doesntsing | open post

"Whenever you want," he responds after sipping his wine too. "We had many an idea to hang out, did we not? We just have to make them dates. Museums, movies, musicals... I'm open, darling. As long as I'm not on a hunt and you don't have the kids, I want us to have fun."

He's an extrovert who doesn't like staying in his room for long. He'd take her out every day if he could.

Taking a bite of his sandwich has him making a long yummy noise. "This is great."

“We were going to take Ciri to the Met,” Midge says. “Maybe we can do that this week? I was also going to cook for your family.”

Her brisket isn’t hard to make and she enjoys cooking it.

Midge is also an extravert. Staying around the house saps her of her energy.

“The food of my people,” Midge says before taking a bite of her sandwich. “Or at least of the Jews in New York.”

"You want to combine both things? Sounds like a plan," he says with a nod. "Come home for lunch so everyone gets fed properly, then we can leave Yennefer and Geralt alone for the rest of the day." He winks. It sounds like a tease, but he does like the idea a lot - those two could do with some couple time. Ciri has been around since they made up and Jaskier doesn't want her to be the only reason why they're together.

"Hey now, I know what pickle and kraut are." This one is the actual tease. "Geralt is pretty good at making both. Fermented stuff is great for the road. Puts a bit of life on jerky."

“Oh, I guess that means that we’ll be the babysitters? They probably could use some time alone.” It will also give Midge a chance to get to know Ciri. “Does she like art?”

She takes a bite of her pickle spear. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m surprised that you enjoy camping so much.”

Perhaps they’ve had this conversation. Jaskier maybe isn’t as high maintenance as his personality might make one think.

Jaskier laughs at her conclusion. "Fuck, I can't make fun of Joel anymore, can I?" He'll do it anyway. "She likes music and reading. Movies have gone well so far, too, but I'm not sure if that's real or just the novelty of the format. I don't know how she'll feel about the museum, but it can't hurt to try. I want her to be well educated."

And that includes admiration for the arts and stimulating creativity, not just history and math. Her homework sometimes depresses him, but he can't deny it's necessary.

They've talked about this a little bit, but he doesn't mind. It's a subject he likes.

"No offense taken," he says with a snort. "I loathed it when I started travelling. And to be honest, the act of camping itself? I'm still not the biggest fan of. Tents aren't exactly comfortable, there isn't much food variety, and don't get me started on the bugs." He pauses to sip his wine. "But nature? Oh, Midge, nature is beautiful. The bright colors of the flowers, the cheerful song of the birds, the sparkles in the water... it won me over. I love travelling and finding the prettiest spots in the world. Camping just happens to come with that."

“You can still make fun of him,” Midge assures him. “I do that on a nightly basis.” She shrugs. “It doesn’t cost that much to go in. If she hates it, we’ll leave. I’ll show both of you some of my favorite paintings.”

It’s clear that Jaskier has a fondness for nature and its beauty. If only it didn’t come with bugs and dirt.

“I don’t suppose there’s a way to, say… make camping a bit more comfortable with magic?”

"Don't forget you've given me that permission." His mischievous grin says she may regret it. At least the nature of their roleplay has left the concept of 'her husband' pretty vague, but Jaskier definitely wants to shit on Joel directly. Which is why he made a reference about her 'three exes'. "I can't wait to see your taste in paintings. But if we do leave, where shall you take us? To the ranchiest comedy club?"

It's a joke, but honestly, he doesn't mind the idea. Small indie spaces are lots of fun.

"I know Yennefer has a magic tent, but I don't know the details. I've seen those cars with mini houses inside, though." He means RVs. "They're a wonderful invention that already solves most of the issues with camping."

Midge gives him a look. Just tread lightly there, Jaskier. It’s one thing for a person to make fun of their family members, but another thing for someone else to do it.

“Should I take Ciri to the raunchiest comedy club in the city?” Midge asks. “I was thinking Central Park.” They could go there regardless after the museum.

“Cabins,” Midge says. “Cabins solve a lot of problems too, and they have toilets and running water. We can go on a weekend excursion to the Catskills if you’d like.”

Jaskier sees that look and smiles in the most innocent way he can manage.

"She's fifteen, she has to start sometime." Is he serious or is he joking? Yes. "A walk through Central Park would be delightful. Then we can find a nice hidden spot to fuck in later." A wink.

He has to finish another bite of his sandwich before answering. "Oh! Yeah, I know about cabins; we had cabins as well. I suppose I don't make the association because they're static - they are not for traveling, they're more like... a hotel in the forest." His foot reaches to rub her ankle. "A weekend with you by the lake is a lovely idea, though."

“Exactly,” she replies. Is she being serious? Maybe.

“It’s particularly beautiful in the fall when all the leaves are changing color,” Midge continues, smiling when he starts to rub her ankle. “After the wedding we’ll find a good weekend to go away. Just you and I in an isolated cabin, love. We can be naked the whole time.”

"Aww, see? You can admire nature as well." He leans in to kiss her cheek. "Count me in. Fall is great for cuddling in front of the fire. Although I don't know how much admiration of nature we can have if we're naked the whole time. You'll keep me distracted."

“Will my tits not enhance the natural beauty all around us?” Midge asks in mock offense. “I would love to cuddle in front of the fire with you. Maybe I’ll put on a robe at least.”

Reaching up, she brushes back his hair and gazes at him. It’s incredible how much she’s fallen for him in such a short time.

“You make me so happy, Jaskier,” she says quietly.

Laughing at that - she's always so fucking funny. "I think cuddling in front of the fire is precisely the moment when robes are not needed, darling."

His expression softens at her words and he rests his forehead against hers, just basking in her company and these little gestures of affection.

"You deserve to be happy," he whispers back. "Just seeing your words on my screen is enough to brighten my day."

“Same for me,” she replies, rubbing her nose against his. “You’re so special to me. I hope I can be everything that you need.”

That’s Midge’s deepest fear, that she won’t be able to keep him satisfied in one way or another. She plans to really try though. He’s worth it. They’re worth it. Midge thinks they can be so great together.

"Midge..."

Jaskier can't help but sigh - he wishes they didn't have to think about the future so much. He's afraid of making promises he can't keep, but he does want to make her happy. Gentle arms wrap around her and bring her to his lap, then he kisses the top of her head before nuzzling it.

"I need fun. I need freedom. I need art. I need beauty. And I need sex. I'm quite sure you're capable of providing me with all of them. I teased you about this before, have I not? You're one of the few people who can match my libido."

She’s upset him again, hasn’t she? Midge hadn’t meant to. It’s seemed normal to talk about these kind of things in her past relationships, but this one is different.

She curls up in his lap, resting her head against his chest. His heartbeat thuds softly in her ear.

“I never thought of myself as having a particularly high libido, but I guess I do.”

He'll never stop loving how perfectly she fits against his body. After another kiss to the top of her head, he keeps an arm firmly wrapped around her and uses his free hand to feed her bits of the sandwich, occasionally taking a few for himself, too.

"You're still discovering yourself, dear, and I love watching you embrace all these new experiences. I'm not talking only about sex, although I should point out that we can be together because of this compatibility." He wouldn't have agreed to monogamy if he didn't think she could keep up with him.

It’s kind of nice to be fed. Midge gratefully takes the bites of food, sometimes teasing Jaskier’s fingers with a flick of her tongue.

“I guess Joel and I had more sex than I realized,” she says, “though it was less towards the end.” Midge is quiet for a moment. “I don’t know if that played any part in him deciding to leave me.”

Well, fuck. He had been trying for a positive thing, yet this is where they land. Jaskier truly hates Joel for what he did to Midge's confidence. He hugs her tightly with both arms and kisses her cheek.

"If he wanted sex, he should've asked. I would've understood if he left you because you kept turning him down, but I'm willing to bet my lute that it wasn't the case at all." A little sigh. "What you just described, I see it all the time. After the initial honeymoon phase is over, the truth about the marriage sinks in. I know you're hurting and I'm sorry about what you went through, but divorce was the best thing that could've happened to you."

Midge isn’t upset by this conversation. More contemplative than anything. It occurs to her that this is why Jaskier never intends to get married. He never wants to reach the place that she and Joel reached in their relationship.

He might also never have the joy of knowing that you have a partner who loves you unconditionally. Though, Jaskier is better at compartmentalizing these things than she is.

“I don’t disagree,” she replies. “I don’t have any regrets about it.” Midge looks up at him. “I’m okay.”

Jaskier watches her closely. He thinks he's very good at reading her, but when it comes to the subject of Joel and her marriage, things are still complicated. Which is fair.

"No regrets is the best way to enjoy life," he says with a nod. His hand cups her cheek and rubs her cheek with his thumb. "Just okay? What is missing for 'happy'?"

She smiles at him. “You make me very happy. I just meant that I’m not upset about talking about the divorce.” Midge gives him a light kiss. “It’s not my favorite topic, obviously, but I’m alright. You help make things better.”

"Oh." Well, now he just feels silly. He makes sure to kiss her nicely to make up for it. "I'm glad to hear that. You can talk to me about everything; I hope you know that. Even if it's a text in the middle of the night." He bumps their noses together. "I love talking to you about anything."

“Me too.”

The radio playing in the other room draws Midge’s attention. She knocks back the rest of her wine.

“Wanna dance?”

He’s a good dancer and Midge likes being held by him.

A grin. "The day I say no to that question, you'll know I'm dead."

Jaskier doesn't bother to take her to the living room. He just kicks the chair out of the way and turns off the light for ambience - the city lights coming through the window and the bulb from the corridor are enough.

The song is a slow tune and Jaskier holds Midge close as they softly rock their bodies around the kitchen. He actually knows the lyrics of this one, it's one of the covers they've practiced with the band. So he sings lowly in her ear,

"♫ I was made for loving you / You were made for loving me / And I can't get enough of you / Can you get enough of me? ♫"

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