Disclaimers: The characters of Xena: Warrior Princess and all other associated with the television series of the same name are owned by MCA/ Universal Pictures. This is a work of fan fiction and no copyright infringement is intended.
Subtext: I guess with my writing so far we'll just quit calling it subtext and call it maintext. Yes they are in love with each other.
Sex: Not really
Violence: Nope
Language: Mild
Spoilers:
Other: Part Eighty-nine in the series "Raising Melosa". Takes place about two weeks after "It’s a Big Step".
I’m in Deep
By T.Novan
When I wake up with my arm around her waist I totally understand why people find this so enjoyable. So much is new to us and this is her first morning of waking here after moving in. I just can’t wait to see how she does facing everyone this morning. I swear if Kai and Bailus say anything, no one will ever see them again.
I do have a feeling it’s going to be a while before we make love here. She’s just a little nervous about that. She rolls over and curls into me. Ah this is sooo nice. I give a little kiss to the top of her head. "Good morning."
"Yes it is."
"You ready to get up?"
"Now is as good a time as any." She rolls over and sits up. "I wonder if your moms are up yet."
"Nope, they’re not. I haven’t heard a sound out of them."
"Good. That’ll give me a chance to get comfortable first." She puts on her robe then turns to me. "Is this all right for mornings around here?"
"It’s more than you’ll get some mornings around her. Celia around here we don’t have much in the way of modesty. We were raised to believe that if something embarrasses you, it makes you weak. So things like sex and nudity were never hidden I mean it’s just natural a part of our lives. Hmm, I’m not doing a real good job of explaining it, let’s just say, do what you are comfortable doing and don’t be surprised by anything you see or hear."
She nods as she ties her robe. "I can do that."
"Good." I toss on my own robe and we head out to find some thing to eat.
"Good morning you two." Kai grins up from a scroll he’s working on when we come out.
"Good morning little brother. Are you the first up?"
"Nah Kessa and Rosa had to go over to the village this morning and they left about a mark ago."
"Boy that’s early. Who took them?"
"One of the Royal Guard. They’ve got lessons with the priestess this week."
I can only groan as I remember going to those lessons. "Those are the worst."
"They didn’t seem very happy about it." Kai offers as he hunches back over his scroll
"It’s a lot of philosophy. I hated philosophy. What a waste of time. Staff drills, now there’s something to get excited about."
"Warriors." Celia grumbles as she heads for the kitchen. I turn to the snicker, I watch Mom follow her into the kitchen as Mother steps out of the stairs. "What?" She looks to me with a little shrug.
"I’m just commenting it I had a choice between philosophy and staff drills I’d choose staff drills then she grumbled something about warriors and went in there."
"Get used to that."
Following them into the kitchen and watching them together, my Mom and my girlfriend it occurs to me that this might be a bad thing to let them talk this much. I look to Mother who seems to be thinking the same thing. Standing next to each other, across from them and separated by the large wooden food preparation table, we know that we are in some serious trouble when they turn around to face us and have matching smiles.
"Oh boy…." I hear Mother say it with me. "What?" We ask them together.
"We thought we’d wait until we had you together before we told you." Celia looks at me with a smile.
Oh this is so not good.
"You two," Mom says as she crosses her arms and levels her stare at Mother. "Have an appointment with the seamstress today."
They both smile at the dual groans.
"Yes Mel dear. Your robes for the wedding."
"Celia…."
"Don’t." She smiles at me.
"Ri…."
"Don’t." Mom says with the same smile.
Oh yeah this is bad. We’ve got to get our own place.
As we ride over to the village I look to mother. "Umm tell me, how do I get a little more say so in what happens in my life now."
"You don’t." She smiles as she straightens in the saddle just a little. "You have control over your warrior life and you share control when children come along. But she has your heart and therefor she has all the power. They can make us do anything they want.
"We’re whipped."
"Un-huh." She nods with a grin. "But whipped does not mean weak. We just have one thing that important to us above all else, our family. And now you have added Celia to our family. I think you made a good choice."
"Yeah so do I." I grin as I remember waking up next to her.
"It’s nice isn’t?"
"Un-huh."
"You know I much prefer this for you over what I was doing at your age. You’re already doing better for yourself than I did."
"Hey, as I sit here next to you, I think you did a pretty good job."
She smiles as she takes a deep breath. "Thanks. I’m pretty pleased too." She looks to me as she reins her horse. "The wedding is in a week."
"Yeah. You nervous?"
"You know I am. But that’s not what I want to talk to you about. Mel I want us to go away together for a couple of days. There are some things I need to teach you."
"What kind of things?"
"Things that only you and I speak of when we are alone in a proper place and the proper preparations have been made. And things that we will never speak of again when we return home."
"Sounds ominous."
"Yeah does doesn’t it. You’re going to be real disappointed when you find out I’m just gonna get you drunk." She chuckles as she nudges her horse.
"Really?"
"No I’m just joking."
"Damn."
"Hey, if you’re old enough to move your girlfriend in, you’re old enough to get drunk if you want, but don’t come to me the next day. You’ll get no sympathy from me when you are begging the Gods to let you die."
"How bad can it be?"
"You know how good making love is?"
"Ohhh yeah."
"That’s how bad a hangover can be."
"Well then, I won’t be doing that anytime soon."
She laughs hard as she turns to face me. "That good?"
"I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that you’ll use it against me a later time."
"Would I do something like that?"
"Why do you still ask me silly questions after all these seasons? You know perfectly well that you would."
"It has been my pleasure to make you half crazy my dear."
"Thanks so much. Can I ask you something?"
"You know you can runt."
"Well you know that Celia and I were both virgins."
"Yeah."
"Well, I mean I’m not stupid and neither is she and had a really good education growing up, but how do you know if you’re doing it right?" I thought she was going to fall off her horse from laughing at me. "Gee thanks a lot pal."
"I’m sorry Mel. I really am."
"I’m not convinced. Maybe if you stop snickering at me."
"Okay, okay I’m sorry. Well tell me. Do you enjoy it?"
"Ohhh yeah."
"Does Celia enjoy it?"
"I hope so. I think so. She seems to."
"Then you’re doing it right."
"There is one other thing."
"Yes?"
I stop my horse and lower my voice just a bit since we were coming into the village. "What do you do when your partner has a tendency to bite?"
She very nearly did fall off her horse this time. Laughing as she dismounts and walks away from me. She looks back over her shoulder still laughing at me. "Bite back."
Gee I love my family.
I pick up my saddlebags and turn to find Celia standing in the doorway with her arms crossed and her head down. "What’s the matter Ce?"
"I miss you already."
I smile as I move to her. "Oh honey I’m only going to be gone for two days."
"I know and I know you have to do it. It’s just I’m still a little uncomfortable here and well…."
"Do you want to go back to the village with your aunt while I’m gone?"
"Oh Gods no! What would your Mom think of me then?"
"That you’re scared of her." I laughed as I put my arms around her.
"Be nice, you barbarian." She gives me a little shove before curling closer to me. "I am not afraid of your Mom."
"Good girl." I lift her face to mine and look into her eyes. They are so blue, so beautiful. Oh Gods I do have it bad. "You gonna be okay?"
"Sure I am. I just want you to go so you can get back. We have a lot to do before the wedding."
"See there you go. You and Mom got all kinds of things to do while I’m gone."
"No, no Warrior I said ‘we’ have all kinds of things to do before the wedding. We, being you and I."
"Oh really? Like what?"
"Umm well we have to find a wedding present."
"No we don’t."
"Yes we do."
"Hey I’ve had to live with them all these seasons. My mere presence is enough of a present."
"You are so arrogant. I have no idea why I fell in love with you."
My Mom managed to make a well time entrance. I’ve noticed that she has started doing that lately. "It’s the blue eyes and the leather." She offers as she takes a seat at her desk, pulling out several pieces of parchment. "And don’t expect the arrogant thing to go away anytime soon." She continued, as she looked for something in her desk. "Kai!"
My little brother pops in from the kitchen eating something very messy and fighting it every step of the way. "Yes Ma’am?"
"Did you make off with my ink you little rat?"
"Umm I may have borrowed it this morning."
"Did you by chance put it back?"
"I…umm…"
"Go get it."
"Yes Ma’am." He grins at me as he takes my hand away from Celia’s back and places whatever in Tartarus he was eating in it. "Hold this."
"Aww gross! What is this?" I ask, still trying to recognize it as something eatable.
"It’s a traditional Centaur meal. Bailus taught me how to make it. It’s good, but boy is it messy." He snickers as he ducks into his room.
"No kidding." I grumble as I move to the kitchen and drop the mess into a bowl. "That’s gross." I wash my hands in a bowl of water before returning to the main room.
Mother comes down stairs with her saddlebags tossed over her shoulders. "Ready runt?"
"As ready as I can be these days." I look over at Celia with a grin.
"Ah young love." Mother grins too as she crosses over and pulls back Mom’s hair from her neck. "Remember that my love?" She plants a kiss on her neck. "Hmm? Do you?"
"Un-huh." Mom sounds just a bit breathless as she nods her head. "Be nice." She growls as she stands up to face Mother. "Don’t start anything you can’t finish. You’re leaving."
I move across the room, to my own love. She smiles as she places a finger in my chest. "That goes for you too."
"Okay then, I won’t." I turn on my heals and head for the door.
"Mel, hold on a moment." I hear Celia call to me.
I step out on the porch and wait for her. It’s not long before she’s in my arms and we are having a proper good-bye.
As Mother and I ride away to our destination I give one final wave back then turn around in the saddle.
"That was pretty smooth runt. I may have to try that sometime."
All I can do it laugh a little, having gained back just a little control.
TBC….