Disclaimer: The characters are not mine - I just borrow them when I can.

Notes: Takes place right in the middle of "Sins of the Past".

Words: 1,319.

Written: June 16, 2008 - October 23, 2010.

Revision: March 6, 2013.

Rated: R.

Erosion

By Delenn

The water was crashing against the rocks, methodically wearing against the cliffs of her childhood. Wearing them down just as surely as Xena was worn down, watching waves dashing against the shore and wondering why she had ever thought she could come home. There was no coming home. Not for her. Not anymore.

Her own mother would rather see her dead, and wouldn't that just have been easier for everyone? Well, Tartarus if she was going to take the easy way out. They could disown her and chase her out of the village, but they would not get rid of her that easily.

Just like these cliffs, she belonged here. Now, if only she believed that.

A shot of lightening ran up her spine; Xena whipped around, back to the wind.

"Now these cliffs, I like. They've got the vibrancy, the potential for death." The cliffs were full of cold wind and stark trees, bleak and gray to match her mood; the only vibrancy was his voice, echoing around them. "We should've vacationed back here sooner."

Even though she knew what she was going to see - who she was going to see - reclining against one of those stark trees and looking more at home than Xena had ever felt here, his name still slipped out, "Ares." She couldn't tell if it was shock or anger that made her reply so curt. "I'm not on vacation. We're not on vacation."

Removing his hand from where it had been lazily resting against the hilt of his sword and offering a nonchalant wave, Ares brushed off her comment. "Well, not yet." Sauntered closer, deceptively casual, "Didn't think you could run off on me, Xena." There was no question.

His voice was low and quiet, a tone that simultaneously set off cascades of lust and warning ringing through her body. Stomping down the lust and refusing to back down at the warning, Xena watched his approach carefully. Not that she had much room to maneuver with her back against the cliffs. "I'm not coming back to the army."

Ares shrugged, shaking off the serious moment like a dog shaking off water. "Is that so? Can't go back to your army. Can't go home to mommy. Such high maintenance."

It wasn't funny to her. And here he was, popping up after she'd dodged him for the better part of her journey, making jokes. "I'm not leading your army anymore. So, why don't you just run along and train up a new warlord?"

He was far too close now, and she still couldn't read him. Too much back and forth. Too many words being said between lines. Xena's hand twitched toward her chakram, but Ares did not pause in his open swagger. Didn't answer until he was right in front of her. "Xena," his eyebrows were creased in what looked like concern, "It's not about the army. I'm here for you."

He reached up to brush his knuckles against her cheek, but Xena ducked her head to the side. Not avoiding his touch, but avoiding his face. Quietly, "I'm not that person anymore."

"So, what?" he spun her to face him, anger flaring up to erase whatever had been there before, "You were just going to run out on us, too?"

"What us, Ares?"

Xena kept her expression smooth, hiding the way the words cut through the wind like knives, leaving a pounding silence in their wake. Even Xena didn't know whether she actually wanted an answer, an explanation for something that couldn't be put into words, or if she just wanted to see if she could make him bleed.

The sharpness of her words faded and Ares' exasperation was palpable in their wake. Arms thrown up in a gesture of frustration or defeat, Ares released her for a second.

But just a second, and then he was pulling her close, crushing her lips to his in answer.

There was a moment where she stiffened - but only a moment. It was too familiar, too easy to fall back into line with Ares; too easy to fall back into his arms. Before, it had always been him and the darkness, intertwined; when she'd left, she'd turned her back on both. But here he was, a familiar anchor in the storm she found herself adrift in.

Her lips answered his, arms effortlessly finding their way around his neck, down his back. Pulling away to gasp out mortal breath as his lips descended down to her collar bone - feathery nips and kisses until her armor got in the way.

He was unbuckling her breastplate, hands expertly finding the latches just like so many times before. "This. Us." His words were low and husky, punctuated by nips against her increasingly bared skin.

Xena could hear the waves crashing at her back, feel the cool sea breeze against heated skin, as though this were the inevitable conclusion of their encounter. Perhaps it was. Did it matter? Her hands ran along his arms, feeling the familiar muscles and flawless skin, reaching around to slip under his leather vest.

They were on the ground now, rolling together in equal parts lust and battle until the two were mixed up together, shedding armor and leathers as they went and twisting to see who would be on top. The feel of his skin, hot compared to the breeze, pressed against her own, reminded Xena of the 'us' he meant. She was on top. "Mmhmm," wicked and sensual, it was more promise than agreement.

As she moved against him, twisting her hips just so and watching his strangled gasp, laughing as his hands clenched down on her hips, she was the wind - and everything else faded away behind that roar.

…

Later, they lay there, gasping, twisted up in each other. Watching as the waves beat against the far shores slowly, methodically, until their breathing slowed and steadied. Xena sat up, shaking out her hair, wild, in front of her face. Ares was absently tracing lines over her hips as he regarded her, musing, "We'll have to come back here, minus the angry mobs next time."

Her back was to him as she reached for her shift, her voice sharp with only a slight edge of playfulness to mask it, "Who said I'm leaving?" She could still feel the echo of his hands on her skin, warm and lingering.

She could hear the abrupt crunch of rocks and grass as he pushed himself up. His voice was incredulous, "Why would you stay?"

Half of her wanted to turn around, but she kept eyes locked on the chaotic seas below, searching. This time the waves felt powerful, not bleak; the brisk wind revived her. "I belong here." This time, she meant it.

When Ares spun her around to face him, - he was already fully dressed, of course - his eyes searching hers, "You belong with me." When she remained silent, his face quickly settled into exasperated lines. "C'mon, Xena. You gave it a good go and they didn't buy the act. It's time to stop playing the good guy and come home."

They stood on the edge of the cliffs, eyes and arms locked together, wind whipping by them. For just one second, Xena wished that the wind would cut right through them, freezing them there, lost in each other. And then her mouth quirked up in a half smirk, eyes sad. "It's not an act, Ares."

She pushed away. He let her.

Xena turned to face the cliff edge, eyes on the dancing sea below. She had been right, before. They were too caught up together in her past, all twisted up with the darkness of it. She was determined to forge a new future; one he had no place in.

When she turned to walk back to face the villagers, he was already gone. She didn't look back.