-----

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The praise made him feel weird. He wasn't used to people giving him such accolades and certainly not with such affection and sincerity. And he'd certainly never been called a hero before.

Initially he'd been so against having anything to do with Ciri, what was he supposed to do with a child? He had no desire to collect the debt and certainly no interest in training another Witcher, that life was dying out and it wasn't the life for a child. But as always, destiny and fate had had plans and he'd been swept along for the ride.

Of course he'd ended up fighting with everything he was for Ciri, to keep her safe and protected. He'd even fallen in love with the spirited, stubborn girl. And he couldn't be prouder of the woman that she now was.

He made a low sound in his throat, "You had your own part to play in the whole thing, Regis. Don't downplay it."

He shifted against the wall arching a brow at the words. "Sounds like a plan. But scaring her off? How would I do that, exactly?"

His very presence would probably accomplish that, to be fair.

-----

Geralt considered Regis for along moment as the man spoke, as he lounged beneath the shade of the tree, taking a little time to enjoy the coolness after the heat of the sun. He looked so alive. It was still quite startling after Regis had been nothing more than a dark smear against stone.

"Lets hope we've just about exhausted that level of trouble. Normal levels of trouble and monsters would make a nice change."

His voice was gruff, a little rough around the edges as he responded to the playfulness though a part of him wouldn't be the least bit surprised if that wasn't the case. There was probably still some trouble lurking for them out there, but he could do without the 'end of the world' bit for a while.

"You think?" He asked, not always so certain himself, but he tried and he supposed that counted.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (dev. CD Projekt Red)

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As Regis approached Geralt pushed himself off of the wall, moving forward to close the space between them. He greeted Regis warmly, with a rare hug -which despite his exterior he quite enjoyed in the right circumstances.

"We should both count ourselves lucky, it's good to see you, Regis."

With a light pat to the other mans back he slowly relinquished his hold, but didn't back all the way out of his personal space. There was something incredibly comforting in being that close so why not make the most of it while he could? There was no telling how long this encounter would last.

"Home," he rumbled thoughtfully. "Still somewhat of a new concept, not used to it. I was in town to see Ciri, thought I'd treat myself to some new gear and stock up on some herbs while I was here."

He eyed the other man. "What brings you here? This where you're calling home at the moment?"

There were always plenty of people that needed help in Nilfgaard and that was where Regis thrived.

⸻

He worried away for a moment, a hand moving through his hair and eventually clutching at his satchel's strap. Geralt's words were soft but he'd heard them so clearly. His ears perked up. He had missed that voice. For a moment, the ghost of a smile appeared on his lips before fading as a heavy ache settled deep within him. It was the weight of sorrow that more often than not accompanied a long-awaited hello. They met this way, fleeting moments in one another's lives. But could there be a hello after no goodbye had ever been given? He wasn't so sure. He suddenly regretted never bidding him a fond farewell at the cemetery, however hard it would have been.

He wandered over, dark eyes lingering on the man as he relaxed in the shade.

"My old friend," he called to him, waiting for him to rise for an embrace. He curled a graceful finger and its claw at him, silently asking him over. "It's been such a long time since we've crossed paths. I should count myself lucky that I happened to be in the town square this afternoon. What brings you here? You should be home, no?"

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (dev. CD Projekt Red)

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He rumbled a soft reply in the back of his throat, concedng the point. There had indeed been plenty of times that Regis had stitched him up. Sometimes because he couldn't reach the wounds himself, sometimes because he'd been too out of it and others, well, just because Regis had insisted so ardently Geralt had eventually given in.

He paused himself off of the wall as Regis stood, nodding his agreement to the question.

"Ananda? No mule this time?" He asked, rolling the stiffness from his shoulders before he turned back to Regis. "I'm sure Roach will appreciate the company, she never tells me but I think she gets bored of me on long journeys."

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Geralt rumbled in agreement, a deep, content sound. It wasn't a wrong assessment after all, there always did seem to be some form of trouble just waiting for them. It had become something of a tradition. Sometimes it was huge, sometimes it was so small and stupid. But it was usually there, waiting.

His lips tugged up into a wonky grin as he watched Regis laugh. So open and unconcerned. It was a rare sight for the man to allow himself to be like this, usually he held himself with such poise and control. This freedom was nice.

"Alright," he agreed. It wasn't the worst thing he'd ever been asked to do. He paused though, and his grin turned a little sharper at the edges, a little more amused.

"Though, if you want to see me shirtless you only have to ask, Regis..."

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (dev. CD Projekt Red)