26 + Geralt x reader for the Horror and the Wild prompts!
Summary: Modern AU, Geralt x fem!reader. An early snowfall has Geralt trapped in town where he’s been staying for meetings, unable to get to his winter house. Enter you, bringing memories from many years past.
Prompt 26: Come rest for the winter, wear my jumper all night long.
Words: 4.4k
Warnings: fluff, whole lotta fluff, teeth rotting fluff
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A/N. This is for my lovely Lu, who is ever so helpful and I love dearly. Hope you enjoy this babe!
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Hide Under the Covers
The winter started out cold and had come far too early for Geralt’s liking. He had ended up staying in the small town he was in for an extra week when his boss had booked him for extra meetings. He had recently been promoted to Project Manager, which had resulted in more work and him having to physically meet with the clients rather than being given the briefing. Not that he minded, he didn’t have anyone to go home to. At least he thought he wouldn’t mind, until the snow came early and blocked the path to his house in the mountains. Normally he would snowshoe or ski up to his winter home once the snow set in, but he hadn’t anticipated the early snowfall and had left them there. He had been planning on making the move this weekend, having just finished renting out his summer home, which he was now regretting.
The town itself was nice, he didn’t mind staying there. He could do some touristy things, there were quite a few small businesses, a university, some schools, along with some museums and galleries. It was a quaint, pretty little place, it would just be lonely.
He had found himself in a small restaurant, perusing a menu as he debated what his next move was. Geralt sighed into his beer, knowing he had to find somewhere to stay until the paths cleared enough that he could get up to his house. Maybe a hotel? That would be expensive, but it’s not like he couldn’t afford it. He just hated staying in hotels any longer than he had to, they always felt so impersonal. As he flagged the waitress down, asking for a second pint of beer, he heard a familiar sound. Perking up, he scanned the room before his eyes landed on a figure that he hadn’t seen in a couple of years.
He remembered the last time he had seen you, a somber parting as the two of you went your own ways. The two of you had been dating for a few years, the talk of engagement having been thrown around. Geralt had even recruited your best friend to go ring shopping with him, trying to get ideas of what you might like. That all changed when he had been headhunted by the company he was with now. It had been his dream job, a senior architect at a construction company. The only hitch had been that the company was in Europe; they had seen some of his work and wanted his input on the design of their new corporate building. If they liked his work, there was the guarantee of a long term contract overseeing multiple projects within the company.
You had debated going with him, teaching being fairly mobile. Just as you had decided to go with him, you were offered the position of curriculum consultant. You had just finished your Masters in Education, so this was a huge step for you, being able to get out of the classroom and share your expertise with other teachers. It had been too big of an opportunity for you to pass up, and after a series of fights and disagreements, the two of you had tearfully agreed to end your relationship, neither person able to give up the advancement in their career. Geralt had moved to Europe, slowly working his way up through his new company while you stayed back in Canada.
A small smile appeared on his face at the sight of you, a warm feeling flaring in his chest even after three years. He still thought of you sometimes, even though he knew nothing would come of it. You seemed to sense his gaze on you, looking up only to freeze when you met his eyes. A light blush came over your cheeks as you stared at him before you excused yourself from the group you were with, quickly making your way over to Geralt’s table before dropping into the chair across from him.
“Geralt!” you exclaimed, pinning him with a brilliant grin. “It’s so good to see you again!”
“Y/N,” he offered, “How have you been?”
“I’ve been good, busy. I’ve been researching a new teaching method, just working on writing my thesis to get my PhD.” Your passion was clear to see, bubbling over into any interaction you had. Geralt smiled gently as you continued telling him about the specifics of your research, you had always talked about moving away from the classroom into pedagogy and continuing your education. Anyone else would have been horrified to see you launch right into your conversation, totally disregarding the time apart, but Geralt just chuckled, it was so you.
“But enough about me, what have you been doing? How did the new job go?” You focused your attention on him completely. As Geralt met your gaze it felt like the sun had appeared from behind the clouds, like there had been a fog drifting through his life that had been burned away now that you were back.
“I’m Project Manager now, I was in town for the week for meetings, talking with the client to see what exactly they wanted. I’m enjoying it, I’m challenged every day, and the work is constantly changing, which has been exactly what I needed.” It felt natural, talking to you again, as if the three years you had spent apart had never happened. You had propped your fist under your chin, giving him all of your attention, jumping when the waiter came by to take your orders. The two of you had quickly requested your meals before continuing your conversation, Geralt telling you about all of the different buildings and projects he had been overseeing. You had chatted a while longer, silence falling when your food was placed in front of you. The silence that fell wasn’t awkward, it was easy, right, to be sitting with you once more.
You had grinned at him when Geralt had ordered dessert, he knew you had a wicked sweet tooth. As the dish was placed in the middle of the table, the conversation picked up. You settled your arms on the table in front of you as the conversation changed to relationships. You told him about the wedding you had attended a year ago, a mutual friend of yours getting married. Geralt could feel his heart clench as you mentioned marriage, though you didn’t seem to notice. You looked up at him, seeming to hesitate before you asked, “Have you been seeing anyone?”
He swallowed hard as he looked away, unable to get the words out of his mouth. Swallowing again, he managed to force his mouth to work. “No.”
Sensing the tension, you quickly changed topics, “Are you here long, Geralt?”
Relaxing now that the conversation was moving away from dangerous territory, he shook his head as he answered, “I was supposed to head up to my winter house a little ways out of town, but the snow’s changed those plans. The roads don’t get cleared so once they’re blocked I have to ski or snowshoe in, but I store them up there over the summer and haven’t had a chance to go pick them up. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get up there right now. Might have to wait for the snow to melt a bit.”
A furrow appeared between your eyes as you frowned at him, “So what are you doing if you can’t get up there?”
Sheepishly, he rubbed the back of his neck, “Ah, I hadn’t gotten that far. I’ll probably just stay in a hotel until the snow clears up or I can figure out a way to get up there.”
You looked down at your hands, playing with your fingers as you stole glances up at him. He waited, lips quirking up at the sight of your nervous mannerisms. They were still adorable, even after all this time. You glanced up at him, eyes darting away when you met his gaze. He sighed, leaning forwards as he reached for your hands. You stilled under his touch, lips parting as you met his gaze. “Out with it, mouse, you know you can tell me anything.” His voice was soft, and you visibly relaxed at the old nickname.
The blush on your cheeks reappeared, “Ah, it’s not very big, but if you wanted, you could stay at my flat? My couch is a pullout, I would just have to put some sheets on it.”
“No, no, I couldn’t impose on you-” you cut him off with a hand on his arm. Your eyes were gentle as you smiled at him. “I insist, Geralt. Really, it’s no trouble.”
He hesitated, not wanting to be an inconvenience but not wanting to leave you again so soon. You must have seen the indecision on his face because you squeezed his arm gently, saying “Besides, I missed you. It would be nice to have some more time to catch up.”
At your admission his resistance melted, a wry grin coming to his face as he accepted. A bright smile lit up your face at his words, a warm feeling overtaking Geralt’s chest at the sight. You flagged the waiter down, asking for the bill. When it was placed on the table, Geralt smoothly snatched it up from underneath your hand as he tucked his credit card into the pocket. He chuckled as he saw your pout, “Don’t worry, mouse, it’s just my thanks for letting me stay with you.”
You left the pout on your face but didn’t argue, still glaring at him as he paid and thanked the waiter. Standing, he tugged your coat from the back of the chair, helping you slide your arms into the sleeves. He quickly donned his own coat, smiling down at you as you tucked your hand into his elbow. The two of you left the restaurant, you gently guiding him down the street towards your flat. His heart swelled as you stared at the sky, getting lost in the stars that decorated the sky. You had always loved them, spending hours staring up at the sky when you get the chance. You were never able to see them back in Canada, the city where you had lived had too much light pollution, but the small town was perfect to let you see the beauty of the stars.
It was a short walk to your place, you letting go of his arm to insert the key into your door as you unlocked your house. The two of you quickly entered, happy to be out of the cold. The hallway was narrow, a small closet set in the wall. You handed him a coat hanger before hanging your own coat up. He toed his shoes off as you locked the door behind him. He waited patiently, curious to see the rest of your place. “It’s not much, but it’s home. I, uh, can’t afford much on my salary right now. I get a little bit from working with the school board, and I have grants from the university, and I make it work, but this is kind of it.” You looked sheepish as you spoke, almost as if you were embarrassed that he was seeing your home.
Unable to stop himself, Geralt reached out to brush a strand of your hair behind your ear. You froze, staring up at him as he blushed, his pale skin colouring under your gaze. “Sorry, I-”
You stopped him with a gentle smile, “It’s okay, Geralt.” You placed a gentle hand on his arm as you slipped past him. He followed you into the main part of the small flat, curious gaze roaming the walls. The room was small and messy, but in an organized chaos kind of way. There were various textbooks and scientific charts scattered around a desk while a small kitchen on the other side of the room was piled with used dishes. The tv was paused in the middle of some sort of video, calculations and diagrams decorating a whiteboard next to it.
You turned pink as you watched him glance over the room. “It’s a little dirty, I know.”
“It’s you,” Geralt turned to face you, a grin on his face. “Your office always looked like this when we were-” living together. He cut himself off before he let the words slip. You paused as well, staring at him with an odd look on your face. He couldn’t read you as well as he used to, having spent three years apart. “It’s very homey, about what I’d expect from you.”
You flushed harder as you smacked at him, “Geralt!”
He chuckled as you flopped onto the couch, pout clear on your face. He followed you, sitting down on the opposite side of the couch. He frowned at you as realization dawned on him, “Wait, why are you here? Why do you have a flat in town?”
“Oh! Yeah, I guess I didn’t mention it, I live here now. I was offered a research position at the university in town, and once I finish my PhD I’m going to be teaching there as well.” You bounced as you spoke, clearly excited at this new prospect in life. Geralt had stopped listening, mind fixated on the words “I live here now.” Hope bloomed in his chest before he viciously quashed it. Don’t go there. Having broached the subject, the floodgates opened as you continued telling him about your research. He smiled gently as his mind caught up to the present, watching you softly as you gesture wildly, telling him a story about one of the classes you were working with in the local highschool.
“Do you want a beer?” He startled at the question, having gotten distracted as you giggled at yourself. You grinned as you realized what happened, the man sputtering out an answer to your question. Your soft laugh filled the air as you stood, Geralt watching your hips as you walked towards the kitchen. You stumbled as you returned to the couch, laughing at yourself. Handing him a beer, you dropped back onto the cushions, closer to the man than you had originally been. You took a sip from your own drink before laying your head back, “I maaay have started drinking before I saw you, I’m a few drinks in.”
As you leaned forward to reach for the remote, Geralt saw a flash of smooth skin as your shirt hitched up. He quickly tamped down on the urge to reach for you, to run his hand over the smooth skin he saw in the break in fabric before slipping under your shirt. He focused on the tv as you closed the video on it before opening up a streaming service, handing him the remote. “I probably won’t last the movie, you pick something you like.”
Geralt just sighed and shook his head, taking the remote from your hand before picking your favourite movie. “You remembered,” your voice was soft as you realized what film he put on.
“I remember a lot of things, mouse.” You offered him a shy smile at your old nickname, a shiver running down his spine as you tipped sideways to tuck your hands around his arm, head against his shoulder.
“Geralt?” Your voice was hesitant as you softly called his name. He hummed in response, looking down to see you staring up at him, Y/E/C eyes swimming with emotion. He swallowed as he gazed at you, daring to reach his hand up to push that wayward strand of hair back behind your ear, brushing his fingers against your cheek. You closed your eyes as you turned your head into his hand, breath warm against his palm as it left you in a rush. You pressed a shaky kiss to his palm before opening your eyes, meeting his gaze. Geralt had frozen at the movement, hope flaring in his chest.
“You said you weren’t seeing anyone, I can’t but hope…” your voice trailed off, hesitation clear on your face. Geralt responded by reaching for your other hand, lacing your fingers together as he prayed he was reading this situation correctly. That action seemed to give you the confidence to finish your sentence, taking a deep breath as you continued. “Would you consider trying again? Trying us?”
The knot in his chest burst at your words, a burning feeling rushing through his body, starting where his skin met yours. He leaned forwards, sliding his hand from your cheek to the back of your neck, tangling it in your hair as he pressed his lips against yours. You were frozen for a moment, making Geralt wonder if he had overstepped. He started to pull back, shame blooming in his chest before your hands were fisting in his shirt, pulling him towards you as you kissed him back. He relaxed into you, the shame being replaced with a different feeling, something he hadn’t felt since the last time he had seen you.
The kiss itself was messy, filled with a passion that had been missing from his life. He chuckled when the two of you bumped teeth, prompting you to squeak in indignation, licking into his mouth as his laugh gave you access. His chuckle quickly turned into a sharp inhale, the feeling going straight to his groin. Finally, you pulled back, Geralt leaning his forehead against yours as you both tried to catch your breath. You giggled, looking up at him with shy eyes.
“I take it, that's a yes?” At the sight of your eyes shining with happiness, Geralt let out a low growl, reaching to grasp your hip as he pulled you towards him, seating you in his lap as you straddled him, almost chest to chest. You gasped at the sudden movement, hands going to his shoulders to help stabilize yourself. You stared down at him, mouth forming an ‘O’ at the surprise of his movement. He couldn’t help himself, reaching up to tug you against his chest. One hand tangled itself in your hair as the other went around your waist. He could feel you relax into him, your own arms wrapping around him as you nestled into him.
“It’s almost like you never left.” The sentence was quiet, murmured as if you were on the edge of sleep, but the meaning made Geralt go cold. He stiffened, quickly forcing himself to relax underneath you before you could notice. Did you blame him for the end of your relationship? It didn’t work though, and you were quickly leaning back from him as dismay came over your face.
“No, I didn’t mean- not like that- I would never-” Geralt quieted your stuttering with a gentle kiss, the knot that had tightened in his chest releasing at your frantic words. He pushed a strand of your hair behind your ear, smiling at you in an attempt to soothe you.
“I didn’t mean it that way, Geralt, I never blamed you for the end of our relationship. If anything, I blamed myself. I was selfish, I put myself before us. Some days I wonder what would have happened had I gone with you.” He tried to catch your eye but you wouldn’t look up, playing with your fingers. Geralt raised his hands, catching your fingers between his, causing you to still, though you still wouldn’t meet his gaze.
“I never blamed you, Y/N. I don’t think I would have forgiven myself if I had asked you to give up your career, your dream for me. You wouldn’t have been happy had you gone with me, you were never one to play housewife.” He drew a small smile out of you at that, your fingers twisting to intertwine with his own.
“I could have, if it meant staying with you.” Geralt growled low in his throat at your words.
“I wouldn’t have let you.” You looked up at him, shock clear on your face. “You would have regretted coming with me, you were so excited about your new position. Mouse, would you have let me turn down my job to stay with you?”
Silently, you shook your head, squeezing his fingers. “Then don’t think it would have been any different for me. You wouldn’t have been happy, staying at home or teaching. You wanted to help people, to train other teachers, and that’s what you got to do.”
Tugging you closer, Geralt kept one hand wound with yours as his other hand came up to stroke through your hair, causing you to melt into him. “Besides, we came back to each other, that’s all that matters right now. And I’m not planning on going anywhere anytime soon. I’ll stay as long as you’ll have me.”
You relaxed further, leaning your head against his chest as your free hand came to rest on his hip. You absently rubbed at the tight muscles there, fingers loosening knots as Geralt let out a low groan at the feeling. You whispered quietly to him, the man almost missing your words. “I want you forever.”
A fire lit deep within Geralt, all of the happy memories the two of you had together finally coming to the surface. He had locked them all away when you split, not wanting to miss you, not that he had been successful. It felt right, having you laying against him, to be able to just sit with you in silence. He felt at peace, something he hadn’t felt in a long time.
Eventually you shifted, Geralt feeling you yawn against his chest before pulling back to look at him with sleepy eyes. He hid a chuckle in a cough as he looked at you, a feeling of fondness welling in his chest at the sight of you in front of him. “Bedtime?”
“Course,” he murmured, placing a gentle kiss on your forehead before helping you off his lap. You stumbled a little bit, leading him to the bathroom where you handed him a new toothbrush. He brushed his teeth as you washed your face, switching once you were done to allow him to do the same. The two of you fell into a routine, almost the same as it had been so long ago. Finished, you led him to your bedroom. He paused in the doorway, not sure if you meant for him to sleep in your bed with you. He surveyed the room, seeing the cluttered bedside table, your vanity littered with various items, pausing when he saw the pictures on your dresser. There were a few of your family, some of your friends, and one that made his heart stop. It was the two of you on your third anniversary of dating. Geralt had surprised you with a picnic in the park, your favourite dinner paired with wine while you watched a movie on a big screen he had set up earlier that day. He smiled as the memory left him, watching as you moved towards your closet. Mind made up, he decided he would stay with you, unless you said something. The two of you got ready for bed in silence, Geralt pulling a pair of boxers out of his suitcase as you changed into sleep shorts and a tank top. You shuffled towards the bed, sliding under the covers before patting the bed next to you in encouragement. He made his way to the opposite side, lifting the covers to allow him access as well. Once he was laying down, you shuffled towards him so that your back was against his chest as his arms went around you. He pulled you closer, nestling his nose into the crook of his shoulder as he closed his eyes and inhaled your scent.
He never wanted this moment to end, he wanted to stay with you in his arms forever. Screw the rest of the world, screw his job, screw his responsibilities. You were all that he wanted, just to hold you in his arms. He was finally able to relax, finally able to shed the weight he had been carrying ever since he had walked out of that door and left you behind. You sighed in front of him, cementing the decision that had been floating around in Geralt’s mind ever since you had said that you lived here.
“Stay with me, Y/N.” his quiet voice broke the silence, you stirring slightly at the sound.
“What?” your voice was sleepy, bringing a smile to Geralt’s face.
“Come with me, rest for the winter; you have all your research collected, take a break for a little bit and stay with me. You could even wear my jumper, you know I like to see you in my clothes.” He cursed himself as he heard the pleading in his own voice, body tense as he waited for your answer.
“Are you British now, calling it a jumper?” He could hear the teasing tone of your voice as you shifted in his arms, struggling to turn over to face him. He helped you move, arms tightening around you as you slotted a leg between his. You smiled gently at him, your hand coming up to cup his cheek as you laid your head against his arm. Geralt held his breath, waiting for the answer to his request.
“I’d love to.” He let his breath out in a rush, squeezing you against him until you squeaked, smacking at him to let you breathe. You giggled as he let you go, a huge smile on your face.
“I want to see this ‘winter house’ as you call it. I can only assume it's huge, knowing your taste. You were always fond of having lots of space.” Geralt grinned, not even your teasing could pop the bubble he was in, ecstatic as the thought you were back in his life now.
“You just can’t decorate a house that big to save your life. This apartment is tiny, and you’ve already messed it up.” You glared at him, poking his ribs to show your displeasure. Geralt just smirked at you, swallowing your protests as he brought his lips to meet yours. You melted into him, hand coming up to tangle in his hair as you held him against you. Drawing back, he gazed down at you gently before pulling you close, the two of you melting into each other. You relaxed against him, breathing slowly evening out as you fell asleep, Geralt following soon after, chest filled with hope at the beginning of his future.
**~*~*~*~**
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