For All the Things We Wish We'd Done - Epilogue
Title: For All the Things We Wished We’d Done
Author: gwyllion
Genre: Canon era
Pairing: Geralt of Rivia | Geralt z Rivii/Jaskier |Dandelion
Rating: R
Words: 41,668
Warnings: Rape/non-con elements. Mind control. Implied/referenced mind control. Implied/referenced homophobia. Canon-typical violence.
A/N: For All the Things We Wished We’d Done was written for The Witcher Big Bang 2020. Please see Chapter 1 for additional notes.
Disclaimer: I did not create these characters. No disrespect intended. No profit desired, only muses.
Comments: Comments are welcome anytime, thanks so much for reading!
Geralt listened to the last notes of Jaskier’s song as the music resonated through the garden. Like most of Jaskier’s compositions, the ballad’s plot bore some resemblance to Jaskier’s exploits with the witcher. The newly-composed romantic tale of an injured wood elf, who found true love with his rescuer, satisfied Geralt. He was more than a little relieved that Jaskier promised his bawdier compositions would not be based on their adventures in the bedroom.
“Well done,” Yennefer said as she applauded.
Wearing a richly ruffled doublet, Jaskier bowed courteously. But such formalities were not necessary for the audience of two.
“You sound better every day,” Geralt said, offering his own applause before taking the lute from Jaskier.
Jaskier threw an arm around Geralt and pulled him close. “I’ll sound even better by the time we get to Cintra,” he said.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Yennefer interrupted. “Remember, it’s not going to take as long as you think it will take to get there.”
“Not with your portal sorcery to transport us there and back,” Jaskier said, waving a hand as if to conjure a circle of swirling wind. A puff of condensed breath hung in the chilly air after he spoke.
Autumn had descended upon Novigrad. Geralt awoke on most mornings to find frost decorating the windows of Jaskier’s room. It was with some trepidation that he invited the bard to Kaer Morhen for the winter. He hoped that his witcher brothers would become as fond of Jaskier as he was. Once they met the bard, Geralt had no doubt that they would adore him. But first, he needed to visit Cintra to collect Cirilla and fulfil his promise to Yennefer.
“Let me help you,” Geralt said, holding the lute case open.
“My last performance for a little while,” Jaskier said, taking a moment to caress the neck of the lute.
Geralt waited for Jaskier to secure the lute in its case before helping him strap the case to Pegasus. The sweet palfrey, a gift from Yennefer to Jaskier, had been Roach’s stablemate during their stay in Novigrad. Although a trip through the portal would take them to Cintra and back, Geralt and Jaskier still needed reliable ground transportation once they arrived in the distant city. Roach had accepted Pegasus without complaint, and so it made sense to save Jaskier the effort of walking alongside Geralt while he rode Roach. Fortunately, Pegasus’ demeanour suited the bard’s style of riding. Geralt wouldn’t be surprised if he saw Jaskier strumming away in the saddle as the horse trotted along.
While Jaskier fussed with Pegasus, Geralt inspected Roach’s load to make sure everything they needed for their journey was secure. He hated travelling through portals, but he trusted Yennefer to keep him, Jaskier, and their horses in one piece as they passed through.
Yennefer approach Geralt and rested her hand on his arm. “I know you’ll take good care of him,” she said, gazing at Jaskier. “I’ll keep his room ready for when you return. You’ll want to rest awhile before you leave for Kaer Morhen.”
“I’ll bet you can’t wait until we return with Cirilla,” Jaskier said, striding over to the pair with Pegasus’ reins in his hand.
“I’m looking forward to meeting her, as much as Geralt, I’m sure,” Yennefer said.
“Probably more so than me,” Geralt said with a sigh. “I have no talent for dealing with children.”
“You’ll do fine,” Jaskier said. “Besides, Yennefer is going to make Cirilla feel right at home.”
Geralt was a little worried about convincing Cirilla to visit Novigrad. He would tell her about the beautiful manor with a mage whose only wish was to care for her. The lavish rooms, the handmaidens who would be at her beck and call, delicious foods, and magical exploration... perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe she’d even be the sort of girl who would enjoy such a holiday.
“And if she doesn’t like it here, Yennefer will just do a little of her mind reading to figure out what would make the girl happiest,” Jaskier added.
Yennefer looked at Jaskier with her mouth agape.
“Jaskier….” Geralt groaned.
“What? What did I say?” Jaskier blurted out with no apology forthcoming. “She’s a mage. The mind reading thing is what she does. She’s only trying to help.”
“You know me too well, bard,” Yennefer said, affectionately running a hand through Jaskier’s hair.
“Yenn?” Geralt gasped in disbelief.
Like a key turning in a lock, an understanding came over Geralt.
Yennefer’s mind-reading ability gave her an insight to Jaskier’s thoughts. This was how Geralt first learned that Jaskier loved him. Geralt didn’t have all the answers, but he suspected that Yennefer had some empathy for Jaskier because of what she learned about him when she read his mind. This empathy was what made Yennefer regret groping Jaskier on the day she healed him from the incident with the djinn. Her empathy for him was what moved her to obtain a lute for him, to heal him, and to help him find happiness.
Geralt supposed the two of them were a lot alike. Both had left their homes at an early age to seek their own path, one where they could use their gods-given talents to make a more fulfilling life for themselves. They followed their passions, despite the suffering they sometimes entailed. They were two of a kind, kindred spirits. He knew well enough not to question the nurturing manner that Yennefer took on when she was with Jaskier. She’d make a fine mother for any child fortunate enough to end up in her care.
Yennefer cleared her throat. “And if we’re done guessing about my magical abilities,” she said with a knowing smile, “it’s time to ready the portal.”
“Fuck,” Geralt muttered, caught by Yennefer yet again.
“If you’re all packed, I need you to take your horses and go stand over by the wall where I can see you and get you into a frame with my hand,” Yennefer directed.
“Goodbye, Yennefer,” Jaskier said, lowering his head to press a kiss to Yennefer’s cheek.
“None of that goodbye nonsense,” Yennefer said, pushing him away. “I’ll only accept a see you later at most.”
“See you later, then,” Jaskier laughed and led Pegasus to the wall, some twenty feet from where Yennefer stood.
Geralt held Roach’s reins in one hand and waved to Yennefer with the other. “See you later, Yennefer,” he said with a smile in his heart.
Following Jaskier and Pegasus, Geralt walked to the wall with Roach.
“Now, turn your backs to me, unless you want to land on your arses when you pass through,” Yennefer said. “Don’t ask me how I know this.”
Geralt laughed and snuck one final glance at the mage.
Jaskier bit his lip while the breeze picked up around him.
“Scared?” Geralt asked.
“Excited,” Jaskier said, raising his eyebrows.
“Hmm,” Geralt grunted.
After a moment, Jaskier said, “I do hope Cirilla isn’t afraid of travelling through the portal.”
Geralt considered it. “Do you remember much about Cirilla?”
“Of course I do,” Jaskier said. “I’ve met her many times on my trips through Cintra. I’ve even performed at her birthday celebrations a time or two. Why?”
Geralt was quiet as the wind from Yennefer’s spells spun the air around them. “Do you think I’ll love her?” Geralt finally asked, trusting that he could expect an honest answer from Jaskier.
“Oh, Geralt,” Jaskier said, laying his hand on Geralt’s chest. “All children deserve the love of a parent. I have every confidence that you’ll do what you think is right, my dear witcher.”
Then, with the sound of Yennefer’s voice casting the spell across the garden, Jaskier kissed Geralt.
Jaskier’s words rang true for Geralt. All children didn’t get the love they deserved, however. The best he could do would be to make up for what he lacked by ensuring Cirilla never felt abandoned, not by her own family-and not by him or Yennefer or Jaskier. And he’d always have Jaskier at his side to help him. When Jaskier broke away from their kiss, Geralt would swear that the weight of the two swords on his back had grown lighter.
“And after we bring Cirilla to Yennefer, we’ll have more time for everything else,” Jaskier said, his words a promise.
“Like what?” Geralt asked with a tilt of his head.
“Time for all the things we wished we’d done if we knew we were destined to fall in love with each other when we met in Posada,” Jaskier said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“I still don’t believe in that destiny horseshit,” Geralt said with a huff.
“Eh, whether you want to believe in it, or not, I love you all the same,” Jaskier said, grinning like a fool.
“Hmm,” Geralt hummed with suspicion. “Sounds like something Yennefer would say.”
Jaskier took Geralt’s hand in his as the portal of swirling wind opened in front of them.
“Ready?” Jaskier asked, glancing at the portal.
Geralt nodded. He was ready. He had never been so sure of anything.
By the time Geralt found Jaskier, the damage had been done. When he wandered into the tavern at Posada, he was a wreck with tattered clothing on the outside, and he had been destroyed on the inside by Renfri and her murder at his own hands. He had been abandoned by his mother, mutated by the Trial of the Grasses, and spit on by humanity. But like a ruin of a stone wall, Geralt was pieced together by Jaskier’s loving hands. Like a marred table, Geralt still had purpose. And like a mistreated and abused bard, Geralt could be repaired so the damage he suffered might nearly be forgotten when he discovered how important he was to the people he loved.
He squeezed Jaskier’s hand as Yennefer uttered the final words of her spell. With Roach’s reins in one hand and Jaskier’s hand in the other, Geralt walked through the portal and into the rest of his life.
The end
Author: gwyllion
Genre: Canon era
Pairing: Geralt of Rivia | Geralt z Rivii/Jaskier |Dandelion
Rating: R
Words: 41,668
Warnings: Rape/non-con elements. Mind control. Implied/referenced mind control. Implied/referenced homophobia. Canon-typical violence.
A/N: For All the Things We Wished We’d Done was written for The Witcher Big Bang 2020. Please see Chapter 1 for additional notes.
Disclaimer: I did not create these characters. No disrespect intended. No profit desired, only muses.
Comments: Comments are welcome anytime, thanks so much for reading!
Geralt listened to the last notes of Jaskier’s song as the music resonated through the garden. Like most of Jaskier’s compositions, the ballad’s plot bore some resemblance to Jaskier’s exploits with the witcher. The newly-composed romantic tale of an injured wood elf, who found true love with his rescuer, satisfied Geralt. He was more than a little relieved that Jaskier promised his bawdier compositions would not be based on their adventures in the bedroom.
“Well done,” Yennefer said as she applauded.
Wearing a richly ruffled doublet, Jaskier bowed courteously. But such formalities were not necessary for the audience of two.
“You sound better every day,” Geralt said, offering his own applause before taking the lute from Jaskier.
Jaskier threw an arm around Geralt and pulled him close. “I’ll sound even better by the time we get to Cintra,” he said.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Yennefer interrupted. “Remember, it’s not going to take as long as you think it will take to get there.”
“Not with your portal sorcery to transport us there and back,” Jaskier said, waving a hand as if to conjure a circle of swirling wind. A puff of condensed breath hung in the chilly air after he spoke.
Autumn had descended upon Novigrad. Geralt awoke on most mornings to find frost decorating the windows of Jaskier’s room. It was with some trepidation that he invited the bard to Kaer Morhen for the winter. He hoped that his witcher brothers would become as fond of Jaskier as he was. Once they met the bard, Geralt had no doubt that they would adore him. But first, he needed to visit Cintra to collect Cirilla and fulfil his promise to Yennefer.
“Let me help you,” Geralt said, holding the lute case open.
“My last performance for a little while,” Jaskier said, taking a moment to caress the neck of the lute.
Geralt waited for Jaskier to secure the lute in its case before helping him strap the case to Pegasus. The sweet palfrey, a gift from Yennefer to Jaskier, had been Roach’s stablemate during their stay in Novigrad. Although a trip through the portal would take them to Cintra and back, Geralt and Jaskier still needed reliable ground transportation once they arrived in the distant city. Roach had accepted Pegasus without complaint, and so it made sense to save Jaskier the effort of walking alongside Geralt while he rode Roach. Fortunately, Pegasus’ demeanour suited the bard’s style of riding. Geralt wouldn’t be surprised if he saw Jaskier strumming away in the saddle as the horse trotted along.
While Jaskier fussed with Pegasus, Geralt inspected Roach’s load to make sure everything they needed for their journey was secure. He hated travelling through portals, but he trusted Yennefer to keep him, Jaskier, and their horses in one piece as they passed through.
Yennefer approach Geralt and rested her hand on his arm. “I know you’ll take good care of him,” she said, gazing at Jaskier. “I’ll keep his room ready for when you return. You’ll want to rest awhile before you leave for Kaer Morhen.”
“I’ll bet you can’t wait until we return with Cirilla,” Jaskier said, striding over to the pair with Pegasus’ reins in his hand.
“I’m looking forward to meeting her, as much as Geralt, I’m sure,” Yennefer said.
“Probably more so than me,” Geralt said with a sigh. “I have no talent for dealing with children.”
“You’ll do fine,” Jaskier said. “Besides, Yennefer is going to make Cirilla feel right at home.”
Geralt was a little worried about convincing Cirilla to visit Novigrad. He would tell her about the beautiful manor with a mage whose only wish was to care for her. The lavish rooms, the handmaidens who would be at her beck and call, delicious foods, and magical exploration... perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe she’d even be the sort of girl who would enjoy such a holiday.
“And if she doesn’t like it here, Yennefer will just do a little of her mind reading to figure out what would make the girl happiest,” Jaskier added.
Yennefer looked at Jaskier with her mouth agape.
“Jaskier….” Geralt groaned.
“What? What did I say?” Jaskier blurted out with no apology forthcoming. “She’s a mage. The mind reading thing is what she does. She’s only trying to help.”
“You know me too well, bard,” Yennefer said, affectionately running a hand through Jaskier’s hair.
“Yenn?” Geralt gasped in disbelief.
Like a key turning in a lock, an understanding came over Geralt.
Yennefer’s mind-reading ability gave her an insight to Jaskier’s thoughts. This was how Geralt first learned that Jaskier loved him. Geralt didn’t have all the answers, but he suspected that Yennefer had some empathy for Jaskier because of what she learned about him when she read his mind. This empathy was what made Yennefer regret groping Jaskier on the day she healed him from the incident with the djinn. Her empathy for him was what moved her to obtain a lute for him, to heal him, and to help him find happiness.
Geralt supposed the two of them were a lot alike. Both had left their homes at an early age to seek their own path, one where they could use their gods-given talents to make a more fulfilling life for themselves. They followed their passions, despite the suffering they sometimes entailed. They were two of a kind, kindred spirits. He knew well enough not to question the nurturing manner that Yennefer took on when she was with Jaskier. She’d make a fine mother for any child fortunate enough to end up in her care.
Yennefer cleared her throat. “And if we’re done guessing about my magical abilities,” she said with a knowing smile, “it’s time to ready the portal.”
“Fuck,” Geralt muttered, caught by Yennefer yet again.
“If you’re all packed, I need you to take your horses and go stand over by the wall where I can see you and get you into a frame with my hand,” Yennefer directed.
“Goodbye, Yennefer,” Jaskier said, lowering his head to press a kiss to Yennefer’s cheek.
“None of that goodbye nonsense,” Yennefer said, pushing him away. “I’ll only accept a see you later at most.”
“See you later, then,” Jaskier laughed and led Pegasus to the wall, some twenty feet from where Yennefer stood.
Geralt held Roach’s reins in one hand and waved to Yennefer with the other. “See you later, Yennefer,” he said with a smile in his heart.
Following Jaskier and Pegasus, Geralt walked to the wall with Roach.
“Now, turn your backs to me, unless you want to land on your arses when you pass through,” Yennefer said. “Don’t ask me how I know this.”
Geralt laughed and snuck one final glance at the mage.
Jaskier bit his lip while the breeze picked up around him.
“Scared?” Geralt asked.
“Excited,” Jaskier said, raising his eyebrows.
“Hmm,” Geralt grunted.
After a moment, Jaskier said, “I do hope Cirilla isn’t afraid of travelling through the portal.”
Geralt considered it. “Do you remember much about Cirilla?”
“Of course I do,” Jaskier said. “I’ve met her many times on my trips through Cintra. I’ve even performed at her birthday celebrations a time or two. Why?”
Geralt was quiet as the wind from Yennefer’s spells spun the air around them. “Do you think I’ll love her?” Geralt finally asked, trusting that he could expect an honest answer from Jaskier.
“Oh, Geralt,” Jaskier said, laying his hand on Geralt’s chest. “All children deserve the love of a parent. I have every confidence that you’ll do what you think is right, my dear witcher.”
Then, with the sound of Yennefer’s voice casting the spell across the garden, Jaskier kissed Geralt.
Jaskier’s words rang true for Geralt. All children didn’t get the love they deserved, however. The best he could do would be to make up for what he lacked by ensuring Cirilla never felt abandoned, not by her own family-and not by him or Yennefer or Jaskier. And he’d always have Jaskier at his side to help him. When Jaskier broke away from their kiss, Geralt would swear that the weight of the two swords on his back had grown lighter.
“And after we bring Cirilla to Yennefer, we’ll have more time for everything else,” Jaskier said, his words a promise.
“Like what?” Geralt asked with a tilt of his head.
“Time for all the things we wished we’d done if we knew we were destined to fall in love with each other when we met in Posada,” Jaskier said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“I still don’t believe in that destiny horseshit,” Geralt said with a huff.
“Eh, whether you want to believe in it, or not, I love you all the same,” Jaskier said, grinning like a fool.
“Hmm,” Geralt hummed with suspicion. “Sounds like something Yennefer would say.”
Jaskier took Geralt’s hand in his as the portal of swirling wind opened in front of them.
“Ready?” Jaskier asked, glancing at the portal.
Geralt nodded. He was ready. He had never been so sure of anything.
By the time Geralt found Jaskier, the damage had been done. When he wandered into the tavern at Posada, he was a wreck with tattered clothing on the outside, and he had been destroyed on the inside by Renfri and her murder at his own hands. He had been abandoned by his mother, mutated by the Trial of the Grasses, and spit on by humanity. But like a ruin of a stone wall, Geralt was pieced together by Jaskier’s loving hands. Like a marred table, Geralt still had purpose. And like a mistreated and abused bard, Geralt could be repaired so the damage he suffered might nearly be forgotten when he discovered how important he was to the people he loved.
He squeezed Jaskier’s hand as Yennefer uttered the final words of her spell. With Roach’s reins in one hand and Jaskier’s hand in the other, Geralt walked through the portal and into the rest of his life.
The end