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The Amazons said Gabrielle should stay in the room that used to belong to Hippolyta despite Gabrielle's insistence that Ephiny should already occupy the queen's quarters.
After a while she gave in and accepted, after all it was only for one night as she and Xena intended to leave the next day.
And as usual Xena went along.
There was only one bed in the room and that wasn't usually a problem as most nights of camping she and Gabrielle slept side by side.
But now maybe it was different. Xena didn't want to make Gabrielle uncomfortable, she was about to offer to sleep on the floor and let Gabrielle have the bed, when Gabrielle said:
"So are you going to kiss me again or not?"
Xena was silent for a moment. She thought they would just ignore the elephant in the room, the conversation they had when she was dead and the way that conversation ended. But apparently Gabrielle had other plans.
“Technically it was Autolycus who kissed you, not me. It wasn't my body.”
"Yes, but it's your body now."
Xena hesitated.
"So you don't want to kiss me?" Gabrielle said looking quite hurt for a moment.
"Yes I want. I really do. But I don't know if I should. I don't think you know what you're asking for."
"Yes I do. Don't treat me like a child. True, I don't have as many romantic experiences as you do, but I know what I want. And if you don't, that's fine, but if you're denying yourself because I think you're taking advantage of me or something like that, I can tell you that you're being an idiot.”
"I don't have that much romantic experience, not with women anyway."
“Well, fine. We can learn together.” Gabrielle said, taking a step towards her and stroking her arm.
“This could change things.”
“Not all changes are bad, and the things that really matter won't change. It will still be you and me…Xena do I need to send you to the underworld again to get another kiss?”
"No." Xena said and touched her face, caressing her cheek
Still not bringing her lips to hers. Trying to memorize the moment. When she kissed her before it was because she thought that maybe it was her last chance. It was different now, it was deliberately crossing a line that would make their relationship something different than it was before.
Gabrielle, who was tired of the delay, stood on tiptoe and this time kissed Xena first.
And Xena was right, things were different now. And they were better.