#jask x reader insert

You began learning swordwork, impromptu lessons that had started as an attempt to distract you on Geralt’s part had quickly turned into daily sessions, working on your strength and your technique. Although you weren’t nearly as good as Geralt, you had gotten to the point where you could hold your own and Geralt started trusting you to help him on easier hunts. Geralt had even bought you your own sword so you would have one that was made to your specifications. You were thrilled at this, of course, but crestfallen that Jaskier seemed to lose even more interest in talking to you once you started. You tried telling him about how the lessons went at the end of the day, but he would just brush you off and go find someone else to talk to after his set.

Geralt would try to comfort you but it was no use. Jaskier wouldn’t even talk to you at this point, he would just send you glares from across the room. You were distraught, you had no idea what you had done to deserve this treatment. That night saw you and Geralt sat at a table in the back of the inn while Jaskier performed for the crowd. You were crushed, the bard hadn’t said a word to you all day. Geralt had supplied you with a steady stream of ale that evening, getting you progressively more drunk as the evening progressed.

“I think I need to leave, Geralt.” The man you were addressing looked at you with sad eyes. “I can’t stay here, it hurts too much.” You wouldn’t look up at him, tears dripping down your face as you stared into your mug. It was true, you couldn’t stay. Being ignored by the man you loved and watching him fall into a different bed every night was too much. You didn’t know how much longer you could survive this.

A hand rested on top of yours, causing you to glance up. “Are you sure? I can always knock some sense into the idiot,” Geralt rumbled, sending a sharp glance Jaskier’s way. The bard was oblivious, playing to the inn, enjoying himself the whole while, completely ignorant to the raging torrent of emotion that was you.

Geralt’s remark drew a short laugh from you, which quickly turned into a sob. Your chest squeezed as the bard grinned brightly at his captive audience. You shook your head. “I fear there is nothing to be done. I will travel with you to the next town, finish the contract we took, but after that I will depart. Maybe I can sell my services as a guard.” You squeezed Geralt’s hand. “Thank you, my darling Witcher, for everything you have done for me.”

Geralt grunted, again making you laugh tearfully. You knew he wouldn’t reply, he was still uncomfortable with showing what he was feeling, although he had become more open with you. Standing, you sent one more gland in Jaskier’s direction before gathering your gear off of the bench from where you had set it. “I am going to bed, Geralt, I hope you have a peaceful rest of your night.”

You smiled softly as his brusque nod, accompanied by a quiet “good night,” turning towards the stairs and making your way to your room. You missed Jaskier’s eyes following you across the room as you disappeared down the hallway. Reaching your room, you quickly stripped, washing yourself before you retired to your bed, falling asleep with tears drying on your cheeks.

Your dreams were disturbed that night, tossing and turning, seeing Jaskier and Geralt struck down as you slept. You remember crying out at one point before feeling a soft hand brushing your cheek as lips pressed against your forehead, the presence soothing you. You quieted after that, content in the feeling of security that wrapped around you, brought by the presence in the room. 

You woke early the next morning to see Jaskier still asleep in the other bed and Geralt missing from the room. You dressed quietly before venturing downstairs, seeking out the other man in your party. You found him at a table, a plate of food in front of him. As you sat next to him, the innkeep appeared with another plate, which he set down in front of you. Startled, you thanked him before turning to Geralt who’s lips had quirked upwards. You scoffed and nudged him gently. “I can pay for my own food, thank you very much.”

Geralt didn’t acknowledge you, continuing to eat in silence. You shook your head at him, before focusing on your own food. Geralt had started on his second plate by the time you finished your first, just in time to see Jaskier stumble down the stairs. Mask falling into place, you stood as you gathered your plate. “If you will excuse me, I’m going to go pack my gear.”

You headed for the bar with your dishes, avoiding the bard’s path as he approached Geralt’s table before making your way back to your room. You could hear Jaskier’s voice behind you, “What’s her problem this morning?”

You stopped, hand against your chest as his question pierced your chest, heart clenching at the dismissive tone Jaskier had used. A tear leaked out of your eye as you forced yourself to your room, falling to your knees as you suppressed a sob. You crumpled in on yourself, a flood of emotion finally releasing after you had held it back for such a long time. You quieted after a while, wiping your tears as you heard footsteps coming down the hall.

You kept your back to the door, sorting the things in your room into two piles: a pile for you and a second pile for Geralt and Jaskier. The door opened behind you, the footsteps coming into the room before stopping. It was Jaskier, you wouldn’t have heard Geralt, he made sure to tread lightly, a fact you still couldn’t reconcile with the hulk of a man.

“What are you doing?” The question was shrill, as if Jaskier couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Keeping your back to him, you responded. “I’m sorting our things, you and Geralt will go into one bag and my stuff into another.”

Jaskier approached you. “But why? We’ve never sorted our clothes before, everything’s just always gone in together. If you separate them we will have to bring two bags up, Y/N, not just one. You really should just put everything into the same bag.”

His footsteps came closer, hand appearing in your vision as he reached for one of your shirts to put in with his and Geralt’s things. You snatched the shirt back, stuffing it into your own bag. “I’m leaving Jask, that’s why I’m sorting my clothes! After Geralt and I finish this contract, I’m going off on my own!” You turned to look at the bard, frozen with a look of disbelief on his face.

“You’re - you’re leaving? Just like that?” Jaskier seemed stunned.

“Yes, I’m leaving. I talked to Geralt, and I’m leaving to find my own job. This just isn’t going to work.”

At your words, his face shuttered. “Okay.”

You stood, facing him. “Okay? Just okay? That’s all you have to say?”

“What do you want me to say, Y/N? You’ve obviously made up your mind. Besides, it’ll be one less person to feed. Good luck finding a new job.” With that, Jaskier turned and walked to the door, shutting it hard behind him.

As the door shut, your heart shattered, knees collapsing beneath you as you fell, sobs ripping their way out of you, tears cascading down your face. You curled into a ball on the floor as you gasped for breath, desperate for anything to stop the pain that you were feeling in that moment. That’s where Geralt found you, lying on the floor, curled up with a blanket that Jaskier often slept with when you camped outside. He came to sit by your head, stroking your hair as you sobbed, pulling you into his lap as he leaned you against his chest. 

“Shh,” he murmured, “Just let it out.” He rocked you gently, shushing you as you cried yourself out again. Silently, you pushed against him in a silent ask to be released, going back to sorting your things when he did. Geralt helped you, the two of you content in the silence. Once finished, you gave him a soft, sad smile in thanks. Geralt nodded, understanding your wordless gratitude before leading you to saddle the horses.

Your bay mare knickered when she saw you, bringing a gentle smile to your face. You saddled the horses and secured your belongings in silence, sneaking an extra apple to Roach when Geralt wasn’t looking. You mounted as Jaskier appeared, leading your horse out of the stables as Geralt and Jaskier held a quiet conversation. You refused to look at the smaller man, staying on your horse when you normally would walk alongside her in order to attempt to converse with the bard. 

The three of you travelled in an uncomfortable silence, not even Jaskier daring to break the quiet with a song or a poem. It was agonizing. You longed to hear the bard’s sweet voice raised in song, breaking the heavy silence that had settled over you. Even the horses were somber, picking up on their masters’ moods.

You left Jaskier with the horses as you and Geralt went to deal with the monster. You pretended it didn’t hurt when Jaskier wished Geralt luck, but didn’t say anything to you. You ignored the look you received from the Witcher at that, leading the way into the forest as you buried your feelings deep within you.

The hunt was a disaster. The two of you had missed the creature’s partner as you had approached its lair, resulting in you being grabbed and flug against the side of the brick house. You had watched, stunned, as the second creature had leapt onto Geralt’s back, opening a gash in his armour before you had forced yourself up, slashing to force the creature off. The pair of you killed the monsters but didn’t come out unscathed. Geralt’s shoulder was bruised but healing quickly and you had received a laceration down your dominant arm, forcing you to use your weaker sword hand to finish the fight. 

Back at the horses Geralt had quickly bound your arm, settling it in a sling until the skin set. Jaskier had stayed slumped against a tree, studiously ignoring the both of you as he glared at the ground. Making your way back to the main path, your group of three turned towards the next town to collect your payment, the head of one of the creatures in a sack attached to your horse. Jaskier hadn’t looked you in the eyes yet. 

As you rode, you could feel your arm itching, but you brushed it off. The sooner you could collect the coin for the monster, the sooner you could leave all of this behind. You rode behind Geralt, pausing when you saw him stiffen in his saddle. 

“Geralt?” you called, loosening your sword in its sheath as you saw the man in front of you do the same. Jaskier doddled up behind the two of you, oblivious to the tension in the air. Geralt nudged Roach to back up until he was side by side with you. In a low voice, he told you, “I can hear and smell men in the bushes just ahead of us. If my guess is right, they are waiting to claim the monster head so they can collect the coin.”

You shifted, tightening your armour and checking the bandage on your arm once more. “What do you want to do? Make a run for it? I don’t know that the horses will be fast enough if I have to carry Jask.”

“You’re not carrying me, I can walk.” Jaskier protested from behind the two of you.

“Shut up, Jaskier,” Geralt interrupted without looking back. You tuned out Jaskier’s words as he spluttered behind you, focusing instead on trying to catch a glimpse of the men waiting for you. As he spoke, the trees rustled and a band of men stepped forward, clothed in shabby armour with old weapons. “Not a very intimidating group, are they?” Geralt rumbled.

Your lips quirked at that, but you were more focused on studying the group, trying to decide the best plan of attack. Your thoughts were interrupted as one of the men stepped forward, brandishing his sword at you. You hid a smile as he almost dropped his weapon, grip slipping as he tried to intimidate your small group. Jaskier squeaked and stepped behind your horses while you nudged yours forward a step in response. “Witcher,” the man called. “Just give us yer prize and we’ll let yer group on their way, no trouble.”

Geralt didn’t respond, face remaining blank,, the men shifting on their feet at the drawn out silence. As the man who had spoken originally opened his mouth to say something else, Geralt finally spoke.

“And if I don’t want to?”

“Don’t want ta what?” The man appeared confused. You could hear Jaskier sigh behind it as he muttered under his breath. Geralt nudged Roach forward a few steps, your own horse following instinctively, Jaskier scrambling to keep up.

“What if I don’t want to give you my prize?” As he said this, Geralt’s hand drifted up to the hilt of his sword as you placed your own hand on the hilt at your hip. The men behind him shifted, muttering amongst themselves as the Witcher slowly drew his sword.

The man in front blanched, clearly having not considered the possibility that the Witcher wouldn’t just hand over his prize. They must have assumed that their larger numbers would have kept the man from fighting back. You watched as the surprise, disbelief, and many other emotions that flew across the man’s face slowly turned to anger and determination.

“Well, if ya won’t jus’ giv’ it to us, I guesses we has ta just take it then!” With that, he thrust his sword into the air with a cry before charging at your group with his sword held in two hands above his head, the rest of the men following behind. You swung down from your horse, turning her and sending her away with a sharp hand gesture, Roach following quickly behind her. You drew your sword, turning to face the approaching men as Geralt shoved Jaskier behind him, shouting at the bard to get to safety.

You swung your sword to meet the first blow, the man’s face turning to shock as the woman he thought would be an easy target met him with strength behind her sword. You quickly shoved him back, pulling your sword across your body to thrust towards his chest, catching him in the middle before leaning and kicking him away, turning to catch the next weapon swinging down at you. A shock went through your arm, travelling all the way up to your shoulder. The itching feeling had started burning, a low, dull throb that grated at your concentration. You switched your sword to your non-dominant hand as you engaged the man who had just attacked you.

A feral grin appeared on your face as the man yelled and rushed you, hoping to overcome you with brute strength. You sidestepped his headlong rush, slashing across his back as he passed you, the man falling to the ground with a cry. You quickly engaged and incapacitated a third man, pausing to survey the scene. Geralt was holding his own, toying with the two men attacking him surrounded by the bodies of the other two men he had taken down.

You spun as you heard Jaskier scream, the smile dropping from your face as you took in the sight of the bard backing towards you as another man stalked towards him, sword held loose in his grip. You didn’t even think, your body moving before your mind finished processing what was happening. You shoved Jaskier out of the way, desperately bringing your sword up to knock the blow away.

You made contact with the man’s weapon, but not fast enough, the point plunging into your shoulder, a cry forced from your lips at the wave of pain. You stepped back, head thrown back in a silent cry as the blade slid out of your skin before your own blade came back up, catching the man unawares as you opened a long laceration on his upper arm. He frantically backpedaled, wildly swinging at you as he went. You knocked his sword away, distantly hearing Jaskier cry your name as you advanced on the bandit. As he thrust at you, you knocked his sword down, stepping on the blade as it went past you, forcing the man to bend as you brought your sword up before bringing the hilt down as hard as you could on his head. The man instantly collapsed the ground, leaving you to stagger away.

You dropped your sword as your hand went numb, the burning travelling up your shoulder into your chest. You grasped at your chest, gasping for breath as you felt your legs give out beneath you. As you fell, you felt your body caught, arms pulling you into a lap, Jaskier’s face appearing above you. As the world started to spin, you smiled up at him, trying to reach up to touch his face before frowning at the tears on his face. He was talking, you could hear his mouth moving but no words coming out. You blinked as he shook you, sound suddenly reaching you.

“-idiotic, stupid thing to do, why would you get in the way? Why would you do that, you reckless girl. I won’t be able to live with myself if you die, you can’t die, I can’t lose you.” He looked so sad, you wanted to say something to cheer him up, to make him know that this was okay. 

Again, you tried to brush the tears from his face, your hand falling back to your body as you tried to lift it. Jaskier grasped your wrist, lifting your fingers to his mouth as he pressed a kiss against them. You smiled softly, head lolling to rest against his chest, Geralt appearing on your other side.

“What happened?” he demanded, falling to his knees next to you. 

“I don’t know,” Jaskier cried. “She pushed me out of the way and got stabbed in the shoulder but kept going. She wasn’t doing anything when she collapsed, and she hasn’t said anything! Geralt, I don’t know what to do!”

The Witcher acknowledged this with a terse nod, reaching for the wrist Jaskier wasn’t holding to check your pulse. You cried out as he pulled your arm towards him, the burning increasing at the action. Geralt and Jaskier shared a glance over your head before he was reaching for his dagger to slice your bandages and shirt away. You heard an intake of breath as the fabric fell away, struggling to turn your head to look. You caught a glimpse of it before Jaskier caught your head and pressed it back against his chest as a sob tore its way out of your lips. 

Your arm was red, the wound swollen with black lines running up to your shoulder and under your shirt. Jaskier held you as your body shook, Geralt inspecting your arm. He looked at the bard, somber expression on his face. “The monster must have been venomous, we need to get her to a healer.”

You sighed as you closed your eyes, mumbling against Jaskier’s shirt. “I’m sorry.”

He looked down at you, brow furrowed with worry. “For what, you have nothing to be sorry for. You just need to stay awake, can you do that for me Y/N?”

You nodded tiredly as he tapped your face, opening your eyes at his silent request. “I got blood on your shirt.”

Jaskier barked out a hysterical laugh, “That’s the least of my worries right now.” His face fell as your head lolled over to look at Geralt. The larger man looked up from where he was rebandaging your arm after applying a healing salve, nodding at your unspoken request. “You need to stay awake, please.” Jaskier’s voice was pleading with you as you almost lost yourself to the haze.

Turning your head back, you lifted your eyes to his face, taking in the features that you loved, trying to memorize them once more before you gave in to the darkness. A small smile graced your face, eyes drifting shut as you breathed out the three words you had longed to tell him. 

“I love you.”

The last thing you saw before the world went black was Jaskier’s frantic face, his lips moving in a desperate plea for you to stay awake as your eyes closed and your head fell to the side as you fell into the darkness.

**~*~*~*~**

You groaned as you came to awareness, whole body sore when you tried to move. You rolled your head to the side, opening your eyes before immediately closing them against the bright light. You heard movement next to you.

“Y/N? Oh thank god, Y/N! You’re awake!” It was Jaskier’s voice, the bed dipping as he sat down next to you, taking your uninjured hand. “C’mon darling, open your eyes for me.”

You cracked your eyes, seeing the bard next to you, face drawn and dark circles under his eyes. You tried to speak, coughing at the dryness in your throat, Jaskier frantically reaching for the cup next to your bed. He helped you sit up, propping some pillows behind you as he helped you take a sip. Once your thirst was quenched, you tried again. “What happened?”

Jaskier’s face grew grave. “You don’t remember?” As you shook your head, he drew a hand down his face. “You were injured, the monster you fought was toxic, and when the bandits tried to ambush us, your accelerated heart rate forced the venom through your system faster and you collapsed.”

You winced as the memories came back, jogged by Jaskier’s words. You remembered the burning pain, as well as what you said to the bard before you passed out. The man in question was watching your face closely, looking for something in particular. He seemed to find it, grinning as he sat back on the bed.

“You do remember, then.” You flushed at his words, fingers pulling at the blanket, refusing to meet his eyes. You felt a gentle hand under your chin, guiding your face to look at his. A soft expression was on his face, a smile tugging at his lips. “I do as well, if that’s any consolation.”

You gaped at him. “You do as in you remember or you do as in you-” you cut yourself off, to afraid to finish your sentence as you once again glanced away. His fingers once again found your chin, gently tugging you back to face him as he leaned in. You breath hitched at the proximity between you two, your eyes frantically searching his face as he searched yours.

Seeming to find what he was looking for, he closed the distance, gently pressing his lips against yours. You startled, eyes widening before they shut as you kissed him back, reaching with your uninjured arm to hold his bicep. The kiss was sweet and gentle, just long enough to leave you breathless, tired as you still were. Jaskier smirked at you, clearly pleased with your reaction. You swatted at him.

“But, I don’t understand, all of those women? They meant, nothing?” you hesitated, flicking short glances at his face. His expression went tight before he sighed, face falling. 

“It was only ever you. I was trying to distract myself,” he glanced up at you, eyes sad. “I saw you spending all of your time with Geralt, and I thought that maybe, you two had…” he trailed off as he saw the smile appearing on your face. “What? This isn’t funny!”

You giggled at his offended expression before rushing to explain as he pretended to withdraw his hand. “Geralt started teaching me as a way to cheer me up, he knew that I… loved… you, and wanted to distract me when you would leave. Eventually it turned into real lessons once I discovered I was fairly good at it.”

You waited as a small smile grew on his face before he started chuckling, you following along as it turned into a full blown laugh, Jaskier hunching over on the bed as his laughter shook his body. He finally recovered, wiping his tears away as you watched him with a soft smile. “All this time and we couldn’t see it. I was trying to flirt with you since we met, but you always seemed to show no interest.”

You gaped at him as he grinned, “I thought you just did that with everyone! I didn’t know it wasn’t in jest!”

Chuckling again, he stood and nudged you, helping you shuffle over to the other side of the bed you were laying in, climbing in after you. You snuggled under his arm as he pulled you in close, tucking your head under his chin, careful not to jostle your injured arm and shoulder. He pressed a kiss against your head, nosing your hair as he murmured. “I love you too.”

You stilled at that, looking up at him with shining eyes. He leaned down, gently pressing a kiss against your lips before pulling you back to him. “Sleep, my love. We have all the time in the world.”

You nestled in further, content in his warm embrace and the knowledge that he loved you. Your eyes slowly closed as Jaskier started humming a sweet tune above you, lulling you into a comfortable sleep, safe in his arms.

**~*~*~*~**

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“Wounded, by the love of my life, of all people! How could you betray me like this?” Jaskier keeled over backwards, arms flailing as he caught your shoulder, tugging you down into the grass with him as he fell. The two of you had ventured out to a small hill just outside of the town you were in, packing a lunch of cheese, bread, and wine. You were content to spend the afternoon in the quiet before having to perform that evening. 

Jaskier had been invited to perform for a nobleman in town, he was having a celebration for his daughter’s birthday and she had requested the famous bard perform at the feast. Jaskier had of course accepted, especially after hearing of the offer of free lodging and meals while there. You had joined him, having begun to perform with him, the two of you getting along like pigs in mud. The two of you had met at Oxenfurt; Jaskier had been at the university to give a guest lecture and you had been there for a performance. You were a master violinist and composer; you had been debuting a song cycle you had written for an ensemble.

The male bard sought you out and the two of you had hit it off, spending many nights in the pub before eventually falling into bed together. When it had been time for Jaskier to leave he had pleaded with you to come with him, and to both of your surprise you had accepted. You had never really travelled as a bard before, preferring to reside in your hometown and only venture out for performances. You were in fairly high demand, but had decided that you could use this time to compose. You had followed the bard to meet up with the Witcher, your quiet demeanor seeming to help Geralt accept you into the little group fairly quickly; you weren’t as loud and obnoxious as Jaskier was at times. You still plucked at your instrument each night, but it was quiet, sometimes soothing. 

Jaskier would often join you, and the two of you began performing together at inns. You didn’t often sing, your voice was fine, but you preferred to play your instrument, to let Jaskier have the spotlight. When you found yourselves playing for the upper class, you would perform a few songs of your own, the ladies enjoying listening to the higher tones of your violin before Jaskier took over again with a dancing tune. 

It was the same pattern this evening; Jaskier and yourself performing some of his better known songs before you took center stage as you played your own compositions. The birthday girl performed her song on the piano, the audience politely applauding as you joined her, playing a duet that both of you knew before you performed another one of your originals. As a new round of wine and ale was served, Jaskier took the stage to perform faster paced tunes, you retreating to the side for a break of your own. As you moved through the room you were stopped a few times as people congratulated you on your performance. You felt your cheeks flush at the praise, never having been comfortable with the attention before escaping to the corner your pair had claimed. 

A serving girl was quick to stop by with a plate of food and drink for you as you settled your instrument back in its case. You tucked into your meal, enjoying the food as you watched Jaskier stir the crowd into a frenzy, the uptight lords and ladies relaxing as the booze flowed and the night grew darker. You always enjoyed when he played, watching his nimble fingers work the strings on his lute, listening to his clear voice dance over the melody. Jaskier was a master showman and he knew it; drawing the crowd in before releasing them to enjoy whatever he launched into next.

Break finished, you rejoined your lover, your bow dancing over the strings as you harmonized with Jaskier’s folk songs, foot tapping along to the beat as the dancers whirled around the room. You watched the skirts swirl past you, catching on dancers’ legs as they passed each other, boots stomping the stone floor in time with the song. The room grew warm, the smell of sweat and spilled booze growing strong. The two of you played until the early mornings, finally staggering back to your assigned room once the last of the drunks and late night lovers had made their way from the ballroom.

You tiredly turned your back to Jaskier, silently asking him to unlace your dress. You shivered as his finger released you from the cloth, dropping it to the floor before coming back up to whisper down your bare skin. You felt your hair swept from your back before his lips pressed into your shoulder, teeth nipping at the skin as you gasped. He pressed open-mouthed kisses to your skin, making his way up your neck to behind your ear, teeth scraping at the spot that always made you melt.

You were suddenly whirled as your back was pressed against the wall, the wood cold against your skin as slender fingers caught your wrists, Jaskier holding your arms above you. You sighed as you felt a knee shoved between your legs, heat pooling in your core at the action. Lips met yours, a messy kiss as you fought for dominance. You finally relinquished control as the bard dominated, hard body pressing against yours, tongue exploring your mouth. Your wrists were pushed together, one hand pinning them as the other came down to grip your hip, digging bruises into the skin. 

A squeak was drawn from you as Jaskier lifted you, legs wrapping around his hips as he carried you over to the bed, teeth nipping at the crook of your shoulder as he made his way over to the bed. He dropped you on the mattress, climbing after you once his clothes were shed, body covering yours as his thighs straddled your hips, his mouth chasing your lips. You lost yourself in a blaze of pleasure, the feeling of skin on skin as hands explored familiar places, the night passing in a blur of skin, sweat, and dirtied sheets, your bodies never leaving each other as the two of you lapsed into sleep.

**~*~*~*~**

It was a late start the next morning, the entire keep slow to wake up after a night of partying. You and Jaskier took a late breakfast in the common eating area before Jaskier charmed a lunch out of the cooks. You had laughed behind your hand, grinning down at the table to hear the verbose gestures that the bard was making. You set out a little bit later, Jaskier lamenting the loss of feather beds and warm water to bathe in.

“But think of the stories you will write once we see Geralt again, I’m sure his last contract was interesting.” The Witcher had been talking about an Alp before you left, a substantial reward being offered once the creature was disposed of. The two of you would meet up with him at an inn in the next town over before continuing your journey. Geralt generally had a direction in mind, you and Jaskier wandering behind him.

The day was a beautiful one, the clouds slowly passing through the serene sky. The birds sang in the trees, you smiling up at the flashes of colour that flitted through the branches around you. Jaskier sang under his breath as he walked next to you, fingers laced together as you swung your arms between you. Your attention was pulled upward, murmuring an invocation to the gods in thanks of the day.

You and Jaskier had been walking for hours, deciding to stop for a brief lunch before continuing. The two of you settled underneath the shadows of the trees, your head in your lover’s lap as you relaxed on the cool ground. You peered up at him, a soft smile on your face as you watched him, Jaskier writing notes into his little notebook he always carried with him. He was always writing, your bard, inspiration hitting him at any moment. He was your muse, your song, everything you had composed over the last few months of travelling had revolved around him.

Your recent composition started off sweet, following the soft sounds of young love, slowly growing to a crescendo of passion. Lovers clashed, the melodies and harmonies alternating with each other as they slowly weave together to fall low, doubts and troubles weighing on a relationship. The music went dark, the lower pitch enhanced by the fear and desperation that was felt as lovers pulled away, flames died out and relationships ended. Just as it felt as if nothing would end happily, a lone flute sang out above the heaviness, crying out for the gentle notes of love as it fought to overcome the differences. Slowly, other instruments would join in, the tone lifting as the feeling of reconciliation wound itself in, the harmonies twisting around the melody once more, complimenting each other just as lovers do. 

You hadn’t written past that point, intending to take your music into a high crescendo, fondness and trust underlying the notes as you slowed the rhythm, a soft beat finishing off the cycle with a gentle, loving tune. It was some of your best work, you thought, and you were so excited to finish it. You hadn’t shared it with anyone, wanting to to have the complete works and to be able to play it in concert, nothing else would do it justice. You wanted to play it for Jaskier, to sit in the front row with your violin, show him just how much you loved him.

You drifted for what felt like hours, Jaskier’s hands playing with your hair soothing you as you fell into a doze. It was the silence that finally brought you back to awareness, the absence of the songbirds the first warning you got that something had gone wrong. You sat up, frowning at the trees as you looked around for what might have caused the birds to take flight. The bard looked as well, years of travelling with Geralt teaching him what to watch for.

You stood silently, Jaskier rising behind you as your hand went to the dagger you wore at your side, unsheathing the blade before holding it loosely in your hand. Neither of you were fighters, staying as far away from Geralt’s hunts as you could. Jaskier would sometimes get closer, but the Witcher didn’t often allow it, preferring to know that the both of you were safe and he could focus just on the monster and not on protecting the two of you. That didn’t mean you were entirely defenseless; Geralt had spent many hours teaching you and Jaskier the basics of defense, in case you were ever in a situation like this. 

You heard a twig snap behind you, whirling around as you searched for the source of the sound. You felt Jaskier place his back against yours, also looking for any indication of whatever was now hunting you. You felt more than heard something drop from the trees above you, shoving the man behind you out of the way before you dove away yourself, feeling claws rake down your arm as you moved, opening thin lacerations in your skin.

You turned to see a pale human-like thing in front of you, long claws hanging from its fingertips as it stalked towards you. You could see its ribs, the bones outlined by the translucent skin that clung to its figure. As you backed away, you searched your mind for what monster this was, trying to remember the sketches Geralt had shown you. You gasped silently as the name came to you. This was the creature the Witcher had gone to hunt, the Alp. What had happened to him, that it had managed to find you?

The thoughts were pushed from your head as the thing slashed at you, barely managing to dodge as you spun out the way, feeling claws grasp at your tunic. As you turned back to face it, you could see Jaskier slowly moving behind it, his own dagger gripped tightly in his hand. Desperate to keep its attention as he moved into position, you lifted your blade, tightening your fingers before you darted forward, stabbing with the blade before ducking under an arm.

You backed away, trying to keep the Alp distracted but also trying to stay out of striking distance. You were fairly successful until you tripped on a root, falling backwards as your hands went out to catch you. You closed your eyes, waiting for the strike that was sure to come. You heard a shout, eyes flying back open at the lack of impact to see Jaskier waving his dagger at the monster, terror clear on his face as it advanced towards him.

As you stood, you saw his eyes flicker towards you, a brief flash of relief passing over his expression as he saw you standing before he refocused on the Alp, yelping when it swiped at him, claws managing to catch the fabric of his doublet, tearing through it as easily as a hot knife through butter. You saw red, a haze of rage settling over you at the sound of your lover’s fear. You ran forward before jumping, sinking your dagger into the creature’s shoulder with a yell. You couldn’t, wouldn’t, let it hurt Jaskier.

The creature shrieked as your silver blade pierced its skin, whirling to dislodge you. Your body went flying, breath leaving you in a rush as you hit a tree, sliding down the trunk to land in a heap at the base. The Alp was on you before you could regain your bearings, claws tearing through your clothes and into your skin as a cry burst from your lips.

“Y/N!” You distantly heard, the monster suddenly gone from in front of you, replaced by a concerned looking Jaskier. You groaned as his hands clamped down on your shoulder, feeling the blood slide down your skin as it soaked the cloth.

“Come on, we have to go while it's distracted.” With the bard’s help, you stood, shakily leaning against him. A groan left your lips as you took a step, the pain flaring at the movement. You looked over to see the monster writhing on the ground as it clawed at its eyes, a shimmering powder on it’s skin. 

“Silver powder, it’s my last resort.” Jaskier had followed your gaze to the monster, a wry grin on his face, which was quickly replaced by concern as you collapsed slightly before catching yourself. He slung your uninjured arm over his shoulder, trying to support as much of your weight as possible.

You were in agony, it felt like there were red hot knives digging into your skin, poking and prodding to get further and further under your skin. You could feel yourself getting weaker as blood rushed forth, slowly soaking the sleeve of the dress you had chosen. You felt a pang of sadness at that, this was one of your favourite gowns, Jaskier had always mentioned how much he loved that colour on you.

You don’t know what alerted you to the movement behind you, as lost as you were in the pain. You turned your head slightly to see a white wraithlike creature bearing down on you, claws raised to slash. Too weak to get a warning out, you let your arm drop from your lover’s shoulder before staggering to the side, legs threatening to collapse. Sensing the weaker prey, the Alp followed you, arm coming down to rake down your chest and abdomen. A scream tore its way from your lips, mixing with Jaskier’s cry to form a discordant sound, the harsh notes ringing in your ears.

As you fell to the ground, you distantly observed the flash of a sword as it rose and fell, the Alp’s head falling with it. A silver hair framed the face that appeared in your vision, golden eyes filled with concern before it was replaced by a blue-eyed one. You smiled up at Jaskier, coughing slightly as the pain made itself apparent. You felt something run down your chin, though you didn’t have the strength to reach up and wipe it away. You felt yourself being pulled upwards, body propped into a half-seated position as the bard held you in his arms, back against his shoulder.

A hand appeared in your vision, pressure building on your chest. You struggled to move your head, managing to look down to see cloth pressed against your abdomen, quickly staining with your blood. You let your head fall backwards, gasping for breath as you choked, spitting the liquid in your mouth out as you fought for air. Jaskier’s face was full of agony, tears running down his cheek as he spoke, the words slowly filtering through the haze of exhaustion that was quickly overcoming you.

“-awake, please Y/N, you have to hold on - to get Roach - need to get you to a healer-” you could hear the agony in his voice as he begged you, pleaded with you to stay with him. You hated to hear his beautiful voice break, frowning as he choked on a sob. Your partner should never sound like this, should never have the hurt that was on his face. You wanted to console him, fighting to move any of your limbs in order to do so. You fought against the heaviness, wanting to tell Jaskier that you were okay.

Using every ounce of willpower you had left in you, you raised your hand to cup his cheek, seeing the red fingerprints you left on his skin. You attempted a smile, trying to look reassuring as you felt more liquid slide down your skin, coughing to try to clear your airway. “I’ve run out of words, my song is done. Continue to sing, my love, to tell your stories. Remember me that way.”

Exhausted, you let your hand fall away, eyes closing as you heard Jaskier sob, his body shaking against you as he clutched at you, begging you to “stay awake, please, open your eyes, you can’t go, I love you, I need you-”

**~*~*~*~**

Geralt returned with Roach, having run to find her and the healing supplies in his pack. As he entered the clearing, he froze at the sight of Jaskier clutching your body to him, his entire frame shaking with the force of his sobs. Moving towards his friend, he bowed his head and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, trying to support him through this time, a single tear running down his cheek.

The bard continued to plead with you, beg you to wake up, to come back to you, but you remained limp. You lay motionless in his arms, face serene in death as you left behind broken hearts and an unfinished song.

**~*~*~*~**

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“I miss moments like this more than anything,” he murmured. “Ever since you’ve become the primary healer we can’t sneak away like we normally did; you’ve been so busy lately.”

You poked at his side. “They need me, Jask, I can’t just abandon them. I spent weeks planning for this day off, let’s just forget about work and enjoy the time we have with each other.”

Dropping a kiss onto your head, he smiled down at you. “Of course, my love. Your wish is my command.”

Giggling, you relaxed against him until you felt his hands starting to wander, poking at your sides. “Jask!” you shrieked, writhing to get away from his hands as he tickled you mercilessly. You rolled in an attempt to escape, managing to wriggle free, standing and dashing for the water. You stripped as you went, losing your tunic and overskirt, leaving you in a single layer of clothing. Jaskier followed, also stripping down to his underlayers. As he stalked towards you, you grinned coyly, stepping back into the water until you were deep enough your knees were covered.

Approaching you, Jaskier went to grab for your sides again, intent on tickling you, but you had other plans. You grabbed his arms and threw yourself backwards, pulling both of you into the water as Jaskier’s eyes widened at your motions. You shrieked as you hit the water, the cold enveloping you as you submerged. You came up laughing, Jaskier spluttering behind you. 

“Y/N,” he gasped, “it’s cold! Why did we decide to go in the water!” Laughing, you swam over and wrapped your legs around his waist. You quieted as you stared down at him, pulse quickening. Your lips parted, a gasp passing your lips as Jaskier lowered his mouth to your neck, sucking on the sensitive skin there. Your eyes closed, head falling back as he kissed his way across your skin, following the trace of your collarbone. You could feel a stirring between your legs, body getting excited at your lover’s attention. You felt his arms tighten around you, a moan leaving your lips.

“Y/N,” he breathed, breath ghosting over your skin. A whimper was pulled from you as you tilted your head back down to meet his lips, kissing messily as you tightened your legs around his waist. “Please don’t hate me for this.”

“Wha- Ah!” A scream tore through your lips as Jaskier plunged backwards, pulling you underwater with him. He stayed there, pulling you down to lock your lips together. It was a silent paradise, all sounds outside of your bubble halted when you were underwater. It was just you and Jaskier, nothing else mattered as you were suspended in your own world, no concerns, no worries, no distractions from each other. Just you and the man you loved.

Breaking the surface, you clung to the man with you, smiling as you tucked your face into the crook of his neck. He squeezed you to him breathing in your scent. He dropped a kiss on your cheek as you lifted your head to look at him. 

“Come on, let’s go deeper,” you grinned at him as you released his waist, venturing out deeper into the water. Jaskier’s clear laugh filled the air as he followed you, trying to catch your ankle and tug you back towards him. “The current is strong here. It could almost pull you down river!”

You splashed at him, squealing when he growled and dove under the water, grabbing your ankle and pulling you with him.You gasped as you resurfaced, kicking at him to escape. This went on for a while until your lips turned blue as you started to shiver. Jaskier noticed, pulling you towards him as he swam backwards to where he could stand, lifting you against him.

“I think I need another drink, and it’s getting cold, my love. Let’s go warm up and eat.” He squeezed your bum before releasing you, setting you back in the water. You shivered as the cold enveloped you before you traipsed back up to the blanket, grabbing a towel you had set up earlier. You wrapped yourself in it as you sat down, pulling the blanket towards you as Jaskier followed your lead. 

The next little while was filled with small chatter and stolen kisses as you ate and drank, finishing off the sandwiches you had made as well as another two bottles of wine. You had warmed up as you lay there, dozing as the sun kissed your skin. You could hear Jaskier beside you, humming to himself as he watched the river, propped on his elbows. You drifted in and out, feeling a gentle hand tracing patterns on your skin. Once the sun was no longer overhead, you came back to awareness. You rolled your head to the side, staring at the man beside as he stared back with a soft smile on his face.

“Want to go back in the water?” you asked, smile matching his.

He flopped back down with a sigh. “But it’s cold,” he whined. “Do we have to?”

“C’mon.” You rolled to your feet, glancing down as the man didn’t move. You swept your gaze across the clearing, attention catching as your eyes passed the bucket. Grinning, you sidled to the bucket, picking it up as silently as you could before returning to the blanket. 

“Jaskier,” you sang. He cracked one eye open to see you standing above him with the bucket. “No-” you cackled as you upended the bucket on him, sending the man beneath you sputtering as you dropped the bucket to the side and ran. You heard cursing behind you as he sprung to his feet and gave chase. Laughing, you changed direction, heading for the thinner part of the river in search of escape. 

You turned to look behind you, missing the rock that was raised above the rest of the ground. You tripped, falling into the river, head slamming against another rock as you went. You could hear Jaskier shouting as you felt the water surround you in its cold embrace as the world went dark.

**~*~*~*~**

“Careful!” Jaskier called out, chuckling as he watched you trip over a rock and stumble, arms flailing as you tried to regain your balance. The smile slid from his face as he watched you fall, head striking a rock before your body went limp, rolling down the bank into the river, the water reaching its greedy arms out to pull you in.

“Y/N!” Jaskier’s voice broke as he called your name. “Y/N!”

His heart sunk as you disappeared from view, the river’s current taking you away from him. He caught a flash of colour as you resurfaced briefly before submerging again, face pale, eyes closed. Desperately, he ran after you, unsure of what he wanted to do. 

Rounding a corner, a cry broke from his lips at the sight of your body face down on the bank. He scrambled down the bank, pulling your body into his lap. Desperately, he searched for a pulse, eyes scanning your slack face, heart wrenching at the sight of the blood leaking out of the gash on your head. The vice around his heart loosened slightly as he found a pulse. It was weak, but it was there. He hung his head, tears running down his cheeks in relief. You were still alive. 

He pulled you closer, tucking your head beneath his chin as he cried, rocking you back and forth as he shattered, relief that you were alive, terror at your stillness flooding him in equal parts. His tears slowed, breath hitching as he felt you move, breath stuttering as you moaned, rolling your head against his shoulder.

**~*~*~*~**

You groaned, shifting as you felt the ache in your head, awareness slowly coming back to you. You were propped up against a body, head tucked underneath a chin. Your memories came back, breath hitching as you remembered falling, hitting your head and submerging in the water. 

Tears ran down your face as you clung to the shirt beneath you, body shaking as sobs ripped out of your throat. You felt lips press against your head, tears splashing against your hair as Jaskier clutched you to him. His arms grew tighter, gripping you to him as if he would die if he had to let go.

“I thought I lost you.” Jaskier’s broken voice made you look up. His eyes were red and puffy, face pale and drawn. You shook your head, too stunned to speak, just gripping the cloth in your fingers tighter. A gentle hand brushed your forehead, bringing your attention to the ache from the gash. You hissed at the movement, Jaskier tensing beneath. He sputtered apologies, you stopping him with a gentle hand against his wrist.

“Let’s go back to the blanket, I have some bandages there.” He nodded quickly, helping you to your feet, grabbing at you as you swayed. He wrapped an arm around your waist, supporting your weight as the two of you hobbled back to your little sight. You groaned as he set you down on the blanket before grabbing the basket.

“Always prepared,” he managed to get out, searching through what you brought before pulling out the bandages. He moved back to you, gently pressing the cloth against your head. You winced slightly at the movement, causing Jaskier to pull back, concern apparent on his face.

You reached out, pulling his hand back against your forehead. “You need to keep pressure, love, head wounds bleed a lot.” You smiled at him gently, letting him hold the bandage back up to the wound. Slowly, the stream of blood stopped, and you let Jaskier pull the cloth back. “How’s it look?”

He frowned at you, closely examining the split in your skin. “Uuh, it doesn’t look pretty.”

You rolled your eyes at him. “I know, Jask. Is there dirt, can you see bone, is it deep?”

You laughed as he paled, “Never mind. I’ll have one of my assistants look at it when we get back.”

You lay back down, eyes closed as you basked in the sun. You could feel Jaskier staring at you as you lay there. Cracking one eye, you looked up at him. “Well? Are you joining me?”

You heard him sigh before moving to lie down next to you. “We really should go get that checked out.”

Shuffling closer, you tucked yourself into his side. As he moved his arm to wrap around you, you lay your head on his chest. “A little while won’t hurt. If anything, the river would have cleaned it for me.”

You felt a hand start to brush your hair. “I was so scared when you went under.” Jaskier’s voice was low, softly breaking the silence.

Pressing your face into his chest, you nodded. “Me too,” you kept your voice soft. “But I knew you would find me.”

Jaskier hummed, the vibrations soothing you as you felt them through his chest. You sighed, letting yourself drift, warmed by the sun and the body beneath you.

“I love you.” Jaskier’s voice broke the silence.

You grinned into his chest, hand reaching up to lace your fingers with his. “I love you, too.”

Silence fell once more as the two of you listened to the birds sing around you, basking in the sun as you drifted off in each other’s presence.

**~*~*~*~**

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