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Jaskier slumps in the seat across from Geralt, crossing his arms over the table and flopping onto them, head down. Is it too much to ask that people spare him a little common decency? Something more than just a quick fuck and out you go. It’s not like he asks for much, just a few moments together before heading back off to whatever he’s supposed to be doing. If all he wanted was a quick fuck, he’d go to a brothel.
“Should I even ask?” Geralt mutters. Jaskier sighs, lifts his head, sighs again.
“No one has a romantic bone in their body anymore! What happened to playing songs outside windows, glitter and sparkles on handmade Valentine’s cards, dancing in the rain!? What happened?!”
The look on Geralt’s face is somewhere between fear and that of a man calculating his easiest route of escape. Jaskier suspects the latter is most likely.
“It’s fine,” he mutters, “better luck next time. I should prepare for my performance tonight. Will you stay to watch?”
“I have other matters to attend to.”
“Ah. Right. Well, I’ll try not to be too late.”
“Hmm.” Geralt doesn’t even look at him as he rises from his seat and Jaskier wonders what the point of romance is when it’s so hard to find. When even your very best friend in the whole wide world won’t stay and watch you sing.
It’s fine though. Geralt rarely stays to watch him perform anyway. Though usually he’s preoccupied with a contract or keeping Jaskier from being mauled by the innkeeper’s husband. Or wife. It just hits a little harder tonight because he’s already been effectively turned down once.
Mathilde is a lovely woman, to be sure, but he’s never been shooed away after sex quite so forcefully. As though he were a trespasser in her home. And to think, all he wanted was to cuddle a little and maybe talk. But it’s fine, he can talk to Geralt later - once he’s finished with his other matters.
Jaskier tries to push the thoughts from his head as he chooses his outfit for the night. They’re in Vattweir and the inn is large enough and popular enough that he can wear something a little fancier. He picks one of his favourite doublets and the trousers to match - a lovely dark burgundy accented with gold - but even as he admires himself in the glass, he can’t bring himself to be as cheerful as he should.
Everyone else’s lack of romance is starting to wear off on him and if he doesn’t pull himself together soon, he’ll be going hungry. After all, what good is a poet without romance?
Jaskier is feeling a little better after his performance, though he turns down the many offers of company - he’s not quite ready for any more potential rejection just yet. Already, he’ll be going up to a cold and empty bed. And to think, he’d been quite pleased when the innkeep had said their only available room had only one bed. One bed! The perfect chance to cuddle up close to Geralt without it being suspicious! And now Geralt was off doing gods know what for an indeterminate amount of time. By the time he gets back, Jaskier will probably be long asleep, having dozed off alone again, as usual.
He doesn’t hurry up to their room, dreading the cold sheets as he considers whether it’s worth lighting a fire for only him. Maybe he could stay up and work on some writing, it’s been some time since he’s had time to just sit down and write uninterrupted. But as he reaches the landing, he finds he doesn’t have the energy, not tonight. He’s slept in colder places than an unheated room at an inn, he’ll be fine.
But when he pushes the door in, it’s not dark and cold as expected. In fact, it’s quite warm and while the light is focused mainly in the centre of the room, it’s also quite light. He pushes the door a little further, wondering if he chose the wrong room and when he peeks in, he nearly drops his lute on the ground.
In his rush to catch it, he stumbles and somehow winds up flush against Geralt’s chest. Oh, and he smells wonderful. But- why? Muttering a hurried thank you, Jaskier extracts himself from Geralt’s arms, stepping back to peer around him. So he wasn’t just imagining things.
In the centre of the room is a little wooden table, just barely big enough for two people to sit at with a chair on either side, a plate of dinner at each setting. In the middle, barely squeezed between the plates, are a pair of candles and a small jar with a little bunch of purple flowers. He wants to cry but he doesn’t know if it’s because it’s so beautifully laid out or just because he’s tired and confused.
He turns back to Geralt to ask what exactly is going on, but as soon as his eyes land on him, he stops dead again. Geralt is dressed up. It’s not much, a clean pair of trousers and a fresh white shirt with a waistcoat, but for Geralt it’s extravagant. Jaskier suddenly finds it hard to breathe. He glances up and finds Geralt’s hair neatly tied back, the loose bits tucked behind his ear, and when he can finally look him in the eye again, Geralt seems nervous.
He sets Jaskier’s lute down, leaning it carefully against the wall before taking a couple of steps forward, closing the space between them.
“The chambermaid helped me,” he shrugs, fiddling with the hem of his sleeve. “I know I’m not very good at this kind of thing.”
Jaskier doesn’t know what to say. He opens his mouth a couple of times hoping for inspiration, but nothing comes.
“I’m not one of your lovely maidens,” Geralt mumbles, “but is it alright?”
Jaskier could cry. He might, actually, if he doesn’t do something to occupy himself quite quickly. He takes a final step closer, taking Geralt’s face in his hands and pressing a soft apprehensive kiss to the corner of Geralt’s mouth. As he draws away, he keeps his eyes on him, boldened by softness he finds there.
“My darling Witcher,” he whispers, “how could I ever want anything more?”