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Chapter Text

His parents were going to get them all killed. 

It was a thought he’d had several times before, and it never lead to anything good. But today, they were truly calling down the wrath of the gods. After all, nothing good could come of imprisoning a Witcher. 

And all because they didn’t want to pay for the extra monsters he’d cleared! 

That wasn’t all there was to it. No. It was also because the Witcher, Eskel, had made a few comments about their treatment of Jaskier. Which. While appreciated, wasn’t necessary. He’d had twenty long years to get used to their treatment of him. And they weren’t cruel. He was an Omega. Noble Omegas didn’t get to have a say in their own lives. Everyone knew this. 

Maybe… maybe if he had been born someone else. One of the simple subjects of Redania, instead of a noble, he’d have had more say. 

It didn’t matter. What mattered, was that his parents had imprisoned a Witcher, citing ‘unreasonable demands’, and the people of Lettenhove would, as always, be paying the price. 

Oh, who was he kidding. He’d be paying the price. Already he could feel the way his fiance was glaring at him, as if he’d somehow single handedly caused the monsters to arrive. Somehow, his parents would find a way to blame him, and make him regret existing. 

“So, Valdo,” his mother spoke, and Jaskier glanced over to his Beta fiance again, intrigued to find that Valdo had adopted a rather… pleasant, mask. How he could fake that niceness while fuming… Jaskier didn’t know. “I hear there was a bit of an upset on your way here. Nothing too dangerous, I hope?” 

Valdo shook his head. “Nothing dangerous at all. A few upstarts of peasants. Nothing I couldn’t handle.” 

Jaskier had a sinking suspicion as to what Valdo considered ‘handling’ the situation. The man had the moral compass of a salty tart. Fuck, he’d do anything to get out of marrying the bastard. 

Dinner continued to drag on, and Jaskier felt himself growing more and more ill. Things were going to go badly, he knew it, but he didn’t know what he could do. 

“Ah, yes, Julian,” Valdo spoke, and Jaskier looked up. “The guards tell me you’ve been trying to sneak food down to the Witcher?” 

Jaskier grimaced. It was Bernard, wasn’t it. The man hated him. “Everyone deserves to eat,” Jaskier commented, trying to keep his voice steady and disguise the shaking in his hand as he reached for his cup. 

“I wouldn’t say ‘everyone’. And I don’t want you near that monster. I’m forbidding you from going down to the dungeons again.” 

Forbid- “ Forbidding ?” Jaskier asked, incredulous. “We’re not even married yet! The fuck do you-” 

He stopped as his father slapped him. “Julian!” His father chastised, before turning to Valdo. “I apologize for his outburst, he’s simply emotional today. His heat’s running late is all.” 

Jaskier bit the inside of his cheek. His heat wasn’t due for another month yet. His father was making things up to discredit his opinion. “If you’ll excuse me,” he muttered, pushing out his chair and stepping away. 

His father followed him from the table, stopping him in the hallway once they were out of earshot. “What the hell is wrong with you, Julian?!” he hissed, keeping his voice down. “After all that time, trying to find a match for you- people were beginning to talk, twenty years is almost too old to be unmated- but I found one, and Valdo’s a good man! He’s like a son to me!” 

“I’m your actual son!” Jaskier cried, hating how his eyes were beginning to sting with tears. “Not that you’ve ever cared.” 

“Julian-” 

“You stopped seeing me as your son the second I presented as an Omega!” 

He flinched at the backhand he got, hand coming up to press against his stinging cheek. 

Twice this evening now, his father had hit him. The man didn’t look at him, instead taking measured breaths and staring at the wall, his head held high. 

Jaskier took a slow, measured breath, his throat clogged. “...I’m going to take a walk in the gardens, to clear my head,” he finally announced. 

“You do that. And come back with a better attitude when you do.” 

He made it to the hedge maze in the gardens before the tears caught up with him, and he shook, fighting back the urge to scream. 

No need to alert the guards to his breakdown. 

Fuck, this was the bastard his parents wanted him to marry? Jaskier could see exactly what his life was leading to. 

Valdo would expect him to be a broodmare for him. To get pregnant on his first heat after their wedding, and remain a docile little Omega till the day he died. 

Silent and pretty. 

Spreading his legs whenever Valdo asked. 

Fuck that! 

He ran a hand over his face, trying to scrub off the tears before he went back inside. Taking a breath, he straightened up, doing his best to compose himself. He was fine. He was the son of a Viscount. He could do this. 

Something snapped behind him, and Jaskier stopped, glancing around. “...hello?” he called, voice still wavering. Not going back inside just yet then. “...Roland?” no response. 

Any of his parents' guards should respond if he called. So either that was an animal…

Or he wasn’t alone. 

He took a hesitant step back, about to turn when a hand wrapped around his mouth, hauling him back against an iron chest, and he was overwhelmed by the scent of an Alpha. 

Fuck. 

He bit down on the hand covering his mouth, slamming his elbow back into whoever was holding him in an attempt to get away, but all that earned him was a cut off curse from his assailant. The man didn’t let go. 

No, no, fuck, he couldn’t be taken like this! 

He continued struggling, even as the man began dragging him away. 

He couldn’t scream, his mouth was covered, and one hand was pinned by the arm wrapped around his chest, but he had a hand free. His left hand. Which just so happened to be his dominant hand. 

He grabbed for the dagger hidden in his doublet and slashed out with it, catching the Alpha in the leg and shocking him into letting go. 

Jaskier scrambled back, about to scream for the guards when another large hand wrapped around his mouth, this one covering his nose as well and cutting off air, while this new assailant caught Jaskier’s wrist, preventing Jaskier from cutting him. 

There were two Alphas. Fuck.

“Easy,” a voice whispered in his ear as Jaskier’s mind desperately screamed at him for air, and he tried to claw at the hand preventing him from breathing. He needed air, he needed air! “Easy there, we’re not going to hurt you. Drop the knife, and you can breathe, alright?” 

Jaskier caught sight of red hair from the first Alpha, before his eyes watered over completely, and he clung to his knife, trying to kick out at the Alpha. Nothing was working. 

“Come on, Geralt,” the first Alpha spoke, his own voice quiet and hushed, “just knock the kid out and be done with it!”

“He’s just a human, I don’t want to hurt him.”

Human. He could have sworn his heart stopped. Not Omega, human. Meaning these two weren’t. 

With a final desperate sob that still pulled in no air, he dropped the knife, relieved when the Alpha shifted his hand to allow Jaskier to pull in air through his nose. 

“You going to be alright?” the Alpha behind him, Geralt, whispered, and the red haired Alpha nodded. 

“I’ll be fine, let’s just bag the fucker and go, before he tries that shit again.”

‘Bag’? Please don’t let them be putting him in a bag- 

“ Don’t make a sound, ” the Alpha behind him growled, voice tinged with command and Jaskier’s mind desperately complied for a split instant before Jaskier wrenched control back, but by then the Alpha’s hand was gone and there was a rag shoved into his mouth. He tried to voice his protests, or maybe just another sob, but nothing made it through the gag and a moment later there was a bag over his head, and then someone was tying his wrists together, and he was tossed over a shoulder. 

This was really happening. 

He was being kidnapped. 

When he’d said he’d do anything to get out of marrying Valdo, this isn’t quite what he’d meant! 

He was distracting himself. Using sarcasm and humor to try and cope. 

Fuck. Anything could happen to him. He didn’t know who these men were, or what they wanted. He’d heard of Omegas getting snatched before, but that always seemed like a far off prospect. Nothing that could happen to him. 

Oh gods. 

He was never going to see his precious lute again, was he? 

Chapter Text

Somehow he hadn’t noticed blacking out, coming back around to painful consciousness in a small clearing he didn’t recognize, his hands tied behind him and a rope binding his ankles. His head ached, the ache of breaking through an Alpha’s command, and the sunlight of early morning was making things worse. The gag was gone though, along with the bag, and he could hear his captors wandering around behind where he was lying on the ground. 

“Fucking bastard,” the first Alpha muttered, and Jaskier was pleased. His cut must have hurt. “Why’d he have to get this pair of pants? It’ll take forever to sew back up.” 

His- his pants? Jaskier hadn’t even struck his assailant, he’d just gotten his clothing?

“You smelled him the same as I did, he was terrified. I can’t blame him either,” the other one, Gerallt, commented. 

“I can. I can and I will. I’ll blame every fucking noble if they’ve so much as fucking touched Eskel.” 

Eskel? 

The Witcher. The one in his parents’ dungeon. Oh fuck, that meant- these were Witchers. 

These were Witchers, come to free their comrade, or take their revenge on Jaskier. 

His situation just got a lot more precarious. 

“Hey,” the angry one called, and Jaskier froze. Was- there was no way they knew he was awake already, was there? “We can hear your fucking heartbeat, so stop pretending you’re asleep.” 

Hear his- Witcher. There was no knowing what they could do. 

He turned his head, looking around the clearing a bit more, before he rolled over to see better. The two Alphas from the night before were seated around a fire, staring at him. 

He stared back. He wasn’t going to make the first move. He’d seen them. He knew who they were. His chances of survival were quickly slipping. 

So, to make the best of this opportunity, he made sure to look at them. To memorize what they looked like. 

The first Alpha, the angry one, had flaming red hair that came down to his shoulders, and a thick beard. His face was covered in scars, and he was scowling at Jaskier. 

The other one, the one who had used his alpha voice to command Jaskier’s silence, was sitting calmly, as if meditating, and Jaskier noticed his hair was tied back, a pale white color that implied an age his face didn’t reflect. He was also covered in scars. 

Both their eyes were slited and golden, showing them to be Witchers even if their earlier statements hadn’t already confirmed that for Jaskier. 

“What’re you staring at?” The redhead asked, bristling, and Jaskier hastily averted his gaze. 

“Lambert,” the other- Geralt, cautioned, before turning back to Jaskier. “You don’t need to be afraid. We won’t hurt you.” 

Jaskier swallowed, steeling his nerves. “What exactly do you call trying to suffocate me last night?” 

“Fucking necessary,” the redhead- Lambert, muttered, tossing a dagger in his hands, and Jaskier pulled back. Lambert eyed him, and snorted. “Right. You better be fucking scared, you whiney little noble. It’s ‘cause of you we had to fucking do this anyway-” 

“ Lambert,” Geralt warned, and Lambert muttered a curse before standing up and stalking away. Geralt turned to Jaskier. “Would you like water?” 

Jaskier swallowed. “...what are you going to do to me?” he asked, voice shaking a bit. 

“We’ve already sent your signet ring to your parents, and made our demands. Namely, our kinsman freed. Once he’s released, you’ll be returned.” 

They planned to ransom him back. What would they do with him, when they realized it wouldn’t work? 

“We won’t hurt you,” Geralt promised again, before offering out a water skin. “Here. You must be thirsty.”

Jaskier tried to sit up, and flinched back when Geralt came closer. 

Geralt knelt on the ground in front of Jaskier, offering the waterskin. 

Eyeing it dubiously, Jaskier considered. He could try to refuse. Fight back even. But fighting back had gotten him fuck all last night, and he was thirsty. Absolutely parched. 

After a moment’s hesitation, he parted his lips, and Geralt cupped his face, tilting his head up as he gently poured water into Jaskier’s mouth. 

Jaskier swallowed, relieved as the pain left. “There you go,” Geralt whispered, his voice deep and soothing, and Jaskier blushed furiously at the words. Now was not the time to become interested! 

Thankfully Geralt didn’t seem to notice, instead pulling away and settling back into his meditative stance. 

Jaskier glanced around, trying to get a feel for where they were. He didn’t recognize it, so they had to be a fair distance from Lettenhove. 

The other Witcher came back, stomping his way back into camp, this time with an entire deer slung over his shoulder. “Caught breakfast,” he muttered, and Jaskier blinked. 

He couldn’t have been gone for more than a few minutes, and he’s brought down an entire deer ?! No, no he must have set traps earlier, and had just gone to check on them. Surely.

“Calmer?” Geralt asked. 

“Calm enough. Can’t figure out why you’re so fucking calm in all of this.” 

Geralt sighed, with a small ‘hmm’. After another minute, he spoke again. “I keep wondering… what Eskel would do in this situation.” 

“Probably talk his way out. Aiden’d do the same.” 

Jaskier glanced around. Who was this ‘Aiden’? Another Witcher?

Lambert started working on skinning the deer, and Jaskier winced, looking away. Lambert scoffed. “Fucking noble bastard. Too dainty to even watch me skin a deer?” 

Jaskier flinched at the derision in his voice.

He was. He was too dainty for anything but lying back and spreading his legs for his husband-

Stop thinking like that, the part of his mind that still liked to fight argued. If you think like that then you make it true. 

Instead, he closed his eyes, trying to breathe and think over his physical condition. 

His headache was starting to fade. The water had helped. His arms ached from being bound behind him for so long, and his wrists were rather raw. Other than that, he was relatively uninjured. 

Though, there was a strange ache along his arm. He angled his fingers slightly, trying to trace what could be causing it, and he felt metal through the sleeve of his shirt. 

There was no way. 

He’d attacked them with a knife, and they hadn’t thought to check if he had more knives concealed?! 

Well. Their stupidity would be his escape. 

He quickly stopped fidgeting, not wanting to draw attention, but he kept that in mind. 

When he opened his eyes again, Lambert was done skinning the deer, and was now cutting the meat up. Which. While difficult to watch, was a lot better than when it still looked like a deer. 

Geralt was doing… something, to the skin, and Jaskier hastily looked away. He really didn’t want to think about it. 

“So,” Lambert began, his tone level, and somehow that scared Jaskier even more than his anger. “What’ve they been doing to Eskel?” 

Bad conversation. Fuck. “I-I don’t know-” 

“Don’t fucking lie to me,” Lambert growled, glaring at Jaskier. “That’s a really bad idea, noble. Never, ever lie to a Witcher.” 

Jaskier swallowed. Alright. But the truth wasn’t that great either. “...they haven’t fed him,” he admitted, shaking. “He’s been kept chained up. Beyond that, I really don’t know, they won’t let me near him.” 

Geralt ‘hmmm’d again, and Lambert went back to what he was doing. 

“A fucking month. The fuck did he even do to piss of a noble that badly? Me, I get it, I piss off everyone, but Eskel? ” 

Geralt finished what he was doing, setting the fur aside, and glancing at Jaskier. “You know.” 

Keeping silent was dangerous. Lying was dangerous. He just had to hope that the Witchers weren’t actually going to prove a point to Jaskier’s parents by taking their anger out on him. “...He angered my parents. He… there were more monsters than they agreed upon. And he asked for more coin. Didn’t demand, just asked, but they locked him up for it.” 

Geralt narrowed his eyes. “You know more.” 

He did. Or at least… “I suspect. I-” he took a breath. “He said some things. About… Omega rights. My parents didn’t want to hear it.” 

“Fucking nobles,” Lambert muttered again, picking up the pieces of meat and cooking them over the fire. 

Jaskier kept quiet, biting his lip to keep back the stream of words that would usually burst out of him at any chance. His babbling wasn’t going to do anyone any good right now. 

After a few minutes Lambert finished cooking, setting the meat aside. 

Geralt stretched slightly, as if he’d been dozing. “Alright. I gave him water, you get to feed him.” 

Lambert glared at him. “Oh, fuck no! I ain’t playing nursemaid to some bastard noble.” 

“It’s either that or untie him so he can feed himself.” 

Lambert scoffed. “Fuck that. The second he gets loose he’s running, you can see it in his eyes. I don’t wanna have to drag his ass back here.”

Was he that obvious? 

Geralt and Lambert then proceeded to glare at each other, holding an almost silent conversation till Lambert rolled his eyes and surged to his feet, dragging some of the meat with him. “Fine! I’ll feed the bastard. If he bites me I’m stabbing him.” 

That was a terrifying incentive to keep his teeth to himself. 

He pushed himself against a tree to try and get some distance, and the Witcher crouched in front of him, a platter of the cooked meat in one hand. “You gonna behave?” he asked, and Jaskier hastily nodded. “Good. Don’t want any more blood on my clothes.” 

He wasn’t sure if he’d ever been more terrified in his life as the Witcher picked up a chunk of meat, holding it out for Jaskier to eat. 

It felt strangely intimate, and Jaskier tried to grab hold of his spiraling thoughts, gently biting the meat, keeping his teeth far away from Lambert’s fingers in case the Witcher even thought Jaskier was going to bite him. 

Lambert was surprisingly patient with him, waiting for Jaskier to finish chewing before holding up another piece, and Jaskier was able to get through about five pieces before his stomach decided it was not up to anything more, and he shook his head. 

Lambert nodded, standing up and going back to the fire with the rest of the food. 

He and Geralt ate, and then Lambert was back with the waterskin, his hands again surprisingly gentle as he tilted Jaskier’s head back and tilted the waterskin to allow Jaskier to drink. 

It still felt weird, having someone touch him, even like this. It wasn’t… bad. And they were both careful not to hurt him. But it was overwhelming. A softness he wasn’t used to at home, and he did his best not to read too much into it. 

Then Lambert was out of his space again, and Jaskier had a moment to properly breathe. 

He was okay. He just needed to bide his time, play up the part of the scared Omega, and then when the two Witchers went to sleep, he’d cut his ropes and run.

Chapter Text

Of course they took watches. Of fucking course. Because that was the logical thing to do. 

So, as Lambert laid down to rest-because he wasn’t about to try and run while Lambert was the one watching him-Jaskier began working the knife out of his sleeve, and slowly sawed away at the ropes around his hands, waiting for his chance. 

He kept his eyes closed, breathing deeply, trying to imitate something approaching sleep. He couldn’t fool the Witcher completely, but if Geralt asked, he’d just point out how hard it is to fall asleep while held prisoner. 

Not a lie, so he shouldn’t get in trouble for it. 

He ended up waiting several hours, almost falling asleep himself when there was a loud noise of a crash nearby, and he startled back into full awareness, Geralt and Lambert both standing. 

“Stay here,” Geralt instructed, disappearing into the night in an instant. 

Jaskier hastily glanced at Lambert, who was completely silent, listening for something. 

As far as Jaskier could tell, there was nothing, but after a few minutes Lambert swore, rising to his feet, before he glanced back at Jaskier. 

“ Stay put, ” Lambert instructed, voice drenched in Alpha command, and Jaskier felt his muscles stiffen to obey as Lambert ran off. 

Fuck this. 

Jaskier wrenched control back over his own body- biting off a curse as his head began to hurt in retaliation- and finished cutting through the ropes around his wrists, before slicing through the ropes around his ankles. 

If they were going to leave him alone, that was their mistake. 

He didn’t know where he was, but he knew which direction they’d run in, and he took off in the opposite direction, running through the trees and doing his best to get away without making too much noise. 

He knew Witcher hearing was impressive, so he did his best to keep quiet as he fled, his muscles rather sore from an entire day of disuse. 

The woods were quiet around him, the moon hidden behind clouds, and he could have sworn his heartbeat and breath were the only sounds louder than his shoes crunching on the small plants on the ground. 

Still, miraculously, he wasn’t caught. 

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been running for when he finally stumbled across a stream, coming to a halt as he saw a… shape, standing in the water. 

It looked to be a horse, and he almost wept with relief. 

A horse. If it would let him ride it, he could get far away from these Witchers. There was no way a Witcher could outrun a horse. 

“Hello there,” he whispered, holding out his hand and stepping into the water. 

The horse snorted, stepping towards Jaskier, almost gliding through the water as it came closer to him, even as Jaskier stepped deeper and deeper into the stream, till the water was almost up to his waist. This was good. This was very… very… 

As the creature came closer, he started to realize that whatever this thing was, it wasn’t a horse. 

It seemed rather to be a collection of strange, wet vines, all wrapped around each other, and as the moonlight came back out, it seemed as though the creature’s hair itself was made of serpents, all shifting as though the creature itself was underwater. 

Jaskier paled, withdrawing his hand. “...what are you?” he asked, horrified, and tried to take a step back only to find that something had coiled around his legs under the water. 

He tried to scream, only to be yanked under the water, and he found himself for the second time in as many nights unable to breathe. 

He choked as the water of the stream forced its way into his mouth, and he tried to lash out with his dagger at whatever was holding him in place, only for more tendrils of the stuff to wrap around his wrists, pinning him in place. 

Under the water he could vaguely make out the legs of the ‘horse’, finding that the legs turned to more vines, almost possessed. 

Some of these vines were what were wrapped around his legs, keeping him underwater, and he desperately tried to move, tried to claw his way back to air only to be dragged further down. 

The thing loomed over him, and for a moment Jaskier could swear he saw red eyes glaring down at him, before there was a crash behind him of water being displaced, a gleaming sword sliced through the vines, and a strong arm hauled him back above water. 

He spluttered as he broke the surface of the water, trying to force the water out at the same time as trying to drag air in. It didn’t work, and he ended up coughing up water, almost throwing it up as someone dragged him out of the water, and another person fought against whatever fucked up horse he’d been about to trust his life to.

“Come on little noble,” Lambert grumbled behind him as he dropped him onto dry land, patting his back, hard. “Come on, get all that water out. For fuck’s sake, when I told you to stay put, the fuck were you thinking? There's a lot more fucked up things than that Kelpie out here.” 

Jaskier held his knife in his hand as he tried to heave in air, but there was still more water forcing its way out of his lungs. 

Saved by Witchers.

Well. That was technically their job, when they weren’t kidnapping the sons of Viscounts. 

The noise behind him died out around the time he stopped choking on water and started being able to breathe again, and a moment later Geralt came back to the shore, sitting down on Jaskier’s other side. “...where’d you get the knife?” Geralt asked, though he made no move to take it. 

Jaskier just clutched it that much tighter, still heaving in lungfuls of air. He didn’t know if he’d use it or not. After all, the two Witchers had just saved his life. 

After waiting for an answer he wouldn’t get, Geralt sighed, rising back up to his feet. “Alright. Come on. Let’s get back to camp and make sure you didn’t just drown yourself.” 

Lambert hauled Jaskier up, keeping a tight hold on Jaskier’s arm, and Jaskier tried not to feel like he was being marched back to the executioner’s block. 

When they finally made it back to camp, Lambert pushed Jaskier back down onto the bedroll he’d been using, and Geralt held out his hand for the knife. 

Jaskier hesitated, but he knew it was an empty gesture. If he didn’t hand it over, Geralt would take it from him by force. So, with as little shaking as he could manage, he handed over the blade. 

Geralt took it, examining it, before nodding. “You’ll get this back when we send you back.” Before Jaskier could process the improbability of that sentence, Geralt was talking again. “Do you have any other knives hidden on you?” 

Jaskier shook his head, about to deny it, when Lambert growled where he was crouched next to him. “ Don’t fucking lie again.” 

Right. 

He swallowed. “...yes.” 

“Hand them over.” 

Jaskier sighed, slowly reaching into each of his boots, dragging the knives out and handing them over, before he pulled a tiny dagger out of his belt, a small knife out of the other side of his doublet, and another from the hidden holster along his leg. 

Geralt accepted all of them, before staring down at him. “Any others?” 

With great reluctance, Jaskier pulled one more small knife out of its holster on his upper arm, handing it over. Geralt nodded, accepting the blade, before he asked again. “Any others?” 

“No,” Jaskier answered, feeling horribly undressed without his daggers. “That’s it.” 

“Why do the fuck do you have so many knives?” Lambert asked, sounding almost… impressed.

“It’s safer.” 

“Safer than what? You’re a noble. Who tries to fuck with you?” 

Jaskier glared. “I’m an Omega noble. If someone-” he stopped talking. 

Geralt tilted his head. “If someone what? Rapes you? Your father would have them executed, and they know it.” 

Jaskier shook his head. “...not if they get me pregnant.” he took a breath. “If I… if someone rapes me, and I get pregnant, then I have to marry them. A lot of people think it’s a pretty easy way to become a noble themselves.” He scrubbed tears out of his eyes, trying not to think about what these Witchers could do with that information. He knew he’d been lucky, to never have to live through something like that. 

He knew that could change at any moment. 

“...The fuck? ” Lambert asked, sounding properly horrified. “The absolute fuck? They’d make you marry some bastard that’d raped you? Fuck. I can see what Eskel would’ve gotten all pissed about, that’s bullshit. ” 

That startled a laugh out of him, despite the tears. “Believe me, I’m not thrilled about it either.” 

Geralt sat down, sighing. “...Don’t go running off again. While you’re with us, we can make sure nothing happens to you. You can have the knives back when we send you back.” 

Jaskier nodded, holding still as Lambert wrapped a new length of rope around his wrists, tying them together behind his back again. 

Though, this time he didn’t bother tying Jaskier’s legs together, just tying one ankle to the trunk of a tree, before pausing, and removing Jaskier’s shoes. 

“I’m not gonna go killing another kelpie to save your hide, so don’t go running off again,” he warned, tossing Jaskier’s shoes across to the pile of knives. 

Then he was pulling out a vial, showing it to Geralt. “This one’s safe for humans, yeah?” 

Geralt nodded, and Lambert turned back around, uncorking it and showing it to Jaskier, who stared at it in confusion. 

“So you don’t get sick after almost drowning,” Lambert explained, and Jaskier was too tired to protest. Instead he stayed still as Lambert gently held Jaskier’s face and poured the liquid down his throat. He swallowed, surprised to find it was sweet. Lambert stepped back, and Jaskier lay down and tried to get some sleep. 

Chapter Text

His head hurt even worse that morning when he woke up, and he groaned a bit. 

A moment later Geralt was gently hauling him into a sitting position, checking him over and frowning. “You shouldn’t be in pain,” he commented, almost to himself. “The potion should have dealt with any injuries.” 

Jaskier shook his head, wincing as it hurt to do so. “It’s the Alpha command,” he explained, in too much pain to bother trying to keep it back. At least if Geralt had an answer he’d probably just leave Jaskier alone to his misery. “I’ve refused two in the last few days,” he closed his eyes against the bright morning sun, wishing it would do something to alleviate the pain. 

“What?” 

“Alpha commands hurt when you break them. It’s why most Omegas don’t bother.” 

“Oh shit, ” Lambert commented. “Fuck. Uh. How do we fix it?” 

At least he seemed less pissed at Jaskier this morning. That was nice. 

“You don’t?” 

“If you’re in pain because of breaking an Alpha command,” Geralt began, speculative, “would you stop being in pain if you obeyed one?” 

Jaskier opened his eyes, glaring. “Don’t you fucking dare, I will break it again!” 

Geralt held his hands up. “Outside of an emergency, I won’t use one on you without your consent. But, what if I, with your permission, gave you a command you already planned to do? If, for example, I gave a command for you to drink water? Would that help?” 

Jaskier thought about it. Or rather, tried to think about it. The headache was getting worse and he was almost scared he would throw up. Right now it might take an Alpha command for him to be able to keep water down. 

He nodded. “Fine. Try it.”

Geralt knelt down next to him with a waterskin, and gently cupped Jaskier’s face once more, tilting his head back. “ Drink, ” he ordered, and Jaskier opened his mouth on reflex, quickly swallowing the water Geralt poured into his mouth, almost sagging as his body stopped punishing him for his earlier rebellions. 

He did sag as Geralt pulled the waterskin away. Geralt caught him as he toppled over, and Jaskier ended up with his head next to Geralt’s neck. 

The Alpha had a nice scent. Earthy, but not in such a way that aggravated his nose. Very pleasant. 

“...what the fuck?” Lambert asked over to the side. 

Jaskier didn’t want to answer, he just wanted to keep enjoying the beautiful euphoria that his body gave him for obeying. “...obedience is rewarded,” he managed, his words slurring slightly through the thick fog his mind was in, “disobedience punished.” 

He didn’t see the shared looks of horror pass between Geralt and Lambert, instead drifting back off to sleep, enjoying the sudden lack of pain. 

He startled awake to a loud crash, and he sat up, staring around. His headache was gone, but that was the only good news he could see. 

The sound had come from Lambert, who had punched a tree so hard it had snapped, falling to the ground. 

Glancing around himself, he saw that the sun was high in the sky. Near noon then. 

Geralt was scowling, and Jaskier could tell he was angry, even if he was keeping it in as Lambert seethed. 

“… what happened?” Jaskier asked, curiosity outweighing survival. 

“Those fucking bastards,” Lambert growled, and Jaskier shrank back at the venom in his tone. 

“Your parents,” Geralt explained, somewhat calmer, though from the tightening of his fists, he was just as angry, just hiding it better. 

“… they responded to your demand?” It couldn’t have gone well. Had his parents just sealed his fate? 

“Sort of.” 

Lambert took over. “They’ve declared you dead.” 

Jaskier paled. “… what?” 

“They’ve declared you dead. Said we killed you. And they’re gonna execute Eskel in response.” 

Oh gods. There was sealing his fate, and then there was handing his captors the fucking knife.

He was going to die here. And his parents… 

“It’s like they fucking want us to kill you!” Lambert yelled, and Geralt glanced over to Jaskier. 

“… they do, don’t they.” 

Jaskier took a breath, sorting through the emotions to try and find the logic.

It unfortunately didn’t take long. “With me out of the way… my mother has no more children. My father can name any one of his bastard Alphas as his heir, without having to give away part of his lands as a dowry.” He snorted out half a chuckle. “At least Valdo loses. That’s something I guess.” 

“Valdo?” Geralt asked. 

“...my fiance.” 

“You don’t seem to like him terribly much.” 

Lambert turned, casting angry eyes on Jaskier, and he shrank back. “Don’t tell me that bastard raped you and got you pregnant!” 

The statement was so ludicrous that it took a moment for Jaskier's mind to catch up. “What? No! No, just-” he sighed. “It’s an arranged marriage, and he’s…” a total prick, a spineless cur, cruel and controlling and Jaskier hated his guts... “he’d be an even worse Viscount than my father.” 

“I have a hard time believing that,” Geralt commented, but didn’t seem interested in continuing that conversation. 

“… I’m sorry.” 

Geralt sighed. “This isn’t on you. We didn’t think this through.” 

Lambert scowled, then shook his head, unsheathing his knife. 

Jaskier scrambled back as Lambert drew closer- surely they weren’t going to kill him now, were they? Oh, gods, they really were. 

He closed his eyes, bracing for death, when Lambert grabbed his arm, tilting him forward and slicing through the ropes. 

Jaskier blinked, startled as his wrists came in front of him. “…what?” 

Lambert grabbed the rope binding Jaskier’s ankle to the tree and sliced through that as well. “You’re free. Go.” He pointed to one side of their little camp. “There’s a town about thirty minutes that way. Just… don’t wander into any streams on your way there.” 

Jaskier shakily got to his feet. “I… I don’t understand.” 

“We promised no harm would come to you,” Geralt explained. 

“That meant even if your parents fucked it up,” Lambert finished, before sitting down next to the ashes of the fire, staring into them. “Go on. Grab your knives and go,” he growled out.

Jaskier started walking forward, half expecting for them to turn on him, and tie him up again, or kill him, or… something. But he made it to his weapons with no one stopping him, and he quickly grabbed his shoes, shoving them on and grabbing his knives and daggers, putting them back in their holsters. 

He felt better for being armed again, and he glanced back at where Geralt and Lambert were seated. Lambert still staring into the fire like it could bring their friend back, and Geralt packing up their things, getting ready to break camp.

“…right. Goodbye.”

He turned, walking away from the camp, and into the woods. 

This… this was good. Yes, his parents had declared him dead, so he’d have to explain to people that he wasn’t, but he was safe. His parents had declared him dead... but he was free. And he could do what he wanted. He could… well. He could go back to his parents. And marry Valdo. And he… he’d be there, when they executed Eskel. 

Because he knew his parents. There was no way they would hold off the execution. They might even cover up his safe return till after Eskel was dead. 

It left a sour taste in his mouth, to think that Eskel would still die. 

Eskel, who had stood up to his parents. Who had told them they didn’t own Jaskier. That he should be allowed to make his own choices. 

Eskel, who didn’t deserve to die. 

And if he left now, Eskel would. 

He stopped walking. 

Fucking… 

Fuck. 

He could be a good Omega. Or he could do the right fucking thing. 

Geralt and Lambert both looked up at him when he walked back into camp, equally shocked. 

“Listen,” he began, closing his eyes because he wouldn’t have the confidence to do this if he could see them. “Just- you’re both assholes, and I’m fucking pissed as all fucking hell that you kidnapped me, but… Eskel’s a good person. He was nice to me, and he stood up to my parents. He didn’t do anything wrong, and… he doesn’t deserve to die. So I’m helping you break him out.”

Chapter Text

In terms of plans, this left a lot to be desired. An exit strategy, for one. That didn’t involve leaving the same way they came in. 

Backup, for another, because Jaskier didn’t count. He was hiding in the trees, where he could keep an eye on the guards, and report their movements to Lambert and Geralt, where they were sneaking into the Lettenhove estate’s dungeon. 

Because Witchers could hear him talk, over a hundred paces away. 

He took a breath, carefully letting it out. “Alright,” he spoke, at a normal volume. He was far enough away from the guards he wouldn’t be heard unless he screamed. “The window that’s up, and to your left- no, that’s your right,” he commented as Lambert leapt for the window leading to the kitchen. Geralt pointed to the appropriate window, and Jaskier nodded, then realized they weren’t looking at him. “Yes, that one. They never replaced the lock after I broke it a few years ago. You should be able to open it without making any noise.” 

Geralt scaled the stones, gently sliding the window open and climbing in, giving Lambert a hand up. 

Alright. Now he had to trust that they wouldn’t be interrupted. Thankfully, almost all of the guards patrolled the outdoors at this hour, so as to not wake anyone. “Take the door out of the room. You’ll be in a hallway. Turn left.” He felt ridiculous. How good was Witcher hearing that they could still hear him, even at this distance? 

What else could they hear? Had they heard his argument with his father, the night they’d taken him? 

“The third door on your right will lead down to the dungeons, but there’s two guards patrolling. There’s a tapestry to your left, with a hidden alcove behind it. If you hide there, you’ll be able to wait for the guards to pass. Once they do, you’ll have at most ten minutes to get inside and free Eskel. There’s a skeleton key inside a suit of armor, just before the dungeons themselves-” 

“Julian?” someone spoke, and Jaskier turned around, paling. 

“...Valdo,” he managed, mentally reeling. What the fuck was Valdo doing out here? 

“You’re alive! We were so worried!” Valdo moved to take a step forward, but Jaskier stepped back, narrowing his eyes. 

“Were you?” 

“...what?” 

“Were you worried? I’ve been gone for two days. Were you out combing the woods for me? Trying to figure out who had taken me?” 

Valdo shook his head. “Oh for fuck’s sake- none of your poetic bullshit now, Julian. Come, we need to tell the others you’re alive!” 

“And will they hold off the execution of an innocent man if I go with you?” Jaskier asked, trying to buy the others time. 

“Innocent- those Witchers are monsters. They would have had us release that beast just to get you back-” 

Jaskier clenched his fists. “So you knew. You were with them when they received the ransom demands. Tell me, did they consider giving him up, before writing me off as a lost cause? Or did they immediately decide that I was better off dead?” 

Valdo stopped where he was. “...It was a political strategy. We knew they wouldn’t actually kill you. No Alpha could kill an Omega that easily.” 

“So what did you think would happen? First they’re monsters, then there’s no way they could kill me? Did you think they would rape me?” Valdo couldn’t look him in the eyes, and Jaskier found his resolve strengthening. “That’s exactly it, isn’t it? You thought they would rape me, and you’d all be done with me. Hold a funeral for the person you wanted me to be. You would get out of this loveless marriage that clearly neither of us want.” 

“What? No! Of course not!” He was lying. “Julian, stop wasting time with this nonsense. Let’s get you back inside and we can pretend this never happened-” 

“Valdo I don’t want to marry you.” Had. Had he just said that? 

Apparently he had. 

He’d needed a distraction, and the first thing out his mouth was the truth. And Valdo… Valdo was angry. “...You don’t get to decide that,” he growled, reaching out and grabbing Jaskier’s arm, hauling him towards the manor. 

“Let go of me!” Jaskier yelled as Valdo hauled him along, his grip tight and painful, and Jaskier glanced towards his home. 

The last place he wanted to be right now. 

He reached down, snagging a knife out of his boots and slamming it into Valdo’s shoulder.

Valdo stumbled back and Jaskier took a defensive stance, holding his bloody dagger out in front of him. “Don’t fucking touch me!” 

“...You’re going to regret that,” Valdo growled, and Jaskier had a brief moment of panic before there was a thud, and Valdo’s eyes crossed as he fell to the forest floor. 

Lambert was standing behind him, having knocked him out with the hilt of his sword. “You alright there, noble?” 

Jaskier swallowed. “What… what about Eskel?” 

“Geralt’s got him. You needed help.” 

He needed help. So Lambert had come running. 

“...I just stabbed my fiance,” Jaskier muttered, his knife still clenched in his hand. 

“He sounded like a bastard.” 

“What? Oh- fuck, you heard all of that!” 

Lambert snorted. “Yeah. Most of it, at any rate. The dungeon’s a little too far down to hear everything, but I was only out of range for a few seconds.” 

He turned his head, grinning. “They’re on their way back.” 

Sure enough, Jaskier could make out Geralt’s white hair as he helped another figure out the window, though the other person was clinging tight to him, barely able to climb down the wall even with Geralt’s help. 

“You guys hold on for a moment,” Lambert spoke, and sure enough a guard was passing by one of the windows above them. 

Once the guard had moved on, Lambert spoke again. “All clear. Now come bring the bastard home.” 

The insult was spoken with such affection that Jaskier was half convinced it was a term of endearment. 

Geralt and Eskel made their way across the grounds, Eskel half hanging off of Geralt, until they reached the trees and Lambert was already there, running up to Eskel and-

Kissing him. On the mouth. Both hands placed either side of Eskel’s face as they kissed for several seconds before Lambert pulled back and rested his forehead against Eskel’s. 

“Never do that to us again, you bastard.” 

Then he moved out of the way as Geralt kissed Eskel, and Jaskier just stared, his entire mind struggling to process this. 

“You’re… all, together, then?” he asked hesitantly, and Eskel looked over, noticing him for the first time. 

“Julian,” Eskel spoke, smiling softly at him. “What, did you go find these two for me? That’s kind of you, really.” 

Ah, “no, ah… they found me. Kidnapped me, really.” 

Eskel stared at his lovers, horrified. “You kidnapped him? What the fuck were you thinking?!” 

Lambert and Geralt both looked thoroughly remorseful, and Jaskier had half a mind to laugh. Now wasn’t the time. 

“We’ve got maybe three more minutes, if that, before the guards notice you gone, and I’ve just stabbed my fiance, so we really should be going.” 

Eskel eyed Valdo’s prone form with a look of utter contempt, that Jaskier was half convinced Eskel would spit on him. “You’re right, of course. Are you coming with us?” he asked, and Jaskier paused, glancing back at his childhood home. 

He nodded. “I- yes. Yes, I’ll go with you.” 

With Geralt and Lambert both supporting Eskel, they made their way further into the woods, and away from Lettenhove manor. 

The first thing they did when they made it back to their makeshift camp was get Eskel some food, because the poor man looked like he was about to pass out with every step they took. 

Jaskier helped Lambert prepare it as Geralt sat by Eskel’s side, tending to his wrists where the cuffs had bitten in. 

Jaskier turned his attention back to the food, handing Lambert pieces of meat to cook and in general trying not to interrupt the two Alphas. 

“Thank you,” Lambert muttered quietly. 

“What?” 

Lambert scowled as he cooked the meat. “You heard me the first time, I’m not fucking repeating myself.” 

Jaskier chuckled a bit. “It was the right thing to do.” 

“That doesn’t mean anyone else would have done it,” Geralt pointed out. “You don’t owe us anything. Fuck, we owe you. ” 

Jaskier glanced between Geralt and Lambert, who were staring at him. “I… um…”  Fuck, he didn't know how to interact with them now.

“...what’s your plan now?” Eskel asked instead, and Jaskier latched onto that. Eskel he knew how to talk to, at least partially.

“Well… I’m not sure. My parents declared me dead, it’ll be rather awkward to go back after that. I should also probably wait until Valdo isn’t quite as mad at me…” 

Eskel, however, looked thoughtful. 

Careful, he stood up, before kneeling next to Jaskier and placing a hand on Jaskier’s arm. “You could come with us,” he offered, voice so quiet Jaskier could barely hear it. “You don’t owe them anything.” 

“...They’re my parents,” Jaskier explained, frowning. “If I don’t owe them… then who do I owe?” 

“No one,” Eskel promised. “They way they treat you, like you’re some… property, to be sold at will… it’s wrong.” 

“Is that not what your companions would have done, just yesterday?” 

Eskel frowned, sending a glare Lambert’s way, who swore and shook his head. “ Fuck no. That was- trading a person for a person’s… alright, that was pretty shitty of me, I’ll admit, but you’re still a person. And we were never gonna harm ya.” 

Geralt didn’t even bother trying to excuse his actions. He just looked down at his hands, frowning. 

“Listen,” Eskel spoke, more to Jaskier than anything but the others were listening too. “The three of us usually travel alone for the year, but after this… we’ll need to stick together, at least for a few months, to keep an eye on how people respond. My imprisonment, that’s something Witcher reputations could handle. Word of them kidnapping you…” He glared at Lambert, then Geralt, who both stayed silent. “...We’ll all be traveling together for a bit, for survival. If you want to go back to your parents, you can, but I think you know what will happen if you do.” 

Jaskier did know. If he was lucky Valdo would still wish to marry him. If not? He’d be traded off in marriage to the first Alpha to express interest, regardless of how badly he’d be treated. And if none did? 

He’d never before thought his parents might actually sell him, but… he’d never thought they’d declare him dead, either. 

“...they’re not good people, are they.” It wasn’t really a question. “My parents would rather me dead.” He took a breath. “If… if I go with you. What’ll happen?” 

“We’ll travel together for a while,” Eskel explained. “You can come with us as you figure things out. We usually travel between villages, towns, cities, taking contracts to hunt monsters.” 

“Like the Kelpie the other night,” Geralt filled in. “Only, you’d probably stay in town or at camp while we hunt.” 

“We’ll have to find Aiden,” Lambert added, “tell him not to go running off to Lettenhove like we did when he hears the news.” 

Jaskier nodded. “And… me? What would be expected of me?” 

“Don’t kill us,” Lambert started, which made Jaskier chuckle. 

Eskel shook his head however. “Your parents were wrong. You don’t have to do something, or be something, to earn your place. If you come with us, we’ll watch out for you, no expectation. And if you want to leave, you’re welcome to do so.” 

It sounded too fucking good to be true, and Jaskier took a moment, processing it. 

“I still haven’t forgiven these two for kidnapping me,” he finally settled on, “and I… I don’t trust them. Not fully. But… I trust you.” He took a breath, before clasping Eskel’s hand. “I trust you, and I believe you. And… if you tell me I’ll be safe. Then yes. I’ll travel with you.” 

He startled as Lambert’s hand clapped his back. “Welcome to the fucking group. What can we call you?” 

Oh shit. In all of this, he hadn’t actually told them his name. “...Jaskier,” he finally introduced. “Call me Jaskier.”

Chapter Text

It was one thing to agree to tagging along with his once kidnappers, while running away from his psychotic parents. 

One… very, very weird thing. 

It was another entirely to try to fall asleep at night, only a few paces away from someone who not even a week ago had almost suffocated him while dragging him away from the only life he’d ever known. 

Was he crazy? He was gonna assume he was crazy. Only a crazy person would take up with their kidnappers. 

Only... in the past few days, he'd interacted with them. He'd seen them as people. Seen how they all cared about each other. How Geralt made sure Jaskier wasn't pushing himself too hard as they walked, how Lambert made sure Jaskier was eating enough, how Eskel kept checking in on him-

“Trouble sleeping?” Eskel asked, startling Jaskier where he was staring up at the stars. 

Jaskier let out a breath, trying to calm his racing heart. “Yeah. Just… thinking.” 

“Good, I’d hate to think I was the only one in the group who could.” 

“Oy,” Lambert called from where he too wasn’t asleep. 

“Go back to sleep, kidnapper,” Eskel called, and Lambert flipped him off before rolling onto his side, his back to Jaskier and Eskel. 

“...why were things so much simpler, those two days?” Jaskier wondered. 

“Because you weren’t trying to navigate the fucked up maze of what were ‘Alpha issues’ and ‘Omega issues’ and ‘Beta issues’ that your parents kept shoving down your throat. To hazard a guess.” 

Jaskier glanced over, about to ask, but then he realized. “Witcher hearing.” 

Eskel nodded. “I could hear most of the things happening in that house, the whole time. Your father should never have laid a hand on you.” 

There was a slight growl behind him, and Jaskier realized neither of their other traveling companions were actually asleep. 

Eskel threw a shirt at Geralt. “Butt out of the conversation,” he glared, even though Geralt’s eyes were closed. 

Eskel took a breath. “I know… I know it’s one thing to accept, and another to fully understand. But the world your parents kept showing you… it’s not how things really are. This whole mentality of ‘Omegas belonging to Alphas’ bullshit they tried to tell you. Not true. At all. You’re your own person, you get to make your own choices, and that’s all there is to it.” 

Silence dragged on, a question on Jaskier’s mind that he was finally starting to feel safe enough to ask, but Eskel wasn’t the one who could answer it. He sat up properly. “Lambert? Geralt?” 

Both Witchers sat up, facing him. “...why did you kidnap me? I mean- just- I’ve seen you interact with each other for almost a week now. It seems… wildly out of character for you two. What were you thinking?” 

Geralt looked over to Lambert, who shrugged, looking down at his hands. “Wasn’t. We were pissed, and it… it was my idea. Thought that if we took someone who meant as much to them as Eskel meant to us, then they’d trade, and we’d be on our way. Didn’t want anyone to get hurt. But we fucked that one up,” he grumbled, staring off to the side. 

Jaskier glanced over to Geralt. “...I couldn’t think. Eskel’s… he’s always been the reasonable one. Lambert could at least make a plan in the moment. I… I panicked. I’ve always said that if it comes down to a choice between a lesser or greater evil, I won’t choose, but… I did. I chose what I thought was a lesser evil, and you paid the price. I’m sorry.” 

“...I’m sorry too,” Lambert whispered, not looking up. 

Jaskier blinked, startled. That… they were sincere. Completely sincere. 

“Are you alright?” Eskel asked, and Jaskier realized he was crying. 

He nodded, hastily wiping away the tear. “Fine, fine, I just… I don’t think anyone’s ever apologized to me before.” 

“That’s fucking bullshit, ” Lambert swore, flopping back onto his bedroll. 

“If that’s your response to every piece of my childhood, I’m going to start to think I had a bad one,” Jaskier teased. 

“You had a fucking awful childhood,” Lambert countered, and Jaskier chuckled. 

It was true, and the validation was nice. 

“Think you can get some sleep now?” Eskel asked, and Jaskier nodded. 

“...almost. Geralt,” he looked white haired Witcher deep in the eyes, holding them for a moment. “Lambert,” he turned his attention to the red haired Witcher, holding his gaze for just as long. “I forgive you both.” 

Eskel smiled slightly at him. “Thank you.” 

Geralt and Lambert both nodded. “Yeah, thank you,” Lambert whispered, and Geralt just stared at Jaskier, the firelight reflecting in his eyes. 

“ He’s forgiven you,” Eskel commented, glaring at them both. “ I haven’t. I’m still fucking pissed that you thought kidnapping was a good way to handle the situation.” 

“...Can I still get cuddles?” Lambert asked, and Jaskier was shocked to hear the angry Alpha ask for cuddles. 

Eskel sighed, before picking up his bed roll and setting it between his two lovers. “Yes, you can still get cuddles.” He spread his arms out, and Geralt and Lambert both reached across, clinging to Eskel, who held them just as close. 

Jaskier watched for a moment as their breathing evened out, and then he lay back down, and tried to sleep. 

Despite being the son of a Viscount, Jaskier had never been anywhere outside of Lettenhove. There had been plans, of course, for him to attend Oxenfurt after his presentation. But all those plans hinged on him being either an Alpha or a Beta. The second he’d presented as an Omega, he’d been locked away indoors, too much of a temptation for other Alphas. He’d snuck out to the town just outside his parents’ manor before, of course, but never… he’d never traveled. 

As they entered the village, Jaskier found himself equal parts awed and terrified. Everything was so new! There were so many people! So many… terrifying, scary people who could hurt him at any given moment, and were all glaring his way. 

Lambert was glaring back at them, but Eskel and Geralt were both keeping their eyes facing forward, doing their best to ignore the stares from everyone around them. 

At least no one approached, but Jaskier found himself huddling behind Eskel, trying desperately not to be noticed. He was decently certain that Eskel wouldn’t let anything happen to him. 

Decently. Not entirely. 

They made it to a tavern without event, and Eskel took the lead on speaking. “Excuse me, how much for two rooms?” It was what they’d agreed upon. Eskel and Jaskier could split one room, as Geralt and Lambert split another. Jaskier had tried to argue that he didn’t need consideration like that, but they’d all stared at him till he’d taken it back. He did feel safest with Eskel, and with good reason. 

“We’re all full,” the innkeeper blatantly lied. Jaskier blinked. What? 

“ Bullshit, ” Lambert growled, but the innkeeper crossed his arms, refusing to back down. 

“We don’t have rooms for Omega stealers in this town,” one of the patrons commented, and Jaskier realized what this was. 

His mouth was moving before his brain caught up. “Do you always jump to the worst possible conclusion before opening your mouth? Or is this a recent development, good sir?” he asked, heart pounding in his ears. 

Well. Everyone was staring at him now. “You’ll want to get away from these brutes as fast as you can,” the innkeeper commented, now speaking to Jaskier. “You hear what they did in Lettenhove? Murdered a young Omega, ‘bout your age. Witchers ain’t got a lick o’ humanity left in em.” 

Fuck. This is what Eskel had been talking about. “Given that I’m the Omega that they supposedly ‘murdered’, I think I’d know more about that than you.” He pushed forward, so the innkeeper could get a good look at him. “Julian Alfred Pankratz. Son of the Viscount of Lettenhove. My companions are escorting me to safety. I hired them to escort me to safety after helping them to release our good Witcher here, who my parents wrongfully imprisoned.  If you’d like to go about spreading rumors and gossip about things that don’t concern you, at least get the facts right.” 

It was both close enough to the truth to confuse the authorities, and so far from the truth that it left his companions utterly speechless. 

At least the innkeeper seemed equally as taken aback. “Ah… I… my apologies. I’ll… see if there’s any rooms available.” 

He quickly fled from behind the counter, and Geralt turned to check on Jaskier, raising an eyebrow in question. Jaskier let out a breath, and gave him a quick nod. He was fine. 

“Never heard any ill of the Viscount,” the patron from earlier, an old Beta, commented, eyeing Jaskier with distrust. 

“Clearly, you never met the man. Or are you telling me someone’s actually been going around singing my father’s praises?” 

The beta thought for a moment, before shrugging. “That business with the Marx son was bullshit, I’ll give you that. So you’re engaged to the fool? I don’t pity you.” 

“ Was engaged. I rather think having to stab him to defend myself nullified that arrangement.” 

Also, not quite the truth. But again, close enough. 

“You stabbed the bastard? Well good on you.” 

The Beta cast one last reproachful look at the Witchers before moving away, and the innkeeper came back. “Was able to find a couple rooms for you. Half price, for the… ah… confusion.” 

Eskel nodded, accepting the offer, and they made their way up to their rooms. Once they were behind closed doors, Lambert broke down laughing. 

“Did you see their faces?! Damn, buttercup, we gotta have you negotiate for us more often!” 

Jaskier paused where he was removing his shoes. “Buttercup?” 

“I mean, yeah, that’s what ‘Jaskier’ means, isn’t it? Sweet, pretty, really fucking dangerous to underestimate?” 

Jaskier chuckled a bit. “Yeah. I guess it is.” 

“Are you really about to start making it public though?” Eskel asked as he removed his own cloak. “How badly your parents treated you? That down there, that wasn’t much, but… it’s hard to come back from that road.” 

Jaskier thought for a moment before he answered. “I read somewhere, that keeping silent about how you were hurt only helps those who hurt you.” He smiled, the type of smile he’d been learning from Lambert. “They were so worried about their reputation… I want them to watch as I burn their reputation to the ground.” 

Lambert punched the air. “ Fuck yeah, buttercup! Come on, let’s see what you’ve got. Are we using word of mouth? Stirring up the old rumor mills of the continent?” 

“Actually…” Jaskier thought. “Had… Had I not been an Omega, I was going to learn how to be a bard. I already taught myself how to play the lute. What if I started burning them to the ground, with the greatest thing they took away from me? My music?” 

Geralt chuckled. “You’re a menace. But a menacing bard… that’s one hell of a person to watch out for.” 

Oh yes. He would be one hell of a menace on his parents. 

Maybe then… maybe then he’d start to feel like he belonged, just a little bit more. 

Chapter Text

They were a few days out from Kerack when Jaskier felt it. The familiar curling tension that sent sparks of lightning through his veins, making his head ache. “Oh fuck,” he whispered, coming to a stop in the middle of the road. 

The others stopped around him. “Jaskier?” Eskel asked, concerned. 

“Fucking- what’s wrong?” Lambert asked, as Geralt placed a gentle, comforting hand on Jaskier’s arm. 

“My heat,” Jaskier whispered, horrified. “I forgot about it- fuck, I’m already in preheat- it’s going to hit any day.” 

“Oh fuck ” Lambert whispered, and Geralt withdrew his hand. 

“What do you need?” Eskel asked, taking charge. 

“I- I don’t-” He’d never spent a heat away from his home. This was the heat he would have spent with Valdo, probably getting pregnant, but- fuck. This was why Omegas didn’t travel. This was everything his parents had said. He was going to get fucked by three Witchers, out of their minds because of his stupid scent, and his stupid genetics, and- 

“Whatever’s going through your head right now,” Eskel began, keeping his voice calm, even though Jaskier could see he also looked startled, “just take a deep breath, it’s going to be alright. If it’s something your parents said, just remember that they lied about a bunch of shit, they probably lied about this too. Just breathe.” 

Jaskier tried, he really tried, but his breath was getting stuck in his chest, unable to move in or out of his lungs, and he clung to Eskel’s arm. “I- I ca- I can’t-” he stammered, trying to get the words out. 

“Fuck. Jaskier, do I have your permission to use a command?” Jaskier hastily nodded. “ Breathe. ” 

Air flooded Jaskier’s lungs as his body rushed to obey, and he collapsed into Eskel’s arms, his head fogged over as he breathed in and out, the panic evaporating and leaving a strange ringing in his ears. 

“...What the fuck, ” Eskel whispered, his arms wrapped tight around Jaskier. 

“Did that last time,” Lambert commented, his voice also low. “As soon as he’d done what Geralt said to do, he nearly passed out. Totally blissed out. Said something about ‘obedience being rewarded’.” 

“And disobedience punished,” Geralt added, “if he refuses an Alpha command it hurts him.” 

“The fuck? ” The mental fog began receding, Jaskier began to come back to himself, and the terror of pre-heat began to show up again. “Hey, you’re alright,” Eskel promised. 

“How… I’m scared.” 

“What’re you scared of?” Eskel asked, his arms still comforting as he held Jaskier close. 

“I’ve never- I’ve always had a heat alone,” he managed, “I’m scared.” 

Next to him, all the Witchers were perfectly still. Eventually, it was Geralt who spoke up. “Jaskier… do you want us to be a part of your heat?” 

Jaskier was crying now as he shook his head. “No, no, I’m sorry, I know you won’t have a choice-” 

“The fuck kind of bullshit are you on about now?!” Lambert asked, sitting down on the ground next to Jaskier. 

“I- what?” 

Eskel sighed. “I see. Jaskier, your parents probably told you that an Omega’s heat drives all Alphas into a frenzy, yes?” Jaskier nodded, hesitantly. Did it not? “That’s complete bullshit. Any Alpha that takes advantage of an Omega during heat is simply looking for an excuse for his own horrible actions. I promise you. We won’t be a part of your heat unless you ask us, before your heat starts, to be a part of it. Otherwise, you haven’t consented. And that’s all there is to it.” 

Jaskier swallowed, his head spinning as his worldview shifted, again. “So you… you wouldn’t… you won’t take me?” 

“Won’t even fucking touch you if you don’t want,” Lambert promised, “we’re too far from a town to find you a heat room, but we’ll find a good cave, and we’ll stay plenty far away from it, and bring you food and water till your heat’s done. Get you some good nesting supplies too. Geralt, you’ve still got that blanket, right?” 

Geralt nodded, setting down his pack and digging through it, till he was able to pull a spare blanket and hand it to Jaskier. 

It was thick, and warm, and Jaskier clutched it tight. It smelled of all three of them, and somehow it made him relax. 

“You’re going to be alright,” Eskel promised once more. “Geralt, go find a cave or shelter that Jaskier can use. Lamb, go fill the waterskins.” 

They nodded, running off, and Eskel shifted so he was seated fully, Jaskier wrapped in his arms. “Alright. What do you usually do for your heats? What can we provide?” 

Jaskier thought. “My parents would lock me in a heat room for the duration, along with some food and water.” 

“...that was it? You’ve never had a toy to help you through?” 

Jaskier shook his head. “Then I wouldn’t- I wouldn’t be a virgin anymore.” 

Eskel groaned, muttering something to himself that sounded an awful lot like ‘fucking noble bullshit again’ . “Alright. We’ll talk about your parents’ shitty obsession with virginity later. None of us are good at carving, and we can’t get to town to get you a toy, we’ll have to remember that for next time. But if you feel comfortable with it, and only if you feel comfortable with it, one of us could check in a few times a day, make sure you’re eating food, drinking water?” 

“You… you could do that? Without…” 

“Jaskier,” Eskel spoke, his voice low in the no nonsense tone he sometimes used with Lambert and Geralt, “even if an Alpha could be swayed by your scent while you’re in heat- which is something we’ll go into more depth on later- we’re Witchers. We won’t hurt you. We won’t force ourselves on you. Do you want one of us to check on you during your heat, to make sure you’re drinking water, and eating food?” 

Jaskier thought about it. Really thought. He’d be a sweaty wreck, and he’d never… he’d never been around another person in his heats, but if Eskel gave his word… “you. I trust you to be there.” 

“Thank you. How long does your heat usually last?” 

“Four days, usually?” 

Eskel nodded. “Alright. Get some rest, we’ll take care of everything.” 

Jaskier nodded, drifting off. 

A few hours after Geralt found a dry cave for Jaskier to stay in, and Jaskier had built himself a small nest, heat hit. 

Jaskier fell back into his nest as the sticky, gross misery began. He closed his eyes, trying to meditate like his Beta tutors had instructed him to get through it. He could feel every pulse of his body, as his mind threw up traitorous fantasies and he desperately shoved them down, trying to ignore them as the pain wracked through him. 

After a few hours, he heard someone calling up, and he relaxed a bit. Eskel. Good. 

Eskel approached with a waterskin and food, frowning slightly.

“You didn’t have to put your clothes back on, that must be uncomfortable. You could just use one of the blankets if you feel the need to cover yourself.” 

“ Back on?” Jaskier asked, and Eskel muttered another curse. “Is this-” he struggled, his head dizzy with the heat and sweat building up around him. “Is this another thing we’ll talk about later?” he asked, and Eskel nodded, gently helping Jaskier sit up and drink the water.

“Much later, yes.” Every point of contact made Jaskier keenly, sharply aware of Eskel’s presence, his scent, his mass, and he had a brief thought of what it would feel like to have Eskel over him, in him, before he wrenched his thoughts back on track. 

Having Eskel hand feed him wasn’t helping that, but Jaskier was too weak to do it himself. 

Instead he tried his best to keep his lips from brushing Eskel’s fingers, chewing slowly and giving his mind something else to focus on. 

“You’re struggling,” Eskel muttered, frowning. “Would… I can press my scent to your skin, if that would help?”

He shook his head, turning away. The pain, he knew how to handle. The desire? Eskel hadn’t asked for that. The blanket the others had given him was already too much, because now he was thinking about them, desiring them, and that wasn’t fair. They hadn’t asked for him to think about them like that. 

Eskel sighed, standing up again. “I’ll be back in a few hours. If you need anything before then, just call, we’ll hear you.”

Jaskier nodded, curling up on himself and wishing this could all be over already.

Chapter Text

After three days, the heat symptoms started to fade, and Jaskier found himself able to sit up on his own when Eskel came, accepting the waterskin and drinking deeply.

“Feeling better?” Eskel asked, and Jaskier nodded, handing back the waterskin and taking the food Eskel offered. “I’m glad.” 

Once Jaskier had eaten as much as he was able to, he lay back down, but he didn’t try to go back to sleep yet. “...why does my clothing being on bother you?” he asked instead. 

“You’re still in heat, even if it is fading. The conversation can wait till you feel better.” 

“Eskel, I’m asking now. Please. I’m regaining my mind a bit, can you not just tell me so I can stop worrying?” 

Eskel sighed, taking a seat a few paces away from Jaskier, so as to be as non-threatening as possible. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you...I just...what did your parents tell you the point of heat is?” 

“...to have children.” 

“Is that it? So, they raised you to believe that outside of having children, heat serves no purpose whatsoever?” Jaskier nodded. “So why not take heat blockers?” 

Jaskier winced. “...my mother said that it could harm my ability to bear children.” 

“ Fucking shit, ” Eskel muttered, running a hand through his hair. “That’s- fucking- that’s only if you’re a Beta. And that’s because Beta’s don’t need a heat blocker, they’re not designed for Betas.” 

That made sense. His mother was a Beta. “That’s not why you’re upset though.” 

“You… fuck. This is… alright, this is going to be an inappropriate question.” 

Jaskier snorted out a laugh. “You’re talking to me during my heat, we’re way past inappropriate. Go for it.” 

“You… Jaskier, have you ever pleasured yourself during your heat?” 

Ah. “If I did… I wouldn’t be a virgin anymore.” 

“Gods be damned- Jaskier, that- fuck. First, you can pleasure yourself and still be a virgin. That’s- that’s fine, it doesn’t- virginity has more to do with if another person has pleasured you, not if you’ve pleasured yourself. And during heats, it’s expected for you to pleasure yourself if another person isn’t with you!” 

Jaskier just stared at him, confused. “But… I’m supposed to only feel lust towards my husband.” 

“Do you want a husband? Do you want him to be the only one you’ve felt attraction to? Do you want to have multiple partners? Has anyone ever asked you these questions before?” Eskel sighed. “You don’t need to have an answer, I just… virginity doesn’t matter to the rest of the world. If it matters to you, then that’s fine, but most of the world doesn’t care who you’re fucking or when. Nobles are the only ones I know of who deal with that bullshit.” 

He stood up, and Jaskier watched him leave, significantly confused. 

Virginity… didn’t matter? 

That didn’t make sense. Only… in a very… very obscure way… it almost did. 

He sank back into his nest, and decided to focus on this new thought. After all, how else was he going to distract himself from the misery of heat? 

That next day he finally felt well enough to leave the cave, and he pried himself up from his nest, pulling the blanket with him. He’d wash it when he washed himself off. 

The sunlight was far too bright, and he had to shield his eyes a bit, glancing around. 

There was a stream off to his left, and he carried the blanket over to it, washing it off carefully. 

“Oh, we can help with that,” Lambert called, and Jaskier looked up to see the Alpha come jogging over, reaching out a hand. “Here. You just finished your heat, you shouldn’t have to be cleaning shit.” 

Jaskier blinked for a moment, before handing over the blanket. “...I… ah… I need to clean myself,” he muttered, still trying to work through his confusion. 

An Alpha shouldn’t be helping him clean up. He was responsible for his own messes. 

“Hey, you alright?” Lambert asked, and Jaskier realized he’d been standing there in the stream, frozen, just staring at him. 

“I’m fine,” he hastily reassured, trying to figure out what was going through his mind. After one more moment, he shrugged out of his shirt, scrubbing it under the water as he thought over everything he’d been trying to accept for the last day. 

No. For the last few weeks. 

His parents had been wrong. Jaskier wasn’t ‘worth less’ just because he was an Omega. He was a person, the same as anyone else. And he deserved the same care everyone else got. He deserved the same consideration. 

It felt… wrong, to think of himself so highly, but that was the truth of it. He was a person. And that was what mattered, more than anything else. 

It should feel like such a huge revelation either. It made so much fucking sense. He was a person. He deserved to be treated with the same care as any other person- and it wasn’t more complicated than that. 

“Dunno what you’re thinking about but your emotions are all over the fucking place. You good?” 

Jaskier was about to brush it off, but then he paused. “You don’t care if I’m a virgin or not, do you?” 

Lambert stopped, staring at him, his mouth hanging open. “...no? Why the fuck would I? I mean if you’re asking to fuck me then that’s something that aught to come up I guess, but that’s just so I wouldn’t hurt ya!” 

Jaskier laughed a bit, smiling. “And you don’t care one bit if I pleasure myself.” 

Lambert was just staring at him, confused. “Why the fuck is that any of my business? What you do is what you do. So long as nobody’s getting hurt, I do not give a shit. Now are you done washing that shirt? I can set it to dry as you wash up.” 

Jaskier nodded, handing his damp shirt over, before grabbing Lambert and wrapping his arms around the Alpha, hauling him into a hug. 

Lambert stopped moving entirely, just holding still. “Uh…” 

“Thank you,” Jaskier whispered, then stepped back, smiling. 

“Yeah… sure…” as he walked away, Jaskier could have sworn he heard Lambert mutter to himself, “what the fuck did Eskel say to him during heat?” 

Being clean, fully clean, felt amazing. Sure, the cold water would usually be more than a little miserable, but after four days of sweating his brains out with slick running down his thighs and burning him up? It felt fucking fantastic. By the time he was done his shirt was almost entirely dry, and he shrugged it on, laying his pants and smallclothes down to dry and checking the blanket, which still needed some time to dry as well. 

He really should try to get at least one more set of clothing, once his songs started taking off, but for the moment his shirt at least covered him down to his thighs, so he wasn’t entirely immodest. 

Mostly immodest. Not entirely. 

He made his way back to the others, practically beaming as Geralt smiled- he smiled- up at him. “Glad you’re feeling better,” Geralt commented, and Jaskier knelt down next to where he was sitting, giving him a hug too. 

Geralt froze, and Lambert pointed. “He did that to me too! See, I told you I wasn’t imagining things!” Geralt flipped him off, before wrapping his arms around Jaskier tentatively.

“Do you usually hug Alphas after your heat?” Eskel asked, setting down some firewood he’d been carrying. 

“Just in a good mood,” Jaskier shrugged, pulling back from Geralt. “I thought over what you said, and… came to some realizations.” 

“Well, I’m glad what I said helped,” Eskel finally managed, looking rather confused. 

It wasn’t really fair to him that the others had gotten a hug and he hadn’t, so Jaskier stood up, throwing his arms around Eskel and hauling him close. "Thank you," he whispered.

Eskel stilled, before hesitantly wrapping his arms around Jaskier. “Um…” 

A voice called out from the other side of their camp, and Jaskier pulled back sharply. “A half naked Omega is hugging Eskel? What the fuck happens to you three while I’m gone?”

Chapter Text

Jaskier hastily pulled back, staring at the stranger on the edge of their camp, suddenly sharply aware of how exposed he was. 

Before he could get a good look at the man, Lambert was up, leaping at the man and- hauling him into a hug? 

“Aiden, you bastard, where the fuck have you been?! Gods it's good to see your scruffy hide!” 

This was Aiden then. Also, “so Lambert just calls everyone a bastard, regardless of how he feels about them?” he asked. 

Eskel shrugged. “It’s… more accurate to say that he uses ‘bastard’ for people he cares strongly about. Whether it’s positive or negative makes no difference. To him, anyone who’s had the audacity to make him care about something is a bastard.” 

Aiden pulled back from Lambert, and Jaskier got a good look at him. He was a strange Alpha, with short blond hair and a cocky grin, and he looked… well, he looked like Lambert wasn’t about to let go of him any time soon, as Lambert still had an arm slung over Aiden’s shoulders. 

“So. I come rushing up, all the way from fucking Nilfgaard when I hear Eskel’s to be executed for killing an Omega, and I find you alive, well, and traveling with who I have to assume is the very Omega you were accused of killing. Mind filling me in?” 

Lambert stilled, and Geralt glanced away, as Eskel glared at the other two. Jaskier just felt like chuckling. 

Aiden looked around at the various reactions, and sighed. “...What the fuck did you do?” 

Eskel gestured towards Jaskier. “They kidnapped him to try and set up a hostage exchange for me.” 

Aiden closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose and muttering something that Jaskier was fairly certain was in Skellig. Taking a breath, he shrugged himself out of Lambert’s grasp, and came to stand in front of Jaskier, lifting Jaskier's hand gently in his own. “Dear Omega. Are you safe? Have these absolute brutes been cruel to you in any way?” 

Jaskier couldn’t help it. He laughed. “I’m quite fine,” he explained, smiling a bit. “They let me go as soon as they realized it wouldn’t work, and they never harmed me. Actually, I’m traveling with them as I drag my parents’ name through the mud, so it all worked out in the end.” 

“Dragging your parents- is that you then? The bard who started a smear campaign against a Redanian noble?” 

Jaskier nodded. “My own revenge against my parents for their numerous abuses.” 

“His parents were fucking awful-” Lambert started, only to cut off with a glare from Aiden. 

“Does that excuse you kidnapping this delightful Omega?” Lambert scowled, but shook his head. “That’s what I fucking thought.” Turning back to Jaskier, he was all charm again. “Now. Dear Omega. I haven’t even had the pleasure of learning your name yet!” 

“Jaskier the bard, at your service,” Jaskier introduced himself, and Aiden bowed low. 

“Aiden, of Kaer Morhen, at yours.” 

“So you accept?” Lambert asked, and Aiden sighed as he straightened, turning back to Lambert. 

“Yes, yes, I accept. The caravan really isn’t a home anymore. Though you’ll not make a wolf of me!” 

Lambert grinned, and the others smiled. “Yeah, yeah, you damned cat.” 

“Cat?” Jaskier asked, before glancing around. “Wolf? What does that mean?” 

“Our schools,” Geralt answered. “Eskel, Lambert and I are all from Kaer Morhen, the school of the wolf. Aiden’s from the school of the cat.” 

“Closer to the school of the overgrown puppy, if you ask me,” Aiden joked, dodging out of the way as Lambert aimed a playful punch at his shoulder. “All bark, very little bite.” He winked, before vaulting up a tree and perching on one of the branches, waving down at Jaskier as Lambert leapt for the branch.

Jaskier decided he liked this Witcher. He was cheeky, and teased a lot, but he was also kind, often playing the exaggerated role of a gentleman when speaking with Jaskier, which always made Jaskier laugh. 

The next morning they set off, this time heading east, further into Temeria. 

“You need an instrument,” Aiden commented as they were walking, and Jaskier stopped humming. 

“What?” 

“You’re a bard. You need an instrument. Do you play one?” 

Jaskier nodded hesitantly. “I… ah… I did. I played a lute, back… before…” 

“Right. We’ll find you a lute when we get to the next town then.” 

Just like that? “I don’t understand.” 

“Honestly, I think it’d be funny if a bard started calling out the nobles. Besides, we can’t all stick together all year, we’re going to have to split up a bit in a few weeks anyway, and it’d be nice if you had a way to fend for yourself if you ever want to leave these idiots behind.” 

He… hadn’t thought of it that way. But it was a good point. 

“If we’re going to split up, we should probably try to break Jaskier’s curse before we do,” Eskel commented as if he hadn’t just stated the most ridiculous notion as total fact. 

Jaskier stopped walking. “…curse?” 

They all stopped, staring at each other in confusion. It was Geralt who spoke up first. “Your obedience curse?” He clarified, which- what? 

“What obedience curse?!” Jaskier demanded. 

“Your reaction to Alpha commands,” Eskel clarified. 

“It ain’t fucking normal,” Lambert elaborated, “wait- did you think it was?” 

Jaskier just stared at them. 

The fuck. 

The absolute fuck?! 

“Anyone care to fill me in?” Aiden asked, “‘cause I’m as lost as the bard right now.” 

“Jaskier’s cursed with obedience, if anyone orders him to do something with an Alpha command, he’s forced to obey it.” 

Jaskier shook his head. “No, no, that’s just how Omegas react to an Alpha’s command. That’s the whole point of an Alpha’s command, to command an Omega’s obedience, every Omega goes through this-“

“You ever met another Omega, buttercup?” Lambert asked. “Cause it fucking ain’t normal. All that ‘obedience rewarded, disobedience punished’ bullshit ain’t ‘Omegan Nature,’ it’s a fucking curse. You’re cursed.” 

Jaskier had to sit down. “No, because… that’s… Alpha Command exists to be able to command an Omega… what else would it be for?” he muttered, mostly just to himself. 

Eskel knelt on the path next to Jaskier. “An Alpha’s command is just to help when the Alpha reacts to something faster than the Omega, such as if there’s a danger the Omega’s not aware of. It’s to keep an Omega safe. Most people when startled tend to react irrationally, so the command is used in life or death situations to get the Omega to safety. That’s it. It’s never meant to be something an Omega even wants to fight against, and there are never consequences for wrenching control back. Someone’s cursed you, it’s the only reason you react so strongly to commands.” 

He… he was cursed? He was cursed, and he’d never known it? 

“I…” he stared down at his hands. How many times had his father commanded his silence? Commanded him to do things Jaskier would never have done on his own? 

How many times had Jaskier broken out of his father’s command, only to be stuck in bed for the rest of the day as his body punished him for it? 

“...Do you think my parents knew?” he asked, quietly. 

Eskel cleared his throat, awkwardly. “...If they never explained it to you… then they’re probably the ones that cursed you.” 

The. Fuck. Those bastards. 

Jaskier clenched his hands, shakily rising to his feet. “...those mongrels. Those absolute fucking swine. They- they-” he was at a loss for words, his mind struggling to come to terms with the truth. 

“They fucking sucked,” Lambert offered. 

“They did!” Jaskier agreed, whole heartedly. “They fucking sucked! To think I would have married Valdo Marx for those- those- worms! ” 

“Not sure your insults have as much bite right now, bard,” Aiden pointed out, and Jaskier nodded. 

“No. No, you’re right. I can do better. I will do better. They thought the rumors I was spreading before were bad? Ohohohoh, they’re going to fucking regret everything they ever fucking did to me.” 

“We gonna burn their house down?” Lambert asked, a little too eagerly. 

Jaskier paused, thinking. “...no. No, I’m already burning their reputation to the ground. I need something more… permanent. Something that hits closer to home-” He chuckled. “Now there’s a thought.” 

Geralt raised an eyebrow. “Must be a dangerous one, I’ve never seen you look so determined.” 

“Never piss off the person who keeps the family secrets,” Jaskier answered, chuckling darkly. “My father? His claim to his seat is illegitimate. And I know who’s supposed to be Viscount instead.”

Chapter Text

The first step was not hunting down Jaskier’s cousin, so she could reclaim her seat as Viscount- Viscountess?-The first step was not continuing Jaskier’s campaign against his parents, so the people would be happy to see them go when Jaskier’s cousin finally took the seat. Nor was it finding a lute, so Jaskier could do his job properly, and start earning his own place in their little group.

The first step was breaking the fucking curse. 

Now that Jaskier was aware of it, it felt like every time they were around a strange Alpha he was constantly alert, always aware of how easily they could take control of him, of his life, his actions, force him to do things he would never in his own mind dream of doing. Force him away from his new friends, into an even worse life than the one he was running from.

And nothing had changed! They’d always been able to do this! But the knowledge that this wasn’t what most Omegas went through… that he was more vulnerable… 

It terrified him. 

Left him raw, and on guard at all times. 

Jaskier hastily dodged behind the others as another Alpha passed by their group, and he could have sworn he saw the Alpha’s eyes linger on him for a few seconds too long before Geralt stepped between Jaskier and the other Alpha, and then the other Alpha was gone and Jaskier could breathe again. 

Fuck. This was the third time he’d done that since they got to this town. He was coming apart at the seams, losing his mind, completely unable to keep track of where they were even going-

Geralt nodded for the others to go ahead, setting a reassuring hand on Jaskier’s arms. “Let’s find somewhere quiet,” he whispered, and Jaskier nodded, following behind him. 

 They found a small, secluded bench, and Jaskier sat down next to Geralt, staring down at where his hands rested in his lap. “...I’m sorry,” he finally managed. 

“Why?” 

“I… I’m slowing us down. I’m making you all worry.” 

Geralt shook his head. “We worry because we care. And you didn’t decide to make us care.” 

“I… I just keep thinking that… this makes me a target. That everyone I pass can see it, somehow. They know I’m vulnerable. They know how easily they could hurt me.” 

Geralt hesitantly reached out a hand, and Jaskier took it. “I promise. They don’t know. And if anyone does try anything, you’re with us. We’ll make sure you’re alright.”

Jaskier nodded. “I know. I know, you’d never let anything happen. I’m just… I’m terrified.” He chuckled mirthlessly. “I’m absolutely terrified of what could happen. Terrified of proving my parents right about it all.” 

Geralt thought for a moment. “… even if the worst happened, and we couldn’t protect you. Even if you turned around and ran back to them, took everything back and married Valdo, they’d still be wrong. Because they never valued you. And you’re extraordinary.” 

Jaskier stared at him, open mouthed for a moment, before lunging and dragging Geralt into a hug. “Thank you,” he whispered, before kissing Geralt’s cheek and pulling back. 

Geralt blushed slightly, staring, before he turned his head, staring up at the branches of the tree they were beneath. 

“…did I just make things awkward?” Jaskier asked, the previous joy fading into self deprecation. 

Geralt glanced back over to Jaskier, before taking his hand again and lifting it to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss there, his soft lips brushing against Jaskier’s knuckles. “Only as awkward as I just made it,” he whispered, and Jaskier smiled. 

Lambert shot them a questioning look as they entered one of the rooms Eskel had gotten for them, but Geralt shook his head. One day, Jaskier would get used to their silent communication. 

“Any progress at the library?” Geralt asked, and Eskel shook his head.

“No. Nothing on curses we didn’t memorize as kids, and you know how little on this type of curse they had.” 

Jaskier took a seat on one of the beds, just listening. 

“Too fucking little,” Lambert complained as he sharpened his sword. “And most of it was bullshit.” 

“Eh, to be fair mages have changed how they cast curses since most of those were written,” Eskel pointed out. 

Aiden however, looked thoughtful. “Mages… well, it had to have been a mage that cursed him, why not ask a different mage to break it?”

Lambert scoffed. “Yeah. Who the fuck are we gonna trust enough to examine him? Because that’s a pretty dangerous curse to let just anyone know about.” 

“...Yennefer,” Geralt commented, and Jaskier tried to think back if he’d heard the name mentioned before, only to come up with nothing. This was someone they’d never brought up before. 

Based on the scowls both Lambert and Eskel were sending Geralt, Jaskier guessed that there was a good reason for this. 

“I don’t fucking trust her,” Lambert scowled. 

“That’s because you keep insulting her wife,” Eskel pointed out. “...But I don’t like the idea of asking Yennefer for help, I’m with you on that. Too many things could go wrong. She hasn’t always been on our side.” 

“But she’s always given us warning when she wouldn’t be. She respects us, and I don’t think she’d refuse to help on this. Someone tried to take his ability to make choices, that’s something she won’t let stand.” 

“I think I remember her,” Aiden commented to the side, which was far more than Jaskier could say. “She’s the sorceress that abandoned Aretuza, yes? If nothing else, she’ll find Jaskier’s own revenge to be entertaining, and might be able to tell us who cursed him to begin with. Given that his parents had to have hired someone to do it.” 

It was a good point. “Personally,” Jaskier began, finally speaking up about his own life, “I’d like to try. This ‘Yennefer’ at least sounds interesting, and if nothing else, she might be able to point us in the direction of another mage she trusts to be able to help.” 

Geralt snorted at that. “She doesn’t trust anyone besides her wife Triss. But she’ll take it as a challenge if she can’t figure it out. I think we should try.” 

They looked around to the others. 

It was Lambert who spoke up, shrugging as he did so. “It’s the bard’s life, he can do what he wants with it. Even if the trip’s a waste of time, I’ll have fun arguing with her.” 

The more he heard about this ‘Yennefer’, the more intrigued he became. 

“I think that’s all that can be decided tonight,” Aiden announced, yawning dramatically. “I say we figure out sleeping arrangements. There’s five of us, and four beds. Who's pairing up?” 

Oh. Jaskier hadn’t thought of that. 

Glancing around, he realized he was the smallest there, so he raised his hand. “Um… I can pair up with someone.” 

“You don’t have to,” Geralt pointed out, “any of us could.” 

Jaskier just shrugged. “I don’t mind. Really. I don’t take up much space.” 

Eskel glanced over to Aiden. “You brought it up. You want to pair with him?” 

“Oy!” Lambert complained. “I wanted to pair with the buttercup!” 

Aiden chuckled, wrapping an arm around Lambert. “Ah, but my dearest fire, you’re just as likely to smother him in his sleep as to help him to sleep. Us lithe figures simply must stick together, isn’t that right darling buttercup?” he asked, winking as Jaskier, who flushed, deeply. 

“I… ah… right.” 

Eskel nodded. “Right. That’s settled. Now, there was a contract on the notice board, so we’ll be staying in town for another night to hunt it, as the full moon is tomorrow.” 

Lambert groaned dramatically. “Fuck. Don’t tell me it’s a fucking werewolf.” 

“Alghoul, actually. A pack of them. We’ll need the light, even with the three of us.” 

“Three?” Geralt asked. 

Eskel nodded. “Until this curse is lifted, it’s probably for the best that one of us is with Jaskier at all times.” 

That made an unfortunate amount of sense. 

“I’m on buttercup duty!” Lambert called, and no one contested it. 

Jaskier blinked. 

Was it just him? Or did Lambert seem to want to be around him more, all of a sudden?

Chapter Text

This was fine. This was completely fine. This was utterly fine. For fuck’s sake, this wasn’t even the first contract they’d taken since he started traveling with them, they tried to accept at least one contract every village they went to, this was completely fine, they’d be fine, he’d be fine- 

“Damn, buttercup, you’re gonna wear a hole in the floor with how much pacing you’re doing,” Lambert commented, setting down his sword and standing up. “Nothing's gonna happen to them. They’ve dealt with alghouls before, and they got the full moon’s light to protect them so it’ll be fine.” 

“You’re not worried what could happen? Not worried about how any second, something could go wrong, and one of them could get hurt? Or worse? Die? Or worried about any of the numerous Alphas staying here who might decide that risking one Witcher’s wrath is more than worth trying to get ahold of an Omegan noble-” he stopped talking as Lambert hauled him into a hug, pressing Jaskier’s nose close to his neck. 

Jaskier took a deep breath of Lambert’s scent, calming down slightly as Lambert rubbed a hand up and down his back. “First,” Lambert began, his voice quiet in a way Jaskier hadn’t really heard before, “no one knows you’re a noble, and nobody’s gonna risk pissing off all four Witchers you were seen entering town with. And even if they did, you’d just stab ‘em. Now, about the rest, have some faith. The others know what they’re doing.” 

Right. Lambert was right. He was just… “I can’t stop worrying,” Jaskier admitted, though he felt safer already in Lambert’s arms. “What if something happens to them, and it’s all my fault, because you were here protecting me?” 

Lambert chuckled. “Aww, you think they’re helpless without me?” 

Jaskier sighed, pulling back. “That’s not what I meant. But what if this alghoul problem needs four Witchers to deal with it, but they only have three because you’re here with me?” 

Lambert snorted, sitting back down on the bed. “Bullshit. There’s not an alghoul alive that needs four Witchers to kill it. It’ll just take them a while, they’ll be fine. Even if they aren’t, the most an alghoul can do is bite em, and they’ve all got the potions on ‘em to help fight that.” 

That was good to hear. 

Jaskier sat down on his bed, fidgeting with his hands, unsure what to do with himself. He should be helping. No, no there was nothing he could do. He was just the helpless Omega, staying back at the inn. 

Stop thinking like that!

“You could try getting some sleep, they probably won’t be back till morning.” 

Jaskier sighed, before he nodded, settling down to sleep. 

It didn’t work. 

After two minutes of closing his eyes and trying to sleep, he was sitting up again, shaking his head. “No, no I don’t think I can sleep till I know they’re back safe.” 

Lambert frowned a bit, shooting a worried glance over at Jaskier before turning back to his sword. “I could… ah… sing?” 

Jaskier stared at him, slightly startled. “Do you want to sing?” 

He grimaced. “Not really.”

“Then… why did you offer?” Lambert just shrugged. “Actually… why did you volunteer to stay? You usually love running off and hunting whatever monster the contract’s for.” 

Another shrug. “Just don’t like alghouls.” 

That didn’t sound right. After a moment, Jaskier rose to his feet, crossing the floor and sitting down on the other bed, across from Lambert. “I’m not allowed to lie to you, yes?” 

Lambert looked up, disgruntled. “It’s not that you’re not ‘allowed’ to, it just pisses us off ‘cause we can fucking hear that it’s a lie.” 

“Allowed to or something else, you’ve all asked that I not lie to you. So I’m asking the same favor. Don’t lie to me Lambert.”

After a long pause, Lambert set down his sword and nodded. “...It’s stupid.” 

“Oh now I need to know.” 

“I…” he hesitated, before scrunching up his face. “I was jealous.” 

What? “Of what?” 

Lambert took a breath. “I… when it comes to senses, there’s not much we can’t do. And I could smell where… you kissed Geralt on the cheek. I was jealous.” 

“Of a kiss on the cheek? Wait-” right, they were in a relationship. “Were you jealous of me? That I had Geralt’s attention?” 

Lambert let his head fall back, hitting the wall. “No. I… I was jealous of Geralt. Jealous of all the others, really. You… you fucking feel safe with them. It’s obvious. And you don’t with me, and I just- I want you to feel safe with me. And I get why you don’t, I’m the one that fucked up with the whole… kidnapping, business. But I just… I thought if I stayed with you, you’d… feel safer with me.” 

Jaskier felt himself smiling a bit at the adorableness of the whole thing. “Oh, sweet Lambert,” he finally said, reaching across and hauling the Witcher into a hug as Lambert blinked, startled. 

“The fuck?” 

Jaskier just squeezed him tighter, before pulling back slightly and pressing a kiss into Lambert’s cheek. 

Lambert just stared at him, open mouthed, and Jaskier smiled. “You…” 

“Just kissed your cheek too. I promise, I feel safe with you. I just don’t feel safe in general right now. But you’ve more than proven yourself, darling.” 

It was odd, seeing Lambert go as red as his hair. And it was that thought that finally let Jaskier drift off to sleep, where he dreamt of strong arms keeping him safe from everything surrounding him. 

He woke up to the sound of the door opening, and looked up to see the others come back in, covered in mud and gore. 

“Don’t worry, we ordered a bath to each of our rooms,” Eskel reassured at Jaskier’s face. 

“You’re all safe though?” he asked, and they nodded. 

“Got something for you,” Aiden announced, before holding out a case that had been behind his back. “The job had a bonus, so we agreed it was time to get one for you.” 

Jaskier took the case, reverentially pulling out a simple lute. It was nothing as fancy as the one he’d grown up with, but a simple strum revealed that it was in good condition, and produced a beautiful sound. 

He clutched it to his chest, tears filling his vision. “Thank you,” he whispered, before pulling Aiden into a hug. “Thank you so much. All of you.” 

Aiden patted him on the back before he pulled back and made a face. “Ah, fuck, I’ve gotten you all muddy too. Well, you shall have to take a bath this morning too.” 

“Hah!” Lambert laughed, punching the air. “I’m the only one that doesn’t have to take a bath!” 

Aiden winked at Jaskier, before he turned and tackled Lambert to the bed, and the others all chuckled as Lambert sulked. 

Despite the others trying to give Jaskier the bath first, Jaskier refused, citing that the others could wait for him down in the main hall cleanly, and not terrorize the poor townspeople. 

He did however allow Eskel to reheat the bathwater for him, with an impressive bit of Witcher magic that he’d been informed was a ‘sign’. 

Jaskier relaxed into the hot water, scrubbing the dirt off. He wasn’t actually that dirty, and most of the bath was just to enjoy the hot water, and make sure there was no- he shuddered- alghoul gore stuck to him. 

As he bathed, his thoughts drifted. In the past two days, he’d kissed both Geralt and Lambert on the cheek. It had been both an act of impulse, and incredible bravery, and he found himself… curious. 

What would the other’s cheeks feel like? What if he kissed Eskel’s scarred cheek? What if he kissed their mouths? 

He’d never kissed anyone before. Would it be soft? Rough? Would he be awkward- alright, yes, he’d be awkward. But… would the others want him to? What would they do? 

He… he should talk to them about it. There had to be time to bring it up between here and where they were going next. It’d be a long walk. There had to be a good time to talk about it as they traveled. 

Resolve set, he got out out of the water, drying off and getting dressed before he headed down to meet up with his Witchers. 

Sometime soon, he really did need to get another set of clothes. 

Chapter Text

As they walked, Jaskier pulled out his new lute, tuning it carefully before he was fully satisfied, and then he began to play. He was a little nervous, having only ever played for his parents and that one boy from the village, but after his first song Aiden and Eskel clapped, which encouraged Geralt and Lambert to join in. 

“Beautifully done!” Aiden praised, bowing low. “Truly, you have the makings of the greatest bard this continent has ever known.” 

Jaskier blushed fiercely at the praise. “...you really think so?” 

The others nodded. “You’re better than I’d be on that thing,” Lambert commented. 

“That’s because you’d light it on fire after the strings snapped on you,” Geralt joked, and Jaskier made a silent vow to never let Lambert play it. 

Eskel glanced up at the sky. “Rain’s coming,” he commented, and Jaskier glanced around, confused. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. 

“How can you tell?” 

“Witcher,” all four of them responded, which was impressive in its own right. 

“Alright,” he chuckled, “if there’s rain coming, when’s it going to be here?” 

“It’ll start tonight,” Eskel continued, “could last a while. We should find shelter for the night.” 

Jaskier could see the clouds when they finally found shelter, a dry cave not far from the path. Eskel had been right. Amazing. 

None of them felt like going to sleep after they ate, so they all sat up listening to each other tell stories. 

“So there I was,” Lambert described, gesturing wildly, “stranded in the guard house, and all I can think in the moment is: ‘flirt with the bastard’. Well, apparently it worked, because next thing I know, he’s got his tongue down my throat and I’m a lot less worried about the bounty on my head and a lot more worried about how to tell him I ain’t bottoming!” 

The others chuckled , as Aiden slung an arm around Lambert. “Aw Lamb, you’ll bottom for the right person, won’t you?” 

At least Jaskier wasn’t the only one red at that, and Lambert playfully shoved Aiden off of him. “Leave off,” he grumbled, face as red as his hair.

“I’m surprised you got that far with just a kiss,” Eskel commented, leaning back against the cave wall. “We all know Geralt’s the only one who could get anywhere with just a kiss.” 

Now Geralt was blushing, even as Lambert bristled. “Oy! Aiden could kiss rings around Geralt, and you fucking know it!” 

Jaskier watched, amused, as Aiden and Geralt exchanged glances, before both raising their hands and silently agreeing not to get involved. 

Eskel shook his head. “I’m not saying Aiden’s not good at kissing, I’m just saying it’s hard to compare him to Geralt, and his oral obsession.” 

His what? 

…Had they forgotten he was even here? Because that’s not something he necessarily needed to know. Even if thinking about that was… interesting. 

“Oh yeah? I don’t recall ‘flirting with the target’ as a part of Geralt’s job description, ever, ” Lambert quipped back. 

“No, but you’ve kissed both of them, are you telling me you don’t think Geralt’s the best kisser out of all of us?”

Lambert scowled. “Alright. Tie breaker. Jaskier, you kiss both of them and tell us who’s better.” 

Oh fuck. It’d almost be better if he had forgotten about him. “...what? Why me?” 

“Cause I can’t ask Aiden or Geralt because they can’t kiss themselves? Obviously?” 

Aiden shrugged. “I’m down if you are.” Geralt nodded his assent as well, and Jaskier took a breath. 

“Um. Right. Ah… how do I judge a good kiss?” 

Lambert blinked at him. “Um. I dunno, just… what you enjoyed more? What do you usually like in a kiss?” 

Oh great. Jaskier could feel his own face burning now. “I… don’t know? I…” courage, Jaskier, this is totally fine to admit, “I’ve never kissed anyone.” 

He didn’t look up to see their reactions. 

Eventually, Lambert muttered a quiet, “the fuck ?” 

“But you were engaged?” Aiden asked, and Jaskier shrugged. 

“My parents didn’t want me to kiss until the wedding. Which- if you’ve ever met Valdo, you’d know that it was not a hardship,” he chuckled. 

“What about what you want?” Eskel asked, and Jaskier finally made himself look up, to see such deep care and concern in all their eyes, that he was overwhelmed by it. 

“...I want to be a good person.” 

“You are,” Geralt promised. “You’re already a good person, and kissing doesn’t have anything to do with that.” 

“Yeah,” Lambert hastily agreed, “fuck, the only thing that matters with kissing is just that everyone fucking consents, that’s literally it! Fuck the contest, you should save your first kiss for someone who fucking deserves it.” 

Jaskier stared at him. “...you… don’t want to kiss me?” 

“Huh?” 

“You shouldn’t have to give your first kiss to a Witcher,” Aiden explained. “We don’t deserve it.” 

There was no way… Jaskier stared at them, aghast. “Who else would you have me give my first kiss to then? Some backwards noble who sees me as nothing but a broodmare? Or perhaps a farm boy I meet on my travels that I’ll never see again? I can think of no one I should rather give my first kiss to, and so unless you all object I shall give my first kiss to Witchers, and I shall help judge this contest, experienced or not!” He stood up, before realizing very suddenly he didn’t know who he was supposed to kiss first. He glanced between Aiden and Geralt, suddenly very confused. 

“...You shouldn’t kiss one of us first,” Geralt pointed out, and Jaskier was about to argue that he hadn’t been listening, when Geralt continued. “If you’re judging which of us is a better kisser, you’re going to be biased towards whoever your first kiss was with.”

Jaskier closed his mouth. It was a good point. 

“You should kiss Eskel first,” Lambert finally spoke. “He’s the sweetest of us anyway.” 

Eskel looked towards Lambert as though betrayed, but he didn’t say anything. 

Jaskier swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. “Eskel? Would you like to kiss me?” 

“...You’re sure you don’t mind the scars?” 

Jaskier crossed the distance between them, sinking to his knees before Eskel. “I don’t mind. I promise I don’t mind.” 

Eskel moved slowly, reaching out and gently cupping Jaskier’s face, fingers gently tugging Jaskier closer till their lips pressed together, and Jaskier’s eyes slipped closed, focusing on the feel. 

The scars along Eskel’s face were rough in contrast to Eskel’s soft lips, and his hand on Jaskier’s face stopped Jaskier from drifting away in his mind as he melted into the kiss. 

It felt like it lasted a lifetime, but then Eskel was pulling back, and Jaskier blinked a bit, his eyes adjusting to the firelight reflecting in Eskel’s golden eyes. 

“...you alright?” Eskel asked, and Jaskier nodded, head rather fuzzy. 

“Wonderful,” he whispered, before smiling. 

“How do you feel?” Aiden prompted. 

Jaskier took stock. “...floaty? And… a little scared? Not of any of you,” he hastily added, “just… I’m not ‘pure’ anymore.” 

Lambert scoffed. “Don’t gotta be pure. Just gotta be you. Better that way, too.” 

Jaskier nodded. “Right. So. First kiss done, am I kissing Aiden or Geralt next?” 

Geralt and Aiden had a brief silent conversation with their hands, before Geralt sighed. “Me, apparently.” 

“You’re going to love this,” Aiden commented, and Jaskier shifted till he was in front of Geralt, unsure what to do with his hands. 

“The same as with Eskel?” Geralt asked, “or do you want to try some new things?” 

Jaskier thought. “I’m supposed to be judging you both based off of skill, so, do what you’d usually do.” 

Geralt nodded, pulling Jaskier in by a hand on his hip. “Relax, and follow my lead.” 

Then his lips were on Jaskier’s, his head slightly tilted, which pushed his lips deeper against Jaskier’s. Jaskier’s breath hitched as he closed his eyes, his hands coming up to Geralt’s shoulders, holding on. There was a slight pull, and Jaskier parted his lips, then there was a slight discomfort against his bottom lip, followed by a gentle something running along his bottom lip, then Geralt pulled back, and Jaskier realized that Geralt had used his tongue to soothe where he’d nipped at Jaskier’s lip. 

Okay. He was learning a lot about kissing then. 

He took a breath, calming his heart where it pounded in his chest. 

This was fine. This was good. He’d chosen this, and it didn’t matter if it wasn’t ‘pure’ or ‘how nobility behaved’. It was what he wanted. 

Once he got the pounding of his heart back down, he stood up and crossed to Aiden. “Your turn then,” he said, kneeling in front of Aiden. 

“Shall I go all out as well?” Aiden asked, and Jaskier nodded. 

“That would only be fair.” 

Aiden slid his hand to the back of Jaskier’s head, tangling his fingers in the hair there and pulling Jaskier into a heated kiss, Aiden’s lips already slightly parted. Jaskier moaned again as Aiden gently licked at Jaskier’s bottom lip, before sucking on the lip, and then pulling away. 

Jaskier took a shaking breath as he sat with his thoughts, and the others watched him. “Are you alright?” Eskel asked, and Jaskier hastily nodded. 

“I’m fine. Just… kissing. Yay kissing?” He laughed a little, the sound high and carrying the tension he felt building in his chest. 

Fucking hell he’d just done that. 

“So?” Lambert prompted after a minute. “Who’s the better kisser?” 

Oh, right, that’s what this had all been about. Jaskier thought about it, frowning slightly. “Fuck… they’re both so good at it…” he thought back. “...Based off which I enjoyed more, I suppose I have to say Geralt? I’m so sorry Aiden.” 

Aiden laughed. “Don’t apologize, that’s what they asked you for anyway! Unbiased opinion! And I’m glad you enjoyed yourself,” he winked. 

Lambert scowled a bit, but nodded. “Alright, fine. Eskel wins this one, Geralt’s the better kisser. But I can still prefer Aiden!” 

“Is it really healthy to have preferences in a relationship like this?” Jaskier wondered, and Eskel shrugged. 

“I can’t speak to what’s healthy for anyone else. But we all know there’s history between all of us. For us, acknowledging preference is better than keeping it hidden to ‘appease’ everyone. Besides. There's a lot more in relationships than just kissing.” 

Jaskier nodded, before glancing over to Lambert. “Well. This won’t do.” 

“Huh?” Lambert asked, eloquent as always. 

“I’ve kissed the others, but I haven’t kissed you yet.”

Lambert pulled in a breath. “You don’t have to do that if you don’t want to.” 

Jaskier shifted, till he was kneeling in front of Lambert. “I want to. Do… you, want to?” 

Lambert nodded, not moving yet, and with a moment of courage Jaskier couldn’t identify, he pushed himself forward, till his lips met Lambert’s and Lambert let out a squawk, his hands quickly coming to steady Jaskier. 

Jaskier didn’t have any of the tact or skill the others had, but he did his best, pressing his lips together with Lambert’s lip between them, and then he pulled back. 

Lambert stared at him, his eyes wide, and Jaskier smiled a bit. “...Alright. I… I’m going to go to bed now.”

Lambert nodded, still staring, and Jaskier returned to his own bedroll, curling up with his back to the fire, blushing furiously as he recalled what each of their lips had felt like against his own. 

Chapter Text

True to Eskel’s prediction, the rain started during the night, and Jaskier smiled as he saw it. 

“You’re in a good mood for someone about to get drenched,” Aiden commented as he rolled up his bedroll. 

Jaskier stretched before he started rolling up his own bedroll. “I am. It’s always nice to walk through the rain. Makes me feel… connected, to myself.” 

“Interesting. Well, let’s hope we all stay in such good spirits throughout the day.” 

Despite his cloak, Jaskier got completely and utterly soaked. Which, he’d been expecting that. Had left his hood off for the first stretch of their walking, just enjoying the sensations of the warming rain upon his skin. 

However after the third mud puddle Jaskier had stepped in, the water lost its appeal, and he pulled the hood up over his head. 

It was shortly after that that the sneezing started. 

“I told you to keep your hood up,” Lambert complained after Jaskier sneezed so hard he almost walked into a tree, not watching where he was going. 

“It’s just the weather,” Jaskier tried to insist, but the effect was cut off as he sneezed again. “I’ll be- achoo!- fine once I get into some dryer clothes.” 

The others glanced at him, frowning, and Jaskier sniffed. 

He would be fine. He’d gone walking through the rain back home all the time with no ill effect. He’d be completely fine. This was nothing. 

They stopped for lunch under a group of trees that had kept most of the water from reaching the ground, and Jaskier just about collapsed onto the ground, leaning heavily against the tree. It didn’t matter if his back got wet, he was already drenched. 

So were the others, but they were handling it fine. Advantage of being a Witcher, he supposed. 

He nodded his thanks as Geralt passed him some of their trail rations, or whatever Witchers called it. It was preserved meat, and right now that was all Jaskier could focus on. 

He chewed slowly, trying to keep his head up. Fuck, he was exhausted. They’d only been walking for half the day, why was he so tired already? 

Eskel sat next to him, their shoulders almost touching, and before Jaskier knew it his head was on Eskel’s shoulder. 

He blinked. 

When had that happened? 

The others were also making camp, Lambert having run off somewhere as Aiden worked on a fire, and Geralt was sitting on his other side. “...what?” Jaskier asked, frowning as he tried to push himself up to no avail. 

His arms felt horribly weak, and there was a strange… fog, in his head. It almost hurt. 

“You have a fever,” Eskel commented gently, setting one hand on Jaskier’s arm, effectively keeping him still. “Lambert’s getting water for a tea. We’re stopping for the day.” 

“I feel fine,” he lied, and Geralt sighed on his other side, before draping a blanket over him. 

“Get some sleep,” Geralt instructed, “we’ll wake you when tea’s ready.” 

Jaskier nodded, not really interested in arguing. Eskel was a wall of warmth beneath him, and the blanket was soft, and right now he really just wanted to drift off to sleep. 

Everything hurt when he woke up. His head ached, his muscles protested, and opening his eyes made him whimper in pain. 

There was a hand carding through his hair, a gentle touch against the agony his head was in. 

“It’ll be alright,” Eskel whispered, “tea’s done. You should drink some, it’ll help you feel better.” 

Jaskier nodded, trying to sit up. He managed, but his head spun wildly. 

Geralt knelt in front of him as Eskel helped hold him up. “It’s cooled down to a temperature that’s safe for humans,” he promised, then he cupped Jaskier’s cheek and held the cup up for Jaskier to drink from. 

It vaguely reminded Jaskier of that first day, where he’d been bound and unable to hold the waterskin. 

Then the tea hit his tongue and he cringed a bit at the taste, doing his best to swallow it all down. 

Once it was all gone Geralt stepped back, and Eskel helped Jaskier to lie down again. “Just get some sleep. This should pass with rest.” 

He wasn’t sure if he felt worse, or if the pain had just spread to the rest of him instead of just his head. Either way, he woke up in pain, whimpering slightly as he was moved. “We need to keep going,” Eskel whispered. “Jask, I’m going to carry you, is that alright?” 

Jaskier did his best to nod, holding his breath as Eskel lifted him to avoid crying out in pain. 

Fuck, this was miserable. It felt like every piece of his body was desperately crying out for heat.

Except his head. His head fucking burned and he didn’t know what to do about it. 

“You sure about this?” he heard Lambert whisper, not as quiet as he thought he was. “Isn’t it better to stay put, let him rest more?” 

“Except he’s not getting better,” Aiden pointed out, and Jaskier turned his head in towards Eskel’s neck as he was carried. 

If he could remember properly, it was the next day. Though, his thoughts were hard to cling to, as his fevered dreams kept trying to claw at his mind. 

The next time he opened his eyes it was Geralt carrying him, the white of his hair looking almost like moonlight, blocking the sun. 

“...you look like an eclipse,” Jaskier muttered. 

Geralt blinked, glancing down at him. “You’re awake. You should drink something.” 

They paused for a moment, Geralt setting Jaskier down and holding him as Eskel pressed a waterskin to Jaskier’s lips, and Jaskier slowly drank what he could manage. “Where… are we going…?” Jaskier managed, his head aching with the sound. 

“We think we might have found Yennefer,” Eskel explained, getting a cloth wet with what water was left, and wiping away the sweat on Jaskier’s forehead. “We’re too far from any town with a healer, so we’re hoping either she’s where we’re expecting her, or your fever breaks on its own.” 

Jaskier nodded. “...how long?” 

“Been two days since your fever started,” Lambert commented from the side. “You’ve been near delirious the whole fucking time.” 

Jaskier nodded. It made sense. Even at Lettenhove, when there was a sickness going around, he got hit with it the worst. “I’ll… be fine,” he tried to reassure. 

Given the scoff he heard from Lambert, he wasn’t convincing. 

“Do you think you can keep down food?” Aiden asked from… somewhere. Jaskier couldn’t be sure. 

He thought about the question for a moment, before shaking his head. “Already feel like I’m gonna throw up any second,” he muttered. 

“Let me know if you’re about to,” Geralt whispered, having noticed Jaskier’s aversion to sound. “Do you think I can lift you again? The sooner we get to Yennefer, the sooner we can get you treated.” 

Jaskier took a few steadying breaths before he nodded, clinging tight to Geralt as he was lifted into his arms. 

Even with how careful Geralt was with Jaskier, there were still the tremors with each step and Jaskier curled up as tight as he could in Geralt’s arms, eyes closed as he unconsciously sought out Geralt’s scent, and the comfort it offered. 

He didn’t remember much of the next few days. Snatches of moments, nothing more. Remembered being carried by each of his Witchers at some point. Remembered searching for their scents, the only peace he could find. Remembered someone delicately holding him, helping him to drink water, and eat food during the moments he could stomach it. 

Everything else was pain and misery, as the fever raged through his body until finally, finally, they were at a door. 

Then he was inside, on a bed, blinking up at a strange woman. An Alpha with violet eyes, who seemed insanely dangerous. 

He flinched back into someone else’s hands, and he panicked until he heard Aiden’s soft voice. “Hey, careful, it’s just me. This is Yennefer, she’s going to help, alright?” 

“You were in that town outside Ellander a week ago?” she asked, and Aiden nodded. “Figures. Most of the people there also got sick, I’ve been hearing about it from Triss. I can put him in a healing sleep until his body finishes fighting it off.” 

“Jaskier?” Aiden asked, though Jaskier was struggling to focus. “We’ll be here when you wake up, I promise. You’re just going to be asleep, nothing more.” Jaskier realized he’d clenched Aiden’s hand, and he relaxed his hold. “Brave flower. Someone’ll be with you when you wake. I promise.” 

Jaskier took a breath, and nodded, his head protesting the tiny movement. 

Then Yennefer’s eyes were glowing, and Jaskier passed out entirely.

Chapter Text

He did feel better when he woke up, the fever having run its course, and he looked around to see Geralt sitting in the chair next to his bed, his eyes closed in meditation.

“Good morning,” he whispered, and Geralt opened his eyes, giving him a small smile. 

“Good evening, Jaskier,” he gently corrected. “Are you feeling better?” 

Jaskier nodded, sitting up and stretching. “ Much better, thank you. Fuck, that was miserable.” 

“Yen said you caught an illness that had been running through the last town we’d been in.” 

Right. “I think I remember her saying that. So. That’s the Yennefer we were looking for?” 

A hesitant nod from Geralt. “Yes. She’s… she was able to examine the curse a bit while you were asleep. She said she had some ideas, but would like to examine it again once you’re feeling up to it.” 

Jaskier nodded. “Makes sense. I don’t suppose you’ll tell me why you look so hesitant when talking about her?” 

Geralt sighed. “She and I… have a history.” 

“What he means to say is we used to fuck,” Yennefer announced as she entered the room. “Hello Jaskier, nice to meet you properly. I’m Yennefer of Vengerberg. How did you end up with this lot? They're being about as talkative as usual, which means they’re telling me precisely nothing.”

“Ah… long story. I… helped them break Eskel out of my parent’s dungeon.” 

“So you’re in on keeping it a secret too,” Yennefer noted, before chuckling. “No matter. I’ll find out the truth eventually. Now. Are you feeling up to having me take a look at this curse of yours? Or do you still need a day to finish recovering?” 

“Ah, now, please, I’d like to have it broken as soon as possible.” 

Yennefer nodded. “Right. Lie down then, and take deep breaths.”

Jaskier did as instructed, doing his best to relax. His skin tingled a bit as she worked, and Yennefer made a contemplative sound, before muttering something to herself. 

“It’s hard to get a grasp on. It’s a very subtle curse… Jaskier, how comfortable would you be with Geralt giving you a command, so I can see the curse in effect?” 

Jaskier shrugged. “I trust him.” 

“Alright. Geralt?” 

Geralt reached across, gently holding Jaskier’s hand. “ Breathe, Jaskier. ” 

Jaskier complied immediately, his entire body sinking into the pleasant euphoria that accompanied his curse. 

“Fascinating, ” Yennefer muttered, and Jaskier let his mind drift. 

Like this, all he could really focus on was Geralt’s earthy scent, and the comfort it promised. 

He had such a nice scent. Very pleasant. 

“Are you going to fall asleep there?” Geralt asked. 

“Can I?” Jaskier asked, his eyes already slipping closed. 

After a moment, where Geralt was probably checking with Yennefer, he responded. “Go ahead. We’ll talk about it once you’ve woken back up.”

“Hey, you’re up again!” Lambert cheered the second Jaskier opened his eyes. 

“I missed you too,” Jaskier chuckled, sitting up and looking around. “Where did Yennefer and Geralt go?” 

Lambert shrugged. “To grab food, initially. You’ve been out for a few hours. Yen said she found something though. You feel well enough to stand? I can show you around.” 

Jaskier nodded, getting out of bed and only partially leaning on Lambert as they left the room. 

The room he’d woken up in had been regal and elegant, and Jaskier was quickly coming to realize that whoever this Yennefer was, she valued the finer things in life as they passed through artistically decorated halls. 

As they walked, Jaskier could hear voices. He could hear Geralt, and he sounded… irritated. 

Glancing over, he knew Lambert could hear exactly what Geralt was saying. “Come on,” Jaskier whispered, “I want to eavesdrop.” 

Lambert chuckled, but nodded, “Be quiet about it,” he whispered, leading Jaskier closer till Jaskier could hear what was being said. 

“I’ve heard the rumors, Geralt,” Yennefer spoke. “They’re comparing this to Blaviken.” 

“I know.” Geralt sounded… worn. Exhausted, even. 

“What happened? ” 

“His parents had Eskel imprisoned. We didn’t think.” 

Yennefer sighed. “At least he’s alive to set the story straight. But with the noise he’s been making, it won’t be long till his parents start spreading their own rumors to retaliate.” 

Blaviken. He knew that one. The Butcher of Blaviken. A Witcher that had slaughtered over a dozen men in Blaviken one morning. 

That… that was Geralt? 

No… no he knew Geralt. Had been traveling with him for what had to have been a month or two now. Something else had to have happened. Geralt wasn’t the type to go on a murderous rampage. 

If she’d said Valdo, that he could believe. But Geralt? No. 

Lambert tilted his head. “Come on. Let’s see what she’s got on your curse.” 

Jaskier nodded, following him into the room, where neither Geralt nor Yennefer seemed particularly surprised to see them. 

“Jaskier, I’m glad you’re up,” Yennefer began as she stood up. “Are you feeling better?” 

Jaskier nodded. “Almost fully healed, I think. Lambert said you’d found something?” 

Yennefer nodded. “To be perfectly blunt, I can’t break it. However, I did find the requirements to break it,” she explained before Jaskier could despair. “The wording was concocted by a man with the intellect of a mule, but the key seems to be rather simple. ‘Only when you become your own person will the commands of others hold no sway.’ There was a lot more to the spell itself, but that’s the relevant bit.” 

Jaskier stared at her. “...What does that mean?” 

“Most likely? You need to stop letting other people control your actions,” Yennefer explained. 

“... but they don’t?” 

“How many things do you do a day because it’s the ‘right’ thing to do?” Lambert asked, and Jaskier closed his mouth, frowning. 

“...Is it such a bad thing to want to be a good person?” 

“Is morality your only personality trait?” Yennefer shot back. 

“No, I- oh.” 

“Your parents controlled every aspect of your life,” Geralt spoke up. “It’s likely they intended for you to filter your every action through either them, or your husband, till the day you died.” 

Jaskier sat down in a chair, frowning. “... Fuck those bastards,” he spat out, and Yennefer chuckled. 

“Yes, they do seem rather… problematic. It won’t be easy. I don’t think it’ll be as simple as making a single decision for yourself, but rather a process of learning to stop considering other people’s opinions altogether. And that could take years.”

Jaskier sagged. “ Years? ” 

“Don’t despair,” Yennefer cautioned, sitting down on his other side. “As you take back more control of your life, the effects of this curse should start to ease, even if it likely won’t break entirely for a while. Start small. Build. You’ll get there eventually.” 

Jaskier let out a breath, and nodded. “Alright. Thank you. I’ll… work on that.” 

“Good. Now,” Yennefer leaned in closer, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “What’s the plan to deal with your parents?” 

“...You’re leaving soon, aren’t you?” Jaskier asked the next day as he saw Aiden packing up. 

Aiden nodded. “I’m afraid so. Witchers tend to travel the path alone. It’ll be best if Lambert and I split off from the rest of you, and make our way through the south till Winter. We’ll probably head off tomorrow morning, now that we know you’re safe.” 

Jaskier nodded, trying to understand the knot in his chest. “...But I’ll see you again?” 

Aiden looked up, surprised. “Of course you will! We’ll all be wintering in Kaer Morhen, unless you don’t want to be there…” Aiden trailed off. 

“I’d be welcomed? I don’t want to impose, I know it’s a Witcher sanctuary.” 

Aiden chuckled, reaching out and ruffling Jaskier’s hair. “Hey, Eskel,” Aiden called, and Jaskier turned around, seeing Eskel and the others standing in the doorway. “You’re bringing our flower with you to Kaer Morhen this winter, right?” 

Eskel smiled slightly. “No. You are.” 

Jaskier looked quickly back and forth between them, and Aiden was just as surprised by this. “Me? I thought he was staying with you and Geralt for the rest of the year.”
Lambert wrapped an arm around Jaskier’s shoulders, grinning. “We’re all meeting up in Sodden for the last summer festival, and we’ll be taking our bard with us then.” He chuckled at Jaskier’s surprise. “What, you thought I’d wait till winter to see you again? Nah, you’re stuck with us.” 

Jaskier smiled, laughing a bit, before hauling Lambert into a hug. 

“I’m going to miss you both terribly,” he whispered, and Lambert hugged him tight. 

“It’ll only be a couple of months,” then Lambert grinned. “Besides. Now Geralt and Eskel get to figure out how to sneak off and make out without leaving you unguarded.” 

Eskel and Geralt waited till Jaskier was out of Lambert’s grasp before both smacking the back of Lambert’s head for that one.

Chapter Text

With a full kitchen to work with, Aiden ended up being the one to cook dinner. 

“You’re in for a treat,” Lambert promised, “Aiden’s the best cook on the continent.” 

“Yes, but you think Aiden’s the best everything on the continent,” Jaskier shot back. 

Lambert chuckled. “Close. But Eskel’s the best with signs. Never seen anyone cast a better igni.” 

Jaskier smiled a bit. “And what about Geralt? What’s he the best at?” 

“Sulking- ow!” Lambert complained as Geralt smacked the back of his head in passing. 

“Geralt’s probably the strongest person on the continent,” Eskel commented, sitting down on Jaskier’s other side. “The mutagens make Witchers stronger than anyone else, and Geralt had to go through them twice.” 

Jaskier glanced back and forth between everyone at the table. “ Twice? Why did you have to go through them twice?” 

Geralt shrugged. “It was a test. They wanted to know what would happen.” 

“And you say cats are insane,” Aiden commented, setting down a pot full of a delicious smelling stew. “We’ve never made anyone go through the trials twice.”

“No, but you do fuck around with the mutagens to see what the fuck’ll happen,” Lambert commented. 

“...You know I didn’t have any say in that, even when I was there. Especially when I was there. ” 

Jaskier blinked, staring. He’d never seen Aiden so… quiet. He was almost remorseful, and not for the first time Jaskier felt like an outsider in their group, infringing on something he couldn’t fully grasp. 

“Tell me you didn’t let Lambert cook again,” Yennefer commented as she entered the room, interrupting the conversation.

Aiden hastily turned back to his food. “Of course not, dear lady, we wouldn’t want to risk ruining your wonderful food.” 

Quietly, Jaskier leaned in towards Lambert and whispered: “I think you swear better than anyone on the continent.” 

The blush on Lambert’s face told Jaskier that he’d guessed correctly. That was what Lambert was most proud of. 

The food was simple, and magnificent. Venison, stew, warm bread and butter, roasted vegetables, practically a feast the likes of which they rarely had on the path. 

They all dug in, and Eskel and Yennefer ended up carrying the conversation, talking about the continent and the actions of certain mages. 

Geralt chimed in his thoughts here and there, but Lambert and Aiden kept quiet, and Jaskier glanced between them, quickly realizing that the two had upset each other with their earlier comments. 

Once he was done eating, Geralt excused himself from the table, deciding that he wanted to take a bath, and Yennefer and Eskel decided to take their conversation to the gardens. 

“I… ah… I’ll wash the dishes then,” Lambert began, only for Jaskier to grab his shoulder, shoving him back into sitting. 

“No, you won’t, I’ll wash the dishes, you two are going to talk out whatever the fuck that was.” 

He quickly grabbed the dishes, and Aiden started to rise. “I can help-” 

“You can sit your ass back down and talk to each other. If I need help I’ll call for you.” 

Which… he couldn’t actually carry all the dishes from the table to clean them at once, and while the table was removed from the sink, it wasn’t in a separate room, so maybe Jaskier could have thought out his plan a little better, but at least he was giving them the semblance of privacy, and trying to keep his nose out of their business. 

He did his best not to listen in. Sure, he caught a few words here and there, especially as he had to return to the table to grab more dishes to wash, but for the most part he kept his nose out of it. 

Alright, yes, he heard something about ‘cats’ and a ‘pogrom’ and something more about mutagens and guilt and trauma, but he was trying not to listen in this time. 

By the time he finished washing the dishes, Aiden and Lambert had their arms clasped in the other’s hands, and they both looked about three seconds away from kissing, so Jaskier turned around and left the room. 

They didn’t need him right now anyway. 

Yennefer and Eskel were still talking in the gardens, and Jaskier thought briefly about joining their conversation, before shaking his head. He had no idea what they were talking about, and didn’t particularly feel like interrupting. 

So, instead, he started wandering. They’d been in a library when he talked to Yennefer about the curse, she wouldn’t mind if he read one of the books… right? 

Of course, this relied on him actually remembering where the library had been. 

After three failed attempts, two in which he found bedrooms, one in which he was decently certain he’d found Yennefer’s labs, it was safe to say he didn’t know where anything was. 

Finding another door that looked right, he opened it, only to stop, staring. 

Geralt stared back at him, a towel in his hand, wearing absolutely nothing. 

And… holy shit. Geralt was built like a god. He’d seen Geralt without his shirt on, of course, but he tended to bathe away from-

Bath- 

Geralt was just getting out of a bath, and naked-

“Sorry!” Jaskier exclaimed, hastily slamming the door shut again and shaking his head. The fuck was he doing? Staring at Geralt like that, while the man was clearly drying off from his bath. 

Jaskier shook his head, turning to go back the way he’d come, only to realize he didn’t remember. 

At all. 

The door opened, and Geralt stepped out, having hastily dressed, and smirking a little. “Did you need something?” 

Jaskier shook his head, staunchly refusing to look at Geralt. “Nope! Nope, not at all! Just- got a little lost, looking for the library!” he explained, voice shrill as he stared at the stone of the hall they were in. 

“Jaskier,” Geralt began, and Jaskier forced himself to meet Geralt’s gaze. 

“Yes?” he asked, though he was sure his face was a deep red at this point. 

“Are you alright?” 

Jaskier took a breath, nodding his head. “Yup! Completely fine! Sorry to interrupt!” 

He went to leave, only for Geralt to gently capture his hand, tugging him back. “I don’t mind that you saw me,” Geralt began, his voice deep and gentle, “I just want to make sure I didn’t scare you.”

“I- I walked in on you,” Jaskier whispered, still unable to look at Geralt, especially when he spoke in that tone. 

“An accident. And one I don’t blame you for. Will you be alright?” 

Jaskier took a few more calming breaths, though it was hard with Geralt’s hand still clasping his wrist. “I- yes. Yes, I’ll be alright.” 

His voice had lost its shrill edge, and Geralt nodded, pulling back. “Alright. Would you like me to guide you to the library? Or your room? This place can be a bit of a maze.”
Jaskier thought about it, before shaking his head. “I remember how to get back to my room. I don’t think I can read right now anyway.” 

“Very well. Goodnight Jaskier.” 

Jaskier nodded, hurrying down the hall, before he paused. “...Goodnight Geralt,” he whispered, then turned the corner. 

He lay in bed that night, trying not to dwell on the sight of Geralt, standing, naked, his forearms tight and muscled, the scars trailing down his back, the way the water- no, no, he wasn’t supposed to think about these things. 

He suppressed a whine as he realized his thighs were slick. Fucking- fuck. He wasn’t supposed to be thinking about these things! 

Only… Eskel had said it didn’t matter. 

Lambert didn’t care if Jaskier pleasured himself or not. 

Taking a breath, Jaskier slowly slid his fingers down his body, remembering the way Geralt had caught his wrist, gently tugging him back. 

The way Geralt’s voice made him feel. The way Eskel held him like he was something precious. 

The easy smiles Aiden gave, full of a confidence Jaskier would never have. The possessive growl Lambert gave whenever anyone got too close to Jaskier. 

And the way they kissed. 

Jaskier’s breath hitched as his fingers slid through his own slick, brushing against his entrance. 

Biting down on his own lip, Jaskier slid a single finger in, expecting to meet resistance, or to feel shame, to feel some sense of wrong, but instead- 

Fuck, it felt good. It felt good, and he could feel his cock grow harder. 

He curled in on himself a little, giving a better angle for his hand, and he closed his eyes at the sensation. 

The desire quickly faded, and he pulled his hand back, grimacing at the stickiness. 

Well. Now he needed to clean up. But… still. It was a first step. 

A good first step. 

He bit his lip, feeling rather giddy. He’d done that. He’d broken that rule, because he wanted to- fucking hell. 

Fuck being a good Omega. 

He got out of bed, finding a cloth and some water to clean himself up, then slipped back under the covers. 

This was his life. And he was going to do whatever he wanted with it.

Chapter Text

He arrived at the breakfast table to find only Yennefer sitting there. 

“The others haven’t woken up yet,” she explained. “Please. Take a seat.” 

Jaskier hesitantly sat down, looking at the full platters of food. “...magic?” he guessed, and Yennefer nodded. 

“I wasn’t about to pass up on trying Aiden’s cooking last night, but I can produce my own food without much difficulty.” 

“And there’s no… adverse effects? For humans?” 

Yennefer laughed. “No, no you’re perfectly safe to eat it. Dig in,” she encouraged, and Jaskier nodded, piling bacon, eggs, flat breads and fruit on his plate. 

He began eating, only getting through one piece of bacon before Yennefer spoke again. “So they kidnapped you?” she asked, and Jaskier choked on the food, coughing as Yennefer handed him a cup of water, which he hastily drank down. 

“ You know? ” he rasped, taking several heaving breaths. 

Yennefer nodded. “I did say I’d figure it out. Besides. What other rumor did you think we were talking about?” Jaskier couldn’t meet her eyes, and she laughed again. “Even if Geralt weren’t a Witcher, I do have spells set up to alert me if someone’s approaching.” She tilted her head, appraising him. “I can’t help fight the rumors if I don’t know the truth. What really happened?” 

Jaskier took a breath. “...They did kidnap me. Geralt and Lambert. They never did anything to hurt me, in fact they kept me quite safe the whole time. Then, my parents declared me dead, and the Witchers… I thought for sure they were going to kill me, but instead… they let me go. So I decided… well, I couldn’t go back home, my parents had declared me dead, so… I helped break Eskel out, stabbed my fiance, and ran off with them.” 

Yennefer blinked. “Why did you stab your fiance?” 

“Oh, he was trying to drag me back into my parents’ house. And, in general, was a shitty human being.”

That at least earned him a chuckle. “If I’d had the common sense to stab Istrid when he betrayed me, I think Aretuza would have learned a lot quicker not to fuck with me. So what’s your plan now? Travel the continent? Destroy the reputation of your parents, and keep the Witchers company? Your parents aren’t going to take kindly to their reputation being hacked away so carelessly.” 

“Actually… my cousin. Essi. She’s technically the next in line for the seat, not my father. He took the seat when my uncle married a beta man, citing that ‘a man cannot have a child with another man unless one is an Omega’...” 

“But they did anyway?” 

Jaskier smiled. “Not every man was born into the body of one.” 

Yennefer chuckled. “I have a lot more respect for your uncles now. Still, be careful. Something tells me your parents are going to lash out in response, and there’s a lot more than just ‘rumors’ that a Viscount is capable of.” 

Jaskier nodded, straightening up as Geralt came down, hair still ruffled from sleep as he slouched down next to Jaskier. 

“How are you awake before me?” he questioned, frowning slightly. 

Jaskier blushed, remembering the sight of Geralt out of the bath, the way Geralt had held his wrist so gently in his own hand, pulling Jaskier closer to him-

“Because you Witchers sleep like the dead when you know you’re safe,” Yennefer answered, when Jaskier had spent too long staring instead of answering. He turned back to his food as Yennefer continued. “You’re staying one more day, yes?” 

Geralt nodded, patting Jaskier on the back. “Gotta make sure this one’s healed before we leave,” he muttered, before turning to the food. 

“I don’t need that,” Jaskier protested, “I’m feeling much better already.” 

“Ah, but we’ll all feel safer if you took at least one day to rest, flower,” Aiden commented as he and Lambert came down to breakfast, practically wrapped around one another. 

“Besides, I still need to discuss your route with Eskel,” Yennefer pointed out. 

“Which could take a while,” Eskel commented, walking in-

Without a shirt. 

Eskel wasn’t wearing a shirt, a towel draped over his shoulders, and he was damp, sweat clinging to him- 

“Oh come on now, you’re making us look bad!” Lambert complained. 

Eskel chuckled, lightly smacking the towel into Lambert’s arm. “Ah, yes, you chose to sleep in instead of train, and I’m making you look bad. Of course. Yennefer, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go take a bath before I sit down to breakfast. I’m sweating like a mule.” 

Yennefer chuckled, nodding, and he walked off, Geralt standing up to follow. 

Jaskier glanced back at them, confused. 

“Why-” he cut himself off, but Lambert chuckled. 

“Communal grooming," he explained, still waking up. "Should see us back at Kaer Morhen. All of us in the hot springs, it’s fucking blissful. ” 

“ Don’t lose your horses this time,” Yennefer warned as Lambert and Aiden reunited with their steeds. 

“Where did you find them?” Aiden asked, “I thought for sure we’d lost them in Kaedwen this spring.” 

“Oh, you lost them,” Yennefer rolled her eyes, “they came trotting back here. I’ve had to house them for you ever since. Tell me. Why can a horse find me better than a Witcher can?” 

“Darling Yennefer, might I give you a hug?” Aiden asked, and Yennefer sighed, but allowed it. 

Then Aiden was hugging his horse, brushing her down. 

“What are their names?” Jaskier asked, looking around. 

“My darling horse is Nutmeg,” Aiden practically cooed, at the same time that Lambert replied: 

“Horse.” 

Jaskier stared at him, aghast. “...You named your horse, Horse? ” 

“Geralt named his Roach,” Aiden filled in, and Jaskier turned to stare at the other two horses there. 

“Of course he did,” Jaskier sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What did Eskel name his horse?” 

“Scorpion,” Aiden answered. 

“See, that? That’s a decent name. And Nutmeg isn’t too bad, but- Horse? Lambert, I’m- I’m appalled. How could you do that to such a beautiful creature?” 

Lambert just laughed. “Doesn’t need a better name. A name’s a name. Horse’ll respond to it, no matter what.” 

“Lambert, please. Don’t ever name a child. If you ever had kids, let one of the others name them.”

“Actually,” Aiden spoke up, “we can’t have children. Something in the Witcher Mutagen makes us sterile.” 

Oh. He hadn’t known that. 

“I’m- I’m so sorry-” 

Lambert shook his head. “Nah, it’s all good. Path ain’t much of a place for kids anyway. We’ve accepted it. Not like we had much of a choice to begin with.” 

“Still, I shouldn’t have said anything.” 

Lambert reached over, ruffling Jaskier’s hair. “Quit apologizing. You didn’t offend us. Now come on. Geralt and Eskel should be done, let’s go say goodbye to them so Aiden and I can get back on the path.” 

“Sodden, remember?” Eskel reminded them again, as they finished packing their horses. 

Lambert rolled his eyes at the reminder, while Aiden nodded. “We’ll be there. Don’t let any harm come to our flower before then.” 

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” 

Then Aiden and Eskel were kissing, and Jaskier was torn between watching and turning away to give them privacy. 

He elected to turn away, only to realize that Geralt and Lambert were also kissing, and then before he realized it Aiden was standing in front of him. 

“Would you like a farewell kiss as well?” Aiden asked, and Jaskier blushed, before hesitantly nodding. 

Aiden stepped forward, cupping Jaskier’s face and gently pressing their lips together. 

It was just as incredible as Jaskier remembered, Aiden’t lips soft and gentle against his, and he didn’t even realize he’d closed his eyes until Aiden stepped back, and Jaskier blinked them open again. 

“...May I?” Lambert asked hesitantly from behind Aiden, and Jaskier nodded, smiling. 

“...I’d like that,” he managed, and then Lambert was pulling him close, kissing him as if he might never see him again. 

As Lambert pulled back, moving to kiss Eskel, Jaskier realized that it was probably more true than any of them wanted to admit. 

Monsters were dangerous. There was always a chance this would be the last time any of them saw each other. 

And a piece of his heart broke for them at that realization. 

Final kisses finished, Aiden and Lambert set off for the path, and Eskel and Geralt remained with Jaskier as he watched two of his Witchers leave. 

…They couldn’t die. Not if they wanted to keep their promise, and take him to Kaer Morhen that winter. 

And Lambert would never break a promise. They’d find a way to stay alive, no matter what. 

That concluded, he turned to the two Witchers that remained with him. 

“...Hey Geralt, why the fuck did you name your horse ‘Roach’?”

Chapter Text

They set out the next day, Yennefer’s advice still ringing in Jaskier’s ears. 

She’d pulled him to the side after Lambert and Aiden left, giving him a curious look. “Have you ever been in a real relationship before, Jaskier?” she asked, and he shook his head. “Decide now, before you get into this, exactly what you want. And tell them. Wolves… they don’t tend to let go of love easily. Decide if that’s where you want it to go before it’s too late, and you hurt them.” 

She hadn’t been worried that they might hurt Jaskier. And… thinking back, it was easy to see why. Because even while he had been their hostage, Jaskier had always been safe. They’d always taken care of him. They’d never harmed him. And every step of the way since then, they’d been amazing. 

But she was wrong about something. 

It was already too late. He was already in love with the Witchers. Now he just needed to see if they loved him back. 

He was trying a chord progression for one of his songs when he felt Geralt lean against his back. “Don’t stop?” Geralt asked, and Jaskier smiled slightly as he kept playing. 

They’d been on the road for a few days now, and he was starting to notice how much more attention Geralt and Eskel paid to each other, and him, without Lambert and Aiden there. They were lonelier. If he could help ease that, just a little…

Eventually, the song had to end, and Jaskier paused his strumming. “You usually travel the paths completely alone, don’t you?” he asked, and Eskel nodded where he was preparing dinner. 

“Through the whole year. We usually only cross paths for a day or two, sometimes teaming up for a hunt here and there, and then back to the loneliness until winter.” 

“What’s it like?” Jaskier wondered. 

“Hell,” Geralt managed, and his voice was raw. “We’re taught to get used to it, but… some things you never truly become accustomed to.” 

“Winter is a great relief for us,” Eskel continued. “The one chance we have to be ourselves. To ensure that everyone survived the path, and to finally… not be rejected.” 

“Rejection is a kind way of putting it,” Geralt growled.

And Jaskier had seen it, in the villages they’d come to. Witchers were feared, and hated. No one wanted anything to do with them, unless there was a monster to be slain. Which… 

“That’s bullshit. You risk your lives, saving people. The least they can do is be fucking civil. They should be fucking worshiping you.” 

“What, going to change the continent’s opinion of Witchers while you destroy your parents’ reputation?” Eskel asked, chuckling. 

“I should,” Jaskier shot back, completely serious. “In fact- I will! Tell me your tales, oh great warriors, and I shall immortalize them in song!” 

He declared this with a grin, and was rewarded with a soft smile from Eskel, and a chuckle from Geralt. 

“...would be nice,” Geralt admitted behind him. “To have someone singing something good about us. Even if no one else’ll believe it.” 

“You watch,” Jaskier muttered, turning back to his strings. “I’ll make the whole continent believe it. It’s the truth, after all.” 

“Truth rarely makes history,” Eskel pointed out. 

“No,” Jaskier conceded, “Songwriters do. And- would you look at that, you have your very own bard, right here.” 

“Careful, you make it sound like you’re staying.” It was meant to be a joke, but Jaskier could hear the rawness creeping back into Geralt’s tone. 

“...You’ve all done so much more for me, than I could have ever asked for. Of course I’m staying. As long as you’ll let me.”

No one said anything further, for quite some time. 

Jaskier was performing in a tavern when he saw Geralt scowl at one of the patrons, before standing up and heading back to their room. 

Eskel quickly glanced between Jaskier and Geralt, as if trying to decide whether to stay and protect Jaskier, or go up to talk to Geralt. 

Jaskier hastily finished his song, bowing out early and making up Eskel’s mind for him. 

“What happened?” Jaskier asked, even as Eskel stood and began walking them up to their room. 

“Someone mentioned Blaviken,” Eskel whispered, and Jaskier nodded. 

He still hadn’t asked about what happened that day, but he knew whatever it was, it bothered Geralt greatly. 

Geralt was sharpening his silver sword when they entered their shared room, and Eskel closed and locked the door behind them, immediately sitting next to Geralt, pressing against him as much as possible. 

Following his lead, Jaskier did the same, sitting on Geralt’s other side. 

“You did the best you could,” Eskel whispered quietly. 

“You don’t know that. You weren’t there.” 

“I know you. I know you were backed into a corner. You didn’t have any other options.” 

Jaskier stayed quiet, wracking his brain for the extent of the rumors. 

There wasn’t much. The rumors said a Witcher had snapped, and slaughtered dozens of men in Blaviken one morning. That was it. End of story. 

Only… clearly it wasn’t. 

He could see the tension in Geralt’s back. The way his hands were shaking even as he held the whetstone, like he was about to cut himself on that sword-

Geralt flinched as he did exactly that, blood welling up on his fingers, and Jaskier was moving before he gave himself time to think, grabbing his handkerchief and wrapping it around Geralt’s fingers, kneeling in front of him as he worked. 

He looked up after a moment, to find both Eskel and Geralt staring at him. 

He took a breath, then stood up, before sitting down on Geralt’s lap and pulling Geralt’s head towards his neck, hoping Geralt found comfort in his scent the same way he found comfort in Geralt’s. 

There was a soft sound of metal clanging on wood as Geralt set the sword down, and then his arm was wrapped around Jaskier’s waist, pulling him closer as Geralt breathed in Jaskier’s scent, and Jaskier could feel something warm and wet on his shoulder. 

Geralt was crying. 

He glanced hastily at Eskel, panicking a bit, and Eskel nodded, wrapping his own arms around both of them. 

“We’re right here,” Eskel whispered, and Jaskier wrapped his arms around Geralt, carding his hand through Geralt’s hair. 

He didn’t know what to say, but it didn’t seem like Geralt needed words right then. 

He needed safety. Needed comfort. And he needed to know that the people he cared about weren’t going anywhere. 

It wasn’t until Geralt drifted off to sleep that Jaskier dared to ask, in hushed tones: “What really happened, in Blaviken? All I know are the rumors.” 

Eskel sighed, before nodding to the hallway. “Away from Geralt. I don’t need him hearing us in his sleep and getting nightmares.” 

They stepped into the hall, and once Eskel had listened to ensure they were alone, he spoke. “Blaviken was… a worst case scenario. Sometimes people like to twist the definition on what kind of monsters Witchers hunt. Try to get us to kill humans. We… try to stay away from it. Our mentor, Vesemir, was very firm about when it is or isn’t an appropriate time to kill humans. We don’t take contracts out on them. Cat Witchers might, they’re their own breed of crazy, but Wolf Witchers don’t.” 

“About that,” Jaskier interrupted, “Aiden mentioned something, the night before he left, about… Cats fucking with the mutagens? I didn’t want to ask at the time, he seemed upset, and I didn’t want to make it worse.” 

Eskel nodded. “Ah, yes. Aiden… well. If the Cat Witchers thought they had enough Witchers already, but still had trainees… sometimes they would mess with the mutagen. See what would happen. Aiden… he was one such trainee. We’re not fully certain what it did to him, but most of the time the trainees given the altered mutagens didn’t survive.” 

Jaskier shuddered. “That’s horrible. Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” 

“No, no you’re fine. You might as well know. It’s not a secret for the rest of us. Well, Geralt ended up in Blaviken. And two people tried to hire him to kill the other. He stayed out of it, ‘not choosing’ when presented with two evils and all that. One of them forced his hand. She threatened to go on a killing spree through Blaviken, slaughtering everyone until the person she was there to kill came out. Geralt… stopped her. And her men. But no one saw the threats. No one saw how he tried to reason with her, until he was forced to kill her. All they saw was a Witcher, surrounded by bodies. He was stoned out of that town, and given the moniker ‘the Butcher of Blaviken’ for his troubles.” 

“Because he was trying to save lives?” Jaskier asked, horrified. 

“...I have to ask that you not put this in your songs.” 

“Of course not! How could I- listen, even I’m not that foolish.” 

Eskel chuckled. “You’re not foolish, Jaskier. You see a brightness in the world that a lot of people have missed. I just worry for you.” 

Jaskier gave him a tentative smile. “Well. You’re here to protect me, aren’t you? Come on, let’s get back to Geralt. Do you want to cuddle him through the night or shall I?” 

That earned him a full laugh. “Oh, you know we can’t fit two Witchers on one of these beds. I’ll have to reclaim my position as a big spoon once we’re back on the road.”
Jaskier smiled a bit, heading back into the room and getting dressed for bed before climbing into the bed Geralt was in, and wrapping his arms tight around him. 

And if Geralt clung tight to him in his sleep… well. That was between him and Geralt.

Chapter Text

He was getting used to his sets being interrupted by Geralt and Eskel coming in, covered in blood and gore. 

He wasn’t used to it being their blood. 

“Fuck, Geralt, ” he managed, slinging his lute over his shoulder and rushing to help support him. “What happened?” He asked Eskel, who at least looked conscious, if not entirely whole himself. There were a few too many gashes on Eskel’s chest for that. “I need a bath sent up to our room,” he instructed the innkeeper before Eskel could even respond. 

“Hunt went wrong,” Eskel managed, though he was clearly in a lot of pain, and the toxic potions hadn’t left his system yet, his eyes still pitch black, and the veins tracing along his face, through the scars, making him seem even more fearsome. 

“You were fighting a werewolf, right?” He asked, trying to keep Eskel focused on the present as they made it to their room. "What happened?"

“There were four of the bastards,” Eskel managed, kicking the door shut behind them and helping Jaskier set Geralt on the first bed, before collapsing on the second one and closing his eyes.

“Eskel? No, no don’t fall asleep on me yet I don’t know how to treat any of these!” 

Eskel huffed out a laugh. “I’m not asleep. Just keeping my eyes closed, now that I don’t have to move too much. Don’t need you getting scared of us now.” 

Jaskier stared at him. “Scared? Why would I be scared?” 

Eskel sighed, keeping his eyes closed. “The toxins? They turn my eyes black? Looks rather… creepy.” 

Jaskier scowled, reaching across and cupping Eskel’s cheek. “You’re not creepy unless you’re trying to be. Come on, open your eyes. We’ve still got to get both of you cleaned up- and now the bedsheets too, because I am not falling asleep on monster gore.” 

The startled laugh that came from Eskel was worth it, and he tentatively opened his eyes, staring up at Jaskier who just smiled down at him. “See? Not scared. Now come on, let’s try to get these injuries treated so you can get right into the water once it comes up.” 

By the time the water was up for the bath, Geralt had regained consciousness, and they’d finished washing out the cuts and stitching them up. 

Jaskier vaguely wondered if the innkeeper had taken his time with the request, so as to try and wait until the Witcher potions had run their course, but as the water was plentiful and hot, Jaskier wasn’t going to think too deeply on that. 

“Oh good, he sent up extra buckets. We can switch out the water between baths,” Jaskier noted with some relief, as his Witchers argued behind him. 

“Yes, you are going first, you hit your head in that fight and I had to drag you back. You’re taking the bath while you’re still awake to take it, and you’re immediately going back to sleep.” 

Geralt was glaring at him. “You had to drag me back. You need your rest more than I do right now. Head injuries may be tricky but those gashes on your chest were viscous. Get in the damn bath.” 

“For fuck’s sake Geralt-” 

Jaskier decided to step in. “Geralt, if you get in the bath now, I’ll help you wash your hair, so Eskel can get in sooner.” 

He didn’t immediately get into the bath. Jaskier hadn’t expected that. But he stopped arguing, and looked like he was contemplating it. 

“And if you don’t,” Eskel added on, “then we’re both going to keep arguing until you cave or the water goes cold, because you know I’m more stubborn than you are.” 

“No one’s more stubborn than I am,” Geralt shot back, but he began shrugging his clothing off, which Jaskier would count as a win. 

He turned his back to give Geralt some privacy, sorting through their packs for the soaps Yennefer had sent with them. 

None of the scents were particularly strong, but he’d been assured that with the strength of Witcher noses, that was for the best. 

Once Geralt was in the bath, Jaskier turned back around, handing Geralt the soap for scrubbing down as he got one of the spare buckets, and gently poured it over Geralt’s hair, getting it wet. 

Eskel sat to the side, too exhausted to do much, but taking comfort in their presence. 

It wasn’t until Jaskier had already put the oil for hair onto his hands that he realized he’d be touching Geralt. While the man was naked. 

Images flashed in his mind of that night at Yennefer’s, where Geralt had just stepped out of the bath. Of the way the water clung to his chest, and traveled down-

Wrenching his thoughts away from that night, he began running his hands gently through Geralt’s hair, getting the dirt out and massaging Geralt’s scalp, trying to keep his mind on his task at hand. He was- he was just taking care of Geralt’s hair. Making sure Geralt was okay after his fight. That was all. That was definitely all he was doing. Nothing more going on-

Geralt made a sound, shifting slightly, and Eskel sighed. “...Jaskier, you know we can smell emotions, right?” Geralt was staying completely silent, and Jaskier frowned. Were they smelling his embarrassment? His anxiety? “...Arousal is both physical response, and emotion.” 

Jaskier felt his pulse quicken, and quickly he dropped Geralt’s hair, stepping back. “Shit, I’m so sorry, I didn’t- fuck , I’m so sorry-” 

“Hey, it’s alright,” Eskel quickly reassured him, and Geralt turned around to stare at Jaskier, concerned. 

It was… disconcerting, to see those looks of concern when the black still consumed their eyes. To not be able to see their eyes whatsoever, but still know exactly what each look meant. 

“We’re not objecting,” Eskel explained, “rather… you should know that we can smell it. We’re not judging, just trying to be open and honest.” 

Jaskier took a breath, before slowly returning to his task, putting his hands on Geralt’s shoulders to turn him back the way he’d been before. 

Geralt lifted a hand, gently placing it on Jaskier’s own where it lingered on Geralt’s shoulder. “Didn’t mean to scare you,” he whispered, and Jaskier nodded. 

“I know. I just…” he chuckled a bit. “I guess I’m still working through the shame I learned before.” 

“There’s nothing for you to be ashamed of,” Eskel quickly explained. “Arousal is normal. And, yes, some people never experience it, or experience it infrequently, but there’s also plenty of people who experience it regularly, or over things that their mind wouldn’t agree is arousing. It’s… complicated.” 

Jaskier could take the out being given to him. Or he could be brave. “...And if it’s something my mind does agree with?” he asked, making sure to keep his touch light, in case Geralt pulled away. 

Geralt and Eskel shared a series of looks, before Geralt turned back around once more. “...What do you want right now, Jaskier?” Geralt asked. 

“...may I kiss you?” Jaskier asked, and he could feel his ears burning at the request. 

Geralt nodded, and Jaskier reached across, cupping his face, and pulling him up into a kiss. 

This wasn’t like the competition. Geralt remained gentle, moving with Jaskier, letting Jaskier lead. 

And Jaskier quickly realized, he didn’t know what he was doing. 

After a moment, he pulled back, and Geralt gently smiled at him. Or, was it just a small quirk of the lips, that Jaskier now knew meant a smile? 

“For future reference,” Geralt began, and Jaskier’s heart sank. Oh no. He’d fucked it up somehow, hadn’t he? Made a mess of things already, and now they didn’t want anything to do with him- “this is the only potion it’s safe to kiss us while we’re on,” he finished. “They’re all highly toxic, and the others can be spread through kiss, so if our eyes are a different color than usual, ask before kissing.” 

Jaskier nodded, relieved, then his mind caught up. “...just, if your eyes are a different color?” he asked, trying to clarify. 

“Past that, use your own discretion,” Eskel explained, smiling a bit. “But I know I’d be honored to kiss you more often.” Jaskier blushed, and Eskel stood up. “Alright, Geralt, you’re clean. Get out of the bath so I can get one in. Go change the sheets then cuddle our bard.” 

Jaskier laughed, pressing another gentle kiss to Geralt’s lips before standing up and kissing Eskel, who smiled into the kiss. “Thank you,” Jaskier whispered, meaning so much more than just the kiss. 

“You’re more than welcome,” Eskel whispered back, meaning so much more than just the conversation.

Chapter Text

“We might not be back till morning,” Eskel explained. “We need to make sure none of the harpies survive, or they’ll just return to their nest once we’re gone. It could take a while.” 

Jaskier nodded. “So, play a set or two and then go back to the room and lock the door. Got it.” 

Before either Eskel or Geralt could stand up, he reached out, snagging their hands and pressing a gentle kiss to their palms. 

“Good luck,” he whispered, smiling at them, and was pleased to see the faint tinges of color of their own blushes. 

“Stay safe,” Geralt whispered back, then they were off. 

He spent the first hour finishing his dinner and writing his songs, as people began pouring in, waiting for dinner and for songs. 

Tonight he was going to debut his first song about Witchers. He’d been working on it for close to a month now, and felt he was finally ready. Eskel and Geralt had both given it their reluctant approval, and… alright, he was nervous. Terrified, even. But he had to start somewhere. 

A poor performance could be improved upon a lot better than no performance at all. 

So, resolve set, he stood up and began his songs. 

He started with popular works, things that had already garnered him some success this year, and then introduced his song. 

It was a simple thing, about one of the hunts Lambert had been telling him about. One where the monster had been slain and the people saved, and the Witcher in question had come out with only a scratch. 

A blow that would have felled a mortal man, Jaskier described it as.

There were some cheers from the audience, nothing as great as his other songs, but it was something, and he moved back into the songs people were more familiar with. 

It wasn’t until he was wrapping up his set that he noticed someone sitting in one of the corners, and his breath caught. 

He must have come in not too long ago, or else Jaskier would have noticed him before. 

There, in the corner, sat Valdo. 

He quickly finished his song, bowing to the audience and gathering the coins he’d been tossed, trying to get out of the main room before- 

He turned, and Valdo was in front of him. 

“Ah, Julian,” Valdo spoke, “come with me,” he instructed, snagging Jaskier’s arm before he could grab for the dagger, and dragging Jaskier back to the corner with him. 

“No, Valdo let go, ” Jaskier insisted, before Valdo hissed, 

“ Stay quiet. ” 

Jaskier’s mouth clicked shut, and then he wrenched control back over his body, flinching at the headache it caused. 

By then they were already in the corner, away from prying eyes, and Valdo was trying to tug him into the seat next to him. Jaskier wrenched his arm out of Valdo’s grasp. 

“ Sit down, ” Valdo instructed as he took a seat, and Jaskier struggled to fight the command, pulling back away from Valdo and shaking his head. 

“You don’t control me,” Jaskier pointed out, hand coming to wrap around the handle of his dagger, even as his body protested. 

“Only, thanks to something I learned from your parents, I do, ” Valdo crowed. “ Let go of the blade, ” he instructed, and Jaskier fought to keep his hand on the hilt. 

Wrenching out of the command, he moved to draw his weapon, only for Valdo to speak again. “ Drop your hand to the side and sit down, ” he instructed, and Jaskier realized he couldn’t hold out. 

Either break another command, and probably pass out from the effort, or obey, so he could break a different command. 

He let his hand fall to the side, and took the chair across from Valdo. 

It hadn’t been what Valdo meant, as he scowled at the seat next to him, but Jaskier didn’t care. It hadn’t been what he’d said, and he was too busy trying to fight through the mind numbing effects of the ‘reward’ for obedience to worry about much else. 

“ Sit next to me, ” Valdo clarified, but Jaskier fought through the command, the pain replacing pleasure once more. 

At least now he could think again. 

“You’re putting an awful lot of energy into fighting this,” Valdo pointed out, reaching across the table and grabbing Jaskier’s hand, even as Jaskier tried to wrench it back. 

“What do you think is going to happen when the others get back?” Jaskier asked, debating just making a run for it. 

Valdo chuckled. “What, those freaks? If they cared about you that much, they never would have left you alone to begin with.” 

That wasn’t true, and Jaskier knew it. 

And… Valdo knew it too. Jaskier could see the slight twitch in his eyes, where he was glancing towards the door. 

Valdo was on borrowed time, and he knew it. Jaskier just had to be smart about this. 

The Witchers wouldn’t be back till close to dawn. But Valdo didn’t know that. 

“If you made a run for it, they might not kill you for daring to touch me. And if you left now, you might just be able to get away before they get back.” 

Valdo just laughed. “I’m not that scared of your Witchers, ” the term was said with such disgust that Jaskier was half tempted to punch Valdo right then and there. The only thing stopping him was realizing he wouldn’t get away with it. “No,” Valdo continued, “if anything, they should be scared of me. Or rather, what I could do, if I reported their location. Your parents aren’t exactly fond of the way you’re trying to destroy everything they’ve built.” 

Well, that was rather the point. Still, Valdo phrased it like they’d done something. “What are you talking about?” he asked, even as he scrambled for a way out of this. 

He needed to get away from Valdo. He needed to get back to his room. Valdo wasn’t strong enough to break the door down, so if Jaskier could get the door locked, he’d be safe till Eskel and Geralt got back. 

“Your parents are so worried, ” Valdo intoned, clearly implying that they weren’t, “when we heard that you’d been kidnapped by Witchers, well of course they put out a warrant for those mutants’ arrest.” 

Oh. Fuck. 

Jaskier was speechless. When he’d actually been kidnapped they declared him dead, and then they turned around and declared him kidnapped after he left on his own? How could his parents do something like that- 

One of these days. One of these days he’d stop asking himself that question. 

He needed to focus. Get away from Valdo somehow. But how? How, without Valdo using the command and paralyzing him again? 

“If you come quietly,” Valdo began, his voice softening, “I can persuade them to drop the charges. All your parents want is you back home.” 

Back home where they could control him again. Back home where he’d lose all sense of agency, or choice. 

No. Never. 

He frowned, as if mulling the offer over. 

Quiet. He needed a way to stop Valdo from being able to command him, and a way to do it quietly. It would do him no good to get kicked out of the inn for starting a fight. 

…He wasn’t really considering this. Was he? 

It was a low blow, for sure, but it could work, which was all Jaskier needed right now. 

He raised his head, meeting Valdo’s eyes, and put on the best ‘insecure Omega’ look he could. 

Valdo inched closer to him, till he was almost off his chair. “What do you say?” Valdo asked, almost breathless. 

Instead of responding, Jaskier kicked upwards, catching the man in the crotch. 

The look of shocked pain on his face was beautiful, and Jaskier grabbed his lute, bolting for the stairs. 

“ Stop, ” Valdo finally managed as Jaskier reached the stairs, and Jaskier had to wrench control back but then he was on the stairs, then at his room, then the door was slammed shut and locked between them. 

Within a few seconds Valdo was there, pounding on the door. “ Open up, bitch ,” he growled, and Jaskier shoved away the command, instead clutching his dagger close. His head ached from refusing so many commands, but he held firm. 

“ Open this door, ” Valdo spoke again, and Jaskier just held the dagger tighter, gritting his teeth as the pain grew worse. 

Geralt and Eskel would come back. He’d be fine. He’d be safe. 

The door handle rattled, and Jaskier pushed himself away from it, finding space in one of the corners and planting himself with his back to the wall, the dagger in front of him. 

He wouldn’t go with Valdo. He refused. 

“ Stand up and open this door, ” Valdo spoke again, and Jaskier let out a cry as his body punished him for refusing again. “You can’t hold out, I know you’re in agony refusing me. You’re being a disgrace of an Omega. Open the door. ” 

He coughed, forcing his body not to respond. 

Something… something felt wrong. 

He glanced down, frowning as the room spun around him, and when he raised his hand to try and stop the spinning, there were spots of red on his hand. 

“ Omega! Open the door! ” 

Jaskier dug his fingers into his skin, wrenching control back one final time, and passed out.

Chapter Text

“Jaskier?” 

He groaned, blinking and trying to open his eyes around the pain. “..ralt?” he rasped, though that brief syllable was agony on his head. 

“Jaskier, are you alright? We can smell blood.” This was Eskel. 

Jaskier frowned. The… the door. It was still locked. 

He… he needed to unlock it. 

“...old on,” he rasped, trying to stagger to his feet. 

Everything in his body was protesting the movement, and his head swam dangerously. 

What had happened? 

Oh. Right. Valdo. 

He managed to make it to the door, fumbling to unlock it. 

The second it was unlocked Geralt wrenched it open, catching Jaskier as he fell. 

“ Fuck, what happened?” he asked, even as Eskel closed the door behind them. 

“Valdo,” Jaskier whispered, his head screaming at him. “Parents must have- told him. About the curse. Tried to get me to open the door.” 

Everything was too much, too loud, and he was half tempted to throw up just to see if it would help take some of the pain away. 

“Do you want a command you can follow?” Eskel asked, and Jaskier did his best to nod. 

Anything to make the pain go away. 

“ Follow my breathing, ” Geralt instructed, and Jaskier complied, taking a deep breath and passing out again as the pain evaporated. 

The room wasn’t spinning when he opened his eyes this time, though for a moment he couldn’t tell, as both Geralt and Eskel were leaning over him, their brows pinched in concern. “I’m alright,” he tried, wincing a bit as he tried to sit up. 

“You were covered in blood, ” Eskel responded, steadying Jaskier. 

“Your face and shirt, mostly,” Geralt explained, handing Jaskier some water. “Your nose was bleeding.” 

Jaskier nodded. “I guess that’s what I get for refusing so many commands- fuck my head’s trying to murder me still.” 

“...You passed out,” Geralt continued. “From obeying a command. Not just 'falling asleep', you passed out. That’s… has that ever happened before?” 

Jaskier shook his head. “No, but I’ve never tried to refuse so many commands back to back- oh shit, Valdo said something about my parents putting out warrants for your arrest-” 

Eskel placed a gentle hand on Jaskier’s arm, silencing him. “We’ll look into it. Their warrants can’t extend past Redania, even with the king’s backing, and without it they can’t reach further than Lettenhove. We’ll reach out to the other Witchers and black list Lettenhove for contracts. Let’s focus on you for the moment.” 

“Is Valdo gone?” 

“If his is the scent by the door, I can go check,” Geralt volunteered, and left. 

Eskel frowned for a moment, before gently pulling Jaskier into a hug. “You worried us,” he admitted. 

Jaskier just clung tighter to him. “I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.” 

“No, that’s not- I mean we care about you." He sighed. "What can I do to help?” 

Jaskier frowned, thinking. “...Could you… maybe, use another command? I’m still in a lot of pain.” 

Eskel nodded. “ Close your eyes. ” 

Jaskier obeyed, the relief soothing away much of the pain, leaving him boneless and relaxed in Eskel’s grasp. “...Don’t stop?” He asked, and Eskel chuckled a bit next to him. 

“Alright. Take a deep breath for me. ” Jaskier did as instructed, feeling the tension in his shoulders finally ease. “ Now let it out. ” He exhaled, the shakiness finally steadying. A moment later, there was a cup pressed to his lips. “ Drink, ” Eskel instructed, and Jaskier swallowed down the water, slowly losing the last of the tension, as his headache faded into the background, and disappeared. “Very good,” Eskel whispered. “Do you need any more?” 

Jaskier shook his head, opening his eyes. 

Everything was softer, and he finally felt like himself again. 

The sun was up, and birds chirped outside the window. 

“...I think I’m better now,” he finally concluded. “Thank you.” 

“Of course. I’m not going to leave you like that if I can help. Are you alright though?” 

Jaskier nodded. “I think all the lingering effects are gone- though I could use a bath, I can still feel the blood sticking to my face and it is not pleasant-” 

“I meant- Valdo. You had to refuse his commands. I can only guess what kind of commands they were, but… are you alright?” 

Jaskier stopped, frowning as he tried to take stock of himself. “...I’m… shaken, certainly. This was what I was afraid of happening. Someone using my curse against me. But at the same time… it was just Valdo. And he didn’t do anything. I actually got to kick him in the balls, so he’s going to regret that particular interaction for a long time yet.” He chuckled a bit, but the mirth subsided rather quickly. “...I want to get this curse broken. And soon. And I know it won’t be. I guess… I’m just scared.” 

“We won’t let anything happen to you,” Eskel promised. “Even if we have to take contracts alone from here on, so someone’s always here to guard you.” 

Jaskier shook his head. “No, no, don’t do that. Some monsters genuinely do need both of you to deal with. I’ll be alright. I just have to be careful from here on. I’ll wait in the room while you two are on your hunts, and perform when you’re here.” 

Eskel looked like he was about to argue, when Geralt came back. “He’s fled. Not sure how long ago. Still, we should be heading out. Jaskier? Are you feeling better?” 

Jaskier nodded. “Much better.” 

“Should we wait until you’ve had a chance to sleep?” Eskel asked. “Passing out doesn’t count as rest. And you said you wanted a bath.” 

Jaskier frowned, but shook his head. “No, I'll just clean up in the wash basin. The sooner we leave the faster we can get away from Valdo. Besides. If I pass out again one of you can carry me.” 

Eskel chuckled, and Geralt cracked a small smile. 

“Stop being so nervous,” Eskel encouraged, “if your uncles are as good as you’ve told us, they won’t believe baseless rumors. Especially when you show up, completely unharmed before them.” 

“I’m still allowed to worry, I haven’t seen them or my cousin in years.” 

They were only a few miles outside of Hengfors, in Caingorn, where Jaskier’s uncles had moved after marrying. 

And… yes, he was nervous. Absolutely terrified even. 

“...They’re the only family I have left,” he admitted. “My mother has no siblings, and I’ve no distant relations. This is it. And if… if they reject me… reject us …” He didn’t know how to finish that sentence. 

He startled as Geralt brushed shoulders with him. “You’ll have a family with us, no matter what,” Geralt promised. “You’ve already been invited to Kaer Morhen. You’re family now.”

He sighed. “I hope Essi’s alright. I haven’t seen her in… well. I haven’t seen her since she presented.” 

“That… won’t be a problem, will it?” Geralt asked. 

Jaskier and Eskel looked over to him, confused. “What won’t?” 

“Well. Nobles and their… bullshit views. If your cousin presented as an Omega, would she have any rights to the seat?” 

Jaskier chuckled. “Oh, yes. She’ll have plenty of right to the seat, regardless of how she’s presented. Technically, I would too, except I’d have to wait until my parents left on their own. Assuming, of course, that they haven’t disowned me now. But Essi can take the seat as her claim is stronger than that of my father’s, given that her father was supposed to take the seat to begin with.” 

“So why not ask your uncle to take the seat?” Eskel asked. 

Jaskier frowned, considering. “...I can ask him, but… he wasn’t interested in taking it before. He’d rather spend time with his husband. There’s a reason he let my father have the seat, instead of proving anything. They wish to stay as far removed from this life as possible.” 

“They sound sensible,” Eskel concluded. “It’ll be interesting to see their thoughts on this matter-” 

“Julian!” A loud booming voice called. “I wondered if you would be heading here, you little scamp!” 

Jaskier broke out into a grin. “Uncle Giel!” 

Chapter Text

“A curse, eh?” Uncle Jonas remarked, as they all sat down for tea. “I’ll admit, that does make a horrid amount of sense.” 

“So you never noticed?” Eskel asked. 

Uncle Jonas shook his head. “No, I’m afraid I didn’t. Though, to be fair, most nobles treat that instinct as a curse anyway. It’s… not as uncommon as it should be to find nobles that will command their desires for things far short of an emergency.” He sighed heavily, placing a comforting hand on Jaskier’s arm. “I’m sorry, my boy. I wish I’d have known sooner. And I wish I could have done something to help, had I known.” 

Both Witchers next to Jaskier relaxed, and Jaskier figured his uncle must be telling the truth. 

“It’s alright. We know how to break it now.” 

“It’s not alright,” Uncle Giel announced, from the other side of the table. “Your parents were trying to choke out the person you are, with this… obedient servant they wanted you to be.” 

Jaskier didn’t have anything to say to that. It was right. 

“I’m not sure if Essi’ll want to take over,” Uncle Geil commented, frowning a bit. “She’s never expressed an interest in it before. Still, you’ll have to ask her when you find her.” 

“When I find her?” Jaskier asked, confused. 

“Well yeah!” Uncle Jonas chuckled. “She’s been off traveling the last few years! She writes home every now and again, telling us how she’s doing.” 

“Do you have any idea where she might be now?” Eskel asked. 

“Right now? Can’t say I do,” he admitted. “Though, I do know where she will be. She’s planning on attending the spring festival in Oxenfurt next year.” 

A year. 

Jaskier wouldn’t know where she was for a year. “Alright. Thank you, so much. I guess… we’ll figure out where to go from here.” 

“Why don’t you take the seat, Jaskier?” Geil asked. 

Jaskier just shook his head. “My claim is just as illegitimate as theirs. It was stolen from you. If you write in saying you don’t want the seat, then it makes their claim legitimate, but it doesn’t give me any rights to take it .” 

“Why don’t you want to take back the seat?” Geralt asked. 

Jonas and Geil looked at each other, communicating silently the way Jaskier had seen his Witchers do several times now. 

“... Lettenhove deserves better,” Jonas finally spoke up. “If we were to try to fight for that claim now… the people there could get hurt. Better to let someone new, with the energy to fight and keep them safe take over.” 

Jaskier knew that Eskel and Geralt didn’t share that view, but it wasn’t their call. “I understand,” Jaskier spoke, before anyone else could. “You’ve done your fighting. Choosing to get away from Lettenhove, and be true to yourselves.” 

“It’s a battle you’re currently in, my boy. And I wish you all the luck with it.” 

“Now,” Geil spoke up, standing up, “why don’t I show you to the guest rooms, and you can settle in for the night? And we can discuss anything else in the morning.” 

It was… lonely, trying to sleep in his own room. 

He knew Geralt and Eskel would have already snuck into their own room together by now, even though they were given individual rooms. 

Given the size of the beds here, it was likely that his uncles had expected that. 

So, here he was, trying to sleep without the crackling of the fire. Without the sound of Geralt’s snores. Without the heat of his Witchers pressed against him. 

…When had they started cuddling through the night? It had felt so natural, he couldn’t really remember when it had begun. In the inns, perhaps? Where beds were too small for two Witchers to snuggle up together, so Jaskier had begun sharing a bed with one of them? 

Either way, he missed that heat now. 

Missed it a lot. 

He frowned, before standing up, and making his way out the door, pausing. 

Who would go to who? Would they be in Geralt’s room, or Eskel’s? 

Eskel had the common sense. He’d go to Geralt. 

Steeling his nerves, he raised his hand to knock on Geralt’s door only for Eskel to pull it open, giving him a knowing look. 

Jaskier blushed, but didn’t acknowledge the look. “May I join you for the night?” he asked. 

“Are you sure you’re ready for that?” Geralt called from behind Eskel, and Jaskier had half a minute of confusion before he realized what Geralt meant. 

“Oh- not like that- oh shit you’re probably- nevermind, I can just-” 

“You’re welcome to share our bed, Jaskier,” Eskel said, cutting through Jaskier’s nervous rambling. “However you’d like to interpret that.” 

Fairly certain that he could cook meat on his face with how furiously Jaskier was blushing, he entered the room, sitting down on the bed, punching Geralt’s shoulder lightly before wrapping an arm around him. 

Geralt chuckled, not even flinching, and pulled Jaskier closer as Eskel got into bed behind Jaskier. 

“Nice to be cuddling in a proper bed,” Jaskier commented, sleepy, but not quite ready to fall asleep yet. 

“Should see the bed in Kaer Morhen,” Geralt whispered. “Large enough for all of us. Even you too. Fall asleep in a pile at the end of each day, just glad that we’ve all survived the path.” 

“Mmm,” Eskel breathed, settling his head down above Jaskier’s, and Jaskier imagined if he had been able to crane his head up to that angle, he would have seen Geralt and Eskel so close they could be kissing. 

He wondered what that would be like, to be between the two of them kissing, and with that thought drifted off to sleep. 

Warm, calloused hands smoothed down his side, pressing in and pulling groans from his throat. His lips had no say in whether he made the sounds, they poured from him regardless of his desires. 

His desires, which were currently being seen to very thoroughly. 

Another hand drifted lower, warm and-

He woke up, breathing a little heavily. No matter how many times he had the dreams, they always ended before anything exciting happened. 

“You seem frustrated.” 

Jaskier glanced up, frowning at Geralt who was just waking up himself. “Do you just take over for Lambert when he isn’t here?” he wondered, and behind him Eskel laughed. 

“If he wants the dirty jokes said, he has to. He knows I don’t have what it takes to be… quite that level of irritating.” 

“Oh you’re irritating all on your own,” Geralt commented, turning and getting out of bed, stretching out his muscles. 

Jaskier finally got a look at the window. 

“Oh for fuck’s- it’s not even dawn yet? How early is it?” 

“Early enough for us to leave the room if you’d like some privacy,” Eskel commented, unwrapping himself from Jaskier and leaving him cold and alone on the bed. 

Jaskier blushed furiously. “You don’t have to do that.”

Geralt paused where he was getting ready for the day. “...You’re not going to deal with it?” 

Jaskier took a breath. “No point, really. I…” he couldn’t make himself say it, but Eskel seemed to get the point. 

“...You don’t know how?” 

Jaskier could feel his ears burn, but he nodded, ducking his head down. 

It was… it was fine. He wasn’t broken, he just… didn’t know how to handle taking care of his own pleasure. Absolutely nothing wrong with that-

“Whatever you’re thinking, stop,” Geralt commanded, coming to sit next to him. “You’re fine.” 

“...I don’t feel fine,” Jaskier admitted. “I feel… broken. Foolish. I- I have these dreams, and I want to act on them, only… they stop for the same reason I do. I don’t know how… I don’t know what I’m doing.” 

Eskel and Geralt shared a look, and then Eskel also sat down. 

He gently took one of Jaskier’s hands in his. “Would you like help?” 

The blush got furiously worse. “...I… I want to learn how to do this alone. Without anyone, before I…” 

“That’s not the only kind of help we can offer,” Eskel pointed out. “We could give you advice, possibly some books to read, or anything else that might be helpful. Your only resource isn’t just your imagination.” 

“...Oh.” 

“And if you did want our help, there’s several ways we could do that without touching you either, if that’s the concern,” Geralt pointed out. “Whatever we can do to help, just let us know, when you’re comfortable.”

Jaskier took a breath, calming his nerves, then nodded. “I… thank you. That means a lot.” 

Eskel and Geralt both nodded. “Of course. Now- I really should go spar with this idiot, so you’ve got some time to yourself. And, if you do decide to do anything, keep this in mind: your goal is just to enjoy your time. Nothing more, nothing less.”

With that Eskel was up, dragging Geralt out of the room, but before he left Geralt gave a small, encouraging smile towards Jaskier. 

That… that was very nice of them. 

He took a few more breaths, before curling back up in the sheets that were drenched in their scent, breathing it in. 

Yes. He should focus on enjoying himself. That was what was important in this. 

…And maybe he should find a book or two about the topic. 

Chapter Text

He found his uncles at breakfast, Eskel and Geralt still training. He sat down, hesitating with his questions, until uncle Geil finally noticed. “What is it, lad? You’ve got questions, spit ‘em out.”

“What… what are the dynamics supposed to be like?” he finally asked. “Why do they exist? And… just… you both know how we were raised as nobles. What they told us. Clearly, it was wrong, but… how wrong?” 

“This is about Alpha Commands,” uncle Jonas correctly guessed. At Jaskier’s nod, he sighed. “Alright. I can’t tell you much about how it started, there’s thousands of theories and you can find most of them at Oxenfurt if you want. What I can tell you is what I’ve seen, and what I believe. 

“Every portion of the three dynamics is meant to add something to the overall survival of the pack. Alphas are the fighters. They react the fastest, they don’t tend to panic when faced with life or death situations, and they tend to be pretty strong. It’s why they have the Alpha command. And it’s not just Omegas who have to deal with it! Betas have a small compulsion to respond to an Alpha’s command as well, though nowhere near as strong.” 

Jaskier nodded. So far, all of this was making sense, and lined up with what his parents had taught. 

“Now here’s where the nobility failed us: alphas are only supposed to use that command in life or death situations. Now. That’s not the world we live in right now. But that’s how it started. Moving on: Betas. Alphas were meant to get us through emergencies, such as natural disasters or attacks. Betas were meant to get us through hard winters. Betas in general are smarter than any other dynamic. Better at leading, and organizing. It’s part of why our scents tend to be neutral, so as to not offend anyone. The running theory is that Betas were meant to be leaders, not Alphas. Alphas tend to be too rash, and impulsive. While that’s good on a battlefield, it’s not quite as useful when keeping track of supplies to make sure they last through the winter.” 

Jaskier bit his lower lip, frowning down at his hands. “...Everything I’ve always heard says that Omegas are child rearers. We’re supposed to be ‘protected’ and ‘kept away’ from the fighting, to be able to bear children and raise them. Is… is that what you believe?”

“Omegas are the peacekeepers,” uncle Geil corrected. “Supposed to be treasured, because Omegas can stop two warring Alphas from slitting each other’s throats before winter or monsters can do it for them. A popular theory is that the reason we see so much warfare is because Omegas aren’t given any leadership positions. They’re in charge of keeping everyone safe from themselves. They’re caretakers. It’s part of why many Omegas are good at raising children, yes, but it’s not necessary. A lot of nobles like to claim it’s the only thing Omegas are good for, but that’s complete bullshit. In fact, we’ve seen you already doing it, changing people’s opinions with your songs. You understand people, and what makes them hurt, what makes them laugh, and you can use it.” 

Uncle Jonas took over. “We’re not saying this as ‘oh, this is the way every single Alpha, Beta and Omega will ever act’. But it’s… kind of a stereotype that helps think about it?” 

“Like trying to explain what being feminine or masculine is,” uncle Geil added. 

“Exactly. We can give you a rough idea, but ultimately it’s up to you how you decide to use the life you’ve been given. If you want to ascribe to what’s been done before, or if you want to chart out your own course.” 

Jaskier smiled a bit. “Thank you. Both of you. This… It really helped.” 

He was in the library, when he realized he hadn’t seen uncle Geil or his Witchers since breakfast. 

“Uncle Jonas?” he called, and his uncle looked up.

“Yes?” 

“...Where’s uncle Geil?” 

Uncle Jonas smiled a bit, turning back to his own book. “In the garden, with your Witchers. He wanted to talk about shovels.” 

“Talk about- shovels? Wait- Hey!” 

Uncle Jonas chuckled. “We were going to notice how close you were with them eventually. Don’t worry, they seem very nice. But if you ever do need a place to hide from them, you know we’ve got your back, yes?” 

Jaskier smiled a bit, even as he shook his head. “Of course I know. But they’ve been better to me than my parents ever were.”

“Oh yes, Geil and I might be planning our own form of revenge on your parents, outside your own. Hope you don’t mind.” 

It was clear from his tone that he was going to be continuing with that revenge regardless of what Jaskier said, so Jaskier just chuckled again. “Fine, do what you want. Just let me know if you’re going to be spreading any rumors about them, so I don’t contradict them.” 

“Don’t worry. Any rumors we spread will be from before you were born. Don’t forget who you learned to eavesdrop from.”

They stayed that night, deciding immediately to share a room again. This time Eskel lay in the middle, Geralt and Jaskier both wrapped around him. 

“Your uncles are wise,” Geralt commented, and Jaskier realized they’d heard everything that morning. 

“...I guess… I just needed to hear something… reassuring. From someone I’ve known for a while.” 

“We’re not begrudging you that,” Eskel commented, “it’s good that you had someone you felt safe to ask those questions of.”

He glanced up. “...Why do I feel like you would have made a great Beta?” Jaskier asked Eskel. 

He chuckled. “Because you’ve been spending too much time around Geralt, and in comparison I look smart?” 

Geralt shoved him gently, barely even moving him. “It’s because you actually talk.” 

“So, not every Witcher is an Alpha then?” Jaskier asked, and both Eskel and Geralt shook their heads. 

“Vesemir’s a Beta.” 

“That’s the second time you’ve mentioned him. Your mentor, right?” 

“You’ll meet him, this winter,” Eskel spoke, his eyes already starting to slip closed. “He stays at Kaer Morhen all year now, only leaving if there’s a monster close by, or he has to stock up on supplies.” 

“So… he’s retired?” Jaskier concluded. 

“As retired as a Witcher can be. Now come on. We’re back on the path tomorrow. Let’s get some sleep while we still can.” 

Leaving his uncles was sad, but Jaskier promised himself that he wouldn’t wait this long to visit them ever again. 

And he could do that now. He was his own person. He could visit them when he chose. 

The day was just beginning, the birds singing to each other, and the summer heat was already heavy in the air as they walked. 

He was tempted to pull out his lute and start singing, but he wanted to wait until he needed a distraction from the heat of the road. Right now it was a wonderful day, and he wanted to enjoy it while it lasted.

“Oh, I asked your uncles where the nearest bookstore was, and it turned out they had one in town,” Eskel commented, handing back a book. 

Jaskier stared at it, before taking it and flipping through the pages. “Um. Alright? But they’re really quite open about who can borrow from their library- Oh sweet Melitele!” Jaskier slammed the book shut, his cheeks burning. 

Geralt chuckled softly next to him. “Didn’t think you’d want to borrow one of your uncles’ books on that.” 

Blushing fiercely, Jaskier opened the book again, finding the line he’d been on and kept reading, finishing two more sentences before he closed the book again. “Is… is that…?” 

“Didn’t read the book ourselves,” Geralt pointed out, “just asked the lady for her recommendation.” 

“She had a lot of recommendations,” Eskel agreed. “This was the one she said was good for beginners.” 

For beginners? 

Jaskier opened the book one more time, rereading the line. “How does the tongue do that??” he wondered. 

“If you’d ever like us to show you, you only need to ask,” Eskel pointed out, chuckling a bit as Geralt reached over and smacked his arm. 

Oh, this was going to be something he read while they were away. On hunts. Very far from where they might hear Jaskier.

Chapter Text

“You’re not going to perform tonight?” Eskel asked as he and Geralt started preparing for the contract they’d taken. 

Jaskier shook his head. “No, I thought… I thought I might read the book you got me instead.” 

Eskel smiled a bit as he checked his potions, and Geralt reached over and ruffled Jaskier’s hair. “Have fun with that then. Would you like a bit of inspiration before we leave?” 

“Inspiration? Like what?” 

Geralt shifted his hand a bit, till it was cupping Jaskier’s face, his thumb tracing along his cheekbone, and Jaskier could feel his face flushing. “...oh, um… yes please?” 

Geralt chuckled a bit, before leaning in and kissing Jaskier, pressing their lips together, before gently teasing Jaskier’s bottom lip with his tongue. 

At Jaskier’s groan, Geralt pressed further, till their tongues were tangled together and Jaskier had to brace himself on Geralt’s armor, his head spinning. 

After a moment Geralt pulled back, and finished preparing for the hunt. 

Jaskier looked at Eskel, who chuckled. “I’ll save mine for after the hunt,” he said as he winked, and Jaskier smiled. 

“Get done quickly then,” Jaskier whispered, reaching out and hugging Eskel. 

“Of course. Can’t leave my Omega waiting. But we’ll be sure to give you plenty of time to finish that book.” 

Then they were leaving, and Jaskier carefully locked the door behind them. He waited a few minutes, calming his nerves, then he picked up the book from his pack and began reading. 

Despite his initial thoughts that the book would be nothing but… intimate scenes, he quickly discovered that there was in fact a plot to it. It was about a vampire, who ran an estate, and had to hire a young maiden from the nearby town to help him keep an eye on his castle, as he lived entirely alone. 

Jaskier took a brief moment to wonder if Geralt and Eskel knew this was a book about a vampire, before he got to the very interesting bit. 

This vampire, in order to drink from women, would seduce them, and would only drink a little of their blood, during their peak. 

Apparently he had a whole rotation, and- 

And before he knew it, Jaskier was halfway through the book, and was so hard and slick it was becoming uncomfortable. 

He shifted a bit, before giving up and shoving his pants down so he could trace a finger along his entrance as he continued to read. 

Now the young maiden had worked hard to seduce the vampire, and he was taking his time teaching her how to bring pleasure to her body, and was- ah, here’s where he read earlier. How did someone do that with their tongue?

His fingers were now dripping with his own slick, and as the vampire gently pushed his fingers into the woman alongside his tongue, Jaskier did the same on his body, using one hand to turn the page, the other to pleasure himself. 

He groaned as his muscles tensed a bit, the feeling of just one finger already so much. 

Fuck, how had he not done this sooner? 

He kept reading, increasing his fingers as the scene progressed. He took his time, making sure his fingers were properly coated before trying to slide them in, and by the time he reached three fingers he was shaking. 

The vampire was just about to slide in, when- 

Jaskier groaned as the vampire was interrupted, and he set his head on his arm. He didn’t want to read more plot, he wanted to finish. 

Setting the book to the side, he shifted till he was on his back, his hand now free. 

If the book wasn’t going to get him there, he needed to do it himself. 

So, he focused on his own fingers, inside his body. The way they felt, the small jolts of pleasure he was able to pull from himself. 

He tried a few different positions, then speeds, twisting his fingers slightly and gasping at the feeling. 

Would you like some inspiration before we leave?

Jaskier thought about Geralt, the way he’d held him, kissing him deeply. Thought about what it might be like to feel that tongue running down his body. 

They’d mentioned Geralt’s oral fixation before, would… would Geralt want to do what was in that book? With his tongue? What would that feel like? 

And then he imagined Eskel’s hands, coming around him, embracing him, skilled fingers tracing patterns and designs over Jaskier’s nipples, bringing them to peaks-

He quickly shifted his free hand to do just that, imagining what it might feel like to have Eskel’s hands on him instead of his own. 

To have Lambert whisper curses into his ear as he licked up Jaskier’s neck, to have Aiden kissing his mouth, silencing his gasps-

He quickly wrapped his free hand around his weeping prick, speeding up until he shook, tears coming to his eyes as something washed over him, and he gasped for breath, energy draining away as pleasure consumed him. 

Was… was that it? Was that his peak? 

He chuckled a bit, laying back and enjoying the feeling for a bit, before he remembered how sticky he was, and grimaced. 

He… should probably do something to clean himself up, before the others got back. 

Sodden was beautiful this time of year, the trees casting long shadows on the ground, offering blessed relief from the heat, and Jaskier listened as he could already hear the music from Kagen’s summer festival. 

“You know, I’ve never been to one of these,” he commented as they walked. 

“A festival?” Eskel asked. At Jaskier’s nod, Eskel reached out, gently snagging Jaskier’s hand. “You’ll love it. It’s just like you. Bright and cheerful, and full of life.” 

Jaskier had to fight to get his blush under control at that statement, and before he could formulate a response they were approaching the main gate to the city, joining the crowds of people coming and going. 

There was so much to look at! Musicians, playing, merchants calling out their wares, street performers and acrobats dancing through the square. 

One particularly daring acrobat actually vaulted over the heads of three people before catching one of the ropes holding decorations, and balancing on it precariously. 

“Do you think Aiden could do that?” Jaskier asked, turning only to find that he’d lost sight of Eskel and Geralt. 

Fuck. 

“Eskel?” he called, trying to remember when his hand had slipped out of Eskel’s. “Geralt?” 

No response. Or at least, none that he could hear. 

“Alright Jaskier, don’t panic. It’s not the first time you’ve been alone.” 

He took a breath, searching the crowds to see if he could spot either of his Witchers. 

“Alright, I can’t see them, where would they go? They both hate crowds, so… the edge? So I need to get out of the middle.” 

He began making his way towards the edge of the crowd, trying not to get in anyone’s way, and weaving between the throngs of people amassed in one location. 

Eventually he made it to the edge, right in front of an alley, and took a moment to catch his breath. 

He still couldn’t see Geralt or Eskel, and he was trying not to panic. 

“ Don’t make a sound, ” a voice behind him instructed, and then a hand clamped around his mouth, more hands dragging him back, and Jaskier didn’t think. 

He threw his head back, hard, the person behind him falling away with a curse for half a second, and Jaskier screamed. 

“ Geralt! ” he called, fighting against whoever was holding his arms down. 

“Fucking shit, stop fighting, ” the other person trying to abduct him instructed, but Jaskier ignored the command, trying to get a hand down to one of his knives. 

“ Eskel, Geralt, hel- ” the first attacker covered his mouth again, and he was hauled further into the alley, but now he’d gotten a hand to one of his knives and he drew it, slicing into the leg of the person who was holding him. 

The first set of arms fell away but before he could get to his other attacker, the Alpha- and he could smell the stench of an angry Alpha off this man- grabbed his wrist with the dagger and slammed him into the wall, still keeping his mouth covered. 

“ Drop the fucking dagger, ” he growled, but Jaskier tightened his grip on it, trying to reach his other hand for another dagger when a sword appeared at the Alpha’s throat. 

“The fuck you think you’re doing to our Omega?” Lambert growled. 

Chapter Text

The Alpha glanced at Lambert, and paled, quickly releasing Jaskier who scrambled back, away from the Alpha, not taking his eyes off his would-be abductor until he backed into another wall of muscle and flinched away, only to realize it was Aiden. 

Who looked very pissed. 

“You alright there, flower?” he asked, his own eyes not leaving the two Alphas in front of them. 

“Just shaken up,” Jaskier explained as Geralt and Eskel finally arrived. 

“What happened?” Eskel asked as Geralt drew his own sword and leveled it at the bleeding Alpha on the ground. 

“These two fucking bastards tried to hurt our bard,” Lambert answered, even as Aiden lowered his own weapon and started checking over Jaskier. “And I’m about two seconds away from teaching them a lesson-” 

“Lambert,” Eskel warned. “We’ll turn them over to the authorities. Jaskier? Do you want to come with?” 

“Do you need me?” Jaskier asked.

“Not if you don’t want to come.” 

Jaskier shook his head, wincing. “I’d rather not. They tried to command me and my head physically hurts for it.” 

He heard several growls for that, and he looked up, relaxing as he realized it was just his Witchers being protective of him. 

“I’ll go with Jaskier and find us an inn,” Aiden volunteered. 

The others nodded, pulling the two Alphas out of the alley, and Aiden wrapped an arm around Jaskier, guiding him away from the alley. 

They found an inn quickly enough, though there was only one room left with all the crowds. 

Then they were up in the room, and Jaskier blinked a bit, realizing he was probably more disoriented than he’d originally thought. 

“Hey, Jaskier? Can you focus on me?” Aiden asked, taking Jaskier’s head in his hands and staring at him. 

“...missed you,” Jaskier whispered, and Aiden chuckled.

“I missed you too, now can you tell me how many fingers I’m holding up?” Aiden asked. 

Jaskier blinked, staring. “...three?” he asked. 

“You don’t sound terribly certain there.” 

“My head hurts a bit too much to focus,” he admitted. “They used three commands.” 

“And you fought them all? I’m impressed.”

“Getting stronger,” Jaskier smiled. “The curse is easing.” 

“That’s good, but if you’re this disoriented then you’re probably still cursed. What helps?” 

“Obeying something,” Jaskier answered, closing his eyes to try and fight the headache. 

“Hey, come on, eyes open.” Jaskier blinked, frowning, but he opened his eyes. “Alright, do I have your permission to give a command?” Aiden asked, and Jaskier nodded. Aiden glanced around, before picking up Jaskier’s hand. “ Squeeze my hand, ” he instructed, and Jaskier did as he was told, chuckling a little. 

“You know, that’s not one I’ve gotten before,” he admitted. 

“I panicked, I try not to use the commands outside of a life or death situation!” 

He couldn’t help it. He laughed. “I’m sorry,” he managed, “I’m sorry, I think- I’m still working through the ‘reward’ haze, I’m sorry-” 

“You haven’t passed out yet,” Aiden realized. “You usually pass out.” 

Jaskier shook his head. “Only if I’m stressed. The ‘reward’ releases all the tension, and I kind of just… collapse.” 

“What, two Alphas try to abduct you and you’re not stressed?” Aiden asked, taking a seat on the bed next to Jaskier. 

“...you’re right. I was terrified. I… I guess… the curse really must be weakening.” 

“About damn time,” Aiden muttered, before grinning. “At this rate, you won’t need us at all.” 

“Don’t say that,” Jaskier was appalled. “Of course I’ll still need you!” 

Aiden just blinked. “...You don’t honestly believe that, do you?” At Jaskier’s confusion, Aiden continued. “You don’t honestly believe you still need us, do you? Jaskier- you stopped needing us long before you even met me. We- do you want to be traveling with us? Or do you just think you need to?” 

Fuck, that wasn’t what he’d meant- “Of course I want to be traveling with you all- fucking- I love you all-” he stopped, as he realized that this was the first time he’d said it out loud. 

Aiden sat up, his eyes wide. “...You love us?” 

“That… is what I just said, yes.”

“And you weren’t lying.”

Jaskier took a breath, before letting it out. “I wasn’t. I love you. All of you.” 

“Aww, we fucking love you too buttercup!” Lambert called from the doorway, and Jaskier squeaked as he realized all his Witchers had heard his declaration. 

“Oh for fuck’s- get in here,” he instructed, holding out an arm and in an instant his Witchers were there, crowding around him and holding him tight. 

“We love you too,” Lambert growled into Jaskier’s ear, his chest to Jaskier’s back. 

Geralt and Aiden were at his sides, and Eskel was wrapped around his chest. 

Jaskier smiled, allowing the hug to continue for another few moments before he began squirming his way out. “Alright, this bed can’t stand all five of us, off, off, we still have a festival to attend!” 

“You sure you wanna keep going with the festival?” Lambert asked, and Jaskier shot him a glare. 

“I am not missing the first festival of my life because of two hooligans looking to cause trouble. You can choose to come with me or not, that’s up to you, but I’m heading out there and I’m going to enjoy myself!” 

None of them wanted to be away from Jaskier after the incident, and so they all went to the festival, each of them keeping a very keen eye on Jaskier at all times. 

He couldn’t really object. 

Knowing they were watching him made him feel safe. Protected. 

He made his way to different stalls, content to just observe the musicians this time, though one of these days he wanted to be a performer instead of a spectator. To feel the rush of performing for so many people.

The food was amazing, and Jaskier insisted on each of his Witchers trying something of the incredible food, but then he saw the merchant selling hair beads, and he knew he had to get some for each of his Witchers. 

In the end, he ended up finding beads that matched each of their eyes, and decided that he’d ask to braid them in that evening. 

Then Lambert spotted the bar, and Jaskier was dragged along to the alcohol, where Lambert handed him a mug of something strong, and… 

The rest was a bit of a blur. 

He remembered laughing. A lot. 

Remembered someone- probably Geralt- helping him stay upright as they made their way back to the inn. 

Remembered a lot of quiet conversations about who should sleep where, as Jaskier stared up at the ceiling and tried to follow the grains of the wood, and then- 

Then it was morning. 

He winced as the sunlight streamed in, the light making him want to throw up, and there was a nasty taste at the back of his throat that almost did that for him. 

“Oh shit,” a voice behind him said, but he couldn’t focus on that, too set on not puking to worry about who was behind him. “Hey, it’s okay, uh, Geralt?” 

“On it,” Geralt called, and Jaskier wanted to cry as the voice pierced right through his headache. “Here,” Geralt spoke a moment later, pressing a vial into Jaskier’s hands, and Jaskier quickly drank the whole thing down, before curling up in the bed again. 

“What was that?” he asked as quietly as he could manage. 

“A human safe modification of one of our potions. Should help you deal with the hangover.” 

Hangover. He was hungover. Because he’d been drinking the night before- 

His parents would be so fucking disappointed. He almost laughed. 

“So how much of last night do you remember?” Aiden asked from the other side of the room, and Jaskier winced, looking around. 

Lambert had shared a bed with him it seemed. And Eskel had taken the other bed, with Geralt and Aiden curling together on the floor. 

“I remember… music. And dancing. And… half a lyric? I don’t feel like writing it down though.” 

“Oh so you don’t remember these?” Lambert asked, tapping something in his hair-

The beads. 

Jaskier laughed, then winced. “I remember buying them for you, but not braiding them in- oh fuck.” he snorted. “They’re- fuck I did them wrong!” 

Lambert sighed, before bodily flopping down onto Jaskier. “Well we’re not changing them now. They mean too much.” 

Jaskier smiled, looking up at the bead in Lambert’s hair, which matched Eskel’s eyes. Glancing around, he realized that they all had the beads that corresponded to someone else’s eye color. 

Oh well. 

Now… Now it seem they were each carrying a piece of each other with them at all times. 

“Alright. Come on. Breakfast, then we need to get you beads of your own,” Lambert declared, and Jaskier blinked. 

“...What?” 

Chapter Text

Eskel and Geralt were heading off on their own. 

At least Jaskier had something to remember them by. Each of his Witchers had gotten him a bead for his hair, which were now all braided into a single strand. 

None of them had stuck with the ‘eye color’ plan though. 

Instead, they decided they needed to pick out beads ‘as colorful as our bard’. 

Geralt had gotten a green bead for him, and had quickly been put in charge of braiding Jaskier’s hair, as he had the gentlest hands for the task. 

Eskel had chosen a blue one, Lambert red, and Aiden yellow. 

Each of the beads was now firmly braided into his hair, and Jaskier vowed to himself to let his hair grow out long, so he’d never lose them. 

He touched them gently, remembering saying goodbye to Geralt and Eskel, the way they’d gently held him as they kissed him goodbye. 

“So. What new tales have you been working on since last we saw you?” Aiden asked, placing an arm around Jaskier’s shoulders. “Feel like singing us any songs? Because we’ve heard a few that might have been yours, but it’d be nice to hear them from the source.”

Jaskier smiled, pulling out his lute as Aiden stepped back to walk with Lambert. 

This he could do. 

He sang a few of the more popular songs he’d been working on, before eventually shifting and playing the song he’d written for Lambert. 

The second Lambert realized it was about him, he stopped walking, just staring at Jaskier, who winked and kept walking, singing and playing as he did. 

After a moment he could hear Lambert running to catch back up, and Jaskier smiled a bit to himself as Lambert refused to take his eyes off of Jaskier the entire time. 

Jaskier finished the song, bowing a bit at the end as Aiden clapped delightedly, but as soon as he was out of the bow Lambert hauled him into a hug. 

“ Thank you, ” he managed, his voice cracking, and Jaskier blinked, before returning the hug. 

“Of course. I told you all I’d write songs for you.” 

When Lambert pulled back, there were tears in his eyes, and Jaskier smiled brightly. 

This, he could do. This, he could give to his Witchers. This was his place in their group. 

It wasn’t until a week later, when he heard Aiden humming his song, that Jaskier realized. 

“ You can sing! ” he shouted, and Aiden chuckled a bit. 

“Yes, I can sing. Someone had to have musical talent before you came along.” 

“You should join the performance!” Jaskier declared. “Sing with me in the taverns! I can write us a duet!” 

Aiden blinked up at him. “You’d want that?” 

“I’d love that!” Jaskier insisted, and to the side Lambert chuckled. 

“That’d be something to see. Not sure the continent’s ready for a singing Witcher.” 

“Well they’d better get ready! What do you say?” 

Aiden glanced between Jaskier and Lambert, before sighing good naturedly. “Alright, alright, I’ll join. Not every performance, mind, but I wouldn’t mind sharing the spotlight with you, flower.” 

Jaskier was so overcome with joy that he reached out and hauled Aiden in, kissing him soundly before pulling back and grinning. “Thank you,” he whispered, before grabbing Lambert and hauling him into a kiss too before the grumpy Witcher could get jealous. 

He squeaked slightly as Lambert nipped at his lip, and Lambert pulled back. “That alright?” 

Jaskier nodded, blushing furiously. It wasn’t like it was the first time one of them had used teeth. But now he’d read that book, and… 

“Oh you’re interested, ” Aiden commented from behind him, and one of these days Jaskier would remember that they could smell arousal. “Would you like Lambert and I to leave you alone for a little while?” he asked, sliding an arm around Jaskier’s shoulders. 

“No, no, I… I’m still working through some… personal hangups.” 

“...Do you want help with that?” Lambert asked, stepping closer, and Jaskier’s blush was burning now, sandwiched between his two Witchers. 

He tried to speak, but it came out as more of a sharp, desperate whine, and both Witchers chuckled. 

“Have you done anything more than kissing?” Aiden asked, whispering it into Jaskier’s ear, and Jaskier shivered, shaking his head.

“Would you like to?” Lambert asked. 

Oh fuck. 

“I… yes. Plea-” he stopped talking as Lambert yanked him into a kiss, silencing him. 

The kiss was deep, possessive and wild, and when Lambert let go his eyes were blown wide, and Jaskier smiled a bit. 

“How far do you want to go?” Aiden asked, and Jaskier took a moment to steady himself and think. 

How far did he want to go? 

“I… not all the way. Not- I’m not ready for anything…” 

“You don’t feel like takin’ your pants off today?” Lambert summarized, which made Jaskier blush even worse, but he nodded. 

“Pretty much, yes.”

“Any other limits, flower?” Aiden asked, still whispering in his ear and Jaskier whimpered again, his knees threatening to give out. 

“No- I don’t- ah! ” he gasped as Aiden gently bit at his ear, and Aiden chuckled, his voice sending chills down his spine. 

“Tell us if there’s something you do or don’t like, alright?”

Jaskier hastily nodded. 

“Maybe we should get you off your feet,” Lambert growled, settling his hands on Jaskier’s hips. “Wouldn’t want you to fall now, would we?” 

“I’m sure you’d catch me,” Jaskier responded, before moaning as Aiden kissed his way down Jaskier’s neck. Oh, that was good. He suddenly understood what the obsession with necks was- 

He let out a cry of pleasure as Aiden’s teeth gently scraped along his neck, his hands holding Jaskier up. “Maybe- fuck- maybe I shouldn’t be standing,” Jaskier agreed, his eyes drifting shut as Lambert and Aiden moved them back to the bedrolls, and Jaskier sat down, tugging Lambert down with him, till he realized that Lambert was now on top of him. 

Lambert stared down at him, eyes wide and slightly shocked, and Jaskier just grinned up at him. Lambert swallowed. “Damn you’re pretty.” Jaskier blushed, hiding his face in his hands but Lambert tugged them away. “No, you are, back when I first met you, you were all stuck up repressed noble, but… now? Now there’s something wild to you. And it’s fucking gorgeous.”

Would he burst into flames if he blushed any harder? It seemed they were determined to find out. 

“Our beautiful flower,” Aiden commented, before snagging one of Jaskier’s hands from Lambert, and kissing first the knuckles, then turning it over and kissing Jaskier’s palm. 

“Yours,” Jaskier whispered, and they both stilled before Lambert dropped down and stole a kiss, his lips claiming against Jaskier’s and he melted into it, shuddering a bit as Aiden began kissing his way up Jaskier’s arm. 

“Fuck, you can’t say things like that,” Lambert whispered against Jaskier’s lips, and he sounded… wrecked. “Gonna make us think we get to keep you.”

Oh. 

He hadn’t told them yet. 

“Where else do you think I’d be going?” He asked, cupping Lambert’s cheek with his free hand, then pulling his other hand out of Aiden’s grasp to cup his cheek as well. “You have me. As long as you all will let me keep traveling with you.” 

This time it was Aiden who captured his lips, and then both Witchers had their arms wrapped around him, and they were-

Purring. 

His Alphas were purring. 

He closed his eyes, holding tight to them, and smiling softly. 

“As long as you want,” Lambert promised. “You can travel with us as long as you want, buttercup.” 

“Our beautiful little flower.” Aiden agreed. “Won’t let you go now,” he warned, and Jaskier grinned. 

“I don’t want you to. Where would I go without my Witchers?” 

Aiden chuckled. “I meant this evening. I’m not letting you go till morning.” 

Oh. 

Jaskier beamed, holding that much tighter.

Chapter Text

“You ready?” Aiden asked. 

Jaskier just grinned at him. “Are you? It’s your first time performing.” 

“You don’t know that.” 

Jaskier stared at him, but Aiden didn’t elaborate, instead standing up and pulling Jaskier into the middle of the room. 

Around them, a silence fell, and Jaskier launched into his opening. “Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to perform for you tonight, Jaskier the bard, and this time I have a guest performer with me, Aiden of Kaer Morhen!” He needed to find a title for Aiden, he thought, as everyone cheered. Fleet footed? 

He could think on that later, and he launched into his songs, playing the duets he’d never had a chance to perform before, and everyone loved it. 

He kept the set simple and short, so Aiden wouldn’t get overwhelmed, but by the end of it the audience was on their feet, cheering, and Jaskier laughed, delighted, before reaching out and kissing Aiden. 

He realized a moment later what he’d done, pulling back, but Aiden just grinned, tilting his head to the side in question. “I don’t mind. Do you?” 

Jaskier shook his head, and Aiden placed a hand on his hip, pulling him closer and kissing him deeply, even as the room cheered around them. 

The kiss had to end eventually, and Jaskier let his head fall to Aiden’s shoulder, chuckling slightly as he tried to stop blushing. 

“The people are going to be talking now,” Jaskier muttered, and Aiden’s grip on his hip tightened slightly. 

“Might want to be careful there, flower,” Aiden whispered quietly, “unless you feel up to learning some new things tonight.”

Jaskier remembered the nights before, where they’d all spent a significant amount of time exploring the pleasures of the neck, and in a moment of daring he pressed a quick kiss to Aiden’s neck. 

Aiden pulled in a breath, before lifting Jaskier into his arms. Jaskier squeaked and around them the room cheered again. “Come on flower, Aiden said, winking, “time to go to bed.”

Lambert was laughing all the way back to their room, cackling even as he closed the door behind them and Aiden laid Jaskier on the bed, grinning down at him. “Oh you should have seen their faces!” Lambert managed. “I don’t think anyone was expecting that!” 

“You going to keep laughing or are you going to help me kiss our flower?” Aiden asked, not taking his eyes off of Jaskier, who grinned up at him. 

“I don’t see you kissing me either,” he pointed out, before melting into the kiss as Aiden captured his mouth, his lips pressing insistently to Jaskier’s as Aiden ran a thumb along Jaskier’s cheek, and Jaskier moaned slightly, parting his lips and letting Aiden run his tongue along his own. 

“Fucking pretty,” Lambert whispered, and Jaskier felt the bed dip next to him, then Aiden pulled back to grab Lambert’s head, kissing him soundly. 

With Jaskier, Aiden had been passionate, but gentle. With Lambert he was almost aggressive, the two getting lost in each other’s mouths in a few seconds, and Jaskier had to bite his lip to stop the moans from escaping him. 

Then he had to push himself up the bed as Aiden and Lambert’s kiss grew more heated, and Aiden pushed Lambert onto the bed, the two almost wrestling each other as they kissed, until Lambert ended up on top, breaking the kiss and panting slightly as he grinned down at Aiden, who looked like the cat that got the cream. 

“I can’t wait for winter,” Lambert growled, and fuck it why did all Witcher voices have to do that to Jaskier? “That first week. Not gonna leave our room for anything.” 

“Might have to leave it for something, ” Aiden pointed out. “Jaskier’s heat should be around that time, right?” 

Oh. 

He’d forgotten about that. 

Lambert and Aiden were looking at him now, and Jaskier tried to think back. “...what time do you usually get back to Kaer Morhen?” 

“We start heading up there about a month after the leaves start to change colors, so we arrive right as winter sets in,” Lambert answered. “Is that-” 

Jaskier hastily nodded. “Start of winter’s my second heat, yes.” 

Lambert turned back to Aiden. “How did you work that out?” 

“He smelled like heat when I first met him, and I counted six months after that?” Aiden explained. “I thought you’d done the same.” 

“Damn.” Lambert sat back, still resting on Aiden’s hips. “I forgot Omegas have two heats- wait- does Kaer Morhen even have a heat room?” 

Aiden just stared up at him, mouth agape. “... You were raised there, why are you asking me?!” 

Lambert scowled. “Because I never pay attention to that shit, I didn’t think we’d ever have another Omega in Kaer Morhen after the raids-” 

Aiden let out a long suffering sigh, before shrugging Lambert off and sitting up. “ Yes there’s a heat room. It’s almost fully stocked, and I’m sure we can pick up what supplies are missing before we get up to Kaer Morhen.” 

“Supplies?” Jaskier asked, and Aiden stared at him confused. 

“Aw fuck,” Lambert muttered, rubbing the back of his head. “Aiden, you missed this shit last time. Right. Supplies. Like, toys, and stuff. A… well. A carved penis, essentially. With a knot.” 

Jaskier’s ears burned, but he tried to shove the scandalized little Omega side of him down. He was supposed to be learning more about this anyway. 

Aiden glanced slowly between Lambert and Jaskier. “Hold on… Jaskier, how have you handled your heats before?” 

“The wrong way, apparently,” Jaskier answered, frowning as he thought of the miserable way he spent most heats. 

“Fucking royals thought he had to stay ‘pure’ till marriage, and never let him fucking pleasure himself.” 

Adien stared at him, horrified. “Even during heat?!” 

Jaskier nodded. “Especially not during heat. My first heat they tied my hands to the headboard to stop me from touching myself.” 

Both Aiden and Lambert growled at that. “Taking their seat isn’t good enough,” Lambert growled, “they need to fucking burn. ” 

Aiden just reached out, pulling Jaskier into a close hug. “You are a miracle that they never deserved.” 

Jaskier stared at them, still not processing. “That… wasn’t normal?” 

“ Fuck no it wasn’t normal!” Aiden swore. “Or if it was, I’m going to personally kill every single noble on the continent. No one deserves that kind of bullshit.” 

“Alright. Move over Aiden,” Lambert instructed, wrapping his arms around Jaskier and squishing him between the two of them.

Jaskier gave it ten seconds before he started elbowing them. “That’s enough, I’m overheating here you two, it’s still fucking summer!” 

They let go of him, sitting back, and Jaskier sighed. “Alright, if that’s what a bad heat looks like, then what’s it supposed to be?” 

“Are you sure you’re ready to learn about that?” Aiden teased. “It might shock you.” 

Jaskier stared at him, unamused. “I’ve been paying attention to you all for a while now. If Lambert can’t shock me anymore I doubt this can. And I’ve been reading up on the topic.” 

“Oh? You’ve been reading up on it?” Lambert asked, reaching out and plopping an arm on Jaskier’s shoulder, grinning down at him. 

Jaskier sighed, shrugging him off. “Please? At this point not knowing is going to scare me more than any ‘shock’ you’re worried about.” 

“Of course, I didn’t mean to imply we wouldn’t.” Aiden thought for a moment, before shifting, till he was lying down on the bed, his legs hanging off the side of the bed, his head resting next to Jaskier’s knees. “Lambert? You want to go first?” 

Lambert shrugged, pushing back till his back was against the wall. 

They were both trying to make themselves as non-threatening as possible, Jaskier realized. It was sweet, but entirely unnecessary. 

“Can’t say I’ve had much experience. Only had two Omegas want me anywhere near them during heat, and one of them was Gweld. But I know it’s miserable if you don’t have some kind of knot. Well. You already know that bit. If you want an Alpha with you, then you choose who you want before it starts, and they stay by your side, either helping you eat food and water, or giving you a knot when you ask. If you don’t want anyone there, then you lock your door, and someone you trust brings food to you every few hours, making sure you’re eating food and drinking water, and you’re given a wooden prick to use instead.” 

“So… it doesn’t matter if I get pregnant or not?” 

“ Absolutely not!” 

“ Fuck no! ” 

Jaskier smiled a bit. “Good. I never liked the thought of that pressure anyway.” 

“Well then you’re gonna fucking love this,” Lambert commented, “Witchers are infertile. Something in the mutagens makes it so we can’t give anyone kids. Or pox, or anything else worrisome.” 

“...Oh.” Jaskier frowned. “And… is that… something you wanted?” 

“Doesn’t much matter,” Aiden commented. “We never got a choice on it anyway.” 

“I think it matters,” Jaskier argued. “I think what you want is important. And who knows. I wanted freedom, and I never thought I’d get a choice on it.”

Aiden and Lambert both smiled softly. “Sweet fucking buttercup,” Lambert muttered, and Aiden nodded. 

“Too sweet to us, flower. Maybe I would have wanted to be a father some day. Not like I’ll get a chance for it. Now come on, let's get back to a topic that's a little more cheerful." Jaskier snorted at that. "My experience is fairly similar to Lambert’s, though I’ve been invited to share a decent few more heats than our prickly asshole has. It’s… about comfort. Heat’s already miserable, so a good heat is about having everything you need to be comfortable. Cool water, some kind of relief, whether carved or living… comfort foods… even if you don’t have an Alpha nearby, the smell of one can be incredibly comforting. Just… knowing that you’re loved and cared for, really. That’s what it all comes down to.” 

Jaskier nodded. 

Loved and cared for. 

He’d never felt that in a heat. But… around his Witchers? He imagined he would feel that way during heat. And he couldn’t wait for it. 

Aiden and Lambert had both been needed for the contract this time, so Jaskier was staying in their room. He’d gone out and used his own money to purchase another raunchy book, determined to make it through this one without blushing. 

He was halfway through it when a strange drowsiness took over him, and he frowned. He shouldn’t be tired already. He could stay awake for hours reading if he wanted to. 

He staggered to his feet, shocked when a sudden dizziness overtook him and he fell to the ground. 

Something was wrong. 

Hands shaking, he reached for one of his daggers, clutching it tight as the window opened, and someone dropped into the room.

“No no no, you shouldn’t be able to fight it,” the stranger spoke, and the dizziness grew stronger, till Jaskier’s arm fell to the ground, the knife clattering uselessly out of his hands. “Then again,” the stranger knelt down next to Jaskier, and he could see their grin. “You always did have an annoying way of fighting my magic.” 

The dizziness grew stronger, and Jaskier passed out entirely.

Chapter Text

He opened his eyes and saw nothing. 

For half a moment he thought he’d gone blind, until he felt the coarse fabric settled over his face, and realized he was blindfolded. 

He shifted his hands and wrists, testing what he could do, only to find that he was bound to a chair, each hand tied to the wooden spokes either side of him, and no chance for him to reach his daggers. 

“I spent so long,” a voice in front of him spoke, and he jumped slightly, “perfecting that spell for your parents. Making you the perfect Omega. And you had to throw it all away, chasing after those Witchers.” A hand settled on his hair and Jaskier tried to pull away, but the fingers tightened in his hair and he cried out. 

“Who- who are you?” he tried, and the person in front of him chuckled mirthlessly. 

“ Quiet, Omega. ” 

Jaskier clenched his teeth, and he wanted to break through the command, but better to let this asshole underestimate him. 

The fuzzy headspace of the pleasure washed over him, and he just wanted to cry. 

He didn’t know where he was, he didn’t know who had him, he just wanted his Witchers to come find him. 

“It’s not as strong as it used to be,” the person commented, running a hand along Jaskier’s jaw even as he tried to pull away. “...You’ve weakened it. You can fight through commands, can’t you?” 

Oh. Well. If he wasn’t going to be underestimated. 

He slammed his head forward, satisfied when he felt his head connect with someone’s face, and the man fell back, swearing. 

“Oh, you’re going to fucking regret that,” he growled. 

“My parents hired you, yes?” Jaskier asked, growling slightly. He was still breaking a command, but as he’d obeyed it for a while first, the pain wasn’t as bad. “If you harm me, do you honestly think you’ll be getting paid in full?” 

The man in front of him chuckled, gripping Jaskier’s jaw painfully. “ Me, harm you? Never. After all, what harm could I possibly inflict, when those brutes of Witchers who kidnapped you have already done so much?” he asked, and Jaskier felt his hands clench into fists. 

“You honestly think they’ll believe that?” he grit out, and the hand clenching his jaw tightened. “I’ll tell them the truth.”

“But who would believe the Omega, who’d been forced to live with his captors for months on end? You don’t even remember properly, dear, ” the term was spat out with such contempt and mockery that Jaskier flinched. 

“...The Witchers won’t let you get away with it,” he warned, but the man just chuckled. 

“Oh, let them come. My contract’s for them too.” 

He knew this man couldn’t kill him. It wasn’t that his parents wouldn’t hire someone to kill him, he’d long since stopped doubting his parents' cruelty. It was that, if killing him had been allowed in the contract, this man would have done it already. 

Without being able to see, everything hurt so much worse. There were burns along his arms from where the mage had grasped him painfully, hands wreathed in fire when Jaskier had given him attitude. His wrists hurt from where the ropes were rubbing his skin raw, and his head ached horribly from where he’d headbutted the mage. 

What was worse were the commands. The mage seemed irritated that the curse was fading, and had spent what must have been hours trying to test the strength of the curse, ordering Jaskier to hold his breath, or do other mundane things to test it. 

Of course Jaskier had fought it, but he couldn’t hold out forever and had passed out multiple times now from fighting the commands. 

Where were the others? 

He knew they were coming for him. But what would they find? Would the mage get the drop on them? 

No. No, they were Witchers. The rest of the continent would underestimate them but no one could hurt them. 

Steps sounded, heading for him, slow and measured and he tensed, already knowing that it was the mage. 

“You’re rather stubborn, for an Omega,” the mage commented, his hand trailing Jaskier’s jaw and he flinched away. “If it weren’t so annoying, I might almost call it attractive.” 

“I don’t give a fuck if you find me attractive or not,” Jaskier growled, before crying out in pain as the mage backhanded him.

Fingers gripped his chin, yanking him back and he whimpered. “It’s almost a pity to let you go back to your parents. Be married off to that idiot Valdo Marx.” The fingers moved up, almost gently caressing Jaskier’s face. “I’m tempted to keep you. Turn your Witchers in, tell your parents they killed you, and keep you to myself. I could break you in. You were so close to the perfect Omega. I could get you there again.” 

Jaskier turned his head and clamped down on the fingers on his cheek, biting hard. 

The mage screamed, and the fingers turned to fire in his mouth, burning him and he let go with a cry, gasping for air around the pain in his mouth. 

He tasted blood, and could’t be sure if it was his own or the mage’s. 

“You bitch, ” the mage spat, grabbing Jaskier’s hand despite Jaskier trying to pull it away. “Do I need to start breaking you in already?” Fire consumed Jaskier’s hand and he screamed, throat already torn raw. 

A noise interrupted them, and the mage pulled away, before grasping Jaskier’s jaw and forcing his mouth open, shoving a wadded up piece of fabric in. “I’ll be back to deal with you later,” he growled, then he was gone, and Jaskier shook, tears slipping down his face. 

His hand was badly burned, and he almost couldn’t feel it under the pain anymore. 

He couldn’t move his tongue, the fabric weighing down heavy and wrong in his mouth till he wanted to throw up, and he couldn’t stop shaking. 

He wanted Eskel here, to hold him close and whisper soft commands that would never hurt him. He wanted Geralt’s silent comfort, protecting him. He wanted Lambert’s crass promises that no one would ever hurt him again, and Aiden’s cheerful attempts at distraction. 

He wanted his Witchers. Never wanted to leave their side. Just wanted to be held, safe and comforted, and never have to deal with his parents ever again. 

Sounds of fighting reached his ears and he sobbed. 

Would they be alright? This wasn’t just some street thugs, or Valdo Marx, this was a mage. And there were only two of them. 

Would they be alright? Would they be captured like him? 

Would they be sent back to be executed, while Jaskier lived, trapped by this bastard? Tortured by him for the rest of his life? 

The fighting died down, and there was the sound of feet pounding down the hallway. 

More than one pair. 

Aiden and Lambert? Please, please let it be Aiden and Lambert-

The door slammed open. “ Jaskier, ” Lambert called, then there were gentle hands cupping his face. 

“He’s down here!” Aiden called, and Jaskier didn’t know who he was calling but the fabric was being carefully pulled out of his mouth, and the blindfold removed and he flinched back against the light, but smiled a bit at Lambert, who was crouched in front of him. 

“Missed you,” he tried, but his throat felt like it was full of nails. 

“Don’t try to talk,” Lambert cautioned, and then Aiden was there too, cutting through the ropes as Lambert continued swearing. “Fucking- he used commands, right? Do you need one you can obey?” Jaskier nodded shakily. “Okay, uh, breathe, ” Lambert instructed, and Jaskier sucked in a breath, having just enough time to see Geralt and Eskel come running in through the door before relief from the pain knocked him out.

Chapter Text

“Shhh, you’ll wake him!” 

“It’s been two days, if he doesn’t wake up soon I’m carrying him to Yennefer’s door myself instead of waiting for her to show up!” 

“He needs rest! He was gone for almost five days!” 

“He’s waking up,” Aiden commented, and Jaskier realized his head was resting on Aiden’s leg. 

“Five days?” he asked, his voice raw. 

“And then you’ve been out for another two. A week since we took that contract,” Aiden answered, and Jaskier did his best to look around the room, noting Lambert sitting next to him on the bed, and Geralt and Eskel standing off to the side. 

He was safe. He was completely safe. 

He started crying. 

“Oh shit,” Lambert quickly lay down next to him, wrapping his arms around him and Jaskier clung to him, shaking. “Not leaving you alone again,” Lambert promised, “Not for a second. Too many close calls.” 

“He- he said- he said he was going to keep me,” Jaskier gasped, “turn you over to my parents, and say you’d killed me, and- and- he said he’d break me in, ” 

“He’s not getting to you,” Geralt growled, setting a gentle hand on Jaskier’s arm. “Not while we’re here.” 

“Yennefer’s on her way,” Eskel informed him. “She’s going to come up with something so he can never find you again, and then we’re not leaving you alone again.” 

Jaskier nodded, trying to curl closer to Lambert until his hand knocked against Lambert’s chest and he pulled back with a cry. 

“Your hand’s pretty hurt there, flower,” Aiden commented, and Jaskier looked down to see the bandages completely covering it. 

“Fuck,” he muttered, remembering the fire that never seemed to end. 

“You were covered in blood and burns when we found you,” Lambert muttered, not letting go of Jaskier. “Then you wouldn’t wake up for two days.” 

“You terrified all of us,” Aiden added. 

“We were just starting to head north for the winter, so we were nearby,” Eskel added. “I don’t think either of us have ever rode that hard in our lives.” 

“I’ll have to give Roach and Scorpion some sugar cubes,” Jaskier decided. 

“I’m sure they’d like that,” Geralt agreed. “As soon as you feel up to walking.” 

Jaskier nodded. He didn’t want to stand up any time soon, but he needed to. Had to move, and get up. 

He tried to sit up only to be hit with a wave of dizziness, and several strong arms caught him, helping him sit down. 

“Geralt, go get him some stew or something-” 

“Here, Jaskier, drink some water,” 

“Fucking hell don’t fucking scare us like that you bastard!” 

Jaskier chuckled, closing his eyes for a moment. “Could… could one of you give me some commands?” he asked. “Something I can obey? Mage was the one who cast the curse to begin with, kept testing it till I passed out.” 

Geralt stood up, and Eskel took his spot, pressing a mug to his lips. “ Drink this, ” he instructed, and Jaskier tilted his head back and swallowed, relaxing as tension began to ease away. 

“You passed out from the commands?” Lambert asked, and Jaskier nodded. 

“More than once. I lost count.” 

“How many commands are you going to need to obey?” Aiden asked, and Jaskier did his best to shrug. 

“I’m not sure.”

“ Breathe, ” Aiden instructed, and Jaskier pulled in a breath, some of the nausea easing. 

Lambert hugged him tightly. “ Relax, ” he instructed, and Jaskier melted a little in his arms, some of the pain behind his eyes finally fading. 

Eskel’s hand ran through his hair. “ Close your eyes, ” he instructed, and Jaskier obeyed in a heartbeat. “ Focus on my hand in your hair. That’s it. Good boy. ” 

Jaskier blushed, even as the pain started to ease back and he felt Eskel’s hand tethering him to the moment. 

“ Tell me how you’re feeling, ” Aiden prompted, and the words fell from Jaskier’s mouth easily. 

“Drowsy. Content. The pain is easing.” 

“Never gonna let you get hurt again,” Lambert promised, tightening his grip on Jaskier. “Anyone tries it and I’ll kill them.” 

“You can’t kill everyone Lambert,” Geralt commented, entering the room and bringing some food. “Jaskier? Do you still need commands?” 

Jaskier opened his eyes again and winced at the bright light. “Probably still a few, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” Eskel stood up, and Geralt took his spot.

He had a bowl of stew in his hands, and he lifted the spoon, holding it out to Jaskier’s mouth. “ Eat, ” he instructed, and Jaskier opened his mouth, almost moaning at how good the food tasted. The mage hadn’t bothered to feed him while he was there. 

Geralt continued feeding him, until Jaskier had to stop, and Geralt set the bowl down, before gently running a hand through Jaskier’s hair, and he relaxed again. “ Place your hand in mine, ” he instructed, and Jaskier frowned, but did as instructed, and Geralt gently began unwrapping the bandages. 

Oh. He was checking the injury. 

“Tired?” Lambert asked, and Jaskier nodded. “Go on. Get some sleep. We’ll be here when you wake up.” 

Jaskier nodded again, and drifted off. 

The pain of the curse seemed to have calmed when Jaskier opened his eyes again, and he smiled softly up at Lambert, who had taken Aiden’s spot. 

“Hey buttercup,” Lambert whispered. “You feeling any better?” 

Jaskier nodded, slowly sitting up. “Where did everyone go?” 

“Yennefer got here, she’s taking a look at Aiden to let you sleep.” 

He was awake now. “Aiden? Did something happen?” 

Lambert winced. “Ah… he got burned in the fight. But Yennefer should be able to get him all fixed up.” 

Aiden was hurt. Trying to reach him. Jaskier felt sick at the thought. 

“Hey, hey, no, don’t do that, it wasn’t your fault,” Lambert cautioned. “Don’t go beating yourself up over it, we all would’ve gone through a lot worse to keep you safe. He’ll be fine. We’re Witchers, we can handle this.” 

There was a knock on the door, and Lambert sighed. “Come on in Marigold.” 

The door opened and a beta woman stepped through, with long curly hair. She smiled gently at them. “Hello Jaskier, I’m Triss, Yen’s wife. I’m here to see if I can heal some of your injuries, if that’s alright?” 

“Jaskier the bard, at your service,” he replied, bowing his head. “I’d be most thankful if you would.”

She took a seat next to Lambert, who was now scowling at her, and Jaskier vaguely wondered what their history was. 

He flinched a little as Triss’s hands picked up his own, and Lambert growled. “ Careful, ” he instructed, and Jaskier smiled sadly. 

“I’m alright, just… a little spooked still.”

“And that’s completely understandable,” Triss agreed, gently unwrapping the bandages on his hands. “You’ve been through a lot, in a very short amount of time. From what I hear you’re handling it remarkably well.” 

She was speaking about more than just the kidnapping then. He vaguely wondered just how much Yennefer had told her.

“Our brave buttercup,” Lambert agreed, sliding an arm around Jaskier and holding him close. 

He hadn’t felt terribly brave. He’d been terrified. The mage could have done anything to him, and he’d been at the bastard’s mercy, of which there was terribly little. 

Triss finished up examining the wounds that the others had tended to. “Right. Is there anywhere else that you’re hurt?” she asked, and Jaskier grimaced. 

“Ah… yes, actually, but…” 

Lambert hugged him that much tighter. “Tell me that bastard didn’t rape you,” he muttered, so quiet Jaskier barely heard him. 

He shook his head quickly. “No, no. I think he would have, but he didn’t. Um… he… I bit him. And he burned the inside of my mouth for it, I don’t know if that can be treated or…” 

Triss nodded. “I can try. If you could open your mouth, so I can see?” Jaskier did as instructed, keeping his mouth wide open as Triss examined him, gently looking at the roof of his mouth. “Alright, I can make a tea that should help. It’s best to drink it cold though, so let it cool down before drinking.” 

Jaskier closed his mouth and nodded. “Thank you. Really.”

“Of course.” She smiled at them as she stood up. “I know Yennefer wanted to talk to you herself, so when you’re up for it, she’s in the other room.”

Then she was gone, and Jaskier sagged against Lambert, who held him close. “...I don’t feel alright,” he admitted quietly. “I feel like… any moment… he’ll come back. He’ll finish what he started.”

“Never letting him near you again,” Lambert promised. “We’ll all make sure of it.” 

And he believed him. 

But it didn’t make him feel safe again. 

Chapter Text

By the time Jaskier felt up to facing Yennefer, he could already hear the argument happening in the other room. 

“Do they always fight when they meet?” He asked, and Lambert nodded. 

“Part of why they never worked out. The two of them butt heads over everything .” 

“We’ll be fine taking the path up to Kaer Morhen like normal,” Geralt insisted. “What we need is a way to make sure that firefucker can’t find Jaskier again!” 

“What do you want me to do Geralt, pull a cloaking spell out of my ass that blocks only one person? Something that specific will take time, and likely won’t be ready till after winter’s over. He needs to get up to Kaer Morhen, now. All of you do. Until this whole thing settles down. You know where Jaskier’s cousin will be in the spring, so hide up in Kaer Morhen until then!” 

Lambert knocked on the door, letting them know they were entering, and then he was helping Jaskier to a chair as Geralt and Yennefer glared at each other. 

“I agree with Yennefer,” Eskel spoke up. “We can handle this alone, yes, but we’ve also got Jaskier to take care of. While we can protect him, we shouldn’t be taking any more chances.” 

“Are you sure you’re not just opposed because you don’t want to take a portal, Geralt?” Lambert asked, chuckling a bit.

“I’m opposed because Witchers don’t leave the path this early. We start heading back to Kaer Morhen at this time, but we still complete other contracts. We’ve already been completing less this year because we’ve been traveling together.” 

“We’re not the only Witchers though,” Aiden pointed out. “And right now we need to get Jaskier to safety, no matter what. I agree with Yennefer, if she can portal us back to Kaer Morhen, then it’s for the best. Especially with Jaskier’s heat coming up.”

They all stopped, turning to stare at him. “His… heat?” Geralt asked, confused. 

“Oh good, I’m not the only one who forgot Omegas have two heats,” Lambert grinned. “Yeah, his heat should be in the next month or so. Which. We can try to climb up the killer and get to Kaer Morhen before his heat strikes, but with the setback of firefucker, if heat’s even a day early he’ll go into heat on the killer. Or, we can accept Yen’s portal and get us all there with plenty of time to stock up the heat room.”

It was unusual to hear Lambert being the rational one. Looking around, Jaskier was pleased to note that everyone else seemed just as confused by this as he was. 

Eventually though, Yennefer turned back to Geralt. “Well? You’re outvoted on this. Am I portalling you up with them or are you going to be a stubborn ass and walk your way up to Kaer Morhen without them?” 

Geralt scowled, but nodded. “I’ll go with. But we should wait a day. Let everything calm down and get Jaskier some supplies for his heat.” 

“What… kind of supplies?” Jaskier asked, having a sneaking suspicion he already knew. 

“The carved pricks?” Lambert explained, “to help you through? Unless you don’t want that, you don’t have to use it, but it’d be nice for you to have nearby.” 

Jaskier took a breath, calming his nerves. “Sorry, did you not want to spend my heat with me?” 

The silence in the room was deafening, before Yennefer started laughing. “Oh your faces! ” She shook her head, before patting Geralt on the shoulder and leaving the room. “Talk to your bard, dears, I’m going to go find my wife.” 

No one said anything for several moments, till Jaskier started to get nervous. “If… if you didn’t want to, there’s no-” 

“Jaskier,” Aiden interrupted, the first to get his words back. “I… of course we’d want to. We’d be honored to… but…” 

“Buttercup, we ain’t even fucked outside of heat,” Lambert pointed out. “You sure you want us there for that?” 

Jaskier nodded, certain. “I made up my mind about that a while ago. And, we’ve got a month till heat’s supposed to hit. Hell, we’ll even be at Kaer Morhen, where it’s safe to have sex. I want this. I want you all to show me what heat’s supposed to be like, without the fear and the misery. Please.”

Suddenly he was surrounded by Witchers, all hugging him tight and purring, and Jaskier smiled, melting into their hugs. 

“Anything you want,” Eskel promised, holding him tight. “Anything we can do to bring you pleasure. Just name it and it’s yours.” 

Geralt didn’t say anything, but Jaskier could tell by the way he tightened his grasp on Jaskier that he agreed. 

Fucking hell. 

He was going to have his first real heat. 

And he couldn’t be more thrilled.

“The curse is fading,” Yennefer remarked before they set out. “Whatever you’re doing is helping.” 

Jaskier nodded. “So there’s no…” he faltered, unsure of how to phrase it. “...The mage. He’s the one who originally cast the spell. He… seemed to be trying to strengthen it. He didn’t succeed, did he?” 

Yennefer shook her head. “No, unless the spell was significantly weaker when he got ahold of you. You’ve done a good job weakening the spell.” 

Jaskier nodded, relieved. “Thank you.” 

“No need to thank me, just take care of these idiots for me.” 

Then the Witchers were joining them outside along with their horses, and Jaskier squared his shoulder. “Alright. I’ve never traveled through a portal before. Anything I should be aware of?” 

“Just keep breathing,” Geralt advised, “and if you do throw up, make sure you do it once you’re fully through.” 

Charming advice, that. 

Yennefer and Triss nodded, then a swirling mass of color appeared in front of them. 

The horses were calm enough around it, but Geralt seemed vaguely sick to his stomach just looking at it, and Jaskier winced in sympathy as Eskel and Lambert took the lead walking through, leading their horses. 

Then, it was Jaskier’s turn. 

He stepped through, feeling horribly dizzy for a moment before it passed, and he was suddenly much colder. 

He shivered, staring around himself at a snow covered keep and marveling at the beauty of it. This was Kaer Morhen. The home of the Witchers. The keep that had survived for centuries. 

Behind him, Geralt stepped through, releasing a breath like he’d been holding it. 

“Wind’s howling,” Geralt commented, straightening up, “you should probably get inside. Kaer Morhen gets cold, fast.” 

“Come on, Vesemir’l be waiting for us,” Lambert called, pulling Jaskier in towards the keep and leaving the others to deal with his horse before Jaskier could even ask Geralt if he was alright. 

The doors of the keep had to be five times as tall as Jaskier himself, and he wondered if he’d even be able to open them. 

Lambert had no problems opening them, barging into the keep and hollering: “Yo old man! We’re home! And we brought a guest!” 

Old man?? Was that how Lambert referred to the father of the Witchers? 

A figure by the fire in the center of the room stood, chuckling. “Welcome home. You’re lucky Yennefer thought to tell me to lower the warding to let her portal you here. I doubt you’d have remembered to ask.” 

Lambert just grinned, and Jaskier got his first look at Vesemir. 

He was an old Beta Witcher, and if Jaskier could see the signs of age then he had to have lived a truly impressive amount of time. His hair had grayed, though was not as white as Geralt's, and there were wrinkles around his face that vaguely reminded Jaskier of his great grandfather, who had been a very kind man while he’d been alive. 

“You must be Jaskier,” Vesemir spoke, walking up to him and bowing. “Vesemir, of Kaer Morhen. An honor to meet you.” 

“Jaskier the bard,” He introduced, bowing in return. “The pleasure is all mine.”

“Come, sit, and tell me what happened. Yennefer spoke very little over the xenovox, all she informed me was that my pups were bringing an Omega named Jaskier. How did you end up traveling with them?” 

Ah. Well. “They kidnapped me then let me go, but by that point I didn’t want to leave.” 

Lambert snorted, trying to cover his laugh, and Vesemir just stared at him, before sighing. 

“...This is a story requiring a lot of alcohol, isn’t it.” 

Chapter Text

Everyone had made it back inside and gathered at the table before Jaskier was even close to finished with the story. “And then Valdo showed up at the inn while they were out on a contract, and said that my parents had put out a contract on them, and he tried to use Alpha commands to control me, but by then I’d already put in a fair amount of effort breaking the curse, so I was able to break free of them-” 

“Didn’t you say Valdo was a Beta?” Vesemir pointed out, and Jaskier stopped. 

“...he is. Hang on- he is a Beta- how the fuck did he use an Alpha command?!” 

They all stared at each other as Jaskier tried to sort through this new revelation in his head. “That doesn’t… was it Valdo then?! Was it a doppler?!” 

“There are spells,” Aiden spoke up, “that can give a Beta the ability to use Alpha command. He could have been working with a mage.” 

Jaskier shuddered. “That’s the last thing we need. Valdo and a mage working together.” 

“You broke free of the commands. Then what did you do?” Vesemir asked, getting them back to the story. 

“Right! I kicked him in the balls to give myself a chance to get away before he could use another command, then got to our room in the inn and locked the door before he could get to me. He kept using commands through the door till I passed out.” 

Lambert and Aiden growled, both wrapping their arms around him. “Didn’t tell us that part before,” Lambert muttered into Jaskier’s neck, scenting him. 

“When we came back all we could smell was fear and blood,” Eskel added. “Geralt nearly broke the door down, but we were able to wake Jaskier up and he opened the door for us. By that time Valdo had already fled, so once Jaskier felt up to moving we focused on getting back on the path.” 

Jaskier picked up the story again, explaining how he had nearly been abducted at the summer festival, and then had been abducted by the mage just the week before, and what he’d said. Vesemir remained incredibly calm through the entire explanation. 

“And then Yennefer portaled us up, and… here we are,” Jaskier concluded. 

Vesemir nodded, and Jaskier waited to see what his response would be. 

“...You’re certainly not what I’d expect from an Omega,” he eventually settled on. 

“Good. That means my parents failed.” 

Vesemir chuckled, before nodding. “Right. Well, welcome to Kaer Morhen. Eskel, Aiden, please show our new guest around. Geralt, Lambert,” he glared at the two, who shrank back under his gaze, “you two stay here. We need to have a conversation about emergencies. ” 

Jaskier followed Eskel and Aiden through the keep, nodding politely as they explained where the kitchen was, then the armory, then the labs, until they came to a set of doors and Aiden grinned. “Now this is where you’re probably going to be spending most of your time this winter,” he announced, and Jaskier was very confused until Aiden opened the doors to reveal what was easily the largest library Jaskier had ever seen. 

“...You’re right, I’m not leaving this room,” Jaskier muttered, staring up at the towering shelves. “There’s… there’s two floors. There are two stories to this room. Two whole floors of books?!” 

Aiden and Eskel both chuckled, Aiden flopping dramatically onto one of the chairs. “Go on, take a look on the back shelf, second row down. Promise you’ll find it interesting.” 

Jaskier blinked at him, confused, but did as instructed, passing rows upon rows of classic works until he got to the indicated shelves. 

There was nothing he could notice to set these apart from the others, so he picked up a random book and flipped through the pages, till he realized exactly why Aiden had sent him this way. 

“Mother fucker, ” he swore, and he could hear Aiden laugh even back here, along with Eskel’s chuckle. “How many are there?” he asked, staring at the shelves. 

“Those three bookshelves are full of them,” Aiden called, and Jaskier’s ears burned. 

Three bookshelves full of erotic literature. 

He stared down at the book in his hand, and smiled. 

Oh yes. He could very easily see himself losing hours here.

By the time Jaskier was finally done collecting books- Aided by Aiden and Eskel, who both had opinions on which books were worth reading- it was already dinner time, and Jaskier sorrowfully left the stack of books in the library, following his Witchers back down to the main hall for dinner. 

Geralt and Lambert were already there, apparently having helped Vesemir cook. 

“Don’t worry, I only let Lambert chop things,” Vesemir reassured him as Jaskier eyed the food dubiously. 

“I can cook,” Lambert scowled, but none of them believed that. 

“Lambert, I once saw you try to eat a rabbit with its skin still on. The only thing I ever saw you cook successfully was that meat when you first kidnapped me.” 

“He was angry,” Geralt explained. “For some reason he can cook better the angrier he is.” 

That made absolutely no sense, and yet knowing Lambert, it seemed completely reasonable. 

“Jaskier, I hope it’s not too forward of me,” Vesemir began, “but you mentioned your heat should be starting soon. Do you know approximately when?” 

Jaskier thought as he ate. “We’re a few weeks shy of winter, so… maybe a month? If it’s not early.”

“We’ve got supplies for a heat, right?” Aiden asked. “If not, there's still time for one of us to head back down the mountain.” 

Vesemir nodded. “We should be fully stocked, though, if you’d like to take a look at the heat room, I can show you tomorrow. Right now I have it airing out from all the dust. It’s been a few decades since we had need of it.” 

“I’m sure it’s wonderful,” Jaskier assured him, and Lambert sighed. 

“Alright. Aiden, you and Eskel take a look at the heat room, see what it needs. Jask’s not gonna know.” 

Vesemir glanced between the two of them, narrowing his eyes. “There’s a lot that didn’t make it into your explanation, isn’t there.” 

Jaskier blushed, focusing on eating instead of responding. 

Unfortunately, this meant that the others got to respond however they wanted. 

“His parents fucking sucked,” Lambert began. 

“Our poor Omega here has never had a decent heat,” Aiden explained, wrapping an arm around him. 

“If we ever find out that other Omegas are treated the way Jaskier was treated, we need to add nobles to our bestiaries and lists of monsters,” Eskel explained. 

Only Geralt stayed quiet next to Jaskier, gently nudging his shoulder and offering him silent comfort. 

Eventually Vesemir had had enough, and he sighed, picking up his own plate and heading for the kitchen. “Take care of your Omega, and don’t break anything,” he called back. 

“Break any- what would you be breaking?!” Jaskier asked, suddenly alarmed. 

Eskel and Geralt chuckled at that. “We… have a history of being rather rowdy our first night back,” Eskel explained. 

“We usually get drunk,” Lambert continued. “Since we’re typically climbing up the killer for a week before we even get here, and we all know there’s no way for us to hurt each other.” That made sense. 

Aiden stretched a bit, yawning. “Come on. If you’re done with dinner we can show you the best parts of the keep.” 

Hot. 

Springs. 

There were hot springs. 

“Why didn’t anyone tell me about this before?” Jaskier asked as he slipped into the steaming water and moaned. 

“I did!” Lambert argued. “I told you back at Yennefer’s place!” 

Had he? Jaskier didn’t remember that, but it had been a long time ago. 

“May I wash your hair?” Aiden asked, and Jaskier nodded, relaxing as strong fingers carded through his strands, and the heat of the water soothed away the ache of torture that still clung to him. 

He was safe. And cared for. And loved. 

Fuck, this was beautiful. 

He didn’t realize he’d drifted off till Aiden was gently shaking him awake. “Come on, you can’t stay in the water forever,” he whispered. 

“Mmmm…. Watch me,” Jaskier muttered, curling in towards Aiden, who chuckled, before picking Jaskier up out of the water. Jaskier scowled, curling in tighter to Aiden to escape the cold air. 

“Hand me that,” Aiden whispered, and Jaskier didn’t open his eyes to see who he was talking to, just relaxing as a towel was wrapped around him. 

He dozed again, safe in Aiden’s arms, until he heard a door open and Lambert mutter a “fucking finally, ” and he blearily opened his eyes. 

They were in a large bedroom, with a huge bed in the middle, and Aiden gently set him in the middle of it before laying down himself, and Jaskier just wrapped his arms around Aiden again, smiling as the others climbed into bed around him, and he drifted back off to sleep. 

Chapter Text

He woke up with someone snoring against his neck.

He vaguely remembered someone dragging him up and helping him get dressed the night before, but he'd been too tired to pay much attention to what he was wearing. 

He didn't care much now either, as the person snoring shifted a bit, their lips coming to fall against his neck.  Moving to push them off, he found his arms had already been completely claimed by the Witchers lying on top of them. 

Geralt was on top of Jaskier’s left arm, and from the strands of red hair falling across his face he could guess that Lambert was the one with his face buried in Jaskier’s neck, arms wrapped around him and pinning his right arm to his side. 

Which… he didn’t object to Lambert’s face in his neck. Not at all! It was just… causing… a certain reaction. Having Lambert’s lips resting gently against his neck. Feeling strong arms wrapped around him, holding him close and safe in a way he couldn’t have even imagined at the start of the year. 

Somehow, he seemed to be the first one awake, and he slowly worked on extraditing his arm from Geralt’s grasp, when Geralt curled even tighter to him, and-

He stopped moving, biting his bottom lip to keep down the squeak as something hard pressed into his thigh. 

The snoring stopped. 

Lambert’s lips didn’t move from his skin. 

“I swear, if you’re awake right now-” Jaskier began to hiss, only for Lambert to tighten his arms. 

“I’m awake,” Lambert answered just as quietly, not moving his lips from Jaskier’s neck. “What do you want me to do about it?” 

A thousand things rushed through Jaskier’s mind, all the way from ‘get your head out of my neck’ to ‘bite me, right fucking there’, but Jaskier didn’t say any of it. 

“Don’t tease him,” Aiden commented from the other side of Lambert, and Lambert sighed, before starting to pull away, but Jaskier stopped him with a hand on his arm. 

“Please,” Jaskier whispered, knowing that if Aiden was also awake then the others likely were too, “don’t stop?” 

Lambert growled, deep and possessive, and pulled Jaskier closer, till he was breathing in Jaskier’s scent. 

Geralt begrudgingly let go, though he did open his eyes, turning till he could claim Eskel’s arm instead, who still had his eyes closed. “Come on, he doesn’t know about our traditions,” Eskel pointed out, keeping his eyes closed as if he could fall back asleep. 

“I’d like to,” Jaskier commented, squeaking a bit as Lambert pressed a kiss to his neck. 

“Not a big thing,” Lambert muttered, “our first morning back, we usually spend the whole time in our room. Fucking,” he added, in case his words hadn’t already been clear enough for Jaskier. 

“We also don’t see each other on the path like we have this past year,” Aiden pointed out. “We have a whole winter with each other, there’s no need for us to do that if it would make you uncomfortable.” 

Jaskier thought about the heat curling in his stomach as Lambert pressed up against him, the way Geralt’s form had sparked such interest the few times he’d caught glimpses, the books he’d been reading to study this very thing. “...If I want to share my heat with you all, then I should probably figure out what sex is supposed to be like first, shouldn’t I?” Jaskier rationalized. 

“Stop thinking with your head,” Geralt commented from where Eskel had gotten tired of Geralt’s clinging, and had wrapped his arms around Geralt instead. “What do you want to do, not what you think is right.” 

And… that was the whole point in breaking the curse, wasn’t it? Jaskier doing what he wanted, without logic, without rationalization or explanation, but for no other reason than it was what he wanted to do. 

“...I want to be held,” Jaskier finally settled on. “Completely, and utterly held by all of you. And I want to know what pleasure can be.”

Lambert pressed a deep kiss to Jaskier’s neck, swinging his leg over Jaskier’s and bracketing him in. 

Jaskier chuckled a bit at the awkward position, and shifted till he was on his back, Lambert above him. 

“Want to make you feel so good,” Lambert moaned between kisses, “show you a taste of what heat’ll be like, with all of us there helping you through it.”

“Tell us when you want to stop, flower,” Aiden said off to the side, shrugging out of his shirt already. 

“Stop hogging him to yourself.” 

Jaskier chuckled as he quickly found the rest of his Witchers trying to find some piece of him to shower in attention, until very quickly Eskel tugged Aiden away from it, instead choosing to make out with him, ignoring the rest and then Geralt was claiming Jaskier’s mouth, kissing him deeply before pulling back and gently brushing his thumb over Jaskier’s cheek. 

“How far did you get with Aiden and Lambert?” Geralt asked, gently sliding two fingers down Jaskier’s cheek, to his neck and lower, and Jaskier squirmed. 

“Not–not far,” Jaskier flushed as Geralt’s fingers dipped beneath the rim of his shirt, just teasing. “Nothing below the belt yet.”

“Mmmm… but plenty above it?” Geralt asked, and Jaskier hastily nodded as Geralt’s fingers played with his skin over the shirt. 

“Ye-yes, lots above- fuck! ” Jaskier called as Lambert gently scraped his teeth over Jaskier’s neck, not breaking skin. 

It wouldn’t do anything if he did, not outside of heat, but the threat of it, the promise of possibly being mated to his wolves was heady and intoxicating, and Geralt waited till Jaskier opened his eyes again- when did he close them?- before he traced the line of Jaskier’s pecs with his two fingers, coming to rest on Jaskier’s nipple. 

The fabric was in the way, and Lambert had to brace himself on his arms for Geralt to even have room, but from the way they both- no, they all were staring at him, their eyes blown wide, and Jaskier’s breath caught in his throat.

“Did we ever tell you how fucking good your arousal smells?” Lambert asked, shifting his legs just slightly so Jaskier could feel Lambert’s hard cock through his trousers. “How fucking turned on we are, knowing that you’re so fucking wet for us?” 

Jaskier took a breath. “Then why don’t you hurry up and feel how wet I am?” he asked, “I’m still fully fucking dressed.” Aiden let out a whoop of laughter at that, and Lambert stared at him, before grinning and slamming their mouths together, kissing him fiercely, teeth nipping at his lips as Jaskier moaned, wrapping his arms tight around Lambert, even though this meant there was no room for Geralt between them. 

He didn’t seem to mind, and after a moment Lambert rolled them over, and Jaskier squawked as he ended up on top of Lambert, his hips bracketed by Lambert’s legs. “Come on, let’s get you out of these clothes,” Lambert growled, “before I fucking tear them off of you.” 

Jaskier nodded, hastily shrugging out of his shirt before his hands reached his pants and he paused. 

Outside of baths, he’d never been naked in front of anyone before. And as sure as he was that he was ready, his heart was pounding away in his chest, demanding more courage than he was certain he had. 

Eskel set a gentle hand on his arm. “If you don’t want to, that’s completely fine. We can keep doing what we’ve been doing, no expectations.” 

Jaskier swallowed, shooting Eskel a quick flash of a grin, before he shoved down his trousers, kicking them off awkwardly before taking a deep breath, and doing the same with his small clothes, closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths. 

The hard part was over. 

He flinched a little as a hand settled on his back, and he opened his eyes to see that no one was looking anywhere but  his face. 

“You brave Omega,” Eskel almost purred, his hand running gentle, soothing circles along Jaskier’s back, and Jaskier melted at the words. 

“Alphas, my sweet Alphas,” he breathed, “you’re still dressed. Why am I the only one naked right now?” 

They all broke into laughter at that, Jaskier included, tension easing away as they all shed their clothes, and Jaskier took another steadying breath. 

He was ready. 

Chapter Text

He ended up on his back, leaning against Lambert’s chest as Geralt knelt between his legs. 

It was… terrifying, being this exposed, but everyone was doing what they could to help him stay calm. 

Lambert had his arms wrapped around him, Eskel had one of Jaskier’s arms in his hand, rubbing it gently, and Aiden was running his hand through Jaskier’s hair. 

Jaskier’s eyes caught sight of three mating bites along Eskel’s inner thigh he hadn’t seen before, and he vaguely wondered where the others had their mating bites. 

Then Geralt’s hand was resting on Jaskier’s inner thigh, and he took another steadying breath, readying himself. 

“Relax,” Geralt instructed, “this’ll feel good.” 

Jaskier nodded, flashing him a brief smile, and then Geralt’s face was inbetween his legs, and- “ Fuck! ” Jaskier moaned, his breath coming quicker as warm heat engulfed his cock, and pleasure shot up his spine. 

“Still good there flower?” Aiden asked, and Jaskier nodded, biting his lip to keep back the keening sounds. 

Eskel gently brushed his thumb over Jaskier’s lips, pulling it away from his teeth. “You don’t need to cover your reactions around us. Not unless you want to. We enjoy hearing what pleasure we can bring, and Geralt’s very good with his mouth.” 

Jaskier nodded again, then his breath caught as Geralt’s tongue moved over his cock, the pressure and the heat rendering his mind blank. 

There was so much heat, so much pleasure. His hips jerked up as Geralt ran his tongue over Jaskier’s slit, holding him down by his thighs, and Jaskier whined in pleasure, his head thrown back onto Lambert’s shoulder. 

“Damn you’re gorgeous,” Aiden commented to his side, and Jaskier blushed furiously. “May I kiss you again?” 

Instead of answering, Jaskier reached out his hand, grabbing Aiden by the neck and pulling him closer, his whimpers and moans getting lost between their lips. 

“You smell fucking amazing,” Lambert growled in his ear as Aiden pulled back slightly, and Jaskier shivered, taking several breaths as Geralt pulled off. 

“Still good?” he asked, and Jaskier hastily nodded. 

“So good, fuck it’s so good,” he managed, and he heard a chuckle, then Geralt shifted, lifting Jaskier’s legs over his shoulder. 

“Have you done anything down here?” he asked, and there was a gentle pressure against his entrance. 

“A-a bit,” Jaskier managed. “What-” he frowned, unsure how to phrase his question, but his curiosity was eating him up, and it was hard to see Geralt with Aiden still hovering over him. 

“Going to get my mouth on you, if you want it,” Geralt growled, kissing Jaskier’s thigh. “Answer all the questions you had from those books.”

“Oh please do.” 

Geralt chuckled, and then there was heat inside him, and Jaskier spasmed, legs tightening around Geralt’s back and pulling him closer. 

“Fuck, you like that don’t you?” Lambert chuckled, his hands gently running up and down Jaskier’s sides as Geralt’s tongue moved, licking along Jaskier’s inner walls. “Wonder what you taste like. You smell so fucking sweet, wonder if your slick tastes just as sweet. Geralt seems to think so, from the way he’s eating you out like he’ll starve without tasting your gorgeous cunt.”

“You, and your fucking mouth,” Jaskier gasped, one hand reaching down to grasp Geralt’s hair, his fingers threading through the strands, and Geralt growled, deep and possessive, and Jaskier arched back, coming with a cry. 

When he opened his eyes again, Geralt and Eskel were kissing, Eskel licking Jaskier’s slick from Geralt’s tongue, and Jaskier moaned. 

“Doing alright there flower?” Aiden asked, chuckling. 

Jaskier nodded. “That was… fucking hell that was amazing.” 

“ You are amazing,” Eskel muttered, laying down next to Lambert and Jaskier. “You’ve never had any intimacy with anyone before, and your very first time you’ve already achieved orgasm, with barely even a hint of fear.” 

“Our brave flower,” Aiden added, wrapping his arms around both Jaskier and Lambert. 

“...You thought I’d be afraid?” Jaskier asked. 

“I was,” Lambert admitted. “First time I let any of them get near me, I was equal parts horny and terrified. It’s new. And it feels different. Good different, yes, but it’s still fucking terrifying doing something new.”

“Especially with the way you were raised,” Geralt added, leaning against Eskel. “The way it was built up for you? Yeah, we were ready for you to be a lot more scared when we finally got around to it.” 

“We haven’t even gotten around to one of you fucking me yet,” Jaskier pointed out. “I think I’ll be rather nervous when we get to that.” 

“Then let us know when you’re ready,” Aiden winked at him, before pulling him over, leaving Lambert free to drag Eskel into a kiss. “Until then, take some time to rest, and enjoy the show.”

Lambert and Eskel kissed as though fighting for dominance, both of them wrestling each other as they kissed, till Eskel ended up on top again, grinning before pressing kisses down Lambert’s neck, and Lambert arched into the touch, groaning. 

“And I thought you didn’t bottom for anyone,” Aiden commented, and Jaskier recalled the conversation before his first kisses. 

Lambert just grinned. “No, I don’t bottom for people I don’t care about.” 

“How do you want me?” Eskel asked, pushing himself up till he was staring down into Lambert’s eyes. 

“Fuck me,” Lambert growled, hauling Eskel close. “Fuck me till I can’t fucking speak anymore.” 

He wasn’t sure what to expect. While there had been books he’d read that had men sleep with each other, none of them explained what to do when both were Alphas. 

It was, in a word, inspiring. 

Lambert lay out beneath Eskel as he took his time, licking down Lambert's chest and leaving gentle bites- and rough bites too- as he went, as he worked with his hands, sliding oil onto his fingers and slipping his hand between Lambert’s thighs. 

Jaskier couldn’t see what he was doing, but Lambert tensed for a moment before relaxing, and Eskel grinned against Lambert’s skin, kissing further down his stomach till he got to Lambert’s prick, taking into his mouth. 

Lambert reached out a hand towards Aiden, and Jaskier shifted closer to Geralt so Aiden could go to Lambert, and then the two were kissing, Aiden’s hands either side of Lambert’s face as Lambert moaned. 

“Too fucking long,” Lambert managed once they broke the kiss. 

“We have all winter,” Aiden whispered, before kissing the other side of Lambert’s neck. 

Now where are Lambert’s mating bites? Jaskier quietly wondered to himself, relaxing against Geralt, who seemed perfectly content just holding him and watching. 

Jaskier let his eyes travel over Lambert’s body as Eskel continued what he was doing with his fingers and hand, and Aiden continued kissing Lambert’s neck as Lambert fell apart beneath them, his breath cutting off with a curse as Aiden pinched his nipple- there. Three mating bites, along the pecs- damn those must have hurt- near Lambert’s heart. 

Right. Eskel’s was on his inner thigh, so where was Aiden’s? 

His eyes tracked over Aiden’s body, until Geralt chuckled in his ear, sending goosebumps down Jaskier’s spine. “See something you like?” he asked. 

“I’m- sorry, just curious- I’m trying to see where your mating bites are,” he whispered back. “I’ve found Eskel’s and Lamberts already.” 

“Mine’s along my forearm,” Aiden called back, “over a nasty scar from the cats.” He turned his head and winked. “Maybe one day we’ll add yours to it as well.” 

“Oh that’d look fucking gorgeous,” Lambert moaned, before Aiden turned back to him and kissed him again, quieting him. 

“Where’s yours?” Jaskier asked Geralt, and he blushed. 

“...my ass,” he finally admitted. 

Jaskier stared, before tilting his head, trying to get a look. 

Eskel had to pull off of Lambert, he was chuckling too hard. “You got over your shyness rather quickly,” he finally said, smiling up at Jaskier before he turned back to Lambert, kissing the inside of his thigh and causing Lambert to jolt. 

Lambert muttered something into Aiden’s mouth that sounded an awful lot like ‘fucking bastard’, but then he was too busy moaning and grasping Aiden’s arm with one hand, and Eskel’s head with the other. 

Then Geralt sighed before rolling over onto his stomach so Jaskier could take a look at the mating marks. 

Sure enough. Two bites decorated one cheek, and another decorated the other. 

“You can touch if you want,” Geralt offered, and Jaskier let his hand roam, trailing along the firm muscle of Geralt’s ass. 

He gently squeezed, breath catching as Geralt moaned, and he felt a rush of slick between his own thighs. 

Fuck. 

He had so much to learn. 

“Gonna cum before you even get in me if you don’t hurry up,” Lambert commented, and Jaskier looked up to see Eskel shift his weight, getting onto his knees and holding his cock in his hand. 

“You’re ready then?” Eskel asked, and Lambert nodded. 

“So fucking ready. Hurry up and fuck me already.”

Eskel silenced him with a kiss, sliding into him, and Jaskier stared in amazement as Lambert took all of Eskel’s cock inside him, inch by inch, moaning so loud even through the kiss that Jaskier briefly wondered if Lambert had better lung capacity than him. 

And then they began moving. Both of them thrusting together, quickly finding a rhythm together as Eskel thrust his hips forward, fucking into Lambert and he pushed back against him, both growling as they kissed, teeth clack together as their tongues twirled, and Jaskier just stared, completely enthralled. 

This was sex? 

This brutal, desperate passion? This was nothing like what he’d come to expect from his own eventual coupling, and knowing how nobles behaved he doubted it’d be like this, so this must just be what Witcher sex was like. 

But it was magnificent, and fierce. Both of them clinging to each other as if surviving a storm of their own making, and the only thing keeping them alive was the other. 

“Lambert’s fierce when he fucks,” Geralt commented, observing Jaskier. “Beautiful. Doesn’t know how to stop fighting, even in bed.” 

“I know how,” Lambert snipped, only for Eskel to nip at the underside of his chin. “Just don’t want to with any of you. But I can be real fucking gentle with our bard-” 

He cut off at a particularly rough thrust. 

“If you’re still talking, I’m not doing my job right,” Eskel growled, grasping Lambert’s hands and pinning them next to his head before kissing him again. 

From there it only took a few more minutes before their rhythm faltered, and Lambert spilled with a growl, Eskel following quickly behind him. 

They collapsed onto each other, and Jaskier let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. 

Fucking hell. 

Aiden was already there with a towel for each of them. “Come on, get up. Let’s go get some food before we keep going. We could be at this all day.”

Chapter Text

‘All day’ had apparently been literal. 

After breakfast- from which Vesemir was unusually missing- they’d headed back to their room, and Jaskier got to watch with fascination as they all pleasured each other, Geralt having the time of his life sucking down Lambert’s cock as Lambert did the same with Aiden. 

Jaskier stared in amazement, watching the pleasure they all brought each other as Aiden and Eskel kissed, and Eskel brought Geralt to his own pleasure with nothing but a hand. 

By the time they’d all spilled again, Jaskier was too turned on to form proper sentences, just staring in wonder at the gods among men he’d managed to fall in love with. 

They all caught their breath for a bit, lounging around Jaskier, draped over one another as they lazily exchanged kisses, and Jaskier felt like his heart would burst with affection or lust. 

“Fuck, you smell like you’re about to go into heat right here,” Lambert commented, placing his nose to Jaskier’s hair and inhaling. “Smell so horny and wonderful.”

“I better not go into heat yet, none of you have fucked me yet,” Jaskier joked, relaxing as Eskel wrapped his arms around him. 

“Is that what you want? One of us to fuck you?” Eskel asked, and Jaskier blushed, but nodded. “Words, pretty bird,” Eskel whispered, sending goosebumps down Jaskier’s spine. 

“Please, I- please fuck me.” 

Eskel tilted Jaskier’s head with a finger on his chin, kissing him thoroughly before pulling back. “Which of us do you want to do it?” 

Oh fuck. Choices. “I don’t- please don’t make me decide that, if I could I’d choose all of you but I know that’s not possible–” 

They all chuckled at that, before they looked to each other, each holding their own silent conversations. 

After a minute of that, Aiden nodded. “Looks like it’s me then. If that’s alright with you, flower?” 

Jaskier nodded hastily. “More than alright, just fucking- please. Don’t make me start begging.” 

“Oh I’d love to see that,” Aiden whispered, sliding between Jaskier’s legs and kissing him gently, one hand cupping his face. “Just imagining it is making me hard all over again, thinking about how much pleasure I could bring you, teasing you, edging you till you can’t think of anything but our names and the word ‘please’.” 

As he spoke, Aiden began kissing his way down Jaskier’s chest, punctuating each thing he would do to Jaskier with another kiss, till he was kissing Jaskier’s thighs, getting closer and closer but never quite there. 

“I-I thought Lambert was the one who- fuck - who talked too much,” Jaskier joked, gasping as Aiden continued to tease him, drawing out the pleasure till Jaskier could hardly stand it. “If you need me to beg, I’ll beg. Please, please fuck me. Stick your fucking cock in me already!” 

Aiden chuckled against Jaskier’s skin, his breath ghosting over the flesh and causing more goosebumps. “Our flower has a filthy mouth. Absolutely beautiful.” 

“Fucking gorgeous,” Lambert agreed, lounging against Geralt, and Eskel slowly slipped out from under Jaskier, moving so he could attach himself to Geralt’s other side. 

“Is this how you want me?” Aiden asked, sitting up a little. “Facing each other? Or is there another way you wish for me to take you?” 

Jaskier nodded. “This is good. Please. I want to see you.” 

Aiden surged forward, kissing Jaskier deeply, and Jaskier gasped into the kiss as a finger slipped inside of him. 

He hadn’t even seen Aiden applying the oil, it must have been when he was begging. 

Aiden broke the kiss, gazing down at Jaskier questioningly, and Jaskier nodded. “I’m good,” he promised. “Keep going.”

Aiden kissed him again, slowly sliding his finger deeper, and Jaskier quickly got accustomed to it. It wasn’t like he hadn’t just had Geralt’s finger and tongue inside him earlier. 

Then Aiden added another finger, and there was a tiny bit of burn as he moved, but fuck if that wasn’t the most delicious pain. Jaskier gasped as Aiden’s fingers brushed something, and Aiden chuckled. “There we go,” he whispered, running his fingers deftly along the spot, sending lightning racing up from Jaskier’s core. 

“What…?” 

“Have none of your books talked about pleasure spots?” Eskel wondered, moving closer and pressing a gentle kiss to Jaskier’s hand, before running his thumb over Jaskier’s knuckles. 

“Need to find you better books,” Geralt commented from where he and Lambert were wrapped around each other. “I’m sure we can recommend you some.” 

They were distracting him, helping him relax as Aiden gently began to slip a third finger, and this one was difficult, but Aiden moved slowly, making sure he had enough oil. 

“Relax,” he encouraged as Jaskier began to tense. “I’m not going to hurt you.” 

“Not unless you ask him to, then he’s down right vicious,” Lambert pointed out, before Geralt grabbed him by the neck and silenced him with a kiss. 

Jaskier chuckled a bit, but then Eskel was kissing him, distracting him as Aiden moved his fingers carefully, stretching Jaskier making sure nothing hurt. 

Eskel pulled back, and Jaskier whimpered, but Eskel gently set a finger to his lips. “We need you to be able to talk during this,” Eskel pointed out, “yes we can smell your discomfort, but especially your first time you need to be able to talk. Remember: any time you want it to stop, it stops.”

Jaskier nodded, suddenly nervous, but also… so curious. So excited. 

“Still want this?” Aiden asked, and Jaskier nodded furiously. 

“So much. Please. If you need me to beg I’ll fucking beg just fu- ” he cut off as Aiden began to push inside of him. 

He was fully prepared, Aiden had seen to that, but the stretch was still foreign and difficult, even with Aiden moving slowly. 

“That’s the downside to Witchers,” Eskel commented as Jaskier took deep breaths, trying to stay relaxed. “The mutations make us bigger.” 

“I thought that was a good thing?” Jaskier asked, almost giggling. Fuck. He was really doing this. 

Aiden snorted. “Don’t believe everything you read in those books. Some people like bigger, but it’s hard for your first time to go from nothing to accommodating these. That’s why you got me,” he winked, and Jaskier chuckled. 

“What, are you saying you’re the smallest? ” he asked. 

“Well I’m definitely not as big as Eskel here,” Aiden chuckled, before he finally came to a stop. “There we go. Hard part over. Relax, and let me know when you’re ready to continue.”

Aiden was inside him. Fully. 

Aiden was fully inside him. 

Jaskier reached up and hauled him into a kiss, gasping a bit as Aiden’s cock- his cock- shifted inside him. 

“ Fuck. Is it always like this?” he asked, laughing a little. 

Aiden shrugged. “Something like it. The novelty wears off after a while, but it’s always fun. At least for us.” 

“Why do you think we spend all day doing this?” Lambert asked from where he had Geralt pinned to the bed. 

Jaskier took a few more breaths, before nodding. “Alright. I’m ready.” 

Despite this, Aiden still moved slowly, gently pulling out before pushing in almost gentler, as if Jaskier might break. 

Which… was nice, but he wasn’t made of glass. “I can handle more, don’t make me beg again,” Jaskier muttered, and Aiden chuckled, before picking up his pace. 

“Just being careful,” Aiden grinned. “Been a while since I fucked a human, want to make sure I’m doing it right.” 

He shifted slightly, lifting Jaskier’s leg to wrap around his waist, and Jaskier moaned at the new angle, reaching up and pulling Aiden into another kiss. 

“You’re fucking beautiful,” Lambert whispered, and Jaskier turned his head to see that Geralt now had Lambert pinned, both of them grinding against each other as Eskel sat back, stroking himself off as he watched. 

He turned back to Aiden, grinning slightly. “I think Eskel’s enjoying the show,” he commented.

“Hmm, you're still able to talk,” Aiden muttered, kissing under Jaskier’s chin, “I can fix that.” 

The next few thrusts were harder, and Jaskier threw his head back, moaning as Aiden ran a hand up his stomach, then further up his chest till he was able to circle his fingers around Jaskier’s nipples, gentle and teasing in comparison to the hard thrusts as he pushed inside Jaskier, pounding away and growling in Jaskier’s ear. 

He sped up, pinching Jaskier’s nipple as he captured Jaskier’s lips in another kiss, biting his lip and sending Jaskier over the edge. 

Jaskier gasped into Aiden’s mouth as Aiden kept going, thrusting through his orgasm till Aiden came too, spilling inside Jaskier and gently slowing, till he stopped, both of them gasping for air against one another. 

After a few moments Jaskier began to come back to his senses, and he smiled up at Aiden. “All winter, eh?” he asked, and they all chuckled. 

Gods, that was amazing. 

They were amazing. 

And he had so much left to learn still.

Chapter Text

Jaskier stared around him at the room. This was a heat room? But… there was so much here! 

“...What’s all this for?” he asked, a little unsure of himself. 

Vesemir stared at him, one eyebrow raised. “They’re nesting supplies.” 

“But there’s so much!” 

Vesemir pinched the bridge of his nose, the same way Jaskier had seen his own Witchers do multiple times. “Jaskier… what do you usually nest with?” 

He shrugged. “Whatever supplies I can find. Usually it just ends up being two blankets from the bed.” 

“...Your parents have much to answer for.” He left the room, calling something down the stairs, and a few minutes later his Witchers piled into the room one by one. 

“What’s happening?” Lambert asked, “what’s wrong, are you okay?” 

Aiden looked around him, noting where they were. “...what were you talking about?” he asked, picking up on the theme. 

Jaskier sighed. “Apparently I nest wrong.” 

“ Nest wrong- how the fuck do you nest wrong? ” Lambert asked, confused. 

Eskel let out a breath, sitting down on the floor mattress, and patting the spot next to him for Jaskier to sit. “...how do you usually nest?” 

Jaskier shrugged as he sat. “Like I said, I usually just grab the two blankets from the bed and make do.”

Within seconds he was covered with Witchers, all holding him tight and growling protectively. 

He sighed, chuckling a bit as they all clung to him. 

He let it continue for one minute before he began squirming. “Okay, that’s enough, Omega needs to breathe,” 

One by one they released him, and Jaskier looked around the room. “Alright. Maybe I don’t know how to build a big nest, but I’ve never needed one before, it was always just me! And when I was younger I was small enough that it never mattered!” 

It was actually Geralt who spoke up next. “...Would you like help, building your nest?” he offered. 

Jaskier turned and smiled at him. “I’d love that. Thank you.” 

“May we help too?” Aiden asked, and Jaskier nodded. 

“I would love if you would all help me build the nest. Thank you.”

They spent the afternoon sorting through materials, constructing a nest from the softest blankets in the room, and Jaskier asked each of them for one of their shirts once he got closer to heat. 

They all agreed easily, even as Eskel pointed out that Jaskier would have them in his nest during heat, and usually the point of an article of clothing was the scent of those you loved. 

Jaskier just smiled up at him. “Maybe I just want to be traditional about the nest.” 

By the end of the day, Jaskier had a pile of blankets surrounding the floor mattress, and he leaned back against the wall of it, closing his eyes and relaxing. 

After a moment or two, he opened his eyes, unsure why no one had taken a seat next to him yet. 

All his Witchers were standing outside the piles, watching him with gentle smiles on their faces. 

“What? Why aren’t you in here?” He asked, confused, only to be met with heavy sighs from all of them. 

“May we enter your nest, Omega?” Eskel asked, being very formal, and Jaskier realized they were waiting. For permission. 

“Yes! Get in here, all of you!” he cried, and then the nest was full of his four Alphas, all crowding around him and hugging him, and he let himself be held by all of them, smiling at the peace, safety and security provided. 

There was a gentle sound, rolling like thunder, but weaker, weaker still than any of his Alphas, and it took him a moment to realize it was him. He was purring. He stopped immediately, startled, but they were all smiling at him, and Geralt gently smoothed back Jaskier's hair from his forehead and responded with his own purr. 

Jaskier relaxed again, purring once more, and soon enough they all were purring, piled together in a giant heap in Jaskier’s nest. 

It had started so simply. 

He wanted to play for Vesemir and his Witchers at dinner that night, and so he’d pulled out his lute for the first time since the torture. 

He’d barely started tuning it when he dropped it, clutching his hands. 

His callouses. 

They were gone. 

The burns were mostly healed, but the callouses must have been seared away by the fire, and his fingers stung just from touching the strings. 

He fell to the ground, pulling the lute close and sobbing. 

Lambert was the one who found him. 

“What- oh fuck- what happened? Are you hurt? What’s wrong?” 

He crouched down next to Jaskier, hands hovering like he was afraid to even touch him. 

“I- I can’t- I can’t play anymore,” Jaskier managed, shaking as tears streamed down his face. “When the mage bur-” he stopped, cutting off with a whine, and Lambert pulled him closer, doing his best to offer comfort. “When he burned my fingers… I can’t play!” 

“Fuck, I’m so sorry,” Lambert whispered into his hair, pulling his head towards Lambert’s shoulder. “I thought Triss and Yen fixed you up?” 

Jaskier shook his head. “No, but the mage, he- he burned the calluses off. They’re still sore now, but even once that’s gone, the calluses took years to develop.” 

“Then they’ll come back,” Lambert promised, doing his best to reassure him. “You’re going to be okay.” 

“If I can’t play…” Jaskier didn’t want to say it. But the thought had been flitting around in the back of his mind for too long now. “You… you won’t need me anymore. I don’t do anything to help.” 

Lambert pulled in a breath, his hands stilling. “...Jaskier…” he sighed, staying quiet for a few more moments as Jaskier cried. “You’re right, we don’t need you. And Roach doesn’t need apples, and you don’t need your fancy clothes, and I don’t need to swear, but we’d all be fucking miserable without that and if you wanna be with us you sure as fuck make life worth living.” 

Jaskier smiled a bit, chuckling through the tears “You just compared me to objects.” 

“That’s not the fucking- we love you! Ain’t got nothing to do with ‘need’ or any of that shit, we love you and we want you to stay with us. Not need. Want. And I’d rather spend my life with someone I want to be with than someone I ‘need’ to be with anyway.” 

Jaskier smiled a bit, sagging into Lambert’s hold. “...I want to spend my life with you all too,” he whispered. 

“How long has this been bothering you, huh?” Lambert asked, rubbing a hand up and down Jaskier’s back. “This didn’t come from just today.” 

“...I’m not sure. A while. I don’t think it was a big thing until I realized I couldn’t play anymore.” 

Lambert nodded, and Jaskier could feel his beard against his cheek. “Alright. Well. Tell us if you start thinking that way again, alright? We fucking love you, and you should know that we’d still love you even if you lost your hands and your voice. We love you for you, buttercup. And we’re always gonna.” 

He was so, fucking, sweet. All of them were, with their doting, and their nest building, and their kind words and actions, and their scents, fuck they smelled good. 

Jaskier angled his head a bit, breathing in Lambert’s scent and purring. 

His Alpha smelled so good. 

He shifted a bit in Lambert’s grasp, pulling Lambert closer and breathing deeply. 

“Jask?” Lambert asked, before gently tilting his head and scenting Jaskier in return. “Oh fuck. Preheat. Alright, come on, let’s get the others and get you to the heat room, alright?” 

Preheat? No, no but preheat was painful. “‘M not in pain,” Jaskier complained as Lambert started pulling him up. “Can’t be in heat,” he slurred, staggering a bit until Lambert swore and picked him up. 

“Yeah I’ll talk to the others about that, pretty sure you’re not supposed to be in pain before heat either. But you’re in preheat, sure enough. Early stages, must have just started a minute or two ago. Come on, we’re ready for this.” 

Jaskier smiled a bit, relaxing. 

Heat. With his Witchers. 

Who loved him. 

This was going to be so much better than he'd ever imagined. 

Chapter Text

“It could be days before my heat begins,” Jaskier argued as his Witchers all crowded around him, holding him closer and purring. 

“Doesn’t matter. This is a time for loving and doting. Let us dote,” Aiden said quite smugly, resting his head on top of Jaskier’s. 

“You don’t all have to stay here-” 

“Let, us, dote,” Aiden repeated, emphasizing each word with a gentle tap to the nose. 

Jaskier settled into Geralt’s arms, fake pouting as he let himself relax. 

It was… weird. He’d gotten used to preheat being a time of panic, followed by utter solitude. Spending it surrounded by love was strange. Geralt’s warmth surrounded his back, and Aiden was wrapped around his side. Lambert was trying to get him to eat something, and Eskel was ducking in and out of the room, gathering food and water to last through heat. 

Jaskier chuckled a bit as Lambert tried to feed him dried fruits. “I’m not actually hungry yet,” he muttered around each mouthful. 

“You’re going to be,” Lambert countered. “You’re gonna forget to eat, and then you’ll be really hungry, so it’s easiest to try and stock up on food now.” 

Well, Jaskier wouldn’t know any different. He usually tried to distract himself by seeing how long he could make food last in his mouth during heat. Not thinking about food seemed a bizarre concept. 

Instead, he’d be thinking about his Alphas. About them pressing him down, covering him in kisses and bites, fucking him-

“Is that your heat or are you just happy to be here?” Geralt asked, and Jaskier blushed. 

“Oh shut up,” he muttered, “how would you be knowing you were going to spend the next several days getting fucked by everyone in the room?”

Geralt chuckled next to his ear, kissing behind it, and Jaskier shivered. 

“Oy, stop making the bard hornier,” Lambert complained, “can’t tell if his actual heat’s started or not!” 

Jaskier would comment that being hand fed wasn’t doing him any favors there either, but his mouth was a little full at that particular moment. 

“Or,” Aiden suggested, “we could see if making the bard horny enough triggers heat?” 

Jaskier groaned, letting his head fall back onto Geralt’s shoulder. 

He finished swallowing what was in his mouth, before raising an eyebrow in Aiden’s direction. “If you’re that eager to fuck me again you could just start now. I don’t have to be in heat for it.”

Lambert and Geralt chuckled, and Aiden just grinned down at him. “You’re beautiful.” 

Eskel came in with more pitchers of water. “Stop pestering him,” he admonished, “heat’s going to be hard enough without it being triggered early, and without getting started early. If you’re feeling restless, then help me carry things up here. Jaskier, do you want to make any adjustments to your nest before heat starts?” 

Jaskier squirmed out of Geralt’s grasp, taking a look around and thinking. “...pass me that blanket?” he asked, and Eskel handed him the one he was pointing towards. “Alright, and then that pillow right there…” 

He spent the next hour adjusting his nest as he liked it, until he was completely satisfied. “There. That’s perfect.” 

Lambert raised an eyebrow, looking around, but didn’t say anything. Jaskier was about to ask him what exactly he objected to about Jaskier’s frankly perfect nest, but before he could the lightning of heat curled around his stomach, and he winced, breath catching. 

Immediately there were four Witchers surrounding him, helping to ease him back into the nest. 

“What can we do?” Eskel asked, and Jaskier didn’t answer him, instead grabbing him by the shirt and hauling him into a kiss, moaning as the scents of his Alphas washed over him. 

He moaned again as Eskel carded a hand through his hair, holding him close like he was something precious. 

To them, he was. 

He arched into Aiden’s touch, and from there it grew muddled. 

Someone would kiss him, as another person held him close, and another fingered him as he begged through the kiss for more, for someone to finally take the pain away and make him feel good. They promised him they would make heat good-  

“Shh,” Eskel hushed, and Jaskier blinked, trying to orient himself through the haze of heat. “Don’t worry, it will. But we don’t want to hurt you, so we’ve got to go slow. You’ll feel better as soon as there’s a knot, promise.” 

Jaskier clung to Eskel, not wanting to let go as the heat fever ravaged his body. 

Someone was between his legs, and he looked down to see it was Lambert. 

He reached out a hand, twining his fingers with Lambert’s. Lambert chuckled, pulling Jaskier’s hand up to kiss his knuckles, before he began slowly pushing into Jaskier. 

“ Fuck, you feel so fucking good right now,” Lambert muttered, and Jaskier relaxed a little at the praise. “So tight and wet, just pulling me in, fuck, you’re fucking gorgeous,” he kept growling praise, and Jaskier felt some of the fever abate, but it wasn’t enough, it wasn’t enough, heat still lanced through him painfully-

He didn’t even realize he was close until he was spilling, arching up and pulling the nearest person- Geralt- down into a kiss, eyes shut as tears streamed down his face, and Lambert swore, thrusting faster and faster till he also came, knot swelling to lock them together, and Jaskier sagged like a puppet whose strings were cut. 

He blinked up at them, fully cognizant for the first time during heat. “...what?” he managed, and Geralt smiled a bit where Jaskier was still holding him. 

“Having a knot provides relief, if for a short amount of time. It’s why it’s best to try and eat during this time.” 

Jaskier nodded, letting Eskel slip food into his mouth, running his tongue along Eskel’s fingers as he did so. 

He grinned a little at the small hitch in Eskel’s breath, but he had questions. “How long has it been?” he asked. 

Lambert shrugged. “Maybe half an hour. First one’s always the easiest though. The other rounds are gonna take longer.” 

Jaskier nodded. Definitely the most pleasant half hour of heat he’s ever had. 

He grinned up at his Alphas. “Alright. So who do I get the pleasure of feeling fuck me next?” 

Heat ended up lasting close to four days, and by the time it had ended, Jaskier was more than ready to soak in the hot springs for the next month. 

He only had that afternoon though. 

“I can walk on my own,” Jaskier laughed as Eskel carried him down to the hot springs. 

“Let us keep doting on you, just till the end of the day?” Eskel asked, and Jaskier sighed dramatically, but he grinned and nodded. 

“Till the end of the day then.” 

They all relaxed in the hot springs, and Jaskier curled up close to Eskel as Geralt began washing Jaskier’s hair, and Jaskier let himself become completely boneless. 

“You’re right,” he eventually spoke, “that was way better than any heat I’ve ever had before.” 

They all chuckled. “That’ll be how every heat is for you from now on if we can manage it,” Eskel pointed out. “You should never have to worry about the pain of heat again.”

“Let’s see…” Aiden began, counting on his fingers. “This heat was early, it’s only October, so another six months… April. If you’re early then too, your next heat might be before the festival. We might still be up here for it.”

Still in Kaer Morhen for his next heat. That would be nice. And if that heat was anything like this one… well. He shouldn’t get ahead of himself. 

“What’s going on in your head there?” Lambert asked, sliding closer in the water. 

Jaskier blushed. “It- it’s nothing,” he stammered, ashamed of where his head had gone. 

“It clearly isn’t,” Aiden pointed out, “talk to us flower. What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing’s wrong, I just… shouldn’t be thinking like that.”

Geralt gently growled. “None of that ‘should’. You’re free to think what you want. If you want to tell us, we want to listen.” 

Jaskier sighed, curling a little tighter around himself. “I… just… I was thinking about what it would be like. To be mated.” 

Geralt hmmmed behind him. “You were curious about our mating bites before. Were you just thinking about being mated? Or being mated to us?” 

Jaskier wanted to sink under the water, but he knew it was just the way he was raised. So, he took a breath. “Thinking about being mated to you. All of you. If… if you’d want that.”

A moment later Lambert was kissing him, and Geralt sighed. “I’m not done washing his hair, you can wait. ” 

Lambert pulled back, grinning. “Not gonna wait to kiss you, sweet thing. Fuck, I want that so much.” 

“As do I,” Aiden said, pulling closer and pressing a kiss to Jaskier’s cheek. 

Geralt nodded, and Eskel smiled. “We’re all in agreement then. We want that too. Any specific time?” 

Jaskier swallowed. “...next heat?” 

“Next heat it is then.”

Fuck. 

Next heat, he’d be bonded to them. 

Fucking hell that was a long time away. 

Chapter Text

He’d forgotten, with the upcoming heat and its excitement, that his Witchers weren’t the only Witchers to winter at Kaer Morhen. 

“Aubry’s been spotted coming up the trail,” Vesemir announced a week after Jaskier’s heat. 

“Aubry?” Jaskier didn’t remember an Aubry. 

“Beta,” Lambert answered, “Wolf. Real quiet type. Gets mean when he’s angry.” 

“Which he often isn’t,” Eskel was quick to reassure, “but Lambert can piss anyone off.” 

“What, like the rest of you can’t?” Lambert shot back

“I think you’ll get along,” Geralt added, ignoring what Lambert had said.

One beta, heading up the path. “Is there anyone else going to be wintering here?” Jaskier asked. 

Eskel leaned back, thinking as Aiden reached over him, sneaking a strip of bacon off Lambert’s plate in the meantime. “Coën, probably. He’s a Beta griffin. Probably Remus as well. He’s an Alpha wolf, like us. Anyone else?” he asked Vesemir, who shook his head. 

“No, no one else is wintering here.” 

So, three more Witchers to meet.

“Alright, so Aubry’s quiet, what about the others?” 

“Coën’s a stuck up prick,” Lambert called from the table, where he was just now counting how much bacon was on his plate. 

“Coën’s a griffin, ” Eskel corrected, “which means he holds to an older code of chivalry than the rest of us.” 

“And this Remus?” Jaskier asked. 

“Irritable,” Geralt summarized, fending off Aiden’s attempts at his own bacon. Jaskier chuckled a bit as he saw that the communal plate of bacon on the table was almost untouched. Aiden was just being cheeky. 

“He’s a bit wary of outsiders,” Aiden added, slapping Lambert’s hand away from going for his own plate of bacon. “Took ages to accept that I was here to stay.” 

“Is… do I need to be wary of him?” Jaskier asked. 

They all shook their heads. “If he gives you any trouble, I’ll beat his fucking ass,” Lambert growled. 

“That goes for all of us. If anyone bothers you, we’re here for you. But that shouldn’t be a concern, because you’re with us, and they can tell,” Eskel explained. “We’ll introduce you, and make sure they all understand not to mess with you, and that should be that.” 

Jaskier nodded, before glancing over to where Lambert was glaring at Aiden over his bacon. Chuckling a bit, Jaskier picked up some of the bacon he wasn’t going to eat, and set it on Lambert’s plate. 

Lambert stared at him, slack jawed, before he began blushing furiously. “How can you be so crass the rest of the time, but the second you get shown the slightest bit of affection you start blushing?” Jaskier wondered, before he turned and stared at Aiden’s hand, where he was inching forward to steal Jaskier’s bacon. 

Jaskier sighed, before picking up two more pieces of his bacon and moving to set it on Aiden’s plate. 

Before he could, Aiden leaned in and closed his mouth around the bacon, nipping gently at Jaskier’s fingers as he did so. 

Jaskier squeaked, staring at Aiden as he finished off the bacon. “Oh that is definitely the best way to get food. Mind giving me some more like that?” 

“I- ah-” Jaskier took a breath, before picking up another piece of bacon. This time Aiden leaned forward, keeping his mouth open and closing his eyes, and Jaskier had to fight back the blush that was steadily trying to spread further than just his cheeks. 

He reached out and set the piece of bacon in Aiden’s mouth, only for Aiden to close his mouth around Jaskier’s fingers, running his tongue over his fingers and moaning. 

Aiden pulled back finally, chewing the bacon and winking at Jaskier, who just set his head down on the table, giving up fighting the blush. 

“Are you alright there, flower?” Aiden asked, the smug bastard. 

“‘M fine,” Jaskier muttered, not looking up. 

“We could continue this upstairs,” Aiden offered, his voice dipping lower, and across the table Vesemir sighed. 

“Keep it to your rooms,” he instructed, and Jaskier winced. Vesemir had probably heard a lot more than he wanted to since they’d arrived at the keep. 

Then Aiden was sitting down next to him. “Little flower? Are you alright? You know I’m just teasing you, right? If you don’t want anything, there’s no expectation.” 

“I know,” Jaskier lifted his head, smiling a bit. “Just not used to it. Doesn’t mean I don’t like it.” 

Aiden relaxed, smiling a bit, then the next thing Jaskier knew he was being lifted into Aiden’s arms. “I’m claiming some time with this one,” he called back over his shoulder. “If you want to join in, meet us in our room!” 

Jaskier chuckled a bit, wrapping his arms around Aiden’s shoulders as Lambert shot up from his seat, following quickly behind them. 

“Did you do that just to make Lambert jealous?” Jaskier whispered, and Aiden laughed. 

“Half to make Lambert jealous. Half because that blush looks absolutely sinful on you darling.” 

Were the tips of his ears burning? Because they felt like they were on fire. 

They were in the hot springs when Jaskier heard footsteps coming down that he didn’t recognize. 

A few moments later a Witcher with long dark hair came down the stairs, pausing. “...so that’s why it smells like Omega up there,” he muttered. 

Jaskier hesitantly raised a hand. “Hello,” he waved. “You must be Aubry.” 

“And given the way they’re crowding around you, you must be this lot’s newest edition.” Aubry pulled off his shirt, tossing it to the side before shoving down his pants. 

Jaskier hastily looked away. Apparently Witchers didn’t care much about modesty. “Jaskier the bard,” he introduced himself, not watching as Aubry sank into the water. 

“And he’s ours, so don’t fucking touch him,” Lambert growled, pulling Jaskier close. 

Aubry snorted. “You got Lambert to be possessive of you? How good of a fuck are you anyway?” 

Around him, his Alphas growled. 

Jaskier looked up to see Aubry holding his hands up in a sign of peace, the water coming up to his chest and obscuring anything below. “Alright, touchy, didn’t mean anything by it.” 

Aiden carefully moved in front of Jaskier, crouching lower in the water as he continued to glare, but Eskel at least relaxed. “He’s our Omega, so don’t insult him,” Aiden spat, growling. 

Aubry leaned back, coming off as non-threatening as it was possible for him to be. “And how did that happen, eh? There’s a lot of rumors floating around. What’s the truth behind them?” 

“Jaskier’s with us, and will be as long as he chooses,” Eskel declared. “His parents left him for dead, and he saved my life. Anything more, we’ll explain once the others are here.” 

Oh. That was right. He had saved Eskel’s life. It was strange to think about now. 

“An Omega saved your life?” 

“From my parents,” Jaskier explained. “Hence, why my parents left me for dead. Though… that kind of happened before… it’s complicated.” 

“For a bard, you’re not that good at storytelling, are you?” Aubry asked, ducking under the water right as Lambert launched himself at Aubry. 

“He’s not usually that crass,” Geralt explained. “He must have had a rough year.” 

“I’m also intruding on his home, I don’t exactly blame him. Besides, I’m pretty sure Aiden’s the only one of all of you I met on good terms.” 

“Did we not meet on good terms?” Eskel asked, chuckling. 

“I met you when you came in to talk to my parents about the contract, and they locked you up because you insulted them over how they treated me. I don’t think that’s what most people consider a good meeting, no.”

Aubry surfaced from the water again, holding Lambert off with one hand. “Right. So, I have to wait till everyone else gets their asses up here to get an answer, I get that. But you are going to explain everything, right? Including the rumors circulating? Because I’ll be honest, they’re making Blaviken look like a fucking picnic.” 

“The rumors are just rumors,” Jaskier promised. “My parents are causing problems. We have a plan to deal with it.” 

Aubry nodded. “Right. Well then, I look forward to hearing the full story.” 

Chapter Text

Coën and Remus arrived together, the griffin Witcher looking extremely put out for having dealt with the Alpha wolf for so long. 

The Alpha, Remus, took one look at Jasker and snorted. “So these bastards really did kidnap an Omega, huh?” he asked, setting down his packs by the door and coming to stand in front of Jaskier, his arms crossed. 

Around Jaskier, his Alphas all tensed, waiting to see what would happen and if they would need to step in, and Coën took a seat nearby, just observing.

Jaskier just squared his shoulders, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms to stare at this new Alpha. “Are you going to ask me what happened or are you just going to make assumptions about me?”

Remus snorted again. “You’ve got some bite to you, that’s for sure. Alright then, Omega. Where’d these bastards snatch you from?” 

Jaskier felt his anger growing, but he held out a hand as Lambert was about to lunge at Remus. “My name’s Jaskier. And if you want that story, you can ask nicely. ” 

Behind him, Aubry snorted out what was probably a laugh. He didn’t care. Right now he needed to make sure no one gave his Alphas any shit for anything. 

Remus rolled his eyes, brushing past Jaskier. “Right. You got yourselves a guard Omega. Sounds about right. Where’s the fucking food?” 

“What did happen, Jaskier?” the other Witcher, Coën, asked.

Jaskier turned to grace him with a smile. “It’s a long story actually, starting with my parents being the absolute worst for twenty years.” 

Remus didn’t engage with the story at all, but he stayed in the main hall till Jaskier was finished telling it, before he excused himself from the table and headed down to the hot springs. 

Coën and Aubry however were extremely receptive. “Just how many people did your parents send after you?” Coën asked, shocked. 

Jaskier shrugged. “Too many. I think after I visited my uncles, they started to realize I was up to something, and they’re trying to stop me. They won’t succeed though. We’ve thought of everything.” 

“You should split up, heading down the mountain,” Aubry advised. 

Jaskier turned to look at him. “Oh? Why?” 

“They’re mostly after you, so they’ll be going after whichever Witcher you’re traveling with, right? Travel with Aiden. Your parents don’t know about him. The others can go different directions, leaving your parents confused as to where you are till it’s too late.” 

That actually wasn’t a half bad idea. 

“Thank you, Aubry. We’ll have to think about that one.” 

“Currently, Yennefer’s planning on portaling us down where we need to be close to the day of, so we’re on the path as little as possible,” Geralt explained. 

“Ah, but that could look suspicious,” Coën pointed out. “They’ll see that you’re missing, and realize you’re up to something. Better to be seen, leaving false trails, and leave them blind to your true intentions till much later.” 

“It’s a good point,” Eskel conceded. “We don’t all need to go. As much as we want to keep Jaskier safe, as long as he’s with one of us at all times, he should be alright. And Aiden is the one his parents don’t know about.” 

“I don’t want to leave your side,” Lambert admitted, “not when that firefucker’s still out there.” 

Jaskier smiled sadly. “I know. But think of it this way: if you three hunt him down before the festival, then he never has the chance to hurt me again, right?” he paused. “...wait. He… he said his contract was for you as well. What if… what if you’re killed?” 

“He can’t kill us,” Geralt promised. “We know how he fights now, we’ll be ready for him.” 

“And, if something does go wrong, we’ll all feel it,” Aiden helpfully provided. “I felt when Eskel was imprisoned, after all. As did the others.” 

“And you’ll feel it too,” Eskel reminded him. “You’ll be bonded to us, so you’ll feel everything we do.” 

Aubry turned to stare at Jaskier, and he knew if he turned his head he’d see Coën staring at him as well. “Really? You want to bond with these guys? You’re serious?” 

Jaskier nodded. “I am. There’s nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with them.” 

Before he knew it all of his Alphas were surrounding him, and he had to content himself with being smothered with affectionate purring Alphas. 

“Never letting you go,” Lambert muttered into his hair, and Jaskier smiled. 

Just a few more months, and he’d be mated to them. It barely felt real. 

Winter passed far too quickly, and before he knew it his heat was on him. 

A month early. 

“Fucking hell, ” Jaskier groaned, preheat curling around his stomach right as he was getting to the good part in the book he was reading. 

He glanced at the book, then down at his stomach, before deciding: fuck it, he was finishing the fucking book. 

Aubry came up the stairs some time later, when Jaskier was on the last chapter, and he stopped short in the middle of the doorway. “ What the fuck, ” he hissed, covering his nose instantly. 

“In a minute,” Jaskier muttered, still reading the words. It was just getting to the best part! 

“You’re in heat! ” Aubry exclaimed. “And all you can care about is a book?! ” 

“Preheat,” Jaskier corrected, not lifting his eyes from the page, “and it could last between a couple hours and a few days, I’m finishing the book then I’ll find my Alphas.” 

He squawked as Aubry plucked the book from his hands, staring down at him in mild horror. “You’re in heat, idiot, I can tell the difference! Can you right now?! How long have you been up here?! ” 

Oh. 

Now that he focused on it, heat had started already. How long had he been reading for? 

His vision swam a bit as he tried to take in the rest of the room, but the feverish conditions were quickly dulling his senses. “Give me back the book,” he complained, reaching for it. 

“No! I- Oh for fuck’s sake- Geralt! Eskel! Lambert! Aiden! Come get your Omega, he’s in heat!” he hollered, and Jaskier tried to stand up to reach for the book which Aubry was holding over his head, literally. 

“Give me back the book so I can finish the chapter!” Jaskier demanded, and Aubry pulled it away, finding a book mark and shoving it into the spot before tossing the book to the other side of the room. “Hey!” 

“You can finish your book out of heat, so help me I will carry you to the heat room myself if your Alphas don’t- oh thank the gods.” 

Geralt was the first to arrive, quickly lifting Jaskier into his arms where Jaskier stopped struggling to reach his book, and melted into Geralt’s embrace. “Early,” Geralt commented as Lambert arrived. “What are you squirming for?” he asked, carrying Jaskier up the stairs as he glared at Aubry. 

“My book,” Jaskier explained, resting his head on Geralt’s shoulder as Geralt carried him up to the heat room. “I was on the last chapter.” 

“A fucking book? You skipped telling us you were in preheat over a book? ” Lambert just stared at him, open mouthed, like he couldn’t believe Jaskier’s audacity or stupidity. 

“It just happened,” Jaskier tried to explain.