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Being friends with Jaskier had some benefits, though Geralt would never admit it out loud. Occasionally, he would be invited to a court where he had offended (or cuckolded) someone important and so he would invite Geralt along as protection. With one notable exception, it worked out rather well for both of them. Witchers were not made for comforts, but when offered, Geralt would not turn down fine wine, a soft bed, and unlimited food. (It wasn't the quality of the food that was the draw, although he appreciated it. Witchering was hungry work, and feasts were the only place that Geralt could eat until he was satisfied.)
“The Duke and Duchess, of course, were rather offended and immediately disinvited him and hired me instead!” Jaskier finally wrapped up his overdone story of how he had been hired to entertain at what he swore would be “the event of the year, Geralt! Just see if it’s not.”
“Hmm.” Geralt didn’t mention that Jaskier had already told him all this when he first invited him to attend, but he seemed to think it was persuasive, so he retold the tale as they prepared in an attempt to keep Geralt from changing his mind. (There was no chance of that. Geralt had once refused to guard Jaskier at one of his events and Jaskier had returned to their room three days later looking like he had been beaten. Jaskier never told him what had happened, and Geralt didn’t ask, but he never again refused to attend these events when Jaskier invited him.)
“Are you finally ready?” Jaskier asked as if Geralt was the one who was holding them up. Geralt had been dressed for three quarters of an hour while Jaskier fiddled with his hair, his scented oils, and all the fiddly little ties on his outfit.
“I’m ready.”
“Well then let’s go! It won’t do to be late.” (Jaskier had never once been late to a performance. Geralt couldn’t get him to pack up camp or an inn room in any kind of timely manner, but when it came to court performances, Jaskier was always punctual.)
They arrived at the Duchy with time to spare. Jaskier chatted with the other musicians and Geralt stayed close enough to hear Jaskier but not so close that he would feel imposed on or crowded. Eventually, the guests began to arrive and Jaskier began to play. Geralt ate and mingled, never straying too far from Jaskier. Dusk fell, and the guests were all ushered into the courtyard, where a giant tree grew. As the moon rose, the tree began to glow, until it shimmered with pale light.
“This is one of only three known moontrees,” Jaskier whispered to Geralt. “One is under Nenneke’s care, and I forget where the third one is. I think they keep the location a secret, just in case someone would want to harm it. ”
He had seen the moontree while he was recovering at Melitele’s Temple, but had never seen one under the light of a full moon.
The guests oohed and ahhed, then went back into the ballroom to continue dancing, which required Jaskier to also go back inside and play for them. Geralt stayed outside and watched the moon tree, while keeping his ears perked to hear any signs of distress coming from the musician.
As the party was winding down, Jaskier came back outside to sit by Geralt, who had found a bench in the courtyard.
“I guess it’s time for me to confess to you,” Jaskier said after a moment of silence. “I didn’t need you to come guard me. I’ve never been to this court before. Never had the chance to offend any of the lords or ladies. But I wanted you to come. I knew you would love to see the moontree glowing, and I wanted to be with you when you saw it for the first time. If I had waited, you might have seen it at the Temple, but there’s no guarantee that I would have been there too. Please forgive me, friend, for being selfish and deceitful. I only wanted… well, this.”
This being him, sitting next to Geralt, under the glowing moontree. The soft light coming off the tree cast them both in a pale glow. (Geralt didn’t know how to say that he had wanted this for so long as well. There was nothing Jaskier had done that Geralt needed to forgive.)
Geralt reached over and gently took Jaskier’s hand into his. “Thank you for bringing me here. This is beautiful. I’m glad I got to see it with you.”
Jaskier’s mouth dropped, though he quickly recovered himself. “Of course! And as an added bonus, you got to hear me play all night, which I know you love.”
He said it as a joke, as if he knew Geralt actually did not enjoy hearing him play. (He was wrong. Geralt enjoyed his music, he just often refused to say it. In this moment, though, he began to regret it.)
“There are worse things,” he offered, instead of giving a true complement, “than listening to a skilled musician in the light of a moontree.”
“Now I know you’re joking,” Jaskier teased. “A compliment to my music? Who are you and what have you done with Geralt?”
“I’m right here,” Geralt answered. “And I’m beginning to realize that I have been right here the whole time.”
Jaskier gave him a quick look, and whatever retort he had died on his lips as he saw the look on Geralt’s face. Geralt reached over and took Jaskier under the chin, turning his head to face him.
“Well, it certainly took you long enough to figure it out,” Jaskier grumbled, then leaned forward to press his lips gently against Geralt’s.
(He was right. It had taken Geralt too long. But in the light of the moontree, under a full moon, in the courtyard of nobility that Jaskier had never offended, Geralt found it hard to regret anything at all.)