The first time, it's an accident, almost.

They've been traveling for so long, and Gabrielle is so tired. Okay, maybe she's complaining a little much, but it's not like Xena thinks she's traveling with some kind of minor goddess of foot sores and bathing in streams. Gabrielle loves traveling with Xena. She just also loves a hot bath and a warm bed sometimes.

She has a little too much to drink. Just a little - enough that she's leaning on Xena and Xena is glaring at everyone as they go upstairs. Gabrielle doesn't even realize Xena's had a lot, too, until Xena pins her against the door of their room and says, "Shh."

They stand there like that, Gabrielle breathing maybe a little hard, Xena's head bent over her, until the people walking down the hallway pass. They walk slowly, in Gabrielle's opinion, but when they finally pass, Xena opens the door and pushes Gabrielle inside.

But Xena doesn't let go of her. She says, "Get ready for bed," but she's still holding on to Gabrielle's arm.

"I would, if you let go," Gabrielle says. She shakes her arm a little.

Xena looks at her - looks her up and down, the way she does when she's being all evil warrior, with people taller and stronger than Gabrielle. Then she lets go and steps back.

Only she's still watching.

"Get undressed," she says, voice low.

"Oh," Gabrielle says, realization dawning. "You know, it makes sense that this would be something you like. I read once -"

Xena moves so quickly Gabrielle can barely track her, grabbing both Gabrielle's arms hard enough to hurt. "I said, get undressed," she says, looking Gabrielle in the eye.

Gabrielle opens her mouth, but she can't make herself say anything. "Right," she says. "Of course." She slips her dress off so that she's only in her shift, then glances over at the bed.

"That's not what I mean," Xena says, and -

Gabrielle blinks. Sure, the world is spinning a little, but she doesn't think she's imagining Xena on her knees.

Then Xena lifts her shift and rises slowly, pulling it off. Gabrielle blinks, and stares, then stares some more.

"You know," she says finally, "you wear a lot of leather."

Xena takes Gabrielle's hands and guides them to clasps on the shoulders. Then down to her back, making Gabrielle step forward to undo the clasps.

"Wow," Gabrielle says when Xena's just standing there in a shift. "This is, I mean...we're really going to do this?"

"Get on the bed," Xena says quietly.

As much as Gabrielle knows she pretty much does what Xena tells her to - well, Xena's in charge, and that makes sense - now it's just, Gabrielle doesn't know, more. She goes over to the bed and lies down, pressing her legs together so she's not so obviously, well, naked. She watches as Xena pulls her shift over her head and then moves until she's above Gabrielle.

"I've had people all kinds of ways," Xena says.

She must really be drunk. She only talks about stuff like this when she's had a few too many ales. "Oh?" Gabrielle says, trying to sound casual. Fumbling with a farmhand in her village behind a barn is pretty much the same thing as doing things with Xena. Gabrielle has experience. She's not phased by Xena's everything.

"Mhmm," Xena says, and trails a finger down Gabrielle's shoulder.

Gabrielle feels like her skin is too tight for her body. "So," she says. "I guess we could..." She tries to think of something to say. Maybe she shouldn't have had that last ale.

"Don't speak," Xena says. "Unless you'd like me to do something different."

And then she leans down and kisses Gabrielle.

Gabrielle wants to point out that she could hardly speak with Xena kissing her, but she'd have to break the kiss, and it's so good. It's even better when Xena leans down and kisses Gabrielle's jaw, running her hands down Gabrielle's arms and locking around her wrists.

"I could have you touch yourself," Xena says, kissing so close to Gabrielle's breasts that Gabrielle can't help the way her eyes widen.

"Oh, I don't know," Gabrielle says. "I mean I think I'd look pretty silly, and - ow!"

Xena bites her shoulder again. "I told you not to talk."

Gabrielle frowns. "What if I do?"

"Then you won't get to know what I want to do with you." Xena tugs at her arms, pulling them above her head. "Hold onto the headboard."

It is carved in a way that makes that possible, but - Gabrielle opens her mouth.

Xena lets go of her wrists and grabs her jaw, hard. "Don't," she says, and leans down, kissing Gabrielle again.

Gabrielle feels weird all over, like how she did those times behind the barn, only better. She spreads her legs without thinking, and Xena takes advantage, settling between them and running a hand down Gabrielle's stomach.

Gabrielle can't help yelping a little when Xena touches her. It feels - she moves her hips slowly, and Xena smiles.

"Good," she says. "Just like that, Gabrielle."

She slips fingers inside Gabrielle then, and it feels so good that Gabrielle bites her lip and swallows around what she wants to say. Xena leans in and worries a spot on her neck while she moves her fingers, brushing her thumb over that spot on Gabrielle, curling her fingers inside her. Gabrielle can feel herself getting wetter, and it's not completely unfamiliar - she's not some silly, green newbie - but it's never felt like this before, intense enough to make her entire body seize up. Maybe it's the ale, but Gabrielle doesn't think so.

It feels so, so good, good enough that Gabrielle gives up on her considerable scruples and moves her hips up against Xena shamelessly. Xena keeps going, moving down Gabrielle's body to kiss and bite her everywhere. Her free hand is holding Gabrielle's arm, so tightly - but it feels good. Gabrielle tightens her hands on the headboard and tries to hold on. Her legs are braced apart now, and Xena keeps looking up at her with this strange expression. Gabrielle's not sure what it means, but that's fine, as long as she keeps feeling like this.

Only then Xena presses down hard, and Gabrielle can't keep herself from making noise. Her entire body feels like it's falling apart, and she arches up and bucks against Xena, trying to feel more. Anything more.

When it's over, she blinks down at Xena. "Can I talk?" she says. "I want to, I mean - I'd like to say, that was -"

Xena kisses her again. And, oh - she moves her fingers, and Gabrielle kisses back and clings to the headboard for all she's worth.

Then Xena says, "You're going to touch me," and takes one of Gabrielle's hands away from the headboard, guiding it down to between Xena's legs.

Gabrielle's not sure how that kind of softness is supposed to be anything but very intimidating. She does her best, even though her fingers are clumsy, and she feels so triumphant when Xena's eyes slip closed and she bears down hard on Gabrielle.

Xena's own climax is quieter than Gabrielle's, but it definitely happens. "Hah," Gabrielle says, pulling her fingers out. "I -"

Xena grabs her hand and moves it up to Gabrielle's mouth. "Taste."

It's an order, and Gabrielle obeys without thinking, sucking her own fingers into her mouth. Xena watches with the kind of satisfaction she usually only gets when she beats up ten men alone. When her fingers are clean, Xena pulls them out, and then moves off Gabrielle.

Gabrielle's pretty sure she has to ask. "Can I put my hand down?"

Xena reaches up and brushes her hand over Gabrielle's on the headboard, then puts her hand over the bruise on Gabrielle's arm again.

It hurts. Gabrielle's not even sure she likes it. It's just...it's Xena.

"Go to sleep," Xena says.

"Right," Gabrielle says. "Sure. Absolutely. I'm sleeping now."

Fortunately, she's had enough to drink that soon enough that's true.

After that, things are - well, different. Sometimes Xena will pull Gabrielle to the side in a quiet wood and press her against a tree, kissing her. Sometimes she'll lay Gabrielle out on the grass and make her feel amazing. She always shows Gabrielle how to respond, telling her exactly what to do, and it makes Gabrielle shudder and want to be touched all over again.

It's not exactly strange when her leg gets grazed with an arrow. It happens a lot, if you're as prone to trouble as Xena. But after two days, Xena stops and curses, looking down at her leg.

"Damn it all," she says, unsheathing a knife. "The angle -" She looks up. "Gabrielle. Come here."

Gabrielle does. "What exactly do you want me to do? I'm not good with knives, unless the question is cutting a loaf of bread. In fact -"

Xena grabs her wrist. "Gabrielle," she says, and presses the knife into Gabrielle's hand.

The stitches are ugly, though the wound is mostly healed. "Cut them out," Xena says, guiding Gabrielle's hand until the knife is close to the stitches. "Believe me, at this point it's better than leaving them in.

Gabrielle swallows hard. "I think...I think I need you to tell me exactly what to do."

"I can do that."

"Cut carefully. You don't want to reopen the wound."

The stitches are tough, but Xena's knife is sharp. Gabrielle cuts slowly, watching the way Xena's skin pulls apart when she does. Her hand is shaking a little, but Xena's hand on her is warm, and finally, all the stitches have been cut.

"You don't have to watch this part," Xena says. Gabrielle sighs with relief and turns away.

"You know, I hadn't thought about the gross parts of adventuring," Gabrielle says.

"Well, now you have." Gabrielle hears Xena sheathing the knife, and then Xena runs a hand down Gabrielle's neck. "You can look now."

They end up kissing, which Gabrielle is more than okay with. Gabrielle figures that's the end of that.

A few nights later, Xena's having a nightmare. Gabrielle's used to them by now; she rolls over and says, "Xena. Xena, wake up," loudly. At least this time Xena's not in her armor, so -

Xena lets out a war cry and leaps forward. Somehow she's got a knife, and it's against Gabrielle's throat. "Xena," Gabrielle says again, fighting to stay calm. "Xena, it's me, open your eyes."

Xena does, and then Gabrielle sees recognition in them. "Oh, good," Gabrielle says. "It's just me, Xena. You can, you know. Put the knife down."

"Gabrielle," Xena says quietly.

She doesn't move the knife. Gabrielle forces herself not to panic. This is Xena; Xena won't hurt her. Not seriously, anyway.

"Do you trust me?" Xena says quietly.

"Of course," Gabrielle says. "With my life. And - other parts. You know that. Xena, are you okay?"

Xena doesn't answer, just presses the knife against Gabrielle's skin a little more. Gabrielle's about to suggest she maybe sit back when Xena leans down, angles the knife, and kisses where Gabrielle's skin meets the blade.

Gabrielle blinks hard. She's not sure she's awake enough for this.

"Xena," she says again. "I trust you. You're a good person."

Xena laughs bitterly.

"You are," Gabrielle says. "I wouldn't say it if I didn't believe it. And anyway -"

Xena pulls the knife back, then brings the flat of the blade down hard on Gabrielle's neck. "Ow!" Gabrielle says. "Xena -"

It's not exactly a surprise when Xena pushes her skirts up. "Tell me you like this," she says.

Gabrielle's not sure if she's supposed to lie. She can't do much of anything, though, when Xena brushes her hand over Gabrielle's thigh while she tugs Gabrielle's shift down, exposing her breasts to the air.

Gabrielle sighs a little. "I trust you," she says again.

Xena runs the tip of the knife down between Gabrielle's breasts. It's sharp, and the threat of pain is right there, but Gabrielle forces herself to relax. There's no way Xena's going to hurt her. Xena's -

Pressing the knife down just hard enough that Gabrielle feels a pinprick of pain. "Xena, wait," Gabrielle says, but Xena bows her head and kisses the cut between Gabrielle's breasts just as she thrusts her fingers into Gabrielle.

Gabrielle didn't even really realize she was wet, but now she gasps, thrusting her hips up against Xena and fighting not to move and cut herself.

"Careful," Xena says, running the knife further down Gabrielle's chest.

There's blood on her lips. Gabrielle surprises herself with the way her breath catches.

Xena twists her fingers a little and then moves the knife up to Gabrielle's breasts. She runs the tip of it over Gabrielle's skin, then presses the flat against Gabrielle's nipple. It feels strange, but the potential to cut her through the heart is right there and it's all Gabrielle can do to keep breathing.

Xena keeps thrusting her fingers. She knows Gabrielle so well now - it's easy for her to make Gabrielle feel more and more out of control. Gabrielle can't move the way she normally does, though; she can't press up to kiss Xena. Especially when Xena moves the knife back up to her neck and strokes her skin as she keeps moving her fingers.

Finally, though, Gabrielle hits her peak, shuddering and moaning. When she's done, Xena puts the knife down next to Gabrielle's head and kisses Gabrielle deeply.

"I could," Gabrielle says. "I mean, with you, I could..."

Xena looks down at her. Gabrielle can't read her expression. She reaches between Gabrielle's breasts and preses down on the cut.

"No," she says. But she doesn't move. She just keeps staring at Gabrielle.

"I'm kind of tired," Gabrielle admits.

Xena smiles a little. It's a fond smile, a Xena smile. "Then sleep."

Gabrielle doesn't bother pointing out that Xena's still watching her. She turns towards Xena a little and closes her eyes. "Right," she says. "Goodnight."

A hand brushing against her hair is her only answer.