That soft noise... God. It does things to Jaskier, a tingling on his skin that he concentrates on ignoring before it transforms into a problem in his pajama pants. It's not a big deal (it isn't supposed to be), Jaskier is basically massaging Geralt, so it's natural to express himself like that. Right?
Then Geralt turns around and thanks him, and Jaskier knows every thought of his is basically bullshit.
He doesn't know what to do anymore, Jaskier isn't one to dance about a potential conquest like this. Either he goes for it, or he doesn't - life is too short to hesitate. And yet... here he is, trying to navigate Geralt without a map, GPS or compass, not even the freaking stars to guide him. The man is uncharted territory in Jaskier's eyes, nothing like he's ever flirted with before. He should just ask, he's never been afraid of doing so, but he's never had the potential to lose a friendship as consequence either.
And he wouldn't know what he'd do if he lost this. It's so different from his usual friendships, but in a good way - great, even. There's a comfort in having him laying with him like this, chatting casually with soft music playing in the background. Geralt may not talk as much, but he listens, pays attention to him, and when he does say something, his words never go to waste. It's what Jaskier needs right now - not only because of what happened earlier in the bar, but because there's a huge con to living in complete independence: loneliness. Jaskier is a people person, social and touchy, he hates silence and being alone. His carefree schedule doesn't make him the right person to have a pet, considering the way he can disappear for days at a time without warning (there's a reason why he asked Geralt to help him with the bird feeders after all); and roommates usually want some level of commitment as well.
Jaskier can't have that. He values not having to answer to anyone, so living alone is still the best option for him at the end of the day. But he still craves company, a kind of company that cares about more than just sex and cuddling, and well--
Having Geralt fall asleep like his with him? So trusting and comfortable, not pushing him away when Jaskier comes closer in his sleep? It warms his heart in a way flings simply can't.
After being nervous over his show, the gig himself, the emotionally shaken moment with the talent-scout and staying up with Geralt chatting, Jaskier is exhausted, so he's sleeping quite deeply when Geralt awakes (besides, 5am isn't a time his brain would register as apt to wake up anyway). So when Geralt finally manages to bring him back from dreamland, Jaskier can only reply with a very articulated question.
"--what?"
Blinking at the figure in front of him, Jaskier sits up and lets consciousness slowly return to him, memories of last night filling his mind one by one: riding the bike with his body pressed to Geralt's, falling on the touch under Geralt's might weight, brushing braiding Geralt's hair, falling asleep together and-
...cuddling him...
Fuck. And now Geralt is leaving. By the time Jaskier is fully aware of what's going on and cries out "WAIT!", Geralt is gone. Fuck, fuck, fuck, has it been too much? Has he finally pushed him away? Jaskier looks around the apartment, as if trying to convince his brain that Geralt's presence in it has been a real thing. He finds the rugby shirt on top of the washer and nope, to Jaskier's disappointment, it doesn't smell like Geralt - it smells like his own body wash. There's a mess to be dealt with here, but he's too sleepy to deal with it, so Jaskier climbs under the covers of his couch and sleeps a few more hours, cuddling the t-shirt like a lovesick idiot.
When he wakes up hours later, his phone is exploding with notifications. Boy, today is going to be a day, isn't it? Jaskier sighs and decides it's going to be a pajamas-and-wine-all-day kind of day. He orders food through an app because there's no way he'll cook in his current mood, uncorks a bottle of wine without caring what time is it (he'll need it) and drinks straight from the bottle as he gets comfortable in his couch, ready to deal with all his messes while his This Is Fine (TM) playlist echoes in the apartment.
His run-away-from-your-problems instincts tell him he should leave Geralt for last, but he realizes then he would die waiting for an answer. So a text for his friend(? hopefully?) goes out first, a completely neutrally written message to check on him and test the waters, that way he can distract himself with the other stuff while waiting. Messages are next - he sends a quick thank you to his gang's group chat for coming and for sending him all the pictures and videos they took. They're also asking him for details of last night, and Jaskier decides that for now, it's safer to tell them he just had some drinks and a movie with Geralt until he understands better what is going on.
If he ever does...
And then there's the talk with his sister, who is assuming Jaskier celebrated his big night with a fling, since that's the usual reason why he wouldn't be screaming at her and sending pictures after a successful show. Lizzie does get the whole story, and she's less than amused by it, seeing it all as proof for Jaskier needing to move on because clearly Geralt and her brother aren't compatible. Jaskier pouts and disagrees, and takes revenge by making her uncomfortable by talking about Geralt's giant dick. It's the little things! (Or not so little, in this case.)
By the time food comes, Jaskier has moved onto social media. After posting all the pictures and videos he's gotten his hands on, replying to any post he's been tagged and thanking them as well, Jaskier decides to post the picture of the torn card with a short caption (And a thank you to @ folkwaysrecords for coming and making an offer that included changing who I am! A pity I don't work with homophobic bigots, I guess.) without consulting Yennefer first. To hell with it, frustration is running through his veins at the mere memory, fueled by Geralt leaving like that and his sister's scolding. He WANTS to pick up a fight with someone right now, let out some steam, write some creative insults. Outside some trolls he quickly blocks, though, an argument doesn't come. The tweet gets shared all over, people show their support (including Yen in his DMs, telling him to let her know if someone needs to be destroyed) and the record company ignores the constant mentions of his followers.
He wonders if they're getting a flood of hate. Usually he doesn't approve of crossing the bullying line, but right now, he doesn't give a fuck.
It's the right thing to do. His sister and his friends both congratulate him for being brave, and between that and all the fans speaking up, telling him how important it is for them for Jaskier to make things like this public? Yeah, he's feeling good by the time afternoon comes around. The last thing that ends up helping to improve his mood is Geralt's reply, telling him he just needed to leave because he has a farm to take care of.
Right. Five am. That makes... a lot of sense, actually. It also proves Lizzie right about Jaskier behaving like an idiot about this whole deal, but he doesn't tell her that.
It's back to constantly texting him and visiting the ranch every now and then after that, and Jaskier tries his best to test the waters without pushing Geralt into drowning. He flirts, he drops hints, he asks questions that hide a second meaning behind them. Geralt doesn't react to any of that, behaving like his stoic self as usual, and yet... they have moments when they are alone together in the ranch, there's no other way to describe them. Jaskier is starting to think he needs to write a song for him, something direct, like. You know. Hey, so you're hot as fuck and lots of fun, wanna go out and bang after, but hey if you don't that's cool too, is there a possibility we can stay friends after this? But with more rhyming.
There isn't much time to bother Geralt when June begins, though. Pride is coming and Jaskier has plans to help, even perform if possible. Lots of organization to do, especially if you add the fact this year Pride is the same day as his birthday... But as it turns out, he isn't the only one busy for this event! Yennefer is involved in a bunch of organizations too, and she wants to both genuinely help and get some politics going. So Jaskier agrees to finally meet in person and have brunch together.
Her tastes are as refined as his own, so taking into consideration the summer weather, they choose a modern rooftop restaurant with comfortable couches and wide umbrellas that protect them from the sun. Yennefer wears black dresses no matter the occasion, Jaskier has learned, so he thinks they make the perfect contrast when he shows up with his usual colors - this time a combination of white and red with a touch of purple. He isn't sure who has more rings on, however. It may be a tie.
They don't order quite yet, enjoying their chat while having a drink first - red wine for Yen, piña colada for Jaskier (umbrella with a cherry and a piece of pineapple included, of course). And he can't help choking on said cocktail when he suddenly sees who is approaching the table.
No fucking way.
He gives Yennefer a questioning look as he pats his chest, but she only smiles behind her glass of wine, looking like fucking Cersei Lannister, scheming and proud of herself. He turns to the new arrivals again when he hears Ciri exclaim "finally!" and sees her approach the table a little quicker, probably in reaction to finally getting to meet Jaskier in person. And Jaskier, well...
He can only panic.
His attempt to standup quickly fails since these couches don't allow for a fast, clumsy movement like throwing a chair back would. Jaskier curses under his breath when he hits his knee against the table, and quickly puts his open hands up in a gesture of innocence when Geralt makes their side looking extremely handsome as always.
"I SWEAR I didn't know you were coming, this is all her fault!" He points at Yen (who just shrugs as she grins) before turning to Ciri. "Cirilla, it's wonderful to finally meet you, believe me, but... I made a promise to your dad. Sorry."
no subject
Then Geralt turns around and thanks him, and Jaskier knows every thought of his is basically bullshit.
He doesn't know what to do anymore, Jaskier isn't one to dance about a potential conquest like this. Either he goes for it, or he doesn't - life is too short to hesitate. And yet... here he is, trying to navigate Geralt without a map, GPS or compass, not even the freaking stars to guide him. The man is uncharted territory in Jaskier's eyes, nothing like he's ever flirted with before. He should just ask, he's never been afraid of doing so, but he's never had the potential to lose a friendship as consequence either.
And he wouldn't know what he'd do if he lost this. It's so different from his usual friendships, but in a good way - great, even. There's a comfort in having him laying with him like this, chatting casually with soft music playing in the background. Geralt may not talk as much, but he listens, pays attention to him, and when he does say something, his words never go to waste. It's what Jaskier needs right now - not only because of what happened earlier in the bar, but because there's a huge con to living in complete independence: loneliness. Jaskier is a people person, social and touchy, he hates silence and being alone. His carefree schedule doesn't make him the right person to have a pet, considering the way he can disappear for days at a time without warning (there's a reason why he asked Geralt to help him with the bird feeders after all); and roommates usually want some level of commitment as well.
Jaskier can't have that. He values not having to answer to anyone, so living alone is still the best option for him at the end of the day. But he still craves company, a kind of company that cares about more than just sex and cuddling, and well--
Having Geralt fall asleep like his with him? So trusting and comfortable, not pushing him away when Jaskier comes closer in his sleep? It warms his heart in a way flings simply can't.
After being nervous over his show, the gig himself, the emotionally shaken moment with the talent-scout and staying up with Geralt chatting, Jaskier is exhausted, so he's sleeping quite deeply when Geralt awakes (besides, 5am isn't a time his brain would register as apt to wake up anyway). So when Geralt finally manages to bring him back from dreamland, Jaskier can only reply with a very articulated question.
"--what?"
Blinking at the figure in front of him, Jaskier sits up and lets consciousness slowly return to him, memories of last night filling his mind one by one: riding the bike with his body pressed to Geralt's, falling on the touch under Geralt's might weight, brushing braiding Geralt's hair, falling asleep together and-
...cuddling him...
Fuck. And now Geralt is leaving. By the time Jaskier is fully aware of what's going on and cries out "WAIT!", Geralt is gone. Fuck, fuck, fuck, has it been too much? Has he finally pushed him away? Jaskier looks around the apartment, as if trying to convince his brain that Geralt's presence in it has been a real thing. He finds the rugby shirt on top of the washer and nope, to Jaskier's disappointment, it doesn't smell like Geralt - it smells like his own body wash. There's a mess to be dealt with here, but he's too sleepy to deal with it, so Jaskier climbs under the covers of his couch and sleeps a few more hours, cuddling the t-shirt like a lovesick idiot.
When he wakes up hours later, his phone is exploding with notifications. Boy, today is going to be a day, isn't it? Jaskier sighs and decides it's going to be a pajamas-and-wine-all-day kind of day. He orders food through an app because there's no way he'll cook in his current mood, uncorks a bottle of wine without caring what time is it (he'll need it) and drinks straight from the bottle as he gets comfortable in his couch, ready to deal with all his messes while his This Is Fine (TM) playlist echoes in the apartment.
His run-away-from-your-problems instincts tell him he should leave Geralt for last, but he realizes then he would die waiting for an answer. So a text for his friend(? hopefully?) goes out first, a completely neutrally written message to check on him and test the waters, that way he can distract himself with the other stuff while waiting. Messages are next - he sends a quick thank you to his gang's group chat for coming and for sending him all the pictures and videos they took. They're also asking him for details of last night, and Jaskier decides that for now, it's safer to tell them he just had some drinks and a movie with Geralt until he understands better what is going on.
If he ever does...
And then there's the talk with his sister, who is assuming Jaskier celebrated his big night with a fling, since that's the usual reason why he wouldn't be screaming at her and sending pictures after a successful show. Lizzie does get the whole story, and she's less than amused by it, seeing it all as proof for Jaskier needing to move on because clearly Geralt and her brother aren't compatible. Jaskier pouts and disagrees, and takes revenge by making her uncomfortable by talking about Geralt's giant dick. It's the little things! (Or not so little, in this case.)
By the time food comes, Jaskier has moved onto social media. After posting all the pictures and videos he's gotten his hands on, replying to any post he's been tagged and thanking them as well, Jaskier decides to post the picture of the torn card with a short caption (And a thank you to @ folkwaysrecords for coming and making an offer that included changing who I am! A pity I don't work with homophobic bigots, I guess.) without consulting Yennefer first. To hell with it, frustration is running through his veins at the mere memory, fueled by Geralt leaving like that and his sister's scolding. He WANTS to pick up a fight with someone right now, let out some steam, write some creative insults. Outside some trolls he quickly blocks, though, an argument doesn't come. The tweet gets shared all over, people show their support (including Yen in his DMs, telling him to let her know if someone needs to be destroyed) and the record company ignores the constant mentions of his followers.
He wonders if they're getting a flood of hate. Usually he doesn't approve of crossing the bullying line, but right now, he doesn't give a fuck.
It's the right thing to do. His sister and his friends both congratulate him for being brave, and between that and all the fans speaking up, telling him how important it is for them for Jaskier to make things like this public? Yeah, he's feeling good by the time afternoon comes around. The last thing that ends up helping to improve his mood is Geralt's reply, telling him he just needed to leave because he has a farm to take care of.
Right. Five am. That makes... a lot of sense, actually. It also proves Lizzie right about Jaskier behaving like an idiot about this whole deal, but he doesn't tell her that.
It's back to constantly texting him and visiting the ranch every now and then after that, and Jaskier tries his best to test the waters without pushing Geralt into drowning. He flirts, he drops hints, he asks questions that hide a second meaning behind them. Geralt doesn't react to any of that, behaving like his stoic self as usual, and yet... they have moments when they are alone together in the ranch, there's no other way to describe them. Jaskier is starting to think he needs to write a song for him, something direct, like. You know. Hey, so you're hot as fuck and lots of fun, wanna go out and bang after, but hey if you don't that's cool too, is there a possibility we can stay friends after this? But with more rhyming.
There isn't much time to bother Geralt when June begins, though. Pride is coming and Jaskier has plans to help, even perform if possible. Lots of organization to do, especially if you add the fact this year Pride is the same day as his birthday... But as it turns out, he isn't the only one busy for this event! Yennefer is involved in a bunch of organizations too, and she wants to both genuinely help and get some politics going. So Jaskier agrees to finally meet in person and have brunch together.
Her tastes are as refined as his own, so taking into consideration the summer weather, they choose a modern rooftop restaurant with comfortable couches and wide umbrellas that protect them from the sun. Yennefer wears black dresses no matter the occasion, Jaskier has learned, so he thinks they make the perfect contrast when he shows up with his usual colors - this time a combination of white and red with a touch of purple. He isn't sure who has more rings on, however. It may be a tie.
They don't order quite yet, enjoying their chat while having a drink first - red wine for Yen, piña colada for Jaskier (umbrella with a cherry and a piece of pineapple included, of course). And he can't help choking on said cocktail when he suddenly sees who is approaching the table.
No fucking way.
He gives Yennefer a questioning look as he pats his chest, but she only smiles behind her glass of wine, looking like fucking Cersei Lannister, scheming and proud of herself. He turns to the new arrivals again when he hears Ciri exclaim "finally!" and sees her approach the table a little quicker, probably in reaction to finally getting to meet Jaskier in person. And Jaskier, well...
He can only panic.
His attempt to standup quickly fails since these couches don't allow for a fast, clumsy movement like throwing a chair back would. Jaskier curses under his breath when he hits his knee against the table, and quickly puts his open hands up in a gesture of innocence when Geralt makes their side looking extremely handsome as always.
"I SWEAR I didn't know you were coming, this is all her fault!" He points at Yen (who just shrugs as she grins) before turning to Ciri. "Cirilla, it's wonderful to finally meet you, believe me, but... I made a promise to your dad. Sorry."