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Jaskier has seen most of the Continent by now, it feels like, and the beauty of it never stops taking his breath away. So when he wakes up one foggy morning and makes it to the misty lake he and Geralt camped next to, intending to go for a morning wash, he pauses to sit on a log for a moment to admire the view.
Geralt wanders up and sits next to him, his face extra grumpy from just having woken up. It only makes him more endearing to Jaskier, who feels honored to see this side of the fearsome hunter.
"I'm glad I get to spend this beautiful morning with my dearest friend," Jaskier says, not taking his eyes off the tendrils of mist swirling over the lake.
"We're not friends," Geralt grunts, and stands to begin getting ready for the day.
Jaskier laughs. Geralt is always a little extra sour-mooded in the mornings, so he doesn't take the comment to heart, instead getting up to wash his face before breakfast.
Two days later they make it to a small town on their way to a contract for a wyvern near Novigrad. As they stop at the inn, they hear about a pack of wargs plaguing the town. Geralt agrees to take care of it in the morning before he leaves.
Jaskier makes his way to the counter to ask the innkeeper about getting them a room when it all goes to hell.
"Excuse me, my good sir, would you happen to have a room for me and my friend? One or two beds is fine."
The innkeeper scowls at Jaskier. "You been here before?"
"Possibly. I've been a lot of places. Have lute, will travel. You know how it is."
"No, you definitely look familiar, you- I remember you! You're that rake! That scoundrel! You bedded my son, the blacksmith, and the baker's son on the same night! Then left the next morning without so much as a by your leave!"
"In my defense," Jaskier begins, his smile becoming strained, "they also bedded each other the same night. Anyone would have noticed the connection between them all. All I did was offer a solution. And if I benefited from it too, well, one can hardly blame me for accepting their offer."
"I can easily blame you! The other two got married and my boy took inspiration from you and decided to become a wanderer. A vagrant. I haven't seen him in two years, so heartbroken he was when they got together."
"Well, that hardly sounds like my fault-"
"If you had just minded your own business, he would have married and settled down and would be here now!"
"I'm sorry to hear that-"
"Get out! I've no rooms for you here." The innkeeper rounds the bar to stomp after Jaskier, who is making a hasty escape.
"Geralt! Ah, Geralt, my friend, I'm afraid we must seek our lodging elsewhere. It seems I may have unknowingly made an enemy out of the owner of this fine establishment," Jaskier chatters as he attempts to hide behind the Witcher's bulk.
"You can get out too!" The innkeeper is red in the face as he shouts at Geralt. "Any friend of that scoundrel is not welcome in my inn."
Geralt gives a long-suffering sigh as he picks up his bags. "We're not friends. He's a thorn in my side." He grabs the hiding bard by the back of his doublet, scruffing Jaskier as he hauls him to the door. "We're leaving."
As soon as they're outside, Geralt dumps Jaskier on the ground. "I hope you're satisfied. We just got thrown out of the only inn for 30 miles."
"Well I think it's hardly my fault that his son was inspired by my lifestyle and left home after getting his heart broken. In fact-"
"Save it, Jaskier!" Geralt interrupts. "We have to get moving if we want to make camp before it gets dark. At least Roach can sleep in comfort tonight, unless you've somehow managed to piss off the stable master, too."
"I resent that," Jaskier grumbles as he walks after Geralt. "And don't think I didn't notice your 'thorn in my side' remark. You can't just deny our friendship at the first sign of trouble."
The sky above rumbles ominously and rain starts to sprinkle down. Geralt glances back at the inn with a look of almost longing before he turns back to Jaskier. "I deny our friendship on a good day. You just think I'm joking."
"Of course you're joking. Why wouldn't you want to be my friend?"
The sky above opens and it begins raining in earnest. "I wonder," Geralt grumbles and puts the hood of his cloak up.
Despite the wet night, Geralt is up bright and early to fight the wargs. He makes it back to their camp by noon, a deep wound on his forearm where one of the wargs had latched on.
Jaskier springs into action, helping undress Geralt to get better access to his wound. After he has cleaned and wrapped the wound, he looks at Geralt and gives a cheeky grin. "Can't say we're not friends now. Who else would doctor your injuries after every fight?"
"Someone with a vested interest in my staying alive to keep them safe. Someone who needs my stories to turn into songs to make a living. It's transactional. Not friendship."
"Oh." Jaskier's voice is quiet as Geralt’s words sink in. "You really do mean it." Abruptly he stands. "Well, I think I'll not take the wyvern detour. I'll wait for you in Novigrad. I need a few days there anyway to order some clothes. I'll meet you there in about a week, yeah?"
Before Geralt can reply, Jaskier picks up his pack and takes the path to Novigrad, away from the town Geralt needs to return to for his pay and to retrieve Roach. Geralt watches him go with an unsettling feeling he can't describe sinking into his stomach. "Fuck."
One week later, Geralt, having defeated the wyvern, makes it to Jaskier’s favorite tavern in Novigrad. Sure enough, the bard is performing. As soon as he sees Geralt, he draws his song to a close.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, if you will indulge me, I would love to debut my newest song! Finished just this morning, it is an ode to a true and uncomplicated form of love."
Setting a boot on an unoccupied chair, he begins to strum a cheerful tune.
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
When the road looks rough ahead
And you're miles and miles
From your nice warm bed
You just remember what your old pal said
Boy, you've got a friend in me
Yeah, you've got a friend in me
Though Jaskier hadn't looked at Geralt once since he started to sing, Geralt knew who the song was for.
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You got troubles, I've got 'em too
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
We stick together and see it through
'Cause you've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
Geralt slinks past the crowd and orders a meal, before finding an unoccupied table. Jaskier stares into his eyes as he sings the bridge.
Some other folks might be
A little bit smarter than I am
Bigger and stronger too
Maybe
But none of them will ever love you
The way I do
It's me and you, boy
Only Jaskier would have the audacity to call a Witcher 'boy' and Geralt scoffs a laugh, somehow endeared.
And as the years go by
Our friendship will never die
You're gonna see it's our destiny
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
Jaskier takes a bow, then begs a break to wet his throat. He orders a drink and joins Geralt at his table.
"I suppose I should start with an apology. I'm sorry for running off like that. I'm also sorry that I never clarified our relationship. We may have started off as business partners, but for my part at least, we've gone well beyond that for years.
"If you are willing to accept, i would love to call you my friend."
"I guess," Geralt grumbles, "you wouldn’t be the worst person to call my friend."
"I'll take it," Jaskier says, and beams.