A modern geraskier AU, where there’s a (small) fire in Jaskier’s building.
And Jaskier is a heavy sleeper, okay? Won’t wake for nothing. So he sleeps right through the fire alarm blaring through all the halls, as his whole complex evacuates.
He’s awoken by a jostle on his shoulder, and at first he thinks it’s his best friend Triss, right? Because she has this tendency to overuse the key to he gave her to his flat; has a very loose definition of what constitutes an emergency.
But it’s not Triss. It’s a very rugged, very attractive fireman with amber eyes that look like molten gold, and prematurely silver-white hair - prematurely, because Jaskier swears this man can’t be older than his mid-thirties - who calmly and patiently informs Jaskier that there’s a fire in the building, and they need to get him out now.
And Jaskier’s disoriented, but he moves quick, so they’re out the door (the busted up front door; and Jaskier’s trying very hard not to think about how mouthwatering the fireman must’ve looked forcing the door open) in no time. Jaskier asks if anyone got hurt, and the fireman says no, says they had everything under control, they just had one person unaccounted for, and Jaskier’s embarrassed to realize that he’s the only one in his entire goddamn building who slept through the fire alarm, the sirens, the chaos of it all.
But he’s outside; he joins the throng of his building’s residents as the firemen continue to work. Just like the fireman said, it seems everything’s under control, and the firemen are soon packing up their trucks and getting ready to leave. And Jaskier’s still a little disoriented from being woken up like this, but he thinks, what the hell he’s gonna shoot his shot, and wanders over to the fire truck. The firemen are all very attractive (is that a fucking requirement of the London Fire Brigade?) but Jaskier only has eyes for one and he swaggers up to him, all confident.
“My hero,” he greets him, “I don’t believe I caught your name.”
And there’s a flicker of a smile and something else in those golden eyes, and oh, this man is too attractive, unfairly so. “Geralt.”
“Geralt,” Jaskier tests the name on his tongue. “I’d love treat you to a pint as a thank you for saving my life. Any chance you’re free tomorrow?”
And it’s not Jaskier’s best come-on, not by a long shot, but the fireman - Geralt - considers him for a moment before saying, “as it so happens, I am.”
“How delightful,” Jaskier breathes, and they exchange numbers and he’s so excited he’s practically vibrating with it.
They end up meeting for that pint the next day, and it’s a horrible pretext they maintain for exactly that one pint, before Geralt informs Jaskier he lives nearby, and they’re back at his place in five seconds flat. And it’s a wonderful, most satisfying night, and Jaskier leaves the next morning half-hoping this isn’t the last time he sees the handsome fireman.
But, see, what Jaskier finds out a few days later, when he goes downtown to meet his new manager - one of the most high-profile, most illustrious business and entertainment managers in all of England; the manager who snatched him up after his last fashion show, utterly convinced in Jaskier’s potential as England’s next big fashion designer - is that he is going to see his handsome fireman again.
He’s walking and talking with Yennefer - who is just as terrifying as Jaskier remembers, but she’s also ambitious and Knows Her Shit, and Jaskier’s never felt his career in better hands - when a girl no more than 10 years old, with moonlit hair rushes towards her with a delighted exclamation of “mom!”
And Yennefer envelopes her little girl in a tight hug, says, “Jaskier, this is my daughter Ciri,” and then asks Ciri where her dad is.
And Ciri points behind her, and informs Yennefer that, “dad is right there.”
And Jaskier follows Ciri’s pointed finger, and suddenly all the air leaves his body because -
“Ah, Jask, this is my ex-husband Geralt. Geralt, my new client, Jaskier.”
well - fuck.