DISCLAIMER:
None of these characters are mine... etc., etc.

WARNING:
Subtext? Of course! And it's very graphic. If you're under 18... come on, you know the rules........

Send feedback to Lacepriest@aol.com. Comments would be greatly appreciated.

You can find more stories by Lace Priest at her site Lace Priest's Xena Subtext Stories

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Must It Always Be Me
by Lace Priest

Gabrielle looked surreptitiously across the fire and sighed. She felt like she was slowly going mad and Xena was to blame. Why must everything be so complex when it came to that woman? She rested her head on her forearms, staring at the ground, briefly wondering if life would be better if she were a bug.

Six moons! Gabrielle screamed inside her head. They had been lovers for six moons! She felt tears come unbidden, anger raging through her body.

Scrape. Scrape. Scrape.

Normal sounds of the night. A ritual for Xena, the upkeep of her weapons. But what about their relationship? Gabrielle thought. Did she not care at all to try and 'upkeep' that? To keep it alive? How many times were they going to have the same conversation? Conversation! Ha! It was more like her talking and Xena ignoring her.

At first it had been okay since she really hadn't noticed, but then, when the realization came, the thought wouldn't leave her mind. However, as time passed by, she realized it wasn't something she was imagining, it was real. She had tested it out just to convince herself. And by the gods, her imaginations had been true! Xena had let one whole moon pass! Then she'd been forced to acknowledge the truth. That had been the first time she had tried to talk about it. Xena had waved her off. Then, she had tried again. And again. And again. Each time, Xena had waved her off.

Maybe I should just leave her, maybe that's what'll take for Xena to realize I'm serious.

Gabrielle looked up, her vision blurry as tears now flowed freely. Doesn't she realize the insecurities her actions are causing?

Mentally, she shouted her anger across the fire, as if by sheer will she could transmit them across to the warrior. As if somehow, Xena would hear her thoughts and suddenly look up with complete understanding showing in her eyes.

Gabrielle waited for that moment to happen, looking expectantly at her love.

Scrape. Scrape. Scrape.

Nothing. She continued her barrage of thoughts, each statement was screamed louder and louder.

Is this so bad that you resign yourself, giving in to me, somehow annoyed that I was starting something? Forever condescending? Merely pleasing a petulant child?

The bard angrily wiped her eyes dry.

I love her, but I can't go on if I'm not pleasing her, knowing she's just tolerating me. She doesn't love me! Her mind screamed. I just argued with her last night, practically threw myself on my hands and knees, begging and pleading! She had waited all night for Xena to start something.

She had fallen asleep waiting.

She stood up abruptly. She was leaving Xena! Standing in the middle of the campsite, while gathering her courage, she realized something. The scraping had stopped. She slowly focused on the lone figure sitting on the other side. Piercing blue eyes captured green ones.

Gabrielle couldn't take it anymore. She quickly walked over to where the warrior was and roughly grabbed her by the front of her shift, shaking her, yelling in desperation, not caring if the warrior killed her in that instant.

"Hades, Xena! I... I... " She trailed off. "Don't you love me?" She whispered. "Why must it always by me? Why can't you show me you want me too?"

Xena roughly grabbed Gabrielle by her shoulders, raising her as she stood up. Not saying a single word, she brought her lips down, passionately latching on, while she slammed the bard up against a tree.

Gabrielle felt a tidal wave of pleasure just pound into her. She felt like she was drowning in ecstasy. She was struggling to breathe, as she felt hands, lips and tongue all over her.

Large hands became entangled in her hair and suddenly her head was being pulled back. She felt teeth sink in deeply. Sharp excruciating pain. Then wonderful sucking sensations. She knew her skin had been pierced and Xena was hungrily feeding off her life force.

She moaned long and low. Her mind and body struggling with the pain and pleasure she was receiving. She felt the roughness of the tree scraping her raw as Xena's body pushed hard against her, hands kneading her breasts, feeling her nipples pinched and released, pinched and released.

Finally! Gabrielle's mind screamed. Finally! She felt the tears flow quietly. Her body devouring the warrior's much craved attention.

She was suddenly airborne and then she felt her back hit the ground. A knee nudged her legs open. Exquisite feelings bombarded her as that knee pressed hard against her. Her hips were responding on their own. Soon she felt teeth on her breast. Again an intense pain assaulted her senses, and then the intense pleasure of getting marked. Without looking, she knew her skin had been pierced again, her warrior sucking passionately. Her mind was trying to comprehend how her body could be loving it so much. She looked down and almost came at the sight. Xena was firmly attached to the fleshy part of her breast, her mouth feverishly sucking, body bucking and sliding against her. She looked so beautiful!

She was startled when blue eyes suddenly met hers. She was captured by the sight. Those luscious lips slowly lifted up and left her skin. Xena's left hand came up and squeezed the breast firmly. Gabrielle arched as the feeling went all the way down, settling between her legs. Lips were brought back down and rubbed back and forth. When those lips came up again, they were coated in blood.

Gabrielle was transfixed. Xena emitted an animalistic growl and sensually licked her lips, closing her eyes as if in utter ecstasy.

"Mmmmm." Blue eyes appeared again, a feral smile. Gabrielle closed her eyes as the throbbing below became almost unbearable.

Her hips suddenly jerked at she felt her skirt and underpants get ripped off, reveling the strength of her lover.

She felt a warm breath tickle her ear.

"I own you Gabrielle. And I command you. I will feed off you whenever it is my desire. Is that understood little girl?" A purr.

Gabrielle shuddered and gasped as the incredible sensations Xena's voice and words caused coursed through her body. She couldn't answered. All that escaped her were a series of whimpers.

The bard felt her head being turned and tilted. She eagerly waited for the pain/pleasure sure knew would soon come, imagining perfect teeth sinking in, tongue swirling on her neck......

Gabrielle screamed as she was swiftly entered and bitten at the same time, not expecting the indescribable ecstasy of the simultaneous penetration. Her world was exploding, coming down, cascading in colors all around her. Xena was engaging all of her senses all at once. She could hear Xena moaning and calling out her name, the unique musky odor of the sweating warrior writhing above her, the smell of their passion. At that thought, she turned her head, desperately needing to taste some of that muskiness. She groaned at the saltiness, savoring, her tongue a mad swirl, capturing Xena's basic essence. She needed more. Tentatively she bit and Xena groaned. Encouraged, she bit harder.

"Yes, Gabrielle, gods, yes."

Inflamed by Xena's reaction, she bit all the way, instantly tasting success. Xena screamed, teeth temporarily letting go. Gabrielle now sucked with wild abandon.

She ran her hands through dark locks, relishing in the feel of the sweat drenched silkiness flowing through her fingers, pressing Xena's head back into her neck, letting her know that she loved the feeling of her warrior drinking from her. She wanted Xena to know she could take all that she had to give and more. She opened her eyes to drink in perfection. Her warrior, humping and grinding against her in absolute abandon, wild, untamed.

She felt the rumbling all over her body, like a volcano about to erupt, coming from both of them. She could feel their combined forces, almost overthrowing nature in its intensity. Higher and higher they climbed. The rumbling got louder and louder.

"Harder, Gabrielle. Bite me, suck me harder." Came out in gasps.

Gabrielle hungrily complied, feeling their frenzied dance climb higher. And higher. Gods! She felt their passions erupt together, explosive, violent. Screams of complete satisfaction filled the night.

Gabrielle felt tears run down her neck. They were not hers.

"Don't leave me." Came a quiet voice, slightly muffled by skin.

"Xena." Gabrielle softly caressed the head that was still buried in her neck.

"I love you, Gabrielle." A faint whisper.

The End

Not sure what happened? Not sure what Gabby was mad at? What do you think?