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Geralt is a chef with horrible mood, always angry and stressed.
he started working in this restaurant called Blaviken, and once he started a discussion with a critic and came out the kitchen with a butcher's knife in his hand, and since then, he's called *The Butcher of Blaviken" and it's a meme, he was fired after that and he opened his own restaurant with his family, but people still call him the Butcher of Blaviken and it hurts and it's pathetic but alas, he made that mistake once.
Eskel, Lambert and himself own this new restaurant called Kaer Morhen, in honour of their father hometown, Lambert is the sumillier and he loves to make original cocktails and brew his own craft beer. Eskel made this program to help young people with no studies, so every year they open KM's door to a few boys and girls and teach them how to run a professional kitchen.
The best three of them will be hire during the year until the next pormotion, the rest will receive a recommendation letter and they'll help them to find a job; some of them will leave, of course, others will stay.
Lambert, during the first promotion, decided to hire one of the boys to help him with the bar. Geralt and Eskel are sure that Lambert and the, well, man now, are dating. But anyway, Aiden Katz is part of their family now after all those years.
So, this year they have 10 younglings to teach, it's a reduced group this year, but well, it's enough.
Vesemir is the manager of the restaurant, but he's tired of being a chef so basically he let his sons to do whatever they want, he trust them. Yennefer is like a celebrity in this au, and she's always there with her new - and some old - boyfriends. No need to say that she's the ex of the infamous Butcher of Blaviken, and why they're still friends it's a mistery, but there they are. That KM has the best pierogis maaaaybe has something to say in this matter.
Eskel is usually who teaches the new alumns, being the most patient of the brothers.
Geralt just tries to keep the kitchen safe and working.
Geralt keeps an eye on every one of the younglings but Eskel is the one who actually teaches them, and then there's this boy, around 23 or so, loud and annoying and with cero talent for this job and who always claims that he should be a singer, not a chef. Geralt is tempted more than once to shove him out of his sacred kitchen. There's also another boy, younger than this one, just as loud and talentless, but bright and kind and who tries very very hard to learn. This one recognises Geralt the first day, and gasps: *I know you, you're the Butcher of Blaviken!" and Gearlt doesn't know why the kid is so fucking happy about it.
Eskel tells Geralt about the promotion, and how none of them have any inclination to become a chef, except maybe the boy with blue eyes and brown, soft hair and melifluous voice - ok, is actually Geralt who seeshim that way, Eskel simply referes at him by his preferred name, Jaskier.
"Literacy was beaten into me with a cane, but now I can play several instruments and I can compose my own music and lyrics, I guess it's the same here," Jaskier has laughed once after burning a fucking, simple soup. The other boy, Valdo Something, it's just a brat that has no respect for the culinary art, so Geralt has his decision. He himself will teach Jaskier and help him, since he's the one that actually wants to learn something.
That Jaskier is always kind to him even if he recognised Geralt from the memes, instead of making fun of him, or that he has the most powerful puppy eyes, or that Geralt catches Valdo Something ogling Jaskier and touching him and making the other boy uncomfortable in their workplace... fuck it, Geralt doesn't have to explain his reasons to want and help Jaskier.
And of course, this is the worst decision ever.
He could just have asked Eskel, or even Lambert, fuck, even Vesemir, who is a softie and always wanted to adopt another kid, but nooooo.
He had to go and and Jaskier if he really wants to be a chef.
He had to go and offer himself to teach him.
He had to go and look at those baby blue eyes that are sparkling under the artificial white light of the kitchen.
"You won't regret it, Chef Geralt, I want to learn and I don't mind if I have to work twice as hard, I promise."
Geralt is already regretting this decision.
He knows it's against the rules.
He knows he shouldn't be teaching this boy in secret.
He knows he's being unfair to the other boys and girls.
He doesn't give a fuck, though.
They have to maintain it as a secret - even if Eskel, Lambert, Vesemir and even Yennefer know what Geralt is doing, because come on, Geralt has never being subtle about anything in his life.
But Eskel is happy to see Geralt geting involved in his program.
Lambert is waiting to tease him - he doesn't know it'll backfires him, who is of course dating Aiden because he basically did the same.
Vesemir just wants Geralt to be happy, and Yen is having fun.
-
Being alone with Jaskier is... something.
The boy is flirty, for a start, and that startles Geralt, Jaskier has ever been so discreet and professional, but here, alone, Jaskier flirts with him. Geralt should stop him, he knows, he should put an end on this, but he feels his skin tingling everytime Jaskier touches him, resting his hand over Geralt's arm to ask him whatever, and he feels butterflies in his belly everytime Jaskier beams at him, that is, well, every ten minutes or so.
The boy also works hard, so hard, and with such passion, that Geralt feels... even more flustered, and his chest puffs with pride everytime Jaskier learns a new technique thanks to him.
Geralt discovers that Jaskier, actually, sings, and it's good at it. Jaskier doesn't sing too loud, but he seems unable to stop himself at the deserted kitchen when he forgets about Geralt, and is voice echoes and... it's nice, and not too intrusive, Jaskier sings unconsciously and just stops abruptly to ask Geralt a doubt or whatever.
After whole two months like this, Jaskier has improved a lot, and he brings a basket full of sweets that he himself has baked to thanks Geralt his private lessons, and Geralt decides that a dry rosé wine will suit those sweets, and they spend the night talking and eating and drinking.
"I always wanted to be a singer," Jaskier admits. "I am a singer. But it's not enough? I saw that video about you and then I decided that I wanted to be a chef too, and I was so nervous when I received the mail saying that I was one of the ten for your program, I still can't believe I'm drinking with Chef Geralt"
Geralt winces. "You want to be a chef because of the video about me swinging a butcher's knife?" "No, that one was hilarious," Geralt grimaces again. "But not, I'm referring about the other video, the first I saw about you!"
Geralt is perplexed, blinking at Jaskier.
"Let me show you,"
Jaskier starts looking in Youtube in his Favourites videos section, and then Geralt is watching a much younger version of himself. The video is old, recorded with an actual camera instead of a phone, and he remembers that day. It was an interview for a local TV channel about young promises, Geralt was just named Chef of the Blaviken, the youngest Chef in the story of Novigrad, he was not older than Jaskier is now.
He's smiling in the video and showing his kitchen to the cameraman and the interviewer, and he shows the recipe of a fish stew, it was a good day.
"I saw that interview on the TV that day, I was with my mom, and I told her that I wanted to be like you, I wanted to be a chef," Jaskier is smiling softly at both Geralts, the younger one in the video and the older one who is sitting besides him. "But she just had bought me my first guitar, and she told me: 'first learn to play the guitar and then we'll talk'" Jaskier laughs.
Geralt is overwhelmed, maybe it's the rosé, maybe it's Jaskier who smells like crème anglaise and chocolate, maybe it's his own memories about him wanting to be a chef
"So I learn that, and then I applied for your program, and here we are."
"And here we are," Geralt repeats.
Jaskier's scent is sweet and tempting and Geralt wants... he wants to kiss that boy so badly. He doesn't know when it happened, but he's in love, and if he had read all of this correctly, then Jaskier...
Jaskier's gaze flicks to Geralt's lips and back to his eyes, and Geralt feels a hot wave all over his body. Jaskier leans in, still looking at Geralt, unsure, and that can't be. Geralt reaches until his hand wraps around Jaskier's nape and closes the distance between them. Jaskier's lips are plush and soft and sweet and spicy because of the wine and it's everything Geralt wants.
-
When the program is over, Jaskier refuses to be one of the three new employers of the KM restaurant:
"I know I've cheated accepting your help, but most important than the job is to have spent time with you, Geralt, to have you now. I enjoyed that even more than being a Chef."
Valdo is expulsed of the program for being a dick, and Geralt shouldn't be proud of being the one who pushes him out of his kitchen, but he is, he can't stand that asshole.
Geralt and Jaskier don't want their relationship to be a secret, either, and then Geralt decides that they can have it all. They both can be chefs and in love and, for some years, Jaskier works with him at the KM restaurant.
Geralt wants Jaskier to have everything he wants, so he decides to invest in another restaurant after talking about it for months, "The Wolf and the Buttercup", a lovely bistró that offers live music, and sometimes the Chef joins the band and sings too.
It's good that The Wolf and the Buttercup opens only for dinner shift, so he can spend the rest of the day with Jaskier - Jaskier even helps during lunch shift at the Kaer Morhen. And it's just a coincidence that during the only day that the KM is closed for the rest of the personal, the one and only Butcher of Blaviken can be seen there at the Wolf and the Buttercup, enjoying the food and the music, and when Chef Jaskier is done, he leaves his guitar in the scenario and he sits with him and share a kiss or two - and the dessert, chocolate soufflé with crême anglaise.