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comfyswitcherblanketfort · 3 years

Text

Like Before, But Better

i saw this art right here by @bluedillylee and damnit i had feelings about it, so 1- how dare you and thank you, i love it and 2- welcome to the whump train. i think. idk what to call it tbh but we have emotions.

thanks to @fontegagrilledcheese for the beta!

no warnings

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Geralt had seen Jaskier standing and talking in the all-too-quiet aftermath of Voleth Mir, and that was all the sign he needed to know his bard was okay. His quick-but-steady heartbeat was a comforting background noise for the hard conversations with Yennefer and Ciri, Geralt didn’t have to worry about him.

That is until Geralt rejoined the huddling group of warriors shedding their armor and the heartbeat still sounded distant. Jaskier usually never ventured far from the aftermath of a fight. He originally told Geralt he needed to be near because he wanted to immortalize every detail, but as the years passed, Geralt thought it might be his little caring gesture. He stuck with the people he cared about to make sure they weren’t alone if they were hurt, or do his level best to bail them out of sticky situations, or, Geralt’s least favorite, drag them back to safety by their armpits.

As soon as he noticed, Geralt focused in on the sound, alarmed to hear it fading. He didn’t want to scare Jaskier, but he wasn’t entirely able to stop from thundering after him in a bit of a panic. He’d already nearly lost the two most important women in his life today, he couldn’t lose his bard too.

Skidding around a corner, Geralt nearly barreled through Jaskier who jumped and shrieked in surprise, swearing at Geralt for almost giving him a heart attack.

“Sorry,” Geralt huffed, almost laughing as relief flooded through him, “got worried when you disappeared without a word.”

“I’m fine, brute. Just hungover and tired and-” Jaskier did that little nose twitch he did when he talked himself out of something as he cut himself off.

Lowering and softening his voice, Geralt took a small step forward, “And what?” He’d realized over his months alone and subsequent months with Ciri that he’d let himself take advantage of Jaskier’s willingness to grin and bear it when it came to his emotions. Now that he had a second chance (if he’d interpreted the mockery correctly), he wouldn’t be squandering it.

Jaskier looked shocked for a moment before almost glaring at Geralt as he choked out, “Don’t ask like you care if you don’t mean it.” The bard’s voice was so very small and his eyes filled with tears that made the blue look like the sea itself.

“And what?” Geralt repeated just as earnestly, holding his hand out palm up. The gesture didn’t entirely make sense to Geralt, but he held it nonetheless. It felt like he was offering something with his words, so he would offer his hand as well.

“Lonely,” Jaskier’s voice finally cracked after a long pause as he stared at Geralt’s hand, his hands twitching by his sides, “I can’t fault your brothers for not accepting me so quickly. And you have your perfect little family… I just need some sleep and… and to manage my expectations.”

Part of Geralt wanted to snicker at the ‘perfect family’ bit, but Jaskier’s tone was far too somber, “Do you think I don’t want you here?”

Oh. He did.

Jaskier’s weary, tight eyes said it well enough, but the way he closed them and took a deep calming breath like he was headed on stage made it very clear.

“You made it rather clear last time we parted-” again he cut himself off, this time to choke back tears, “And I was alone and afraid and I’m just tired of- of all of it! I’m tired of being so worried about other people’s safety and you and tired of only being able to relax with a bottle in hand and I fucking reek. I just want a bath and for things to go back before it all got so miserable and complicated!”

“Jaskier-”

“Oh shut up!” he interrupted Geralt and batted his still outstretched hand out of the way. Opting instead to nearly attack the witcher with a hug around his ribs. Geralt’s hands hesitated for just a moment, then settled, one on his shoulders and one cradling the back of his head, as Jaskier started to sob. They’d never been all that different in height but Jaskier felt so much smaller, so much more fragile than Geralt remembered as he held him.

Sometimes Geralt forgot just how soft and naive Jaskier had been when they met. But he always had a strength to him, always had an annoying way of rebounding from anything that happened to him with a sly smile and something witty. The Jaskier he held in his arms was no longer soft, he’d been hardened and cracked, and there was no hint of that resilience Geralt admired so much and it hurt. Geralt silently mourned for who Jaskier had been, could have been, but more than that, it scared Geralt. If everything that had happened had worn down the one person who had kept Geralt going, what did they have left?

As his sobs petered out, Jaskier’s grip loosened around his waist, but Geralt couldn’t bring himself to let go. When Jaskier tried to pull back and Geralt’s arms didn’t fall away, he simply nuzzled into the embrace with a light and watery snicker.

“If it helps,” Geralt mumbled, “You don’t smell half as bad as me.”

Jaskier snorted, “Too true my friend.”

“Let’s go have a bath. Like before.” Geralt suggested, gently moving to hold Jaskier at arm’s length, “If you want to talk about it, we can. If not, that’s fine.”

He got a puzzled, if not a little amused, look in return, “Surely there’s a large enough cauldron in a keep such as this for two baths worth of water.”

Rolling his eyes, Geralt slung one arm over Jaskier’s shoulders, “You love bathing company, don’t pretend.”

“And here I was lead to believe you hated sharing baths.” Jaskier was far too smug for Geralt’s liking, but the red rings around his eyes and unconscious sniff he did after his jab made it impossible for Geralt to be upset.

“I had an image to protect.”

Jaskier nodded sagely as they meandered down the hallway, “Yes our dear terrifying princess sort of blew the ‘heartless grump’ out of the water, didn’t she?”

He knew he’d regret it, but Geralt asked anyway, “You want the details, don’t you?”

“Oh Geralt, I crave them. You owe me this at the very least.”

So that’s how they spent their bath. Jaskier grilled Geralt as they lounged in the hot water and scrubbed the grime and memories out of their pores. They both started to feel a bit lighter as they settled into their familiar routine. Only now Geralt responded in more than just grunts and Jaskier made jokes in a slightly different version of ‘off-color’, but either way, they were together.

When they got out and Geralt gave Jaskier some clean clothes, they snuck into the pantry to grab bread and wine and lounged by the fire. Ciri had begged the large chairs and couch be moved from the library into the kitchen and Geralt had never been so glad to give in to a whining request.

Settled down on the couch, draped across each other and letting the weariness of the recent events and the warmth of the wine coax them closer to sleep, Geralt couldn’t help but mumble, “I will always want you in my life.”

Jaskier’s heart beat irregularly and he was quiet for a long while before whispering, “Ciri really changed you.”

Letting his eyes close and fully resting his head on Jaskier’s shoulder, Geralt whispered, “So did you,” before sleep finally took him.

In the morning, Ciri would make fun of them and Yennefer would give them a knowing smirk as if something more had happened. But Jaskier would chime back with his scathing wit and his skin would have a little more color and Geralt would think it would be worth it.

#geraskier #geraskier gen #geraskier whump #kinda #geraskier comfort #geraskier bath #you could read this as either gen or romatic #up to yall #the witcher #the witcher fic #the witcher season two #post season 2 fic #twn #jaskier #geralt #for once i wrote a canon fic who am i

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