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.

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[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.

[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.

[potadeiabard.livejournal.com]

She was silent, thinking of Iolaus' childhood and how very different it was from her own and yet how similar. "I wasn't very good at the weaving clothes and farming pigs. Everyone thought, I thought, I was too good for it so I didn't put an effort into it. I was just bad. You escaped through physical means and I escaped in the stories in my head. Then when Xena came, I was outta there like an arrow."

Her lips were soft as a butterfly's wing as she pressed them against his skin and her hands caressed his chest. If she could suspend time, keeping them just like this, she would. When they were wrapped around each other, was one of her favorite times.

"I don't know about all of Greece knowing my name, a few cities would be nice though. I'm glad you think I was born for more." It humbled her greatly that both he and Xena saw something in her that went beyond the village girl from Potadeia. "Maybe I'll be in the same sentence alongside the mighty Iolaus, with the generous heart and brave soul, that fights beside Hercules."

[potadeiabard.livejournal.com]

"No, I didn't lose my memory. The Darsham, Enlightened One, sent Xena forward in her karma life to defeat a very powerful enemy." One of Gabrielle's hands moved from Iolaus' face to lightly touch the ends of her short hair. "Her name is Alti and she had taught Xena most of her skills."

She shook her head, displacing the memories and returned her gaze to Iolaus. "I made Naima send me after Xena to my next karma life when we were together again. We weren't ourselves, I was male, but I recognized her immediately. My soul knew hers." Her lips twitched slightly at the memory of looking in the mirror and seeing a male face looking back at her.