Disclaimer: The Musketeers are not mine. I'm just borrowing the concepts and characters for a little while.

Spoilers: None.

A/N: I wrote this out a couple of days ago, but when I saw the story's total number of words (314), I decided to wait and post it in honor of Pi Day. (See below for more on Pi Day.)

ooooooo

"You must let me go."

"No."

"You must."

"I can't. You're my best friend, my brother."

"And I will always be your friend and brother, but you must let me go."

"Please don't ask this of me."

"We will see each other again. I didn't used to think that, but now I do. You need to believe that too."

"Please don't."

"I must. Now, let go."

"I will never forgive you for this!"

"Never is a long time. How about not forgiving me only until we meet again?"

"No deal. How about you stay and I won't have to be angry with you in the first place?"

"It is what I want, d'Artagnan. Please."

"I said, no, Athos. I'll not let you die because of her. You have to live in spite of her! You have to live because your brothers need you here. I know it hurts and I know you want peace, but I'm not letting you go. Not now or ever."

"One day you will have to."

"But that day is not today."

"Stubborn."

"You know it. Now stop trying to leave us and wake up, alright?"

There is no reply but the sound of the wind gently blowing through the nearby trees.

"Athos? Athos!"

"D'Artagnan, wake up!"

"Porthos? What—?"

"You were calling for Athos in your sleep, wakin' everybody in the room."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. Look."

D'Artagnan looks where Porthos is pointing to see Aramis sitting beside Athos. And Athos…

He's alive!

Athos is awake and propped up by pillows, drinking something out of a cup.

D'Artagnan scrambles to his feet and rushes towards the bed. Aramis moves so that he can sit.

Athos reaches for his hand and d'Artagnan grips it as tightly as he dares.

They lock eyes and their hands reflexively tighten their grips.

Athos smiles and d'Artagnan can't help but return it.

"You didn't let go."

ooooooo

The end.

ooooooo

A/N: Pi Day celebrates the mathematical constant pi (π), which if you follow the month/day/year calendar format is extra special this year. Once every 100 years the date, in this case 3/14/15, corresponds to the first 5 digits of pi: 3.1415. But wait, there's more! This year's Pi Day goes one step further. At 9:26:53 AM and PM (if you don't use a 24-hour clock), the date and time will exactly correspond to the first 10 digits of pi: 3.141592653. I'm not a math geek, but I love trivia like this. Consider making a pie in honor of Pi Day – I did! :0)

Thanks for reading!