Chapter 2

There was a monster in the mountains.

One that had lived three hundred years floating from place to place, hating humanity. One that had spent six years loving a sickly human man. One that had spent 200 years mourning in the mountains.

The people feared the mountain, the screams and sounds that echoed off its peaks. They feared the figure that walked upon it and screamed and yelled and threw rocks when anyone tried to climb.

No one dared climb the mountain in fear of the Butcher.

The Butcher that would throw bloody livestock parts down at them. The Butcher that took cattle straight up from their pens. The Butcher who would leave entrails in the fields. The Butcher who would pluck kids from their bassinets and eat people who came too close.

That was until a stranger came through town. He had a mandolin strapped to his back, scarves wrapped around his face, and a hooded cape covering him. He had a flowery voice and skilled hands. He was persuasive and kind, sharing what little he had with the people. He sat in the square and played songs, quietly making his way to look around the town, sharing his music with the people.

He asked around about the Lettenhove estate which had turned into the governors estate and then on of the servants. Asking what of the non-christians, balking and becoming sick to his stomach when told of the atrocities encited on the non-humans in the stateship.

And then he asked for a guide into the mountain.

Everyone warned him of the butcher. warned him of the beast. He was adamant.

He knew what he wanted and he said if no one would show him, he'd die trying.

Everyone declined his promise of coins and gems.

Other than one young girl, fourteen maybe? She said she was to be married soon and that she needed coin for a dress, so he agreed to give her coin in exchange for her to show him to a certain point of the mountain. He marked the exact point on the map and she said she could walk him only a stone's skip from there. She said that past that was a death sentence. Saying she could point him the rest of the way but she wasn't going to be eaten.

She spent hours telling stories of the Butcher. Of his monstrosity. It only dampened his enthusiasm slightly. That was until she explained that on one day a year each of the sheep had flowers tucked into their fur.

He seemed to get a bit choked up about that, oddly. It was seen as an omen that the Butcher was appeased and wouldn't come down the mountain for another year.

They took off the next day. He had stayed up all night listening to the hellish noise that came from the mountains.

Loud growls and screams of pain. Inhumand and wild.

He hoped it was what he hoped it was. Who he had dreamed of for so many years for so many miles. It had been so long since he was here, since he had lived in this body in this plane. It had been such a long, strange journey. He only carved answers. He only needed hope to strap the supplies to his back and follow obediently behind the girl.

He hiked in silence behind the girl who talked about her love and how she was going to move when they got married because he went to oxenfurt for school because he's a musician. He chatted absently, he knew when oxenfurt was a 'clown' school.

They started to hear stones hitting the snow around them. Then when she was hit and a scream was echoing out around them she turned and ran. He didn't quite know where they were but by how long they had been hiking it had to be close. It was happening. Now or never.

He stayed there, right there in the snow. . The creature came out growling and screaming, all white shifting around. He stayed still. It was like being hunted and pulling the arrow through your own chest. He felt like screaming back but he… he had to be sure.

The beast came running at him, glowing golden eyes with black lines painted across its face.

He stood still, tears welling in his eyes as the beats came running, ready to attack but then it stopped. It stood up, like a mountain itself, a nearly surprised look on its face as if it was surprised anyone stood up to it. It bared its sharp teeth and let out a snarl before yelling.

"Turn back! Leave!" It shouted, a few feet from where the man stood. It stared dead into his eyes, and he stared right back, recognizing those amber eyes. Those honeysuckle irises. He knew that voice, he knew those eyes, hell, he knew those abs and that breast.

He stared into the eyes of the beast and...no. No. He was sparked with a feeling of something that he hadn't felt in a long time. Joy.

"It's rude to yell at old friends." The man spoke, that voice. That tone. It drew the beast in making it creep closer to the man. It kept its teeth bared but crept closer, looking into the man's eyes like it was searching, something sparking behind its eyes.

"Geralt, gem, I've had a long trip. Perhaps stop throwing stones." The man said and pulled his scarf away, revealing soft pink lips, his soft face. Geralt stared, falling to his knees in front of the man. His body was lax, like he was a puppet with his strings cut.

His hair was long now, much longer than it had been when they had met so long ago. It now washed down around his shoulders.

It was a lovely look really, made him look like a doll, long beautiful hair and bold make up. Julian liked it, liked how Geralt's eyes shone like candles in the dark. Julian was astonished how beautiful he was, still was.

He bent down, picking up Geralt's chin so he was looking at him.

"I hear it's rude to sit down when welcoming people." He joked, he'd been a trembling mess when he first met Geralt, he hoped the man remembered and understood. But the man was crying, tears slipping down his face.

Eyes full of sadness, sadness so bone deep, face the picture of grief in whole. He stared at Julian with such a terrifyingly devastated look, one that had the smallest ember of hope.

"Why do you keep doing this to me? I can't help you anymore. I can't put you to rest, I'm sorry." He cried out and Julian sat down in the snow with a huff, leaned back on his hands. He looked out over the view from high up the mountain. The town looked small, the estate looking like a pinprick. He'd never seen his old home look so insignificant. He let his head loll over to rest on his shoulder.

"I've traveled from France to the new world and back again all from Poland and yet you say I am a figment. Do I need to prove I am real?" He asked and Geralt cried and looked at him.

He was a bit pathetic looking, like a soggy cat. Big tears rolling down his face, bottom lip quivering, snot dripping from his nose as he sat all hunched over. He looked like a broken hearted woman with his dark lined makeup dripping off his face away from his eyes.

Usually when Julian came to haunt him he would be wearing his flowing dressing gown or simply in his nighty. Usually he asked Geralt to come to him, to be with him, to spend eternity with him. This time he was…

"Hard headed man." Julian complained and, with a huff of effort, pulled Geralt into a kiss, shoving him to lay in the snow. He laid over him, letting Geralt hold all his weight, to prove to the hard headed man that he was in fact real. He got comfortable, holding the large man's face in his hands as he straddled his thick thighs. He kissed him deeply, trying to press the belief into Geralt. He pulled back only when he had no air left.

Geralt broke out in a sob.

It was real.

He looked and yes... footprints in the snow. One way to tell who was real and who was not. Even and perfect gait of Julian's steps.

"You're real" Geralt said and Julian was smiling and pressed another kiss to him. He let his nose lay against Geralt's, lips touching as he spoke, smile pulling on his face.

"My love, I have died and lived a million times trying to get back to you. I'm not quite human anymore I think but well… neither are you!" Julian said and Geralt was laughing, hearty noise as he hugged and held Julian. He held him tightly against his chest, like if he let go Julian might float away. He didn't care if Julian was some form of immortal, he didn't care if Julian was a demon, he was Julian .

Geralt had never quite been 'human' but it seemed they matched even better now. Destinies melting further together.

"Julek, Julek, you came back to stay with me. I knew you were something made to live. You just…" Geralt tried but he cried too hard, his face paint getting washed away by his tears and Julians fingers that pushed his tears away.

He'd painted the runes on his face each morning while talking to one of Julian's old dolls. He made a line over his eyes, his veil, he made a mark on his cheek the rune for the goddess of life, and on the other for the goddess of death. Over his chest the runes for ' Julek' were stained into his very flesh but the more Julian touched him, the more the ink washed off of him into the snow.

The more the real thing touched him the more he was brought out from the darkness. He was being dragged back to the light.

"You changed me, I have never been the same since you came to me. I remember every single life I've had since you and here I am and I'm here to stay. Forever." Julian said and held onto his man. He made a promise so long ago, so long ago he promised to stay. Sure he left but he was back, had worked so hard to be back where he belonged.

Geralt gasped and sat up, holding Julian in his lap.

"Come home, come back to our home. I took things from the estate, when I left, right after you- you… left. I snuck things out in the night. Come, I made it for you." Geralt said in an excited way and picked Julian up, carrying him like he used to even though he could obviously move freely now.

Julian laughed and smiled, he was radiant and real and alive like nothing else in the world. He carried him up to the house, now covered in white, painted to match the mountain, to hide it away.

He set Julian down as he stood in awe.

Now, Julian never actually saw his family's safety home on the mountain. But he never dreamed to picture this.

The house was built like a triangle against the mountain side, warm wood welcoming him up the few steps. The door had runes carved into it inside a heart, it had glass cast in a circle at the top of the rounded door, it was golden colored. The doorknob was one from his old room, all the details rubbed off but Julian knew that P shaped keyhole as his family's.

He stepped up and put his hand on the doorknob. It was all he'd ever seen of his family's legacy. He gave it a twist and took a step inside.

"Geralt…" He gasped as he took in the interior.

His portraits, his seven portraits that were done when he was first alive. The one with his family, his mother, his sisters, his father, the one of him as a baby, all his portraits.

The beams, the walls, the very bed frame, they all had flowers carved into them. Julian had carved a flower into his bedpost when Geralt had shown him how to carve.

He looked around and there was so much that had been in his first life. His heavy wool weaved blankets, his small breakfast set, and laying on the bed, the very messy bed, were his dolls. Not only a few of his dolls but his three favorite dolls. Amice, Joy, Helewis, they had on nice new clothes and their hair was a bit different but brushed and done up where they sat properly on the bed.

"I never forgot. I got as much as I could but Valdo, he hated us. He beat Lizzy half to death, he shot arrows at us. I got as much as I could and I came here. I did the house, I built… I built the walls up. I stayed. I knew you left it to me so you could find me." Geralt explained and looked around the room, picking up his dishes and putting them in the sink and trying to tidy up. He was… not the tidy housekeeper that Julian had once known. He was… messy and tired and usually gave up on even getting a plate to eat whatever he caught.

"You… Geralt it's been so long and yet you didn't make yourself a home. You made me at home. You made our home." Julian said and picked up one of the dolls. It had been the one he often had set on his bed and that he would fiddle with when he was bedbound. He ran his finger over its soft hair as tears rolled down his face.

Of course Geralt made himself not at home but made Julian at home even when he wasn't there. Even when he knew Julian was gone.

Geralt came up and hugged him. Julian liked the house. Julian didn't care about the mess. Julian still loved his dolls. He was still his Julek.

"Our home… So you're gonna stay?" He asked, praying to anything, everything, that Julian would never leave him.

Julian pushed him away, causing Geralt to look at him, doom flooding his belly. But the other man was throwing clothes off of him, his mandolin getting set against the bags that hid under his cloak. He was soon to stand in just his chemise and pants.

"You're going to wish I never found you." Julian threatened with a smile. He pulled Geralt onto the bed, lips smashing together in a tongue filled kiss. He'd dreamed of the moment. The moment he found Geralt again, the moment they were really truly together again.

"Impossible, I have you now, no matter where we go, I will never lose you again. You're mine. I took you." Geralt said and stripped Julian of the rest of his clothes. He stopped once Julain was bared.

He was… beautiful.

Strong and hairy and he was hard and Geralt was touching him and he was so warm and so alive and his heartbeat was strong and even and his cock was just begging to be sucked and his body was begging to be snuggle and Geralt couldn't take his hands away even for a second and Julian let out a content moan and and-

"You did not just cum without even getting naked." Julian said and laughed at Geralt's dazed grinning face. Geralt was panting as his brain floated up to the ceiling before gently coming back into his head. He was smiling and realized he was laying down, pants shoved down to his knees.

"Can I take you? Just to even the score, cause you know, I just made you cum with a single moan and my delectable body." Julian said in a joking way. Geralt was nodding, hand going to blinding grab at his bedside table until he had the vial of slick.

"Yes, please, take all you want" Geralt said breathlessly as he kicked off his pants and Julian moved to get to work between Geralt's thighs.

"I've learned a few things since I saw you. Forgive me my love, for I didn't wait for you." Julian apologized and leaned down to kiss the crown of Geralt's half hard cock, it was trying to stay stiff after already cumming. He looked up, licking his lips and staring into Geralt's eyes.

"Forgiven, fuck me, Julek" Geralt rumbled and reached down to drag the man up to reconnect their lips. He moaned as Julian's tongue slipped into his mouth and his fingers massaged around his hole.

Julian was… devastatingly skillful. His long callused fingers making stretching out Geralt's tight muscle seem seamless, he let his fingers run over the soft button of Geralt's prostate a few times, just to hear the larger man moan. He kissed over Geralt's cheeks, neck, collarbones, and stayed close. He breathed in the warm scent that radiated from Geralt.

It was the same, the same scent of horse and dirt and blood sweat. The same lived scent but now it was… stale. Like a perfume unused for decades.

Julian still liked it though. Still huffed it in as he fuck Geralt on his fingers. Still craved to transfer that scent onto his own skin as he sat back on his heels between Geralt's legs. He still leaned down to sniff and lick at Geralt's neck as he whined and begged for Julian to just get on with it .

"You smell the same, you feel the same." Julian said and he let his hands rediscover Geralt's chiseled body. The other man smiled and nodded, he released the sheets from his fists and rubbed over Julian's body. He was… different.

"You don't. You smell like the road and you feel… different. More solid. Less like a creampuff and more like a… a tree." Great struggled with the words as Julain's cock pressed lightly at his loose hole. If the bastard would just-

"Telling me I feel hard?" Julian quipped back and thrusted his hips forward, sliding entirely easily into Geralt's welcoming body. The white haired man let out a loud moan and threw his head back.

Perfect. More than perfect. The fullness was perfect, the way Julian's lips were soft and gentle on his neck but his cock was cramming into him roughly was perfect, the way Julain's hands were holding onto his hips like he was going to run away was perfect, the way Julian's hair was soft and smelled faintly of flowers was more than perfect.

"I- I put flowers on the sh-sheep for you. Your birthday. I put flowers on the sheep for your birthday. Do you r-rem-member?" Geralt asked as emotions overwhelmed him. His eyes were flooding with tears and his heart pounded in his chest. He could feel Julian smile against his collarbone.

"Yes, I remember. I remember one eating a hole in your blouse too." Julian said as he let his hips rock into the warm clutch of Geralt's body. God, he was gonna cum, he was too happy though, too happy, too excited, too… opposite of heartbreak. For a poet he usually had words but at that moment he was lacking.

But it didn't matter what he said or thought or anything else because Geralt was laughing. Giggling really. He threw an arm over his face as the little giggles rumbled from his chest up into the air. Soon though Julian was laughing and then they were both soft once again, chuckling and laughing in each other's arms in the mess of a house.

"Am I to keep this house? For a maid you're messy." Julian said as he looked around. The bookshelves were awful, all scattered and unstacked. Geralt groaned and rolled onto his side to hold Julian around the middle.

"I'm not a maid, Julek, I'm a Banshee. I only came to the estate because I needed money to get to the new world." Geralt grumbled and Julian was shocked and looked down at him.

"You're a what!?" He asked and Geralt chuckled and pulled him down. He kissed Julian and then placed his hand gently on his throat.

"Be quiet, here, you can feel it." Geralt explained and Julian watched in amazement as Geralt began to hum lowly, Julian felt as though the very ground under the house was quaking. He pulled his hand away when the sound stopped.

"Is that why the tail of the mountain Butcher tells of screaming so loud it can shatter windows?" Julian asked and snuggled back to Geralt's body as he nodded.

"They call me the Butcher cause I threw entrails at a priest." Geralt said with a snicker in his voice and they were thrown back into a fit of laughter.

"You beast, truly, I'm shivering in my bones." Julian said and kissed Geralt's forehead.

Life was as it should be. Destinies melted together. Just like a good soup.

It was easy. Portraits rolled, dolls packed away, packs packed full, and off they went. Denmark, Germany, Russia, across the seas, America, Mexico, New York, and back across the seas in the 90's.

"It's nice to be home." Julian said as he laid down on the new memory foam mattress that they had custom made to fit the carved bed frame. Geralt laid down next to him, eyes shut.

"It's nice." Is all he said because well… maybe it could stay nice this time.

It could be nice till the end of days in their little cabin up on the mountain. Dorset had formed around them and it would evolve around them.