A Solstice Surprise

Xena had always been the better gift giver, Gabrielle didn’t have too much of an ego to admit that.

But tonight, gosh darn it, Gabrielle had decided she was going to give the Warrior Princess a run for her dinar.

Gabrielle assumed Xena had lost track of time, and just simply didn’t realise it was Winter Solstice. The Warrior Princess was the one to bring it up each year, normally followed by a coy smile and a well thought out gift miraculously in her hand. The bard had been surprised when even as they set up camp together this evening, there was not a peep out of Xena.

To be fair more than usual for them, they had been existing between crises. Between returning from Norse country, where they had lost another year of their lives, and helping Are’s out on the farm, it wasn’t surprising to Gabrielle that Xena’s internal calendar was out of sync.

Tying on her polka dot hair scarf and straightening the skirt and matching top she had worn while staying on Xena’s Grandparents farm last week, Gabrielle grinned to herself.

If Gabrielle knew one thing about her soulmate, it was that she was very particular about certain things.

One of those things being how much they carried as traveling warriors. Xena liked to keep their inventory light and baulked at anything Gabrielle tried to add to their packs, complaining about the stress on Argo.

However, for some unfounded reason Xena kept this outfit. This teeny, tiny blue ensemble Gabrielle wore while staying at the farm.

Chuckling to herself, Gabrielle remembers when she had found the garments stuffed down in one of Argos rucksacks, much to her surprise. She recalls looking at Xena confused and before she could utter a word Xena had snatched them off her, mumbling something about, “maybe needing them for a disguise”.

“Leave it, Gabrielle”, Xena had said the next day, in that grouchy tone Gabrielle knew meant she was touching a nerve, when she had suggested she could reuse the fabric to make something more useful. The Warrior Princess inexplicitly averted her eyes from the bard, ignoring her suggestion, a blush warming her cheeks.

Well, that blush and grouchy Xena comment lead Gabrielle to right now.

This moment.

They are the reasons she is currently crouched in the bushes putting back on this infernal blue miniskirt and peasant top, while Xena is unsaddling and brushing down Argo.

Gabrielle hears her cue, as Xena sits down by the fire her whetstone rhythmically ringing along her sword’s blade.

Shutting her eye’s for a moment, Gabrielle breathes in and out deeply. Centring herself, she pinches her thumb and forefinger dragging them down in front of her face, tapping into her natural high camp, overacting talents.

Snapping open her eyes, a surge of foolishness flows through Gabrielle’s veins. She stifles a giggle, before bursting from the bushes walking purposefully towards Xena.

“Oh, thank the Gods. Are you Xena, the Warrior Princess?” Gabrielle says, an accent that even she can not put her finger on interweaving into her voice.

“Gabrielle, what are you doi-” Xena grumbles lowering her sword which she had raised lazily at the bard’s abrupt entrance, her eyes lingering on the blue outfit Gabrielle now wore. Watching the Warrior’s eyes intently, the bard notices a flash of intrigue in her eyes before that warrior mask solidifies back over it.

Satisfied she has hit the chink in Xena’s armour, Gabrielle keeps up the act. Walking briskly towards the towering brunette seated by the fire. Gabrielle lays it on thick, leaning into the roleplay of it all.

“There is no time for talking. I am in great danger and I need a tall, dark and handsome warrior to save me”, Gabrielle stops a step in front of Xena, her fingers teasingly playing with the lace edging of her top.

“Gabriel-”, Xena says dryly folding her arms with a wry unamused smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“You can call me Josa.” Gabrielle quickly corrects.

A quiet chuckle escapes Xena’s lips at the memory of this character her soulmate had conjured up at a moments notice to distract goons hunting Ares. She flares her eyes provocatively at the bard communicating her computation.

“Please, Xena, I desperately need your help…”, Gabrielle continues earnestly, “…and I can pay.”

With that the bard tears open her blue top, revealing her light pink polka dot bra and throws her headscarf to the side tussling her hair, looking at Xena keenly, her blue eyes full of mischievous flirtation and pure unadulterated want.

Xena drops her whetstone on her foot and grimaces, her cheeks slightly colouring before she clears her throat, stiffens her spine, squares her shoulders. Recomposing herself, Xena grasps at that cool unflappable nerve she normally exudes.

“And what help is that, Josa”, Xena drawls, forcing an awkward mock smile demonstrating she is entertaining Gabrielle.

Despite the edges of reluctance still in Xena’s voice, Gabrielle can feel the brunette’s eyes lingering on her, running down her neck, cascading over her arms, and stomach.

Dropping to her knees, Gabrielle brings herself eye level with the Warrior Princess.

She watches the warrior’s nostrils flare, a slight snarl pulling on her face as the bard intentionally shuffles forward to be between Xena’s legs, shortening and flexing her muscles as she does.  

“You see, I need protection”, Gabrielle says as seductively as she can manage without giggling, reaching her hands out to grasp Xena’s upper thighs.

“Mmhmm”, Xena hums, her eyes watching as Gabrielle’s hands slide up her thighs, her demeanour softening to the foolishness, her arms unfolding, encircling the blonde, “From what?”

“Well, Warrior Princess, I owe a warlord a lot of dinars and he has said he is going to burn down my village if I don’t get it too him, I only borrowed the dinars to feed my family but now we don’t know what to do, please will you help, we are honest people”, Gabrielle rambles excitedly.

Xena raises both her eyebrows, pursing her lips, narrowing her eyes on Gabrielle questioningly.

Gabrielle wrinkles her nose, breaking character as she runs her arms up Xena’s biceps, resting her elbows on the Warrior’s shoulders, “Was that a bit much? I was trying to make it convincing. I’ve been working on her back story all evening. I wanted to evolve Josa. I wanted her to be real, sympathetic but not pathetic, yah know?”

“I was wondering why you were taking so long to bathe tonight”, Xena says dryly.

“I’m sorry Xena…I’ve ruined it, haven’t I? I assumed you kept the outfit because you really liked that act I put on as Josa back at the farm, and I just wanted to give you a nice Solstice present for once. With everything that has been going on, it’s understandable that you would have forgotten about it, and I just want to make it special for you this year.” Gabrielle says disheartened, dropping down to sit on her heels.

“Gabrielle you-”

“I know, I know I am “a gift” to you”, Gabrielle says absentmindedly a palm to her forehead in disgrace.

“I wasn’t going to say that”

“Oh”, Gabrielle’s eyes whip up to meet Xena’s a touch of hurt echoing in the interjection.

“I mean, this is enough. You. Gabrielle. In this. Without the Josa part”, Xena says, blushing, running a hand up the side of Gabrielle’s thigh, slipping under the fabric of Gabrielle’s skirt grasping the bards bum, pulling her back up to kneeling between her legs. Xena’s other hand holds the bard’s waist, her thumb massaging gently of her abs, before gliding under her bra and running over one of the bards nipples.

“Ohhhh”, the bard gets out in understanding followed by a whimper at the touch. Both irritated and thrilled with Xena having turned the tables on her seduction, the hunter having become the hunted, as it so often was with her soulmate.

Xena takes in the musclebound bard kneeling in front of her, in this absurdly adorable outfit which the Warrior Princess cursed herself for having a soft spot for.

“There is one thing though, Gabrielle”

“Mmm?”

“It’s Solstice Eve”

“Oh Xena! You can’t be serious. Did I truly get the day wrong - ohhhhhhh”

Having undone the laces on the back of Gabrielle’s bra undetected while the bard jabbered, Gabrielle is quickly cut off by Xena dipping her head and biting gently on one of her nipples.

“Mhmm, but yah know what? I think Josa was right about one thing.” Xena says, quirking an eyebrow and lifting Gabrielle by her thighs, settling her in her lap, legs wrapped around her waist. A hand holding the small of Gabrielles back, the other slipping beneath her underwear.

“Mmm?” Gabrielle manages, her lips parted and hands coiled in the warrior’s long dark locks

“There’s no time for talking” Xena says, running a finger through Gabrielle’s wet sex.

“Happy Solstice, Xena” Gabrielle stutters breathlessly, pulling Xena’s face up to hers.

“Happy Solstice, Gabrielle”, Xena replies, her eyes darting over to a little perfectly wrapped gift with red ribbon waiting on Gabrielle’s side of the furs laid by the fire.

Smiling self-satisfied up at Gabrielle, the bard grins in return pressing her nose against Xena’s her mouth agape as the Warrior Princess slides a finger into her and dips her head to take one of the bard’s nipples in her mouth.

The Warrior Princess allows herself to smile at the sound of her soulmate rasping, moaning her name repeatedly, shrugging of the weeks leading up to now, and focusing on what mattered most in the known world… this infuriatingly ridiculous beautiful creature writhing in her arms.