Chapter Text
He is done.
Finished.
Completely and utterly done with the damn witcher.
He was pretty sure he'd been the person who'd stayed the longest for Geralt, but it would never be enough. It was over, it had been enough humiliation for... Miletele's heart for more than a decade and what for?
For the person he considered his best friend, turning on him.
Worst than that he didn't even acknowledge that Jaskier meant anything rather than an annoying burden that Destiny imposed on him.
"Well, that's on me." Thought Jaskier, he had been the one that insisted on Geralt and if he was true to himself Geralt never gave more than scrapes of reluctant care for him. Every half a decade or so.
This Dragon hunt had been a mistake from the start, but he stayed for fucking Geralt of Rivia, 'cause he had seen the potential for self-destruction that the man had around the purple eye witch, but alas what is done, is done. At least now he knew, the witcher had said his mind and he, Jaskier the bard, would descent from that mountain and sing his ass to the coast, and do as he had said find what pleasure him and never ever follow a witcher again in his life.
And that's what he did, Jaskier with purpose was a different man.
He sang his heart out every night and then drink himself to oblivion, but the next morning he would take every coin he had earned and leave. He never lingered in one place for more than a night, refused to sing any songs about witchers, and every time the smallest rumor of a witcher in town or the need for one reached his ears he'd immediately pack his things and go. He had even done that in the middle of performance once.
But he made to a coastal village, and then, well, there wasn't anything else to occupy his mind and the singing didn't bring any pleasure, his pocket were full enough anyway, and the ale didn't taste the same he thought he was done with being a bard too. After all Jaskier the bard was the witcher's bard, so he would put an end to it too.
So Julian, bought a cottage if one squinted the eye it could be called a cottage, near the beach, he guessed that one could plant on the land behind it if he knew how instead he let the wildflowers grow at will. And when watching the waves didn't calm his thoughts enough and he could almost feel the itch for his lute again he went to the next town and became Professor Julian to an Earl's son and daughters, two times a week and if he spent all the money every other night on the village's tavern it was no one business.
Except that Ingfried, the insolent matron over the local pub, has made it her business.
"It's been 3 moon's time that you've been drinking yourself to oblivion on my Ale now, when are you gonna find someone to mind your business?"
"Mind my business, what the hell do you mean by that? I don't have a need for a housemaid."
"You don't have a need, is what I'm saying and half of the village thinking. Are the wenches here not to your taste little professor?"
It had been that long then, he thought it had been less, but now that the damn woman said it he didn't recall getting anyone to warm his bed since, well, since before the mountain.
"Oh, I know that face, whoever was she I'm sure you are better off alone little professor, you just need a good cleaning fuck. Just don't think about it"
"Cleaning fuck?" Laugh back Julian, turning his back to Ingfried and facing the others bar occupant." I've heard of cleaning baths, not cleaning fucks yet Ingfried."
"You know what I mean lad." She smirked serving ale in the counter for others." You get yourself a pretty someone, give it a good go just to clean your taste of that woman."
Jaskier laugh some more, oh he liked Ingfried, the small but very muscled woman who was in charge of the local pub after her husband very suddenly died in his sleep, after beating her.
"There is no woman, my dear, only you have my thought and soul."
" You're a scoundrel, lad." Throwing a cloth on him." Is it a man then? It's fine by me."
"No. No, it's ... no."
"One No would suffice, little professor. You know what, man or woman, I know a broken heart when I see one, too many have passed through my doors."
"I don't have a broken heart."
"Oh, but you do lad."
"I'm done with your nonsense today Ingfried and I better go before the rain starts." He finished his beer first.
"Whoever he was, he is not worth your celibate Julian!"
"He was just a friend, woman! Stop with it already."
"This whole moving to another town, living on celibate just for a friend? Are you sure? Never ever have you wanted more?"
"Delusional! Is what you are!"
As he made his way through the village to his cottage the thought stayed with him. It had been the longest he'd gone without sex that was for sure, but he haven't even noticed until now. Well, he never saw Him that way, he liked women, he had enjoyed a very adventurous life so far, jumping from bed to bed and it never occurred to him to bed a man.
He would know if his cock got hard for a man, right?
With too many beers clouding his mind, he decided to test it out in the middle of the desert road, he fumbled through his pant, putting his flat cock out thinking about fucking a faceless maid, he had enough of those memories it should be easy, but it wasn't so he decides that Countess de Stael never failed him and went through his vast recollection of her.
And yes he felt his member getting alive in his hand, but it wasn't enough he needed, wanted, well, he didn't know, right.
His mind wavered to the white head witcher, just a glimpse at first, and his nose was invaded by the smell of leather, a pungent memory from all the cold nights in the road with him close by or when they shared a single room over a tavern. His traitorous mind wasn't done with him yet, he remembered the baths and oh Melitele's heart, he couldn't contain himself now he needed to persecute that want now, his hand stroking his hard throbbing cock, he recollected vividly the occasional bath he'd helped Geralt with.
He came quick and hard with the memory of the camomile oil over His ass.
"Damn witcher!" He exhale when the rain started and the realization of the fact hit him, he fancied Geralt, what a joke of Destiny.
He almost giggled nervously, setting rights to his pants, he faced the rain for a second willing his heart to calm down.
It was just when he got home that Julian realize that he'd been crying.
...
Geralt hadn't worried at first, he was too damn angry with the world and Jaskier was pretty much like an unwanted weed that always come back. So he didn't worry.
A month passed and if he stopped every other city by a tavern occasionally asking over the Bard, it wasn't out of concern it was... It was because... he was just curious, that's all.
Two months no new songs, but the rumors of the splendid campaign the bard was doing reach him, the bard was doing spectacular according to the townspeople, more popular than ever. He didn't worry if his path didn't go with the Bard's that was for the better right, he had others things to worry about. After 3 months since the mountain, his path crossed with a bitter Yen, and thou the pull was there, of course, it was he wished on a fucking Djinn! , The want wasn't as strong.
She needed help with a Striga, he helped, with her annoying him senseless about every fucking decision, and it was She, not him, who brought the Bard up.
"How much did you fucked up, that your puppy isn't following you now?"
He didn't respond, focusing solely on getting ready to leave.
"Oh Geralt, don't tell me you manage to lose the only friend you ever had?"
"Hmm."
If he mounted Roach a little more quickly it wasn't because he was running from the matter.
"I'm sure that even if the poor thing was a bit jealous back then, he will forgive you. He is but a mere human, after all, his life is too short and fragile to hold too much grudge against you"
"What?"
"He couldn't help the jealousy, but He knows better than to expect an emotionally constipated witcher to figure something out of it, he seemed to me very much okay following you around and singing your praise. I'm sure that whatever you said can be amended with the puppy."
"Maybe you've gone finally insane Yen."
He turned Roach around and went back to the Path. Yen didn't make sense at all, Jaskier has shown absolutely no interest in Geralt, he would know, he would have smelled it. Yeah the bard joked around, throwing praise to his physical, and maybe Geralt had seen him throwing a look or two, over the baths and when they stopped for the night, but Geralt would have smelled lust, Jaskier was a cad that jump from bed to bed and more than one time stuck his cock on the wrong wife or daughter.
Geralt dismissed it, he would have known.
The point was that he had lashed his anger on Jaskier that day on the mountain and the Bard deserved his time, if he hadn't found his way back to Geralt, there was nothing he could do.
Winter came and winter went and when the witcher hits the Path again not a single word of the Bard reached him, he may have started worrying then, a month into spring and nothing. But one day after a particularly gruesome hunt Geralt heard that Jaskier the bard was in town, he made his way to the tavern, not without bathing first in a river nearby, having long learned that Jaskier hated when he showed up stinking.
The moment he passed through the doors he knew it wasn't Jakier the song was all wrong, but he looked at the front of the tavern just checking, and sure as hell it wasn't Jaskier, in his place a sorry excuse of imitation, the double was obviously trying to emulate Jaskier. Geralt just bolted.
"Where the hell had the bard gone?"
He decided that he had had enough, he would find out. With the continent on war people could be trying to get to Geralt through his known travel companion, he reasoned many towns later, following the last dying rumor of Jaskier.
Eventually, he realized that as messy that it was the path that Jaskier had followed, it seemed to lead to the coast, He remembered that the Bard had indeed said something about going to the coast and finding what pleasures him.
...
"NIght, Professor Julian."
Someone called the moment he passed throw the tavern's door, he wave his hand and made his way to the counter where Ingfried was serving him, Ale, already
"Keep those coming Ing, I have a terrible headache."
"Hard day with the little lord, Julian?"
"That boy is a menace to society Ing. I don't think there's any saving to him."
"You will survive, I'm sure" she dismissed his complaining attending to another customer and soon coming back. "You know what you need?"
"Oh, here you go again."
"You need to fuck someone." Jaskier just drank more of his Ale to avoid answering, he knew how it went now. " Seriously lad, it's been 6 months since you settle over that excuse of a cottage and have never even look anywhere."
Knowing that indulging her normally helped to end with it quicker, he went along.
"For whom? You know I have eyes just for you Ing."
"No. None of that charm today, Navarra has been going over and over about you." She gesticulates to a fair young thing serving the tables." She is no novice and can warm your bed just fine" Julian huffed in response. "If she is not to your liking today, look there " She pointed to dark-haired men in the corner." That eye candy hasn't been here every day of the week for my soup."
"Ing..."
"No, I'm not hearing today what I am going to do is serve that lad over there a beer and send your regards"
Before Jaskier could do anything to stop her, Ingfried had gone and done just as she said. The dark-haired man looked over, finding his eyes, and Jaskier had to admit that indeed it was eye candy, the green eyes surely didn't go bad with the muscle and tanned skin, he looked like one of the fishermen Julian was so used to seeing around now.
The guy walked over and sat by his side and Jaskier just tensed
"Your friend over there, just said that you had too much to drink and may need help finding your way home."
"I just got here!" His voice squeaking shamelessly
The stranger just smirked
"Either way can't let a lady worry over you right? I have to make sure you get to bed safely."
Jaskier was without words when Ingfried reappeared and started shooing them off and going on about getting home before the storm.
"There is no storm coming," Jaskier said to the night already outside the tavern
"Indulge me, professor," said the very tall and handsome man pointing to the road that lead to Julian's cottage.
"Julian. Just fair you call me by my name then," he answered as they made their way
" Andjoan" offers the man flashing a very suggestive smile.
....
Geralt was tired to the bone and Roach was irritated and not allowing him to mount her, so he get to the village on foot, sweating like a pig, it has been a too fucking hot spring and he just hopes this is it.
The moment he walks through the tavern's front door he knows he is right, Jaskier scent is all over the place, camomile, dandelions, and sweet honey invading his senses over all the nasty sweat smell taverns normally have. He walked to the counter the woman behind it already evaluating how much he'll spend for sure.
"Night Witcher. How can I help you?"
"Night. I'm looking for a bard." She eyes him suspiciously.
"A bard? There hasn't been one around here for some time now." He senses her scent changing, not a lie, but not a truth either.
"Hmm. A tall, brown hair, blued eyes man in colorful clothes has not passed here ?" The woman's posture changed and her scent for the first time smelled bad.
"What do you want witcher? A bed for the night, something for the hunger I can help with and you go your merry way, other than that you better leave now."
"Where can I find him?" He said between tight teeth, his temper flowering.
"I just finally got him to give a chance to somebody else and you show up? Fuck off, you're not welcome here. Get out witcher before you start a fight."
Taken aback by the pure smell of hate she had now and not wanting to cause a scene, Geralt gets out. Outside he could sense Jaskier all over the place, but one trail was stronger than the others he followed that.
.....
Julian was just relieved when he closed the door, standing there just a moment to catch his breath.
He had finally managed to get rid of his companion and was ready to find his way to his bed, this day had been too long already. He is in the middle of the process of getting undressed when he hears a knock on the door.
No. Andjoan had come back. He groaned just throwing back on the white shirt not bothering to close it.
"I told you, you're very sweet but I'm too tired already Andjo..." The word slowly dying on his lips, as he faces Geralt's angry face.
"Not him." Grumbles the witcher
"Obviously" answered Julian, letting go of the door and walking inside, Geralt takes that as an invitation, he thinks, and gets inside.
His cottage suddenly feels even smaller than it already is, the silence creeping in the room Julian decides that there's no reason for him not to rise above and fill the silence.
"Hope you're okay, I didn't know that there was a hunt near here."
"There isn't."
"Then it's finished already! Great, do you need a place to stay then, I can surely accommodate you for the night. Are hungry?" Should he say it was just for one night thou? Surely Geralt wouldn't want to stay more, Jaskier started to turn for the kitchen
"Jaskier."
"I only have bread on hand, hope that's ok." He proceeds seemingly not having heard Geralt. " Oh Roach, is she outside I may have some carrot aro"
"JASKIER!"
" Yeah?" Response startle with carrots on hand and halfway to the door already.
"Roach stayed on the village." He was about to say more but Jaskier interrupted again.
"Oh for the travel then. When you leave tomorrow you can take it."
"Hmm" That hm meant he was getting annoyed, but Jaskier didn't care much continuing to put the carrots and bread on a parcel
He ignored the fact that a giant witcher was standing in the middle of his small living room staring around and just kept chatting.
"I hope your hunt had paid you well, this is a long way from where you normally spent your time."
"Jask."
"How was winter? Oh yeah, you don't like talking about it my bad. Did you pass through the village you said?"
" Jaskier!?" The witcher definitely screamed this time, making Jaskier tense.
"What...Geralt?" He was still avoiding contact, looking to the ground instead of Geralt.
"What the hell are you doing here, bard?"
"I...I live here."
"Why?" Geralt sounded on the verge of exasperate and Jaskier just needed to look, he found himself staring at golden intense eyes." I thought you were dead, no fucking sign of you until I find some idiot imitating you."
"Copying me?! That's revolting! No one can emulate Jaskier, the best bard that walked this land." He started passing nervously on his tiny kitchen gesticulating like a mad man.
" No one is worthy of even being related to the great Jaskier!"
"Hmmm. What are going to do about it?"
"Me?" Ask Jaskier stopping abruptly on his passing.
"Who else, Bard?"
"You of course!" Exclaimed Jaskier for the first time getting within 2 feet of Geralt."People will believe you if say it's not me."
"For fuck's sake! What's the matter with you, Bard? Are you fucking cursed? Why are you hiding here?"
"I LIVE HERE!" Shouted Julian back." I know it's a hard concept for witchers and I'm not hiding you found me just fine!"
"WHY?"
" I have my reasons." Jaskier felt on the verge of exploding, his headache had gotten only worse since he arrived back on the village." And if you come here just 'cause you thought me dead, you can see I'm not, which I very much doubt cause you have no human emotion that would make you want to know that information. So let me think" Jaskier pretend to think for a moment." Oh, you must want to safeguard your ass, Niflgard on war, maybe they will want to take information from the bard that follows you around like a puppy. Am I right?"
"Fuck y..."
"Oh, I am right" Jaskier was angrily tapping Geralt's chest with his finger now." You oaf, nobody knows of Jaskier the bard here, he is as good as dead now. And even if that was not true I would never betray you, unlike you, I know the meaning of friendship!"
"Oh, that shit again."
"Yes! That shit again! Actually? NO. " Jaskier walked to his door." I'm done with you, I was done with you that day on the mountain and I will stand by it. You asked for a blessing, take it. I'm off your hands now as you high arse requested." He dramatically opens the door mentioning for the outside. " you can leave now"
Geralt faced Jaskier incredulously for more time than he would admit which just exasperated the now red face man.
"NOW! LEAVE!" When Geralt stayed motionless Julian resorted to physically going behind the witcher pushing him towards the door. "Leave, for Melitele's heart, leave!"
He stopped to breathe just when the door closed to the witcher's back.
He meant it, he was done with the damn witcher! Doing everything with more force than was necessary, Jaskier take off his clothes and angrily went to bed not bothering with covers. Needless to say that he didn't sleep at all that night.
Jaskier decided to get up with the first light of sunshine, he decided he was going to take a dip in the sea, it had been a hot spring and Jaskier had taken the habit of going to the beach whenever he didn't have to tutor the Earl's children. He was determined to have a good day when he opened the door to his cottage.
"What the fuck?"
...
Geralt had decided to sleep on the ground of the cottage, he had way worse sleep arrangements before.
Surely the damn bard would have calmed down in the morning and he would be able to talk some, well, not sense, cause Jaskier never had any, to begin with, but something close to it into Bard's head.
He was mildly surprised when he was woken by a very angry Jaskier, who refuses to talk to him and just went to Melitele knows where. Geralt was in the middle of the process of sharpening his blades when a nervous smell hit him.
Hmm.
The man from the night before had just arrived over Jaskier front fence.
"Oh Hi, uh, Is Jaskier around?" The man looked barely old enough to have a beard.
"No."
"Right." He looked very average, Geralt knew Jaskier could do better, he just fumbled with his own hands before deciding to say some more to the witcher."Can you tell him, I came to..anh..to visit then?"
The sound of Geralt sharping the blade startled the poor thing too easily which almost made the white head man smirk.
"No."
He definitely smirked when the boy motioned to say something but one look over Geralt's impassive face made him think better of it and he walked away.
Jaskier looked disappointed when he come back and Geralt was still there. He smelled bitter, salty over his natural sweet scent.
"You're still here."
"Hm."
"How long do you intend on staying?" He asked ascending the stairs to the cottage
"Don't know."
"Great" He didn't sound the least happy with the idea, disappearing through the door.
Geralt heard him changing clothes and heading back out.
"I'm going to the village for lunch, you can either come or stay." He didn't even stop on his way out when talking to Geralt.
The day passed with barely any exchange between the two, Geralt noticed that Jaskier made a thing out of keeping distance from him. For every step Geralt made Jaskier would take two back, Geralt for the first time since he met Jaskier felt tolerated at best throughout the day.
By nightfall, the witcher felt damn uncomfortable but he was determined to get to the bottom of whatever it was. He was preparing to sleep on the ground again when the light from inside come.
"If you're gonna sleep inside you need a bath." Come Jaskier's impassive voice.
"Hmm."
"Don't Hm me, the tub is ready inside. I'll go to the village get dinner and back"
And he left.
Geralt just didn't understand this version of Jaskier who didn't wear his emotion on his face. He seemed to be subdued even, like all that life he used to emanate was crushed under a very common boring life of Professor Julian, Jaskier had never existed here, the witcher reflected while on the very hot tub the man had readied for him.
"I must have miscalculated how dirty you were, I thought you'd be ready."
"Hmmm." Geralt just didn't have an answer, getting up, splashing water everywhere and something immediately caught Geralt's nose.
He looked over Jaskier that was pointedly looking to the wall.
"Put some clothes on and come eat before it gets cold, it's only soup and bread."
"It'll do." Said the witcher getting out of the tub, he still hadn't identified what he was scenting coming from Jaskier.
Jaskier got inside of what Geralt assumed was his bedroom and come back, still not looking at him, caring what appeared to be a pillow and some blanket.
"There." He announced throwing it all in the settee. " Eat, have a nice night of sleep and be on your merry way in the morrow."
"Jaskier."
"Don't start again, I'm alive, I don't need you, you're not my friend. Just... Just go Geralt."
The witcher said nothing at first, sitting on the minuscule table in the kitchen and bitting some of the bread.
"What happened to you, bard? Is this the life you talked about?
"What?" A very confused Jaskier looked across the table.
"Did you find what pleasures you, Bard? As you talked that day on the mountain?"
He could almost feel the warmth from Jaskier cheeks that were suddenly very red.
"Don't you go and start to be funny now, Geralt." Trying to dismiss
"Never pegged you as someone who wanted to be domestic" he grunted aiming for a reaction that didn't come. "Come on Jaskier, why are you here? Surely the man from the other night is not the reason.
"What? Who?!" Asked the man between a fit of cough.
"The Lad that was here with last night."
"Andjoan?" The blue eyes were bulging in disbelieve, Geralt just kept staring at him. "I'm not here because of him! What are on about, witcher ?"
"If that's what pleasures you, you can surely be as popular with the lads on the road as you were with the maids."
Jaskier jumped from his seat, his face red with anger now.
"You're unbelievable! This is the most stupid conversation we had, and since I spent years translating your grunts and noises you think are words, that saying something!
"So you don't fancy men? I told Yen had gone insane!"
"Yen? What does that demon have to do with it?"
"Nonsense doesn't matter now" huffed the witcher and Jaskier were having none of it.
"Of course, it matters! Say it! You started it, SAY IT!"
For a long moment Jaskier thought the man was not gonna answer, but when he started was barely audible.
"When I last see her, Yen suggested that"
"What?" Arms crossed and impassive expression that Geralt was not used seeing on the Bard.
"That you were jealous of me!" He said at once, facing the table.
A long moment passed and when Jaskier didn't answer, Geralt used first his other senses to feel the bard's reaction, he smelled embarrassment coming from Jaskier, his heart was beating almost as fast as Humminbird, and then the witcher had to look, and Jaskier was the image of guilty and shame and something click on Geralt mind.
"Oh" escaped from the witcher and Jaskier just stared him back determined to hold his head and any dignity he still had.
Geralt didn't know what to do with that information, he got up with no purpose in mind.
"Fuck"
Jaskier laughed humorlessly
"Apropried"
The witcher turned to face him one more time, before starting to gather his things.
"I heard there is an Alghoul problem two towns from here." He said going for the door
"Yeah... Yeah, good hunt." Jaskier finally replied out of breath
Geralt mentions saying something else, but thinks better of it and just leaves into the night.