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Eskel was reconsidering every life choice he made leading him to this. He was currently in front of his bed eyeing a red and white striped shirt that was supposed to be his Halloween costume.
It’s not like every one he was going to meet would realize, because people would be to occupied asking which kind of fake skin he used for his scar and if he was a “professional makeup artist". You see, Eskel had an accident when he was younger which imprinted on his right cheek a long gash from his eyebrow to his mouth, leaving him disfigured. It was fair to say he didn’t like big crowds. The problem was, he promised his brothers he would go to the dumb Halloween party Aiden, his brother’s lover, decided to host at Geralt's bar. And who was he to say no to Geralt and Lambert. He knew why they invited him, Eskel didn’t have many friends, he had Yennefer and Triss the couple he met from Geralt, and Aiden, Lambert’s boyfriend.
Picking up his beer he looked at the clock 10h12. Fuck he was going to be late. He sight and put on his shirt, one hour he promised himself, and then I’m leaving.
Arriving to the party Eskel realized his mistake, he though it was going to be a small university gathering but he was welcomed by a bar full of people, all at different stage of drunk.
He made his way through the crowds ignoring all the look he got at his scar and finally reached Triss, who he spotted from a far with her big medieval dress.
“Eskel! You made it!” she screamed over the sound of the music.
He smiled and look at the crowds once again looking for his brothers
“Oh, Geralt is with jask and yen I don’t know where and I think Lambert just dragged Aiden in the bathroom" she said while laughing “I’m gonna go get a refill, want anything?”
He nodded and pointed her to the only table available at the end the of bar far away from the mass.
“Yeah a beer please, if you see Lam or Geralt tell them I’m here"
While she went to the bar ordering, Eskel sat at the table and couldn’t help but feel a little bit like a coward, he eyed the crowds once again. He was thirty six for fucks sake, not twelve. Maybe it was his own fault for spending is life away from the city alone in his farm, not that he didn’t like his horses and his goats but he was missing in the social department. Eskel to deep in his own mind didn’t realized someone made their way towards him.
“I like your costume!” here we go he though, ready to explain to a total stranger that no, in fact, his scar was not makeup.
“You’re Waldo right? I got to say it’s the first time I ever found you anywhere” the other man laughed.
Eskel turned around to look at the man and froze, he was met with a warm smile, it’s the first thing he noticed. He was wearing an Harley Quinn costume that was clearly made for a woman, the corset was tight on the man’s chest, and his figure was lean and fit. The man had high heels platform that did nothing but embellish his long legs and thick thighs. When he looked at him in the eyes his breath caught again, such a clear color like the man was out of a painting and the blue of his eyes was suppose to be the center of the attention.
“Whaa..?” Eskel breathed as he though of anything else to say that wouldn’t make him look like a total idiot.
“I know its quite rude to walk up to stranger like that, but I just cant help myself when I see a hot man brooding in a corner” he said with a smile, and oh by the gods Eskel needed to go out more because he was about to fall over the first attractive man he saw.
“Eskel.. my name” he cleared his throat and started again “hi, I’m Eskel”
“hi I’m.. Wait? Did you just say Eskel?”
“Jask! Eskel!”
They both turned to see Geralt walking over to them with a clearly intoxicated smile.
“Jask as in Geralt’s best friend”? He said surprised Looking at the both of them.
“Finally I got you both to meet each others, I’ve been trying to match you guys for sooo long" Geralt slurred before turning towards Triss who was coming to the table with two bottle of beers.
“By the gods” Jaskier laughed “ I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this drunk before” he murmured turning his face towards Eskel, even though Geralt was way to occupy talking with Triss and now Yen who followed her to notice.
“You should’ve seen his twenty third birthday, that’s when Lambert convinced him to get tattooed on his butt" Eskel replied with an easy smile.
“AH! I knew it! He told me it was a birth mark”
“Oh no, it’s a heart with Vesemir right in the middle”
Jaskier gave him an disbelieving look, but Eskel serious face must have convinced him because he started uncontrollably laugh right afterwards.
Soon the whole table was filled with people, when Aiden, Lambert and Essie, a friend a Jask, joined them. Surprisingly enough Eskel felt ok with it, everyone was having different discussions, and Jaskier easy smile and constant chatter was distracting enough. He learned about his band and his dreams to play in musical, and in return Eskel told Jaskier a bit about his farm and beloved animals.
“Wow I really miss the country side it was so easy to compose there, I haven’t been since my parent disowned me " Jaskier sight.
“you should come to my farm” the moments the words leave his mouth he start regretting it, yes of course Eskel, ask the cute guy you just met to come to your farm one hour away from the city. “I mean Geralt is there nearly every weekends, you could come by” he ended up rambling.
“Really! I’ve always wanted to meet roach, I’ve heard so much about her, Geralt is a total horse girl if you ask me”
The deep belly laugh Jaskier got in return did something warm to his chest, and he couldn’t help the smile to form on his face. There he was, the shy man he saw from across the bar hiding the scared side of his face, fully facing him and laughing without restraints.
“Gosh you’re so handsome” Jaskier mutter. Eskel eyes widened and he turned his face to the side hiding his scar.
“Yeah I know.. I haven’t got the prettiest face" he remarked darkly.
“What? Oh fuck! I didn’t mean to say that out loud, I promise it wasn’t a joke.. I.. it’s just.. you’ve been hiding your face all evening and I really enjoyed your smile.. god I sound like a creep” Eskel lost his sour face to a surprised one and a deep blush started spreading on his cheeks. He was about to say something, say anything! Eskel thought, but someone grabbed Jaskier by the arm before he could do any of that.
“Omg Jask! This is our song! We’re playing on the radio again!” Jaskier eyes went comically wide as he got up to join Essie on the dance floor, and sure enough his voice filled the speaker. Eskel jaw fell as he heard him sing for the first time, Jask voice was strong a bit gravelly but deeply melodious.
He turned back towards the table and saw Yennefer eyeing him with an amused smirk.
“He is…” Eskel started but didn’t know how to put in words the way he was feeling, everything, perfect? He only met the guy, how was he supposed to explain.
“I understand" she said looking at Triss for a brief moment “you should ask him out, worked out for me"
He looked at the dance floor where Jask was twirling Essie while laughing, then back at Yennefer. The though of being rejected usually stopped him from asking anyone out, hell even talking to anyone, but the though that maybe he had a chance and would miss it over powered is judgement.
“I think I will” he said finally, she smiled at him before handing Triss her coat.
“its time for us to go home, I’ve got to work tomorrow, say bye to everyone for us” He walked with them outside and stayed until their taxi arrived.
When he looked at his phone and realized it was already nearly two in the morning he knew he had to go home too. The sound of the music coming from the bar distracted him from his though, he found Jaskier in his coat ordering a taxi on his phone, he looked up and their eyes met.
“Hey.. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable back there" Jask said looking rather uncomfortable himself.
“you didn’t made me uncomfortable, I just didn’t expect someone like you to hit on someone like me"
“Someone like me?”
“You know..” Eskel tried to explain. “You’re talented and beautiful and funny, and I’m a disfigured hermit who live on a farm” he ended with a bitter laugh.
“I happen to think that hermit is pretty hot actually, I would really like to see him again, if he wants to, of course”
“You do?”
“Are you kidding me, you look like sex on legs. I mean those shoulders.. Oh, you where talking about the seeing each other again part” Jask said with a laugh “hand me your phone"
He walked closer to Eskel and took the phone he was handing him, he wrote a text to his number before giving it back. They looked at each other and shared a small smile, before hearing the taxi honk at them. Jask was torn between having to go and staying to talk with him, he look towards the taxi then back at him and then stepped closer asking permission. Eskel close the distance between them putting his hand behind Jaskier neck and bringing their lips together. The kiss lasted nothing more then 5 seconds and too soon Jaskier was walking towards his taxi.
“Call me!” be said from the taxi window while waving him good bye.
He turned around when he heard the wolf whistle coming from the entry of the bar. Aiden, Geralt and Lambert where all holding each other, to drunk to walk alone, whistling at him.
“Took you long enough!”
“I knew it!”
“Ah! And you said you didn’t wanna come here"