My Heart | Book 4 of My Bodyguard

Chapter 18 | Potions

Yennefer POV

Yennefer glanced at Triss, then looked at Ciri. Her daughter seemed ready to leave. Geralt, predictably, grunted at Jaskier's words. At least the git had the decency to look concerned.

"Let's go," the witch murmured to Triss and Ciri. She gripped Triss's hand and began to walk briskly towards the door. Ciri hung back.

"Dad," Yennefer heard her say quietly. "Please. Look after him. He needs it and he loves you. Don't break his heart or let him get hurt." She wrapped him in a tight hug that Geralt carefully returned.

Then Yennefer was joined by her daughter at the door. She opened it and the three of them vanished into the hallway. Her phone was in her pocket and on vibrate. If Geralt needed anything then he should have the sense to text or call someone. He had almost certainly handled this sort of situation before, however. Yennefer had some confidence in him.

Geralt POV

Geralt approached the bathroom warily, giving Jaskier some space. He could let the man do what he needed, so long as it wasn't self-harm, then enter. Jaskier thrived off of company, but that didn't mean he couldn't also use space. Geralt didn't know. He'd be nearby, though.

Julian POV

Jaskier gave a small smile to the four of them briefly before he power walked towards the bathroom. He let out a small huff as he went towards it, only then did he realise he was panting, not huffing. He licked his lips before he flew the bathroom door open, half closing it over before he made his way to the toilet.

Triss POV

Triss smiled to Geralt and to Ciri, allowing her to hang back as she walked off with her lover. She exchanged a look to Yennefer. Break his heart? The man was too busy breaking his own to ever notice. They looked forwards, heading for the car and waited for Ciri to catch up before they all disappeared down the hall together and went on their way.

Julian POV

Jaskier pulled the top of the toilet up, along with the part you sat on and went to his knees. His hands were shaking already, knowing the effect vomiting has on his body. He waited for a moment. He could feel it coming. The next moment he was gagging and the next vomit was coming from his stomach and into the bottom of the toilet bowl. He makes a small choking noise when doing so, needing to inhale but he had to get all of it out before he took a gasp in order to breath again, his stomach muscles unflexing and fucking hell that hurts and burns his chest on the outside where his wounds were.

Geralt POV

Geralt stepped into the bathroom quietly, his conscience getting the better of him. As much as he would have liked to back away and think, he couldn't leave Jaskier here to suffer. The man didn't deserve that. So Geralt found himself crouching down behind Jaskier and placing a hand lightly on the man's back. Before he could think any harder about it, he started lightly rubbing, praying to whatever deities that might be out there that he didn't cause Jaskier to short-circuit and choke.

He was offering comfort, was all, and yes, he heard himself. But he was. There was nothing more to this gesture than seeing Jaskier through this. Geralt would have done the same for Ciri, he could do it for a friend.

He'd been clinging to that word more recently, he had noticed. It was a buffer. If they were friends, then they couldn't be anything more. Friends was infinitely safer than lovers. It wasn't as safe as being strangers, but they had crossed that line a long time back. Now Geralt was trying to slow the inevitable and avoid their destiny, though he was also aware that it would catch up to them soon.