Disclaimer: I do not own the Musketeers.
He was drunk, he knew that, but he was definitely not drunk enough. He could still see the rope and her white dress, flying in a soft breeze. So he drowned his cup an tried to refill it, but there were just drops to come out. Damn it.
He waved for the waitress to bring him a knew bottle and soon his cup was full again, well it was empty even faster. But when he grabbed for the bottle, it stubbornly stayed on the table. How could it do that to him?
After a while of trying to lift the bottle he just waved for the waitress to order a knew, but when she came an oddly familiar voice said: "He has had enough."
While he was trying to figure out, what that meant, he heard the chinking of coins. Well on other cup of wine would help, so he tried to lift the bottle and nearly toppled down as he could lift it easily, but in midair it stopped again and the voice was there fore the second time.
"It's enough, Athos."
The bottle disappeared from his hands and he was hauled to his feed. This unexpected motion made him dizzy and the tables started to dance, so it took him a while to realize that he was moving. Why was he moving? Where to?
Than he realized someone was half carrying him through Paris' streets. Was the person abducting him? Why else should anybody carry him? So when he was abducted, shouldn't he be doing... well at least anything? So he stopped walking - why was he walking anyway? - and tumbled to the ground, while the abductor moved on before realizing that he had lost his prey.
Athos tried to climb to his feed, but before he could do such a thing, the abductor was there again, so he lashed out and hit flesh. He heard a pained yelp and instantly strikes out again, hitting soft flesh for the second time that evening, but before he could trie for the third time, his arms were caught and a belt appeared, tying them together. Soon he was carried again.
Eventually they reached a door, which he felt he should recognize, but he could not remember where from. The door opened and he was brought inside to a bed, on which the abductor placed him. Then he disappeared.
Shortly after his boots were taken from him, then the abductor removed the belt around his wrists and Athos landed another hit. He heard ed the abductor curse, but before he could try for another, he felt himself being moved in a strange way and his doublet disappeared before his wrists were bound again.
So he sat there while he heard the abductor moving around. Suddenly a basket was pressed into his fingers a he wondered what he should do with it, but he couldn't find an answer, so he just held onto it , trying to focus enough to make an escape.
Before he could think of a sufficient plan, he felt bile rising in his throat and suddenly the abductor was there again, guiding the basket to his chin. While he thought about the reason for this, he started to retch and the only solid things in his world were the basket and the abductor, who held him steady and whispered undetectable words into his ear. What a strange thing for an abductor to do. Before he could think more about this point, he started to vomit again and everything became a blur.
When Athos woke up the first thing he recognized was a vicious headache. He had been drinking yesterday, he remembered. The inseparables were given a few off days after the last mission and Porthos had immediately gone off to some card games and Aramis had searched for one of his mistresses, so he had decided to go to a tavern and drink himself to stupor.
But how was it, that he lay in a bed? He couldn't remember going home. No, he hadn't gone home, but somebody had been there. The abductor. Suddenly he remembered being half carried with his wrists bound. Was the abductor still there? He had to be sure.
So he opened his eyes and closed them immediately. There was bright light coming through the shutters which caused his headache to spike.
"Are you with me?"
He knew that voice. It belonged to Aramis, but it sounded quite exhausted. Why was Aramis here? Had he been abducted too?
Athos opened his eyes again, slowly this time, and was greeted by Aramis face blocking the light and smiling down at him.
"So you are with me?"
He had forgotten about the questions.
"Yes. Where are we?" His voice sounded quite strange in his own ears and suddenly he remembered vomiting. That explained this detail.
"At my apartment."
How was that possible?
His expression must have betrayed his thoughts, cause Aramis said: "Where do you thought we were?"
"I don't know, but I thought I was abducted."
"That explains it."
"What do you mean Aramis? Do you know, who abducted me?"
Aramis smiled slightly.
"I did it."
No that was confusing. Why should Aramis...
"I wanted to check on you on my way home , but you weren't there, so I came searching for you. When I found you, you were to drunk to recognize me."
But who was the one he had hit? Was Aramis hiding something? Athos studied the face still blocking the light. There were dark circles under Aramis eyes, as if he hadn't slept all night and there was a dark bruise slightly under his temple, which hadn't been there yesterday. All of a sudden everything made sense. Nobody had abducted him, Aramis had tried to bring him home and he had beaten him for it.
"I'm sorry. I wouldn't have hit you if I knew it was you. God Aramis you brought me home and instead of thanking you I was beating you, I'm so sorry. I should..."
"Stop it. You weren't yourself. There is nothing to be sorry for." Aramis smile. How could he smile?
"It is not ok Aramis. I may have not been myself but that was totally my fault and so I am responsible for hitting you because I drank my self into stupor, so that I did not recognize you. Hoe could I not be guilty?"
"You had no bad intention, you just wanted to save your life." He shrugged and Athos knew he meant what he said. But how should Athos accept this? How could Aramis defend him? He had hit him in the face, so Aramis should fault him and be quite angry, but he wasn't. Another thought came back to his mind.
"Aramis where else did I hit you?"
"I'm fine."
"Where else? I recall at least three times I trashed at you." He used what te others called his commanding voice to ensure that he got an answer this time. He just had to know it.
"You hit my ribs." Aramis said somewhat hesitantly, so Athos knew there was more to it.
"Show me."
"Athos, you don't need to see it."
"Yes I have to Aramis. I need to know what I have done and I don't think you will tell me truthfully, so I need to see."
Aramis sighed heavily.
"Let me free you first."
Athos hadn't realized the belt still binding his wrists together but not cutting into his flesh. Aramis must have been very careful not to harm him. This made him just angrier with himself. How could he do something like this to his friend? Why was Aramis so keen on ignoring it?
Aramis removed the belt carefully and helped Athos to sit up before he carefully lifted his shirt. Athos hissed i shock, as he saw a quite large bruise on his friend ribcage. He must have hit the same spot at least twice. Had he broken a rib?
"It's not as bad as ist looks. The Ribs are just slightly bruised. I will apply a salve to it and in a few days it will be gone." Aramis sounded so reassuring, so friendly and Athos wanted to cry. His brother was such a gentle soul, even defending him against himself when he didn't deserve it.
"I'm so sorry."
"Don't trouble yourself." It looked as if Aramis wanted to say more but a huge yawn interrupted him.
"Did you sleep at all?"
"Some when you were finally sleeping peacefully."
"We are not on duty today, so you can rest now." Athos tried to get to his feet to clear the bed - Aramis bed - for his friend, but was stopped midway by a hand pressing him down again.
"What are you doing?"
"Giving you some space?" Athos looked at his brother expecting him to let go, but instead Aramis just pushed him back on the bed.
"You are not fit to be up and around. You have hardly slept more than I do and you are hungover." With this words Aramis crawled next to Athos and closed his eyes, effectively trapping in the bed. Athos sighed and closed his eyes again.