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“Why did we leave Roach behind again?”, you grumbled under your breath as you were trying to keep up with Geralt’s long strides. Knowing you weren’t really asking, only whining, he did not bother with a response. At least it was a nice day, the sun was shining and you could feel a light breeze in your hair. You walked in companionable silence for a while before you reached a small cluster of trees. The drowner nest you were tasked to deal with was further ahead near a lake so this seemed a good spot for your camp.
You carefully set out a blanket while Geralt collected wood for the fire. The trees would hide you from sight and he hoped they would keep you safe while he was away. He didn’t like leaving you anywhere alone but taking you along to fight drowners was an even worse idea so this had to do. “You don’t have to do that," he grunted as you started checking his potions bag. “I know," you responded without stopping your motions.
You had to make sure he had everything he needed for the fight. You hated the fact that you couldn’t be there with him but you also knew you would be more help afterwards. He watched you quietly and wondered, not for the first time, how he had gotten so lucky. You were a delightful travelling companion and your healing powers had come in handy on several occasions. You were not nearly as obnoxious and talkative as Jaskier and if your smile made him weak in the knees, it was nobody’s business.
“All set," you exclaimed and handed him his sword and bag with a wide grin. “Be careful and come back to me.” With those words you reached up and kissed him gently on the cheek. No matter how often you did this, he was grateful for his inability to blush every time. Without a further word, Geralt was gone and you were left with nothing but your worry that he might not make it this time. Drowners were usually not a big deal but you knew that they could get dangerous in groups. You leaned back on the blanket and tried distracting yourself by looking for images in the clouds that passed overhead.
You must have fallen asleep at some point because you did not notice Geralt until he came stumbling into the clearing, dragging his bloody sword behind him. You immediately jumped up and started looking him over for damage. “Leave the sword there, I will clean it later," you instructed as you came closer. He kept his head cocked to the side, not wanting you to see his unnaturally pale face and black eyes. There had been a whole nest of drowners and he ended up using more potions than planned. He could feel the toxins coursing through his veins and he found it hard to concentrate.
Your hands were on him before he could respond and you started unclasping his shoulder straps with deft fingers. One of the monsters had managed to slice just below his ribs and the wound was seeping through his armour. He finally turned is head to look at you and he could see your eyebrows were furrowed with concentration as you worked. “Is this the only wound?” you enquired and your wide eyes were staring directly into his. He expected you to at least flinch but your expression stayed soft and warm as you regarded him. He simply nodded.
Once Geralt was out of his upper armour, you led him to sit down on the blanket and started cleaning his wound with a herbal mixture you had prepared earlier. Healing magic worked best if the area was free from blood and other fluids and the herbs should dull the pain. Geralt never complained about any pain but that didn’t mean you were going to let him suffer needlessly. You felt his eyes on you and lifted your head to throw him a relieved smile. He had survived another contract and for that you were immensely grateful.
He felt himself relax under your touch and the potions in his blood were slowly wearing off, making him feel more like himself again. “Alright, starting the healing process now. Try to relax," your clear voice rang out and he grunted in response. You gently put your hands directly on his skin and closed your eyes to focus on the stream of magic flowing through you. He would never admit it but he loved the feeling of your healing magic. It felt like rain after a hot day, soothing and refreshing at the same time. He closed his eyes and for a moment there was only the touch of your fingers and the rustling of leaves in the afternoon breeze. Peaceful.
Once Geralt was fully healed, you handed him the clean shirt you brought and went to quickly clean his sword in a nearby stream. He always told you it wasn’t necessary but you insisted. Your healing magic allowed you to warm up the water nicely and besides, you were more than happy to help him. The money he received for successful contracts was more than you ever managed to make as a travelling herbalist and he was always willing to share it.
“Fuck.” You turned to find out the reason for Geralt’s annoyance and suddenly found yourself pushed into the dusty ground by the Witcher. “What - ," you squeaked but before you could finish, you heard them. A group of what sounded like deserters had decided that you two would be their latest victims. Geralt shielded you with his body and got into a fighting stance. He only had his silver sword but the sharp blade would work just as well on humans as it had on the drowners.
The next moments were a blur. Geralt was fighting off three men at once and when a fourth one came close, you attacked him with the daggers you had hidden in your sleeves. He was clearly taken aback at the not so defenceless elf and angrily attempted to punch you in the face. Your reflexes were no match for him and a moment later, one of your daggers was deep in his throat and he fell to the ground, making gurgling noises. You kicked him for good measure and turned to see how Geralt was getting on.
It seemed like the fight was going well and you readied yourself to support him, when an arrow whirred past him and lodged itself directly into your right calf. You screamed in pain and fell to the ground, dropping your daggers in the process. Geralt quickly glanced at you to make sure you were not in any life-threatening danger and then turned to the archer with a murderous glare. No one hurt his elf and lived to tell the tale. He made quick work of the remaining deserters and then sprinted back to where you sat hunched over, holding your leg.
You tried to heal yourself but you were too exhausted from fighting and healing Geralt earlier, and you felt close to passing out. “Stay with me," you heard his gruff voice and you realised you had closed your eyes. The pain in your leg was excruciating and you were starting to feel light-headed from the blood loss. When he was close enough to hear your stuttering breath and pained groans, he felt the sour taste of magical exhaustion on his tongue. Geralt grabbed the healing supplies from the bag you had dropped and got to work without another word.
Once he was finished cleaning and bandaging your calf, the pain had settled from the initial sharp burst to a low throbbing sensation. You felt utterly drained and you wondered if you could just lie down right there on the dusty path. “We have to get you to a healer," you heard Geralt’s low voice above you. He wore a blank expression but on the inside his guts were churning with worry for you. Before you could react, he carefully lifted you to stand on your healthy leg and you smiled at him. “My hero..," you mumbled and he felt warmth spreading through his chest at your words.
You agreed that he would carry you on his back to ensure you got back to town as fast as possible and to protect your leg from getting worse. He carefully held your legs and you flung your arms around his neck and let your hands rest below his chin. Your face was so close to his ear, he could feel your shallow breathing and it spurned him on to start walking in a brisk pace. “Talk to me," he ordered, “you need to stay awake.” Your head was swimming and the pain in your leg was more than a bit distracting so you found it hard to think of conversation topics.
“My favourite colour used to be blue but now it’s white. You know, like your hair..” At this point you were barely making any sense and simply blurted out random thoughts. He chuckled at that and he could feel your smile against his cheek. Your face had gotten closer and closer to his as he walked and he found it difficult to concentrate on the path in front of him. Your hands started stroking his chin and he tried to remember the last time he shaved properly. “Jaskier told me he’s writing a song about me. Is that a good thing?” you asked softly and Geralt fought the urge to roll his eyes. “That bard needs to mind his own business," he growled in response and you laughed. You knew his behaviour was just for show and that he actually cared about Jaskier a great deal.
So far you had not seen a single living soul since fighting the deserters but as you turned a corner, a brightly coloured merchant appeared in your sights. He looked at the two of you as if you had grown extra heads and you blushed under the impertinent stare. A Witcher always attracted unnecessary attention, even without carrying a wounded elf, so Geralt remained unfazed and simply stared back. The merchant clearly had more social graces and business sense than most humans you encountered and simply asked if you wanted to purchase dried food for the road.
You lost track of time but eventually the houses of the nearest town came into view and you sighed with relief. Your legs were starting to ache and your right calf had swollen up to double its usual size. Geralt did not put you down until you reached the door of the local healer’s hut. An angry looking old man opened and regarded the two of you with disdain. “What do you want?” he barked and you could feel his scrutinising eyes fall on your pointy ears and the Witcher’s cat eyes. A prejudiced human, what a surprise, you thought bitterly.
Once Geralt had convinced the healer that you did in fact have money to pay for his services, he begrudgingly waved you inside. During the entire time spent in the healer’s hut, Geralt’s eyes never left you. He had to make sure you were getting the best care and he did not trust this man. You were by no means weak or helpless but he felt strangely protective of you. You looked up at where he was leaning against the door frame and he gave you one of his rare genuine smiles. You felt your heartbeat increase and hoped that the healer would not pick up on it.
“You know, I could probably walk to the tavern," you suggested as he immediately lifted you onto his back when you were out on the street. He grunted but made no effort to put you down. You could feel the townspeople throwing you incredulous looks but you were too tired too care and the promise of a bed raised your spirits. Geralt carried you towards the stable to quickly check on Roach and then you were finally in front of the tavern you had left this morning. You slid off his back and focused on putting your body weight on your uninjured leg.
You were about to limp inside when you felt Geralt pick you up with his arms under your back and knees. You started blushing furiously and hid your face in his chest. He smelled like dirt and monster blood but underneath you could just make out his natural scent, warm spice and fresh hay. Your arms snaked around his neck and he suddenly felt like his chest was too tight and too warm, making it difficult to think. He fought the urge to kiss the top of your head and started walking instead.
Finally, you were in your bed, you felt like you could cry from relief. Geralt helped you take your shoes off and politely turned around when you slowly changed into your nightclothes. You always shared a room to save coins but he was nothing if not a gentleman and you respected him for it. Once he was sure you were safe and comfortable, he went to take a bath to get the last residue of monster innards and human blood off of his body. When he returned with some of the food you had purchased from the wandering merchant, he found you fast asleep.
For a moment he simply looked at you, drinking in your features. You looked so small and peaceful in the large bed, your hair shimmering in the dim light of dusk and a faint smile gracing your lips. He wanted nothing more than to hold you close and keep you safe from the dangers of the world. He hadn’t felt like this since Yennefer and this time, no djinn wish was distorting reality and messing with his feelings. You sighed in your sleep and he felt himself smile. Geralt slipped under the covers and unusually for him, he was asleep in moments.