Chapter Text
“We’re ready, Jaskier!” Cylus called.
And really, the tents were set up, including their rainbow flag in the middle. They’ve done this so many times before but Jaskier was still proud of his kids every time.
“Good job, Rainbows! Now we need to find some firewood.”
“Found it!” Misha called from the side of the cabin.
Geralt got up and gently placed Jaskier’s leg on the bench, the pain in his ankle was already forgotten. “Hmm, we can use mine.” He motioned for the kids to follow him around the cabin. Jaskier smiled at how cute this shy, self-isolated man acted around his monkey gang of kids.
After a few minutes one kid after the other came back with their arms full of logs of various sizes. They built a neat pile in the firepit, like Jaskier had taught them, then gathered bigger logs and crates to create a seating circle around the campfire.
Geralt came back to him and without a word, the godlike hermit lifted him up in his arms again. Jaskier would really have to be careful to not get too comfortable like this. Geralt sat him down on a big log and placed a smaller one in front of him. He summoned a small pillow, placed it on the log and rested Jaskier’s foot on top of it.
“What a gentleman,” Jaskier cooed and smiled up at him. Geralt just nodded and to his disappointment sat down a few feet away between Abigail and Cylus.
“Can you still play for us, Jaskier?” Trix all but whined next to him, distracting him from his pining.
Jaskier put his arm around their shoulders and squeezed gently. “Of course, darling. As long as I got two hands! Where’s my guitar? And the marshmallows?”
The scouts next to the tents jumped up and went inside to bring Jaskier’s guitar and their provisions. Geralt watched it all with fond amusement.
“Thanks,” Jaskier took his guitar from Liam. “Alright, whose turn is it at the fire-race today?”
Abigail and Trix raised their arms as high as they could.
“Fire-race?” Geralt murmured at a loss.
Jaskier just winked at him. “Good. Abigail, choose the partners, Trix the weapons!”
“Me and Liam versus Trix and Cylus!” Abigail yelled with a glint in her eyes. She loved to compete against her older brother and she knew that Cylus still sucked at the basics.
Trix huffed. “Okay, then we get the flintstones and you take a stick!”
“It’s on, Rainbows. Hurry up, how am I supposed to play campfire songs without a proper campfire?” Jaskier squinted at the horizon, the sun was already setting but he had faith in his scouts.
The four contestants got down to business, cheered on by the other kids around them. Jaskier started to pluck some chords to motivate them further and Misha handed out water bottles and marshmallows. Soon they saw the first hints of smoke rising up on Abigail’s side.
“Team Abigail lies ahead but team Trix is not yet defeated,” Jaskier commented while playing a galloping rhythm on the guitar. Liam worked the sticks even faster, producing more smoke, but Trix would just need one good spark from her flintstones and the race would be decided.
Cylus threw his arms up and cheered as a small flame sparked in front of Trix but Abigail and Liam were right behind. “Draw!” Jaskier decided.
“Seriously?” Cylus lamented as his little sister stuck her tongue out at him. Jaskier just laughed. He would always call it a draw, his rainbow kids already suffered enough in the real world, there would never be a loser under his watch.
When the campfire was properly burning, the kids skewered their marshmallows and sang along to Jaskier’s songs. This was Jaskier’s favorite moment with his kids by far. Sitting by the fire, playing music and just being at peace with nature, surrounded by those wonderful, special children whose little faces shone in the firelight after a hard day of wandering and exploring. He could do this forever.
Geralt didn’t sing along but he visibly enjoyed listening and gladly accepted a marshmallow from time to time from Misha. Jaskier had always loathed the classic scout’s campfire songs so he wrote his own and his rainbow kids loved them.
“Sing the spooky song, Jaskier!” they demanded.
“I will but someone else has to go around for I was prescribed leg resting by Dr Geralt and you all have to do the sounds with me.”
Juno volunteered and Jaskier started to play.
Creak - he scratched his fingernail over the A string, then silenced the instrument with his flat hand. “What was that?” he stage-whispered while Juno creeped behind their backs, making low sounds or blowing in their necks. “Was it a faint sound in the distance?”
Crack - Juno snapped a small branch in two and Liam jumped but laughed. “Was that something snapping? Or is someone trampling about? You’re in your room, reading. It’s quiet where you sit except for the burning fire.”
Jaskier merged into the chorus. “Let’s hide under the covers. We don’t know what’s out there. Could be wolves.” The kids howled.
“You hear a -” creak - some kids made a sound, “Is it just the old house settling? Are you just letting your imagination get the best of you?”
Crack - “Perhaps it’s just a small animal outside your window.”
Whoooo - the kids howled again. “Was that the wind?” Jaskier whispered with a trembling voice. “You stand up and peer out of the window. It’s a clear night with a full moon. You laugh at your nervousness and return to your book.”
This time everyone joined in. “Let’s hide under the covers. We don’t know what’s out there. Can’t you hear that scratching?”
Creak - “You bravely chuckle at the sound.” Crack “How can these simple sounds make you so nervous?” Whoooo “It must be really breezy tonight!”
Thump - Juno stomped her foot. “Did you hear that inside the house? You stare into the fire, your nerves are rattled. You need to regain your composure!”
Creak - Crack - Whooo - “Will these sounds never cease?”
Thump, thump, thump! - “Closer! It’s getting closer. You put down your book and close your eyes, desperately trying to think of something else.”
Creak - Thump - Crack - Thump - Whooo
Thump, thump, thump - “There’s a pause. You move quietly towards the door.” Thump “You step back. Yes, it’s getting closer.” Thump “You stare at the door, trying to see through it.”
Thump - “You reach for the doorknob, hand shaking. You can’t wait any longer.”
Creak - “A loose floorboard, stepped on near the door.”
Thump - “You slowly open the door…”
“AAAHHH!” Juno had flung herself at Cylus back and screamed and Cylus screamed along and then everyone laughed.
Jaskier played the last chorus. “Let’s hide under the covers. We don’t know what’s out there. Could be all our demons, I don’t know. So hide under the covers. We don’t know what’s out there. Could be ghosts or monsters or a robot-vampire.”
“Are there wolves in this forest, Geralt?” Abigail asked excitedly.
Geralt shrugged. “Sure. But they don’t come near my hut. They are not as dangerous as people say.”
“And werewolves?” Liam wanted to know.
Geralt just laughed and shook his head.
“Have you ever seen a sasquatch?” Abigail asked again.
“What’s that?” Geralt frowned at her.
The girl threw her arms in the air, like she couldn’t believe he didn’t know. “Bigfoot! He’s half ape, half human and lives in the woods!”
Geralt thought about that. “No, I’m the only one who lives here.”
The kids listed several more monsters and fairytale figures but Geralt’s answers remained the same. “They don’t exist. Those are all stories people made up to explain all kinds of phenomenons or to make themselves feel better.”
“Oohh…” The kids sighed deeply disappointed and fell silent.
Jaskier grinned nervously. “Come on, Geralt. You sure know that there’s some truth to every story. There has to be something else existing, hm?” He nodded at the kids, pleading with his eyes that the other man would understand that these were just children who wanted to believe in ghost stories for fun.
Geralt’s eyes widened and he swallowed, hurrying to come up with something. “Yes, sure. Vampires!”
Thirteen little faces beamed at him. “Have you seen one?”
“I have. One of my best friends is a vampire. Sometimes he flies by and we have tea together.”
Jaskier was sure Geralt was exaggerating but he appreciated the effort as the kids peppered him with further questions about his vampire friend who sounded suspiciously like a common bat to him.
Not long after, the first younger kids started to yawn and Jaskier called it a night and sent the grumbling mob to bed.
Geralt had vanished, too, while the kids creeped into the tents and settled down into their bedrolls, but now he sat down on the log next to Jaskier, holding two canned beers in his hands. “Is your work over now?” he asked, offering one of them to Jaskier.
He hesitated only for a second. “I guess.” He grinned and took the cool can. One beer wouldn’t do any harm and he needed it cause Geralt was sitting very close and he was so warm. Warmer than the burned down embers in front of them.
They opened the cans and took a few sips before Geralt asked, “Do you have to sit here the whole night?”
Jaskier smirked. “No. Maybe for an hour in case one of them can’t sleep. But they had an exciting day and are probably super wrung out. They’ll sleep like babies.”
Geralt smiled at him and then stared back into the fire.
“You made yourself a really beautiful place here, Geralt.” Jaskier always had problems keeping his mouth shut and now he really struggled to keep himself together when the other man was sitting so close with his alluring scent like wood and grasses and something entirely feral.
Geralt just hummed.
“Doesn’t it get lonely sometimes?” Jaskier tried again.
Geralt watched him from the corner of his eyes and shrugged. “Not really. Once a month I go to the nearest town, buy supplies or trade things, take care of my business. Sometimes I have visitors.”
Jaskier grinned at that. “Your vampire friend?”
The other man snorted. “I meant my brothers and other acquaintances. And I have my animals. They are better than people anyway.”
“True,” Jaskier nodded and raised his beer to that. “How many do you have?”
“My horse, Płotka, and a few goats. They are very useful, frugal and easy to handle.”
Jaskier noticed how Geralt’s whole posture changed as he talked about his animals. That was so cute. He couldn’t help but wonder what this big, strong, solitary but soft, charming and stunningly handsome man must have been through in his life that he had to flee civilization.
“And did you teach yourself all this? Hunting, self catering and surviving in the wild?”
Geralt chuckled and smiled openly at him. “I have internet, Jaskier!”
“Impressive…” Jaskier deadpanned and then they both spluttered and giggled as they tried to laugh quietly.
When they calmed down Jaskier emptied his beer and leaned back on his hands, they sat so close their arms and thighs were touching.
After a few peaceful minutes, Geralt cleared his throat. “Uhm, you… have a really nice voice when you sing.”
“Thank you,” Jaskier breathed softly. Okay, so he wasn’t imagining the flirting atmosphere between them then.
He was sure when Geralt leaned over and softly touched his shin. “How is the leg?” he asked right next to his ear.
Jaskier swallowed. “Better. Good thing you got me down from this trap, though.”
Geralt didn’t pull his hand back but let it wander up over his leg. “Hmm. Well, I caught you.”
“That you did.” Jaskier looked up. The other man was so close, their noses almost touched. They locked eyes and Jaskier smiled. “You can do whatever you want with me now.”
He gasped as Geralt squeezed his inner thigh. “Hmm, maybe I want to show you the inside of my hut. And other things…” he rumbled. Jaskier squirmed and nodded. His mouth went dry and heat gathered in his lower belly. Geralt’s hand petted over Jaskier’s hip and waist. “But first,” he went on, “I want to kiss you.”
Jaskier’s eyes widened for a second before he reached up to cup Geralt’s jaw and close the distance between them.