Faye looked around in horror as the pleasant memories of her childhood bled into what she saw before her. Her home was gone. The land was barren, desolate, nothing grew, no one remained. What had happened here? A curse? A monster? War? How long had it been this way, why hadn’t word spread to her when she inquired about this place. She didn’t know how to feel, what to feel. She felt Geralt behind her.
“What happened here?” She whispered, but didn’t turn to face him. She knew he had heard her; his ears could pick up the faintest of sounds.
“Hard to say, but it appears to have happened pretty recently.” He replied hesitantly. Geralt lingered back, keeping his distance, giving her the space she needed to process.
When she finally turned to him, there were tears in her eyes. “Now what? I have nowhere left to belong,” she whispered.
Geralt slowly approached her and wrapped his arms around her back, cradling her against him. She buried her head in his shoulder and cried. Geralt held her close, stroking her hair gently, he remained quiet as she sobbed her pain. After an indiscernible amount of time she heard him speak.
“You belong with me.” a low rumble issued from his throat.
She looked up sniffling, searching his face, not believing her ears.
“What?” She whispered, trying to keep the hope in her heart at bay.
“You can stay with me.” He spoke softly, his eyes burning into her watery ones. She felt his fingertips on her face, wiping her tears away.
She looked at him disbelieving, searching his eyes. Did he mean it? Doubt filled her mind.
“I’m not a hunter Geralt, I can barely lift your sword over my head.” She sobbed and laughed in self deprecation.
“You don't have to be a hunter to stay with me. I’ll protect you, I’ll give you a place to belong.” He said softly.
Her objections dried up on her lips. He meant it, he wanted her to stay with him, his eyes were unguarded, he was baring his heart to her and she had the opportunity to take it, hold on to it and protect it, but in the process she would expose just how much she needed him as well.
“Can you belong to me Geralt?” She whispered, her eyes vulnerable, she worried at her bottom lip as she stared up at him. If she stayed with him she wanted their relationship to continue to grow, she needed him to be hers.
His mouth descended on hers. She closed her eyes and sighed in relief.
“I already do.” He whispered against her mouth. Tears of relief filled her eyes and mingled with their kiss. Her heart swelled, her stomach somersaulted as butterflies ebbed to escape. She knew then that she was falling in love with him. The idea of falling was completely foreign to her, but she knew it to be true. She didn’t think she’d ever find someone the way Geralt made her feel. The whole time they were travelling to Howles she was bracing herself for their inevitable separation. It was a rush to know she didn’t have to leave him. The bleakness of the situation brightened just that much more.