#flooof

The embarrassing thing was how long it took them to realize what had happened.  

Geralt had warned them that the carnival was no place to split up but you’d gotten distracted by the carousel and Jaskier went with you and then you’d wandered over to the fountain. Jaskier gave you his last coin to make a wish and you had screwed your eyes up tight and wished something that seemed so simple and heartfelt and safe at the time.

But magic wasn’t safe. Spells or fountains or any form, all of it had a cost or a twist.

Which was how you’d ended up here.

Here was the next morning when you had tried to walk to the river to wash up but as soon as you walked 6 feet from Jaskier you’d felt a strange yanking sensation in your core that forced you to stumble back. You’d chalked it up to something about breakfast not settling well and began to walk again, only to find the same thing happening again. Jaskier had gone to your side to ask what was wrong and the feeling vanished instantly. Geralt, overhearing the commotion, came out and when you told him how you felt he’d asked Jaskier to start walking. Jaskier reached the same distance and yelped, scrambling back, reporting the same feeling.

“Fuck,” Geralt grunted, shaking his head.

“What?” you asked.

“What did you do when you walked off like I told you not to?” he asked, his tone more disappointed than angry, which hurt worse.

“We looked at the carousel and we saw that fountain and I made…. a… wish…” your voice trailed off and Geralt gave you a long look.

“What did you wish, Y/N?” he asked. Your eyes glanced at Jaskier who gave you an encouraging smile, trying to hide the fear as he remembered the last time he’d been at the mercy of magic. You hemmed and hawed but realized that there would be no way of hiding it since you physically couldn’t leave each other’s side.

“I wished that Jaskier and I would always be together,” you admitted, your face blushing bright crimson as you did. Geralt nodded and you felt Jaskier’s hand touch yours. You looked to him and found him gazing at you with soft eyes.

“You did?” he asked, hand slipping through yours and gently caressing your knuckles. You nodded.

“Well this shouldn’t be too hard then,” Geralt said.

“Really?” you asked hopefully.

“Yes, we just have to go back to the carnival and you have to take back the wish,” he explained, moving to prepare Roach for the trip.

“Oh,” you said, feeling oddly sad. You didn’t want the two of you to be forced together this way, certainly not this close, but taking the wish back felt like cursing you to break apart. As though he could sense your thoughts, Jaskier turned you to face him and tenderly lifted your chin up to meet his eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he promised. You smiled sadly but the words touched an old ache in your heart. He was not the first to promise this, and you didn’t dare hope he’d be the first to keep it. As you walked back towards the carnival grounds, Jaskier mulled over the dilemma.

“One thing doesn’t make sense, Geralt. Why didn’t we see it til this morning?” he asked. Geralt scoffed.

“You hardly ever leave each other’s side,” he said, “Think on it, when did either of you move more than six feet apart in the last 12 hours?”

Jaskier thought it over and laughed.

“Well I guess it truly was an unnecessary wish,” Jaskier joked. You forced a laugh but stayed quiet the rest of the trip.

When you finally reached the carnival grounds it wasn’t hard to find the fountain.

“How do we know which coin was the one I threw?” you asked.

“We don’t need the coin. We just need you to make a different wish,” Geralt explained, handing you a coin. It felt heavy in your hand and your heart pounded, unable to shake the sense of foreboding as you and Jaskier walked over to the edge of the fountain, his hand squeezing yours encouragingly.

“I wish to not be tethered to Jaskier,” you said, and threw the coin in.

“Y/N, you stay there. Jaskier, come towards me,” Geralt said. Jaskier released your hand, the loss of it leaving you cold, but he quickly walked back as the same feeling set in. Geralt looked at you but you threw up your arms.

“You heard me!” you said.

“Did you mean it?” he asked. Both men looked at you and you feel hot under their scrutiny. Tears filled your eyes, more humiliation to endure.

“Of course I didn’t,” you admit, “Of course I don’t want him to go away. Why would I? Why would anyone?”

“You’d be surprised,” Jaskier murmured, giving Geralt a meaningful glance, hinting at old wounds. Geralt ignored the remark and walked towards you, his eyes growing a bit gentler and kinder.

“Alright, we’ll figure it out,” he said.

“What if I make a wish to break it,” Jaskier suggested.

“No, she has to be the one.”

“Yes but if I wish for something that superseded her wish, wouldn’t that work?” Jaskier asked. Geralt considered the question and looked back to you.

“It could be worth a try,” he said. You nodded and Geralt handed Jaskier a coin. The two of you turned back to face the fountain edge.

“I wish,” Jaskier began and then paused and turned to face, “I wish to have Y/N in my life til the end of my days.”

The coin spun in the air and landed with a soft plunk in the water.

“You were supposed to break the spell,” Geralt argued.

“I didn’t ask us to be tethered, just present. That’s what we want, isn’t it?” Jaskier asked, looking to you for confirmation. You nodded, unable to fully form words. Jaskier walked away from the fountain’s edge, walking slowly, moving further and further from you until he is well past the boundaries of the curse.

“It worked! Ha!” Jaskier cried.

“Hmm,” Geralt grunted approvingly, and then climbed back onto Roach, moving quickly on from one disaster towards another.

As you and Jaskier walked you considered the wish he’d made.

“Did you mean it?” you asked, “I don’t want you to feel stuck with me out of obligation. I don’t want to be a curse.”

“First, the wish wouldn’t have worked if I hadn’t meant it. Second, Y/N, you could never be a curse. I don’t know how exactly the spell will work out but I think it means we’ll always find our way back to each other. That sounds more like a blessing than a curse to me,” he said.

“I love you,” you said. You’ve never said it, not in so many words, but it falls off your lips as softly and naturally as breathing.