Geraskier One-Shot Collection

Heat of the Moment - Part 2

It didn't take long for Geralt to find information on the bard. People were quick to answer, him dealing with the contracts given, and some people noticed the bard's absent mind (people who had spent the night with him- he was sometimes drunk and told his story) and they wanted to help.

The last place a young man mentioned was Kaedwen, which was not too far from the Witcher's location.

"He misses you, you know?" The young man, Thomas, told Geralt in the tavern. They were sitting side by side, two tankards of ale in front of them. "He spoke of his feelings... he told me how you two split up, and the effect that had on him."

Geralt raised an eyebrow. "Jaskier told you what happened?" The man hummed into his ale, swirling it around. "I..."

Thomas smiled. "I don't expect you to answer that, it's your personal life after all." He set down a few coins on the counter after finishing his drink. "Best of luck finding him, Witcher. Gods know you both need one another."

* * *

It didn't take too long to reach the bard's location. As said before, people were quick to help him, and Geralt knew the way to Kaedwen like the back of his hand (as he did with many other towns and cities).

The innkeep looked at the Witcher with a smile when he approached, asking for a room. She gave him a key to the room right next to the bard's, as a small feeling in her gut told her that they were to be reunited.

"There aren't any contracts for you here, Witcher." Her smile stayed when his reply was a simple grunt. "He just left here a few hours ago before you arrived."

Geralt mumbled a 'thank you', remembering the words Thomas said to him. People wanted to help, eager to get the two back together- this innkeep just so happened to be one of them.

After setting all of his weapons down (except for one sword- just in case), Geralt left the inn and made his way to the tavern. The bard's voice was already loud and clear to him, he was thanking everyone- meaning the Witcher had missed all of his songs.

Now Jaskier was making his way over to the bar, sitting down next to a young woman with ginger hair. A large smile was on his lips as he started to talk to her, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, it never did. No one could really tell, however, only about three or four people ever commented on it- the rest seemed to only care about what they were going to get from him.

"Ah, Witcher, what can I get you?" Jaskier closed his mouth and froze, releasing his grip on the woman next to him.

"A pint of ale." Geralt. The ginger next to the bard frowned, seeing that he had lost interest in her pretty quick. She huffed and left, that wanting look written on his expression was not towards her.

Jaskier slowly turned around in his seat, his azure eyes wide with shock. His lips parted when the Witcher didn't even glance back at him. But the look in those amber eyes was clear- he wanted to look, he wanted to say something-

And Geralt did, but the words that he wanted to say were not to be heard from others. No, those words were to be said to Jaskier- and Jaskier alone.

"Thank you for the ale," Jaskier stood up from his seat, tossing a bit of coin he had earned onto the counter. He knew that if he left the tavern, Geralt would follow- the Witcher's expression was quite obvious that he wanted to.

Geralt did the same after Jaskier left. A coin, the groan coming from the chair, and the sound of the tavern's door slamming shut.

*  *  *

The Witcher had rehearsed this moment over and over with Roach. Of course, the horse never replied the way Jaskier would- she couldn't speak like he could- and she sure as hell didn't have the bard's looks. And there he was, comparing his old companion to his horse.

"Are you going to say something, or are you just going to follow me?" Jaskier's sweet melodious voice snapped Geralt back to reality. He had turned around to face Geralt, his expression hard and his eyes cold. They had shown wanting and sadness at the tavern- perhaps it had been a mere show for others to see. "Well?"

Geralt looked at the ground below him, trying to remember what he wanted to say. Damn his sudden lack of memory. "I'm sorry," he started, looking up for a brief moment before turning to look behind the brunette so it looked like he was making eye contact. "For everything I said... it wasn't a blessing- it was a curse. I was angry and..." he trailed off again, trying to find more words.

"Needed someone to lash out on?" Jaskier finished quietly. His hard expression had fallen, his eyes turning to match the ones he had at the tavern. "Heat of the moment?" He knew that the Witcher would struggle with the words, not really having to do this before.

"Yes." His answer was quick- as it was obvious. "I didn't... nothing was your fault- nothing is your fault." He paused and thought about that phrase. "Heat of the moment."

Jaskier wanted to be angrier. He wanted to lash out just like Geralt had done. He wanted to continue to keep distance and forget this all happened- but there was no doing that. It just couldn't happen, because he understood that the Witcher truly didn't know how to do this.

"Well its a good thing I love you than, hm?" Jaskier shut his mouth as soon as those words left his lips, he had spoken without even thinking on what to say.

Excruciating silence fell between the two. Jaskier turned around and held a hand over his mouth, trying to put together something to say. His mouth would one day be the death of him.

A large hand fell onto the bard's soldier, slowly grasping it so he could turn around. "Say it again." His voice was quiet, as though speaking any louder would break something- or someone.

"W-Well it's a good thing I-I love you?" Damn my stuttering. Jaskier kicked himself internally, he hadn't spoken like this in a really long time. He hadn't felt like this in a really long time either. "Look, G-Geralt-"

"I love you too." It came out as a mumble, but Jaskier was close enough to hear every word. "I love you too."

Relief washed over both of them. Geralt let his barrier fall, allowed his emotions to take over- said the L-word just for Jaskier, the man he had grown to love over the years.

And Jaskier, he had let go of fear and said three words that he'd been wanting to say for years. It made him happy; happy that Geralt felt the same, and that maybe things would fall back to normal- with a few exceptions, of course.

With those words, Geralt let go of the brunette's shoulder and allowed it to fall to his side. A silent understanding that they would discuss this further tomorrow was passed.

They both, at first, had a feeling that the quarrel on the mountain wouldn't separate them for long. It was just as Jaskier had said-

It had been the heat of the moment.