Wounded Wolves At Bay

Image from PsychVamp who is just the sweetest person in the world.

Geralt had seen the path up to Kaer Morhen tire out grown men, yet Ciri managed it without complaining even once. He was rather impressed by the way she handled herself from the moment the two of them had met. They had embraced, and it felt like a piece of his life had finally fallen into place. There was once a hole in his heart, and this girl with hair almost as white as his own managed to fill it with one hug. It was something that Geralt didn't know what to do with, but he also knew better than to question it. Geralt had chased away the good things in his life too many times if he thought about them too much. He struggled not to think about lilac and gooseberries, about blue eyes, and a beautiful voice, but they were hard to ignore.

Nilfgaard always felt like they were right behind, so Geralt could only think of one place where they could go and be safe. Vesemir was probably going to throw him off the mountain for demanding something other than coin for payment in the first place and then maybe throw him off a second time once Vesemir realized that housing the two of them was declaring allegiance in a bloody war. Geralt didn't want to put his mentor in that position, but he couldn't think of anywhere else to go, and Ciri needed to be trained so she could defend herself. She needed guidance, and more than Geralt could give on his own. So he thought about Vesemir's firm and steady hand and what that could mean for a young person like Ciri.

They were late in terms of showing up for the winter, and Geralt expected that he was going to get yelled at by his brothers for leaving all of the chores up to them. While Ciri didn't complain, it did make traveling much slower, and the pass already had snow by the time they started climbing. Geralt tried not to think about the fact that if they were even a few days later, they might not have made it up the mountain. Ciri trembled on the back of Roach but gasped when Kaer Morhen appeared in the distance.

"Your home is beautiful," she said.

"Thank you," Geralt managed to say because that was what someone said to a girl who complimented you on your home. Unlike his time with Jaskier or Yennefer, where they had to force the words from his mouth, Geralt found himself talking to Ciri easily. He told her stories without prompting, and he liked making her laugh. By the time they got to the keep, he was expecting someone to be waiting for them, but no one was. However, Geralt could hear the clash of weapons on the training ground. He helped Ciri off of Roach and walked toward the grounds to greet his brothers and take whatever tongue lashing was awaiting him.

Whatever Geralt expected when he turned the corner into the training grounds, it was not what was waiting for him.

Vesemir looked the same as he always did as he watched two people train with his arms crossed and that expression he wore when he was teaching that Geralt knew all too well. Lambert was grinning as he sat back on a bench and sharpened some of his own blades while Eskel was sparring. It was the other two people that made Geralt's blood run cold.

Yennefer stood next to Vesemir, dressed in a black but simple dress. It looked warm and comfortable, and unlike anything he had ever seen her in. Snowflakes were collecting in her black hair, and from here, Geralt could see that her purple eyes were shining. There was a blade attached to her hip, which didn't seem right because Yennefer didn't usually carry weapons. They all noticed him, and the person that was sparring with Eskel turned around. Jaskier looked the same. His brown hair was a little longer and curling from the wind and the snow from being outside, but his eyes were just as big and just as blue. He was also dressed down in warm-looking clothing that was dyed a deep navy blue. He had a sword in his hand, and he was even holding it like he knew what he was doing.

Geralt had no idea what they were doing here or how they even got here.

"Jaskier!" Ciri suddenly said, and all of a sudden, everyone seemed to blink at the same time as they realized what was happening. Jaskier's entire face suddenly lit up with one of those smiles that sometimes made Geralt feel like a horse just kicked him in the stomach. Ciri pushed her way past Geralt and ran up to Jaskier, who had to frantically put his sword away to take her into his arms. Jaskier spun her around and held onto her like a lifeline.

"I'm so glad you're safe, I'm so glad you found him," Jaskier said and the only reason Geralt was able to hear it was because of his Witcher hearing. Geralt took a few steps closer into the training yard because he still could not believe what he was seeing. Yennefer left Vesemir's side to walk over to Jaskier and Ciri as he put her down on the ground to look her over. He got down on one knee and rubbed her upper arms. "I know it's only been a year, but I feel like the last time I saw you, you were this little thing and now look at you."

"I was so worried when you didn't come to my name day celebration," Ciri said. "I thought about sending someone out to look for you, but..." she hesitated and looked down at the ground. "You knew that something was going to happen with Nilfgaard. That's why you stayed away." Jaskier smiled painfully and nodded.

"Your grandmother didn't like me and didn't owe me any favors. She wouldn't have done anything to help me get out of the city," Jaskier said, and Ciri looked up at Yennefer with wide eyes.

"I know you," she whispered. "You're Yennefer. I've seen you in my dreams."

"Your highness," Yennefer said, and Ciri made a rather impressive face at the title. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Jaskier told me how he would come and see you a few times a year." Geralt froze, once again, as new information was presented to him, and he didn't know how to deal with any of this. He was standing there, in the middle of the training ground, watching all of this unfold, and his brothers and Vesemir were just standing there and also watching this unfold. It was too much.

"What the fuck are they doing here?" Geralt asked loud enough for everyone to hear him. All of a sudden, all eyes in the training yard were on him. Vesemir shook his head and walked away to go into the keep without a word. Lambert frowned and rolled his eyes as he followed Vesemir. Eskel, the brother Geralt thought he could count on the most, winced and shook his head at him. Eskel didn't say anything, though; he just sheathed his sword and walked back into the keep. That left Geralt standing alone with Yennefer, Jaskier, and Ciri and no less confused.

"I'm starting to think that the journey might not have agreed with Geralt," Yennefer said in that haughty voice she used when she was trying to make a point with all the subtlety of a raging stampede. "Why don't we all get some dinner and have a chat about why we're all here?" Yennefer offered Ciri a hand that Ciri took without any hesitation. Geralt was about to tell Ciri not to trust Yennefer, not to trust either of them, when the wind shifted. Jaskier was following them a few steps behind, and Geralt noticed several things at once, but three caught his attention. The first was the brilliant bruise on Jaskier's neck as plain as day, which he didn't even make an attempt to cover up. The second and third were Yennefer and Jaskier's unique scents, neither of which had changed, but now they smelled like each other. They smelled like two people who slept together regularly, and that smell combined with the bruise made Geralt see red.

Geralt was across the training ground in what felt like three steps, and while Yennefer and Ciri vanished into the keep, Geralt managed to grab Jaskier by the arm and push him against a nearby wall. Yennefer's scent was all over his skin, and it made Geralt so angry he wasn't sure what was going to do.

"Is this your version of revenge?" Geralt snapped.

"I beg your pardon?" Jaskier asked. "What exactly are you going on about, and why exactly are you pushing me into walls?" Any normal man would have been afraid, but even though Geralt was looming over him with violent intent, Jaskier still didn't smell afraid. It was making it extremely hard for Geralt to concentrate.

"You show up at my home, smelling like you're fucking the woman I love, is this your version of revenge? Because it seems a little petty even for you," Geralt said. Jaskier blinked once, twice, and then smiled a smile that Geralt had never seen on him before. It was almost cruel, and it was such a surprising look to see on such a familiar face that Geralt nearly took a step back.

"Ah, yes, because it must be all about you," Jaskier said, and he sounded incredibly amused and bitter. "I'm going to ignore the fact that you have no right to dictate what I do with my life, and you have even less of a right to Yennefer's. Maybe if you waited to hear why Vesemir's allowed us to stay and why Eskel's escorted us up here before accusing me of things and breaking my arm. And you better not break that arm, Geralt of Rivia, or I promise you I will break something much more valuable of yours."

"Now would be the time to unhand the bard," Yennefer said from the doorway. Ciri was nowhere to be seen, and Yennefer had her arms folded across her chest. His medallion vibrated, and Geralt could feel her magic in the air, so he really had no choice but to release Jaskier's arm. Jaskier brushed the dust off of his clothes, rolled his shoulders, and walked over to Yennefer's side. "Much has changed since the last time we saw you but know this; Jaskier is mine now, and I protect what is mine. If you lay hands on him again, it will be the last time you have hands." To make matters somehow worse, she turned to Jaskier and smirked as she offered him a hand, "Shall we?"

"Gladly," Jaskier replied, and the two of them Geralt standing alone in the training ground with no fucking idea what was going on.

+++

Roach needed to get taken care of, and Geralt needed a moment, or maybe ten, to calm the hell down. So he went through the routine of making sure Roach was comfortable, he pulled off all of his bags and the few things that Ciri had, and he left them in a small pile near the tower where the rooms were. He could hear everyone talking in the kitchen, and he was starving, so Geralt decided that was the best possible idea. Everyone was waiting for him when he walked in, and they all looked up at him when he did. Yennefer and Jaskier were sitting way too fucking close at the table, and Ciri was across from them as she inhaled some food.

"Geralt," Vesemir said. "You should sit down, eat, and listen while everyone explains why they are here."

"He said you escorted them up here," Geralt said to Eskel, who was sitting at the far end of the table.

"I did," Eskel said, and Geralt almost wanted to accuse his brother of betraying his trust, but Vesemir had that look he got when he was about to crack all of their heads together. So he sat down next to Ciri, across from Yennefer and Jaskier, who were watching him carefully, and began to eat the plate of food that was placed in front of him. He was told to eat and listen by the only person in the world that he would listen to orders from, and that was what he intended to do. Mostly.

Yennefer and Jaskier took turns explaining why exactly they had decided to come to Kaer Morhen. Still, Geralt could tell a minute into the conversation that they were lying or hiding something. He saw the scars on Yennefer's hands from Sodden Hill and was silently so grateful that she was all right. Then he really didn't know what to do when Jaskier said that Nilfgaard captured him to try and find out where he was because he had Ciri.

"It's my fault," Ciri whispered.

"No, no," Jaskier said. "What those men did to me has nothing to do with you, my dear, I made my choices about who and what I sing about. It was bound to bite me in the ass one of these days." Jaskier's hand twitches, and Geralt wonders what they did to him. He wants to ask, Ciri looks like she wants to as well, but neither of them does. Yennefer explains, wandering into the camp by sheer coincidence and saving Jaskier's life. They talked about the cottage, Yennefer's raging fever, and barely fighting off infections on her hands to Jaskier when he stopped breathing. They are leaving more details out, but Nilfgaard apparently found them and tried to beat their location out of Jaskier again, along with anything about Yennefer.

"I told them nothing," Jaskier said in a voice that sounded rather dead, and even after all of this time, Geralt didn't think for a second that Jaskier would tell them anything of his own free will, but something was still bothering him.

"That still doesn't explain why you're here," Geralt said.

"Eskel," Vesemir said. "Why don't you show the princess where she can get some sleep? I imagine she is very tired." Vesemir was using that voice where it sounded like he was asking a question, but he was telling. Ciri looked like she wanted to argue, but then she narrowed her eyes, and maybe she knew that voice too. She sighed, got up, and followed Eskel out of the room. Lambert looked like he wanted to say something, but Vesemir gave him a look, and the two of them left the room. They would still be able to hear everything, but Geralt appreciated the move for what it was.

"You two are up to something," Geralt said as he looked between the two of them. "And I don't appreciate you involving Vesemir or my brothers."

"I thought I was the dramatic one," Jaskier said. "We wanted to find you because we wanted to find you, Geralt. Even though you were a complete asshole the last time you saw me and damn near broke my arm just now, I have no problem calling you a friend."

"We've had a trying couple of months," Yennefer said as she looked at the scars on her hands. "We wanted to see you, see the princess, and perhaps have somewhere to recover for the season." She tilted her head to the side and stared at him with those purple eyes of hers that always seemed to see so much. "That being said, a condition of Eskel bringing us up here and Vesemir allowing us to stay was that if you wanted us to leave, we would leave."

"You would leave," Geralt said.

"You wouldn't see us again," Jaskier said, and there was a finality in that statement that made Geralt panic. He didn't want to see these two, but that didn't mean he never wanted to see them again. Geralt looked between the two of them and clenched his fists.

"You're fucking," he said.

"Yes," Yennefer said without missing a beat.

"Frequently," Jaskier said. "Is that going to be a problem?" Geralt wanted to say it would, that the idea of spending a winter seeing them together or smelling or by some nightmare having to see them be together was something he couldn't stomach, but the words wouldn't come.

"Ciri was happy to see you," Geralt said softly as he finally unclenched his fists and looked at Jaskier. "You visited her, made sure she was safe, while I was off ignoring destiny. I hadn't seen her smile like that the entire time I've known her." He looked at Yennefer. "She has powers of some kind, and she needs to learn to control them. I can't think of anyone better to teach her than you. You can both stay."

"Splendid," Jaskier said with a smile. He turned to leave the room without looking over his shoulder, but Yennefer hesitated. She narrowed her eyes at Geralt and didn't say a word as she followed Jaskier out of the room. It dawned on Geralt at that moment that they were probably sharing a room, and he did not know what to do with any of that. He still didn't know what to do with any of it when Vesemir walked back into the kitchen.

"I don't see them packing their things, so I'm assuming you said that they could stay," he said.

"I did," Geralt replied. He didn't know how to tell his mentor, thank you for letting the people he cared about more than anything in the world into his home, so they had somewhere safe to be without revealing just how vital Yennefer and Jaskier were to him. So he said nothing and instead went up to his room to unpack his things and try to get his head on straight. He was along for all of two minutes when there was a knock on the door, and Eskel let himself in.

"Was I wrong?" Eskel asked without waiting for Geralt to say anything. "Was I wrong to escort them up here?"

"No," Geralt said after a moment of silence. "You weren't wrong, and I'm glad they are here and somewhere safe after hearing what they both went through." Eskel nodded, and they both stood in the room in silence without saying anything.

"That bard was going to die to protect your secrets, our secrets, and Yennefer's secrets," Eskel said like he didn't know what to do with that information. "They didn't tell you about what Yennefer did when they escaped Nilfgaard. There was a mage, and she pulled all of this information out of Jaskier's head by force. All of your secrets, her secrets, all of it. Yennefer slaughtered every person in that stronghold in revenge not just because of what that mage did to Jaskier but to protect those secrets." Eskel released a breath slowly and pressed his lips together. "I don't know what you did to earn their loyalty, brother, but try not to fuck it up and be worthy of it." Geralt didn't know what he was supposed to say to that, so he didn't say anything. Eskel left, and Geralt spent the rest of the day and the night in his room as Ciri slept off the exhaustion from the climb.

+++

The snow came down harder, and Geralt still didn't know what to do with himself. This whole thing was extremely confusing, and even though he said he wanted them to stay, he did not like the idea of Yennefer and Jaskier being together. It made him feel like someone just gut-punched him. The next morning things were as normal as they could be as they reported for training very early, and even Jaskier and Yennefer were there. Vesemir decided that it was best to pit Ciri against Jaskier so he could train both of them at once. Geralt was doing his best not to get distracted, but it was difficult.

"I'm going to gut you if you don't start paying attention," Lambert threatened, and Geralt turned to glare at him. "Look, I know she's a kid, and the bard is a human, but Vesemir won't let anything happen to them, so stop hovering and train like you're supposed to." Geralt didn't like taking that kind of attitude from Lambert and decided the best retaliation was to kick his ass. They began to spar, but he still kept an eye on them nevertheless. He didn't need his full senses to kick Lambert into the dirt, and he did.

When Geralt looked up, he noticed something that made him freeze; Yennefer was looking at them fondly. He couldn't remember ever seeing her look at him like that, yet here she was looking at Jaskier and Ciri like that. It made something hurt in his chest that she hadn't ever looked at him like that. She even laughed when Ciri managed to knock Jaskier down, and he threw his hands into the air to yell, "I yield, I yield!"

"Lambert's right," Eskel said as he walked over to him. "You are distracted by them. I'm just not sure which one distracts you more." Geralt very much wanted to hit his brother for that one, but the truth was he wasn't entirely sure which one distracted him either.

Vesemir had them do some chores around the keep, but Ciri was still recovering from the trek up the mountain and wasn't ready to do much more than train.

"Master Witcher," Yennefer said, and Geralt blinked because he hadn't heard someone address Vesemir with that title in a very long time. "She needs rest, may we take her up to the library for a few hours this afternoon?"

"She's only human," Jaskier said, and Ciri looked a little insulted by that. Vesemir sighed and waved the three of them off. Geralt wanted to follow, but he needed to help rebuild one of the west walls, which took most of the afternoon. He was exhausted by the time he managed to make it to the library, and as Geralt got closer, he could hear a familiar voice. Jaskier was singing, and it had been so long since he had heard him sing, and not only was Jaskier singing, he was singing a ballad. Geralt slowly opened the door to the library and found the three of them on the floor in the front of the fire. Ciri was asleep with her head in Yennefer's lap while Yennefer was touching her hair with more care than Geralt knew she had. Jaskier had his lute and was sitting shoulder to shoulder with Yennefer as he set the instrument aside.

"What was that?" Yennefer whispered, and Geralt realized that they hadn't noticed him, and he was intruding, but he couldn't make himself break the moment.

"A Cintran lullaby," Jaskier replied. "I heard Pavetta hum it to her a few times when she was a baby, and that was enough for me to look up the song to learn it." They sat quietly together, and Geralt still did not say anything. He didn't know the two of them could be so still, so silent, so quiet together like this. When he pictured Yennefer and Jaskier together, he pictured a storm that could take a roof off of a home. He didn't imagine this. He must have moved a certain way or breathed just loud enough because they both turned and looked at him.

"Geralt," Yennefer said.

"I just wanted to make sure Ciri was okay," Geralt said, which wasn't strictly a lie but wasn't entirely the truth either. Ciri rubbed her eyes and woke up slowly as she looked around. She smiled brightly at Yennefer and Jaskier.

"Thank you for singing for me," she said. "I haven't heard that song in a long time."

"Anytime," Jaskier said. Geralt didn't know what to say to them, so he didn't say anything. Ciri said she was hungry, so he left them alone in the library, and pointedly did not look back.

+++

Geralt thought he was doing a relatively decent job of handling this. After two weeks, they had all settled into a routine, and while it still set his teeth on edge whenever he realized that Yennefer and Jaskier smelled like each other or that Jaskier had a fresh bruise on his neck, he was dealing with it. Jaskier would make Ciri smile with his songs and even taught her a little history and poetry. Yennefer began to teach her how to control her Chaos and magic. Between Vesemir, Geralt, and his brothers, she was learning to physically defend herself too. They weren't exactly getting along, but they weren't fighting either, and everything was fine, and maybe they were going to get through this winter.

Geralt thought everything was going well until he turned a corner and froze. Yennefer had pushed Jaskier up against the wall, and there was no space between their bodies. Her hands were in his hand, and Geralt could tell she'd been running her hands through it. Jaskier had his hands on her hips and was pulling her closer to his body. There was nothing chaste or sweet about the kisses they were exchanging. These were kisses with intent, teeth, and tongue that made Geralt suck in a breath. It was apparently enough to distract them but not enough to stop them as Jaskier began to place soft kisses along Yennefer's jawline.

"Do you two mind?" Geralt snapped.

"Do you?" Yennefer said, and she closed her eyes as Jaskier sucked her earlobe into his mouth. Geralt couldn't deal with this. "Move along now." Apparently, he was the one that needed to leave like this wasn't his home, and they weren't in the middle of the hallway. Geralt also knew that there was no use trying to out stubborn Yennefer of Vengerberg, so he turned around and left, ignoring their snickering laughter as he went.

From then on, it seemed Geralt could not stop finding Yennefer, and Jaskier locked in various passionate embraces, and it was really starting to annoy him. When he complained about it to Eskel or Lambert, they both said they hadn't had a problem with the two of them being overly passionate in front of anyone since they got here. Lambert said if it weren't for his nose, he wouldn't even be entirely sure they were fucking. Geralt, however, caught them in so many different places that he was beginning to lose track. They always smirked and told him to move along like he was the one with the problem.

It was dinner one night, and Ciri was asking where they were. Geralt offered to go and find them, and looking back; this was a mistake. He climbed the stairs to their room and could hear them kissing. That wasn't anything new, and he would deal with their snickering smiles for Ciri. However, when their door came into view, he realized several things at once. The first is that the door was open. The second is that Yennefer and Jaskier were on their bed, which is somewhere he hadn't seen them before. And the third was that they weren't just kissing.

After many years of traveling Jaskier, he had heard many women praise the bard for his talented fingers. Geralt tried not to think much about what that implied, but considering what was laid out before him, he didn't have much of a choice now. Yennefer and Jaskier were exchanging those deep and passionate kisses, but Yennefer was gasping against his mouth. They were both fully clothed, but Jaskier had pushed up Yennefer's dress and pushed his fingers inside of her. The smell of it all hit Geralt so hard that he was nearly breathless.

He knew how hot and wet Yennefer was, how soft it was between her legs, and that feeling she got when she was close to coming. When her nails would dig into his skin, and she would beg for more. Geralt remembered being with her like it just happened yesterday, and he swore he could taste her. It was the smell and the sounds and the look of it all that was making him hard in his pants. It had nothing to do with wondering what Jaskier's hands would feel like on his skin or how different the sweat collecting on Jaskier's skin smelled like compared to Yennefer's.

Geralt was so lost in his own head that he didn't even notice that they had both stopped and were staring at him. Something inside of Geralt's brain broke because, as far as he could tell, Jaskier's fingers were still inside Yennefer, but he couldn't make himself move. Yennefer smirked and flicked her wrist, so the door slammed shut. The sound was enough to jolt Geralt back to reality, and he had to ignore the sound of moaning as he made his way back downstairs. He also had to duck into a room and think of anything else before he came in his own pants like a teenager.

If Yennefer and Jaskier had anything to say about Geralt walking in on them, they didn't make it obvious. They didn't act any differently though they did smirk a little more like they knew something that he didn't. Geralt really didn't want to think about it, but he couldn't get the visual out of his head, and, much to his shame, he took himself in his hand that night thinking of the two of them together.

It was the early evening a few days later, and all Geralt wanted to do was soak in the hot springs alone. He hoped that the water would help clear his mind and maybe get the images of the two people he cared about or used to care about, he wasn't sure, fucking out of his head. It seemed that luck was not on his side, and just as he was making his way to the springs, he could hear two familiar voices.

"I can't believe we haven't used this place yet," Jaskier said.

"The Witcher's are keeping it all to themselves, but I have it on good authority that they shouldn't be coming around right now," Yennefer said, and Geralt grit his teeth because that was true. He was supposed to be out hunting with Lambert and Eskel but asked if he could stay, and they took pity on him. He also knew he should stop walking and leave them to it, but he couldn't stop himself. There was another entrance to the hot springs, one that was hidden in the shadows, and Geralt found himself walking toward it. He knew he should turn around, that this wasn't right, but he couldn't help himself. Geralt couldn't get that image of the two of them on the bed out of his head, and he wanted to see more.

Jaskier and Yennefer were pulling off their clothes by the time Geralt sat down and began to watch them. His first instinct was to look away when Jaskier dropped his pants, but he'd seen Jaskier naked plenty of times in their travels. It just never mattered to him before this moment, and Geralt didn't want to think about why it suddenly did. Jaskier climbed in the water and let out an indecent moan that forced Geralt to clench his fist.

"By the gods Yen," he said. "We need to kick their asses for not telling us about this place sooner," Yennefer smirked as she dropped her own dress and took Jaskier's offered hand to help her into the hot spring. At first, they were strangely innocent together. The soaked together spoke casually about the day, and Geralt started to feel more like an intruder than he did watching them in bed.

"Dunk your head," Yennefer ordered, and Jaskier immediately did what she said. When he came back up for air, she got close and began to run her fingers through his wet hair. It was hard to see through the mineral water, but Geralt could tell that Jaskier was pulling Yennefer into his lap. Jaskier closed his eyes and seemed to bask in the attention that Yennefer was giving him, and Geralt could understand that. It was a lot to have Yennefer's full attention on you. "Does that feel good?"

"Obviously," Jaskier said. "Your turn." Yennefer dunked her head in the water and let Jaskier run his fingers through it. She smiled and tilted her head to the side as he began to lay wet kisses along her skin. Jaskier worked his way slowly up her neck until he got to her lip, and they began to kiss hard. It was passionate and unlike anything that Geralt had ever seen between them before. It was rougher with more teeth and tongues, and it should not have been affecting him as much as it was. "I want to put my mouth on you."

"You always do," Yennefer said, but she climbed out until she was on the edge of the hot spring. Jaskier yanked her forehead and dove between her legs like a drowning man. Geralt knew that the hard stone floor must have been cold and uncomfortable, but Yennefer didn't seem to care. Whatever Jaskier was doing with his mouth and fingers must have been working because in no time at all, her entire body shuttered, and she cried out. "Get up here, now," Yennefer demanded, and Jaskier grinned as he scrambled out of the hot spring. "Against the wall."

"That's going to hurt your back," Jaskier said as he helped her to her feet, and there was something in his voice that Geralt didn't understand. "It'll leave some marks."

"Good," Yennefer said as she pulled him down into a kiss. "I want to wear your mark for once." Something changed in Jaskier's posture, something about that statement changed him, because he picked up Yennefer without a word and nearly slammed her against the wall. It was hard enough that it would have hurt anyone else, but she moaned like it was the best thing ever. Geralt couldn't hide his intentions for sitting here and watching them anymore; his pants were too tight, and he had to unlace them. They were beautiful together, and the sound of skin on skin and the smell of their lust and sweat combined with the scent of the hot spring was too much.

His hand was a bit too dry, but Geralt didn't even care. It was more of an afterthought as he watched the thought of them. The mesmerizing way they moved against each other, the way they seemed to intuitively know what the other wanted without words, it was a connection he never forged with Yennefer and certainly not one he ever forged with anyone else. Yennefer threw her head back and dug her nails into Jaskier's shoulders hard enough to draw blood as she came a second time.

"I need more," she said, and Geralt hadn't ever heard her so breathless before. Jaskier moved them both back to the floor and hooked one of her legs over his shoulder. Yennefer cried out, and it was not quiet at all.

"You know Witcher's have excellent hearing," Jaskier said as he moved in and out of her. "They could hear you; they could all hear what I'm doing to you."

“One of them already knows," Yennefer said. "Let the rest of them hear, let them hear how you're the best I've had. Let them all listen to how you're mine." Jaskier groaned into her neck and reached between her legs. He was close, Geralt could tell, but he was holding back long enough for Yennefer to come a third time. He didn't know how it was possible, but watching the two of them come made his own hit him seconds later. Geralt had to bite down on his fist hard enough to draw blood to keep from crying out and giving away that he was hiding in the shadows and watching them like some sort of pervert. Jaskier nearly collapsed on the ground next to Yennefer as they both tried to catch their breath. "How is your back?" he asked after a moment of silence. Yennefer hummed and rolled herself over to reveal several scratches and what almost looks like burns on her back.

"It's fine," she said. "I told you; I don't mind wearing this mark." Jaskier smiled stupidly and began to kiss along the cuts on her back.

"They're going to know what we did. They'll be able to smell it, and Lambert will be intolerable at dinner, and who knows how Geralt will react," Jaskier said, which made Geralt sit up. He didn't know how he would have reacted if he walked in the hot spring and could only smell the evidence of the two of them fucking. "This time, he might actually break my arm." It hurt to hear that Jaskier thought that Geralt would really hurt him.

"I told you; you're mine, and I don't plan on letting anyone get their hands on you," Yennefer said as she sat up and pulled Jaskier into a kiss. They both climbed into the spring for a moment to wash away the dirt and sweat, and Geralt stayed hidden in the shadows as the shame of what he did caught up with him. Yennefer waved her hand, and suddenly the spring smelled clean, too clean, which was going to make it evident that something had happened, but no one was going to be able to prove anything. "Besides, I know how to handle Geralt, so don't you worry."

Whatever else they said was lost on him because Geralt felt like he fell through ice. He thought about the way that Yennefer and Jaskier were always together when he was around and no one else. How their door just so happened to be open when he came up to get them. How he decided to stay back to use the springs, and they decided it was time to use the springs. It was the kind of manipulation that he would expect from someone like Yennefer, but the fact that Jaskier seemed to be in on it as well just made it even worse.

Geralt wanted to follow them. He wanted to demand to know what they wanted from him and what they wanted to accomplish by being here. He wanted to tell them to leave because their presence was driving him mad, but he couldn't do that. Not yet, not until he confronted Yennefer and figured out exactly what was going on.

+++

It took all of Geralt's self-control not to confront her at dinner, but both Yennefer and Jaskier begged off after eating on the early side and said they wanted to get some rest. He wanted to follow them and demand answers, but now wasn't the time. Not when Ciri could see because she thought the world of both of them. She thought Yennefer was this amazing goddess who could do no wrong and was going to teach her incredible powers. She thought Jaskier was a perfect man who was going to sing her pretty songs while teaching her history. Geralt couldn't shatter those illusions, not when Ciri had enough pain in her life, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to figure out what was going on.

Yennefer said she was going to check some books for her next lesson with Ciri while Jaskier went out to train with her the next day. Geralt couldn't think he would get a better chance to confront her and managed to hide from Vesemir and his brothers as he went up to the small room that Yennefer was using as her spell room. There was a small fire going with a rug on the floor, and her desk had books with papers spilled across it. When he came in and nearly slammed the door shut, Yennefer raised one of her perfect eyebrows.

"What happened now?" she asked, sounding utterly uninterested in whatever he was about to say, which somehow made Geralt even angrier.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, and Yennefer sighed as she pushed herself to her feet. She folded her arms across her chest and stood in front of him like he wasn't an angry Witcher.

"I already explained--"

"No," Geralt snapped. "What are you and Jaskier doing here? What are you doing running around my home and forcing me to watch you be together?" For the first time, Yennefer looked a little surprised.

"Geralt, I know you've run into us a few times but--"

"No," he said, cutting her off again. "I know you're doing it intentionally. I know that no one else has caught you, and you're only doing this to me. I know you're fucking with me, Yennefer, and I thought we were beyond this. I thought Jaskier wouldn't ever do something like this, but apparently, I was wrong about both of you."

"Be careful what you say, Witcher," Yennefer said dangerously. "I don't know what you're talking about. We got more comfortable around here, so we expressed some physical intimacy. We asked you if it was going to be a problem, and you said it wasn't."

"You are doing this purposely," Geralt said as he took a step forward and loomed over her. She was so close he could smell the lilac and gooseberries, but there was something else too, that smell that could only be Jaskier, which made it even better and worse. "You purposely left the door open so that I would see you, and you purposely used the hot spring when you knew I would be there." Something in Yennefer's face seemed to shut down at that moment, and Geralt, for the first time since coming into this room, felt like he might have misstepped.

"You watched us in the hot spring," she said and shook her head. "You watched us; you complete asshole. Not everything Jaskier and I do is about you. Do you know how many times Lambert, Vesemir, and Eskel have caught us? Plenty of times. Vesemir threatened to throw us out into the snow the other day if we didn't stop. The door was open because we forgot to close it and didn't think anyone would come up to get us because everyone is usually eating dinner." Yennefer was shaking; she was so angry right now, and they were nearly nose to nose. "And we went to the hot spring because we wanted to go to the hot spring. We fucked in the hot spring because we wanted to fuck in the hot spring. I didn't know you were there, and Jaskier certainly didn't know you were there.

"Was it good for you?" she continued, and Geralt took a step back as she walked into his space. "Did you like watching us together? Did you like watching me get one of the best fucks of my life from your former friend?" There was no space between them, they were both angry and breathing hard, and Geralt wasn't sure what happened next. One moment they were in each other's space and glaring at each other, and the next they were kissing so hard, Geralt was sure it was going to leave a bruise. She tasted the same, she felt the same as he wrapped his arms around her body, and it almost felt like coming home. Geralt walked her backward and shoved all of her papers and books off her desk.

"That took time to set up," Yennefer said when Geralt sat her on the desk. She was trying to kick off her shoes and pulling her stocking while they kissed. Geralt was just trying to untie his pants enough because he was so hard already and needed to be inside of her right this second.

"I'll help you clean it up," Geralt said against her lips. He reached between her legs and knew he should spend some time with his fingers or his mouth, but Yennefer yanked him down for another hard kiss and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Now," she said, and if she couldn’t wait then, Geralt couldn't deny her. Geralt pushed inside and knew he couldn't deny this woman anything. She could ask him to give her the moon, the stars, to defeat the concept of death itself, and he would figure out a way to do it for her. It was too rough, and they were both holding on too tight, but it was still perfect. Every time with Yennefer was always perfect, and he didn't know how he ever got through a day without this woman in his life. Geralt moved away from her lips and buried his face in her neck as he took in her scent, that scent that was no longer just hers, and that somehow made him even harder.

He managed to shift the angle just enough that Yennefer cried out, and the feeling of her tightening on him was enough for Geralt. It held onto her like a lifeline as he came and did not want to let go. He wasn't even sure what had happened and why they were fighting or why they decided to settle it like this. They were both angry, and while angry sex was great, that wasn't all he wanted from her.

Geralt moved away from Yennefer's neck, and before she could say anything, he kissed her. He remembered the way he'd seen Jaskier kiss her in the hallway. It was slow and deep and passionate, and unlike many of the kisses, they had shared. He was still half-hard and still inside her, and he wanted something more. Without breaking the kiss, Geralt picked Yennefer up and carried her over to the rug in front of the fire. He laid her down and continued to kiss her. They hadn't really had sex like this before, where it was slow where the concept of release was merely a secondary thought. Geralt wished her dress was off so he would worship her entire body, but he settled for worshiping her mouth instead as he slowly moved in and out of her.

Yennefer seemed almost surprised when she came a second time, and Geralt continued to kiss her until he followed behind a few moments later. He rolled to the side and thought about the first time they were together, side by side in a house that was half broken; only this time, it was a different feeling. He wanted to tell her so much that he was sorry for accusing her of something that he didn't understand, but the words didn't come. He was a man of action, and that was the only action he could think of taking.

"That was lovely, Geralt," Yennefer said as she pushed herself to her feet and gathered her stockings and shoes. Her hair was a mess, and her lips were swollen and red. He wanted to kiss her again. "But I need to hear it with words and not your cock, and it's not just me that needs to hear it." Geralt, incidentally, didn't know what he was supposed to say to that, so he watched her walk away without saying a word.

+++

Geralt wasn't sure what he expected the rest of the day to be like, but nothing changed. Yennefer and Jaskier acted the same as if nothing different had happened. Geralt wondered if Yennefer told him about what happened, and then he wondered if Jaskier even cared. It was a strange limbo to be in as he waited for something else to happen or for the answer to a question he didn't understand to present itself. Yennefer said she wanted his words, and she wasn't the only one. He could only assume that she meant Jaskier, but Geralt didn't want Jaskier the way he wanted Yennefer.

They were playing Gwent one night when Jaskier turned Geralt's entire world on its head by mentioning one of his male partners. Eskel and Lambert certainly didn't care, Geralt didn't either, but he didn't know, and he was suddenly seeing him in a whole new light. Geralt kept getting more and more distracted by Jaskier during training to the point that Vesemir made him run the walls because he couldn't keep his focus.

When Geralt came back from one of those runs, purposely taking his time so he could get his head on straight, one of the horses was missing, and Jaskier was nowhere in sight. Ciri had already headed in, but Lambert and Eskel were putting everything away.

"Where did the bard go?" Geralt asked.

"Hunting," Eskel said without looking up. "It was his turn; he'll be back in a couple of hours."

"You let him go hunting alone?" Geralt asked, and he could not believe his brothers could be so reckless. There were so many things out there that could kill a human in the woods surrounding Kaer Morhen. Even more came down from the mountains once food became scarce in the winter. They both turned and looked at Geralt like he was crazy.

"Your bard brought home a decent-sized deer last time he went hunting, and he was just fine," Lambert said with a shrug. "Not sure why you're so surprised; he's decent with a bow and arrow." Geralt hadn't seen Jaskier train with a bow and arrow, but he couldn't get the image of the bard dying alone in the snow out of his head. He conveniently waited until both Eskel and Lambert went inside to put Roach's saddle on and follow Jaskier's scent into the snow. He had both of his swords and his armor, but none of his potions or the medications he used to carry for humans. Geralt didn't know how he could get a hold of Yennefer if the worst should happen.

He followed the scent into the woods until he looked up and saw Jaskier standing in the forest with a quiver strapped to his back and a longbow in hand. He made eye contact with Geralt and did not look happy to see him.

"Geralt, what the fuck are you doing here?" Jaskier asked.

"I heard you went hunting alone and--"

"And you thought I was incapable of handling it on my own?" Jaskier asked, and he gestured to the three rabbits he had already caught and attached to his horse. "So you had to ride out here to save me from what exactly? The snow? My own incompetence?" Geralt didn't come out here to make Jaskier mad; it was just the idea of being in a world without him made him panic, and here he was.

"I didn't know," Geralt said. "I didn't know you could use a bow, so I didn't know you could hunt." Jaskier looked at him and raised an eyebrow. Then he sighed and looked up at the clear blue winter sky.

"I guess I didn't tell you, so how could you have known. You haven't seen me practice with one since you got here, and you weren't here yet the last time," Jaskier said.

"I don't think you're incompetent," Geralt managed to force himself to say even though things between the two of them were still so bad. They hadn't talked since Geralt had arrived at Kaer Morhen, not really, and not since Geralt accused him of doing something terrible.

"That sounded like it physically hurt you to say," Jaskier said, and he looked like he was going to smile for the first time. "All right, are you staying? It'll be easier for you to carry a deer home than me."

"I'll stay," Geralt said. He knew they weren't okay, but it felt like old times for the first time. They didn't talk much, but that was because it would scare away prey. Jaskier was rather impressive with a bow, which should not have been as attractive as it was. When he managed to kill a large buck that would keep them fed for quite some time, he smiled a brilliant smile, and Geralt felt his stomach flip.

+++

After the hunt, things shifted a little. Geralt endured relentless teasing from his brothers for bolting after Jaskier to save him but was surprised when Jaskier came to his defense about the whole thing. It felt like things around them were more relaxed, calmer, and when he saw Yennefer and Jaskier together, it didn't bother him as much. Or it didn't make him angry anymore if he turned a corner and saw them together. It still stirred something in him that he couldn’t name, but Geralt could see them without wanting to punch a wall.

Jaskier and Yennefer were also more casual in their affection with each other now. Where they used to hide it now, they would touch each other casually or smile at each other. Ciri thought they were adorable and would say they were like something out of Jaskier's songs. She didn't know about all of their shared histories and wondered what she would think if she did. Geralt still felt both of their eyes on him sometimes, like they were watching him and waiting for something, but Geralt didn't know what they were waiting for. So he looked back and enjoyed their private smiles when he did.

Geralt was surprised to find Jaskier alone on the training grounds one night after dinner with his sword in hand. He was moving gracefully, and there was something about watching him with a blade that was beautiful. Jaskier moved with a sword or even his bow like he danced across taverns, with a grace that didn't even seem human half the time.

"It's not like you to come out here alone," Geralt said, and Jaskier looked with a small smile on his lips.

"Yeah, Yen said she wants to spend some time with Ciri, and I figured you'd want to spend some time with your brothers, so I thought I'd come out here," Jaskier explained.

"You don't have to stay away," Geralt said as he stepped closer.

"I know, but this is your time in your home," Jaskier said with a shrug. "I know this is the only time you get together, so I figured I'd give some Witcher-brother time."

"Thank you but not necessary," Geralt said. "Can I spar with you?"

"Saying thank you and asking permission? Ciri really is a good influence on you," Jaskier said and nodded. This was the first time they had ever sparred, and Geralt didn't know what to expect. It turned out what Jaskier lacked in strength he made up for in speed. If it wasn't for his enhanced senses, he was sure Jaskier would have won this fight. He tapped Jaskier's shoulder with the flat of his blade and took a step back. "All right, go again?" Geralt nodded, and Jaskier came at him. Their swords clashed as Geralt did his best to defend but also get a hit that wasn't going to hurt Jaskier. It was proving difficult with how fast he was. Jaskier might have been quick on his feet, but Geralt was faster; he managed to trip Jaskier, so he stumbled back against a wall. He pinned Jaskier with his entire body and had his sword to his throat.

"I got you again," Geralt said, and his voice sounded breathless even though the fight hadn't taken that much out of him.

"Did you?" Jaskier asked and looked down without moving his head. Geralt looked and saw in Jaskier's other hand was a knife, one that he must have hidden in his boot, and it was pressed against the crucial vein in his leg.

"We'd both bleed out in seconds," Geralt said, and he wasn't sure why he wasn't moving away or why he was keeping the blade to Jaskier's throat. He didn't want to hurt him, Geralt never wanted to hurt him. Jaskier swallowed, and the sword was so close it nearly cut him.

"Sometimes, the best you can hope for is to take the other person down with you," Jaskier replied. Whatever was between them snapped, and Geralt needed more. They both dropped their blades and he finally tasted Jaskier's lips. He didn't know how long he had wanted this until it was there, and now he wanted more. He wanted to touch skin and bathe in that familiar scent; he wanted it all, and judging from the way that Jaskier was sucking on his tongue, that was what he wanted too. Geralt was about to suggest they take this somewhere else when Jaskier pulled away and closed his eyes.

"What is it?" Geralt asked. "You want this, I can tell, I can smell it on you."

"Yen was right; you only know one form of communication, and it's apparently with your dick," Jaskier said as he groaned and gently pushed Geralt back a few steps. Geralt was about to ask why Jaskier and Yennefer were talking about him when Jaskier opened his eyes, and Geralt was struck dumb by what he saw in those blue eyes. "We need to have this conversation, and we need to have it with actual words, Geralt."

"I don't know what conversation you're talking about," Geralt admitted, and Jaskier looked at him with actual fucking pity.

"Which is part of the problem, and I know it's hard for you. We both know it's hard for you, but this is hard for us, too," Jaskier said, and he took a deep breath to release it slowly. "So here's what we decided; while we love being here with Ciri and your family is great, this is a lot, and there are other places we could recover at. Probably, anyway, we can find somewhere to go, you know how Yennefer is. Anyway, we're halfway through the winter, and it's like we've made no progress, so why don't you take until the end of the month to try and have that conversation and if you don't we'll leave."

"Don't leave," Geralt said because the idea of them leaving still made him panic just as much as it did when they first said they would go at the beginning of winter.

"But what's a good reason for us to stay, Geralt?" Jaskier asked, and he stood there, his back against the wall, as he waited patiently for something that Geralt didn't know how to give. He didn't know the answer to this question that was once again plaguing him, so he went with the best answer he could come with.

"Ciri loves you two--"

"Don't," Jaskier snapped, and he was angrier than Geralt had seen him in a long time. "Do not use that girl against me or against Yennefer. Never do that again." Jaskier leaned down and picked up his sword from the ground and put it in its sheath. He stared at Geralt before leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on his lips that Geralt wanted to pull him into. That he wanted to get lost into more than anything, but Jaskier pulled away. "When and if you're ready to have that conversation, you know where to find us." Jaskier walked away from him, and Geralt could taste him on his tongue. Geralt wanted to call him back and ask him to just explain what he wanted to hear, what Yennefer wanted to hear, but he knew it wouldn't be that easy. Geralt knew that they wouldn't just tell him, and unless he figured out what they wanted to hear, he was going to lose them.

+++

Geralt spent the next three days wondering how it came to this. He would see the two of them wandering around the keep, smiling at each other, and they both seemed to light up every room they went into. He saw the way Jaskier's jokes and stories would make Eskel and Lambert laugh. He saw the way that Yennefer's years of knowledge combined with Vesemir's made for hours upon hours discussion about things that no one else could understand. Geralt saw how good they both were with Ciri and how she was mending right before his eyes. Yet he was about to lose them because he didn't know what to say to make them stay.

He was up on one of the high balconies watching Jaskier, and Yennefer walk around in the snow and laughing when Ciri seemed to appear out of nowhere. She really was getting rather quiet on her feet, and he wanted to compliment her on it, but he couldn't take his eyes off of the two people below him.

"So, what's bothering you?" she asked.

"Who says anything is bothering me?" Geralt asked, immediately defensive, even though he knew there was no reason to be. Not with her.

"You got this look on your face like you just ate something you really hate. You've had it on your face for three days, which is just as long as Yen and Jask have been acting weird too. So what's going on between the three of you?" Ciri asked, and it was a question that he didn't know how to answer. There was so much history between the three of them, and his feelings regarding the two of them were so jumbled up that he didn't know what to do.

"Nothing is going on between the three of us," Geralt said, and Ciri hummed like she didn't believe him.

"Well, Yen sat me down yesterday and started to lay out a long term lesson plan like she wouldn't be here soon, and Jask wrote down a whole list of books I should read like he wasn't going to be here to assign me to read them. They both look like they're leaving," Ciri said. "Is this about how you love them?" Geralt froze because that was the word that he was avoiding all of this time. He couldn't love them, not both of them at once; it left him far too vulnerable. He couldn't possibly love the two of them and survive. Geralt was panicking, and this line of questioning made him want to run away to the mountains for a couple of days. Maybe Ciri knew him well enough now that she could tell that he was panicking. "Do you want them to leave?"

"No," Geralt replied because that was easy. He wanted them to always be there. "I want them here, always."

"So just say the thing that will keep them here and mean it," Ciri said, and she shrugged. Geralt watched her get up and leave wondering when his ward got so wise. Maybe she was spending too much time with Vesemir. Geralt didn't join anyone for dinner that night, he stayed on that balcony, and no one bothered him, so he had nothing but his thoughts. He still wasn't sure what it was that they wanted to hear, but he couldn't risk them leaving without trying. Geralt knew that if they left, he'd never see them again, and the thought of that hurt more than anything.

He could hear them softly talking behind a closed door when he knocked, and he almost turned away when they said he could come in. They were on the floor lounging on a collection of pillows that Yennefer seemed to bring everywhere she went. Jaskier was leaning against the bed in a white chemise with a wide collar and what looked like sleep pants. Yennefer was leaning against his chest in a shift that barely covered anything and a robe. Jaskier's arm was casually around her shoulder, and Yennefer's hand was resting on his thigh. Neither of them made any move to make themselves decent when he walked in and closed the door behind them. There was the smell of lust in the air, and he wondered what he just interrupted. Both of their lips were a little red and distractingly swollen. Geralt sat down across from them and didn't know where to start, but Yennefer ran out of patience first.

"Did you need something, Geralt?" she asked as she began to play with Jaskier's fingers. "We were in the middle of something when you knocked, so unless you need something or have something to say, I'd like to get back to it." Geralt was about to tell her that he had something to say when Yennefer sucked Jaskier's index finger into her mouth. Jaskier sucked in a breath and laughed softly.

"You're an evil woman," he said.

"I know," Yennefer replied. She learned up and kissed under his jaw. Geralt watched as their hands settled, and while they weren't holding hands now, they were resting on top of each other. He needed to get his mind back on track; he was here for a reason.

"I came here because I have something to say," Geralt said, and both of them stared at him as they waited for him to continue because, of course, they weren't going to make this easy. "I'm sorry."

"For what," Jaskier said immediately.

"What?" Geralt asked, confused by the angry tone in Jaskier's voice because this was already not going the way he thought it would.

"What are you sorry for exactly? I think we've both earned specifics, and we want to hear them," Jaskier said, and Yennefer nodded, which meant she agreed, and he was speaking for both of them. He didn't think he would have to do this to each of them, but it made sense now that he thought about it.

"Jaskier, I'm sorry for what I said on the mountain," Geralt said. "I'm not going to sit here and lie to you and say I didn't mean it in the heat of the moment. What I will say is that it was wrong of me to take my anger out on you. You didn't deserve it, and you were just trying to be a good friend. I'm sorry for the way I treated you over the years. It was distasteful at best, and you certainly deserved better. I never even apologized for my wish being the one that nearly killed you when we found the djinn. It shouldn't have taken me two decades to admit we were friends, and I'm sorry for that."

Geralt looked up, and he wasn't sure what he was looking for in Jaskier's expression, but he saw nothing. He always thought of Jaskier as someone who had his emotions out on his sleeve at all times. But this winter had taught him that Jaskier could hide his intentions better than even a Witcher, and he was hiding them right now. It was apparent that he needed both of these apologies before either of them was going to react, so he moved on.

"Yennefer, it was never my intention to force a bond between us. I didn't understand at the time what I wished for, but all I wanted, all I've ever wanted, was your health and safety. I thought that was the only way to ensure it, but my intentions mean fuck all in this case. I didn't think about why you would be so uncomfortable with our bond, and I'm sorry that I made you doubt that anything I felt for you was real. It feels real, to this day, and I know you say I can't trust it, but I do. I want you safe and healthy, and if that means not being in my life, then that is what will happen." Geralt didn't think he had spoken that much in one sitting in years, and it felt both freeing and a bit like he was about to fight some huge monster that he knew nothing about. "I need to know something from the two of you; I need to know if you were purposely making sure I saw you two together."

"No, we weren't," Jaskier said. "Yennefer told me about that accusation when you slept with her the other day, and no, we weren't purposely trying to get caught by you. That being said, when we did? Well, maybe we played things up a little but to the levels of manipulation that you're thinking of."

"You told him we slept together?" Geralt asked, and he wasn't really surprised, but it was still a little strange to hear someone talk about a lover sleeping with someone else and not have it be a big deal.

"Of course, he may be mine, but that doesn't mean I'm some sort of monster. He knows where the lines are," Yennefer said with a smirk.

"She found me almost right after, did you know that?" Jaskier asked as he pushed Yennefer's hair aside so he could kiss her neck. "I'm fairly sure I could still taste you on her in more than one way." Jaskier had a filthy mouth, and if he let him keep talking, this conversation was going to get way off track, and Geralt still didn't know what he needed to say to get them to stay. "So Yennefer and I enjoy each other's company, judging by the way she has thoroughly claimed me in every possible way. You and Yennefer still have a connection judging by the details of the fucking Yennefer was all too willing to share with me the other day. You, Geralt, don't mind watching the two of us together as Yennefer informed me that you were in the hot spring that evening that were together. And just the other day, you pinned me to the wall, kissed me, and was all a moment away from dragging me away to a dark corner so you could have your wicked way with me." The tension in the room was heavy and almost more than he could bear, but as Jaskier and Yennefer both looked directly into his eyes, he somehow knew this was the point of no return. This was the moment where he needed to say the thing to make them stay.

"Geralt, why do you want us to stay?" Yennefer asked, and it was a simple question with so many different connotations. She was asking so much more than just asking to stay in the keep; she was asking why did he want them to stay with him.

"Because my life is worse without the two of you in it, because you make me want to be a better person," Geralt said, and he took a deep breath as he stared into both of their eyes. "Because I want you both more than anything, and I feel incomplete without you." The tension in the room broke, and the three of them were scrambling toward each other like if they didn't touch each other right now, they would die. Geralt kissed Yennefer, already pushing off that robe, and Jaskier was standing behind him, pressing soft kisses to his neck and working on the ties of his pants. It was a lot to be between them.

They stumbled toward that too large bed that Yennefer probably insisted on putting in her room, and Yennefer pulled away from him with a smirk.

"I want to see," Yennefer said as she moved back against the pillows. "I want to see two decades of repression play out in front of me." That was not a hardship at all. Geralt expected to pull Jaskier to him, push him down onto the bed, and pin him down but Jaskier was full of surprises. He twisted in a way that surprised Geralt he was the one lying on the bed with Jaskier straddling his waist and smirking. Yennefer laughed as she moved across the bed so she could look at the two of them. "Oh, that is a lovely picture."

"I'm so glad you approve," Jaskier said, and Geralt was treated to the sight of Yennefer and Jaskier kissing while Jaskier was sitting firmly on his lap. It was a beautiful sight that he didn't get to enjoy too much of before Jaskier moved away from Yennefer and kissed him. Geralt had been kissed plenty of times in his life, but there was something about this one that felt different. Perhaps there was something to be said about twenty years of repressing their feelings because Geralt suddenly could not get enough of this man. Geralt sat up, pulling Jaskier more firmly into his lap, and began to kiss along that pale neck. He saw the bruise that Yennefer had left and thought about marking over it, but that felt wrong somehow. Instead, Geralt moved to the other side and sucked his own mark into Jaskier skin. "By the gods, you're both biters. There isn't an inch of my skin that's going to survive."

"Are you complaining?" Geralt asked as he kissed the bruise and looked at those beautiful eyes again. This felt so different from other times he was with people, and even other times, he was with Yennefer. This felt lighter, even fun, and Geralt didn't know that fun was something that people could have during sex.

"I'll allow that bruise this time Geralt," Yennefer said as she moved to his side and leaned in for a kiss. "But next time you better ask for permission before you mark what isn't yours. He's still mine." Jaskier laughed by this exchange, clearly delighted, even as Geralt had to tamper down his instincts that said that he needed to claim both of them as his. That wasn't what this was about.

"Geralt," Jaskier said he framed his face and leaned in close for a kiss. "What do you want?" This wasn't the only time this was going to happen; he was sure of it; they wouldn't be doing this if they weren't staying. The idea of being between them was too much right now, and he wanted to know what Jaskier's body felt like.

"I want to fuck you while you fuck her," Geralt said, and both of them smiled like that was the greatest thing they had heard. "But first, I want to get my mouth on Yennefer. I want to taste her again."

"I don't blame you; she tastes amazing," Jaskier replied, and they kissed a few more times before breaking away. They weren't frantically pulling off their clothes, but it was a pretty close thing. When they were all naked, Geralt laid down so he could get between Yennefer's legs as Jaskier settled next to her. They were kissing sweetly, and it was still strange to see them like that. It wasn't exactly the time to get distracted; he settled between Yennefer's legs. They hadn't had a lot of chances to do this, and Geralt loved it. She tasted amazing and mere moments later, Jaskier began to whisper about the best places to put his fingers, where he should suck to make Yennefer scream because he knew her that well. It was overwhelming, and Yennefer cried out as she came on his tongue and his fingers.

"You're going to pay for that later," Yennefer said, and Jaskier laughed like one of the most powerful sorceresses on the continent wasn't threatening him.

"I look forward to it," he said. Geralt expected it to be awkward as they all shifted on the bed, but it wasn't. Whenever limbs got in the way, there were just laughs and smiles. They found the oil as Jaskier settled over Yennefer. She was smirking at him as she watched him carefully. Jaskier swore loudly when Geralt slipped his first finger in, and Yennefer ran her fingers through his brown hair.

"Been a while for you, darling?" she asked.

"I'd say fuck you, but I have every intention of doing that very soon," Jaskier replied without missing a beat. It was like they enabled each other and maybe thinking they were like a storm that could take a roof off of a building wasn't too far off. It didn't take long for Jaskier to be begging that he was ready, while Yennefer made comments about how lovely he looked while begging, and Jaskier pushed into her in retaliation. Yennefer arched off of the bed, and when Jaskier moved back, Geralt managed to push his own way in, and it was perfect. It was hot and tight, and he hadn't been with a man in so long. Geralt pressed his forehead to Jaskier's back, and he couldn't stop kissing the skin in front of him.

It was incredibly intense with the three of them together, and Geralt knew that he wasn't going to last long. Not when he had wanted both of these people for so long, not when they both felt and smelled so perfect, not when they both wanted him back. Yennefer cried out as she came and pulled Jaskier down into a rough kiss. She bit his lower lip hard enough to bleed, and it took all of Geralt's self-control not to lose it right there. Yennefer made a fresh bruise on Jaskier's neck as he came, and it was all so tight, so hot, so perfect, that Geralt didn't stand a chance. His orgasm felt more like a release. It felt like the beginning of something that he couldn't even begin to put into words.

It felt like home.

The three of them collapsed onto the bed covered in various spend and they were rather disgusting, but both Yennefer and Jaskier didn't look up for moving anytime soon. Geralt decided that it was his job to be the gentleman, and after he got his breath back, he got up. There was a bucket of clean water on the other side of the room and a pile of rags like they knew something like this was going to happen tonight. Geralt walked back over, and both Jaskier and Yennefer were on their backs, and they were watching him carefully. He wanted to clean them both, to take care of them, but he wasn't sure that was allowed. So handed both of them clean rags and watched as they both smiled. Yennefer tucked herself in the middle as Jaskier wrapped his arms around her. Geralt was not surprised at all that Jaskier liked to cuddle, but he just wanted to watch them. He laid down on his side and touched both of them without even thinking about it; just mapping all of the beautiful skin from both of them with his hands.

"Geralt," Yennefer said, and he realized he had spent the last several minutes just staring at the two of them and not saying a word. "What do you want?" Geralt reached out and tucked some of Yennefer's hair behind her ear. He brushed his thumb along Jaskier's delicate cheekbone, and he thought about what he wanted.

"I want you both to stay with me," Geralt said because he wasn't very good at asking for things for himself. Maybe that was what they wanted all along. They wanted an apology, and they wanted Geralt to admit, out loud, that he wanted them with words. Yennefer and Jaskier glanced at each other, and they both smiled those brilliant smiles that made Geralt's heart clench in his chest. It made him feel something that he couldn't admit, not quite yet, but maybe someday.

"Okay," Jaskier said.

"We'll stay," Yennefer replied, and it was like everything in his world was right again. Geralt settled into the bed, his arm in a position that he could touch them both, and closed his eyes. They were staying, and that was all that mattered. They were staying because they wanted to stay with him. They were staying.