural about this.
The harness itself was normal enough. Not that Gabrielle was in the habit of wearing them, but it was made of materials and woven in shapes that were familiar. It mostly just looked like a belt, but with bands across either side of her hips that ran back beneath her buttocks and met up at the front of her thighs. It was made of the same dark leather and brass buckles as Xena's armor, which had been an amusing observation to Gabrielle at first. Even when she wasn't the one wearing it, it felt distinctly like Xena's strap.
On its own, it wouldn't look so out of place to be wearing with her regular ensemble. Aside from the eight-inch shaft of polished obsidian fastened through the front of it, anyway. That part stood out. In a very literal sense.
It was shaped only in vague resemblance to a real member. It was mostly smooth, with no real intricate details aside from the slight curve of it. In Gabrielle's own limited and extremely brief experience, this obsidian replica seemed girthier than the real thing, but she also knew from a much broader experience that it was not remotely Xena's most outrageous toy.
It felt normal enough to wear. However, it was the only thing Gabrielle was wearing.
"…I am kind of cold" Gabrielle added after a pause.
Xena had suggested that they go on this particular adventure indoors. But the thought of trying this out in some dingy inn, with thin walls and a dirty bed seemed so much less appealing than where they already were. At least outside they had more privacy. And with the sun set low on the horizon, hiding everything in a mottled half-light, Gabrielle didn't need to think too much about how she looked with this silly thing on her pelvis.
The chill was so far the only real downside to the location. But soon enough, that hopefully wouldn’t be a problem.
"I told you that you could wear it over your skirt if you wanted," Xena reminded her.
Gabrielle rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Yeah, I'm sure you'd also recommend I wear a full suit of leather armor too, Ms. Expert" she teased, finding her humor for the first time since the start of this venture.
Xena scoffed and responded in a tone equally as teasing. "Didn't realize you had complaints, Ms. 'Please Can You Wear The Leather Again This Time?'."
Gabrielle blushed, and had to force herself to frown in order to stifle a smile. "Not complaining when you do it, it's just… not what I wanted to do." She didn't like the idea of having a barrier like that between them for this. She wanted the comfort of skin-to-skin.
Xena smiled again, and ran her thumb warmly in circles just above Gabrielle's hip. "Understandable," she said. "I'll admit, it's a lot of fun to… feel it more directly." She maneuvered her hand to the front, where she wrapped her digits around that long, prodding piece of obsidian. Gabrielle stiffened with the motion.
The shaft was the same one Xena usually used herself. Both when she wore it in the strap, and when she was maneuvering it by hand. But the way Xena held it in her hand now was with an appreciation like it was new. She hummed thoughtfully as she stroked it once, looking up into Gabrielle's eyes as she did so.
It was only a piece of carved and polished stone. Far from how she imagined the real thing might feel on her groin. But it was fastened tightly enough to her hips that Gabrielle could feel the movements through it. The end at the base had a sort of shape to it which dug just barely into the shallow groove of tender flesh between her legs. Not deep enough to really penetrate, but with every minor movement of the device, it provided some friction in return. And watching Xena move her hand over it, feeling the subtle press and tug of it against her pelvis ignited the spark of a feeling Gabrielle had been too nervous to really feel until then. Like it was more than just a piece of stone attached to a harness. Like it was part of her.
Xena must have recognized the feeling in her eyes somehow. She smiled when she saw it, and gave one last appreciative tug before rising to her feet, and towering over her with that familiar imposing height.
"That's the most important part to remember," she said, "you need to think of it as an extension of yourself."
Gabrielle couldn't help laughing at that. She covered up the giggle that escaped her when Xena shot her an admonishing serious look. "Oh, come on, you're talking about this like you're training me to use a weapon!"
"That's not a bad way to think of it."
It definitely was a bad way to think of it.
"I'm sure you wouldn't think so."
"Well, I am an expert, I've been told." Xena brushed some hair away from Gabrielle's forehead. Rather than move in herself to close the distance, she reached her arm around to grab Gabrielle from behind and pull her in. She lowered her head to kiss her just above her brow.
The kiss itself was nice. But Gabrielle was too acutely aware of how the phallus was digging into Xena's muscular thigh to really be soothed by it. Rather, she found that it was arousing her.
The obsidian was a poor conductor of heat, and so it felt shockingly cold against the skin it touched. Xena certainly didn't seem to mind. She was pressing her leg against it with intent as she kissed her, letting that other end press into Gabrielle at her softest part.
Gabrielle felt her breath catch in her throat. She couldn't do much more than stand frozen in place as Xena rubbed her leg against the phallus.
"Still nervous?" Xena asked in between her gentle forehead kisses.
"That's an understatement…"
Xena put her hand under Gabrielle's chin and tilted it up, guiding her eyes toward hers. "Don't be. You look beautiful." She kissed her again, this time on her lips, with that same slow tenderness. She lowered her hand away from Gabrielle's face, and brought it down to mirror its twin, holding Gabrielle's derriere in both hands now and squeezing it gently. She used her hold on her to move her hips just so, angling her and the shaft so that it aimed more inward. Pressing the obsidian under her leathers and against her groin. "And you feel…" she rolled her hips against the device and groaned. "…perfect."
Gabrielle felt weak in her knees. She was shaking. She was sure she must be seriously in danger of falling over. Xena must have sensed it. She grinned proudly.
"Let's get a bit more cozy," Xena suggested, moving to stabilize them against the ground.
It was all Gabrielle could do just to nod.
Without a proper bed, the only comfortable place to situate themselves was on top of one of the bedrolls. Gabrielle was familiar enough now with sleeping outdoors that it didn’t matter. A simple bedroll might as well have been a lavish cushiony mattress, as long as they were laying there together.
Xena pulled Gabrielle down with her when she laid her back down onto the tanned hide bed, holding Gabrielle to her chest. The phallus was once again pressed into Xena's thigh.
Gabrielle gulped, and remained frozen.
Xena smirked at her, clearly amused by how skittish Gabrielle was without direction. But she took pity on her and took measures to carefully nudge her along without taking over completely.
She tilted her head slightly down to indicate toward herself. "Do something about these clothes of mine, would you?"
"Right..." Gabrielle agreed unnecessarily after taking a deep gulp.
She leaned back, and moved her hands in a somewhat rehearsed motion over Xena's clothes. Luckily, Xena had been kind enough to have already removed her armor on her own, leaving only the leathers and the soft fabrics of her underclothes. Gabrielle was familiar enough with disrobing Xena for this part to be much less unnerving. The familiarity of undressing Xena actually comforted her somewhat. Comforted her enough to make her a bit more playful again.
She slid her hands under Xena's back and sightlessly felt the knots holding the cuirass tight to her chest, and undid them. With all the practice she had, it was easy. And as always since that first time she'd ever undressed Xena's back, she felt all at once gentled and thrilled to be allowed to touch her so familiarly. This little intimacy would never lose its appeal. "You could have made this easier by already being undressed, you know," she said as she pried off the leather cuirass.
"I know," Xena smiled, holding herself up on her elbows to watch her as Gabrielle then took her boots into her hands and wrested them off. "But I like it better when you do it for me" she winked. She also knew that Gabrielle liked undressing her as much as she liked being undressed, but allowed her feigned annoyance to pass without contradiction.
"Living up to that 'Princess' title, I see," she rolled her eyes.
"Mmm, be glad I'm not a queen. They're so much needier." Just for that, Gabrielle pinched her thigh as she pulled the last of her covering off. Xena exaggerated her reaction in a playful sort of way, twisting her naked hips away from her and pouting. "And meaner!"
Gabrielle smirked and crawled up Xena's body to lay on her and kiss her cheek. "Aww, my big warrior baby… I hope I didn't bruise you."
Xena abandoned the pretense of being insulted, and untwisted herself so she could open her soft, vulnerable front to the small perfect body atop her. She reached up and combed her fingers through the tresses of Gabrielle's long golden hair until she had a firm hold on the back of her head. Then she pulled her mouth into hers.
All the while, this new position afforded the obsidian a wonderful place between Xena's bare thighs. And feeling its pressure, Gabrielle was suddenly reminded of her nervousness. She shifted her pelvis instinctively, but only succeeded in rubbing the strap deliciously against a particularly tender place. She stilled herself and blushed, pulling out from the kiss.
"Oh no, don't…" Xena pulled her back into another kiss. A pleading, wanting kiss. Her lower lip kneaded against Gabrielle's in a way that was like she was begging. "You're so good."
Gabrielle's nerves were powerless against Xena. She let herself succumb to the coaxing and relax against the expanse of Xena's generous chest as they kissed, breast to breast.
Xena lightly rolled her crotch against the shaft as she held her, making herself sigh languidly against Gabrielle's mouth at the feel of it.
The phallus was so tightly fastened to Gabrielle that she could feel every minute press and give of the stone. And through each press, she felt the friction of Xena against it. It was almost like she could feel it directly through herself. She was surprised to find how easy it really was to imagine the stone was part of her.
It made her hips hungry to seek out more friction.
But the foreignness of the object fastened to her crotch was still awkward enough to keep her from giving in to that want immediately. She mewled quietly in frustration.
Xena pulled out from the kiss just enough to rub her grinning lips across Gabrielle's cheek. She brought her mouth to her ear and whispered tenderly. "Here. Feel me."
Xena took Gabrielle's hand in hers, and led it down between their hips. Gabrielle's breathing hitched as she felt her fingers trailing over her damp curls and down to the open flesh below. Xena's hand fell away, leaving Gabrielle's to trail alone up and down the lips of her vulva. "Gods, Xena," she marveled, "how are you already so…"
"Gabrielle," she purred, "If you knew how beautiful you look right now, you wouldn’t need to ask." She clutched her fist around the shaft and tugged it toward her, pulling Gabrielle with it. She dragged the head of it over her moisture while Gabrielle whined. "I want you in me. Now."
Her free hand reached out to snag Gabrielle by the ass. In a single fluid motion of her wrist, Xena drove Gabrielle's hips down against hers.
Her aim was spot on. The phallus met its mark and sank down into her heated flesh with only the force of that single violent thrust. Gabrielle clenched her eyes shut and cried out softly. It wasn't as though the device were made of her flesh and blood, but she still felt it.
And that single violent thrust had given her some much-needed friction. Despite her nervousness, she craved more.
With a groan, Gabrielle slowly canted her hips forward. At the end of her thrust, she got that small amount of friction when she pressed her groin flush to Xena's. It was good. Gods, fuck, it was good. She pulled back out so she could do it again, and felt the clench of Xena's insides dragging around the little obsidian thing as she did so. It really was like a part of her. She felt dizzy, and started breathing through her mouth as she pushed harder back in. The back and forth of her hips gradually sped up.
Xena moaned appreciatively, angling her hips into the waves of motion Gabrielle was making. "That's it…"
Gabrielle got the hang of the motion pretty quickly. But her pace was erratic. She couldn't stick to a rhythm for more than three thrusts or so before she would stall and abandon it for something faster or slower. She tried in vain over and over to set a pace that could be both fast and deep without exhausting herself, clinging desperately to Xena's outer thighs as she moved in and out of her.
Xena had been patiently letting Gabrielle try to find a rhythm on her own. But after several more seconds of unsteady erratic wet pumping, she intervened.
"Slow down, slow down," she said gently, reaching out to cup her hand over Gabrielle's with all the softness of a butterfly.
She did so, panting softly as she returned herself to a maddeningly slow pace. The harsh discolored impressions she'd left of her own fingers on Xena's thighs quickly faded back to a familiar olive tone. "It's… a lot of work," she said. She allowed herself to prolong the friction by pressing down with more force, holding herself still for just a bit longer at the deepest point of her pump, buried inside Xena's flesh. It was taking so much concentration not to be overwhelmed by it all.
How did Xena make it look so easy?
"I know. You're doing very well," she reassured her, caressing Gabrielle's knuckles with the pads of her fingers.
She suspected Xena might tell her that even if it wasn't true. But she didn't care. It felt good to hear. Almost as good as it felt to have her hips pressed into those beefy thighs.
Xena pulled her close and ran her tongue across her cheek. "Don't worry so much about being fast, focus on finding a spot that feels good. A comfortable angle."
"It's all pretty comfortable…" Gabrielle breathed as she experimentally adjusted her hips and shifted her weight slightly.
Xena smiled and kissed her again. "Flatterer."
Despite her nerves, Gabrielle found herself smiling back at her into the kiss. Even in the midst of all her uncertainty and inexperience, Xena was so easy to be with. So charming and confident. She reflected for about the hundredth time that day on just how much she loved her.
And she was invigorated by an overwhelming urge to please her.
She angled the device so that it pressed up into Xena, mimicking the way she would often drive her fingers inside her. This slightly altered position had the desired effect; Xena gritted her teeth suddenly, and then released the tension with a deep, satisfied moan.
"Oh, sweetheart, that's perfect," Xena sighed.
Emboldened by the praise, Gabrielle began to move more quickly. All the time she had spent adjusting during that slow prolonged contact made her better prepared to maintain a more constant rhythm once she sped up. She was rewarded for her haste not only by an increased friction, but also by the slight sway of Xena's breasts with every pump.
It was hypnotic how they rocked back and forth. They coaxed harder thrusts out of Gabrielle just so she could watch. But just watching wasn't enough. She sacrificed her hold on one thigh to reach out and cup one of those breasts in her hand, feeling its weight against her palm. She felt the dark nipple pressing lovingly into her palm as she kneaded it.
Xena laid her head back against the ground after that, content to let Gabrielle drive into her without any further instruction. She sighed contentedly, matching her breath with the back and forth of Gabrielle's thrusts. "That dick of yours really hits the spot."
Gabrielle's once steady rhythm was broken momentarily, and she stuttered to regain it. She returned both hands to Xena's thighs, and felt her ears heating up. "Don't call it that!" she whined, picking up her pace again.
Xena was clearly amused, giving her a look like she would laugh if only she wasn't in the middle of being penetrated. "Sorry, what would you prefer I call it? Your cock? Your rod? Your rock hard pe-"
"Don't call it anything!" she moaned, but kept on thrusting it inside of her regardless of how awkward Xena was making it.
"You never have a problem with me calling it my cock when I'm sticking you with it," Xena pointed out slyly.
"It's different…" Gabrielle muttered, trying hard to split her attention between responding to Xena's quips and fucking her.
It wasn't fair. Usually by this point, Gabrielle would be a keening mess of unintelligible wails. But with their positions reversed, Xena was not rendered similarly speechless. Gabrielle hoped that wasn't a reflection of her skill.
"Are you sure you don't like it?" Xena asked, giving Gabrielle a knowing sort of side-eye. "Because when I called it your 'dick', you started going faster."
In a desperate attempt to get her to stop talking, Gabrielle leaned into her fully, pressing herself against Xena as she started pumping with all her strength. She pressed her face into Xena's chest as her hips shoved harshly against her. With her body flush against her, her strokes were so much deeper.
"Fuck…" Xena moaned, throwing her head back. "That's it, girl."
Xena was moving with her, pushing her hips up into Gabrielle's thrusts, keeping up easily with the punishing speed she had set. Gabrielle was already going as fast as she could. She felt an animalistic intensity holding her at that speed. Like she was just some desperate creature in estrus.
Every time she slid inside of her, Gabrielle could feel the warmth and wet of Xena against her. The pressure of each rough push of her hips. Even the mere sound of it was overwhelming; the wet clench of Xena's pussy, and each soft smack of hips to thighs made itself into a mantra.
"Mmmm, you're doing so good" Xena whispered gently, reaching up to pet a hand across Gabrielle's hair. Her voice wasn't so steady now, it rocked along with the rest of her. "Such a good girl, fucking me just the way I like… so good."
Gabrielle grunted and moaned, releasing the last of her energy into the cry that overtook her, half-muffled against Xena's breast. Her hips spasmed madly for some time, pumping without any coordination or sense, just the raw need to feel the pressure of Xena's body while she came.
She collapsed on top of Xena, still buried inside of her cunt. She was motionless now except for her heaving chest, the speedy little flutter of her heart against Xena's ribs, and the occasional slight involuntary twitch of her overworked hips.
Gabrielle was too exhausted to move anymore, but Xena didn't wait for her to get her strength back before she sat up and kissed her.
She held her tenderly in her strong arms, supporting her lower back and neck with gentle caresses. And while Gabrielle's mind was still a haze of post coital bliss, Xena was focused, and her breath was still heavy with the heat of want.
"You wield that dick like a pro" she said as she kissed her. There was a humorous, happy little teasing to her words, but it was also sincere. Xena was pleased with her.
But not pleased enough.
"I…you didn't…I'm sorry I-" Gabrielle stammered awkwardly, a dreaded disappointment creeping up on her and threatening to ruin what had been a damn good feeling.
"Don't be sorry" Xena whispered, shushing her with another kiss. "You did so good. I'm proud of you for holding out as long as you did. I'll take it from here."
Gabrielle was still a bit embarrassed that she hadn't been able to make Xena come before she sent herself over the edge. Xena was always courteous like that; she always made sure Gabrielle was taken care of. She never got too tired to finish Gabrielle off. She made it look so easy. It was humbling how even after failing to do the same for her, Xena was still showering her with adoration and praise and-
Wait a minute.
What did she mean 'I'll take it from here'?
Before Gabrielle could interpret what those words meant, Xena had already shoved her down onto the bedroll, effectively reversing their earlier positions. All without letting the obsidian shaft slip out of her even once.
"Xena…?" she asked weakly, unable to process what was happening. "What are you doing?"
Xena sank down on the peg with her whole body weight, pressing squarely down against that bundle of nerves, and just holding all that pressure against her. Gabrielle whimpered, throwing her head back from the sensation. It bordered on overstimulation. So intense it was almost painful. But only just. It also felt amazing, and she was very quickly getting desperate for that friction again.
"Well, Gabrielle, I'm going to fuck you, that's what" she said, grinding her hips down for emphasis. "I'm going to ride your dick until I come, because I couldn't get enough of it."
She started rolling her hips in earnest, dragging the device back and forth as she undulated.
Gabrielle was speechless, from both parts shock and pleasure. Truly nothing could compare to the feeling of having Xena's weight grind down on her.
She dug her palms into Xena's outer thighs, squeezing a bit too hard with each up and down motion.
Gabrielle could feel herself on the cusp of her second orgasm already. Her fingers clenched harder, and her head rolled indecisively from side to side.
Xena was angling herself so that the other end of the obsidian was rubbing right up against Gabrielle's clit. Pressing with that firm but shallow weight, like she was digging into her with it.
There was so much confidence and power in the way she rode her, holding herself with an arrow-straight back, and absolutely pounding into Gabrielle's crotch with every movement of her groin. Gabrielle could feel moisture leaking down the length of the shaft, and coating her already damp folds with Xena's wet.
The shaft didn't even feel like obsidian anymore. It felt warm, and wet, and right now it felt like hers. And Xena was fucking herself on it.
Xena let her lids fall closed as she leaned her head back and came. She wasn't nearly as vocal as Gabrielle was. She never was. But she let out her breath in a soft ragged grunt, thrusting her hips forward a few times in quick succession, chasing the last waves of pleasure she had left.
The feeling of Xena rocking back and forth on her as she orgasmed, gyrating her hips and groaning gently, brought Gabrielle over the edge with her.
Gabrielle had orgasmed enough times with Xena to be well acquainted with the feeling. But this time, just before she came, there was something else, too. She didn’t have time to prepare herself for it before it ripped through her.
She cried out, kicking her legs out reflexively and clenching her hands into tight fists over Xena's thighs. At first it was just her limbs, but her whole body stiffened when she felt herself leak.
While she was still in the midst of her orgasm, she clenched her eyes shut tight and felt a stream of liquid splash hotly at the junction of Xena's crotch and hers, wetting them both. It only lasted a moment, and when it was over, Gabrielle spent the tail-end of her orgasm staring wide-eyed up at Xena, mouth agape and panting. Xena was looking right back down at her.
"Well…" Xena purred, cracking a smile. "That's new."
Gabrielle groaned and lifted up her forearms to hide her face. "I didn't do it on purpose…" she whimpered.
Xena leaned down and gently pried Gabrielle's arms away. She bent her face down to hers. "You're so gross," she said, lovingly placing a kiss over her cheek.
"I am not!" Gabrielle denied fervently, blushing somehow even harder. "It was an accident!"
"I know, Sweetheart. I'm only teasing you" Xena assured her. She put her hand over the side of Gabrielle's face, caressing her thumb at just the edge of her brow. The placement and motion of Xena's hands instantly began to settle her, and Gabrielle breathed a soft sigh of relief.
"Oh…" she muttered shyly.
"Rest assured," Xena said, kissing the free side of her jaw, "I find you breathtaking, and incredibly sexy. Even when you squirt."
Gabrielle craned her head to the side toward Xena, and kissed her back.
Seeing all her anxiety finally laid to rest, Xena pulled away and sat up, moving her hands down to Gabrielle's chest for balance.
When she lifted herself up off of the stone, her face tightened just a bit. She made a barely audible hum of pleasure, and scooted back so she could kneel down in front of Gabrielle. Gabrielle still couldn't find the strength in her to move, but Xena was accommodating that. She already had her hands on the strap again, working to undo it.
She leaned her face in briefly, and licked up the length of the dick, cleaning off her own moisture. Then she had her hands on the buckle, and was casually undoing it, like she hadn't just done the sexiest thing ever just then.
"Xena?" Gabrielle asked, holding herself up on her elbows to watch her.
"Hmm?"
"I… really liked that."
"Well, that's good to hear. I did too." Xena put the strap away in a little leather pouch, and set it aside. "I was a bit worried. You seemed so nervous. You still seem nervous."
Once her hands were free, she laid down beside Gabrielle, reaching a ways away to grab a blanket and then cover both of them with it.
Gabrielle had just enough energy to snuggle up against her.
"I guess I am. A little." The thudding in her heart was mostly due to the fact that they just had sex, but true enough, the performance anxiety was still winding down. "But do you remember what I was like a year ago? Gods, just touching you scared me."
"Well, I'm glad you're getting over your fear of me, Gabrielle." Xena pulled her into an embrace, wrapping her big strong arms over her hips and drawing her impossibly closer into the softness of her bosom.
Gabrielle knew she was just teasing, but she sensed some minor truth in her words. A part of her wanted to ask if Xena actually thought she had ever been really afraid of her.
But such unhappy questions weren’t welcome now. Gabrielle pushed those thoughts away and instead she muttered muffled declarations of love against a soft breast.
It was easy to begin nodding off, wrapped tightly against Xena's warm, naked body. The dark and the silence helped matters there, too. But just before sleep came to her, Gabrielle had a thought that couldn't wait.
"Xena?"
"Hmm…" came the low, soft rumble of the woman that surrounded her.
"Next time… I could probably do it without your help. Make you come, I mean." She kept her head buried under Xena's chin as she blushed. "I think I'd be a little better at it next time, you know?"
After some more silence, she peeked up to find that Xena was still soundly asleep.
"Well, you'll see for yourself" she smiled, nuzzling back into her warm little nook beneath Xena's neck.