Disclaimer: The characters belong to
MCA/Universal/Ren Pic, not me. I'm borrowing them briefly and no infringement of
their rights is intended.
Sexuality: The subtext is maintext, but none of it is really blatant...just
suggestive.
All offerings, burnt or otherwise, can be directed to me at ArdentTly.
An Urgent Knead
by ArdentTly
Xena wiggled her fingers after drying them off on a cloth by the
sink.
There lay the lump in all it's satiny splendour. Xena's blue eyes twinkled
as she contemplated the best way to tackle the situation. Rubbing her chin
thoughtfully, she removed her armour and stripped down to her shift.
A nice comforting yeasty odour pervades the air and the warrior breathes
deeply. Another pair of eyes watch as the scene unfolds. Her green orbs
glisten with merriment. Xena always got this way when she had something
on her mind. Even thought it had been a good fortnight that they'd been on
the road, and although they'd run into one band of troublemakers or another
during that time, it had been bloody boring. For the most part. And then
there was the frustration factor, of course.
Gabrielle blinked once, bringing herself back from her reverie, and sighed
quickly as she watched her friend finish plaiting her long hair. That
done, she knew the next part of the ritual was soon to follow.
Addressing the lump, Xena turned it once, rolled it over with a slap, and
then pressed both hands over it with increasing pressure. With head well
bowed, it would seem to the uninitiated that the Warrior Princess was
praying to one god or another. Such was not the case, however, for as
Xena's chin came up, the cold tint to her eyes belied any thoughts of
supplication on her part.
Squaring her shoulders, Xena smirked and then closed her eyes briefly. One
eyebrow rose slowly as she pictured her sworn enemy. And then both sets of
fingers curled about the dough slowly. Gabrielle's mouth curled as the
yeasty pulp oozed thickly between her lover's fingers. The bard's nostrils
fluttered once as a slow growl filled the room.
The walls reverberated with the loud slapping of batter hitting wood as the
warrior bent to her task. Elbows and fists were employed as she attacked
the dough, and the bard leaned against the door jam as she watched the
symphony in progress.
Squeezing the pale batter into a long tube, Xena jammed it all back into a
ball and then pulled it apart once more. Working her long strong fingers
through the lump, she barred her teeth and ripped the mess into pieces.
With a long release of air, she stepped back and then stood there, her
breathing a little elevated, but her frustration still an almost tangible
entity surrounding her.
Cyrene tapped the blonde on the shoulder and then calmed the woman as she
started.
"S'only me, Gabrielle. What's going...Ah. Who is it this time? Ares?
Hades? That blonde maniac hasn't returned, has she?"
Gabrielle rolled her eyes. 'Gods, that would be ALL they'd need.' Callisto
was still locked in lava as far as she knew. Getting Xena to finally relax
and sleep without nightmares had taken her forever. What had begun as a
mere cuddling session had escalated into something more in short order. She
brushed her still swollen lips in memory and then blushed as her lover's
mother arched an eyebrow.
Shaking her head slowly, the bard cleared her throat. "No, Cyrene. It's
just..."
Whack! Cyrene's eyes were round as the warrior bunched the dough up and
then slammed it back onto the bread board.
"...Xena working through some..."
The warrior muttered dark threats and even darker promises as she withdrew
her breast dagger and sliced the lump into two pieces. "You sonuvabacchae!"
"...frustration, is all."
Cyrene swallowed as both eye brows rose to her hair line. She watched as
her daughter slammed each bundle down hard, and then she turned to
Gabrielle.
"Well, you know...there are more pleasant ways to tackle frustration. After
all, we have many very eligible bachelors in town here, Gabrielle. I'm sure
there would be at least a score of men who'd love to dance and prance for
Xena in an effort to get her attention.
'As if that would work.' The bard smirked and then a shudder ran through
her frame as she pictured the warrior as she'd looked earlier that morning.
"I think she likes what she's doing now, Cyrene. I don't think she needs a
husband."
Cyrene pulled her head back, placed both hands on her hips and snorted at
her daughter's friend.
"And who said anything about 'marriage'? Ha...nothing like a little roll in
the hay to defuse any feelings of frustration. I've resorted to such
measures myself on quite a few occasions."
Gabrielle's mouth opened and then closed as she weighed the pros and cons of
getting into such a revealing discussion at that moment.
Cold blue eyes dancing with battle lust pinned her as the words died on her
lips.
"Your bread's ready to be put into pans, Mother." Fixing the young blonde
with a look and then taking her elbow possessively, the warrior nodded to
her mother and then all but pushed the blonde through the door.
"Oh, and thanks for letting me give your dough a good workout, Mom. Any
time you need your dough worked over, I'm your man. Or woman, of course."
Cyrene smiled and then narrowed her eyes as she caught a brief glimpse of
the pinch her daughter applied to the bard's bottom. She shook her head and
then sighed deeply. When would she ever learn? Everytime she thought she
had a handle on her daughter, well, she fell flat on her face.
'Frustration, huh? More like inspiration to me.'
Xena kicked the door to the kitchen closed and then pulled the bard hard
against her. Gabrielle leaned back into the soft yet unyielding flesh of
her lover and then closed her eyes with a groan as Xena ground against her.
"So...you past your...mood?"
A large hand snaked up and caressed her upper arm before the warrior
replied.
"Yup."
Pursing her lips together, Gabrielle covered the warrior's hand with her own
and then pulled her into the direction of the stables.
"I think you scared your mother again."
Grinning evilly, Xena pulled back on the smaller woman's hand and felt her
blood almost percolating as Gabrielle resisted. No one else would deny her
like Gabrielle and get away with it.
"Nah, Mother's a tough old bird and she doesn't scare easily." The bard's
resistance increased. "Oh, gonna fight me, are you? Might just have to tie
you down, then."
Gabrielle smirked and then snatched her hand out of the warrior's grip.
"Speaking of which, I suppose we really should untie Joxer. Now that you've
taken your anger out on your mother's baked goods, it's probably safe."
Xena snapped her fingers. "Yeah, well...I think I'll just loosen the ropes
a little. Nothing like a little extra time alone before hitting the road
again tomorrow. I swear, if that man sings his song in its entirety again,
I'm gonna..."
Gabrielle kissed her lover and began smoothing the fabric at the warrior's
belly. "Now, now...who knew there were 19 verses?"
Pushing the woman against the wall, Xena held both wrists and glared down
into a sea of green.
"Well, if someone wouldn't try and make chit chat with the man, we wouldn't
be regaled with any attempts at singing or barding, for that matter. I
think I know more about Joxer and his damned family then I ever wanted to
know."
Gabrielle squirmed and then shrugged knowing her feeble attempts would get
her no where.
"Well, I was only trying to..."
Xena sighed and then leaned down to plant a very sweet kiss on the bard's
supple mouth.
"Yeah, I know. I like the guy, too...but he's driving me crazy. We haven't
had a moment's peace ever since he wandered into our campsite 14 days ago.
We've gotta ditch the guy. Unless there are a few warlords nearby or a
battle in the offing, I'm getting so bored that roughing up the man is
beginning to look really good." She dropped her hands and then shook her
head slowly.
"Don't get me wrong...I wouldn't hurt the guy, just...you know..."
Rubbing her wrists, the blonde smiled. "Yeah, just practice your throws and
leaps on him. I think you did to him yesterday what I just witnessed you
doing to the dough today." She nodded once. "Okay, we'll keep him confined
for another hour..."
Xena scratched her jaw.
"...or two?"
Xena screwed her face up as if in deep thought.
"Until tomorrow?" Sighing in defeat, she reached up and kissed the warrior
quickly.
"Well, in that case, I suppose I should make sure he doesn't lose a limb
from lack of circulation. And I'll ask your mother to leave a loaf of fresh
bread nearby."
Xena smirked. "Hey, tell Mom that he's having a fit or something so she
won't untie him."
The bard nodded. "Say, perhaps she'd like to hear his song?"
Xena swatted the woman on her behind and then pushed open the door.
"Ha. My mother has more taste than that. Listen, I'm going to go wash up.
See ya back in the loft in say, ten minutes?"
"Don't start without me." An image of Xena lying in the golden hay, flesh
glittering in the afternoon sun as droplets of water worked down her
shoulders, her...She swallowed deeply.
"Okay, so you can start without me...but don't get too far." And with an
impish grin, she walked back into the kitchen. Xena watched as the bard's
hips swayed provocatively. Scratching her chin, she wondered how she could
have ever missed the beauty and sensuality of the woman all the time they'd
been on the road.
Shrugging once, she blessed her nightmares once more. Carefully unplaiting
her braid, she began whistling a tune as she made her way to the barn. A
soft neigh was heard as Argo recognized her owner.
"Heh...that's my girl." Fetching an apple from the corner barrel, Xena
rubbed her horse's nose and then smiled as the piece of fruit disappeared
almost immediately.
"You are getting so spoiled. Well, just so you don't get used to it; we're
back on the road tomorrow, girl."
Gabrielle cleared her throat and Xena's eyes grew wide as she glanced over
her shoulder.
"Oooh, you made quick time."
"I had incentives." Xena's heart rate increased at the sight of the bard
slowly removing her clothing, piece by piece. A look of promise was written
on her face and Xena sucked a tooth. Patting the mare once more, the
warrior went to get another apple.
"Or not."
Ripping her own shift from her body, Xena hugged the bard close to her and
then without pre amble, bent her knees and leapt backwards into the loft. A
small gleeful scream came from the bard as she steadied herself.
"Now THAT's a trick I never get tired of, Xena."
Xena waited until the blonde was positioned in the hay. "Oh, I have many
tricks that should leave you spellbound for days, bard. Though you might
get tired...good and tired, as a matter of fact."
Gabrielle wiggled her fingers and then opened her arms wide. "Oh, I might
be too much for you, warrior. I think you said something about tying me
down?"
A deep throated laugh caused the hair on Argo's neck to rise and she stomped
her foot knowingly. Munching on the other apple, she sighed contentedly and
began rubbing her side against the stall. 'Spoiled indeed,' she thought.
The End.
Copyrighted by ArdentTly