Kyana Of Cintra

82

Geralt and Kyana were shoved into two neighboring cells, both as filthy as the other. Some idiot thought it would be a good idea to lay sand on the floor of the cells, and so it reeked of piss and vomit from the people before them. Neither minded, seen as the bars were relatively clean, par from the rust in some areas. Kyana leaned against the bars, eyes closed and subconsciously humming. 

They had stripped both of them of their armour, weaponry, and anything in their pockets. It left them stuck in their plain shirts and leathers, however they had the graces of removing the chains. It was quiet for a moment, before Kyana ceased her humming and spoke. 

"Did you mean it?" Geralt furrowed his eyebrows, adjusting himself to sit on the bars to her opposite to face her. When he shifted, sand poured around him, which irritated him to no bounds. It was in his boots, in his hair, in Kyana's hair too, yet she still managed to look ethereal. 

"Mean what?" Kyana opened her eyes, the eyes that drew him in like an arrow to it's target. He melted a million times over, his heart sighed, his thoughts spoke volumes that had Kyana blushing. His eyebrow rose, an easy, lazy smile tugging at his lips. "Are you blushing?" 

Kyana rolled her eyes and turned her face away, an action Geralt laughed at. "Oh shut up, if you could hear your thoughts sometimes you'd always be red." Geralt continued to laugh at her, until she threw some sand between the bars, which he dodged just at the right moment. 

"I'm the one who thinks up my thoughts, I constantly hear them." Kyana rolled her eyes in amusement, watching as Geralt shifted to sit on his knees. "And yes, I meant it." Kyana's eyes met his through the bars, the beautiful golden eyes she had fallen in love with for so many years. "I love you, Kyana. I love you." A small pause. A pause where Geralt had thought he'd lost everything; his best friend, his companion, his lover all mixed into three life changing words. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said-"

"I love you too." Kyana's smile could've split her face in two. She had never felt such joy in all her life, in knowing all those years of silently suffering weren't in vain, that her love had been matched. Her joy was palpable; Geralt could feel it. His smile matched hers, wide and honest and true. 

"Really?" Geralt could scarcely believe it; he'd said it so many times, Kyana was a goddess on earth that had blessed him just by looking at him. To know her was to love her, and he'd known her deeply for a long, long time. Kyana tucked her hair behind her ear and adjusted the green band he'd bought her to keep hair away from her face, before shuffling forwards. Her hands passed through the bars, coaxing him to join her. He did so with suspicion, yet trusted her. 

"I want to show you what I've been working on recently." She said, her fingers dancing over his temples like feathers brushing through the wind. "Close your eyes." Kyana whispered, concentrating hard while his eyes fluttered shut, shielding the windows to his beautiful soul. Nothing happened for a small while, and he was about to open his eyes and grasp her hands, until he saw something. 

Kyana had worked her way into his thoughts, as she always had to read them, but this felt different. Like she was pushing something heavy and huge over towards him. Kyana concentrated harder, pushing and pushing until finally, she could show Geralt what she wanted. Images flashed in his mind, pictures and scenes from multiple times in her life, all swimming in emotions she felt for him. 

Words weren't enough to describe how Kyana felt about Geralt. Without him, she would survive, but she would not live. Her heart beat to a million ballads, but would only stop around him. Her joy just at seeing his face, at hearing his name on people's lips, at talking about him when he wasn't around. The swelling of her heart when she watched him polish his swords, swing an old battle axe to cut firewood, glance at her from across the room when he thought she wasn't looking. The butterflies, no, griffins that ran rampant in her stomach every time he would give her a genuine smile, pay her the slightest bit of his divine attention, 'accidentally' touch her hands while she foraged and searched in the grass. Every little term of endearment, every effort, every time her name so much as crossed his mind had her lost in a wonderland of love, sinking deeper and deeper with no fear of drowning. 

Geralt was overwhelmed; he had no idea she could show him her thoughts, let alone emotions, and this level of power in what she felt was unbelievable. Once her display had finished, and she moved to withdraw her hands, Geralt caught one in his own, kissing her palm softly.

Tugging her hand forward, Kyana moved towards the bars separating them, pressing her forehead to his. About an inch apart from each other and on both of their foreheads were the metal bars, whose cold stings were unwelcome against flushed skin.

"I love you." Geralt mumbled, lifting his head to kiss her forehead. "More than I can ever put words to. More than I can think of." Kyana smiled, her own eyes closed as she relished her time with her lover.

It felt nice to call him that; lover. Someone she could wake up in the middle of the night just to say she loved him, someone who felt about her just as strongly as she felt about him. Kyana knew in that moment her last breath would be spent giving Geralt breath, the last beating of her heart would be to make sure his still thumped in his chest.

Geralt kissed her nose, as sweetly and as softly as a butterfly landing between them. He'd officially gone royally and completely soft for the woman in front of him, and he didn't even care; as long as he could hold her, nothing mattered.

"I love you." He murmered once more, kissing her lips this time, as she had longed for. In that moment, the cells, the bars, the situation didn't matter; they had each other, and needed nothing else.

"I love you too."