#jaskier x reader insert

“I wanted to,” Jaskier smiles and takes your hand to pull you into the middle of the room.

There are flowers everywhere. Your favorites. Their colorful blossoms stand in deep contrast to the gold around them, their scent lingering heavily in the air. You take a deep breath and happiness fills your soul. You wonder how Jaskier found them as they don’t bloom this time of year. Where there aren’t flowers, there are candles. Dozens and dozens of candles, on the floor and windowsill, flickering and illuminating the room in a dim light.

“Still … Jaskier, this is too much.” You shake your head in disbelief.

“I don’t even know what that means when it comes to you,” he jokes and it makes you chuckle.

“How did you …?”

“Geralt.” He shrugs as if this explains everything.

“Geralt?”, you raise an eyebrow.

“Oh yes,” he nods. “After saving the life of the Queen’s darling little daughter, she would do anything for him.”

You scoff. “I bet.” Your fingers graze over the petal of a flower close to you. The feeling reminds you of home – and ultimately of him. “But why?”

“Because I love you,” Jaskier replies.

Heat rushes to your cheeks. “I love you too.”

Oh, and how you love him. That man who turned your life upside down in the span of a year. Who makes you laugh like no one else. Who makes you feel protected and warm and like nothing in the world can stop you with him by your side.

“And I need you to marry me.”

Seven simple words and they still cause you to gasp. Your head snaps in his direction, forgotten is the beauty all around you as your eyes find his.

“Excuse me?”, you whisper.

Even though the smile stayed on his lips, you notice how his hands begin to tremble ever so slightly. He clears his throat. “I had a poem prepared. And a song,” Jaskier chuckles. He looks to the corner of the room behind you to the place where, you guess, his lute lies. He focuses back on you, searching in your face for a sign that of nervousness. Of you not wanting this. He finds nothing of the sort.

So Jaskier reaches for your hands and drops down on one knee: “But … you left me speechless again. There are no words in this or any other language to describe how you make me feel. I have seen so many beautiful things in this world and yet nothing can compare to the sight of your smile. I can’t stand the idea of spending another day apart from you.” He takes a deep breath. “Will you marry me?”

***

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You giggled, “I like it every once in a while. The world is quiet and calm in the mornings, it’s a nice time to centre myself.” You rolled your head to look at him with a gentle smile. “I miss moments like this more than anything, just being able to spend the mornings with you.”

Geralt drew a hand down his face, looking weary. “I don’t.”

You had been woken last night by Geralt pounding on your door, dragging an injured Jaskier behind him. You had let them in without saying a word, working on Jaskier into the early hours of the morning. He was resting now, wrapped in blankets on your bed. He had taken a nasty fall and split his head open and the wound wouldn’t stop bleeding. Geralt had had to give him some of his blood clotting potion, which was toxic to humans in the long run. You had cleaned and stitched the wound and then spent hours fighting Jaskier’s fever down.

Now that he was sleeping peacefully, you and Geralt were resting on your porch with a hot drink. Your smile slowly slid off your face. “Yes, he really is clumsy, isn’t he. He’ll be ok though, Geralt. He’s just sleeping now.”

Geralt hummed in acknowledgement and the two of you fell quiet once more, the silence broken by the clucking of your chickens and the singing of the birds as they welcomed the start of a new day. A while later, once you had finished your drink, you set the mug aside and stood. You stretched, a groan leaving your lips as your joints popped, stiff from having sat either at Jaskier’s bedside or curled up in the chair for hours.

“I’m going to check on Jaskier quickly before I head into town. I used up the last of some of my herbs last night and I need them to make his next dose of medicine. I’ll take Charlie, but I’ll be a couple of hours yet. The markets should just be opening by the time I get there.” Folding the blanket, you set it on your chair. “I might just pick up his next dose while I’m there.”

Geralt grunted his acknowledgement, standing and making his way towards your stables. You knew he was going to saddle Charlie for you and make sure you had everything you needed for the short trip. Charlie was a bay horse that the Witcher had gifted to you, Roach had apparently been a female and pregnant when Geralt had gotten her. She gave birth in your stables and you had raised the foal by hand, Roach was always happy to see him when they came back. As for the name, well, Jaskier had chosen the name for the small horse, and no matter what you tried, it had stuck.

You refused to take payment from the Witcher for your services, even though he used them semi frequently. He had saved you from a monster several years back, and this was your way of repaying him. Geralt came by a couple of times a year, most often when he was injured, but you were glad to see him when he did. It sometimes got lonely, far away from the village as you were.

Checking on the bard, you smiled as you smoothed his hair away from his face, laying the back of your hand against his forehead. You frowned slightly, his temperature was still higher than you would have liked, but it was acceptable. You dipped a cloth into the bucket next to his bed before wringing it out and laying it on his forehead. Jaskier’s face relaxed further in his sleep at the touch of the cool cloth, a sigh escaping his lips. 

Satisfied, you turned and left the house, seeing Geralt standing with Charlie fully saddled and waiting for you. The horse danced, throwing his head in anticipation of the journey ahead. You thanked Geralt as you mounted, taking the reins into your gloved hands. 

“Keep an eye on him, Geralt, if you don’t mind. He may wake up soon and he will be disoriented from the medicines I gave him. Make sure he stays in bed and is resting, I don’t want his fever coming up anymore.” Geralt nodded in response and stepped back, allowing you to turn the horse’s head towards the village, watching until you turned a corner and were out of view.

**~*~*~*~**

Knowing you would be several hours until you were back, Geralt stuck his head inside to check on Jaskier before getting to work. He knew you wouldn’t take money as payment, but he could do some of your chores instead. Returning outside, he grabbed the ax sitting next to the woodpile and started splitting wood. After he finished that, he moved over to your chicken coop, fixing the hole that had been torn in it by a rogue coyote.

Chores completed, he brought Roach out of the stable and took her tack off, letting her roam as he worked on repairing her saddle and oiling the leather. That done, he moved on to grooming Roach herself, working the knots out of her mane and tail. He put Roach back into the stable before going inside, brushing himself off as he went. He called to the bard as he went, not wanting to surprise him if Jaskier was awake. Entering the room, he stopped short at the sight of the empty bed, blankets thrown to the ground.

“Fuck.”

**~*~*~*~**

You rode back into the clearing to find an odd sight waiting for you. Geralt was sitting in the middle of your lawn, banging on Jaskier’s lute as he loudly called the bard’s name, the combination of his rough voice and the off-tune music making a discordant sound that filled the small clearing. Dismounting, you tied Charlie to the hitching railing next to the stable before approaching the Witcher cautiously.

“Umm, Geralt?” The man in question jumped at your voice, obviously having been caught unawares. Your concern grew as you realized he hadn’t heard you approaching. “What are you doing?”

Halting his strumming, a sheepish look came over his face as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Erm, I may have, umm, misplaced the bard?”

You stared at him. “You what?”

“Heh, I don’t know… where Jaskier… is.” The Witcher spoke haltingly as you slowly pale, not liking the expression that was slowly appearing on your face.

“You don’t know where he is.” 

“Ah, yeah, pretty much.”

You turned and marched towards the house as Geralt scrambled to his feet behind you. “Y/N?”

You whirled towards him, throwing your hands up in the air. “You were meant to be watching him! I left you with one job, Geralt, one job! Watch the bard! And you couldn’t handle that! Now I have to go find a sick Jaskier who has wandered off, and I have no idea where he would be.”

Turning back around, you continued towards the house to grab various healing supplies. As you went, you threw back over your shoulder, “Find him Geralt, or so help me, Melitle won’t be able to save you.”

You could hear the discordant sound of the Witcher and the lute started up again in the background, cursing to yourself under your breath as you went. You quickly searched the house, not finding the missing bard, before heading into the woods as Geralt continued playing in the clearing. You heard a cry of success as you returned to the clearing, the jarring sound of the lute continuing.

Exiting the trees, you allowed a small smile to form on your face as you saw Jaskier emerging from the trees, Geralt gently placing the lute on the ground as he strode towards the bard. A frown appeared on Jaskier’s face as he muttered something about needing to find his muse as he turned and walked back into the trees.

Geralt’s face turned frantic as the bard started to disappear, all but leaping back towards the instrument on the ground as he continued to play the lute. Jaskier turned back around again, coming further out of the trees, drawn by the sound of music. You snuck over to the bard, laughing as Geralt started backing towards the house, continuing to bang on the poor instrument. As you got closer, you could hear Jaskier muttering curses under his breath.

“That total sod, no idea how to play a lute properly. Should’ve done something about Valdo Marx when I got the chance, stupid talentless waste of a bard. No, not even a bard. Geralt, where did that djinn go? I need those wishes.”

Gently settling yourself underneath the bard’s arm, you took some of his weight as he continued to move towards the lute, and the house behind it. You got him settled in bed, handing him a potion to drink, promising to make Marx give him the lute once he drank it. As he drifted off to sleep again, you rounded on Geralt, narrowed eyes making the already pale man whither beneath your gaze.

You marched outside, not checking to make sure the Witcher was following, knowing that he would. You turned on him as you reached the centre of the clearing. “What the fuck, Geralt? Did you see what I meant? You left him alone and he got out!”

“Yes, but I also got him back.” The Witcher pointed out, hoping to calm you now that nothing bad had happened.

“Okay, but you also lost him in the first place! You wouldn’t have had to find him had you not lost him!” You threw your arms up, almost at your wit’s end with the stupidity of the pair. The dense idiot in front of you couldn’t figure out why you were mad in the first place. Sighing, you shook your head as you moved towards Charlie, intending to remove his saddle and rub the horse down before putting him back in the stable, done with Geralt’s antics.

As you were stripping the horse, you could feel Geralt approaching you. “I am sorry, Y/N. I didn’t mean to forget about him, I just wanted to get some chores done for you.”

Again you sighed as you leaned your head against the horse. You seemed to be doing that a lot because of these two. “I know, Geralt. I just worry when you two get hurt.”

You felt a hand on your arm, allowing yourself to be pulled against the hard chest next to you as Geralt wrapped you in a hug. “I do my best to keep us in one piece, you know that. And when I can’t, we trust you to put us back together.”

You wrapped your arms around his middle, leaning into him, allowing yourself to be soothed by his warmth and embrace. Remembering the scene you walked into, you started to giggle. You could feel Geralt pull back to look down at you, a confused expression on his face. “What’s so funny?”

“You, the lute, Jaskier.” You tried to get out, breathless as you dissolved into a full blown belly laugh, unable to speak in proper sentences. A sheepish grin crossed Geralt’s face as he realized what you were laughing about.

“Ah, I thought he would come for that. He never lets me touch that stupid thing, so I figured it would be the same even if he wasn’t entirely sure what was going on.” You could feel the vibrations against your cheek as he chuckled as well, happy now that he knew you weren’t mad at him and that Jaskier was safe.

You pulled back from him, wiping the tears of mirth from your eyes. “C’mon, you big lug, let’s go get dinner ready for when Jaskier wakes up again.”

The occasional chuckle left you as you walked, sensing Geralt catching up to you. “Thank you,” came the quiet sentence.

“Don’t mention it.” You swatted at him as you said this before falling silent. Your friendship had its ups and downs, but at the end of the day your small trio trusted each other without question. You would be sad when they left, but would look forward to the day they trundled back into your small yard once more. 

**~*~*~*~**

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It seemed like yesterday that you were still sitting next to him on the tiny bed in the cheap tavern, only covered by a thin sheet, your hair messy, your smile wide. Sunflower, he had called you then. You were radiating so much happiness and light. The name caused you to laugh loudly yet it stuck. To this day, you were his sunflower.

Now you were standing in front of a huge mirror, wearing a dress that looked so beautiful yet so wrong on you. There was no smile on your face, only furrowed brows and dark circles under your eyes. Jaskier watched how your hands were shaking as you fidgeted with a button and his heart ached. This wasn’t how you were supposed to look on your wedding day.

He’s not good enough. Jaskier didn’t feel bad for thinking that. It was the truth. The man your parents promised you too didn’t deserve you.

Then your eyes met his in the mirror. Immediately, you smiled but it was filled with sadness and a sense of longing you never experienced before. You knew why he was here. Last night, when you were wide awake, staring at the ceiling, you had wished for him to come. Knock on the door, sweep you off your feet and rescue you from this sudden nightmare that was your life. Another part was well aware of what it would mean to you, your life, your family. It was an impossible dream.

“You look beautiful beyond words,” Jaskier finally said.

Your heart fluttered at the compliment as you turned around to face him. “Thank you, Jaskier.”

The bard slowly began to walk towards you. He seemed so unsure suddenly and the unusual sight made you nervous. He reached into his pockets, pulling out a small box. “I brought you something,” his voice trembled a little. He cleared his throat before he continued with a steadier tone: “Consider it a parting gift, I guess.”

Curiously, you opened the wooden box. Inside was a delicate silver necklace. Tears dwelled up in your eyes when you noticed the pendant. A sunflower.

“It’s beautiful,” you mumbled. “Thank you.”

He smiled at you, feeling glad that it brought you at least some joy on this cursed day.

“Can you …?”, you lifted up your hair with one hand while handing him back the box.

“Yes, sure,” Jaskier reached around you, carefully putting the necklace on you. He swallowed hard when he noticed how close you suddenly were. The overwhelming scent of you – a mixture of peonies and summer – made him dizzy and the urge to simply pull you even closer and kiss you grew stronger with every passing moment.

„Sunflower …”

Your breath came out ragged as you looked deep into his eyes. For a moment, you imagined yourself back on that clearing in the forest where he kissed you for the first time. The birds singing around you, the pounding of your heart inside your chest – it was so loud that you were worried he heard it. Then you remembered where you really were. You took a sudden step back. “Jaskier, please don’t.”

A smirk appeared on his face. „You don’t know what I was about to say … or do.” Was he trying to lighten up the mood? You didn’t let it irritate you.

“I believe, I do,” you replied firmly and looked down to the ground.

“And?”

“You know what my answer has to be.”

“And what do you want your answer to be?”

Oh, as if he didn’t know what you wanted to say to him. How much you wanted to just kiss him, take his hand and run away. Never looking back. You never cared about your materialistic life – no amount of money, jewelry or dresses could make you happy the same way he did. “Jaskier …”

“Does he make you happy?”

You didn’t reply.

“Do you love him?”, he asked, so softly, as if he was afraid of the answer. However, there was no reason to be. “Do you love me?”

You looked back at him again. There were no words needed. Jaskier knew the answer to his question.

“Then come with me.” When Jaskier came here this morning, it wasn’t his intention to convince you to blow off the wedding. It truly wasn’t. Yet when he saw you like this, he knew he had to try or he would regret it for the rest of his life.

“I can’t,” you croaked. “My family –”

“Your family shouldn’t force you to marry that old douchebag in the first place. ”

The truth hit you like a brick wall and you were out of words for a few moments. He was right. They shouldn’t. They never gave you a chance to make your own decisions regarding marriage in the first place. However, women like you didn’t get chances like that. It just wasn’t the way it worked.

“My family will be ruined if I don’t marry him. I’m their last chance.” It was a weak argument at best.

Jaskier tilted his head, looking at you sympathetically. You were hurting, he saw that. “It’s not fair of them to expect that you carry the weight of their mistakes.”

You let out a sharp breath again and a single tear rolled down your cheek. Turning around, you saw your reflection in the mirror and it made you want to throw up. This wasn’t right. Nothing of it was right. The sudden desire to cut the fabric off your body and burn it overcame you.

Suddenly, you felt Jaskiers hand on your hips as he embraced you from behind. Your heart skipped a beat at the familiar touch. He planted a soft kiss on your hair, closing his eyes for a second. „I love you, Y/N,” he whispered. “I love you so much. I don’t know how I would ever get over you.”

Another tear ran down your cheek. “I love you, too.”

“Then come with me,” he kissed you again, this time on your neck. “I want to wake up next to you for the rest of my life. I know, I can’t offer you much anymore but I’ll make it my only mission in life to keep you happy – and when the day comes, the only tears that will flow on our wedding day will be tears of joy.”

The smile he gave you made you weak in your knees. Oh how deeply you wanted to come with him.

“Please, Y/N. I will ask you this one more time and then I will go,” Jaskier grabbed your hand and squeezed it a little. “I’ll respect your decision but please – will you come with me?”

Your heart answered before your mind got a chance to and you finally said: “Yes.”

***

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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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“You’re not subtle, Jask.” He jumped, and then grinned guiltily, like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. You glanced at him before moving to the side of the bench and patting the seat next to you. “Come sit.” 

“My darling Y/N, it’s been too long! A year or so? How have you been?” Jaskier dropped onto the bench next to you, glancing over at the gaggle of children playing, watching as they tossed a ball around and chased after it. “You had just started working with the seamstress, how has that been going?

You smiled softly, “it’s been five years, Jask. You’ve been gone for quite a while.”

He turned his head to look at you, a shocked expression on his face. “That long? It can’t be!”

When you just glanced at him before returning your gaze to the children, he felt his heart drop. “I am so sorry, love, I never meant to stay away that long.”

You hummed, “I know, Jask. You have a traveller’s heart though, you never could stay in the same place. I loved you, I understood that you needed to leave. From what I’ve heard, you’ve made quite a name for yourself these past few years.”

Slowly, he turned so that he was leaning against the bench again, watching you out of the corner of his eye. You hadn’t looked at him since he first sat down. Reaching over, he grasped your hand, lacing your fingers together. Finally, you turned to look at him, and he could see your eyes brimming with tears. “Oh love,” he reached out, pulling you into his embrace.

You went willingly, wrapping your arms around his middle and leaning your head against his chest. The two of you stayed that way until you heard little footsteps run up to you and a small voice ask, “Mamma?”

You felt Jaskier stiffen under your arms before you released yourself from his grip, turning to look at the small boy in front of you. “Yes, Jorden?”

“Who’s dat?” The small boy pointed at Jaskier sitting next to you. He shifted uncomfortably, wondering who this boy was and who his father was. He had a mop of brown hair on his head and striking cornflower blue eyes.

You smiled at the young child, reaching out and pulling him into your lap. “Jorden, I would like you to meet Uncle Jaskier. He’s a very old friend of mine.”

“Oh,” Jorden stuck his thumb in his mouth and tried to hide behind your body. Gently, you pulled his hand away from his mouth, scolding him softly. “Is he nice?”

You laughed softly. Oh, how Jaskier had missed that sound. “Yes, he is very nice. Maybe if you ask nicely, Uncle Jaskier will sing you a song at the inn tonight.” You glanced over at him, “I assume you are singing tonight?”

Numbly, Jaskier nodded his head. “Yes, I will make sure I sing a song for you,” he reached out and poked the child’s stomach, causing him to giggle. “And one for your mother as well,” he added, glancing over at you with a soft expression on his face.

The child started squirming as the shouting from the other children increased, silently asking to be put down. You kissed his head before setting him on the ground, the boy shooting away as soon as his feet touched the dirt. You sighed, turning once more to face Jaskier, your face shuttered.

“How- how old is he?” Jaskier watched the child running with the other boys, doing his best to keep up with the bigger ones.

“He turned four a few months ago.” You continued to look at him with an expressionless face, glancing at the child occasionally.

“Four years old,” Jaskier whispered. “And I left you five years ago? Is he- is he… mine?”

You gave the man a hard, searching look before glancing away, wrapping your arms around yourself as you nodded, “Yes, he is. He has your eyes.”

Jaskier felt his eyes fill with tears, the feeling of loss swelling within his chest. “Y/N, I -” he stopped, unable to form words.

Shifting closer, you leaned into the man. “I know, Jask, I know.”

“What did you tell him?” 

“I told him that his father was a great adventurer and that he died on one of his trips. I couldn’t let him think that his father didn’t want him.” You put a hand on Jaskier’s leg as he opened his mouth to speak. “I know you didn’t mean to abandon me, love. I never wrote to you either, you couldn’t have known.”

“I could have come back,” Jaskier whispered, “I could have come checked.”

“How were you to have known?” You sat back up, turning your body to face the man fully. “Just, just don’t stay away as long this time? I would never keep you here, you wouldn’t be happy. We are fine, just the two of us. The old seamstress is delighted, sees him as her grandson and helps me out a lot. But I want him to know you, even as Uncle Jaskier. Don’t let him grow up not knowing you.”

He kissed you gently on the forehead, “Never. I will make a point to visit more often now, not only for Jorden, but for you as well.”

You leaned back into him, tucking your body into his side as you both turned to regard your son, watching as he ran through the streets, ducking and dodging.

**~*~*~*~**

Later that evening, you followed Jaskier up the stairs as he carried your sleeping boy to his bed, tucking him under the blankets as you both kissed him on the forehead. The two of you sat in front of your hearth, cuddled into each other under a blanket.

Jaskier leaned down, dropping a kiss onto your forehead. You sighed and nestled further into his arms. “I missed this, just being able to relax with you.”

“I know, love, I missed you too.” Jaskier reached a hand up to push a strand of hair out of your face. “What can I do to make this up to you? What can I do to convince you to forgive me?”

“Just be here. Come back every couple of months to visit, let Jorden know you as he grows up.” You looked up at him, placing a chaste kiss on his lips. “Just being here with me now is the best start.”

“Always, I’ll always come back to you.” He leaned down and captured your lips with his, a sigh escaping you as you laced your fingers in his hair. The two of you stayed tangled together for the rest of the night, relishing in each other’s company once again.

**~*~*~*~**

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