Disclaimers: Xena, Gabrielle and Argo belong to MCA/Renaissance 
Pictures. The beach doesn't belong to anybody. 
 
Warning: This story (if you can call it that, it's kind of short on 
plot) contains scenes of love between two consenting same-sex adults. 
Guess who. If this offends you or is illegal or if you're under 18 or 
you can think of any other reason why you shouldn't be reading it, GO 
AWAY. If you can't think of any reason not to read it, you have my 
express permission to do so at your leisure. 
 
A DAY AT THE BEACH 
by Siona West 
 
Xena waded into the soupy shallows, her thoughts turned inward. 
Gabrielle was already in the water, laughingly turning her face from 
the spray as the breakers struck her body. Xena watched without 
seeing, her attention only recalled to the present when a sudden 
fountain of spray from a crashing wave splashed her up to her waist. 
 
The water was cool, but the sun was fiercely hot and it was a 
refreshing change. Xena pulled herself together as she dove into the 
next wave, feeling the force of it down her back as she passed 
through. 
 
It was a beautiful day, and if she weren't so distracted she would be 
having a wonderful time. But she was, and the source of her 
distraction was at this moment swimming towards a sandbar. 
 
Xena followed her. Gabrielle was sitting on the sandbar as Xena 
approached, her wet hair shining. The sight took Xena's breath away. 
 
She shook her head and ducked underwater, opening her eyes and staring 
at the sandy seabed. A small shoal of fish passed beneath her. 
 
Raising her face to take a breath, she found herself almost at the 
sandbar. Gabrielle was smiling at her as she pulled herself out of the 
water. 
 
"Xena, what's bothering you?" Gabrielle asked, pushing her hair out of 
her eyes. Her skin seemed to glow in the sun. Xena felt her heart 
begin to beat faster. 

"Why, nothing, Gabrielle," she lied. "What could bother anyone on a 
day this nice?" 
 
NICE? she screamed at herself. Get a grip! You don't say nice! 
Gabrielle raised an eyebrow in unconscious imitation of her friend. It 
was sufficiently endearing to turn Xena's heart to water. 
 
"You seem a little distracted." 

"What makes you say that?" 

"The fact that you haven't noticed there's seaweed in your hair for a 
start," Gabrielle said teasingly, reaching up to pull it away. Xena 
closed her eyes at the gentle touch, swallowing as Gabrielle's hand 
brushed her cheek. 
 
"Xena?" Gabrielle looked at her. The question in her eyes was a lot 
more eloquent than any she could have voiced. 

"Gabrielle..." Xena trailed off. This was getting harder every day, 
and the way the light glinted from the droplets of water on 
Gabrielle's bare skin was not helping at all. 
 
She took a deep breath and brought her rampant hormones under control. 
She managed a surprisingly convincing smile for her friend. "I'm fine, 
Gabrielle. I've just been thinking about something." 

"And what would that be?" Gabrielle asked, leaning towards her. Xena 
looked out to sea to avoid looking down to see. By the gods, did this 
woman not know how she affected Xena? Her mind raced. 

"Argo," she said. "I think she needs a new set of shoes." 
 
Lame, Xena. Very lame. 
 
"Ah," Gabrielle said, looking into the water. Xena allowed herself a 
sideways glance. 

"Race you to shore?" she suggested, trying to reassume her usual 
personality. Gabrielle looked into her eyes for a moment, expression 
unreadable, green eyes its match, and nodded. In perfect 
synchronisation, the two women launched themselves into the water. 
 
Xena allowed her friend to pull ahead slightly, but came to regret it 
as Gabrielle caught a wave and rode it towards the beach, leaving Xena 
behind. She made it to their gear several seconds ahead of her friend 
and stood laughing. 
 
She shook her finger at Xena as the warrior wrung out her hair. 
"That's what you get for toying with me, Xena," Gabrielle said, 
grinning. Xena took a step towards her menacingly. 

"Don't laugh," she said, at her most ominous. Gabrielle just gave her 
an impudent grin. 

"Why not?" She put her hands on her hips. "I won fair and square." 
Head cocked, she looked up at her friend, apparently unaware that the 
friend in question was fighting an urge to throw her to the sand and 
ravish her. 
 
Xena smiled. "As you wish, Gabrielle." Gabrielle shook her head. 
"I give up," she said, turning to their gear. "I'm going to have 
lunch." She pulled out some bread and cheese, taking a slice of each 
and placing a slice of the one on the other. Xena felt tears sting her 
eyes as she sat by her friend, fixing her own repast in similar 
fashion. Blinking them back, she looked out to sea. 
"Hey, maybe we can catch some fish for dinner," Gabrielle suggested, 
following her gaze. Xena nodded. 
 
"The bread is all sandy," she remarked, frowning at her food. 
Gabrielle nodded. 

"Beaches have that effect on food," she said solemnly. Xena narrowed 
her eyes at her friend. 
 
Gabrielle looked innocent as she inhaled her meal. "This is awfully 
dry eating," she remarked, reaching back for a waterskin. Xena averted 
her eyes. For some reason everything Gabrielle did today seemed 
slightly sensuous. 
 
You're imagining things, Xena. You are aware that lusting after your 
best friend isn't really the most intelligent thing you could be doing 
right now? You're sure? Then stop it already! 
 
"Thirsty?" Gabrielle asked. Xena nodded. Her mouth certainly felt dry 
enough. 
 
The fresh water rinsed away the sand and the taste of salt from their 
swimming. Xena lowered the waterskin in surprise as she felt a light 
touch on her ribs. She glanced at Gabrielle, who met her gaze calmly 
before dropping her eyes back to the bruise she was examining. 
 
"Did you get that from Emodus?" she asked, tracing the yellow 
discolouration with her fingertips. Xena drew a shuddering breath as 
her companion's gentle hand brushed her breast. 

"Yes," she managed. "I'd forgotten about it." 

"You should have mentioned it," Gabrielle said, her touch lingering a 
moment on Xena's tingling skin. "I never knew until I noticed it then. 
I should make a point of seeing you naked more often, if you're going 
to keep these things from me." 

"It's just a bruise, Gabrielle." 

"I'll look anyway," Gabrielle said. Xena looked at her, hoping the raw 
desire coursing through her body didn't show on her face. Gabrielle 
met her eyes, an impish smile on her face. 
 
"You know what I noticed out on that sandbar?" Gabrielle asked, 
amusement dancing in her eyes. 

"What?" 

"The way you look at me. Never saw it before, somehow." 

"And how do I look at you?" 

"Like you were wishing I'd do this," Gabrielle said, leaning over and 
smiling slightly as their lips met. 
 
Xena was too surprised to react, and before she could gather her wits, 
Gabrielle had sat back. 
 
"Funny thing, isn't it?" she said conversationally, as if she hadn't 
just pulled the world out from underneath Xena's feet. "I mean, who 
would have thought that Xena, Warrior Princess, would fall in love 
with a simple farm girl?" 

"You're no simple farm girl, Gabrielle," Xena answered, her composure 
regained. 
 
Briefly. It joyously abandoned her as Gabrielle, without warning, slid 
her arms around Xena and covered her mouth with hers. Xena was too 
distracted by the kiss to notice at first that Gabrielle had pushed 
her gently down to the white sand, but she most definitely noticed the 
hands that began to roam across her body. 
 
Gabrielle's lips moved to her throat, and on down to her breasts. Xena 
struggled to pull her shattered thoughts together enough to speak. 
 
"Just a thought, Xena," Gabrielle murmured, laughter in her voice, as 
she stopped what she was doing and looked up. "Do you actually want me 
to do this? I figured you did, but of course, I could be mistaken." As 
she spoke, one hand slid down Xena's thigh, leaving a trail of burning 
sensation on Xena's skin. 
 
Xena found her voice. "Desperately," she said hoarsely. Gabrielle's 
smile was radiant. 

"So why didn't you tell me?" she asked, as her body covered Xena's. 
 
The warrior princess was forced to assume the question was rhetorical 
as Gabrielle trailed kisses, feather-light, across her shoulders, 
before shifting her attentions lower, all too slowly. 
 
Xena gasped as Gabrielle's fingertips brushed along her inner thigh. 
Where had Gabrielle learnt how to do this? She was driving Xena nuts. 
Thought soon became impossible as Gabrielle's lips returned to her 
breasts, while one hand strayed upwards to caress her center. 
 
She was rapidly approaching the brink. Gabrielle must have realised as 
much, as the hand was replaced by lips and tongue, Gabrielle 
assaulting her senses with a surety Xena hadn't expected. 
 
Xena exploded. 
 
As the last ripples passed through her watery muscles, Xena opened her 
eyes. Gabrielle was smiling down at her. 
 
"Just think," Gabrielle said, sounding smug, "I just seduced Xena, 
Warrior Princess." Xena decided she had mastery of her body back. 
 
"Call that a seduction?" she asked, smiling back. Gabrielle thought 
for a moment. 

"Yup," she answered. "True, I kind of rushed it, but I figured if I 
took too long you'd have time to think about it and change your mind." 
There was a hint of uncertainty in Gabrielle's eyes. 
 
Now she loses her confidence? Xena wondered. Sitting up, she put her 
arms around her. 
 
"Gabrielle, I love you. I just didn't do this myself because I 
thought..." 

"...that I felt different? Honestly, she can tell which side a dinar 
lands on when it falls by the sound, but she can't tell her best 
friend is in love with her. Some people's friends, I ask you." Xena 
laughed. 

"You know what, Gabrielle?" she asked, letting one hand wander to 
Gabrielle's sandy thigh. Gabrielle inhaled sharply. 

"What?" she asked. 

"I think it's my turn," Xena answered, tasting the salty skin at 
Gabrielle's throat. 
 

THE END (I don't think)