Treville was sick, to begin with. He hadn't slept properly for a few days due to a terrible flu and high fever and was currently sitting in his office with a frustrated face, trying hard to control his nerves. The captain looked absolutely dreadful. His hair was disheveled, his eyes had dark circles underneath, his nose was red and blocked, forcing its owner to struggle for each and every breath. If someone had walked in at that moment, he would definitely freeze in his spot seeing the deadly glare Treville's face was wearing. Apart from his own illness, he had so much to worry about. It was the queen's birthday yesterday and the king attended a royal ball for his dear wife. Despite his current condition, poor Treville had to stay with their majesties the whole night, protecting them and enduring some talkative aristocrats. He could somehow manage it all if it weren't his four best men causing troubles every minute. By the time the ball was finished, the captain had no strength left in him to punish his soldiers, so he just went home and forced himself to sleep. However, his nose had other plans…

"Come on, Aramis, you go first". – D'artagnan almost dragged the marksman towards the captain's office, hoping he would somehow light up their captain's sour mood. Despite being a musketeer for two years already, the boy still found it hard to face Treville in his bad mood.

"Why should I? He's probably angry with me for flirting with the duke's lovely wife at the royal ball yesterday. Porthos can go in. He is far more capable of defending himself from an angry Treville than I.". – The marksman complained, looking at his best friend hopefully, using his best puppy dog eyes to persuade the large man.

Porthos hesitated a bit. As much as he loved Aramis and would do anything for him, he still couldn't risk being the first one to endure Treville's yelling and insults about their unsuitable behavior.

"I have to disappoint you, my friend. One of the Barons called me fat yesterday and I was forced to teach him some manners. Sadly, Treville's trained eyes caught me."

"Oh, I see… Athos, my dear friend…!"

"No."

"But…"

"No."

"Why? You did something too?" – D'artagnan butted in.

"No, but I have a hangover and my head is pounding, so I can't bear any loud noise".

"If you haven't done anything wrong, he won't yell at you". – Porthos encouraged, begging Athos with his eyes.

"I got fooled once, I won't let that happen twice".

"Please?" – Aramis asked in his sweetest voice, trying hard not to flinch at his friend's glare.

"Yeah, come on, Athos, do it for us". – The Gascon joined Aramis and soon Athos found himself caged with two pairs of puppy dog eyes staring at him pleadingly. His eyes turned to Porthos who was simply staring at him, without using any trick. Finally, the swordsman agreed with a loud sigh.

"Okay, damn it, I'll do it but only because I am not a coward."

"Or because you love us, right?" – Athos frowned at the marksman's statement and knocked on Treville's door. No answer. He tried again. Nothing.

"Maybe he's sleeping?" – Porthos suggested.

"Let's check him out". – Athos opened the door and gasped audibly at the sight in front of him. He found his captain sprawled across the floor, unconscious and all red on the face.

"Aramis!" – Athos yelled from the room, kneeling beside his captain, taking his head in his lap.

Aramis, Porthos and D'artagnan ran in and just stood there shocked for a few seconds.

"What are you waiting for, you idiots?! Can't you see he's burning up? Help me take him to his quarters!"

Porthos was the first one to come to his senses. He picked Treville up and headed towards his rooms with the trio following him behind.

As soon as they tucked the captain in his bed, Aramis started fussing over him, checking his temperature and pulse. Treville hadn't even moved during the process, raising a spark of worry in the soldiers' hearts.

"Is he going to be all right?" – D'artagnan asked in a heavy voice.

"Our captain is a strong man. He's going to make it through." – Porthos sat in an armchair, rubbing a hand on his face.

Aramis kept taking care of his patient with Athos beside him, pressing a wet cloth on Treville's hot forehead. The duo somehow managed to make Treville drink some medicines who half consciously followed their orders.

Days went by with no change. Treville drifted in and out but was never fully conscious. The four inseparables were having problems, trying to force their captain swallow several bitter liquids. The captain struggled unconsciously yet violently but Aramis' soothing words never failed to calm him down.

One morning Treville opened his eyes, squinting against the sunlight on his face. As soon as his sight restored, he found four souls curled together in a warm embrace with tired expressions. Porthos and Aramis' heads were pressed together with Porthos' arm wrapped protectively around the marksman, holding him tightly while D'artagnan had his head dropped on Athos' chest, his arm circling the swordsman's waist whose cheek was resting on the top of the Gascon's head, their breaths echoing together. Treville couldn't help but let a fond smile cross his lips. The men were troublemakers yet he adored the way they took care of and stood for each other. One pirate, one womanizer, one farmer and one noble drunkard. What could be more odd? Despite this, they completed each other. He was beyond lucky to be one of them.

Athos was the first one to notice the patient staring at them. Rewarding his captain with a cute sleepy expression, the swordsman carefully untangled himself from D'artagnan and went to Treville.

"How are you feeling, sir?" – He asked, voice growing rough from sleep.

"I have a bitter taste in my mouth, otherwise I am fine."

"That must be from drinking the medicines. Shall I fetch you a cup of water?"

"Yes, please."

Treville drank the whole cup, relieving his taste buds.

"How long have I been unconscious?" – He asked, handing the cup to Athos.

"Almost five days, sir."

"Five days?! Does the king know about this?" – Treville panicked, trying to get out of the bed but Athos steadied him quickly, covering his mouth with his hand.

"Shh, sir, the king is aware of your condition. He sent his personal medic for you and has given you a month to regain your strength. Please, be quiet, they haven't slept properly for days." – The swordsman whispered.

Treville's eyes settled on the three figures curled up on the sofa, sleeping peacefully. The captain felt a spark of guilt entering his heart. The four men had been with him all this time, taking care of him and praying for his well-being while a few days ago he had nothing but a cruel kind of punishment to offer them. Sighing quietly, he ran a hand through his unruly hair, musing.

"Are you all right, sir?"

Athos could never ever prepare himself for his captain's action. His eyes widened in shock as he felt Treville's arms squeezing him tightly, pulling him in a bone-crushing hug. It took him several seconds to realize what was going on before he hugged his captain back, burying his head in the crook of his neck.

"Thank you." – Athos felt Treville's warm breath tickling his ear, filling his heart with warmth.

"That's what brothers are for". – The swordsman whispered back with a small smile.

They stayed like that for some time before pulling away to find the trio staring at them with foolish grins.

"If you say a word, I'll see you beheaded by the king's orders". – The captain tried to put on his best glare but the warmth in his voice gave him away.

Before he could comprehend what was going on, he found himself surrounded by four pairs of arms.

"Our captain's back at last". – Aramis said enthusiastically.

"We thought we would never see you again, sir." – Porthos whispered, a few tears pooling from his eyes.

"Please, never scare us like that again." – D'artagnan added in a sad tone.

Treville looked at each of them with a fond smile, overwhelmed with different emotions. Was he worth such love? He didn't know. All he knew was that he wasn't alone in this life. He had brothers who would support him whenever he needed it for which his gratitude knew no bounds.

"Gentlemen, you know I am not fond of long speeches, right?"- He asked, making four heads nod in unison. – "But today, I want to thank you for everything you did for me. Before this day I thought I was completely alone in this world but you four proved me wrong. From now on I can live peacefully knowing I have brothers who won't let me down. You Please accept my sincere gratitude and apologies for every bad thing I have ever done to you. No one has ever done anything like this to me. I know I am not worth it but I would be more than happy if you considered me as your brother."

The four inseparables looked at him for some time before Porthos spoke up:

"My mother died when I was very young. She was my only family then. But since the day I started wearing my musketeer uniform, I got the biggest gift from god… It's you, captain. Becoming a musketeer was the best decision ever made by me because it has gifted me a new father. Yes, you are not just a brother to me. You are my father, as well. In my opinion, it's an honor to be your soldier". – Porthos finished, looking at Treville who sat there speechless.

"My father was a distant person." – Athos began. – "I know he loved me in his own twisted way but he was better at demanding things than expressing his feelings. He hardly knew who I really was, what I actually wanted or if I was worth becoming a count. Despite the fact that all I remember from him is yelling or beating me with his belt for being unworthy, I still loved him. When you found me in that tavern, drunk and lost, you took me to the Garrison and treated me as your son. You made me understand what a real father must do for his children. Since that day, I consider you as my father, my brother and my savior, captain. You have my boundless gratitude and respect. I am honored to be your soldier."

"After my father's death, I thought no one would be worth being my father figure. He was everything to me, the only family I had ever known. When he died, half of my heart went with him. Ever since you came into my life, you dulled the ache in my chest, captain. I am still new here and I know, replacing a parent is impossible but I thank god every day for giving me a new family. All the musketeers are my brothers and you are our father. You bind us together, captain. You scold us in front of the king and praise us whenever we are alone. You know us. Our lives can never be as important to anyone as they are to you. You understand us better than anyone ever will because you have experienced each and every thing a soldier ever does. I consider you as my father figure and I am glad to be your soldier." – D'artagnan finished, his eyes shining with love and respect.

"Well, I loved my father too. He was a great person and a perfect parent. I can't express with words what I felt after god took him away from me. I thought no one would be like him but I was wrong. You look so much like him, captain. You are strong, fair and brave. You are strict but you love us, your dear children. You protect us from the king even when we deserve our punishment. I feel the pity in your eyes when you see us guarding his majesty in bright hot summer or cold cruel winter. Your heart bleeds every time one of us dies. You mourn us as if we were your sons and we are. To me, you are my father figure and I am beyond lucky to be your soldier". – Treville could hardly suppress his tears by the time Aramis finished the last sentence. He sat there, not uttering a word as he knew his voice would betray him. The soldiers waited for him patiently, understanding his condition. Finally, after a good five minutes of silence, Treville spoke up:

"All for one?" – He asked, extending his hand.

"And one for all." – The others echoed, putting their hands on top of his.

They hugged each other tightly, the embrace full of unspoken words and unexpressed feelings. They knew each other, understood each other's feelings and loved one another unconditionally. What else can a soldier wish for?

A few months later, the quartet were sitting on their favorite bench, bantering as usual.

"I'm so glad the captain has given us a few days off". – Aramis sighed dreamily, propping his feet up on the table.

"You don't say. I could never imagine being off-duty would be so pleasant." – Porthos added, caressing his moustache.

"Shall we play cards?"

"Nah, let's enjoy the beauty of nature, gentlemen."

"You think dirty puddles and bloody ground can be beautiful?" – Athos asked, looking at the marksman as if he had gone crazy.

"Actually I was planning a nice picnic in my head". – Aramis pointed out, leaning against the bench.

Athos was about to reply when he caught Treville coming towards them. The swordsman's eyes widened noticing his captain wearing a red ball dress and golden necklace. The captain stumbled several times as his high heeled shoes didn't exactly fit him. It took him several minutes to reach his soldiers.

"Captain, you…" – Aramis began, eyeing Treville as if he were a ghost.

"You are…" – D'artagnan tried but shut his mouth right before he could start laughing. Even Athos was struggling to keep his face serious.

Treville shot them a cold glare, trying to keep himself upright.

"I see no reason to be amused, gentlemen." – The captain said in a quiet yet dangerous tone.

"Why are you dressed like a woman?" – Athos finally gathered the courage to ask.

"The king is ill. He's suffering from measles and suddenly got interested in how I would look as a woman". – He mumbled, face growing red from anger and shame.

"Why didn't you dress up properly as soon as his interest was satisfied?"

"Because, dear D'artagnan, I had to leave the palace quickly before he got other ideas." – The captain said between gritted teeth. – "Thank god I am safe now and can get out of this dress and these shoes. I wonder how women manage to wear corsets. I nearly choked!" – He shook his head, running a hand through his grey hair.

"Captain?"

"Yes, porthos?"

"Marry me?"

"PORTHOS!"