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say it sweeter
He doesn't say so, because Geralt would probably look at him as if he had gone quite mad, but caring for Geralt's hair is one of Jaskier's great pleasures. It's one of the few ways Geralt allows him to show affection, it's a concrete way he can make Geralt's life appreciably better, and both those things are very dear to Jaskier's heart.
It's become almost routine at this point. The first time Jaskier did it, he started without thinking about it, then halfway through detangling the various bits of twig caught in Geralt's hair (it's as if a bird's trying to nest in it sometimes), it suddenly occurred to him he'd gotten himself caught up in something rather intimate. He'd had to hum to himself so he didn't leave his mouth free to babble something he shouldn't, or just something that would make Geralt shake him off.
(The memory is precious to him as one of the very few times Geralt (sort of) invited Jaskier to share space and body heat in bed, rather than Jaskier taking it as his due and Geralt acquiescing with moderately bad grace. Not that it went anywhere, of course, because Geralt is, well, Geralt, but the memory of Geralt's hand on his hip, of edging back tentatively into Geralt's embrace and finding himself welcome? Jaskier will treasure it for the rest of his life.)
Geralt's hair is softer than it looks, in part because Jaskier insists on using various hair oils on it. The rationale he presented to Geralt was that matted, tangled hair is much easier for some nasty creature to grab hold of than silky smooth hair without knots, and to this day he rather suspects Geralt agreed largely because he was so taken aback by the ridiculous argument, he was too speechless to tell Jaskier how absurd he was.
Still, he did agree, and Jaskier will hold him to it, so here he is combing his fingers through Geralt's hair and resisting the temptation to drop a kiss on the top of Geralt's head. In moments like this, it's a little too easy to imagine what it might be like if they were lovers, too easy to daydream he's allowed to take such a liberty. He still hums songs to stop himself from saying anything Geralt could take offence at; if they're frequently love songs, well, Geralt is too fucking stupid to realise they're all about him, so it's neither here nor there.
It's gratifying even now how Geralt relaxes despite himself, all but melting in the hot water and under Jaskier's hands. Geralt never relaxes, never drops his guard, never for one second stops being a witcher, except in these moments. Even when they can afford a brothel and Geralt has fucked every last coin's worth out of some poor exhausted woman, he never loses that edge of wariness, but Jaskier? Jaskier can make him vulnerable simply by caring for him, and the knowledge hurts and heals in equal measure. Maybe Geralt won't let Jaskier love him all the ways Jaskier wants to love him, but this, this he'll allow. This trust, this vulnerability, only Jaskier gets to have. It's almost, so very nearly, enough.
~ fin ~
art by morallygreyginger, see end notes!