Self Indulgent x Readers

i rarely see x readers with personalities like mine + i want unappreciated characters to get the appreciation and love they deserve! <3 feel free to request any TWN + COD character and scenario! my main is one-eyed-captain-kinky ! i promise i don’t bite, DMs are always open and interactions are very welcome!!

[shy-indulgent-writer]

TWN Masterlist:

gender neutral unless otherwise specified

last updated: June 8, 2022

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kofi!!

Character-centric:

Lambert:

“You’re my new pillow” (fluff)

Picnics and Puns (fluff)

Anger is the part of you that loves you (hurt/comfort + potentially triggering)

“Thank you. I love you.” (fluff)

“It’s always been you.” (hurt/comfort)

Eskel:

Scars (hurt/comfort)

“I love you. Romantically.” (fluff + slight angst)

“Crush at First Sight” (fluff)

Coën:

Geralt:

Jaskier:

Yennefer:

Traveling to Rinde (fluff + hurt/comfort)

What I Needed To Hear (fluff)

Triss:

Fringilla:

Cahir:

Filavandrel:

Francesca:

Rience:

Hot Stuff Part 1 (fluff for now)

Cirilla:

Vesemir:

Calanthe:

Eist:

Tissaia:

Yarpen:

Group Headcanons/Reactions:

Witcher Trio (Geralt, Lambert, Eskel):

Main Four (Geralt, Yennefer, Jaskier, Ciri):

Geralt’s Friend Group (Geralt, Jaskier, Yennefer, Eskel, Lambert):

[shy-indulgent-writer]

okok this is about to turn into a COD and Witcher account but rn i have COD brainrot so… here’s a small blurb

sub!könig tied up on a milking table- cock twitching desperately, hanging from the hole in the table, little vibe attached to his tip. he lets out load moans and groans, whimpering a little whenever you increase the speed or stop it all together. his hands are balled into fists as he unconsciously fights against the restraints, even crying when you edge him for too long- a puddle of drool where his head lays against the surface of the table, warm and sticky with sweat.

[shy-indulgent-writer]

Rience x GN!Reader - Hot Stuff Part 1

gods, hi everyone! so sorry for not updating in a while! i'm finally back at home and start a new job on friday, so life has been a teensy bit hectic. this is a part one of like... maybe three or four, so sorry if it's not super fleshed out yet. tho to be completely honest, i'm not quite sure if i really wanna continue this one. i was just like: woah florist!reader with rience could be interesting! sooo ig just lmk what you think? lol

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You look up from the flowers you're bundling on the shop counter as you hear someone stumble in, groaning in pain

You rarely get customers, so it's unusual for someone to come in so close to closing time, much less a man judging from the voice

You cautiously make your way over to the front of the shop, clutching the dagger in the pocket of your apron tightly when you see a man with long hair, hunched over with his face sizzling and bleeding

"Holy Melitele! Are you alright?"

You release your hold on the dagger to prop this man upright, wincing as you take in his features still aggravated from his newfound injuries

The stranger does his best to push your hands off of him, but you can tell he's incredibly weak at the moment

You shuffle him over to the wall so that you can lean him against it and you rush away to gather a bucket of cold water and clean rags

When you come back to him, bucket, rags, and a bottle of spirits your friends hadn’t finished, you make quick work of fixing him up to the best of your abilities

You hand him the bottle to drink from (to hopefully numb his pain) before putting a wet cloth against his face, barely dodging his flailing limbs as he screams in pain

"I know, I know," you reason, holding one of his hands with your free one, "the cold water should help to cool it for now. I'll call a healer over as soon as you're in a more stable condition."

"I don't... need a stupid healer..." He groans, his words barely comprehensible as his voice is hoarse from his yelling

"Yes, you do. I'm not a healer, so even though I'd love to help you by myself, that's not possible for me. So the faster we get this wound cleaned, the faster we'll see someone who can help. Melitele knows where we'll find a capable one in this part of Velen though..."

He doesn't respond to you anymore, his breaths labored, but steady as he passes out in your arms

Well, at least he won't be fighting back against the treatment anymore

When he comes to a day and a half later, you're both in the healer's hut

His head is pounding and his face burns, but he can smell the sterilzing serums seeped into the bandages wrapped around one side of his face

Though he can tell his wounds are somewhat cared for, he’s alert, body tensing and ready to fight his way out of wherever he is

And then he sees you, sitting in a chair on the other side of the room, head resting on your arms as you’re slumped forward on the desk, idly pinching the fire from a candle between your fingers

“Careful,” he starts, his voice raspy, “fire can be dangerous.”

Your eyes widen in surprise and you hurriedly turn your head to look at him

“You’re awake!” You carry the candle as you walk over to his side, the room partially illuminated by it in the night

You sit at the chair near his cot this time, taking in his features now that he’s conscious and they’re no longer contorted in pain

You introduce himself, but he doesn’t give you his name in return— it’s fine you suppose, maybe a bit rude, but you can’t blame him, someone hurt him badly; you’d have trust issues if half of your face were burnt too

“Well, there aren’t many healers in this part of Velen, but the one I brought you to was the best we could get you immediate treatment at. How are you feeling?”

“Like half of my face is burnt.” He rolls his eyes as he says it, but has the decency to be slightly ashamed at his behavior after you’ve gone out of your way to help him. “Well… even still, it’s better than what I felt before.”

You look at the bandages with sympathy before grabbing a glass of water and some herbs the healer left behind for him

You urge him to drink it in order to help speed up the healing process, and while he’s forcing himself to swallow the bitter herbs, you begin talking about yourself to fill in the silence: what you do at the shop he barged in on, what life is like in your part of town, the new pastry being sold at your favorite bakery, etc.

He doesn't want to be rude, but he really doesn't know how to respond to your genuine care and worry for him, much less casual conversation when he’s only used to giving threats— he trips over his words when he dodges answers to your questions about him, and he resists the urge to kick his legs when he finally sits up in the cot

You're a bit thrown off by his terseness, but you can tell by his sweeping and calculative gaze of the room that it's more out of nervousness and distrust rather than the actual desire to be rude

“Well then, the healer says you should probably stay out of trouble for a while.” You think to yourself that trouble is probably an understatement to whatever this man has been getting into. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, what are you going to do in the meantime?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

You roll your eyes. “Half of your face is burnt and incredibly susceptible to irritation and infection; clearly you shouldn’t be doing whatever you were doing earlier if it gave you injuries like this. So what will you do while you heal?”

He forces himself to stand up, his legs slightly wobbling as he does so

“I don’t have time to waste,” he grips the sides of the cot to stabilize himself, “I need to complete my mission. I have all the time in the world afterwards.”

“Mission?” Clearly there’s more to this man than meets the eye, but he quickly shoots down your inquiry

“Nothing to concern your pretty little head with. You should go back to your shop and forget you ever met me.”

“Oh, so you think I’m pretty?” Your voice has a teasing lilt to it, and you resist the urge to laugh at the way his brows furrow in displeasure

“You’re real cheeky, aren’t you? Cmon then,” he gestures to the door leading out of the healer’s place, “I’ll get you back to yours, and then you go back to that ordinary life of yours.”

As much as you’d like to quip back with a line akin to “well, what if I don’t want to have an ordinary life?” you can see from the man’s injuries that whatever life he’s leading is lethal

You're nothing special; you don't have much self-defense knowledge, you know basic first-aid but nothing advanced enough to take the position of a healer or mage, you're probably weaker than the people who frequent the tavern every night

You let out a little sigh in response, one that the man takes as approval as he grabs your arm and leads you out of the tent before standing still, realizing he has no idea how to get you back to your town

His chaos reserves are dwindled and he's not sure he's physically-able enough to cast anything anyways

"We can hitch a ride on one of the traveling carts for a handful of noble." You point to a group of salespeople standing near their horse-drawn carts.

The man nods at your idea and the two of you go to talk to the group

A deal is eventually made and the two of you are set to depart in two days, so in the meantime you set up shack at an inn nearby, sharing a room much to Rience's apprehension

He can't really complain though as he doesn't have any money on him and can only be thankful that you're willing to share a space with him

"So," you say, hopping onto your bed, looking at him sitting up in his own a few feet away from you, "what should I call you?"

"I can't—"

"Yeah, yeah," you wave your hand, "you can't give me your name because you're so mysterious and dangerous. So? Give me something to work with; an alias, a nickname, a petname...?"

You patiently wait for his response, your eyebrow raised

"You can call me..." his voice falters as he can't come up with anything till his eyes land on the candle lighting up the room. "Hot stuff."

"Hot stuff?" You resist the urge to roll your eyes. "Well you certainly were hot stuff based on those burns you have."

There's a pregnant pause as you process what you just said

"Oh, shit, I'm so sorry— that was actually insensitive of me—"

Your worried ramblings are cut off by a velvety laugh, surprising you

"No apologies needed."

Rience is taken by surprise at how little he actually cares about that quip

Usually he'd probably kill someone for making such a remark, but coming from you he can only be impressed by how you came up with that on the fly

Honestly though, it hurts to smile, but he can't help the way his lips quirk up when he's around you

That's why days later when you're finally back in front of your shop, he can't help to feel a little saddened

"Well," you say, rolling your shoulders in discomfort as you're no longer confined to the space of the cart, "just because you want me to return to my ordinary life doesn't mean you hafta be a stranger."

"What?"

"I mean," you fiddle with the bottom hem of your shirt. "Just because I'm not necessarily strong enough to travel with you or partake in your mission doesn't mean we can't stay in contact. My shop won't change, so you can like... visit or send letters if you want."

Rience weighs the pros and cons of it

While him staying in contact with you may put you in danger, he's pretty confident in his ability to protect you, and besides that he knows you're innocent— no reason for a pesky witcher and his child surprise to kill you should they find out you're associated with him

"Alright then."

Your head jerks up in surprise, no longer focused on them hem of your shirt as you look up at him in disbelief

"Wait, really?" You can't help the smile that graces your face

His small smile is the only affirmative you need to know you heard him correctly

"Oh. Well then, hot stuff,” you start with a smile. “Looks like my life won't be that ordinary after all."

[shy-indulgent-writer]

Lambert x GN!Reader - "It's always been you"

i’m back!! so much has been going on medical wise that i don’t even know where to begin… anyways, this one was a toughy! ^^;

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It starts with an argument, because of course it does, you’re dating Lambert after all

Lambert is hard to love— it’s so easy to feel the love for him, but it’s so difficult to express it in a way he’ll allow himself to receive

He starts petty squabbles over the smallest things— as though trying to push you away with surface level disagreements now rather than something personal later on

You get it, he’s been hurt before and this is his way of protecting himself, but that doesn’t mean you’re not being hurt too

It’s just been a long day, so when he makes a scathing remark over something small, you decide you’ve had enough

“Fucking… Lambert! I get it, you don’t want me here! I’ll just fucking leave and just…” You look at him with tears in your eyes, your hands clenched into fists at your sides. “You’d be happier without me. Fuck! I doubt you’d even mourn for me if I died!”

You clench your jaw as tears start falling down your face and you look away from him, not wanting him to see you in this moment of weakness

The cold wind bites against your skin, even more so when it hits the tear tracks on your cheeks

Your body trembles with unexpressed rage and sadness, like a leaf in the wind as you wait for his response

“Wait… angel,” his voice cracks as he says your nickname, sounding uncharacteristically weak, “you think I wouldn’t mourn for you? You think I don’t want you here?”

You look back at him and give a small smile, one that both of you know is empty and untrue

“You just…” You sniffle and start shifting from one foot to the next, anxious at the fact you’re finally having this conversation. “You keep trying to push me away and it just feels like I’m more of a burden than anything else. I love you, but I’m so tired Lambert…”

He takes a step closer to you, arm outstretched, but he falters and doesn’t move any closer

When you see this, you summon up the courage to keep talking— if you ruin the relationship now, you might as well let everything out so that you don’t have regrets

“I’m tired of needing to walk on eggshells to avoid your criticism. I want us to be happy, but it can’t just be me putting in most of the emotional work— this is a relationship, it’s between the two of us. And you say that you love me, but it’s so hard to believe it sometimes.”

You’re shaking even more now, simultaneously full of self-loathing and feeling proud of yourself

His heart practically breaks as he hears your confession, a physical ache manifesting in his chest

He doesn’t know what to say; he’s aware that he’s treated you like shit, but it doesn’t hurt any less to hear about it

“I’m— I’m sorry. I never meant to make you feel like…” Lambert stops, at a loss for words

“Yeah, well,” you sniffle, “you did.”

There’s a stretch of silence, and neither of you do anything to end it

Lambert feels conflicted; on one hand he doesn’t want to lose you, he wants you to know how much he loves you, how much you mean to him… on the other he’s a bit relieved at the fact that this may be the end; if he loses you that’s one less weakness, one less person he could possibly hurt or leave behind

You sigh and walk away, grabbing your pack and quickly hoisting yourself up onto your horse

“I guess this goodbye then, Lambert.”

Oh, he hates this, he can feel the familiar burn behind his eyes, and he hates the fact that you can even elicit such a response from him

He feels like he should say one final thing; something to make sure that you don’t come back, something that hurts you so deeply that you’ll despise him

But he can’t find it in himself to do it, and he continues to quietly stand still as he watches you ride away

It hurts, to not be deemed as worth fighting over— it hurts that he didn’t refute anything you said, that he didn’t put up an argument, or ask you to stay

It’s unlike him. He’s usually so fierce and passionate and sure of what he wants, but he was uncharacteristically hesitant

You can’t help but to worry about him…

It’s been a few months since you’ve last seen each other; your splitting up happening right before winter, meaning that none of you could contact each other even if you wanted to

It’s been rough

Lambert had been more snappy and mopey, so much so that his brothers had to comfort him, rather than bullying him for being such an ass

You managed to find a job at a tavern in a small town— it doesn’t pay much, but the people here are nice enough and the tavern owner’s wife, Marilka, offered you a room to live in

Life in town is different than traveling with Lambert on the path; it's so simple, normal... it's what you would've enjoyed had you not met him, but now that you have a taste of adventure, it's just unsatisfying

Even if you did go back onto the road though, you don't have as many supplies as you would need, and you don't have all the experience that he does

You know some basic survival and camping skills, a decent amount of first aid, a little bit of alchemy from watching him, and some knowledge on monsters, but other than that you don't have much else to offer

"You know." Marilka sighs, as she sees you turn towards the door for the umpteenth time that night, "You should find him. I know most people here in Blaviken aren't kind to witchers, but I know they have the capacity to be kind and loving. What's-his-face ultimately hurt you, but he truly made you happy."

"His name is Lambert, and I don't know if he'd want me back." You fill up a tankard with ale and serve it to a man at the counter, wiping your hands on your apron before turning to Marilka. "Besides, it's hard to travel alone; much less trying to find him on the path."

"Well, lucky for you I heard of a monster contract down in Luton, there's rumors that they're looking for a witcher to take care of the problem. Worst case scenario you'll meet a non-wolf witcher."

"But," you cast an inquisitive glance Marilka's way, "that would require leaving Blaviken."

"Pah!" She waves a hand, dismissing your worries. "At least one of us will get out of this hell-hole. Go on then, go back to your room and start packing! I'll give you some food and your week's pay on your way out."

There's not much in your room for you to pack; you had always hoped Lambert would come back

You imagined he'd say something along the lines of "I finally found you" and he'd tease you for taking so long to pack, you practically bouncing around like an excited pup at the thought of traveling with him again

Though this isn't the case, you can't help but feel a bit excited at the prospect of seeing him again

You've missed him, and even if you don't have a romantic relationship anymore, he's someone you hold dear in your heart

Marilka bids you goodbye with a sad smile and a wave, having given you a generous amount of food for the road

If you don't find Lambert you'll definitely come back to her and work at the tavern again

If you do find him, you'll be sure to visit her when Lambert goes away for the winter

Either way, Marilka has proven herself to be a trustworthy friend

Before heading out, you put on one of the jackets Lambert had lent to you, hoping it would prove as a symbol for good luck in trying to find him

You set off to Luton, your trusty horse's pace unfaltering

Luton is a small port city south of Blaviken, a small population, but one important to trade— not that you had ever been before, but taking in the sights and strong smell of the sea, it's not difficult to infer

After renting a room at a shabby inn and giving your horse to the stableboy, you go to a tavern for information, hoping the gossip of a certain wolf witcher reaches your ears

The Port Crevice, a tavern well in the middle of town, bound to be popular at this time of night was eerily quiet— as you walk towards the establishment, there's no yelling or sounds of laughter, you can't even hear the bustle and chatter of people inside

You tentatively push the wooden door open, surprised to see only one customer sitting at the bar

A witcher, judging by the two swords on their back, smelling a bit of blood with boots covered in grime

He turns to you as soon as he smells you, an astonished tone to his voice as he takes you in. "You're Lambert's companion..." He points a finger at you, face unreadable

You take note of the wolf medallion around his neck and the telltale scars on his face

"And you must be Eskel."

Your eyes skim over his features, and you force your heartbeat to maintain a steady pace, your gaze never lingering in one place for too long

As Lambert had once mentioned, despite all appearances, Eskel is much more reserved than he is; a bit insecure and quick to mediate rather than start conflict— practically the exact opposite of him

"So." He puts his finger down, gesturing for you to take a seat next to him at the bar. "What did Lambert do?"

Your eyebrows raise in surprise

"How are you so sure that I didn't do something?

He chuckles, taking a sip of the weak ale the scared bartender had given him. "We're talking about Lambert, aren't we?"

You sigh with relief, thankful that his brother doesn't seem upset with you and is willing to talk

Waving down the wary bartender for a drink, you begin talking about Lambert: how you met, how you ended up falling for him, your communication problems, etc.

Eskel doesn't talk much, he's more of a listener, but he gives occasional grunts or irritated sighs when he hears about Lamberts shenanigans

"Lambert misses you too." He says, worriedly looking at you as you continue drinking from your refilled tankard. "You know why he didn't chase after you, right?"

You huff, feeling a fresh ache in your chest as you remember what it was like to leave.

"He doesn't believe he deserves nice things sometimes, and he lets good things escape from his grasp because he thinks it inevitables that things were meant to go this way— that it's better for us to get hurt like this rather than because of something innately wrong." You start to sigh again, only for it to turn into a drunken hiccup.

Eskel laughs, his eyes soft as he watches you

"You're good for him." He pats you on the shoulder. "He's such a pain in the ass without you. I'll bring you to him so that he can finally get his head out of there."

You laugh and thank Eskel for his kindness to which he replies: "I'm doing this on behalf of myself and all the other wolves. Wintering with him was ten times more annoying than usual."

You agree to begin traveling with him after you’ve both finished replenishing your supplies

Getting to Kaer Morhen will be a difficult journey, but you're glad to spend some time getting to know the other witcher

Eskel is sweet, soft-spoken, but incredibly intelligent and emotionally-intelligent, though that doesn't mean he'll choose feelings over logic

It feels a bit rude to do so, but you can't help but to compare him to Lambert at times

You get to know him quite well in the following months— of course you have, you're traveling across the continent together!

Despite how sweet Eskel is, and how sometimes you wish Lambert had some of these qualities, you miss him so much

"You know," Eskel passes you the cooked leg of a rabbit he caught, "You speak so highly of Lambert. Would be enough to make any man jealous."

"Well, yes... despite everything, I still love him. It's been nearly a year, but I still think of him everyday." You look up towards the stars while letting the meat cool down. "When I go to the market, I think about what he would like and what he would complain about. When in bed I hug a pillow, but it's never as warm as he was. When I wake up, I keep wishing it would be to him tracing patterns on my skin. I just…" You stop, at a loss for words before you heave a disappointed sigh

"I swear, if he doesn't treasure you this time around, I'm taking you for myself."

You look back at Eskel and laugh. "You're so funny Eskel. Thank you though."

"It wasn't a joke," Eskel mumbles, though you don't hear him as the crackling of the fire drowns his voice out

A few more weeks pass and it's autumn, the breeze accompanying the change of seasons causing you to catch ill

Delirious with fever and clutching the inn's bedsheets close to your chest, you feel tears begin to roll down your face

"Hey, hey— it's going to be okay." Eskel's large hand holds your clammy one, allowing you to squeeze it for comfort

"Why isn't he here?" Your voice is raspy from the constant wheezing and coughing you've been doing the past few days. "It's stupid, but I wish he was here... I wish I was good enough for him."

"It's okay, I'll be sure to clobber him good for not being here. And you are good enough, you're more than enough." Eskel squeezes your hand once more before you pass out.

After your fever breaks, Eskel has become a bit more protective of you

He won't allow you to get anywhere close to fights and he's giving you more food, despite the fact that he needs to replenish his energy more than you do

"It won't do any good to have Lambert seeing you all worn." He claps his hand on your shoulder. "I don't want him to kill me if you don't look healthy."

You scoff

"I already know you care for me Eskel, you're just a big sweet heart."

He hums in response, not doing anything to continue the conversation

As you continue traveling he finds himself caring a bit too much, so he tries his best to stifle his growing feelings

You're almost at Kaer Morhen now

The chill has set in and the first snow has already started and despite Eskel's spare cloak around you your teeth clatter as you continue on The Killer

"We should be able to make it before nightfall if we continue," Eskel shouts, straining his voice above the roaring winds. "Stay close!"

Your horse neighs in disapproval as you urge them to move faster, but you both stick close to Eskel and Scorpion, trusting them to lead you to safety

Though you would like to relish in the beautiful views of the fortress built into the mountainside, you would prefer being inside and warm, your horses racing to across the bridge and into the gates once in sight

Eskel ushers you to go inside before him, saying that you need to stay warm and that he'll need to set up the stables for your horses

You're a bit hesitant to leave his side, but you walk into the main hall regardless, audibly sighing as you feel the warmth of the fire

You feel the wary stares of the witchers on you and before you can introduce yourself, the man Lambert described as Vesemir pats you on the shoulder

"I never thought Eskel would find a mate on the path."

"Wait that's not—"

As Eskel walks into the room, the other witchers begin cheering and lifting their tankards in a toast to him, much to his confusion

"Congrats on finding a mate, Eskel! They don't even have horns!"

You don't know who said that, but the hall reverberates with the sound of jeers and laughter

Eskel quickly walks to your side, an inquisitive look on his face as he looks at your panicked one

Once again, before you could explain, you see a familiar flash of red hair entering the room

"What's all this noise about? Eskel found someone who would tolerate him?" That snarky voice is all too familiar and your heart practically races out of your chest when your eyes meet. "What the—"

Lambert's eyes travel from you to Eskel, a growl escaping his throat as he lunges for the other

Eskel casts aard, effectively throwing Lambert back

They continue fighting and the rest of the wolves look tense, ready to intervene or join if needed

"Wait, Lambert!" You try to catch his attention. "I'm not with Eskel."

"Shut up!" The ginger yells, upset when he can't manage to hit the other. "Good for you! Be happy with this asshole, I never cared for you anyways!"

Lambert turns just in time to see the first few tears fall from your face before he's sent flying with the force of Eskel's punch

Eskel clambers on top of him and grabs his collar, gritting his teeth all the while.

"What the fuck do you—"

The older headbutts him, and you wince in sympathy for both of them as the hit was loud enough to echo

"Listen to them." Eskel's voice sounds calm despite his obvious anger. "They travelled all the way over here for your selfish ass and almost died along the way, so you're going to sit and listen to them otherwise I'm taking them for myself."

Eskel lets go of Lambert's collar and let's his head thud against the ground before he gestures for everyone to leave the room, giving you a nod as he exits last

There's finally silence in the hall and you begin making your way over to the other who lays still in the center of the room

"Lambert..."

He’s clearly dazed as he finally looks at you, as he takes all of you in

"You... almost died?" His voice is but a broken whisper as you kneel next to him and he takes your hand in his

"It wasn't that dramatic." You try to laugh it off, though you can't help but to remember how lonely you had felt; how upset you were that you were possibly going to. die without getting to see him again

Lambert smells your distress and his heart breaks as he takes in the obvious sorrow on your face

"C'mere." He pulls you on top of him, wrapping his arms around you as he nuzzles his nose into the crook of your neck

"I missed you,” you cry, your tears falling down your face and onto his as you commit the warmth of his arms around you to memory. "I missed you so much."

"I'm sorry," he whispers, hugging you tighter. "I didn't mean what I said. I was just—"

"Hurt. I know." You sniffle, lip wobbling as you try not to take his words from earlier to heart. "I know you were hurt, but Lambert you hurt me. Again."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too." You brush the reddened area of his forehead with your thumb. "I should've stayed with you. I shouldn't have left."

"No, I shouldn't have let you leave. I should have chased after you."

You realize he's begun to cry too when you feel your neck getting wet with his tears

"I'm sorry, angel. I shouldn't have assumed— I shouldn't have lashed out and... I just... I'm scared." His voice breaks and your body limply lays on top of his, his arms losing strength and falling to the ground as he cries. "I've never loved someone the way I love you. I'm just so scared I'm gonna fuck it up. That I'll seriously hurt you, and that I'll have to live with that guilt forever. I'm so scared that I'm going to lose you and..."

He whimpers and you lean down to press your lips onto his

The kiss tastes of salt and neither of you stop crying as your lips meet again and again, confirming that the other is truly there

"Stop pushing me away, Lambert. It's always been you, and it's always going to be you. We can worry about the future if that ever happens, but Melitele above, Lambert, the fact that you're scared just shows that you care." You press your forehead against his. "I want to be with you, and that's what matters."

He chuckles wetly. "I want to be with you too."

You sniffle before you lean down to kiss him again

You both lay on the floor for a few moments longer before you roll off of him, giggling as you do so

"Come on then." You brush off any dirt from Eskel's cloak before extending your arm to him, smiling when his hand fits in yours like puzzle pieces reconciling.

"Can't believe I've gotta apologize to that bastard."

"Eskel?"

"Yeah, who else?"

You roll your eyes and jab his side, both of you laughing.

"Before we see him though..." Lambert pulls Eskel's cloak off of you before possessively snaking his arm around your waist

"But I'm cold!"

"Well, good thing I know some ways we can warm up."

You scoff as you fight the blush threatening to come onto your face

"Lambert, as much as that sounds great, we need to talk things out at some point; set boundaries, be more communicative—"

He squeezes your side and pulls you flush against him

"I know..." He sighs, but you can tell it's not an upset one. "It'll be worth it if it means it makes you smile though— I've missed it."

"And I've missed you."

As you exit the hall, lips thoroughly kissed and Eskel's cloak held in Lambert's hand, no further communication is needed as the other witchers were quick to pick up on the situation

"Well then Eskel," Lambert pushes the cloak to his brother's chest, a vaguely threatening glint in his eye, "looks like we've got a lot to catch up on."

Tagging: @blushingskywalker :D

[shy-indulgent-writer]

Lambert x GN!Reader - “Thank you. I love you.”

am i very soft for lambert? abso-fucking-lutely. i would’ve uploaded this sooner, but it’s been a week full of medical mishaps. thanks for taking the time to read this though!! <3

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When you say “I love you” for the first time, it’s when he makes you soup

You had been complaining about how cold it was, and how you were going to get sick if you didn’t sleep in a warm inn tonight

Despite him traveling a bit faster, you weren’t able to make it to the town before sunset, instead setting up camp much to your dismay

As you sit down near the fire, wondering what small portion of berries or scraps you would have for dinner, he brings out a small pot

Placing it over the fire, he begins putting various herbs and dried meats in it before dousing them with water

“What are you looking at?” Lambert stirs the pot with a stick, unnerved by the way you’re looking at him with such intensity

“Well, what are you making? That doesn’t look like your typical potion.”

He scoffs as though calling you an idiot, rolling his eyes. “It’s soup. You ever heard of it?”

Well of course you have, but why is he making it? It’s using up a good amount of precious supplies, and he’s taking longer than he usually does to cook

You go off to set up camp a bit more, making sure that you have all your things and that everything is set up properly before he calls you back

He has a bowl in each hand, holding one out to you

“Wait, for me too?” You’re surprised by the gesture, especially because he’s such a stingy traveling partner; to be fair you haven’t known each other for more than a couple of weeks, but still, this is the sweetest he’s been to you

“You were the one complaining about being cold. If you don’t want it anymore I’ll gladly take it.”

Despite his aloof attitude, you notice the way his hands shake and how he avoids meeting your eyes

He’s giving you a bigger portion of the soup, and he made it for you because you were cold?

“Oh, Lambert!” You happily grab the bowl from him, grinning from ear to ear. “I love you, this is exactly what I needed!”

You begin walking over to a log where you want to sit when you hear him rushing after you

“Wait— love? You love me? Why the hell would you do that?” He laughs nervously at the end of his statement, hoping you can’t tell how flustered he is

“Well,” you look into his eyes as you speak, “you made me soup. You cared about me enough to make me something I wanted. You’re a nice guy.”

He scoffs, before walking away, grumbling something about how that was a stupid reason to say “I love you” and how he’s not nice

Even if he says that, you know he is nice, and your heart warms as you take a sip from your bowl

You don’t notice the way he continuously glances your way in disbelief as you eat, or the way he tries to find your motives out as he watches you sleep

The second time you say it, it’s when he says the two of you can spend an extra day at the inn you’re currently at

“Wait, Lambert.” You look at him worriedly, grabbing his sleeve to stop him from leaving the room.

He could shrug your hand off him at any point, but he stops in place anyways, turning to you with the slightest bit of annoyance

“What?”

“Didn’t you say that you hated this town? We can leave tonight if you’d like— unless you’re not feeling well— are you sick? Can witchers get colds?”

You take a step closer to him, about to put your hand on his forehead when he gently brushes it aside

“I thought you said you were tired. I can survive another night in this shitty inn. At least there’s an actual bed at this place.”

“Wait, so you’re willing to pay for another night here because I’m tired?”

You’re touched, and you do your best to fight back the tears that threaten to come

You hug him, and this time he doesn’t stop your gesture, but he stands awkwardly with his arms suspended in the air, as though he’s wants to hug you, but doesn’t know how

“Thank you! Oh, Lambert, I love you, you’re the best!” You excitedly squeeze him closer to you, enjoying the warmth of the hug before letting go

“It’s just because I don’t want to hear you yapping for the next week about how tired and uncomfortable you are.”

You roll your eyes, a smile still on your face. “You’re just a sweetie, Lambert. You don’t need to hide it.”

You quickly walk out of your shared room, not wanting to hear his entire spiel about how he’s not nice and he’s a “grumpy and mean witcher” and that you should be scared of him

Lambert just stays in the room, a bit shell-shocked at the spontaneous affections you threw at him, completely unaware of the way they made him feel

He can’t think of the last time he was hugged by someone who wasn’t family, and that’s only twice a year during the winter

His heart begins to race a bit faster in his chest, and he justifies it, telling himself that it’s only racing in annoyance because of you calling him nice

That night he moves his bed a tiny bit further away from yours, as though that would make him feel less shy and vulnerable

The third time you say it, it’s because of the way he smiles in the sun

You’ve been traveling together for a while now, and he’s eventually just accepted your presence at his side, no longer actively trying to shoo you off or scare you away (though that doesn’t mean he’s openly appreciative about your presence)

“The sun feels good, cmon Lambert, join me.” You pat the spot next to you in the grass where you lay, not even looking at him, your eyes closed and feeling the comforting rays on your face

“Why would I do that? You’re the one always urging me to travel faster.”

Though Lambert scoffs, he lays down next to you anyways, gently taking in the way your face looks in the light, illuminated and bright and everything just feels right when he’s next to you like this

You let out a satisfied sigh as you feel his presence next to you

“I love you,” you comment with a smile on your face.

“Why?”

“Because you’re willing to enjoy the small things with me, and your presence alone is comforting and makes me feel safe.”

You feel safe with him?

He’s bewildered at the idea that he could inspire feelings other than annoyance or begrudging acceptance

And honestly, shouldn’t you feel the opposite of safe with him? He’s a witcher! You’re more likely to have a safe life just settling in a random village or town you pass through

“That’s stupid of you.” He picks at a piece of grass beside him, idly plucking it out of the ground and twirling it between his fingers

“Maybe, but I trust you.”

“You shouldn’t.”

Lambert ruins everything, and he’s sure that you’ll get tired of him eventually; that you’ll realize he isn’t as great as you thought he was

“Well, I do regardless.” You open your eyes and turn to him, taking in his features. “Also, I love how pretty you are like this, and I love it when you smile.”

Lambert can’t let out anything other than insulted and over-exaggerated guffaws of disbelief, and so you win this conversation by default

When you eventually fall asleep in the sun, Lambert finally feels calm enough to process what you said

“Fuckin… pretty? I’m not pretty.”

He’s very happy that you called him pretty actually, but to cover up that fact, he just complains all day when his face turns red from the sun exposure, practically blending in with the shade of his hair

When you say it for the fourth time, you’re absolutely wasted, hiccuping and practically slumping in your seat at the bar

“Why the fuck did you drink so much if you couldn’t handle this?” Lambert side eyes you, not bothered enough yet to bring you back to the inn

He keeps drinking his beer, taking in the way the tavern lights highlight certain features of you, the way you’re such a comforting and warm presence by his side, even at a dingy place like this

After he’s drunken a bit more, you slowly sit up, and look at him dazedly

“What is it now?” Lambert’s ready to deny any random drunken requests you have (unless it’s a fun kind of chaos), but he’s surprised when you suddenly lean close to his face

“Has anyone,” you hiccup, breath smelling of alcohol, “told you how pretty you are?” You boop his cheek with your pointer finger, trying to touch his nose, but being too uncoordinated to do so. “You’re soooo pretty,” you drawl, “I wish everyone told you that because it’s true, but,” you move closer to his ear, loudly whispering, “I’m glad I’m the only one who gets to tell you.”

You don’t say anything after that, hiccuping and laughing at the sounds you’re making; a continuous drink-fueled cycle

“Actually,” he takes another sip of his drink, desperately needing it, “I don’t get why you think I’m pretty.”

“Mmmm,” you think for a while, putting your face on the sticky counter as you look at him, “well artists say love is beautiful, and I love you, so you’re automatically pretty.”

“What do you mean when you say that you love me?” He looks down into his drink when he’s met with silence, afraid of your reaction until he hears you snoring

You fall asleep at the worst moments, but he can’t help but to feel a bit relieved at the fact you couldn’t answer

After he carries you back to the inn and tucks you into bed, he goes outside, letting the cold air brush against his warm face

When you say it for the fifth time (actually, multiple times in succession), it’s when he’s with his brothers, having run into them in a town you stopped at

You’re surprised as Lambert leaves your side to tackle two tall men to the ground, laughing as they scuffle and roll in the dirt

When they finally stop, Lambert looks at you, waiting for you to introduce yourself

You do and relish in their surprised expressions as you tell them you’ve been traveling with Lambert for a while now

“I’m Eskel,” one greets, turning his face so that his scars aren’t too noticeable to you. “I don’t know how you can stand to be in his presence. Good on you, though.”

“Geralt.” The other supplies, simply brushing the dirt off of his armor, not initiating any contact or further conversation

When Lambert suggests stopping by the tavern, maybe even playing a round of Gwent, the other two readily agree

You don’t know if you’re included in the offer to go, so you stand there awkwardly, not sure if you should just walk around the town or got back to the inn

“Aren’t you coming?” Lambert raises an eyebrow, perhaps a bit amused at your anxiety

“Huh? Oh, yes!”

When at the tavern, conversation flows easily between Lambert and the other witchers, and you can’t help but to feel out of place

Even with him sitting next to you, it’s a bit unnerving to have the other two on the other side of the table— you don’t know whether or not it’s polite to stare or look past them, but it would be awkward to just look at Lambert the entire time

“Hey.” He pulls you out of your stupor, nudging your shoulder. “You alright, angel?”

“Huh? Yes! Sorry, I was just distracted.”

You miss the way Geralt and Eskel turn to each other in amusement at the nickname, but Lambert doesn’t, kicking both of them beneath the table

“Well,” Lambert leans closer to you, a grin on his face, “I heard they have those honey buns you love so much here.”

You gasp and feel giddy with excitement, practically vibrating in your seat as you wait for someone to take your order

“Oh, Lambert! Did you bring us here knowing that?”

You turn to him, eyes practically twinkling, and he can’t find it in him to lie to you, admitting the truth with an embarrassed little sigh.

“Yeah, I just thought you’d like it, I mean it’s thanks for sticking around I guess.”

You wrap your arms around him, and don’t hear his breath hitch as you confess. “Urgh, yes! Lambert, thank you! I love you so much!”

Geralt chokes on his drink then and Eskel awkwardly clears his throat, waiting for an explanation

You simply think they have something stuck in their throats, but Lambert gets the hint and sends you away for a bit

“Hey, do you think you could tell the waiter our orders? They might be a bit scared to visit the table full of witchers.” Lambert lies easily, and he sees your facial expressions change into one of sadness and understanding.

“Of course!” You learn the orders of the others and walk to the other side of the tavern

“So, love?” Geralt chuckles, nudging Lambert’s foot with his own

“They must really be an angel to be able to deal with your ass everyday,” Eskel chides, giving a small laugh at the end of his statement

“Shut up.” Lambert doesn’t have much to say in response to them. I mean, you’re his angel, and you love him apparently, as confusing as it is

Honestly, he’s not sure if you love him platonically or romantically, but if he doesn’t get his hopes up, then it won’t hurt as much, so he has no plan to take anything further than this

When you come back, Eskel and Geralt seem more interested in you, asking you questions about yourself and Lambert

Perhaps they’re like proud older brothers who want to hear their youngest get praised?

Not one to disappoint, you launch into tales of Lambert’s strength and bravery, his small moments of kindness, and moments with him that you hold dear to your heart

Lambert fights to keep his heart rate normal, knowing that his brothers would pick up on the change immediately

Though he appreciates their company, getting through the night is a struggle, and he doesn’t enjoy how close his brothers get to you

Geralt fucks practically all the women that waltz into his life, and Eskel is charming enough for noble women and succubi, so Lambert is justifiably wary

It’s not that he’s jealous, it’s just that he thinks they’re getting too friendly with you…

When you go your separate ways the next day, his brothers give you weird comments like how you should make sure Lambert is happy and that they’re always there if you get tired of him

Lambert just scoffs and you nod along confusedly, walking away from them when the ginger pulls at your arm

It’s a given that you’d never intentionally hurt Lambert, and that you’ll do your best to make him happy!

You make a conscious effort to let him know how he loved he is, becoming a bit more confident when he doesn’t shy away from your affections

He’s gotten a bit more used to you proclaiming your love for him now, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t overwhelmed by contentment and happiness whenever you say it

Seeing as how he doesn’t seem to mind, more and more frequently, you say “I love you” for little things, using it in place of thanks

When he leaves the inn you stay at or leaves camp for the day; if you’re awake at dawn when he goes, you always make sure to say it and wish for his safe return

Before you go to sleep at night, you make sure he knows it then too

It’s a small little gesture and you really do love him

Originally it started out as a casual and spontaneous “I love you” but now you can’t stop professing your love for him at every chance you get

Your stomach feels like it flutters whenever you tell him, and you’re not one to shy away from feelings like this

One day, you say it when you think he’s asleep

He’s laying in his bedroll, eyes closed and his chest slowly rising and falling

It’s late, maybe close to dawn, and you just haven’t been able to sleep, opting to watch the fire burn and examine your feelings

Casting another glance towards him, you quietly walk over to his side and squat down next to him, gently brushing some of his ginger curls away from his face

“Lambert… I don’t think I’ll ever have the courage to say this when you’re awake,” you whisper, so quietly that your heartbeat sounds louder than your voice, “but I really do love you. I love you in all ways possible, and I just want to stay by your side— in whichever way that may be.”

You stare at him for a bit longer, and when you begin to move away, you’re surprised as his hand quickly reaches out to grab yours

“Do you mean it?” His voice is gravelly with sleep, but taut with nervousness; as though questioning if everything he heard was just a dream

You try to gauge his reaction to the confession, but when you see the fear in his eyes, you can’t help but to tell him again

“I love you.” You inch a bit closer to him, so close that you can almost feel the warmth he radiates. “My love, it started off small and it grew gradually— so much so that it felt as though I always knew it, but fuck, Lambert, I love you. I love you so much that I don’t know what to do with myself.”

His eyes soften at your response and you can see the way his cheeks warm up before he gets closer to you, pausing just before his lips meet yours, waiting for you to close the gap

And you do, of course you do

His chapped lips meet yours in a gentle kiss, over and over and over, indulging in the bliss that you’ve both craved for so long

He pulls back after a while, and your body feels weak and buzzed, but you will always remember the next moment with absolute clarity

“I love you,” he says for the first time, the fire in the background lighting up the dark of the forest. The birds will soon sing as it’s almost dawn, but for now, the world around you is silent aside from him

You kiss him again, knowing that he understands what you’re trying to convey

Tagging: @blushingskywalker

Thanks for your support! ^^

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Eskel x GN!Reader - “Crush at First Sight”

lambert is in this fic because i love him, and i’m sorry. (well… i’m not that sorry, i really do enjoy writing him)

sorry it’s been a hot second since i last posted, midterms were killing me ^^;

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The first time he stops by your establishment, you’re taken aback by how gentle the man in front of you seems despite his appearance

Not that his appearance is bad, no not at all, in fact he’s rather charming— he’s tall with broad shoulders, his face is just the right size for you to hold in your hands, you’d love to lay kisses upon kisses on his forehead, and his scars make him seem intimidating, but he’s actually very polite

“How much to stay for a night?” He looks around the place, and you can’t help but to feel pride as he smiles in satisfaction

“Ten crowns.” You wait for his reaction. You hope he doesn’t choose to go somewhere else for the night, but you can’t go much lower than this— you’ve already knocked a good amount of crowns off from the normal cost!

He looks around pensively, the hesitance in his posture making you fear that you’ll never see him again, but he begins speaking. “Are you sure? That doesn’t seem like a fair price to you.”

Oh… he’s sweet too? You’d marry this man in a heartbeat despite barely knowing anything about him.

“That’s alright, Mister Witcher! I heard about how you helped the family in town with a contract today. They’re practically my own family, so I really appreciate it.”

“If you’re sure the cost is alright with you…”

He pays you accordingly and you lead him upstairs to one of your best rooms. Not that you’re biased but…

“I hope to see your handsome mug in the morning, Mister Witcher.” You press the room key into his hand, briefly relishing in the warmth coming from him. “I’ll make you some pancakes if you come down early enough.”

You walk back down to the front of the inn, waiting to see if anyone else would come tonight.

Eskel on the other hand is frozen in shock. He never expected to receive such kindness today (or ever really) so it was a pleasant surprise

He’s not completely sure if he’s deserving of such treatment though— surely you must have something you want him to do for you

A bit uneasy, he goes into his room and glances into the mirror across from his bed.

“Handsome, huh?” He traces his scars gently with his fingers before settling into the room and getting ready for bed

The next morning, he comes down a bit nervous, but you greet him with a smile and bring him to the small dining area you have

“Good morning, handsome! Give me a minute and I’ll whip you up a hot plate of pancakes, alright?”

You’re glad that he stayed the night, if anything he’s very peaceful and respectful in comparison to other patrons you’ve had, making him an ideal visitor you’d happily serve

You make sure no one else needs you before you go to make his pancakes, humming to yourself as you cook

With his enhanced senses he can hear you, the corners of his mouth raising slightly in response

When you return with the pancakes, a whole stack of them, you give him a pat on the shoulder. “I’ll be back in a few to see if you need anything else.” You leave him to his meal, talking to another guest while hoping that the mysterious witcher wouldn’t leave today.

You come back to him waiting at the table, his utensils stacked on top of each other, and a sheepish smile on his face. “They were good. I couldn’t stop eating them.”

“I’m glad! How long are you planning to stay in town? I can make you some tomorrow if you’d like.”

He looks a bit sad as he tells you that he needs to leave this afternoon because he heard of a monster in the next town over

“Oh, I’ve enjoyed your presence, even if it was only for a little while. You’re always welcome back here, Mister Witcher.”

After he’s left, you go to clean up the room he stayed at, finding a pleasant surprise

In messy handwriting the note says: “Thanks for everything.” and there’s even a little drawing of a wolf at the bottom

Cute.

As you tidy up, you realize you never even exchanged names

You meet him a bit over a year later when he’s back in this town, stopping by your inn with some hesitance

You haven’t forgotten about him, it would be difficult to do so, and you often daydreamed of him coming in to stop by

You’ve always imagined a return with smiles and overall joy, but instead you open the door to find the witcher and his horse covered in blood and smelling absolutely horrible

He hears your heart race as you open the door for him; he feels sorry— you’ve treated him so well and he comes back a disgusting gut-covered mess

“Oh! Erm,” you do your best not to gag as you speak, “you can come around to the back, I’ll get you some water so you can take those clothes off before coming inside!”

You struggle to carry the large basin of water, and it sloshes and gets parts of your clothes wet, but it’s all worth it when you return to the witcher, taking in the sight of him in his smallclothes

You try not to stare too much as you leave him to his own devices, leaving a towel nearby for him to use

He pours some of the water over himself, groaning in relief as he finds that the water is heated

He does the best to get out the muck and guts and uses the rest of the water to soak his clothes in

He comes inside, only a towel around his waist as he waits for you to notice him, watching as you flutter from place to place, making sure everything is in order and everyone is helped

When you see him, he thinks he imagines the way your eyes widen and a flush crosses your cheeks, but the tell-tale rapid beating of your heart gives you away

Oh. Perhaps your heart hadn’t been racing out of fear, but embarrassment and joy.

Eskel hopes that’s the case because despite him not even knowing your name, you put him at ease and seem genuinely kind

You lead him to the room he had last time, a small tub with more warmed water waiting for him

“Do you need me to do your laundry? I can lend you some of my uncle’s clothes if you don’t have anything for tonight.”

Right, his clothes and his bags were a bloody mess, and Scorpion was bound to be grumpy if you try to take something off her

“It’d be much appreciated if I could borrow some clothes for tonight.”

You’re about to leave him so he could bathe, when he stops you at the doorway

“What’s your name?”

You turn back to him and answer with a smile, and you receive one in kind

“I’m Eskel. You don’t need to keep calling me Mister Witcher.”

“Right then, Eskel.” You anxiously tap your fingers along the doorframe, unsure if he wants to continue conversation or if he’s going to strip now. “You have a lovely name, and I’d love to learn more about you once you’re in an um— appropriate state of dress.”

He lets out an embarrassed little laugh as you close the door

When he comes down to the small dining area, he sees you sitting at one of the tables, food for two spread out before you

You greet him and gesture for him to sit across from you

As you both eat, you learn a bit more about each other: what he typically does as a witcher, how you came to run your uncle’s inn, etc.

When the next day comes and it’s time for him to leave once more, you follow him out, feeling a bit melancholy

“Stay safe, Eskel. I hope to see you again sometime.” You come up to Scorpion and gently brush your fingers through her hair, and she inches closer to you, having become your friend after you gave her some treats last night. “And I hope to see you too, Scorpion.”

Eskel sets the last of his bags onto Scorpion, everything clean and free of blood, before he turns to you

“I’ll be back. I hope you don’t do anything too crazy while I’m gone.”

You laugh. “Eskel, I run an inn— what crazy things could possibly happen?”

“Becoming friends with a witcher, for one.”

You open your arms in an invitation, should he accept it, and your heart races as he stares at you in confusion

“A hug. If you’d like— I mean, friends hug sometimes, and—,” you stop your rambling as he sweeps you up into his arms, and enjoy the warmth coming from him

He smiles against the nape of your neck, and you fight back a shiver

“I like this,” he notes, unconsciously squeezing you tighter against him.

After he leaves, you do your best to remember how warm and safe you felt in his hug, sometimes pausing in your tasks to blush or daydream (something you find deeply humiliating when an older woman staying the night points out how she remembers when she was young and in love)

This probably wasn’t love— a crush, sure, but you’ve only met Eskel twice. To be fair, you felt attracted to him, more than just a physical attraction, when your eyes first met his.

If not love, perhaps a crush at first sight?

After coming to a realization about your growing feelings, you do your best to distract yourself with your work, but you still remember the way his scar moves as he smiles, the way he smells after just bathing, the way his breath felt against your neck as he hugged you

Yep, definitely a crush

He and Scorpion come by almost a year later, thankfully not covered in monster guts, and you feel like everything is right again

He doesn’t stay long, he never does, but everything else seems to fall away when he’s here

Eskel would never tell you or any of the wolves the significance of this, but he’s stayed at your inn three times, a surprising number for a witcher within the span of two years

Often witchers are kicked out, charged extra, treated poorly, or need to do something in return for a room, but you treat him so gently with genuine care and a willingness to be in his presence

He likes it here— to be more specific, though the inn itself is nice, he likes it because you’re here

He makes an effort to come by more frequently, and you’re always pleasantly surprised to see him

You wouldn’t know the traveling habits of other witchers, you figure him visiting this much or staying so close is common

A couple years pass and there’s a few changes: he starts to spend 2-3 nights every once in a while, talks become personal and deeper sometimes, after the hug he’s just started to be more touchy and open than he was before

You fall in love a bit more every time you see him

For a witcher, those years may just pass in a blink of an eye, but you’re human— you’re a mortal and your time will run out sooner than his would naturally end

You can feel some romantic tension, but is it enough to take the leap?

One day, he comes back, another witcher next to him

You learn his name is Lambert, and you feel a bit uncomfortable with the way he eyes you with such distrust and skepticism

“You’re the one this guy has been talking about, huh?” The ginger slings his arm around Eskel’s shoulders as he looks around the place, letting out an impressed whistle. “Eskel, I can’t believe you didn’t tell us you were staying at a place this nice.”

Eskel just grunts, half heartedly shrugging Lambert off of him

He’s a bit upset at the fact that Lambert was able to find him

Yeah, it’s his fault because he’s been staying close to this area lately, and it’s kind of selfish, but he doesn’t want to share you

What if you end up liking the others more than him? What if you realize just how disgusting and lacking he is?

Eskel doesn’t talk much to you as he pays for two rooms, hurriedly ushering Lambert up the stairs with him, leaving no time for you to talk to either of them

You’re a bit unsure of what to do— do you ready a bath or tend to their horses? Does Lambert even have a horse? Do they want to eat or are they fine?

You stand still, your indecision freezing you in place

Eskel seemed a bit closed off, and you can’t help the way your gut churns at the realization. What had Eskel said to Lambert that made him so wary of you?

You make sure all your other guests are okay before going outside to check on Scorpion— at least you’re aware of what she’s like, how she acts

It’s a great relief to hear her whinny excitedly as you approach, and you laugh when she bumps her snout against your face, sort of like a kiss

“Hey, girl. I missed you too.” The familiarity is comforting and you spend a good amount of time just petting her

“Is it just me, Scorpion, or is Eskel acting weird? He doesn’t hate me, does he?” You sigh, hugging her and resting your face in her mane. “I really like him, so I hope he doesn’t…”

You hear a chuckle from behind you and you stand straight up, startled

“He doesn’t hate you, angel.” Lambert has a small smirk on his face as he tells you this. “If anything, I’d say it’s the opposite of hate.”

You feel your face warm up in response

“Do you really mean that?”

“Of course. It’s been a while since Eskel has trusted someone as much as he has with you.” Lambert sighs, his body deflating a little. “Eskel and I don’t always get along, but he’s a good guy. Loyal, honest. From what he’s told me, you’re practically an angel, and if that’s true, then you’re good for him.”

Your heart races in your chest and you can’t fight a smile from breaking across your face

Eskel likes— possibly even loves you? And you got approval from Lambert?

“Lambert! Get away from them.” Eskel runs over, and you and Lambert looking at him in confusion until the ginger is promptly shoved onto the ground. “I heard your heart racing, did he hurt you? Did he say anything rude?”

“What—? No! No, Lambert has been nothing but kind and reassuring.”

You turn to Lambert, hoping he would defend himself, but he just shakes his head and looks at you worriedly

You look back at Eskel and see a small and hurt little smile on his face

“Oh. I see… Sorry to have assumed and interrupted.” He gestures back to the inn, his entire being heavy with dejection. “I’ll just uh… see you around.”

“Wait, Eskel!” You reach out to him, but he continues walking away, and your heart breaks

Lambert looks at you and gives a practically inaudible exasperated sigh before standing up and rushing towards Eskel, tackling him to the ground

“Lambert— what the hell?!” The other groans in frustration when he isn’t able to immediately push the ginger off. “Lambert, fuck off!”

“You arse, don’t assume shit!” Lambert and Eskel roll on the ground as they talk, their voices interrupted by hisses of pain and tired breaths. “You didn’t even let them explain! If you love them so much, then listen to them.”

“Lo—? I don’t— I don’t love them!”

You feel your heart break all over again, and Scorpion shifts a little closer to you, as though she can understand that you need comfort

“Eskel, get your goddamned head outta your ass!” Lambert sputters as he’s elbowed in the stomach, looking at you with panic. “Fuckin— fucking tell him!”

Well, this certainly isn’t how you thought any of this would go, but you owe it to Lambert at least, seeing how far he’s willing to go for you

“Eskel!” You start, daring to walk a little bit closer to their tussle. “I love you.”

Eskel’s grip on Lambert goes slack, and he yelps as he’s hit in the face.

“Shit, sorry— thought you were still gonna fight me.” Lambert climbs off of him, patting any dirt off of him before giving you a bit of space

“Eskel,” you go up to him and cradle his face in your hands, “It’s you. It’s always been you. Lambert was just encouraging me, encouraging us.”

One of Eskel’s hands comes up to rest against yours

“I’ve had a crush on you since the first time I laid eyes on you. I know you said you don’t love me, but if you’re ever willing, I’d love to keep loving you.”

You look into his eyes, only to be momentarily distracted by movement in the background; Lambert’s giving you a thumbs up

You chuckle a little and look at Eskel waiting for an answer

“You… love me?” Eskel takes a small step closer to you, his face nearly touching yours. “Really?”

Your eyes soften, heart aching at the fact he doesn’t believe you. “Eskel, I love you and only you. I’ve been pining after you for years— practically daydreaming about confessing to you.” You chuckle. “I mean, this isn’t how I imagined it, but I wasn’t sure if I could ever take the leap— I mean, I’m just a human, y’know? I wasn’t sure if you’d ever want someone like me.”

“I want you.” His breath fans against your lips as he speaks, and you feel your heart stutter in response. “I love you, I’m sorry for saying that I didn’t. I just— Lambert was here and you were smiling and your heart was racing and I just thought that you liked him.”

Lambert rolls his eyes and looks at Scorpion (who had somehow managed to gallop to his side throughout this entire affair). “Hey, girl. I’m helping them, why’s he gotta be such an ass?”

Scorpion just snorts, whether in agreement or disdain for how he’s talking about Eskel, no one knows, but Lambert laughs anyways

“Be mine?” Eskel leans in closer, eyes shining with a vulnerability you didn’t know existed

“I’m all yours.”

You kiss and your heart soars, and it’s more smile than kiss— teeth awkwardly hitting lip as you lean in, but it’s worth it and it’s perfect because it’s him

“Get a fuckin room!” Lambert jeers, unable to resist the urge to ruin the mood

I mean, you can’t get too mad at him— if he hadn’t tackled Eskel, who knows what would’ve happened?

You laugh against Eskel’s lips, and pull away in time to see Eskel flipping the other witcher off

All three of you talk late into the night, you often leaving their company to check on the guests, but whenever you come back it’s to Lambert’s gloating and ‘you owe me’s’ and Eskel’s equally embarrassed and exasperated ‘shut up’s’.

It’s nice. Being with Eskel is nice, having his hand finally hold yours, knowing what his lips feel like against yours— it’s all nice, everything you’ve dreamed of and more…

You can’t just leave your inn behind to go with him, but you can at least provide a safe haven whenever he or his family needs one

When he and Lambert prepare to set off the next day, you give them both hugs (much to Eskel’s displeasure), so you make it up by kissing him all over his face

Lambert makes puking sounds, but you and Eskel don’t mind, soaking up the remaining time you have in each other’s company

“Goodbye.” You wave to them as they begin to walk away, enjoying the way both of their faces light up as they turn back towards you. You wonder if anyone’s ever said goodbye to them like this. “I’ll see you both again soon, especially you Eskel! I love you!”

Lambert laughs and Eskel gives a weak little chuckle

“See you soon, love.”

[shy-indulgent-writer]

Lambert x GN!Reader - Anger Is The Part of You That Loves You

⚠️ this piece deals with topics pertaining to abuse and trauma! if you feel like you’re in a good enough headspace to read this, then go ahead. for context though, lambert does not abuse the reader.

it’s okay if you can’t read this one due to the content. stay safe and i’m rooting for you in whatever battles you’re facing. <3

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Lambert’s a nice guy, and despite how he’ll fervently deny it, he’s an absolute softie

He comes by your cottage every few months just to make sure that you’re okay, and he tries to pick contracts that never stray too far from you

He never insists on spending the night when he comes by unless you ask him to, and he’d leave at any moment if you needed some space

You’ve started to feel more than platonic affections for him— he’s a kind man who feels too much and hides his tender heart under his confrontational attitude

It’s a bit difficult to take the leap from like to love though; it’s scary to think about trusting someone enough for them to be an intimate and personal part of your life

Lambert’s an aggressive person, you know he’d never hurt you, he’d be more likely to fight a few ghouls without weapons than to do anything to you, but he scares you unintentionally sometimes

When his voice gets too loud, when he rolls his arm back to punch someone, when he hits the table or slams the door when he’s upset… you want to love him, but part of you feels ashamed at the fact that he worries you

One night he comes to your cottage covered in food and smelling like ale

“Lambert?” You rub the sleep from your eyes, worriedly taking in his state. “What happened?”

“Got fucking food poured on me at the tavern by some assholes.” He picks out pieces of food from his hair, throwing it onto the grass, disgust clear on his face. “When things started to escalate, I punched someone back and it turns out they were the innkeeper’s son, so…”

You rush him in, bringing him to the bathroom so that he can strip and you can heat water for his bath

“Thanks, angel,” he calls out to you, his voice tender and weak with vulnerability.

“Anytime, Lambert.”

That’s a new nickname… “angel.” You smile to yourself, but don’t dwell on it for too long, you need to make use of the time he spends bathing

You start to get things ready for him to sleep over; setting up the sofa with pillows and blankets, boiling hot water for tea in case either of you want to drink some, lighting a few candles in the room so that he’s not just in the dark, etc.

Knowing what happened tonight, it’s not likely that he’ll get much sleep, if any, so you take your blanket from your room and set it on a chair near the sofa— now you can talk comfortably without feeling too cold

“Hey.” He dries his hair with the towel you lent him, eyes softening at the way you’re snuggling into your chair. “You want me to make some tea?”

You agree, thanking him— hopefully the hot tea will be able to keep you awake tonight; you’d hate for Lambert to be alone with his thoughts

When he comes back, you thank him, cradling the mug in your hands as he settles down on the sofa

There’s a bit of silence, but you don’t mind, instead enjoying the fact that he’s here and he’s safe

He takes a deep breath in, and you turn to him, waiting for what he has to say

“It sucks.” He pushes his hair back, an angry glint igniting in his eyes. “I can’t fucking go out anywhere without being harassed. Not even to get a single fucking pint of ale!”

He grits his teeth as he remembers what happened, his feelings burning in his chest, quickly overwhelming him

“Those bloody bastards are ignorant pieces of shit!” He punches the table in front of him, and it shakes with the force of it

You can’t help it— you instinctively cover your face at the action and drop the hot tea onto your lap

You rush to push the mug off of you and watch as it shatters on the ground, unable to move with your legs burning

You can’t help the way tears escape when you cringe at the pain, not knowing what to do

“Holy shit, angel, are you okay?” He gets close to you to examine your burns when you shrink back, a whimper involuntarily coming out of your mouth

He pulls back as though he’s been slapped— if your physical reaction wasn’t telling enough, he can smell it in the air, the tang of fear filling the room

“…You’re scared of me,” his voice naught but a whisper as he reels in shock.

You want to reassure him, you want to comfort him and take away the anguish he’s feeling, but he leaves the room for a while

When he comes back, it’s with a cold washcloth and his things all packed up

“I can leave. I’ve clearly overstayed my welcome.”

“Lambert,” you wince as you reach out to him, the burning sensation still fresh. “Please wait, don’t go.”

He only hands you the washcloth in response before taking a few steps back from you

“It’s okay.” He gives a self-deprecating chuckle. “Of course you’re scared of me. It’s only natural.”

“Lambert—”

“I’m a witcher… it took you long enough to become scared.”

Fresh tears spring to your eyes as he turns away to grab his things, your burnt legs preventing you from standing up and rushing over to him

“Wait! Please— if you’ve ever trusted me, then please wait,” you plead, heart racing in your chest

You’re feeling fear for a completely different reason now; you don’t want to hurt him, you don’t want to lose him

“Lambert,” you croak out, and he finally turns back to you, his face strangely devoid of any emotion; as though he’s protecting himself from feeling

“I’m not afraid of you,” you start, noting the way his brow furrows as though he’s saying, ‘bullshit!’ “I’m just scared.” You confess as you bring your hands together, picking at the skin around your nails. “I’m scared of getting hurt… again. I know you wouldn’t hurt me but… the yelling, the hitting, it’s just…”

You can’t say any more, tears falling freely as you break into sobs

“It just— it reminds me of—,” you need to stop talking in order to inhale, obviously hyperventilating. Your chest stutters with each breath, and you can’t breathe right.

Lambert slowly walks closer to you, not reaching out to touch you or talking, but you can tell by the way he’s awkwardly hovering that he wants to make sure that you’re okay

“You’re— you’re good, Lambert. You’re not a monster.” Your words come out too fast, practically exhaling them rather than properly speaking. “I’ve seen what r-real monsters are like and…”

You don’t continue speaking, hiding your face in your blanket so that he can’t see the way you fall apart

He lets you cry it all out, and it takes a while for you to calm down enough to breathe somewhat normally, and when you uncover your face, he’s standing there, arm outstretched with a small towel in his hand

“If you want to wipe your face,” he clarifies, slowly drawing his arm back after you take it.

No one talks for a bit, your sharp inhales from your chest still stuttering and the involuntary sniffles coming from you are the only sounds in the room

“I’m sorry.” He looks down at his feet, afraid of your reaction to what he may say. “I never wanted to scare you, and I’m so sorry for hurting you.”

“You didn’t hurt me, Lambert.” You pause to take a few forced breaths. “You didn’t know; how could you possibly have known? You scared me, but I’m not afraid of you. Just,” you gesture vaguely with your free hand, “yelling, loud sounds, hitting things… it just makes me panic.”

He looks up at you, and scans your face for any signs of lying; he wants to trust you, he really does, but he doesn’t want to cause any more pain and fear than he already has

You nod your head towards the sofa, and he gets the hint, sitting down on it and resting his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped together other in front of his face as he hunches forward, his right knee bouncing with anxiety

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize,” your voice weak from crying, “you didn’t know. It’s not your fault.”

“It is—,” he’s cut off by you, but he doesn’t get upset

“Lambert. I forgive you even though there’s nothing for me to forgive in the first place. You did nothing wrong.” You begin to pick at the skin on your fingers again, idly ripping at the skin near the nail bed, feeling satisfaction when it begins to bleed. “You were just angry and hurt, and I’m so sorry for making you doubt whether or not I appreciated your company.”

His knee bouncing lessens in frequency and you can hear him give an audible sigh of relief

“I’m…” He licks his lips, trying to think of a way to phrase things. “Anger is my go-to emotion, it’s all I’ve ever really known.”

Your heart drops in sorrow and understanding, a frown appearing on your face

“My uh— my dad— no, shit!” He bites his bottom lip as though forcibly trying to stop himself from yelling. “The pathetic excuse of a man I lived with would beat my mother and I, constantly drinking and abusing us. And…” He gulps, no doubt thinking about the experience. “He taught me anger. He taught me fear. He showed me that anger meant you would survive.”

He looks at you, gauging your face for a reaction

“You only need to tell me what you feel comfortable sharing. You’re not obligated to tell me anything, Lambert.” You nod at him, assuring him that he has control over what happens next

“Anger became my default because if everyone stayed away, I wouldn’t get hurt. When I’m hurt, I don’t know how else to express it, and I’m just…” He buries his head in his hands. “I’m so scared that I’ll become him,” he confesses, voice tense as he fights back tears, “I’m so afraid that I’ll hurt those that I love.”

You cry for him

He’s holding everything back and you can’t help but to break down in his place. You understand. You know what he’s talking about, you’ve experienced it yourself; how abuse changes you.

“Lambert.” You reach out your hand to him, and when he takes it, you squeeze his hand with the strength you can muster. “I’m afraid too… I’m so scared that I’ll become them, and I won’t even realize it until it’s too late. And the anger… it bubbles up constantly and I just fight it because I’m so scared that if I acknowledge it, I’ll act on it just like they did. But Lambert, you won’t be like him.”

He looks at you, his body taut with tension

“Lambert, you’re so kind and loving to those who get to know you. You’re aware of your anger, and I envy the fact that you express it— I just… It’s not your fault. Anger is your default and mine is fear.”

“But my anger makes you afraid. It caused you to get hurt.”

“Your anger is just the part of you that loves you.” You make sure to make eye contact, hoping to etch this into his brain. “Your anger is born from knowing that you deserve to be treated better, and it’s so so valid. Your feelings are valid, and you shouldn’t have to apologize for how you feel.”

He doesn’t know how to respond to that, his mind racing as he tries, he oh so desperately tries to believe you, but it’s so fucking difficult

Years of anger and mistrust can’t be erased so easily, but Melitele above, your words help

“You’re not going to be like them either.” His voice is sure and completely confident, no doubt or hesitation whatsoever. “You’re so good, angel. You just, you care so much about everyone around you that I’m scared you’re not taking good enough care of yourself. You’re selfless and you give everyone around you the reassurance that they’re loved.”

“It’s… I just say what I wish someone would have said to me. Some part of me believes that doing this will help me to heal, to forgive myself, but it just doesn’t happen. It all feels so artificial and draining, and Lambert, I’m so tired of being tired.”

He sighs in understanding

“Listen.” He gently cradles your hand in both of his, getting closer to you so that you don’t aggravate the burns on your legs. “This might not be the best time to say this, but I love you, and I am so proud of you for everything that you’ve done. You’re a survivor, a fighter.”

Gods above, you’re never going to stop crying at this rate

“Lambert.” You reach your arms out to him, and you rest your head in the crook of his neck as he hugs you. “I love you so much, and I’m so sorry that you had to get through life just surviving. You didn’t deserve any of that.”

His breath hitches, and you don’t comment on the tears that fall on you, just holding him, as though he’ll disappear if you were to let go

“I’ll say it as many times as it takes for you to believe me. Lambert, I love you. You deserve to be loved and to be happy, and I’m so glad that you’re here. Thank you for being alive.”

You spend what feels like hours just holding each other until you eventually fall asleep in his arms, the crying and vulnerability having tired you out

He brushes the hair away from your face and gently carries you onto the sofa, laying you on the blankets you had meant for him to use

He knows he’s not going to sleep tonight anyways, so he might as well help you; he makes sure that you always have a cold washcloth on your legs, and that he’s put enough of his homemade numbing cream to ensure that you won’t wake up in pain

Today was… a lot

He gathers the broken shards of your mug, often glancing at you, heart breaking at the sight of your puffy eyes and blotchy face after crying

He understands now, and he’s so relieved that you’re not afraid because of him personally, but his heart aches at the fact you’ve experienced enough abuse to become afraid of anger

When he’s done all the cleaning he could do without waking you up, he sits in the chair you had sat on, mind wandering throughout the night

When you awaken, your heart races, and you sit right up, nearly breaking into tears at the sight of Lambert still here

“Hey, hey, angel— I’m here. It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere unless you want me to.”

You’ve cried too much for any new tears to come, but you just need to reassure him. “Lambert, love, please look at me.”

He does, though he seems a bit startled at the endearment

“I meant it when I said that I love you. And if you don’t feel the same way, I understand, I’ll do my best to act like everything is normal but…” You look at him and his heart swells with emotion. “Lambert, I love you, and I trust you.”

He reaches out towards you, and when you nod, he rushes over to hug you once more

“I love you so much,” he confesses, “and not just because you understand this. I’ve loved you for a long time.”

You melt in his embrace, no fear in any fiber of your being in this moment

“Let’s just be patient with each other: communicate, set boundaries, explain behaviors when needed,” you say into his ear, and your voice is so tender that he feels as though he may just break

“Okay, angel. Let’s take things slow. We have plenty of time to love and heal.”

You pull away from the hug to put your forehead against his, simply enjoying the warmth and his presence, the ghost of his breath on your lips, how you can count every eyelash he has, and the way he looks at you— it’s like you’re his world, like you’re everything he loves and more, and you know that you’ll be safe with him

“I trust you.”

[shy-indulgent-writer]

Eskel x GN!Reader - “I love you. Romantically.”

full of misunderstandings and pining all day long 🥳 hope you enjoy!

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You say it without thinking about it the first time, just a simple “i love you” before you retire to your separate rooms for the night

It’s not an uncommon thing to say— you say it to your friends and family when you see them, both as a way of “hello” and “goodbye”

You give him a wave as you shut the door, wishing he had at least said “goodnight” in response

You and Eskel have been traveling together for a couple months now; you’re hoping to write an accurate bestiary, and with the witcher’s help, your risk of dying is significantly lessened

You’re properly compensating him for his time and protection: paying for his room, buying food and drinks more often than not, etc.

Though you initially went into this as a transactional work relationship, you both began to loosen up around each other, slowly building trust to the point that you can consider yourselves friends

He’s stubborn in his ways, but so gentle when it comes to the little things— you think his purpose-driven nature is charming

Eskel begins walking back to his room in a stupor, heart beating slightly faster, and face feeling hot

No one had told him that they loved him before; aside from women at that masquerade ball who couldn’t see his face, or the four succubi who said it to please him, but you know him and still said it

It feels strange; on one hand he’s comforted and ecstatic, but on the other he feels completely undeserving— he’s not used to being loved

He has a hard time sleeping that night, his heart racing whenever he thinks about what you said

The next day, he’s a bit more on edge— maybe you hadn’t meant to say it, maybe you’ll take it back and leave him

It’s not brought up by you, but he stays vigilant in case you ever change your mind. When more time passes without that happening, he becomes a little more touchy— letting touches linger, getting close to you and letting your shoulders bump against his, etc.

“Sorry,” is usually what he’ll say when he bumps into you, usually feigning embarrassment, not knowing you can read his facial expressions well enough to tell that he’s smiling

“Your hands are cold,” he’ll tell you as he wraps his hand around yours, claiming that it’s because a human’s body temperature runs lower than a witcher’s; it’s only natural that he do this for you

You’re not quite sure why he’s been more clingy lately, but you certainly aren’t complaining— he’s been flustering you lately, and you hope he doesn’t see you as a friend…

Because of his actions, you’ve realized that you want to be more than friends

You can’t not love him

You can’t not fall for his smile, or the calluses on his hands, the way his scar makes his lip quirk up, and the way he knows what he wants

The second time you say it, it’s a couple weeks later, and your heart is practically in your throat, your tone not betraying you as you speak the words he’s been waiting to hear

“Goodnight, Eskel.” You clutch your hand to your chest, hoping he hadn’t heard your sharp intake of breath. “Love you, and see you in the morning.”

You quickly close the door to your rented room, not wanting to see his response and you cover your face with your hands, feeling the blood rush to your cheeks

There’s no going back now… you really mean it when you say it, and you don’t know how often you’ll be able to say it without him realizing your true feelings and intentions

Hopefully, if he doesn’t return your feelings, you can just brush it off as something you say to everyone

You appreciate his company, but Melitele above, you’d love to be more than just friends if he’d allow you to

That night, he doesn’t get any sleep— none at all

He thought he would be ecstatic to hear it, but instead all he’s felt is this gnawing sense of dread and guilt

Once might have been an accident, but for you to tell him that you love him for a second time?

It’s not that he’s unhappy, but he doesn’t know why you say it— why him?

The more he thinks about it, the more conflicted he feels

You’re too good and perfect and unattainable in his eyes, to be with him would only destroy you

He spends a lot of time that night staring at his reflection in the mirror, filled with self-loathing as he wonders what you could possibly see in him

He’s a witcher, he’ll spend his life on The Path and die on it. He’s lived a long life so far, but nothing is ever certain. And even if he doesn’t die soon, what if you do? You’re a human— he doesn’t know if he’d be able to handle loving you, knowing that one of you will have to leave before the other

The last few weeks have been a momentary lapse of judgement— he won’t allow his selfish feelings to drag you down

Going forward, he’s still sweet, constantly looking out for you and ensuring your comfort as you travel, but he seems a bit more hesitant

The touches he used to indulge in and let linger are kept brief, as though punishing himself for succumbing to his feelings

You don’t know what’s going on in his head, you’re worried that you’ve done something to upset him, that maybe you’re moving too fast, or that you’ve fucked up whatever companionship you had

You give him a bit more space in response, hoping not to pressure him into anything he doesn’t want— if he needs space, you’re more than willing to give it to him, no questions asked

He misunderstands this; he thinks that you’re retracting your love away, that it’s conditional and that you’ve realized he can’t love you the way you deserve

He wouldn’t blame you for feeling that way

Things are a bit awkward for most of the week, conversations feel forced and everything is said and done with hesitation

Maybe he just isn’t a words guy, you figure— maybe you just need to show him through actions to take it slower

It seems like he doesn’t like physical touch anymore, maybe he was initially forcing himself to do it to please you?

You would never want him to feel obligated to do something he doesn’t enjoy! You just need to be more creative in showing your affections

You start to do things like spoiling Scorpion and brushing her when Eskel is out, you try to cook the foods he likes with what meager supplies you have, and you start to stay up later so that you can stay on night watch duty longer than usual because you want him to get enough sleep, etc.

He’s confused— he thought you didn’t love him anymore, but now you’re being so sweet and caring and careful, he doesn’t know what this means

Perhaps this just meant that you still love him as a friend, even if not as a lover?

You’re both idiots in love— and you’re both completely misunderstanding each other

He starts traveling slower so that you don’t tire yourself out, he makes sure you’re getting more than enough to eat, and sometimes he’ll sit next to you at night, neither of you wanting the other to leave

He’s grateful that you care for him, in any way, shape, or form

He does his best to stomp out his budding romantic affections for you— he would hate to betray your trust in this friendship by doing or reading into things with romantic intent

You’re happy with the way he’s responded to your affections so far— acts of service and quality time seems to work well for him; he’s started to spend more time in your company again and things are less tense

You come to the conclusion that he didn’t say “I love you” or anything back after said it because he wasn’t ready

You’re aware of the risks and dangers that comes with being a witcher, and so you make sure not to say it again— you wouldn’t purposefully put him in an awkward situation if you know it would stress him out and create a rift between you two

He probably felt uncomfortable about your i love yous, maybe it was just too sudden— it’s okay though, you’ll wait till he’s ready

People can be in a relationship without saying “i love you all” the time; maybe he’s the type of person who only says it at important times

Since you don’t say “i love you” to him anymore, he thinks you’re truly done with him; he’s doing his best not to cross the line between friends, but he still loves you

He’s a fool for thinking he could only stay a little bit in love with you

He feels selfish, but also feels like deserves as some sort of retribution— of course you wouldn’t love him back, his stupidity is why he’s feeling so upset; he shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up in the first place

“I can’t do this anymore,” he starts one night, looking at the campfire as he speaks. “I feel like I’m betraying you.”

“What do you mean?” You stop writing in the bestiary, closing the journal to give him your full attention.

“I’ll give you to another witcher tomorrow. Lambert typically takes jobs in this area, so he’ll do a good job of protecting you when you go with him. If you give him lots of beer, he’ll tell you anything you need for your bestiary.”

When you don’t respond, he sighs, making himself clearer. “I’m saying this so that you can start packing for tomorrow when you leave.”

Is this his way of rejecting you?

“Eskel,” you look him in the eye, “did I do something wrong? Did I make you uncomfortable?”

You can feel your eyes burn with unshed tears as he turns away

“It’s okay if you don’t love me back,” your voice breaks as tears start to fall, “but please don’t push me away.”

When you start to cry, you don’t immediately stop, and he’s at a loss for what to do

He rushes to your side, awkwardly placing his large hand on your shoulder and rubbing circles to calm you down, but that only serves to make you cry harder

Why is he being so nice when he’s breaking your heart?

“I didn’t want to make you cry. I’m sorry.” His voice is small and gentle, as though he’s afraid of scaring you away. “Is there anything I can do to help you stop?”

“Why are you doing this?” You feel your lip wobble as you try your best to stop crying. “I’m not going to be able to fall out of love with you at this rate.”

Eskel thinks about things that you’ve said, things that you’ve done, hoping that something would give him a clue about how to calm you down

“Wait,” he thinks back on your previous words, confusion thick in his voice, “Love you back? Fall out of love with me? What are you talking about?”

You’re getting a bit more upset. Why is he rubbing salt in your wounds when he knows exactly why you’re crying?

“Eskel.” Your voice sharp because you’re exasperated and tired and embarrassed. You just want to leave this conversation. “I’m saying that I’m in love with you, and I know you don’t feel the same way. I’ve been trying to make this relationship work, but nothing I ever do seems to work for you.”

You push his hand off you and stand up to start angrily pacing, needing to get some restless energy out as you talk.

“I tried to tell you that I love you, but you never said anything back, and so I didn’t want to rush you or push you into saying it out of obligation.” You huff out a broken laugh. “I start trying to show my love for you through actions after we practically avoided each other for a week, and I thought it was going well! But clearly,” you gesture between yourself and him, “it’s not.”

He’s very very confused, and you’re very very upset

“You love me?” He points to himself as though there’s anyone else there but you two

“Yes, Eskel. I fucking love you. I’ve tried to be a good partner for you in this relationship, but you keep giving me mixed messages! Like— one week something is good and then the next you avoid me for doing it?”

“Hold on,” he walks over to you, holding your shoulders again so that you stop pacing. “We’re in a relationship? You love me romantically?”

“Yes! What do you not get, Eskel?”

You’ve clearly spelled everything out for him, but you repeat it anyways just so that he can get it through his skull. “I love you, Eskel. We were dating, and now you’re pushing me onto another witcher because you realized you don’t actually love me back, and that you don’t want to be around me anymore!”

He doesn’t know what to really say to this— I mean… where does he start?

“I didn’t know you loved me.” He decides that’s a good place to start, seeing how you begin to deflate as he finally contributes to the conversation. “I didn’t know we were in a relationship.”

“Huh?”

“I thought I was the one with unrequited feelings for you, and I was giving you to Lambert because I was betraying you by not being able to keep my affections for you platonic.”

You both stand in silence for a while, trying to make sense of this

“Eskel,” you grab his hands and hold them in yours. “I love you. Your feelings aren’t unrequited, and I don’t want to be under Lambert’s care. I love you and only you.”

A lovestruck grin is plastered on his face, and you can’t help but to fall a little bit more in love

“I love you. Please date me.” He smiles as he starts leaning in, eyes practically shining with joy and adoration

“Our first date can be getting drinks, because Melitele knows I need one after this.” You reach up to kiss him on the lips, and relief spreads through you as his chapped lips meet yours

He pulls you closer to him, savoring the moment he’s daydreamed about for weeks as he releases the feelings he’s held back

When you’re finally done, you’re slightly out of breath, and he has a blush on his face

“I told you that I loved you like, twice.”

“In my defense,” he fiddles with his fingers, “I thought you meant it platonically.”

“…So, do-over?” You give an awkward smile, a bit embarrassed about your behavior earlier.

“Yes please.”

You chuckle, suddenly feeling tired as the stress leaves your body

“So I can travel with you? You’re not going to give me to Lambert?”

He positions himself so that he can hug you from behind, inhaling the scent of you as though claiming that your very being is his alone

“You’re mine, and I’m yours.”

When you eventually release each other, you both start getting ready to hit the hay, deciding that you’re both safe enough to not need night watch since you’re close to the next town

While you’re getting ready, you can’t stop yourself from going back to kiss him every few minutes, and he gladly indulges you

You put your bedrolls next to each other and cuddle up, shifting around a bit until you’re laying on his chest, enjoying the way it rises and falls with each breath

“Goodnight, Eskel. I love you. Romantically.”

He laughs and you feel the deep rumbling from him

“Goodnight, my mate. I love you romantically too.”

You easily fall into sleep, feeling safe in his arms

Hours later you awaken to him nuzzling his face in the crook of your neck, and you gently brush his hair out of his face with your hand

“Hi there, how long have you been up?”

He kisses your neck, enjoying the way your pulse quickens. “A while. I wasn’t bored though.”

You smile and lean in to give him a gentle kiss, so glad that you can stay by his side

After packing up and heading into town, you finally meet the Lambert he was talking about

“This is my mate.” Is how he introduces you, puffing out his chest a bit as though challenging Lambert to disagree.

Lambert simply raises his eyebrow and gives you a quick once over. “I could tell. Your scent is all over them, you even marked them!”

You turn to Eskel confused and he only looks away in response

When you look to Lambert for clarification, he points to his neck and mouths “hickeys”

Oh.

Oh.

That’s what Eskel was doing this morning.

Your hands fly up to your neck, wondering how many there are.

“Eskel! Why didn’t you tell me they were showing?”

“Hm? It shows people that I love you.” He speaks as though that was obvious, not knowing why your face was so red

Lambert laughs at you, patting you on the shoulder, much to Eskel’s displeasure

“So, let’s grab a table, grab some drinks, and you can tell me how you lovebirds met.”

Needless to say, Lambert absolutely loses his shit at your guys’ retelling of the story, but the embarrassment is absolutely worth it as Eskel squeezes your hand under the table

[shy-indulgent-writer]

Yennefer x GN!Reader - “What I Needed To Hear”

words of affirmation is my love language, and there’s so much i would say to the characters if i could!! ty for taking the time out of your day to read this! <3

if the reader feels a bit oblivious in this, please forgive me, i’ve entered relationships on accident and/or without knowing… so… yeah…

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You were walking to the market when the most gorgeous person you’ve laid eyes on passes by you; yes, she had a stunning figure, outfit, and hair, but what really drew you to her was her eyes

You’ve never seen someone with purple eyes before— when they catch the sun, they remind you of sparkling amethyst, something to be treasured and adored

“Excuse me,” you say, walking over to her and smiling when she turns to look at you, “forgive me if this is rude to point out, but I’ve never seen such beautiful eyes before.”

The woman is a lot more intimidating up close, exuding power and pressure, practically brimming with confidence and purpose, but her posture softens when she hears what you have to say

“It’s not rude at all.” She makes direct eye contact with you, and you can’t help but to blush under her gaze. “In fact, that’s the sweetest thing anyone’s told me in a long time. Thank you.”

“I was simply stating the truth.” Your smile grows wider and you continue on your way to the market, bidding her goodbye with a shy little wave

When you’re out of sight, Yennefer brings her hand up to her eyes, her heart swelling with unbridled joy. Her eyes and her scars were the only thing she kept in the beautification process. You complimenting her eyes means a lot to her.

Unbeknownst to you, she continues to think about you, smiling to herself when she looks at her eyes in the mirror

She meets you again, months later, when you went to herbalist to stock up on some herbs and flowers for your teas

She immediately recognizes your voice as she walks in. How could she not? She thinks of you and your compliment whenever she sees herself or whenever she’s needs something to cheer her up.

“Hello again,” she startles you from behind as you were making small talk with the shop owner, her voice warm and fond— though you couldn’t tell, she was surprised at how at ease she felt in your presence

“Oh, hi! Your eyes are as gorgeous as I remember!” Your voice is chipper, if not a bit shy. “Has anyone else given you compliments lately?”

She’s a bit confused at the question, but she responds honestly, taking in the way the inner corners of your eyebrows raise, and your lip corners turn down

“Oh… well, I hope you know that I’m proud of you for getting through whatever you were dealing with, and I’m sorry that people haven’t reassured you lately. You deserve to be told nice things.”

She’s not quite sure how to respond, unused to such kind words coming out of nowhere

You’re unusual to her, the words coming from your lips always seem to reassure her, as though you know what she needs to hear the most

“Thank you,” she decides on, heart fluttering as you smile in response

After you pay for your things and exit the store, all herbs she came for forgotten, she asks where you live, offering to portal you back home

When she summons a portal with a flick of her wrist, you can’t help the exclamations that escape from your mouth

“That’s amazing!” You look at the portal, interested in the way space seems to warp around it

“It’s not that great.” She gently takes your free hand in hers. “Sorry. It’s to ensure we don’t get separated when we step through.”

You both step through the portal, arriving at the modest cabin you’re currently living in

You feel a bit dizzy, and a slight sense of nausea overtakes you, if only for a second

“You can summon portals and go through them unphased, that’s plenty amazing to me! And I’m sure you’ve put in a lot of hard work to get to where you are today, so don’t sell yourself short.”

A lopsided grin is the best you can offer her at the moment, doing your best to stay upright and not trip over yourself in her presence

“Would you like to come inside?” You offer, raising the herbs you had bought. “I can make you some tea for your troubles.”

She follows you in and assures you that it was no trouble at all, taking in the way the interior is homely and welcoming, matching you perfectly in her opinion

You both talk for most of the day, drinking tea and eating some baked goods, finding out more about each other

She comes by often after that, and you start looking forward to seeing the portal appear in your yard

You talk about everything, anything. She can rant about about her peers and work (as much as she can without breaking confidentiality) and you tell her about your day in the market, light gossip you hear around town, and the little adventures you have on the daily

Visits become more frequent as time goes on

You get used to her presence in your home: not sitting in the chair she normally uses, making and leaving extra food out for her, writing a note if you go out, etc.

Yennefer thinks of you often, daydreaming about what it would be like to be with you; it always manages to calm her down and keep her somewhat positive— you’re the best part of her day

You life is so free, so welcoming, and she can’t help but to yearn for you

She rarely goes back to the living quarters she was granted, opting to stay at yours, her old room practically untouched

In contrast to the emptiness of her quarters, she has a lot more at your place: scrolls she needs, some potion materials in the kitchen cabinet, important trinkets, and a chest full of clothes

Everyday there’s something new to remind you of her presence in your space

You don’t mind, in fact, it’s quite welcome. You feel safe with Yennefer, and she never fails to inspire awe and wonder within you.

When you see her off this morning, you wish her good luck and let her know that you believe in her capabilities to get through today

“Thanks, love,” comes her usual reply and she unexpectedly kisses you on the cheek, “I’ll be back soon.”

As she steps through the portal, the shock settles down before it dawns on you. You’re practically living together…

She kissed your cheek

Throughout the day, you pace around in the yard, thinking about your interactions with Yennefer

She calls you “love”, you share a bed because you don’t want her to sleep on the couch, she gives your shoulder a reassuring squeeze whenever she notices a change in your mood, she brings you small gifts and flowers every once in a while… and now there’s goodbye kisses on the cheek???

“Holy shit,” you exclaim to yourself, “are we dating? Is this a platonic thing?”

You don’t want to ruin what you have by asking, hoping that someday soon she’ll make her intentions clear so that you can act accordingly. This cabin is her safe space, a place where she doesn’t need to constantly prove that she’s strong or worthy. You would never take that away from her.

You walk back inside, making some mint and camomile tea, hoping to compose yourself by the time she comes back

A few hours later your heartbeat quickens as you see the familiar portal appear through your window, hurriedly trying to look natural and not stressed at all as you sit in your seat

“Welcome home,” you greet her while you’re looking down at the book on your lap, the earlier revelation making you too shy to stare at her

“Home, huh?” She raises an eyebrow, a teasing tone to her voice

Oh… oh… oh no. You really need to think before you speak.

“I mean,” your voice taut with nerves as you look up to meet her eyes, “I just— Only if you want to, no pressure, but uhm, yeah. Home. For the two of us. Together.”

You want the ground to swallow you up, this is horrible, you’re absolutely mortified— why did you keep talking??

She laughs at your facial expressions, cherishing the moment and committing it to memory

“Alright then, love. Home. No take backs.” She winks at you before leisurely walking around the cabin, making her own tea and grabbing cookies as though she hadn’t just agreed to move in with you.

Though seemingly unphased, whenever her back is turned to you, she can’t help but to break out into a giddy smile, completely lovestruck

She begins walking to the bedroom, only stopping to peck you on the lips before continuing on her way

So… this is romantic!

When she leaves the room, you cover your face with the book, blushing and kicking your legs in excitement

The words she said echo in your mind; bringing a dopey smile to your face.

She knew exactly what to say.

[shy-indulgent-writer]

Lambert x GN!Reader - Picnics and Puns

If you thought my previous works were indulgent, wait till you read this one… it’s all fluff. <3

here’s a gentle reminder that requests are open if you’d like me to write something for you! :)

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“Oh come on, Lambert! It’ll be fun!” You shake your picnic basket in front of his face. “There’s food involved if you come.”

“I only see you a couple times a year, and when I finally see you, you want me to go outside again? I’m outside practically everyday, why would I want to do it for fun?”

You do your best not to feel too disheartened at the refusal. It’s true, Lambert is only able to swing by your cottage every once in a while, you should let him rest and enjoy a roof over his head for once… but you had a whole cute picnic date planned out…

You thought it would be cute— something different other than just staying inside all day like you two typically do when he comes over

It’s nice to know that you’re his reprieve from the outside world, but you’d love to bask in the sunlight with him, do cliche things like make flower crowns, or just lay down in the grass with him

He sighs and takes the basket from you, walking out your front door and raising an eyebrow when you don’t immediately follow

“I thought you wanted a picnic? Cmon then… we don’t have all day.”

You immediately brighten up, wrapping your arms around his neck and peppering his face with kisses

“Oh, Lambert! I love you.”

He gives an exasperated, though still loving sigh. “I spoil you, yknow.”

You give a happy nod in response, closing the door and wrapping your arms around his his free one

You lead him on the grassy path you typically take when you’re bored, it’s always warm and full of flowers— and a lot of bugs, but they were charming in their own way

“There’s so many bugs,” he waves a few away from his face, “how do you deal with this?”

“It just means the bugs and I appreciate the scenery here. I can’t blame them. Besides, the outside is their home, we’re the visitors.”

After walking a bit more, you point to a patch of yellow flowers, rushing over to them and cooing over how cute and tiny they are

Lambert doesn’t seem to get the appeal, seeing as how he sees all sorts of flowers during his travels, but he still gives interested nods and smiles when you point them out

He won’t tell you this, but he finds it endearing that you find such small things cute, and he loves the way you’re able to take in the little joys he overlooks

You keep up a cheerful commentary as you walk on, pointing out places where certain animals live, which spots are the best for napping, and eventually you bring him to a small pond in the middle of the forest

It’s a spacious area with grass and not too much dirt, a perfect amount of sun, and birds singing in the trees

What he loves most is the way you look though, the way you smile and make him feel that sometimes the world is a good place

He makes a mental image of this moment, his heart fluttering as the sun shines down on you, making it seem as though there’s a halo around you

“It’s perfect,” he says, looking at the way you’re smiling

“Right?” You respond, not knowing he was talking about you. “I’ve daydreamed about bringing you here for the longest time.”

The scenery is gorgeous, but nothing even remotely compares to you in his eyes

Once you both agree on a spot, you lay out the picnic blanket and open the basket, revealing all the desserts you made in preparation for today

“I’m surprised you don’t have cavities.” He looks surprised by the amount of sweets you put in the basket: some podplomyiki, honey spice cake, handmade toffee, and a few baked apples covered in caramel, nuts, and berries. “Why so many?”

You sheepishly explain that you had daydreamed about going here with him so often that you got carried away when baking, imagining how lovely it would be to eat certain things with him here; you had so many ideas on what to make that you ended up with… this.

He doesn’t hide how utterly infatuated he is with you, gently elbowing you in embarrassment and lightly pinching your cheek

“I guess I’m pretty lucky.” He looks at you, a grin on his face. “Though you should know that even without the desserts, you’re plenty sweet.”

“Was that a pun…?” You laugh at the way he seems embarrassed by the way his flirting was received. You give him a gentle peck on the lips since he’s so close. “It’s okay Lambert, you’re choc-full of fun.”

“Oh, that was horrible,” he can’t stop a disbelieving chuckle from coming out in response to it, dramatically dragging his hand down his face

“Lambert,” you snort, bursting into laughter all by yourself while he looks at you amused, “What should you drink when you don’t want something strong?”

His brows furrow in confusion, and he takes a few bites of the honey spice cake as he thinks

When he gives up, he looks at you for the answer, a dopey smile plastered on your face

“Liquor-ish.”

“You’re horrible,” he teases, watching the way you dissolve into laughter because of your own joke. “You can’t even drink that!”

He loves you so much that he’s willing to sit through your terrible puns. His brothers would make fun of him if they ever found out about this, but he can’t really find it in himself to care.

“Wait, wait! One more!” You plead, your smile widening when he resigns himself to one last pun. “If you were a candy, what type of candy would you be?”

“Definitely not something very sweet, but maybe a lollipop since I’m so good to lick?” He gives a little wink in your direction

You slap his arm at the crude joke, a red flush spreading across your face

He laughs at your reaction, unable to stop smiling. “Well, what is it?”

Instead of immediately responding, you kiss him on the nose and pause to just look at him, taking everything in. He’s everything you’ve ever wanted and more.

“Well?” He asks, squirming a bit under your attentive gaze, looking down and eating a couple more desserts when he becomes shy

“You’re eye candy.” You can’t even laugh as you say the line, too overwhelmed by the fuzzy and warm feelings that swell up within you

“I’m never letting you tell a joke again,” he turns away, resolutely avoiding eye contact, but you can see the way his ears become red

“You love me,” you say, a teasing tone to your voice

“Yeah, I do.”

The two of you enjoy your picnic, later picking some flowers to decorate your cottage with; a little memento to remind you both of today

When he does leave a few days later to return to The Path, you bid him farewell, giving him a small bag of desserts and tucking a pressed and dried flower into his journal

It’s tough to only see him a handful of times a year, but now you think of him whenever you walk around in the grass or visit the pond, and he thinks of you when he sees those small yellow flowers

You can’t wait to see each other again

*there’s a link included when mentioning the desserts and it leads you to recipes from The Witcher! i couldn’t resist including it!

[shy-indulgent-writer]

Yennefer x GN!Reader - Traveling to Rinde

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Yennefer first meets you at Hemet’s shop, both of you upset that you can’t afford the price for his goods or information

When Hemet suggests starting businesses in towns nearby, you summon a portal to Rinde, gesturing for Yennefer to step through with you

“Sorry, I’m not in the mood to be portalling at the moment.” She waves her hand dismissively. “You can go on without me.”

You shut the portal and walk to Yennefer’s side, answering her quizzical gaze with, “Well, let’s start walking then. Follow me?”

The trip should take four days at a walking pace, but with Yennefer’s inexperience in the wilderness, it seems it may take longer— not that you’re complaining, it’s just surprising that she’s still so human and inexperienced in some ways

You think it’s charming how often she stops to gather materials for future potions

Right before sunset, you both find a safe clearing where the ground isn’t too rocky

“Why are you traveling with me?” She asks, standing in front of the campfire you set up, staring at her nails rather than looking you in the eye

“I could stretch my legs, besides you seemed like you could use the company.”

“I don’t need anyone.” She scoffs, looking a bit offended at the fact you’re insinuating she needs you

“No, you don’t. But wanting and needing things are completely different. You just seemed like you could use someone by your side right now.”

She just hums to let you know she heard you, and sits on a nearby stump, not too far from the fire

“I don’t have a tent… or a bedroll,” she admits, realizing that she set off without proper equipment

Since you both had started traveling directly from Hemet’s shop, neither of you had camping equipment… or food, other than the small snacks you packed in your satchel

“Oh. Erm… we can survive a few days without a tent. Right? I’m sorry for dragging us out here without the stuff we need, I was just excited to travel with someone by my side.” You give her an apologetic gaze, hoping she isn’t too upset with you

You’re surprised when she starts laughing

“Sorry, it’s just been so long since I’ve gone into something so blindly and spontaneously. Being unprepared just makes me realize how free I am now.”

You give her a smile in response and the both of you set up how you’ll sleep in shifts, before you take off your cloak and let her use it as a blanket

She was camping in a dress; you wouldn’t just let her freeze like that!

Traveling with Yennefer is more fun than you had expected it to be; she’s snarky but soft in rare moments, she’s headstrong and doesn’t ask for help (even when you know she needs it), and she’s more caring than you had expected, noting what berries you like and letting you have some of hers

Two days later while you’re trekking up a steep hill, you notice she’s limping a bit, but is still trying to keep her normal pace

When you’re no longer climbing uphill, you gesture for her to sit on a log nearby

“Here, let me see your foot,” you kneel in front of her, removing her heeled boots. “You could’ve told me you had blisters, I would’ve healed it for you sooner.”

“It was a small thing.”

“Well,” you say, looking into her eyes after casting a healing spell on her foot, “regardless of how big or small it is, pain is still pain. You don’t deserve to be in pain.”

She doesn’t talk much that night, staring off into the distance more so than usual, so you give her space, going to sleep a bit worried

“Where did you learn magic?” She asks the next day, walking through the overgrown weeds

“I was taught by a sorcerer in my town. Since he graduated from Ban Ard, his teaching and knowledge was adequate enough, so I wasn’t sent away.”

You don’t ask why she’s unbound to the Brotherhood, instead talking about what you’d learned in your childhood throughout the day

You have a lot to talk about, so much so that your throat feels a bit sore by the time you set up camp

That night, you both lay awake next to each other on the ground, using your cloak as a pillow for your heads

“Do you ever hate the fact that you have magic?” She looks to you, waiting for an answer

“It’s complicated. I never asked for it, and it definitely isolated me from the people in my town, but I’m glad I have the power to help people in need.” You look at her, taking in her features as she reflects on what you said. “What about you?”

“It separated me from my family,” she starts, anger and sorrow obvious in her voice, “they didn’t want me anyways… and one hand I’m grateful I was brought to Aretuza, otherwise I would have lived a shitty life back home. My magic gives me power, status, and a reason to keep going, but it’s cost me years of trauma and the ability to have children. I didn’t even have a say in the matter.”

You don’t know how to respond, you’ve never been the best at comforting people with words

“Yennefer, is it okay if I hold your hand?” You offer, putting your hand out as an invitation, ready to withdraw it if she refuses

She slowly puts her hand in yours, her grip a bit loose as though she’s afraid of fully touching you

You give a gentle squeeze, not saying anything else as you both look at the stars

There’s only a few days of travel left and you feel upset at the thought of separating from Yennefer— it wouldn’t be your first time traveling alone, but you’ve grown to appreciate her presence

You’ve noticed Yennefer seems to be walking slower, odd considering your healing hasn’t failed you before, but you make sure to slow down and match her pace, not wanting to push her too hard

“What’ll you do in Rinde?” she asks when you slow down to walk by her side, seeming strangely on edge

You talk about how you’ll just look for some odd jobs that a they need a mage for, maybe see if there are people in need of immediate healing

“Seems like you’ve got it all planned out.”

“Well,” you begin, “nothing is set in stone. In fact, if you’ll allow me to stay by your side, I’d be more so inclined to follow you wherever you go.”

This is as close to a confession that you can do; vaguely romantic, but can be taken as platonic just in case…

Regardless of how she feels, you just want to stay close to her; to show her that she deserves good things

“Stay with me then.” She looks at you with a shy smile gracing her face. “You’re one of the few people I can tolerate, so don’t think I’m letting you leave that easily.”

This time she’s the one who reaches her hand out to you, and you happily take it, listening to her talk about future business prospects in Rinde

* there’s a lot more dialogue in this one compared to the others! please forgive me as i figure out my writing style! <3

* yennefer doesn’t have money on her and she wasn’t able to go back for her belongings after the assassination of queen kalis and her baby, i just assume she probably used whatever pocket change she had in order to buy new clothing and some food (please let me know if there’s any inconsistencies or if i made a mistake! thank you for reading.)

[shy-indulgent-writer]

Eskel x GN!Reader - “Scars”

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You meet for the first time at a tavern, The Drowning Gull

You’re sitting towards the back, away from where the bard for the night is playing; not to say you don’t appreciate the music, you just would prefer not to be so close to others

Your eyes briefly meet Eskel’s as he walks into the room before you look down into your drink, not wanting to be rude by staring

Throughout the night you take quick glances at him, noticing a new detail every time— how tall he is, how his hair looks a tad bit disheveled, etc.

“That’ll be 30 crowns,” the server says to the man, not deterred by grimace on the Eskel’s face

You had ordered the same mutton stew as the man, but you had only been charged 15 crowns

When the server leaves, you gather up the courage to let him know he’s being overcharged

“Excuse me, I couldn’t help but notice that you were unfairly charged by the server here. I only paid 15 crowns for the mutton stew. You may want to talk to the tavern owner to get some money back.”

Eskel gives a disheartened chuckle, the scar you hadn’t noticed before becomes more prominent as he does so

You glance at his scar, but then make an effort to not stare at it, you wouldn’t want to make him uncomfortable

“I’m a witcher,” is all he says

“Okay, and? Witcher or not, that doesn’t excuse the fact that they’re practically robbing you…”

He’s pretty taken aback at the fact that you’re upset on his behalf

He tries to reassure you, letting you know that this happens all the time, but it only seems to make you more upset

“Just because it’s normal doesn’t mean it’s right. I’m sorry that you’ve had so many negative experiences.”

When your eyes soften as you look at him, he doesn’t know how to feel— he doesn’t want to be pitied or patronized, but it’s nice that you seem to be showing genuine care

“Do you have a place to sleep tonight?”

The shock of the question shows on his face and you become embarrassed, hastily introducing and explaining yourself

“I didn’t mean to be so untoward. I was going to offer sharing the room I’ve rented for the night.”

You both come to the agreement that he’ll sleep on the couch and that you would take the bed (since you paid for the room)

You strip into your smallclothes, something he hadn’t expected

He doesn’t smell wariness from you, though the smell of embarrassment becomes strong as you realize what you did

“I’m so sorry! I’ll be sure to warn you next time.”

Next time? You’d be willing to share a room with him again?

As he gets comfortable on the sofa, he can’t help but to look at you again; not with anything other than curiosity in his mind

You’re busy reading a book in the candlelight, not noticing how he takes in your features and the scars you have

There are a few thin scars and few thick and dark ones, but they would all be covered while you were in your normal attire

His heart aches with sorrow as he imagines the thought of you getting hurt— who would hurt someone as kind as you?

When you came to talk to him about the mutton stew, he noticed you looking at his scars and then immediately looking away

He thought it was because you were so disgusted by them that you couldn’t bare to keep looking, but he now realizes you were being polite— maybe even understanding

He relaxes considerably after the realization, slipping into sleep soon after you blow out the candle and say goodnight

You’re awake before he is, and he wakes up to find you idly tracing the scars on your body, no doubt reminiscing on how you got them based on the faint smell of sorrow and anger

He looks away and gives an exaggerated yawn as a warning, letting you know that he’s awake

“Oh, good morning! I’m glad you’re still here.”

You then go on to talk about how you were worried he might sneak off in the night without getting enough rest, completely oblivious to the way his heart skips a beat

He trails after you as you do your errands for the day: picking up some food and necessary equipment before you set off on the main roads again

“Do you travel by yourself?” He asks, feeling a bit worried and protective of you after you’ve shown him so much care

When you tell him you travel alone, he immediately offers to travel with you

You’re oblivious to it, but he internally curses himself for not thinking things through before he offered to travel with you

He would hate to make your journey harder; he’s a witcher after all, he wouldn’t want to limit the roads you travel on or have you face unfair prices just because you’re associated with him

When you smile and tell him that you’d be happy to have a traveling companion like him, he feels some of the regret wash away

As you travel, its become a norm for you two to talk late into the night, coming up with random hypotheticals and learning about the other

While you seem to be more idealistic in the way you view the world, he’s much more pragmatic

One night, feeling a bit emboldened by the few sips of wine you had, the questions you ask become more personal

“Do you hate your scars?” You ask eventually, so quietly that he feels he’s imagining things

When you turn to look at him though, he knows that you’re looking for an answer

“Regardless of whether or not I like them, they’re still here.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

He traces his scars on his face with his fingers, feeling the unevenness of his skin

“I can’t say that I like them. It makes me come off as dangerous or confrontational.”

He goes on to talk about situations where he’s been looked at like a freak simply because of his scars

When he’s finished, he turns to you, an unspoken question hanging between you

You talk about your scars and the complexity of your feelings towards them— what each one means to you, which ones you wish you never had, which ones you wish hadn’t faded so much

When you’re finished, he takes your hand in his, his calloused hands emanating a comforting warmth

“If you ever feel upset or anxious because of your scars, tell me. We can leave that situation or we can cover it with some makeup if necessary. I can shower you in the compliments you deserve if you’d like,” you tell him, your voice no louder than a whisper

He lets out an amused little huff at that, squeezing your hand a bit tighter, reflecting on how lucky he was to meet someone as kind and understanding as you

“With or without your scars, to me you are perfect,” he replies, his eyes expressing his growing feelings towards you

He hears your heart race a little faster, but doesn’t comment on it

He makes a silent promise to himself that he’ll protect you, determined to ensure that you won’t have any new scarring while he travels with you

[shy-indulgent-writer]

Lambert x GN!Reader - “You are my new pillow”

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When you and Lambert first became traveling companions, he didn’t trust you immediately— going to sleep last and waking up first, wary that you would betray him at any given moment

After weeks on the road, he finally starts to begin trusting you; he’ll let his bedroll sit a little closer to yours, he’ll take the berries that you offer him, etc.

He begins to find comfort in watching you sleep, trusting him so much that you don’t see him as a threat you need to be worried about— when you get into your bedroll, you’re often out like a light

He notices that you don’t keep your dagger under your pillow (did you ever keep one there to begin with?) and he relishes in the scent of your comfort and happiness— a warm homely smell he gets used to

When you first stay at an inn together, you get separate rooms— it’s uncomfortable for both of you when you realize it’s harder to fall asleep without the presence of the other

“You look like shit,” he’d say, though you could say he looks quite haggard himself, his hair tussled and back hunched like he’s about to pass out

You both seem a bit more tired that day: you more quiet and lethargic, Lambert a bit more snappy than usual

Despite how much you love the warmth and shelter the inn provides, you feel more safe and at ease when you’re close to Lambert, knowing that he could protect you should the need arise

The first time you share a room together happens because you’re sick— you’re only a human after all, you don’t have the immunity of a witcher

Lambert fusses over you, not used to taking care of a human; when he’s sick he just sleeps it off or takes a potion— he can’t do that with you though

He had paid for two rooms, but ultimately ended up staying in yours so that he could watch over you

“Lambert, can you lie down next to me?”

He thinks the fever is messing with your head, but he can’t find it in himself to refuse (nor does he want to)

He’s taken aback by the offer, but “reluctantly” agrees, only stripping off the necessary dirty articles of clothing before laying on the bed— you under the covers and him laying on top of the blankets

He’s too shy to invade more of your personal space and go under the blankets with you

As you fitfully fall asleep, he scoots a little closer to you when he feels you shivering

You toss and turn more than you usually do in a bedroll, and eventually use Lambert’s arm as a pillow

He freezes in place when it happens, in shock that you’d want to be closer to him (even unconsciously)

When you wake up in the morning, your head is on his chest and your arm is laying over his thick torso

“Good morning, sleeping beauty”

He probably means for it to come out as mocking, but the gentleness in his tone makes it come across as loving or as though he’s in awe

You don’t move, relishing in the warmth of him and trying to hear his heartbeat through his thin shirt

“You’re my new pillow,” you say as you yawn, not noticing the way Lambert’s breath catches in his throat for a second, not aware of how his slow heartbeat is racing slightly faster

“You’re lucky your sick, otherwise I’d push you off the bed”

To be honest, you don’t even feel sick anymore, you just feel so sated and relaxed

You won’t tell Lambert that though, you’re touch starved after traveling with this witcher for months, you’re going to relish in the contact for as long as you can

You won’t move off him until he asks you to, mentioning that he needs to get you food since you’re sick

He smells how content and safe you feel, but he chalks it up to you feeling relieved that someone was able to care for you while you were sick (not that it’s because it’s him that’s taking care of you)

You both feel less afraid with physical touch after this— allowing your hands to graze or touch for longer than is necessary, allowing the other closer than you had before, etc.

You don’t feel confident enough to ask Lambert to cuddle you without an excuse though

Lambert would probably just call you “mad” or “insane” for wanting to cuddle with him without a reason

You always find a reason to put your bedroll next to his: the wind hits your back too harshly, there’s wet soil and rocks in your original spot, the poor weather and fact that you’re human means you need more warmth, etc.

He finds it strange that you had never complained about those situations when you first began traveling with him, but he brushes it off thinking that humans are weak and vulnerable, and that you feel confident enough to voice your complaints around him now

You always make sure to let him know you feel comfortable in his presence, that you appreciate his touch, and that you enjoy being close to him

He always chalks it up to you being cold, but even in the spring and summer you’ll find a reason to stick close

He won’t bring it up, and neither will you, both turning a blind eye and hoping the other confesses first