Try, Please Try For Me

Home At Last

When Geralt and Vesemir have finished putting away the supplies and return to the hall, Jaskier has fallen asleep. He's curled on the rug still, his winter coat now removed and folded under his head to make a makeshift pillow, and his chest is rising and falling with soft breaths. It pains Geralt a little bit to wake him, especially after the past few days pushing the bard to his limits, but he can't very well leave Jaskier asleep in the foyer so he goes over to his side and runs a gentle hand through the man's hair until he's pulled from his sleep.

"Mmm, Geralt?" Jaskier blinks sleepily at him, then looks around the room as if somehow surprised by his surroundings.

"Hi," he watches with amusement as Jaskier seems to recall the day's events and where he is. "You feeling better?"

"Yes, much better." He flushes as he looks past Geralt to where Vesemir is standing a few feet behind him, "uh, sorry for passing out on your floor."

"That's quite alright, lad. It's not the first time it's happened, won't be the last."

Jaskier raises an eyebrow at that.

"Lambert does it sometimes," Geralt explains. "That rug is, uh, his spot."

The bard's eyes widen ever so slightly and he quickly stands gathering his things into his arms and stepping off the rug as if it bit him.

"Oh so you've warned him," Vesemir says, with a chuckle. "Good." He comes up and elbows Geralt gently in the ribs. "Why don't you help him settle in, Geralt. Put your things away, show him around, and I'll make us something to eat. The two of you must be tired from the journey."

Geralt nods and grabs a few items from Jaskier's arms, then leads him out of the hall and up the stairs to where the bedrooms are.

"This is my room," Geralt says, stopping in front of the door. "You can stay here with me if you want." He scratches the back of his head, fidgeting slightly, He never talked about living arrangements with Jaskier, and it feels wrong to just assume, so he adds, "or we can get one of the others cleaned out for you to have your own."

Jaskier gives Geralt a somewhat odd look. With his things piled high in his arms Geralt can only see his eyes and the top of his head peeking out from the pile. "Do you not want me to share with..."

"No!" Geralt says, almost too quickly, pushing the door open. "I mean, yes. I'd like it if you stayed with me."

"Then I will," Jaskier says happily, waltzing past him and into the room. He places his things on the ground, then surveys the space around him and Geralt finds himself holding his breath for some reason.

His room is spacious, with a large comfortable bed, and walls lined with shelves that hold trinkets, books, and weapons that Geralt has collected over the years. He knows it's not much, and certainly not the kind of luxury that Jaskier is used to, but something feels right about seeing the bard here, surrounded by his things, in his home. Its like all the parts of his life coming together.

"I know it's not much..." Geralt starts, but he's promptly cut off when Jaskier turns to look at him, a wide grin on his face, and all the tension eases out of him in seconds.

"It's perfect." Jaskier says, kissing his cheek. "It feels...warm, lived in. And oh are those books? Geralt, how did we go all this time without you telling me you like to read?"

"They're just encyclopedic volumes. Monsters, plants, and such. Didn't think you'd be interested."

"Geralt!" Jaskier says, chiding him. "If it's something you like I'm always interested!" He then pauses as if considering and adds, "Or I'll at least pretend to be interested." He lingers at the bookshelf for a while, trailing a finger over the spines of the dusty volumes before sauntering over to the bed and flopping himself onto the mattress. "Hmmm, I should've known your bed would be this big, what with the way you like to sprawl. Perhaps there will finally be space for me."