Work Text:
Jaskier was never one to feel nervous for a performance, or about anything for that matter. He’d played his music in front of audiences full of his biggest critics, who did nothing but throw bread at him to get him to stop, he’d stared death in the face more than his fair share when adventuring with Geralt, but this. This was making Jaskier’s fingers shake in a way that made it hard to even hold his lute, let alone play it.
“I think the song is nice enough,” Ciri said, reclining on her chair in their room. He’d thought he’d have their room in the inn to himself to practice this, but Ciri had stayed instead of going out with Geralt, which just made this whole thing worse.
She’d watched Jaskier the entire time, her green gaze barely wavering even when he’d stopped and started, tweaking his words or his notes. Jaskier knew, objectively, that the song sounded fine. Ok, it sounded more than fine. But that wasn’t why he was worried. This performance had the makings of the most important one of his life.
“I can hear the but, Ciri,” Jaskier huffed, preparing himself for the rest of her statement. “Please just put me out of my misery.”
“I’m sure he’ll like it, but… is it obvious enough?”
Jaskier felt his body recoil in confusion at that. “I’d say that the lyrics definitely speak for themselves in this situation.”
“And I don’t disagree! He’s just not very good with this stuff, you know that. Have you thought about just talking to him about this?”
“And you know that that is not my style, dear Ciri. But I agree, maybe it’s too much.” A sudden thought hit him, and Jaskier gently set down his lute before he damaged it in his panic. “Oh no, I don’t know anything about Witcher traditions for this sort of thing, what if I’m doing it all wrong? What if he’s offended? This is going to be a disaster!”
Burying his heads in his hands, he saw Ciri’s eyes widen slightly in panic as she launched herself out of her chair. He felt her hands gently rested on his shoulders as Ciri rushes to fix this.
“I don’t mean like that,” she said quietly. “This has nothing to do with Witcher things, and everything to do with his, how do I put this gently, lack of emotional intelligence. He’ll love any piece you play for him, you know that, but he can be very oblivious. You remember how long it took him to figure out his feelings for you in the first place.”
Jaskier peaked out from behind his fingers, letting himself think through this logically rather than emotionally.
“You’re not wrong,” he mumbled.
“Don’t sound so surprised, I’m never wrong, or very rarely at least.”
“You sound just like Yennefer, stop that.”
“What I mean is, play him the song, just be prepared to have to explain things afterwards. It’ll be fine.”
Ciri was right, some part of Jaskier had already been preparing for this outcome, but that didn’t stop his heart racing as he thought of what was to come.
Jaskier got very little warning before Geralt came almost crashing back into their room, a scowl across his features that only softened when he saw Jaskier and Ciri. The enormity of Jaskier’s feelings bubbled up to the surface, forcing his nerves out as he smiled widely up at Geralt. He loved him so much. Everything they’d been through so far, had led them here to this moment.
“Hello, love,” he greeted, leading Geralt to a chair. “How was it?”
“Hmm,” Geralt grumbled, breathing out the tension of his days. “Lots of crowds. I found everything I needed, but…”
“Why don’t I go down stairs and get us all some food?” Ciri pointedly looked at Jaskier, and the calm he’d found promptly disappeared. “You can relax with Jaskier.”
“You don’t have to,” Jaskier started, but Ciri was already half out of the door. “I’ll go.”
“Oh no, you’re staying right here. You have something to show Dad, don’t you?”
Fuck.
He hadn’t necessarily planned on doing this today, but Ciri had forced him into a corner. Maybe he could still twist this and put it off for a little longer, make some final tweaks so it was perfect.
“You do?” Confusion coloured Geralt’s voice, and Jaskier knew at that moment, there wasn’t any way to get out of this. He had no other songs to show right now, this one had completely taken over him, not allowing him to work on anything else. He hadn’t bought anything as he hadn’t left the inn all day. And then that spark of curiosity in Geralt’s eye, he couldn’t just contradict what Ciri had said.
“Yes,” Jaskier stated, resolving himself to not run away from this. “A new song actually.”
“Would Ciri not want to hear it too?”
“Maybe, but for now, I’m just playing for you.”
He winked at Geralt, in an attempt to bring back his usual confidence, and as Jaskier picked up his lute, he finally felt that buzz wash over him that he usually experienced when playing to an audience, except this time it was just his beloved Geralt, who looked at him with such open affection and awe in his golden eyes. Geralt’s reactions to Jaskier’s music now were worlds away from the “fillingless pie” comment years ago, they really had come a long way.
Taking a final steadying breath, Jaskier began picking at the strings on his lute.
I'll swim and sail on savage seas
With ne’er a fear of drowning
And gladly ride the waves of life
If you would marry me
As he sung, his eyes flitted from his strings to Geralt’s face, for any signs of realisation of what was happening to wash over him. In this moment he found it harder than he ever had before to read Geralt’s facial expressions, but he tried not to let that get to him, he just had to sing.
No scorching sun nor freezing cold
Will stop me on my journey
If you will promise me your heart
And love me for eternity
My dearest one, my darling dear
Your mighty words astound me
But I've no need for mighty deeds
When I feel your arms around me
Still nothing from Geralt, but Jaskier had found his stride now, letting the truth of these words seep out.
But I would bring you rings of gold
I'd even sing you poetry
And I would keep you from all harm
If you would stay beside me
You have no use for rings of gold
You care not for my poetry
But I only want your hand to hold
I only want you near me
Jaskier had taken some artistic license with his words here, as he had a tendency to do, he just hoped Geralt could look past it this time, instead of commenting. I do like your poetry he could practically hear Geralt saying, with his eyebrows drawn into frown. You don’t need to keep me safe, I can manage. But Jaskier would, he would do all he could to keep Geralt safe and happy, because despite his protests, it's what he deserves.
To love and kiss to sweetly hold
For the dancing and the dreaming
Through all life's sorrows and delights
I'll keep your laugh inside me
I'll swim and sail on savage seas
With ne’er a fear of drowning
I'd gladly ride the waves of life
If you will marry me
Playing his last few notes, Jaskier looked up at Geralt once more and smiled, waiting. Geralt clapped softly and nodded at Jaskier.
“You’ve done a good job of that one,” he said. “Who have you written it for? Or for what event? Was it commissioned?”
“Uh,” that threw Jaskier off. He’d expected obliviousness but this was more than he’d prepared for. “It’s not a commission. I just decided to write it.”
“What?”
“I wrote it for you, Geralt.”
The silence dragged on and Jaskier got nervous again. This was why he’d been worried, this wasn’t an answer, this was bad.
“You did?”
“Yes, and it has a rather important question in it, Geralt.”
“It did?”
“Did you even listen to the words?” Jaskier felt himself get frustrated but once again took a steadying breath.
“Of course, Jaskier. I always listen to you.”
“Geralt, I’m asking you to marry me!”
That damned silence started again and Jaskier just about stopped himself from screaming or pulling on his hair. He knew Geralt needed time to process this, but it wasn't helping Jaskier’s nerves.
“Or you know, if marriage isn’t a thing Witchers do, some kind of long term, commitment… thing, I don’t know.”
“You want to marry me?”
“Yes! I love you. So much.”
“I love you too. I… Are you sure?”
“Geralt, darling, I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”
“Then let’s get married.”
“Yes?”
“Yes.”
And just like that, all of the worry and tension that had been building up within Jaskier flew out of him in a happy giggle as he rushed towards Geralt, embracing him even as Geralt tried to stand from him seat. Peppering Geralt’s face with kisses, he heard shuffling outside of their door before Ciri called out.
“Ok, I’m coming in, so stop doing anything you don’t want me to see!”
As she shuffled through the door way, her eyes were half squinted shut until she saw that nothing untoward was happening. She placed the bowls of food down on their table, slowly smiling at them.
“I’m guessing it went well?” She looked hesitantly between the two of them
“Yes,” Jaskier exhaled in relief. “Very.”
“Oh wonderful!”
With barely any time to process what was happening, Ciri had hurried over to where Jaskier and Geralt were still embracing and wormed her way into the middle of them, so that they were all hugging each other.
“I’m so happy for you! I haven’t been to a good wedding for a while.”
“You may have to wait still,” Geralt replied, his brows furrowing ever so slightly. “I’m not sure when it’ll be feasible, but it will happen.”
Ciri stopped to think for a moment, before a sly smirk quirked her lips up.
“Ok, but if you’re not married by winter, we’ll just have to make sure you get married at Kaer Morhen when we get there. I’m sure the other Witchers would be thrilled to help!”
Jaskier could already picture the chaos, and by the look on his face, so could Geralt. But in a way, a ceremony at Geralt’s home felt like the right choice. Geralt hummed then looked at Jaskier, as if reading his thoughts, like he so often did.
“Maybe not the ceremony,” he said. “Winter is far away. But I suppose a celebratory dinner will be unavoidable once they hear the news.”
Jaskier knew Geralt well enough to be able to tell that the displeasure he was trying to put across was all for show, and that the idea of marking the occasion with the other Witchers would be something he would actually enjoy. They were, in a way, a family after all, along with Ciri. And soon Jaskier would be a part of that too.
With a promise like that, Jaskier could wait as long as needed.