The Onsen, Sunday Morning

[ancientbschamp]

Put aside all questions about whether this was an appropriate time of year for such things, or why Gabrielle and Xena were camping out in the unexplored wooded area of the island rather than booking a hotel room for Xena for the weekend in the first place. Much less any questions about why a hot tub in the middle of the island seemed like a

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[darthamphipolis]

Between Sherlock and the librarian fellow - Henry, right? - she was about one for two. To be charitable.

Not that it mattered.

Xena followed her into the water without a moment's thought (or a moment's scrap of clothing, for that matter), and sighed in contentment as the heat settled in. "Hm? No," she said. "I don't like the look of your deductions professor. All bark and no bite."

[ancientbschamp]

"Ha. Not everyone bites the way you do, Xena," Gabrielle retorted, splashing at her.

. . . no, it wasn't what it sounded like, why would you think that?

"He's not so bad," she offered, because part of her job was basically to be the Jedi to Xena's Sith look for the good in people. "Not exactly what you'd call a people person, but we can't all be."

[darthamphipolis]

She was such an optimist. "He's very short-sighted," said Xena, who wasn't, "'Not a people person' doesn't cover it."

She was, however, kind enough to endure the splashing. ... For now. It was entirely possible she was plotting something Sithly diabolical. "Librarian's not bad, though. He says you've been working pretty hard lately."

It was not strictly necessary for her to drift that close to Gabrielle, but...

[ancientbschamp]

Who needed necessary? Just like it wasn't necessary for Gabrielle to say "Here, let me get that for you," and offer to scrub Xena's back.

"I have been," she added. "It isn't saving villagers or rescuing hostages or any of the things we do, but it's . . . it's rewarding in its own way, you know?"