Chapter Text
His orders were simple.
Make him fall in love with you. Then kill him.
A good ol' back stab, as his employer had said.
Geralt never usually did things like that, it was cruel, as if killing him isn't enough. But he needed the money, Ciri was finally, officially his. Papers signed and all. Which meant he needed the cash for the extra stomach to feed, to provide for her.
Yennefer used to look after Ciri mostly, she didn't want Geralt around her since she found out he was a mercenary.
The divorce hurt. But it hurt Cirilla the most. She had already lost her first family, and now her second family had been split in half.
Shaking his head, Geralt pushed himself out of bed, and got dressed. Something casual.
He grabs his keys out of the ashtray next to his door, and leaves the apartment, walking down the road conveniently to his target.
A singer, apparently. He had slept with his employer, and then they broke things off, for 'classified reasons'. Angry exs weren't uncommon.
He enters the cafe his target was supposedly to be in, 'every morning' the singer came to this cafe.
It doesn't take long for him to set his eyes on him. He sat on a stool, at the corner of the cafe, playing his.. Lute and singing to the patrons. They didn't seem to appreciate the singing.
Geralt takes his eyes off Jaskier, and walks to the counter, ordering a coffee. It takes five minutes to make, and then he receives it. He sits down, and decided it would be suspicious if he stared at Jaskier the entire time. But he needed to bring him over here.
So, to do that, he used a skill he had gained a while back. He stole, not so subtle, glances at Jaskier, and took long sips of his coffee. Eventually, as he planned, the singer approached.
"everyone in this cafe doesn't hold back on their critic." Jaskier starts. "but you haven't said a single thing about my singing. Come now, don't keep a man with..a old sandwich from two weeks ago, waiting."
Geralt stares at him for a long time, but doesn't say anything, he purses his lips, as Jaskier gets ready to speak again.
"three words or less. Come on." He takes a seat across Geralt at his own free will, inviting himself to sit.
Geralt pauses, recalling the lyrics of the singers song. "they don't exist"
"wha.. What?" Jaskier looks confused.
"the creatures in your song."
"no, of course not. It's my entire aesthetic for this album I'm making, mythical creatures and such." He gives Geralt a smirk. "so you talk, for a minute there, I thought you were a brooding mute. No offense to mutes, my dear friend has selective mutism—"
"I don't care." He huffs.
"oh." Jaskier hums, suddenly piping up again. "what's brought you to Merigold cafe? Did you hear of my great singing and came all the way from—"
"I wanted coffee."
"yes, good ol' caffeine.. They make the best coffee here. Oh! How rude of me, where have my manners gone, my name is Jaskier." He puts a hand out to shake across the table
Geralt stares at the bards hand, and fights between shaking it or refusing to. He remembers he needs to make this man fall in love with him.
Ugh.
He takes Jaskiers hand, and shakes it slightly.
"Geralt." he tells the singer.
"wait wait- Geralt as in Geralt of Rivia?"
"that's.. Where I'm from? Yes? I don't see what this has to do with anything."
"my old agent spoke of you, he said if he ever needed anything done, he'd call you. The Witcher he called ya'." he huffs, "that guy was a dick, I did a bunch of sexual shit with him and when I broke it off he refused to be my agent anymore. Now I just sing at bars and cafes."
"Hm." Geralt huffs out.
"so, you must be a.." Jaskier whispers suddenly. "hit-man or mercanery?"
"No" He states, firm, and ending any more questions.
"hm, sure" Jaskier rolls his eyes. "just my luck, you must have some pretty interesting stories."
"No." Geralt stares into Jaskiers blue eyes, and is surprised to find nothing but curiosity. No fear. That's a first. "you aren't scared?"
"of course not, I have no reason to be. Unless you're going to jump across the table and slit my throat, but what's the chances of that!" Jaskier jokes, laughing gently.
Oh if only he knew.
"I should slit your throat, you talk to much" Geralt rolls his eyes, finishing his coffee.
Jaskier chuckles, "I get that a lot. When I'm famous, my fans are going to have a lot of content of me just talking and blabbering on and on"
"anyways, where are you going after this cafe?" Jaskier askes, almost flirtious.
"to pick my daughter up from school" Geralt let's a smile twitch at the corner of his mouth, he missed her.
"what school? My nephew attended Cintra high school before the head mistress passed away and the school was no longer funded. He attends Temeria High school now."
"hm, my daughter attends the same one" Geralt stands, throwing away the cup. "I hope your nephew isn't as annoying as you, I'd feel bad for teachers."
"I'm about to go pick him up, we can walk together. It's around the corner anyways."
"you barely know me. Did your parents never teach you to not talk to strangers?"
"My mother always said strangers are just friends you haven't met yet!" Jaskier exclaims as they leave the coffee shop.
"your mother was niave and so it seems are you" Geralt sighs, continuing to walk, trying to pick up the pace to shake the singer off, but it didn't work.
"hey..!" Jaskier gasps dramatically, before grinning again. "you don't emote much, do you?"
"I wonder what gave you that impression."
Jaskier hums, "so, what's your dramatic backstory that made you a hitman, or whatever its called? Did you get abandoned at midnight as a child? Oh! Or, did your parents die and you became what you feared the most? Like batman!"
"Im not a superhero, so no." Geralt rubs the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. "you don't have a nephew do you?"
"nope! Just wanted to follow you. Now that I say that outloud, it sounds really creepy. Please don't sue me, or take me to court or whatever, my lawyer has had enough and I'm too broke to even afford my own lunch"
"hm." Geralt comes to a stop as they reach the gate of the school. "what's the time?"
"2:40. Military time, y'know." He shrugs. "oh! Do you have any scars or anything?"
"a couple. None of them are any of your business."
Jaskier puts his hands up, as if surrendering. Suddenly Geralt hears a yell of 'Dad!' and someone rushing to hug him. He looks down at Ciri hugging him tightly, patting her back gently.
He kneels down to her height, cupping her cheeks, and stroking them with his thumb. "I missed you, little lion cub"
"I missed you too! Mommy said that you were too busy to pick me up today?"
"she did?" Geralt stands again, showing confusion on his face. He hadn't told Yennefer that.
"I did." He hears a familiar voice say. "I mean, you couldn't pick her up last week so how could I trust you to do it this week as well."
"I was busy and sent you a text that I couldn't get Ciri." Geralt huffs.
Jaskier, sensing the tension between the two divorced adults, and how Ciri was watching them concerned; took initiative while Geralt and Yennefer talked.
He sqauts down to Ciris height. "hey, kid" he starts. "I'm Jaskier. A friend of your dad's."
Geralt watches in the corner of his eyes how Jaskier talks to the girl softly, less energetic than before as to not startle her. He almost scoffs at 'friend' considering they had met not only an hour ago, and how the singer followed him like a lost puppy.
"—I have to take Ciri to her self defense classes." Geralt interuppts Yennefer, "we can talk about this later, and in private."
He takes Ciris hand gently, and Jaskier stops squatting, looking at Yennefer for a moment. Usually he's be intrested in a women like her, but something about her pushed him away from hitting on her.
"and you are?" Yennefer askes, raising an eyebrow.
"Jaskier. Singer. Nice to meet you." he nods at her, looking at Geralt and Ciri, who were half way down the road. "ah! Geralt! Wait for me!" he yells, chasing after them.
After Jaskier had caught up to Geralt, the hitman sighs, ready to introduce him to Ciri, but he recalls Jaskier had already talked to Ciri just moments ago and there was no need.
"so, who's that angry lady?" Jaskier questions.
"my ex-wife. She works for the city council so I try to stay on her good side but she takes offense to every movement I do."
"thats rough, dude." Jaskier looks at his watch. "I have a job interview to go to in like 20 minutes, so I should head off. Call me." he slips Geralt a piece of paper, with a number written on it messily.
"adios, my good fellow and his princess!" Jaskier exclaims, turning, and walking away. He spins his lute around his body to his front and starts playing as he walks.
Geralt watches him leave for a moment, before looking down at the piece of paper with his number. He pockets it, and looks at Ciri.
"hey, little cub. Sorry I couldn't pick you up last week." Geralt looks at Ciri, squeezing her hand gently. "let's go to your favourite burger joint before your self defense class, a treat."
Ciri jumps in joy, and grins at Geralt, nodding in excitement.
A week ago,
"—listen to me!" the man yells.
Jaskier stands there, unflinching. "don't yell at me" he sighs, taking a seat in his agents office.
"I have to yell when you aren't listening!"
"I'm not listening? What a joke! I'm always doing what you say, and whatever you want. I always listen to you, and where has that got me? It's got me shit, Feril." He crosses his arms, leaning into the seat.
"I'm working on a contract with a good company for you" Feril huffs, rubbing his temples.
"you said that four months ago!" Jaskier puts his arms in the air, yelling in frustration.
"now who's yelling?" The man glares at Jaskier. "you're lucky I don't come over there and slap you like last night."
Jaskier tenses slightly, putting a hand on his slightly bruised cheek. "why don't you, huh? Because there's cameras in here and your boss will see you? Are you scared? Huh?" He presses, angry.
"I swear to god, Jaskie—"
"I'm looking for my own apartment." Jaskier states bluntly, watching as Feril clenches his fists.
"You can't even look after yourself, what are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking that I don't need to be under your control anymore!" He snaps. "no more sexaul favours when I come home, no more asking you for money, mister millionaire!"
"you've been talking to that lady again, what's her name— Truss? Triss?"
"triss has nothing to do with this besides seeing you've been bad for me." Jaskier stands. "I'm finding a new agent. And maybe a day job."
Feril stands as well, rounding the desk and coming closer to Jaskier. The singer flinches involuntarily as the well dressed man takes careful steps.
"my boss doesn't care, bitch" The man mutters, before punching Jaskier straight in the jaw.
Jaskier stumbles back but holds his stance. He tastes blood in his teeth, and spits it out onto the floor.
"bye, Feril." He barges past his old agent, through the doors. He waves bye to the secretary, who he had become good friends with, and leaves the building; not looking back.
He would preform at Triss' cafe for a while, collect tips, and sleep at her place till he picked himself up.
Present.
Geralt didn't like getting to know his victims.
The last time he did, was Renfri.
He still wore heavy guilt for her blood being shed.
So he was almost hesitant when he got the job offer about Jaskier. The kid was youthful and ecentric, it was almost refreshing, yet overwhelming.
Geralt wasn't much to show how he was feeling to anyone, besides Ciri. Ciri went to his heart almost immediately after seeing her when she was 10, at the Foster home.
Now she was 14 and nothing had changed besides Yennefer's absence. A day had passed since meeting Jaskier at the café, and he really didn't want to go see the singer again.
So he didn't. He texted him instead, hoping that would suffice. He told his employer that he wouldn't be going to the cafe today, because he had to prepare Ciris room for when she finally moved in with him permanently in two days. He promised proof that he had texted Jaskier, so the man wouldn't suspect he was lying.
As Geralt walks into Ciris soon to be room, he starts assembling her bed frame, shooting a text to Jaskier before he got started.
[G] Hey. Its Geralt.
He doesn't get a reply for a while, so he suspects the singer is still asleep (at 11 am? sheesh.)
It's a hour later when he finally answers,
[J] Yo! Are you going to be at merigold today?
Geralt rolls his eyes at the text.
[G] no. Busy.
Jaskiers reply is almost immediate.
[J] Doing what?
Geralt decides to take a minute from answering Jaskier to screw in the last couple bolts of the bed frame.
[J] hellloooooo?
Geralt grunts, answering the singer finally.
[G] I'm finishing off Ciris room before she officially moves in. making it more welcoming.
[J] do you want some help?
Geralt ties his hair back, ready to reject Jaskier , but he remembered he needed to make this boy fall in love with Him. And okay, he'd admit it, the extra hand would help.
[G] I don't want help. but I could use it.
[J] Great, what's your address, lʼll come right over!
He sends Jaskier his apartment address, and makes quick work of cleaning up the couple of guns and knives he's left around the apartment. (he needed to clean those up anyways, he couldn't have those everywhere with a child living with him)
Before he knows it, there's a knock at the door, and Geralt notes that even the way Jaskier knocks is annoying. He opens the door for the singer, who invites himself in.
"woah, Nice place. Its nice and cozy." he compliments.
"it's small." Geralt shrugs. "this place is only temporary though, until I get enough cash to move to a bigger place so Ciri can have more room"
He guides Jaskier to ciris soon to be room, "grab a paint brush, and start painting" he practically demands, opening the bucket of paint easily, and pouring some onto the paint tray.
They start painting the walls, and Geralt finds himself not listening to Jaskier constant talking.
"I mean- we're friends, so you get it?"
"no, we arent." Geralt glances at Jaskier, who rolls his eyes at the response.
"personally I don't think you'd let a stranger come into your house to paint your daughters walls, so yeah, we're friends." Jaskier chuckles.
"I could have hired someone to do this if I wasn't balancing my finances. You're free labour" Geralt grunts.
"suuuure, Mr brooding. You don't have to admit it." Jaskier hums, "so, the walls are done, what now?"
"we wait for them to dry." Geralt glances at the bucket of paint. Quick drying. "I bought quick drying. Minimum 4 hours to dry."
"okay, cool, want to go grab lunch and then we can come back and finish this room up?"
"I'm on a diet" He makes up a quick excuse to not go.
"oh, okay, I know this really healthy place—"
"I'm cooking. For myself." Geralt drops the paintbrush, and walks out of the room.
Jaskier follows quickly, smirking at Geralt.
"mind fixing some food up for me as well?" He tries to give the hitman puppy eyes.
Geralt stares at Jaskier for a moment, dismissing the thought of what the fuck that's so adorable yet so stupid and sighing.
"fine. Take a seat." He gestures to the bar stools at the kitchen islands.
Geralt takes some chicken breasts, cutting them, and begins to grill them. He knows Jaskier is watching him, thinking gods know what.
"wow, this is domestic, isn't it?" Jaskier starts, grinning.
Geralt stops in his tracks, about to pop bread into the toaster , he glares at Jaskier.
"don't get the wrong idea."
Hell, he's hoping this boy doesn't fall in love with him, because something deep inside him doesn't want to kill him.
"hm,and what would that idea be, my dear Geralt?" He askes, teasing the man.
Geralt doesn't answer right away, finally putting the bread into the toaster, and putting the heat on the chicken to low. He takes out lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers from the fridge along with some mayonnaise. He finally huffs.
"that I'm cooking for us as if we're a couple"
"hm, what a sight. Imagine it! You in a kiss the cook apron, and holding a spatula menacingly, making a meal for us and our ten children." Jaskier laughs.
Geralt can't help but let a low chuckle escape at 'ten children'.
"is that your idea of an ideal family? Two parents and ten children. I feel bad for whoever actually has to have your kids" Geralt takes the chicken off the grill after slicing the lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. He takes the now toasted bread slices and lays them out on two plates separately.
"hm, now now, don't speak as if it might not be you" Jaskier flirts, joking aimlessly.
"I'm a man. I can't even get pregnant. And if we did some how get in a relationship, I don't think I'd be the one taking it up the ass" Geralt finishes the sandwiches, putting Jaskiers plate infront of him.
"have you never—"
"shush, enough of that. Eat." He grunts to the singer, who immediately digs in.
As they eat, Geralt notices how the singer downs the food, barely taking time to even chew.
"that was amazing."
"did you even taste it, you black hole?" Geralt smirks as Jaskier gasps.
"excuse me, I did taste it! I was just very hungry" Jaskier crosses his arms. "and maybe you're just a slow eater!"
"I like to take my time." Geralt takes another bite of his sandwich, and chews.
"well, whatever. Oh! Y'know, I finally might have a chance at working somewhere. I just need a day job till I can preform professionally."
"oh, where are you going to work?" Geralt needed to know this. He needed to keep eyes on his target at all times.
"why do you want to know? So you can kill me, mister hitman?" Jaskier says, almost seriously for a moment before laughing. "oh man, I can't hold a serious face saying that."
Geralt rolls his eyes, finishing his sandwich.
"here, let me wash the dishes. You did cook, after all" Jaskier picks up his own plate and then Geralts, walking to the sink and beginning to wash the dishes. "I'm trying to get a job at the cafe from yesterday, the owner is a friend, so my chances are pretty high. My second option is at the grocery store."
"hm. Part time?"
"for the grocery store? Yeah. But for the cafe, definitely full time, it pays less than the store" Jaskier explains, he pauses, moving onto the other dish. "does being a hit-man for hire pay well?"
"you got it all wrong. A hitman and a mercenary, which is what I am, are two different things." Geralt crosses his arms. "taking someone's life isn't cheap, so I guess I get paid well."
"hm, cool. Why do you stay in such a small apartment then?"
"Yennefer took a lot of assets from me, including my house and a lot of my money in the divorce." Geralt huffs. "I found this place easily so I got it, plus it was cheap. At least I got Ciri under my custody"
"and she didn't tell the court you were a mercenary? If she did you know you wouldnt have gotten—"
"Yen isn't all evil. She knows I would put my life on the line for Cirilla." Geralt meets eyes with Jaskier. "why aren't you terrified of me?"
"because if you wanted to kill me, you would have done it already"
Geralt looks away from Jaskier, to his hands. Jaskier was too trusting.
"oh and also, you're too handsome to be the villian in my story" Jaskier shrugs nonchalantly.
"your story?"
"y'know, my life— I'm kidding. I'm not that narsasistic. I had a friend in high-school who was so self absorbed, he called everyone who wasn't related into his life, background characters" Jaskier rambles, pushing himself up to sit on the counter.
"I'm surprised someone like you didn't drop out." Geralt rolls his eyes.
"well, I did. A year before graduation. I just wanted to hurry things up with my music career" Jaskier squints. "was that an attempt at an insult?"
"yes, and I'm surprised it flew over your head" Geralt stares at Jaskier questionably.
"do you ever kill people who did nothing wrong?" Jaskier askes suddenly.
"I kill who I'm paid to. I don't need context."
That changed after renfri.
Geralt closes his eyes, gritting his teeth. He didn't need to think about her right now. Fuck.
"Geralt?" Jaskier waves a hand infront of the witchers face.
Geralts eyes snap open, glaring hard and heavy into Jaskier.
"oh, wow, that's a face to scare" Jaskier laughs slightly. "why the.. Scary face?"
Jaskier describes him as scary, but he wasn't scared? Geralt couldn't wrap his head around this man.
"I- I take back what I just said. I don't kill people who don't deserve it. I have no idea of really knowing, but I read people well. I can tell when they deserve it or not." Geralt avoids eye contact.
"oh, and, how can you tell? Do I deserve to be killed?"
No, you don't.
"well, if you keep talking, then yes" Geralt groans. "do you always talk so much?"
"do you always not talk that much?" Jaskier retorts, sass lining his voice, grinning. "how long as it been since we painted the room?"
"an hour. And twelve minutes."
Jaskier groans loudly. "this is so boooriiinnnnggg" he whines. "I really want to play some music"
"play that damn lute and I will break it." Geralt huffs. "you can go of you're so bored."
Jaskier gets ready to hop off the counter, before feeling something under said counter. He puts his hand under, and takes it out.
"a dagger?!" Jaskier exclaims. "why do you have a dagger under the counter!"
Geralt looks at him as if he's asking if this is what hes really freaked out about. A thought suddenly pops into his mind.
"I have a question, Jaskier."
Jaskier gently puts down the dagger ontop of the counter, eyeing the silver wearily. "what?"
"why do you talk about my occupation so casually? Why aren't you, I don't know, telling the police?"
"I mean, I grew up around death, and people killing each other. I lived in a small isolated town before moving here, there was disease left and right, and if you got on someone's wrong side, there were barely any laws stopping you from killing someone. So, you can probably assume why I left"Jaskier chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. "you have a daughter, Geralt. And you seen genuinely like a good person behind all the brooding, I mean, I've only known you for a day, and I can tell."
"hmm." Geralt looks at the floor. "you can play your lute. And sing. Just nothing too distasteful."
"personally I love all types of music!" he exclaims.
Jaskier spins the lute around his body from his back, adjusting the strap, fingers strumming, the song sounds barely familiar and Geralt can't place where it's from it.
"the same kind of music.. haunts her bedroom," the lyrics tune into Geralt brain a bit more, he finally starts listening while Jaskier is midway through the beginning of the song. "I'm almost me again, she's almost you" He sings tenderly.
Geralt wouldn't admit it, but his singing was well, and the mercenary was almost fond of it.
Jaskier's singing is interrupted by a knock at the door. Huh, Geralt hadn't expected anyone. Geralt focuses his hearing at the door, now, and hears the clock of a gun.
"Jaskier." He grabs the singers lute, stopping him. "I need you to go to my room, the one you passed by on the way to ciris, and lock the door" he whispers.
Jaskier looks confused, but doesn't say anything, nodding nervously. He slowly makes his way to Geralts room, with his lute clutched close to his hand.
Geralt grabs the dagger from the counter, and approaches the door, looking through the peephole.
Ugh, it was one of the men he had refused to take a job from.
Great.
Geralt goes behind the door, opening it, and when the man steps through, holding his gun, ready to shoot, Geralt is almost immediately pouncing onto the man. The knife is almost piercing the man's throat before he pulls back from it, sliding under it, and further into the apartment. He puts his gun up at Geralt.
"Witcher." He hisses at Geralt.
Geralt grunts, ready to knock this man off his feet before he freezes when there's a loud creak from his room. Damn it, Jaskier.
A round is shot, and Geralt barely has time to move, but it barely grazes him. He moves forward with his dagger, doing his best to move in a zigzag pattern to avoid any bullets.
He's ready to pounce onto the man, before there's a bullet in his leg, he yells out, kneeling to the floor, but keeping a tight grip on the dagger. He needed to protect Jaskier.
Fuck, when was he ready to sacrifice himself to save the damn singer?
The man puts the gun to his head, smirking, ready to pull the trigger. Geralt didn't fear death, so he wasn't particularly terrified.
Suddenly, there's a bang, and a thud. Jaskier had knocked the man out with his (now pretty broken) lute, the singers face red, and nervous, but still not terrified. This man had no fear, it seemed.
Geralt finally drops the dagger, groaning as he fully comprehends that hes hurt.
"ohmygod! You're bleeding! We need to take you to a hospital—"
"first aid kit, bathroom, bring it here." Geralt hisses, getting in a more comfortable position. He looks at his injury.
Bullet wound to the thigh.
It wasn't going to be the first time treating his own wounds.
Geralt grits his teeth as Jaskier stumbles back with the first aid kit, kneeling besides the mercenary gently.
"take off your pants." Jaskier demands, suddenly serious.
Geralt removes his leather tight trousers, revealing the wound. Thankfully, it wasn't deep, and would be an easy repair. Geralt huffs.
"disinfect the wound before removing the bullet." he tells Jaskiers.
"I know." Jaskier takes a cotton ball and puts some rubbing alcohol on it, gently applying it to the wound, hesitating when Geralt hisses lightly at the stinging. "I just did a quick google search while I was grabbing the first aid kit"
Geralt grunts, and Jaskier takes the surgical tweezers out of the first aid box, using his index finger and thumb to spread the wound wide open to help him remove the bullet, he slowly, with surprisingly steady hands, removed the small ammo from Geralts thigh.
"okay, uh, I didn't read further than this. I was panicking" Jaskier looks up at Geralt for help.
"Stitches." He stares back at Jaskier, calm, and collected.
Jaskier nervously nods, hands suddenly trembling as he grabbed the stitches and needle. He takes a deep breath, and calms himself down, focusing on Geralts wound.
If Geralt wasn't bleeding, he'd be concerned about how Jaskier was about to have a panic attack.
He guides Jaskier through doing the stitches, when the singers hand becomes unstable, he puts his own on top of Jaskiers, and helps him,and soon enough, the stitching is done. Geralt lifts up his leg as Jaskier wraps around a roll of bandages around it.
"now, uh, what are we going to do about that guy?" Jaskier immediately askes, gesturing to the knocked out, head broken open, man on the floor.
"we're not going to do anything. I'm going to hand him over to a good friend who wanted his head for a while."
"oh, okay" Jaskier closes his eyes, sighing and catching a steady breath. "my lute is broken" he chuckles.
"I owe you. I'll get you another one so I'm not forever in your debt"
"you should heal, first." Jaskier stands, offering a hand to Geralt, who refuses his hand.
Geralt slowly stands, putting his leather trousers back on painfully. "where's my phone?" he looks through his pockets.
Jaskier finds it on the kitchen counter, and passes it to the witcher. The mercenary calls someone, mumbling the man's name and how said person should arrive soon to pick him up.
"is.. Is he dead?" Jaskier refers to the body on the floor.
"no, just some massive head trauma." Geralt grunts, limping slightly to sit down, keeping his eyes on the body.
The door to the apartment was wide open, so Geralt's friend didn't knock.
"mousesack, finally. Take the body and get out of here." Geralt speaks roughly.
"I've been hunting this man for years and suddenly one day, woop, you hand him to me on a silver platter? What in the world happened?" Mousesack shakes his head, staring at the body.
"he wanted a fight. So I gave it to him." Geralt shrugs.
"I helped" Jaskier shrugs, smirking slightly.
"oh, and who's this new fellow?" He glances at Geralt before taking Jaskiers hand to shake. "nice to meet you, I'm Mousesack."
"Jaskier." the singer shakes his hand, "are you a mercenary too?"
"ah, ex bounty hunter actually, now I tutor kids. But I help the police every now and then with hunts, like this guy." He explains, smiling. "and just because I help the police doesn't mean I have to be Geralt's enemy." he stops any of Jaskiers questions.
"I'm going to take this man back to my car, then to the station. Thank you, Geralt." Mousesack takes out a pair of handcuffs and handcuffs the man, hoisting the man to his limp feet, and dragging him to his car.
Jaskier sighs, and Geralt grunts, analysing Jaskier for a moment.
He was only really terrified when Geralt was injured.
How odd.
"Jaskier." Geralt says, gesturing for Jaskier to approach him. "you should go home, rest".
Jaskier takes a couple steps closer to Geralt, "I should rest? My dear, you have a bullet in your thigh."
Pet names. Geralt notes, he's using pet names. But it didn't seem like it was anything crush related.
"here, let me take you to your bed" Jaskier insists, pulling Geralt off the stool; despite being Geralt being fully confident he could walk, with limp at best.
So he takes Geralt to his room, and lays him down in his bed, drawing the mercenaries hair back and tying it up to keep it out of his face.
Normally, Geralt wouldn't let anyone (but Ciri when she insists she wants to do his hair) touch his silver locks, but Jaskiers fingers with moving with gentle intent, and he didn't see the harm if letting him make him get comfy.
"do you want anything?" Jaskier askes. "pain meds? Tea? Coffee?"
"pain killers." Geralt admits, grunting out the answer.
Jaskier nods, leaving the witcher to go look for said meds, and when finding them, comes back with them and a glass of water in hand. There's no hesitation as he helps Geralt take the pills, and Geralt still can't possibly fathom how this man was so gentle and caring for someone as big and rough as Geralt.
It had been a while since someone looked at him like that. No fear.
Geralt had been so deep into thinking he hadn't even realised Jaskier had been talking this entire time. He only snaps out of his thoughts when Jaskier waves his hand infront of his face and askes him if he's getting tired.
Geralt shakes his head.
"I'm fine." He tells the singer.
"I was asking you a question and you were completely zoned out — anyways, as I was saying, would you like me to stay to aid you or shall I leave?"
As much as Geralt, admittedly, appreciated Jaskiers motherly nature to tend to him and take care of him, he'd rather some privacy and alone time.
"you can leave. I'll text you. Or call you"
Jaskier nods, offering Geralt a smile, who gave him a nod in return.
"rest well, witcher." He smirks. "I'll send a check up text to make sure you didn't die in like, two hours" he goes towards the bedroom door. "bye, Geralt"
Geralt grunts as Jaskier leaves, and as he hears the front door of the apartment shut.
Fuck, the singer was definitely falling in love.