Chapter Text
Geralt had wondered for the longest time why humans kill. It wasn’t for supplies. It wasn’t for food or necessity. It was for fun.
And revenge.
He wasn’t sure he would be able to ever justify the murder of another soul. But as he sobbed over the broken body of his most treasured possession, he finally understood. He looked up through a tangle of white hair, his eyes blazing.
“I fucked up,” Lambert said, backing away slowly. “That’s my bad.”
“You murdered Roach,” Geralt growled, rising slowly.
Lambert took another few steps backward, his arms outstretched in surrender. “It was an accident, okay? I didn’t know it wasn’t supposed to bend like that. Heads are supposed to move! I mean, it’s not like I meant to snap its neck.”
Another deep growl clawed its way out of Geralt’s throat. He stalked forward a few steps, eyes dangerously bright behind his curtained hair. “I’m going to snap your neck.”
“It was a toy, okay? Have Jaskier carve you a new one!” Lambert shrieked as Geralt lunged, the broken pieces of the Roach figurine falling to the ground behind him.
Jaskier and Aiden looked up at the sound of the scream, the cat moving to peer out the window of the library. “Your boyfriend is trying to kill my boyfriend,” Aiden said calmly. He watched in amusement as the wolves sprinted around the courtyard, howling and cursing each other as they wrestled about.
The bard shrugged and turned back to his book. “It won’t be the last time. Geralt says they do this every winter.”
“I don’t understand why Lambert keeps touching the things you make. He’s broken every single one.”
Snorting, Jaskier looked to the cat. “He probably does it on purpose to get a rise out of Geralt. That, and he knows they can be easily repaired or replaced.”
Aiden shook his head. “It’s been sixteen years since you started sending Geralt home with gifts,” he reminded the bard. “Seriously, Lamb should know better by now.”
With another snort, Jaskier stood. “He should. Doesn’t mean he ever will.” He put a friendly hand on Aiden’s shoulder and peered out the window. “I’ve been trying to teach Geralt things for nearly thirty years. Look how well that’s going.”
Geralt was still trying to snag Lambert, both men practically running on all fours. Swears and shrieks were easily heard from the tower as Lambert scrambled up one of the training platforms directly below the library window before sending a blast of igni to light the ladder aflame.
“Ha!” Lambert taunted his brother as he furiously paced the bottom of the burning wood. “Try to catch me now, Pretty Boy!”
Aiden sent a look toward the bard and smirked, raising one knee to climb onto the windowsill. He rolled his neck and shoulders once before he was gone. Jaskier peered out the window, watching as Aiden fell.
“You lose, mother– oof!” Lambert’s tirade was cut short as the cat landed nimbly on his back, throwing him off balance enough to tumble to the ground.
Jaskier winced just a bit at the rough landing, but shook his head when he heard Aiden’s loud peals of laughter. He caught Geralt’s eye as he tried to figure out where the cat had appeared from. Beaming, Jaskier waved to the wolf.
His heart nearly burst when he got a small smile and a little wave in return.
Geralt turned his attention quickly back to his brother, who was using his boyfriend as a shield. “Fuck off!” Lambert shouted, ducking behind the cat any time Geralt made a move. Jaskier shook his head and perched himself on the windowsill. He laughed when Aiden made a break for it and Geralt lunged. Lambert was tackled easily, screeching, “Traitor!”
“You love me!” Aiden teased back.
“Not anymore!”
Throwing his head back with laughter, Jaskier lost his balance on the window. He let out a tiny gasp of surprise before righting himself. He clung tightly to the stone, his heart beating a tic faster.
Geralt had looked up at the gasp, his eyes widening in panic as he let go of his brother. “Jaskier!” he bellowed, running toward the tower. Aiden and Lambert both looked up in worry.
“I’m fine, Geralt,” Jaskier assured him. “Would’ve fallen into the library anyway.” He made a small humming noise. “Though, if I were to fall out of the tower, you’d catch me, right?”
The wolf’s eyes widened again before narrowing as the gears spun in his head. “Jaskier, do not–”
“Oops!” the bard giggled before launching himself from the window. Geralt startled, but rushed forward to catch the man. He grunted when Jaskier landed heavily in his arms.
The bard smiled warmly and wrapped his arms around the wolf’s neck. “You saved my life,” he fluttered his eyes. “How can I ever repay you?”
“Don’t do it again,” Geralt growled. “You could’ve killed yourself.”
“Nah,” Jaskier snuggled into Geralt’s neck with a contented hum. “You’d never let that happen.”
Geralt sighed, clinging tightly to the man in his arms. He turned at the sound of footsteps. “Vesemir,” he greeted, head bowing.
The eldest wolf raised a single eyebrow at the picture of Jaskier snuggled into Geralt’s arms and Lambert sporting a new black eye as he peered out from behind his cat. “I understand you are all anxious to return to the Path. But that ladder will be fixed before any of you leave,” he nodded to the still burning structure. “And I expect my guests to use the stairs and doors in the proper manner. Dinner will be ready in five minutes.”
Geralt and Lambert grumbled at the repair order that was aimed at them, while Jaskier and Aiden looked at the ground in embarrassment. Eskel let out a snort from behind the old wolf. Lambert glared at his eldest brother. “You find that funny? How about we make a bet. Whoever loses has to fix the ladder.”
“I didn’t even burn it!” Eskel exclaimed. He thought it over for a moment and shrugged. “But I’m listening.”
Vesemir sighed, shaking his head as he returned to the keep. Jaskier caught a few of his mutterings about raising literal animals, and he hid a laugh behind his hand. Geralt set him down and crossed his arms as he looked at his brother. “What’s the bet?”
“First one to get Vesemir to curse them out in Elder loses.”
Aiden raised an eyebrow. “You sure you want those to be the terms, Lamb? I mean, you may as well get started on the repairs now.”
“One, you’re supposed to be on my side, asshole,” Lambert glared at the cat. “And two, I have never heard Vesemir use Elder. Not even when I put a Northern Wind in the toilets when I was fifteen.”
Geralt and Eskel exchanged glances and shrugged. “What the hell. I’m in,” the eldest brother said.
“As long as I get to play dirty, I’m in, too,” Aiden winked.
“We’re all playing dirty,” Geralt muttered. “Jask?”
“Oh, no,” the bard took a step back from the group. “I’m not about to risk that. I’d prefer to be invited back next year.”
“Ooh…” Aiden pursed his lips and moved to stand next to the bard. “Good point. I’ll wait with Jaskier.”
Lambert rolled his eyes. “You guys are lame. First one to get sworn at loses. Go!” The three wolves sprinted inside, pushing and shoving each other out of the way. Jaskier and Aiden exchanged concerned glances and followed quickly behind.
Everyone took their seats in the main dining hall, a wild energy thrumming between them. Vesemir sighed and said a short prayer of thanks before nodding for the boys to eat. The wolves scrambled to fill their plates and begin shoveling food into their mouths.
The dinner table was soon overrun with the brothers accusing each other of various levels of heinous acts. Eskel claimed Geralt made fun of his hair, and Lambert swore that it was the other two who had conspired to empty every bottle of shampoo in the keep into the hot springs. Geralt, in turn, spun the sad tale of his broken Roach.
Vesemir watched them all with an exhausted glaze in his eyes. Aiden merely shrugged when their eyes met, and Jaskier leaned to the side to faintly whisper something to the eldest wolf. He sat back with a satisfied smirk that he hid behind his glass as Vesemir froze.
None of the other wolves noticed until the loud snap of Vesemir’s fork echoed throughout the room. They all turned wide eyes to their mentor, who zeroed in on his sons. Geralt felt his heart speed up when furious eyes locked with his. “You left Jaskier where?”
Geralt looked to his brothers in shock as his face paled. “I–”
“An ard, Geralt? Esseath bloed!”