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The warmth of the hall was welcoming after the blizzard-like conditions currently battering the keep outside. Stamping his boots to knock off the rest of the snow, Eskel pulls off his snow-covered cloak and hangs it up on one of the hooks to dry off. All of the animals were settled into the stable and had their evening feed so he could relax for the rest of the night.
Which based on the low chatter coming from the group gathered next to the main fireplace seemed to be the intent of all of the other inhabitants of the keep. This winter the wolf witcher’s home was fuller than it had been in years, though really he mused they had Geralt to thank for that. Not only was there now Ciri but also Geralt’s sorceress Yennefer who had appeared via portal as the snow began to fall citing the need to ensure that Cirilla’s training continued properly. Then Geralt had come up the mountain with Jaskier walking beside him grunting out that the bard would be spending the winter with them.
A bard who admittedly Eskel had been perhaps more than a bit pleased to see return to spend what is now his second consecutive winter in a row up in the mountains.
“There you are! Was getting worried that we might have to mount a rescue party for fear that you lost your way between the stables and here.” Jaskier who had been gently plucking a tune on his lute carefully set it aside on the tabletop and slid over on the bench he occupied.
Unable to resist such a blatant invitation Eskel slid down onto the bench beside the other man who smiled
“Pfft mounting a rescue my ass, more like you were trying to convince Geralt or myself to wander out there and find him,” Lambert called out from where he was seated across from Geralt playing Gwent.
Jaskier spluttered in false outrage before winking at Eskel, “It is a tad cold out currently for bards to be wandering about rescuing Witchers who might have gotten lost between tending to their goat flock and coming in for dinner.” With those words, a steaming bowl of stew and plate with several buttered rolls that had been sitting beside Jaskier on the table were slid over to Eskel.
Soon what chill remained was chased away and the evening was a relaxing one. Low chatter, interspersed with laughter and beneath it all Jaskier occasionally playing either Yuletide favourites or other songs as requested. Slowly one by one the other residents disappeared for bed first Vesemir and then Yennefer and Geralt who took Ciri with them citing that despite having the next day off from training for Yule didn’t mean she could stay up to the early hours of the morning. Finally, only Lambert remained trying to entice Eskel into one more round of Gwent.
“You can try and win back your cards from me tomorrow night how about that?” Eskel finally offered and then after checking that Jaskier was engrossed in carefully putting his beloved lute back in its case he kicked Lambert’s ankle below the table.
“What the…” Lambert trailed off when Eskel pointedly looked at Jaskier’s back and then nodded towards the door.
“OH, right, tomorrow night you’re on then. I’m off.” Gathering his deck and a partially full mug of ale Lambert hastily exited the hall leaving behind the last two occupants.
“Well, I suppose if everyone else is off we probably should as well. Didn’t realize how late it had gotten if Lambert is heading off to his bed before I am.” Lute packed away, Jaskier had tidied the dinner dishes and mugs up together so that they could be washed in the morning.
“Yeah been a long night, here let me walk you to your room,” Eskel hastily stood up trying to not flush as he almost knocked over the bench in his haste, “I’ll carry that for you.”
Jaskier looked a little amused but let Eskel take the lute case from him. The walk up to the bard’s room is accompanied by companionable chatter. Eskel asks about what book Jaskier was currently reading and how the re-organization of the library was going. A pet project Jaskier had started the prior winter in a bid to stave off the boredom of being cooped up with nowhere to go. The project had seemed to have moved to something the bard considered his part of maintaining Kaer Morhen. Jaskier had gotten Vesemir’s permission to start organizing and cataloging the admittedly extensive collection of books, journals and other documents that had been gathered over the centuries since Kaer Morhen had been built.
“Good, have several more volumes that Vesemir agreed should be copied so that they can be saved, Ciri is not perhaps overly fond of her weekly scribal duties but it does let her read some interesting journals on some of the finer points of monster identification and she does have quite the tidy hand for copying. How is that new cheese you’re trying to make coming along?”
As always when asked about anything involving his now decently sized herd of goats that had started with his beloved Lil’ Bleater Eskel couldn’t help but eagerly go on about them. His fresh, goat cheese was becoming a well-loved staple by the inhabitants of the keep and something he often traded when he headed back out for the spring season to help pad his purse but he’d been trying to get a good batch of aged goat cheese that would have a better preservation period and allow him to trade it farther afield.
“There’s something in the curing process I’m missing because it’s coming out with a metallic note to it.”
Finally, they arrive in front of the door of the room that Jaskier had claimed last year and had taken once again when he had arrived this year.
“Hmm, that bit of decor is new I think?” Following the other man’s gaze upwards Eskel flushes at the sight of bright red berries and dark green leaves that hang above the doorway they’ve stopped under.
“Quite a bit of interesting bit of folklore behind mistletoe,” Eskel cleared his throat before continuing, “Did you know that there’s an area of Kwaeden that believes being kissed below mistletoe signifies luck for the upcoming year and that refusing a kiss can bring bad luck?”
“Eskel, I am beginning to think that the being last two in the hall and this well-placed sprig of mistletoe might all be part of some plan.” Jaskier doesn’t look away as he speaks.
“If it were part of some plan would you be amenable to that?” Eskel’s voice has become husky, unable to help himself he cups Jaskier’s face in his hands one thumb brushing across the other man’s lips.
There’s a flick of a tongue across Eskel’s thumb before a reply is whispered, “Then I would say you should make good use of all this setup you’ve done and finally kiss me.”
Growling Eskel crashes his lips into Jaskier’s. There’s a faint moan and then Jaskier’s body relaxes into his. He doesn’t know how long he stands there ravaging the bard’s mouth but when he finally pulls back they’re both panting and it’s undeniable how aroused they both are.
“I know this may be presumptuous after all that was our first kiss but is there any way I can convince you to not leave tonight?”
“We’ll go as far as you desire Jaskier, you tell me to stop then everything stops but there is nothing more I would love than to have you screaming my name at some point tonight.” The bard’s response is a low whine before crashing their mouth back together.
At some point, Eskel has the presence of mind to grope behind Jaskier and find the handle to the door. It swings open easily and unwilling to break contact he backs them into the room and kicks the door shut. The sound of the door closing finally makes Jaskier pull back, and take his lute from where it’s slung on Eskel’s shoulder. With a quick flick of his fingers, Eskel lights several of the candles in the room giving them a bit more light than what moonlight that filters through the narrow window in the room provides.
Jaskier carefully hangs the lute case from one of the sturdy hooks the Eskel had helped him put up last year and goes to uncover the banked coals and gets the room warming. When he turns around Eskel is regarding his expression hungry and yet somehow soft at the same time. They meet in the middle of the room hands reaching to hold each other.
“May I undress you?” Jaskier’s eager nod set Eskel into motion. Large hands tug open lacing and flick open various buttons until he can peel off the rich blue doublet and then the almost sheer chemise underneath that. Tight pants are pushed down until he finally has the other man naked.
“You have no idea what it did to me. The way you sometimes walk about flaunting all of this as if begging me to put my mouth on you.” Eskel murmurs as he finally can caress his hands over the bared skin and muscles that had surprised him the first time he had walked in on the bard lounging bare in the hot springs.
The spicy scent of arousal coming from Jaskier only grows stronger, but the man is patient letting Eskel take his time to appreciate the view in front of him. Finally, a slight nudge causes the larger man to lift his head from where he’d been doing his best to gently mark the bard’s neck.
Slender fingers begin to pluck at the ties of Eskel’s clothing and getting with the program he quickly helps Jaskier get him out of his clothes so that they’re both naked. For a moment they pull back both eagerly taking in the other.
“I see the ‘Dragon” of Kaer Morhen perhaps doesn’t refer to the strength of your Igni alone.” Jaskier’s gaze and tone are full of admiration.
It makes Eskel flush, and he can feel his cock jerk beneath the assessing gaze.
“Do I meet expectations,” there’s no hint of the nervousness Eskel feels in his voice. Jaskier is one of the few people who had never shirked back from his scars. Instead only having gone on what a pleasure it was to finally meet one of the few Witchers Geralt bothered to talk about which clearly meant he must be one of the white-haired man’s closest friends.
“I’d say that you’ve more than exceeded any expectations I ever had about you from the day Geralt introduced us.”
He’s not sure which of them moves first but all that matters is he had Jaskier clutched in his arms and that they somehow tumble down onto the bed. He could happily have spent the night just kissing Jaskier and slowly grinding against each other. But the bard has other plans and he leans away long enough to rummage in the nightstand beside the bed before pulling out a container of oil and pushing it into Eskel’s hands.
“I’m flexible most of the time but I’d really like you to fuck me tonight.”
With permission given Eskel sets about to follow through on his earlier promise of making Jaskier scream his name.
It happens when he had three fingers buried inside the bard expertly working him open while taking his cock down to the root. Thighs clamp down around Eskel’s head holding him in place while Jaskier does indeed scream his name and shudders through an orgasm. Swallowing around the slowly softening length in his mouth Eskel pulls back once Jaskier’s thighs relax and his legs fall down onto his shoulders.
“How are you feeling?”
Grey eyes blink at him for a moment before the man below him manages to reply.
“Like I need you fuck me until you come.”
“Sure you’re not too sensitive?” Eskel moves to cover Jaskier’s body with his own.
Uncaring of the taste of his own cum in Eskel’s mouth Jaskier kisses him deeply before pulling back.
“I’m sure, now please fuck me, darling.” Growling Eskel aligns him before carefully sliding into the Jaskier.
Both of them hiss at the tight clench of Jaskier’s body around Eskel’s cock. He goes slowly, giving Jaskier time to adjust but eventually, Eskel realizes he’s buried to the root in the man below him. Panting he buries his face into Jaskier’s throat breathing in deeply letting himself be surrounded by the other man’s scent.
Finally, he dares to pull back slightly dragging his cock out before thrusting back in. Slowly he builds his pace until the slick sounds of his cock working in and out of Jaskier fill the room. Sitting up he takes in the sight of the Jaskier, whose mouth is open moans freely falling past reddened lips, back arches and hand up pressed against the headboard using it as leverage to meet Eskel’s thrusts. Between them he can see that Jaskier’s cock has hardened again, pre-cum dripping onto the flat planes of his stomach.
Adjusting his grip so that his hand are on either side of Jaskier’s waist Eskel uses his grasp to help move the bard into his thrusts, daring to fuck into him harder at the obvious pleasure being experienced.
“Jaskier, I’m close.” Eskel’s pace stutters as he tries to hold back.
“It’s okay, use me Eskel, it’s okay want you to fill me up.” At Jaskier’s words, Eskel snarls and pulls out causing a loud whine to fill the room.
It takes barely a blink of an eye and Jaskier finds himself flipped onto his front before his hips are hiked upwards and he feels Eskel’s sizable cock pushing back in until there’s no space between them. Fumbling Jaskier manages to get one hand around his cock before he feels a broad hand press down on the center of his back and another on his hip as Eskel begins to fuck him in earnest. Flinging out the other to brace himself Jaskier unabashedly moans as he proceeds to be used as asked.
The rapid, deep thrusts mean he can’t do more than try to keep himself up on his knees but each thrust rocks his cock into his hand and seems to strike his prostate unerringly.
“You feel so good, going to give you what you want. You’re going smell like me, leave you dripping.” The rest of Eskel’s words are barely audible over the slick sounds filling the room and creak of Jaskier’s poor bedframe. A sharp smack to his ass gives startles Jaskier into orgasming again the quick hint of pain heightening the pleasure of being filled fuller than he swears he’s ever been before.
It’s the tightening of Jaskier’s body as he comes again that finally pushes Eskel over the edge. Groaning deeply the larger man buries himself as deep as possible. He doesn’t give Jaskier any warning before he relaxes onto the other man. Whimpering Jaskier collapses enjoying the sensation of Eskel’s bulk surrounding him.
~*~
Later as they lay together warm and sated in Jaskier’s bed, fire crackling in the small hearth, the bard asks the question that’s been on his mind.
“When did you realize I was perhaps interested in you?”
“Jaskier you wrote me a collection of poems about my goats, seemed like a decent indication you were interested in more than a one-off thing.” The smaller man flushes before burying his head in the hair of Eskel’s chest and playfully nipping at one of the plush pecs he had been resting his head-on.
Grumbling playfully the witcher grasped Jaskier’s hair and tugged gently before using his grip to guide the other man’s face up so they could kiss again.
"Best Yule ever I think," Jaskier mutters sleepily feeling the vibration of Eskel's low hum of agreement beneath his cheek as they both fall asleep.