Following Geralt back inside had Jaskier's stomach churning with something unknown. Perhaps it was the familiar action that had been the basis of their entire relationship for the past twenty years or perhaps it was because of how that ended, either way, Jaskier was unsure, and he didn't know how to feel about it.
Only the promise of a bath kept him following.
Goddess did he need one after the last few weeks or months? He wasn't sure but he reeked.
"If you head down that pathway it will lead to the hot springs, I'll go and gather some clothes and soaps." Geralt informed, gesturing to the stairs that lead downwards that were hidden off to the side.
"Thank you, Geralt," Jaskier replied and made his way down, sighing pleased as the further down he went the warmth of the air sunk into his skin chasing away the chill.
At the bottom, the room was dark, only a flicker of flame in the far corner of the wide chasm but oh, oh… there were several pools in the floors that were scattered throughout and as Jaskier padded softly to each one and realised they were various temperatures did he finally strip and sink into the hottest one there was.
A wanton moan escaped his lips as he sunk down to his chin, bliss, he was in pure bliss. It had been a very long time since Jaskier was able to indulge in a spring this hot, not even the ones in Haern Caduch were this hot and if there was one that did, none of the instructors shared that detail.
"I'm glad you are enjoying the springs Jask." Geralt's voice rang out, startling Jaskier hard enough to slip under the water and come up spluttering.
"Melitele's left breast Geralt! You scared the ever-loving soul out of me!" The words came out in a wet gasp, but it was enough to cause Geralt's face to twist in that familiar way Jaskier saw very rarely. "It's fine, I didn't hear you."
Dropping his chin slightly Geralt held out a small pouch, "I brought you some soaps, the spare clothes I've put on the bench by the door."
Taking the pouch Jaskier felt his brows rise in surprise as he uncorked the first vial to smell chamomile, the very oil he used the most and favoured, it wasn't the cheap oil either it was the one that you could only buy in Ard Carraigh. It wasn't just the only one either, there was the vanilla one from Temeria and the one that smelled of campfire smoke and wildflowers. These were all the ones Jaskier favoured and swore he took with him after the mountain.
"Geralt?" Golden-Blue eyes met Molten Gold, curious and concealed. "Why do you have these?"
"I bought them." Geralt replied slow, eyes still averted. "After the mountain."
Jaskier's traitorous heart sped up at that. "But why?"
"Because…" frustration was clear in Geralt's voice. "Because it was quiet without you, the Path unbearable! You were always there, always singing, talking… I could deal with the quiet again… I tried to learn to walk the Path without you, but I couldn't. I didn't want to. The day I stopped smelling you near me is the day I bought the oils."
Ragged breaths escaped Geralt as he crouched on the floor, hands clutching at dirty white locks. Jaskier watched this all with wide eyes, he knew that Geralt loved him now, but he didn't realise he had this much of an impact on the wolf. In all their years together the man even still denied their friendship… but this?
Moving forward slowly Jaskier reached out and placed his hand on Geralt's head in comfort, snapping it back when Geralt flinched away.
"I do not deserve your comfort; I am very much aware of that now." He muttered soft enough that if Jaskier was anyone else, he wouldn't be able to hear that confession at all.
"I may be angry with you Geralt, but that doesn't mean you don't deserve comfort," Jaskier stated firmly, pulling Geralt's hands away and forcing the man to look at him. "I didn't know I caused you just as much pain."
In a blink Geralt was in the water, clothes and all, pulling Jaskier close to him. "I'm so sorry for what I said on the mountain Jask, I never meant any of it. I was angry at Yen, Borch, and myself. I thought you'd come back… you always came back."
Wrapping his arms around Geralt, Julian sighed. "It wasn't just that Geralt. Yes, those words broke me but it was everything. I may have been a Witcher, may have kept that from you but you treated me poorly quite a lot. In all the years we travelled you never even called me a friend and I thought… there it is, the truth…"
A whine escaped Geralt's lips as he pulled Jaskier closer, tight as he always wanted but was afraid to. "No, no… you were my best friend, my only friend and the only person who chose to see me for me and not what I was made for. I thought you mortal Jaskier, I thought if I allowed myself to grow attached…"
"Shh, I understand Geralt, I do… now at least." Julian soothed, running his fingers through Geralt's hair as he buried his face into the crook of his neck. "I should have told you sooner, should have told you many things sooner and it may have made many things not come to pass but we can't focus on the 'what could have been's'."
"We've both made mistakes." Geralt replied, his lips brushing across Jaskier's neck enough to cause his pulse to spike. "I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I'll ask for it selfishly."
"I forgave you long ago for everything Geralt, it'll just take time for the hurts to fade." Was the poet's reply, eyes closed and willed his lust down, now was not the time for it.
Jerking his head back Geralt stared at Jaskier, his eyes taking in all the changes. Oh, he grew used to the scars, the muscles… a life of a Witcher but he had not had the chance to see the way his eyes sparked or how his lips twitched when fighting a smile. Geralt wanted to see if he could still see the Jaskier he knew and as he looked, as Jaskier let him… Geralt saw.
He saw everything.
The Witcher and the Bard. Jaskier. His lark.
"Found what you're looking for Witcher?" Jaskier teased playfully, an imitation of the words said long ago.
A smile pulled at Geralt's lips. "Yes."
"And?" the playful smile dropped into uncertainty.
"You're still Jaskier, still the bard that dared to follow the Butcher, to spit at the feet of any and all who dared to curse at me… the same bard I fell in love with, Witcher or not, you're still you." He whispered, cupping Jaskier's scarred cheek and brushing his thumb across it.
This time it was Jaskier's turn to search Geralt's eyes, his nose flaring to detect the lie but found nothing but unwavering truth.
"Fuck Geralt," Julian whispered rough, pulling Geralt even closer and spinning him around to crowd him against the wall of the pool, blinking in surprise as Geralt's eyes dilated to the point only a faint hint of gold could be seen. Oh…
A rumbled growl was all the warning Jaskier got till Geralt was yanking him down into a searing kiss, his fingers curling into his damp hair and pulling lightly enough to cause Jaskier to moan. Snarling softly Jaskier pulled back and lifted Geralt to his waist, hands ripping the shirt free from Geralt's frame with ease and letting out a dark pleased rumble as the wolf's lust spiked.
"Lark, please." Geralt whined in a desperate pant, eyes wide and desperate.
Deep laughter escaped Julian's lips as he began to worship the torse before him with vigour, he dreamt of this for so long, he wasn't going to waste time now. His tongue lavished over each ridge and dip of old wounds, the fingers of his left-hand rubbing circles around Geralt's nipple, flicking his nail softly and pinching every now and then to tease.
A whimper escaped Geralt's lips unabashedly as he felt Jaskier's pointed teeth dig into his neck followed by the bathing of his talented tongue, it set his entire body aflame. Fuck, Geralt hasn't been this aroused since Eskel and he decided to experiment after their mutations when they recovered. But it was something about Jaskier being able to cover his entire frame, about picking him up with ease like he was a feather… there was something very arousing about it.
"Does this please you, my wolf?" Jaskier rumbled low, teeth nibbling on Geralt's lobe, nose inhaling the spike of lust. "Does me manhandling you make you yearn?"
Groaning Geralt tipped his head back and bared his throat. "Yes."
"What do you want Wolf?" the words were a vibration on his skin, sending ripples of fire down to his cock.
"You, fuck Jask, you." He growled back, finally able to focus his eyes on his bard's face. Gold-Blue eyes were near black with lust and Geralt thrust forward slightly to show just how badly he wanted. "Please."
A rakish grin pulled at Julian's lips as he lifted Geralt higher, wrapping the man's legs around his shoulder as he stepped out of the pool and towards the wall, taking Geralt in his mouth with ease. A slew of expletives left Geralt's mouth as his fingers tangled through Jaskier's hair to hold. Pleasure coursed through him as Jaskier's head bobbed, tongue lavishing against his slit with an expertise Geralt didn't expect but should have.
"Fuck! Jask!" He howled as he felt an oil-slicked finger enter him, curling and twisting till it hit the right bundle of nerves that set him alight.
Humming pleased Jaskier looked up at Geralt through his lashes, adding another finger to stretch and tease. His own cock throbbed as he breathed in the musky scent of Geralt's desire, watched as his head threw back and a bead of sweat pooled and left a trail down his bobbing throat. Fuck. Geralt lost in bliss was an aphrodisiac, he needed more.
"Geralt," he moaned softly after releasing Geralt's cock with a lewd slurp, nuzzling his nose into the patch of hair at the base of it. He will never get enough of the smell of lust wafting off his wolf. "I need you, but I cannot… I need to know… Yen…"
The words were broken, heady with lust but pushed out through clenched teeth as Jaskier kept his fingers at a steady pace, adding a third.
Throwing his head back in a moan, Geralt cast a hooded look down at his bard, his Bear. His hand untangled from Jaskier's hair and pressed down on the Medallion at his chest, over his heart. You, I chose you… choose you. What Yen and I had was a fabrication, what you and I feel is real… Please Jaskier, my Lark, my Bear… I need you, all of you…
A feral snarl escaped Jaskier's lips as the words filtered across the bond, he let Geralt drop carefully to his hips once more and pressed him hard into the wall, pinning his hands above him with one hand while the other slicked up his cock with the oil he grabbed when he left the pool. He positioned himself at Geralt's entrance and grinned, slowly pushing forward, achingly slow but it was worth hearing the sound that tore from Geralt's throat.
"Stop. Teasing." Geralt snarled and bucked his hips forward for more.
"As you command my wolf." Jaskier grinned and snapped his hips forward, burying himself to the hilt. A ragged gasp left both their lips as he began to rock, pulling out till only his head remained within and slammed back in fast. He did this several times, his right hand holding Geralt's hands above his head while the left pinned his hips.
He kissed his way up the side of Geralt's neck, nibbling at the pulse point lightly. "You're so lovely for me, my wolf. I wonder if I can make you howl."
The next few moments, hours, days he couldn't tell you were a blur of pleasure as the roll of Jaskier's hips was steady and deep. Alternating between brutal quick that brought him close to the edge and tauntingly slow, it was maddening, and Geralt knew faintly he was screaming in pleasure. He was so close, so very close.
"Keep going, Jas," Geralt gripped at Jaskier shoulders hard enough to bruise as he finally let him go to grip both of Geralt's hips, "keep going, please, so close keep—keep going."
"Fuck." Jaskier growled as he buried his nose into Geralt's neck and thrust faster, he too was close. The intense smell of Geralt's arousal was unmistakable, musky and heady which drove him wild. He pried his fingers from Geralt's waist and wrapped them around his cock, pumping in rhythm with his thrusts. It wasn't long till Geralt screamed his name as his walls clamped tight around Jaskier's own cock as he came.
Jaskier continued to thrust, the steady rhythm becoming sporadic and with a few more pumps he felt his release build till he could contain it no more. A feral snarl escaped Julian's lips as he buried his teeth into Geralt's neck as his own pleasure ripped through him. Their bodies shuddered together, each riding high from their peaks.
An apologetic rumble escaped Jaskier's lips as he bathed the wound with his tongue, easing Geralt gently to his feet and pressing his forehead to the wolf's. "I love you Geralt, you have all of me in a way no one else will."
Geralt let out a rumbling purr. "As you have all of me Julek, my Lark. For as long as you want me."
"Forever then."
A soft smile and a gentle kiss chased a pleased hum.
"Forever."
