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Geralt checked his backpack one more time. Wallet, grocery list, crackers for Ciri. His phone was in his pocket and he would grab a jacket on the way out. Now the only thing missing was --
"Ciri? Ciri, it's go time."
He waited at the door for a few seconds. Ciri was getting more insistent on being independent and Yen had encouraged Geralt to let her take some control of her life.
Independence ... looked different on a three year old.
"I'm not goin'," Ciri shouted from her room.
Geralt took a deep breath and counted to ten before walking down the hall. He needed to find out why she didn't want to go - if she was tired, if she needed a snack, if she didn't feel good - before he could decide how to handle it.
Geralt had always considered himself a patient man but raising a toddler pushed him more than he had expected.
Ciri was sitting on the edge of her bed, idly kicking her heels against the side of the mattress.
She was fully dressed in shorts and a tee shirt which was a step in the right direction since the last time they went to the grocery store she wanted to wear her dinosaur Halloween costume and had refused to take it off.
And if Geralt almost enjoyed roaring his way through the produce section with a tiny stegosaurus, well... that was nobody's business.
So, she was dressed. She didn't look sick. They just had a snack, apples and cheese, so she shouldn't be hungry.
"What is it, Ciri," Geralt said, taking a seat next to her. "You don't want to go shopping?"
Ciri shook her head and pressed her hands to her face but Geralt thought he could see a grin behind her fingers. She was on the verge of giggles but holding it back to the best of her ability.
"Hm," Geralt gruffed. "Well I suppose we can't go to the store then. That's such a shame. Jaskier will be so upset..."
Geralt hated to pull out the big guns but he knew it would work and it happened to be true.
Ciri gasped and hopped down from the bed, racing out of the room. Geralt waited a few seconds and she ran back in and took hold of his hands, trying to haul him to his feet.
"Daddy, come on. We have to go. He might get lost again!"
Geralt smiled and stood up, bending over slightly to let her pull him back out to the living room.
Geralt hadn't taken off his backpack but he checked his pocket again to ensure he didn't drop his phone or keys. Satisfied that he had everything he opened the door.
"Jaskier," Ciri shouted, running out the door.
The man himself was standing in the hallway, poised and ready to catch the flying toddler.
"Princess," Jaskier shouted. "Are you ready for an adventure?"
Geralt locked the door behind him before checking his backpack again as Ciri began a long monologue about her day and her dreams and her breakfast, Jaskier interjecting with comments and questions that showed he was really listening.
He turned back to see Ciri perched on Jaskier's hip, hanging backwards until she was nearky upside down while the man pretended he did not see her.
"Geralt, where is Ciri? If we don't find her soon the store will close and I am running out of everything."
Geralt huffed. "Do you even know what you're looking for? You never have a list."
"I don't need a list," Jaskier said. He pointed to his head with the arm that wasn't holding on to Ciri. "This thing is a steel trap. Now, again, where did she go?"
Ciri giggled madly but her face was beginning to turn red so Geralt moved forward to lift her off of the other man and steady her on her feet.
After a few seconds the little girl was ready to go and together the three of them left.
When they got to the car Geralt buckled Ciri into her seat and let Jaskier get in beside her while he got into the driver's seat. It made him feel a bit like a chauffer but he didn't like to talk when he was driving and this way Jaskier and Ciri could entertain each other.
It was a routine he had gotten used to over the past few months.
One final harshly whispered fight had ended his relationship with Yennefer. He loved her but they couldn't live together. They were still coparenting Ciri but Yen's work took her around the world and Geralt was able to stay closer to home so after two years of domestic turmoil he was alone with a toddler in a new apartment.
Jaskier, self assigned welcoming committee, had turned up on his doorstep with box-mix brownies and a six pack of cider that he quickly stowed behind his back when Ciri stumbled out into the living room.
Geralt had always found it difficult to make friends. He was too large. Too quiet. Too particular. But Jaskier hadn't let any of that stop him. Greetings in the hall became conversations in the laundry room, became running errands every weekend.
And it was nice. It was more than nice. But it was a problem. Because Geralt had loved Yennefer, still did in a way. But he was in love with Jaskier. And Jaskier did not love him back.
The other man was bright and joyful and free in a way Geralt had never been, in a way Geralt could barely comprehend. It felt like an exotic butterfly had flown into his life, and Geralt knew it could fly away just as easily so he had resolved to enjoy Jaskier's presence as long as possible.
They pulled up to the grocery store and by the time Geralt got out of the car Jaskier had already run around to unbuckle Ciri's carseat.
Geralt adjusted his backpack again and checked his pockets as Ciri began marching off across the parking lot, Jaskier following closely behind.
Together the three if them made their way in to the store. Geralt had the cart, Ciri walking alongside at her own insistence, and Jaskier flitting back and forth.
The other man claimed he had to pick up more of everything but as Geralt methodically worked through his list he noticed his own groceries being joined only by a brightly colored array of snacks and frozen entrees.
They had finished with the outside perimeter of the store, produce and meat and bread perched gingerly on top, next up was the aisles.
Geralt crouched down to get Ciri's attention. "Hey, you ready to get into the cart?"
She shook her head. "No, I wanna walk." She stomped her feet, her sneakers squaking on the floor.
"Are you sure," Geralt asked. "We still have a lot of things to get and I don't want your feet to get tired."
"Nooooo," Ciri said. "I'm not tired."
Geralt nodded and stood. "Okay. One hand on the cart and we'll keep going. But if you get tired you just let me know and you can sit in the cart."
Geralt consulted his list as they walked. Keeping an eye on Ciri at the same time was difficult but he had a lot of practice.
Jaskier came by with another box of cookies and Geralt heard Ciri gasp.
"No, Ciri. No cookies." Geralt looked up at Jaskier. "Are you going to get any actual food?"
Jaskier grinned. "Aw, you're worried about me?" He pressed the cookies to his chest. The plastic wrapping crinkling under his clasped hands.
"Never mind," Geralt said. "I take it back."
Jaskier laughed before tossing the cookies into the cart and running off again.
Geralt leaned over to adjust the groceries, the cookies had landed on top of a fresh loaf of bread and pinned it down to a few cans of chicken broth. Moving that meant sending a bag of apples tipping over.
A skidding sound followed by a thump sent him back upright. A moment of heavy silence filled the air before Geralts ears rang with a sharp wail.
Ciri was on the floor, her legs twisted beneath her, and her face bright red. She was breathing hard, heavy damp breaths through her mouth and Geralt ran over to her.
"Ciri, what happened? Did you fall down?"
She gasped, nodding. "I ran. I ran and I fell on the floor. And my arm."
She raised her arm and Geralt reached out to examine it. A long scrape ran down her forearm but it didn't seem to be broken or twisted and she wasn't bleeding.
"Oh, Ciri. Let's get you up. Can you stand?"
She shook her head furiously and leaned forward, pressing her face into his shoulder.
Geralt reached out and wrapped his arms around her, gingerly picking her up and testing her on his hip. He walked back to the cart, gently swaying back and forth as he tried to examine her for any injuries.
Jaskier came running around the corner, his face pale.
"I heard Ciri, what happened?"
Geralt hummed lightly. "Ciri had a tumble. She's okay but she had a bad time. Didn't she." He felt her nod against his shirt. "Yeah."
Geralt looked up at Jaskier. "I'm going to step outside and get her some fresh air." He nodded at the half full cart. "Would it be too much trouble for you to put this away? I can come back later and do our shopping."
"Of course," Jaskier said. "You take care of the princess, I'll take care of this."
Geralt nodded and turned to leave the store.
After twenty minutes of standing and swaying and slowly coaxing a smile out of Ciri before she fell asleep, a damp half chewed cracker from his backpack still clenched in her dimpled fist, Jaskier came out of the store with a loaded cart full of groceries.
"How much more did you buy," Geralt asked.
"Don't worry about it," Jaskier said, his voice low. "How is she?"
"She's okay," Geralt said as they walked back to the car. "More scared than anything."
"Poor bub," Jaskier said.
They got to the car and Geralt unlocked the trunk to let Jaskier unload the cart as he put Ciri back into her seat.
The ride back to their building was quiet. Ciri murmured a few times when they hit a bump in the road but she didn't really wake up.
When they arrived Geralt opened the car and then tossed his keys to Jaskier. "You can grab your groceries, I'll bring her up."
Jaskier caught the keys and walked closer, resting a gentle hand on Geralt's arm before pressing a kiss to Ciri's forehead.
"Take care of our girl," he said and Geralt nodded.
Ciri woke up slightly as Geralt set her down on her bed and removed her shoes. "Jaskier," she murmured. "Did he get lost?"
"No, Ciri," Geralt said. "He is getting the groceries."
She smiled slightly, rubbing her eyes, and whispered 'cookies' as she fell back into sleep.
Geralt stepped out of the room. He left the door open a crack behind him in case Ciri called out for help.
He slid his backpack off of his shoulder, absently checking the pockets one last time before he would set it in its spot on the bench by the door.
Walking back to the living room he froze in place.
"I know you don't usually buy cookies," Jaskier said. "But the Princess had a bad fall and a spoonful of sugar, right?"
An array of groceries covered the counter, all the items Geralt had picked out and more besides.
"What is this," Geralt asked, walking closer, his bag hanging loose at his side.
"Well," Jaskier said. "You don't go grocery shopping unless you need things and everything was in the cart already, so--"
"I'll pay you back," Geralt said.
Jaskier shook his head. "Don't worry about it. You do a lot for me, this is... this is nothing."
Geralt stepped closer, setting his bag on the floor. "Where did you get all of this? I had the list in my backpack."
Jaskier laughed weakly, a pale pink blush spreading across his nose. "I mean, we've been shopping together for a while. I know what sort of thing you get so it wasn't hard or anything."
Geralt picked up a box of dryer sheets -unscented, for sensitive skin. Not his usual brand. "What are these?"
"Well," Jaskier said, picking up a head of cabbage. "I notice Ciri is sensitive to strong smells and i thought these might be better for her? At least for, like, sheets and towels."
Geralt looked down at the counter. Everything he needed. Everything he didn't know he needed.
Geralt had missed it entirely. But Jaskier had seen it.
Geralt moved around the counter and took Jaskier's hands in his, ignoring the damp thud as the cabbage fell to the floor.
"Geralt," Jaskier breathed. "Wha--"
Geralt pressed a kiss against that mouth. He felt Jaskier's heart pounding against him, swift as a butterfly's wings.
And Jaskier kissed him back.