H&M: After a Long Day (locked to Gabrielle) (NC-17)

[iolaus_dw]

Who knew that repairing and sanding floorboards could hurt more than fighting a hydra?

Iolaus had been on his knees most of the day, hard at work on the flooring to the derelict building that would house Herculaneum. Almost a third of the surface had to be replaced with new wood, which required measuring, cutting, fitting, then more sanding until not a single threat of splinters remained. The sun had already set by the time he looked up from his work and realized it was too dark to continue.

It wasn't until he started walking back to the hotel that he began to understand exactly how stiff and sore he was. He'd used muscles today he hadn't used in a long while (especially his bruised knees). His chest ached as bruised ribs only recently healed protested a day's worth of stretching and bending with little respite.

Reaching the door to his room, he fumbled the key from his belt pouch. Gods, he was tired! And he'd glady fight a dozen hydras for a long hot soak inthe bathing tub.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to stand a bit straighter as he opened the door. No sense worrying Gabrielle.

Comments

[potadeiabard.livejournal.com]

Gabrielle sat at the small table beside the window writing her thoughts down on the fresh piece of parchment when she heard the door open and she looked up.

Iolaus stood in the doorway, and though he masked it well, she could see the tired lines around his eyes and mouth. Pushing back from the table, she stood up to greet him. "How was Herculaneum?" Her gaze watched him closely for any signs of pain or hurt.

[iolaus-lj.livejournal.com]

Iolaus smiled at her greeting. There was nothing to match the feeling of arriving home -- temporary or not -- to find a woman you cared deeply for waiting to welcome you.

"It's going great," he said, closing the door. "I've got the floor about finished," he continued as he walked toward her. He moved a bit more deliberately than he normally would, all the better to disguise the fact that he felt like a 100 year old man.

[potadeiabard.livejournal.com]

Too long with Xena and too many hurts of her own for Gabrielle not to miss the deliberate way Iolaus held his body and walked. "That's great. I'm glad it's going well. So you'll feel like dancing a bit later? I found this place in the village that looks like fun, but it will definitely give us a workout." She wondered if Iolaus would admit that he was tired and hurting or would she need to be more straight forward.

Gabrielle crossed the room and slid her arm around Iolaus' waist, letting him lean on her if he'd like. "But first, you probably would like a nice long, hot bath."

[iolaus-lj.livejournal.com]

"Dancing? Um, okay, sure." He managed a smile, quickly hiding his reluctance. "No problem! If that's what you want to do, we'll go dancing."

Suddenly he had the feeling that it was going to be a very long night. But if Gabrielle wanted to go dancing, then by the gods, they'd go dancing. (Or shuffling, in his case.)

"Definitely a bath first, tho," he confessed as slipped his arms around her. A very long, hot bath. "Otherwise, everyone within a mile is going to smell me coming."

[potadeiabard.livejournal.com]

The fact that Iolaus put his arm around her waist and Gabrielle could feel a bit more of his weight told her everything she needed to know.

"You know, you could have just said, not tonight, Gabrielle I worked all day and I'm tired." Her lips quirked up into a smile as she turned her head and placed a kiss on his jaw. "I won't think any less of you if you admit that you're in pain or tired. And I don't really want to go dancing... well I do sometime with you, but not today." She moved her head back some so that she could look at him. "Where does it hurt? Or should I ask where doesn't it hurt?" Gabrielle made a mental note to help him with the building, he shouldn't have to do it all himself.

[iolaus-lj.livejournal.com]

His relief was clearly evident before he ever said a word. "You don't mind if I beg off tonight? Really. Because I do want to go dancing with you," he said quickly, "But . . . tonight wouldn't be good, no. I just didn't want to disappoint you." Iolaus reached up and gently caressed her cheek. "I don't ever want to disappoint you."

He sighed. "And I think everything hurts. Even my eyelids hurt, if you can believe that. And I thought fighting was strenuous! Try laying out and sanding a floor for 12 hours."

[potadeiabard.livejournal.com]

"Especially not long after fighting a water monster." Gabrielle raised her hand and cupped Iolaus' cheek, her thumb lightly caressing his skin. "And you could never disappoint me."

She walked with him toward the bathing chamber, stopping just inside the door. "Here, let me help you undress so you don't have to work any more muscles." Gabrielle reluctantly took her arm away from Iolaus' waist to turn on the warm water so it could begin to fill the tub. Her hands reached for the vest at his shoulder. "How are your ribs after all this? Do you need me to bind them after the bath?"

[iolaus-lj.livejournal.com]

"No, I think . . . ah . . ." Iolaus winced as he tried to help her by shrugging out of the leather vest armor himself. "I don't think binding will do much good any more. Not with bruises." As he pulled his arms free of the vest, he gingerly touched his abdomin and ribs where the flesh was turning from dark purple to yellow and blue. "See? Almost good as new," he lied.

[potadeiabard.livejournal.com]

Gabrielle reached out to gently touch Iolaus' abdomen and bruises, "I'm not a nurse but I can make up something for your bruises." She turned her body sideways and raised her arm, so that Iolaus could see her own light bruises on her body. "It reduces the size of the bruise and while it doesn't take away the pain, it helps."

Her lips twitched, "and for yours I won't put the hint of lilac that I do in mine."

[iolaus-lj.livejournal.com]

"I appreciate that," he said with a laugh. "Although nothing tells an enemy you're a formidable opponent quite like the smell of lilac." He sighed at her soothing touch on his bruised flesh, but it didn't distract him from her own. "Anything I can do to help?" he asked, softly touching her own hurts as she lifted her arm.

[potadeiabard.livejournal.com]

Her muscles jumped under Iolaus' touch and it felt comforting. "I'll let you rub the salve on them. I can reach, but it'd be easier if you did it." Gabrielle smiled slightly as she lowered her arm, "Not to mention, I like your touch."

She reached for the catch of his leather trousers. "The bruises and pain are about the same as when I learned the staff for the first time or tried to do Xena's flip." Gabrielle wrinkled her nose at that memory, "I sprained my ankle when I got too confident and couldn't walk for a week."

[iolaus-lj.livejournal.com]

"But you tried it," he said, pride in his expression and his tone. "And I'll bet you learned how to do it, too, didn't you?"

As she worked at his belts and trouser catch, he settled his hands lightly on her hips. "You know, if you're going to undress me, I should at least be allowed to return the favor."

[potadeiabard.livejournal.com]

Gabrielle's fingers nimbly worked the ties and the catch to his trousers. "Let's just say the flip took a lot of practice and while I can flip I still can't flip across long distances."

As she worked the catch free, Gabrielle looked up with laughter in her eyes, "I suppose it's only fair that you return the favor. I wouldn't want to get my outfit wet when I scrub your back." Her fingers carefully slid between Iolaus' skin and the leather material, trying to not hurt his muscles or his bruises.

[iolaus-lj.livejournal.com]

"You will," he said. "Practice and experience. Some day, you'll give Xena a run for her dinars. Mark my words."

Gently sliding his palms from her hips along her sides to her halter, he said, "Right. Wouldn't want to wet the outfit. It still hasn't forgiven you for the monster slime." As his fingers began to seek out the ties (not as nimbly as he would like, curse the stiffness from the long day!), he made a mental note to buy or barter for some clothing for Gabrielle once Herculaneum became viable.

He sucked in a breath as her fingers touched his skin beneath the waist of his trousers. Well, there was one body part that wasn't feeling the least bit stiff or sore.

[potadeiabard.livejournal.com]

Gabrielle gently pushed the leather material past Iolaus's hips allowing them to fall neatly in a puddle at his feet. "I don't know about giving Xena a run for her dinars in this lifetime, but if I can at least be more of a help."

She grew very quiet as Iolaus worked on the ties of her halter and she slid her hands to his hips, gently caressing. "There was a time when I put away my weapons, believing in the way of love that the prophet Eli teaches. I didn't carry my staff and I would only fight when attacked. Xena almost died because of that."

Xena and she had died because of that, but Gabrielle wasn't quite ready to tell Iolaus of her crucifixion and resurrection.

"I finally came to terms with killing, and know that it's a necessary part of what Xena and I do. When I chose my sais, I did so because they are primarily a defensive weapon, but they can be used offensively if I need it."

[iolaus-lj.livejournal.com]

Iolaus' questing fingers stilled as he listened to her words and the depth of emotion behind them. There was something more here; something deeper, he thought, from her expression and how very quiet she'd become.

"Gabrielle." Resting his hands lightly on her shoulders, he gazed into her eyes. "Sometimes we walk different paths trying to find the right way. No one hands us a map when we're born. We have to find our own path. Make our own choices. Sometimes they effect the people we love, not always in the best way."

Could he ever tell her of the future he'd seen -- had visited -- without Hercules? What would have happened had Xena continued her path of destruction, both to the world and to Gabrielle herself? Or of the things he'd seen, both dark and terrible in the grasp of Dahak, or blissful and bright in the embrace of the Light.

"I don't know who Eli is, but there's nothing wrong with trying to follow a life of peace and love. Or trying to fight defensively in an effort to spare life."

[potadeiabard.livejournal.com]

Gabrielle leaned forward and placed a soft, loving kiss on Iolaus' lips. He was a very special man and she could not imagine her life without ever having met him. It wouldn't have been as special.

"Eli was a man that saved my life when I needed it. I'd made my first kill and it affected me deeply." A pain twisted her heart and soul of how deeply it had affected her and led her to be a vessel for Dahak's child. "That was one of the reasons I chose the path that I did, and you're right my first instinct will always be to fight defensively."

Her arms loosely moved around Iolaus' body rather than staying at his hips. "Have I told you today how much I love you or how glad I am that I'm here with you? Even if I did, you deserve to hear it again. I love you and I've very glad I'm here with you." She smiled up into his eyes.

[iolaus-lj.livejournal.com]

Kissing her softly in return, he drew her close and wrapped her in his arms, loving and protective.

"Then whoever this Eli is, I owe him a debt of thanks for saving you," he said, meeting her gaze. He could never imagine her taking a life, deliberately or with calculation. Anything she did, would have been done in self defense of defense of another, of that he was certain. "Taking the first life is something that affects everyone deeply and forever. It's not always a choice; sometimes it's a necessity."

His own hands and soul were stained with too many lives to count, but none had been wrongly taken. All who had died at his hand had done so in fair combat and only when they gave him no other recourse.

"I love you, too," said Iolaus, his feelings clearly reflected in his eyes. "I cherish every moment we have together. You hold my heart, Gabrielle." He smiled softly. "And it couldn't be in better hands."

[potadeiabard.livejournal.com]

She stayed in his arms for just a moment longer, getting her strength from his. One day she'll tell him about Dahak, Hope, Devi, Eli, the crucifixion and resurrection, but not now. Now, she wanted to still see that look of love in his eyes.

Gabrielle stepped back from his embrace and held out her hands to Iolaus, "Step out of your trousers and then you can help me step out of my clothes, before I wash your back." She grinned at him, "among other things."

[iolaus-lj.livejournal.com]

"No sooner said than done," he promised, kicking off his boots and stepping out of the puddle of black leather. That step took him close to her again, enabling him to take her hands in his. Raising them, he kissed the knuckles of each before sliding his hands along her arms to the straps of her halter. "Now, where was I?"

((OOC: Curse this journal layout. Looks like it might be time to start a new thread.))

[potadeiabard.livejournal.com]

Gabrielle bent her head to give Iolaus better access to the ties of her halter top, or so it looked but she wasn't above taking advantage of the situation.

She placed an open mouthed kiss on a patch of skin on his chest that didn't have dirt or a bruise. Her lips curled into a smile against his skin as she felt his muscles jump under her touch.

"Yep, you were right about there." Gabrielle's lips were feather soft against Iolaus' skin as she spoke.

[iolaus-lj.livejournal.com]

Iolaus replied with a short, surprised intake of breath as her lips and breath against his chest made his skin tingle. His fingers fumbled all the harder at her leather ties, finally pulling them loose. The halter began to slip and he helped it along by gently pulling the straps off her shoulders and down the length of her arms.

He hesitated to touch her creamy white skin with his grime-covered hands, and so let them begin to work at removing her leather skirt.

Glancing over his shoulder at the nearly full tub, he said almost casually, "I think we're about to flood the bathing room."

[potadeiabard.livejournal.com]

Gabrielle had forgotten about the water, well not actually forgotten, but got distracted from the water. A slight pink tint colored her cheeks as she smiled at Iolaus and stepped out of her skirt that had pooled at her feet with his expert touch.

"I had my mind on other things and after the zombie destruction and monster goop throughout the hotel, we probably better not flood the bathing chamber." She reluctantly stepped back from Iolaus, before leaning over and turning off the handles of the spouts. "I promise I won't scent the water..." Gabrielle looked over her shoulder with a grin, "unless you want me to."

[iolaus-lj.livejournal.com]

As Gabrielle bent over the tub, Iolaus let his gaze caress her naked body. Her buttocks were firm and creamy white, inviting him to reach out and touch. He looked down at himself, covered in dust and grime caked on by a day's worth of sweat, and forced himself not to reach out and touch her.

"Um, think I'll pass on the scented water, thanks."

[potadeiabard.livejournal.com]

Gabrielle stood back up and nodded, "right, no rose or lilac scent for the water." She reached her hand out to him, "I'll let you get in first, then I'll slide in behind you."

It was so she could wash his back better and he wouldn't have to turn, but it was also so she could watch his movements getting in the bathing tub and washing. How would he hold his ribs? Did his back hurt from more than just day labor? Iolaus would try to hide the worst hurt from her, but she wanted to judge for herself.