The Good, The Bad and The Fangy
by dawnm
Hearts Afire
[reviews]
Author's Note: I hope you enjoy this chapter. Be warned...it's a bit racier than previous chapters. I think it's dancing on the line between PG-13 and R, but hopefully staying on the PG-13 side. Feedback will be appreciated...so when you finish reading, please take a second to review and let me know what you think.
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Chapter 10 - Hearts Afire
"Gabrielle..." She whispered the bard's name as if it were a prayer. Xena clung to the younger woman, all of the warrior's defenses reduced to a pile of rubble.
Guided by instinct alone, Gabrielle found Xena's lips with her own and kissed the brunette with an urgency borne purely of love, further disarming the warrior who had nothing in her vast experience to compare this to. Xena returned the kiss, alternately stroking the bard's hair and face, unable to do more as she found herself regressing to an awkward teenage girl - something she had never truly been. The warrior's breath caught in her throat when Gabrielle's hand brushed against her side, moving steadily toward her breast leaving a trail of sparks in its wake.
The bard ended the kiss, looking down into the smoky blue eyes of the woman beneath her as if seeking permission to go on. Xena smiled an oddly shy smile for the warrior. She lifted Gabrielle's hand to her lips, placing a soft kiss in the palm, before guiding it back to her own breast signaling her approval. The younger woman blushed as she felt an unfamiliar ache build inside her, but the flicker of desire in Xena's eyes was all the encouragement she needed.
Gabrielle rejoined their mouths all the while tugging at the warrior's sleeping shift, longing to feel the satin skin beneath. Xena shifted to allow the bard access and breathed a soft moan into Gabrielle's mouth as a warm hand slipped under the garment and moved across her bare stomach in a tender caress. Further exploration by the bard left the warrior breathless and unable to maintain the kiss. With shaking but persistent hands, Gabrielle grasped the cloth and removed it with only minimal fumbling in the process.
Any boldness she had felt skittered away as the bard took in the sight before her. Feeling decidedly cowardly, she lay motionless, looking pleadingly into the warrior's eyes. Xena offered a comforting smile and turned toward Gabrielle, guiding the strawberry-blonde down onto her back on the mattress. The bard smiled sheepishly, her eyes expressing relief that she was no longer leading.
As intent green eyes dared to scan the beauty above her and desire lit Gabrielle's features, Xena's heart nearly stopped. She leaned in, placing a brief kiss on the bard's lips before capturing her bottom lip between her own, running her tongue along the expanse of silky pink flesh. Gabrielle whimpered, clutching at the warrior's back, and nearly fainted when a strong hand caressed her thigh, coming to a rest at the curve of her hip.
Xena paused at the hem of the nightgown, stopping her loving assault on the bard's lips to meet her gaze with the question. Unable to speak beyond the lump of desire in her throat, Gabrielle simply nodded in reply, reaching for the warrior's hand to help her remove the last barrier between them. Both women were lost in the sensation when skin finally met skin and an intense heat burned between them in spite of the chill in the air around them.
Small hands traveled the expanse of the warrior's back, kneading the muscles that played beneath the skin. Xena murmured words of love as she trailed kisses from the bard's shoulder to the pulse point of her throat, bringing a hand between their bodies to Gabrielle's breast. The bard's breath hitched in her throat at the contact and a pleased smile teased the corners of the warrior's mouth as the strawberry blonde moved against her. Gabrielle bit her lower lip, trying to suppress a plea. Despite her effort, a somewhat high-pitched moan escaped, broadcasting her need better than any words could have.
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"You cold?" Buffy asked the shivering redhead.
"A little."
"Get up." The blonde said, climbing to her feet.
"Huh?"
"Come on. Up." Buffy pulled Willow off the bed and folded back the covers. "Now, get in." She smiled at the confused redhead. "Under the covers. It'll be warmer." Willow nodded her understanding and kicked off her shoes before climbing into the bed.
"Mind if I join you?" Buffy asked as the redhead snuggled down under the blankets with a contented smile.
Willow nodded her approval, her green eyes sparkling as she looked up at the blonde. "I'd mind if you didn't. I've been looking forward to this all day." Buffy smiled a mischievous smile, raising an eyebrow at the comment. "Oh, I didn't mean...I meant the cuddles...I've been looking forward to, um, cuddles...all day."
Buffy chuckled, kicking off her shoes and climbing into bed as the redhead babbled. The slayer silenced her with a soft kiss. "I knew what you meant, Will." She smiled adoringly at her blushing girlfriend, pulling the covers up over them and settling back against the pillows. Willow looked at her expectantly and Buffy smiled, opening her arms and inviting the hacker to settle in at her side. "Better?"
"Uh huh." Willow said contentedly. "You?"
"Much." Buffy agreed, pulling the redhead closer.
After a moment, Willow looked up at her girlfriend. The look in her eyes told Buffy that something was on her mind. "What's up?"
"Oh, I was just thinking...Gabrielle seemed kinda upset when she left. Do you think she'll be okay?" The hacker asked thoughtfully.
As if on cue, distinctive sounds from the room next door carried through the wall and the redhead's eyes grew three sizes.
Buffy couldn't suppress a chuckle. "They, uh, sound like they're doing just fine."
"Buffy!" Willow gasped in shock.
"What?" She asked, smiling innocently at the embarrassed hacker. Willow pulled the covers up over her head and buried her face in Buffy's shoulder. "Hey, what are you doing under there?" Buffy teased, trying to lift the blankets to catch a peek at the blushing redhead.
Willow flung back the covers with her mouth hanging open, too speechless to even form the words to deny her girlfriend's implication. "God, you're beautiful." Buffy blurted out; all traces of humor gone from her voice as her hazel eyes worked at memorizing Willow's face.
The emotional roller coaster seemed to grind to a halt for the hacker, leaving her heart stuck on pure love. "Aww, Buffy." Willow reached out to take her girlfriend's hand. "You're so sweet to me. I...I don't know what I'd do without you."
Sadness flashed in the green eyes at the thought of losing Buffy and the slayer lifted Willow's chin forcing her to look at her. "Hey...you're never going to have to find out. I promise. I'm not going anywhere." Willow offered a watery smile and Buffy continued, "I have everything to live for now...I've got you." Leaning forward, she kissed the tip of Willow's nose. On impulse, the hacker tilted her head to capture Buffy's lips. The blonde smiled into the kiss, pleasantly surprised at the turn of events.
Pulling away to look at her girlfriend, Willow wore an impish grin. "Are you laughing at me?" She asked, playfully pushing the slayer back onto the mattress. Buffy shook her head, but couldn't help chuckling at the redhead's 'tough-girl' display. "You shouldn't laugh at me...." Willow whispered the warning in the blonde's ear and the slayer stopped laughing when every nerve ending in her body jumped to attention as Willow's warm breath danced across her skin.
Buffy encircled the hacker's waist and pulled her down on top of her. "You...are driving me crazy." She whispered into the hacker's ear, giving her a taste of her own medicine. For a moment Willow thought she might pass out as her pulse began to race, but Buffy released her hold on the redhead and relaxed back into the mattress giving the hacker some space.
"Sorry." Willow said with a sheepish smile, shifting her weight off of the blonde to lay down beside her.
Buffy smiled an easy smile, turning onto her side to face her girlfriend. "Nothing to be sorry for." She said cheerily, leaning in for a kiss and taking Willow's breath away in the process. Both girls soon lost themselves in each other's lips and hands began to roam of their own accord.
Several minutes later, it was Buffy who ended the kiss, trying to catch her breath after Willow's wandering hand brushed against her breast. For her part, Willow seemed utterly shocked to discover what her hand had been doing. The hacker rushed to apologize, but Buffy put a finger to her lips, silencing her. "S'okay. I just wasn't expecting..." The slayer explained breathlessly, then offered a lopsided grin. "So not complaining."
As if to prove her point, Buffy brought their lips together again, pulling Willow into her arms as she nipped at the hacker's lower lip. Willow parted her lips, inviting entrance, and their tongues met somewhere in the middle. As the kiss deepened, countless minutes passed, each driving the other to the brink of insanity and neither wanting to stop any time soon. It was Willow this time who finally pulled away with a start, gasping for air when Buffy shifted and a leather-clad knee accidentally landed in a particularly sensitive place.
Buffy's brow furrowed in concern when the hacker nearly jumped off the bed at the contact. "God, Will. I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"
"No...not hurt." Willow squeaked out.
"Oh." The blonde looked confused for a second until the meaning dawned on her. "Oh! Will...I'm so sorry. Not part of the plan." Buffy said, dropping onto her back on the mattress again.
"Plan?" The redhead asked in a high-pitched voice, glancing nervously at her girlfriend.
Buffy smiled. "Relax, Will. I just meant...we should take things slow." She said, reaching up to run her fingers through silky auburn hair. "Tonight I thought we could just cuddle...and maybe kiss. Cause...how could I resist kissing these lips?" She smiled, running her index finger along the curve of the lips in question.
The hacker's response conveyed both nervousness and relief. "Oh! Yeah...slow is..." Willow breathed. "Slow is good." Her eyes lingered on Buffy's mouth as she spoke and her expression changed, giving away the longing she felt.
"Are you disappointed?" Buffy asked, trying to define the look on the redhead's face.
"Wha--?" Willow snapped out of her daze, meeting the blonde's eyes. "N-no. I was just hoping..." Willow trailed off as her gaze fell again to her girlfriend's lips.
Buffy smiled. "For another kiss?" She asked, finishing the hacker's sentence.
Willow gave an enthusiastic nod. "Uh huh. Kissing is good."
Buffy's eyes sparkled adoringly. "You don't even need to ask. Come here." A smile spread across the redhead's face as she moved into the waiting arms and met the enticing lips.
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"Gabrielle?" Xena froze, all color draining from her face when she saw tears in the vulnerable green eyes. "Did I hurt you? Did I do something wrong?" Fear gripped her heart as she wrapped the bard in a tender embrace.
"No, Xena." Gabrielle smiled, reaching up to touch the warrior's cheek. "You're wonderful...very gentle. I'm just...happy. I've never been so happy. I love you, Xena."
"I love you too, Gabrielle." The warrior whispered, clinging desperately to the bard as tears of relief spilled from soft blue eyes. "If I'd hurt you--"
"You didn't." Gabrielle insisted, pulling back to look into Xena's eyes. "No one has ever cared for me the way you do." The bard wiped a stray tear from the warrior's cheek and softly pressed her lips to Xena's. Desire flared between them again and Gabrielle pulled the warrior into her arms, driven by a need to touch and love the woman in front of her, all previous shyness forgotten.
Willing herself to relax, Xena shut her eyes, fighting her fear behind closed doors. This would prove to be the hardest part for the warrior - relinquishing control and accepting Gabrielle's love. For years, the warrior had wielded her sexuality like any other weapon in her arsenal and none could resist her charms. It was a game of power, control and manipulation that Xena always won...never feeling, never loving, never giving her heart to anyone.
The bard seemed to sense the warrior's internal struggle. "Xena?" She brushed her fingers across her lover's cheek. Stormy gray-blue eyes opened to meet her gaze. Gabrielle's heart ached at the vulnerability there. "Are you okay?" Xena nodded and tried to put on a small smile. "Can I...touch you?" The warrior nodded again.
The bard tentatively reached out, gliding her hand along Xena's arm up to her shoulder. Bringing her lips to Xena's throat, Gabrielle placed whisper-soft kisses along the warrior's collarbone while her hand rested over her lover's heart. The battle raged on inside the warrior. The bard paused. With a note of sadness, she said, "We don't have to. I just wanted to...show you...I love you, Xena."
The hurt green eyes pulled Xena from her musings. "I know, Gabrielle. I'm sorry for being distant." Her arms encircled the bard. "I want you."
Gabrielle captured Xena's lips, kissing her urgently, and the warrior felt herself being swept away. When the bard's hand found her breast, Xena relinquished control to her lover. Gabrielle noticed the change instantly, as the warrior seemed to tremble beneath her touch. One of Xena's hands raked through her reddish-blonde hair while the other tugged at her waist, pulling the bard closer.
Recognizing the gift that was being offered, Gabrielle didn't hesitate, cherishing every moment - kissing, holding and touching the warrior. The love in the bard's eyes intensified each caress driving Xena to the brink of insanity before she reached her peak and tumbled over the edge melting in her lover's arms.
Her breath coming in gasps, Xena fought to speak. "Gabrielle..."
The bard rained tender kisses on the warrior's face. "You don't have to say anything, Xena."
"I do." The warrior insisted, capturing the bard's hand and bringing it to her heart. "I love you."
Gabrielle fought back tears again as her heart swelled with emotion. "I love you, Xena."
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Continued in Chapter 11