Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
Mar. 5th, 2020 06:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
queenkatyastarTitle: Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
Author: Katya Starling
Fandom: Xena, Warrior Princess
Characters/Pairing: Xena/Gabrielle
Rating: G/K
Challenge/Prompt: Fandom Weekly 42: Winter Nights, including Bonus: Huddling For Warmth
Word Count: 685
Date Written: 29 February 2020
Warnings: None
Summary: Gabrielle knows where she belongs, including at night.
Disclaimer: All characters, and the title, within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
She used to be afraid to be out here at night by herself. She still took walks outside of her village at night, even as a child, whenever she'd been able to slip away from her family, but she had nonetheless been afraid. She had been afraid for so long, but what she'd feared most was life passing by. That was one of many things that were certainly no longer happening.
Life wasn't passing her by, and she no longer had to adhere to anybody else's rules except, in some ways, to Xena's. She'd long ago learned that the Warrior Princess always had good reasons for whatever rules she insisted on being followed, just as she insisted that they remain dressed in their daytime garb and keep their weapons close and the fire burning bright at night. The fire, Gabrielle knew, would scare away some of the creatures of the night, but there were still so many others.
The ground trembled beneath them, and Gabrielle trembled with it. The night was full of danger and creatures but also excitement. It was what had always lulled her away from the safety of her village and people. It was why she had wanted to truly and freely live for so very long. It was why she'd never been able to settle down to the meager life of a housewife.
It was also why she'd been drawn to this remarkable woman beside her like a moth to a flame. Xena had tried so hard to chase her away, but Gabrielle had known something even the Wise Woman of the village had been unable to tell her from the very first moment she'd laid eyes on this wonderful warrioress. Xena was so much more than her friend, so much more even than her role model. She was her present and her future. She was her lifeline not just to excitement but to her very destiny. This was her destiny, being beside this woman, fighting beside her and loving beside her.
They cuddled together every night, and not just for the needed warmth. Xena's arms around her made Gabrielle feel warm and secure, but also loved. She made her feel complete, like nothing in the world could ever touch her. Nothing could harm her again, Gabrielle knew, not truly. They faced dangers every day and night, but her Warrior Princess would always keep her safe.
Something roared in the late night. A wind blew over their campfire and almost smote it. Something big and deadly was moving somewhere out there in the Witching hour. She had always been curious and couldn't help wondering what it might be. Was it a Cyclops like the one who had caught her and almost eaten her when she'd first followed Xena without her permission? Was it a dragon, and if it was, was it one that Xena might later have to slay or one that they could befriend, as they had also done before, and upon whose back they could fly? That had been fun, Gabby remembered with a grin.
Something screamed its final scream. Gabrielle froze. Okay, so it clearly wasn't a friendly dragon if it was a dragon. Xena's arms had been wrapped around her all night, but now the Warrior Princess gently stroked her shoulder in a silent, reassuring reminder that she was still there and wasn't going anywhere. She'd never willingly leave her, at least not for long, and when she did, she'd always come back home to her.
Gabrielle beamed and settled in again, her eyes closing and her tense body and wandering mind both calming. She was safe. She was loved. Nothing in the world could touch her. She had her Warrior Princess, and she was complete at last. The beast roared again, but Gabby didn't hear it this time even as Xena's other hand inched closer to her sword. Gabrielle was lost, awash joyously in a sea of sweet dreams of all the future would hold for her and the woman she'd loved, the woman who had been intended to be her destiny all her wandering life.
The End
Author: Katya Starling
Fandom: Xena, Warrior Princess
Characters/Pairing: Xena/Gabrielle
Rating: G/K
Challenge/Prompt: Fandom Weekly 42: Winter Nights, including Bonus: Huddling For Warmth
Word Count: 685
Date Written: 29 February 2020
Warnings: None
Summary: Gabrielle knows where she belongs, including at night.
Disclaimer: All characters, and the title, within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
She used to be afraid to be out here at night by herself. She still took walks outside of her village at night, even as a child, whenever she'd been able to slip away from her family, but she had nonetheless been afraid. She had been afraid for so long, but what she'd feared most was life passing by. That was one of many things that were certainly no longer happening.
Life wasn't passing her by, and she no longer had to adhere to anybody else's rules except, in some ways, to Xena's. She'd long ago learned that the Warrior Princess always had good reasons for whatever rules she insisted on being followed, just as she insisted that they remain dressed in their daytime garb and keep their weapons close and the fire burning bright at night. The fire, Gabrielle knew, would scare away some of the creatures of the night, but there were still so many others.
The ground trembled beneath them, and Gabrielle trembled with it. The night was full of danger and creatures but also excitement. It was what had always lulled her away from the safety of her village and people. It was why she had wanted to truly and freely live for so very long. It was why she'd never been able to settle down to the meager life of a housewife.
It was also why she'd been drawn to this remarkable woman beside her like a moth to a flame. Xena had tried so hard to chase her away, but Gabrielle had known something even the Wise Woman of the village had been unable to tell her from the very first moment she'd laid eyes on this wonderful warrioress. Xena was so much more than her friend, so much more even than her role model. She was her present and her future. She was her lifeline not just to excitement but to her very destiny. This was her destiny, being beside this woman, fighting beside her and loving beside her.
They cuddled together every night, and not just for the needed warmth. Xena's arms around her made Gabrielle feel warm and secure, but also loved. She made her feel complete, like nothing in the world could ever touch her. Nothing could harm her again, Gabrielle knew, not truly. They faced dangers every day and night, but her Warrior Princess would always keep her safe.
Something roared in the late night. A wind blew over their campfire and almost smote it. Something big and deadly was moving somewhere out there in the Witching hour. She had always been curious and couldn't help wondering what it might be. Was it a Cyclops like the one who had caught her and almost eaten her when she'd first followed Xena without her permission? Was it a dragon, and if it was, was it one that Xena might later have to slay or one that they could befriend, as they had also done before, and upon whose back they could fly? That had been fun, Gabby remembered with a grin.
Something screamed its final scream. Gabrielle froze. Okay, so it clearly wasn't a friendly dragon if it was a dragon. Xena's arms had been wrapped around her all night, but now the Warrior Princess gently stroked her shoulder in a silent, reassuring reminder that she was still there and wasn't going anywhere. She'd never willingly leave her, at least not for long, and when she did, she'd always come back home to her.
Gabrielle beamed and settled in again, her eyes closing and her tense body and wandering mind both calming. She was safe. She was loved. Nothing in the world could touch her. She had her Warrior Princess, and she was complete at last. The beast roared again, but Gabby didn't hear it this time even as Xena's other hand inched closer to her sword. Gabrielle was lost, awash joyously in a sea of sweet dreams of all the future would hold for her and the woman she'd loved, the woman who had been intended to be her destiny all her wandering life.
The End
