A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. The prompt this time was gagged. Porthos and Athos meet Aramis for one of the first times and are met with an unexpected situation.
An Unexpected Meeting
Treville will be the first to admit that grilling in February, with a foot of snow on the ground, and the temperature in the teens, is not his best of decisions. The kids are enjoying it though. He's invited Athos and Porthos over and Ben and Tim are lapping up the extra attention. With Sarah nearly eight months pregnant and him busy with work as well as Aramis, neither have been able to spend much time with the boys.
The whole get together, actually, he planned for Aramis and he, it seems, is the one person not enjoying it. In fact, he's yet to leave the den. Treville wants him to come out but he won't force the man, even if he spends the whole afternoon in there.
"Do you want me to go in there," Athos asks, startling him. Treville is standing watch by the back door, waiting until it's time to go back out to check on the grill. Athos moves next to him, back leaning against the sliding door.
"Don't know how much good that would do," Treville says.
"That's why you asked us over, isn't it? To start to befriend him?"
Treville's not surprised that Athos saw through his little ruse. Porthos probably did too. There is a reason that they are the top crime-solving team despite being the only two-man team.
"I'm not going to force him though." There had been enough forced upon the young man already, from the responsibility for leading a mission he had no training to do to taking the blame for the failure of said mission. The repercussions of it all have devastated Aramis, leaving the young man nearly unrecognizable to Treville. Treville tries his best but with no access to the services and health care Aramis needs, the last couple months have been taxing. He is grateful that Sarah wants to help Aramis as much as he does as they have been footing all of his medical bills.
"I think someone is taking care of that," Athos says, nodding in the direction of the hallway. Treville turns to see Ben pulling Porthos along, down towards the den.
Treville is already moving to stop Ben, but Athos stops him.
"I'll take care of it." Athos gives him a small reassuring smile. He hasn't had many dealings with Aramis beyond the Christmas party and a few other times when Treville has needed help. Athos quickly catches up with Porthos and Ben.
"I'm not sure this is a good idea," Porthos whispers to Athos.
"I think it is. My understanding is that he's had hardly any contact in months. I get the sense from Treville that that's not normal for him," Athos says.
"What do you know about him?"
"What I've told you before. He's a veteran dealing with PTSD and depression."
Ben leads Porthos into the room, ignoring their conversation and Athos follows.
"Hi, Aramis. I brought one of my friends to come see you," Ben says brightly.
Aramis watches them as they enter.
"He doesn't always talk," Ben says, turning to Porthos. "When he doesn't, I just sit on the couch and talk." Ben pulls Porthos to the couch. Athos follows and they all sit awkwardly on the couch, except for Ben. He is busy talking, not picking up on the tension.
"How long do we stay," Porthos asks minutes later when Aramis is yet to talk.
"For a while longer," Athos says. "Let's see if he might talk." Porthos doesn't know yet that Treville wants Aramis on the task force. Until they can get the OTH discharge overturned, Treville wants it kept secret. Athos isn't quite sure that Aramis even knows.
Ben continues on talking for a while longer. Athos tries not to count the minutes but it's hard when he is left sitting there listening to a four-year-old keep up a string of conversation about largely pointless topics, jumping from one thing to another in a flash. A glance to Aramis shows him that the younger man finds this comforting as he's relaxed some since Ben started talking.
It's probably a half-hour in when Ben's stomach growls loudly.
"Why don't you go see if your dad's almost done. Get some of the snacks," Porthos says.
Ben looks at him, then Athos, and finally to Aramis, who gives a slight nod, a nod that he would be fine with Athos and Porthos. After Ben leaves, slowly, reluctantly, with a glance over his shoulder at the three of them, Aramis remains silent.
"How're you doing," Athos says.
Aramis looks at him but remains silent.
"Maybe he doesn't like be talked to," Porthos says, voice just above a whisper. "I mean Ben was just talking about whatever."
"You mean a random stream of narration?" Athos raises an eyebrow.
"Yeah."
"Right." Athos huffs lightly. "I'm not the man for that task."
"I know," Porthos says knowingly. Athos is not a man known for his words.
"So, why don't you try it."
"I don't even know the man. What do I say," Porthos hisses.
"How about introducing yourself?"
Porthos gives Athos a glare but clears his throat as he thinks of what to say. He opens his mouth when there's a loud clatter and bang, followed by a scream and crying from outside the den.
Inside the den, Aramis instantly goes on alert, his eyes go wide, and his breathing picks up. Athos sees him getting to his feet in a trance, muttering. When the young man moves to the door, instinct pushes Athos quickly to his feet and he throws himself against the door, shutting it to keep Aramis inside, away from whatever is going on outside that has triggered him. Athos has seen flashbacks before. He's seen the aftermath of Aramis' a couple times but not yet a flashback itself.
Then, he is fighting off a frantic Aramis, who is muttering in a language he doesn't recognize or understand.
"Athos," Porthos questions, moving to help Athos. He's ready to pull Aramis back, using his strength to psychically restrain the thinner, weaker man.
"Don't," Athos nearly yells. "He's having a flashback. Something about the noise outside must've triggered him."
"So, what do I do?" Porthos is not unfamiliar with flashbacks. Working as a police officer before joining the Musketeers, he's seen his fellow officers and some victims of crimes go through flashbacks. He's had his own, too. But here he is lost, with no context, no understanding neither of them has a clue about how to get through to Aramis. The one man who does, Treville, is busy dealing with the accident outside.
"Do you understand anything he's saying," Athos asks.
"Arabic, maybe?" It doesn't sound like anything he hears around the city.
"Don't suppose you understand any of it?"
"No." Porthos shakes his head.
"Alright, pull him back but gently." Athos is losing the battle against Aramis' arms, taking a few haphazardly thrown punches. They won't leave a mark, but cumulatively they're aching.
"Come on, Aramis," Porthos says gently. "You're hurting Athos. You need to calm down." He puts a hand on the younger man's shoulder and it is subsequently violently thrown off. Porthos gives the man a warning, letting him know that he's going to restrain him, counts to three, and wraps his arms around the man's thin body, pinning the arms to his side.
Aramis wails and kicks and squirms.
And Porthos, who has known Aramis for some thirty minutes, feels guilty.
The noise and flailing unexpectedly tears at their hearts.
"Can you get him over next to the armchair," Athos asks. He's glad to be free of the onslaught of Aramis' hands, but he sees the struggle Porthos is having and the distress Aramis is in. "He likes being over there."
Porthos grunts and picks Aramis up off the ground to walk him over.
"Let's sit down here," Athos says gently, trying to capture Aramis' attention.
Still, Aramis fights them.
"How about I just sit in the armchair with him in my lap like this," Porthos suggests, voice strained from the effort of holding Aramis.
"Sure." Athos nods.
Sitting with a grown man in his lap isn't easy but Porthos manages.
"You're fine," Porthos says calmly. "You're at Treville's house. In the den. There's no danger here. It's just cold and snowy. I think we're even supposed to get another half a foot on top of what we have and then it'll plunge down even colder." Porthos keeps up his steady stream of commentary until his voice goes dry. Then Athos picks it up from where he's settled on the floor in front of the armchair, facing Aramis and Porthos.
Neither man is sure how long it takes but eventually Aramis comes back to reality with a shudder and a choked sob. Porthos tries to soothe him again, but he's not accepting it. Aramis forces his way out of Porthos' grasp, though the bigger man doesn't hold tight. Porthos does find himself feeling a bit empty with Aramis having spurned his attempts at comfort.
Aramis finds his usual spot, huddled tightly against the armchair, legs pulled up, head down as he rocks back and forth, sniffling, crying.
Athos and Porthos share a look. Athos moves to sit next to Aramis as he's seen Treville do and Porthos sits about a foot in front of Aramis, facing him. When Athos puts an awkward hand on Aramis' back the man jumps, tensing before Athos shushes him gently and reassures him that it's just them. That it seems is enough for Aramis though Athos suspects the man is too worn to care.
It's several minutes later, perhaps close to a half-hour when Aramis is calm. He's spent, body quaking with the effort of maintaining itself in front of two strangers.
"Let it go, Aramis," Porthos says calmly, rubbing one of the man's hands gently to encourage him.
"No, no," Aramis mutters, voice thin and scratchy. "Can't… speak."
"Here, lean against me." Athos reaches his arm around Aramis and pulls him towards him. There's a moment when Athos fears he's triggered another flashback but then Aramis goes slack. When they notice the shivering, Porthos grabs a blanket from the couch and wraps it around Aramis the best he can.
"What do you suppose happened that left him with such bad flashbacks," Porthos asks quietly. He's not sure if Aramis is asleep but his breathing is calmer.
"I'm not sure I want to know," Athos says.
"He can't be more than twenty-three, maybe twenty-four. And to have experienced such a traumatic event..." Porthos trails off.
"He's twenty-six," Treville says quietly from behind them, coming to sit next to Porthos. "I remember when he turned twenty-one, he kept getting turned away from bars because they believed he had a fake ID. Once they called the police to take him back home, believing he was a minor." Treville smiles fondly.
"How are things," Athos asks.
"Fine. Tim had a small accident, cut his hand helping Sarah. We took him to urgent care. I'm sorry we couldn't let you know and left you two to deal with Aramis."
"It's fine. Your family needed your help," Porthos says.
"He's family, too. But I understand. He had a flashback, I'm gathering."
"Yeah," Athos says. "We're not sure what did it though."
There's a moment of silence then Porthos speaks.
"What happened to him," he asks.
"I can't say," Treville says with a tired sigh.
"He hasn't told you? But how're you going forward with the appeal," Athos asks.
"No, he's told me. He wasn't supposed to though. And I can't say anything."
"A gag order?"
"It must be serious then," Porthos says.
"It is and all I will say is that it's not his fault," Treville says.
"Is that why he doesn't talk?"
"I don't know. It might be. He does speak occasionally. If only I could get him in to a psychiatrist, he could start to work through this and get better. Instead, he's stuck with flashbacks, panic attacks, depression, anxiety. The entire book, it feels like and it must be hell on him to not know when something will happen. No one decent will help him without insurance or prices I can't afford."
"The OTH discharge," Athos asks.
"It blocks him from every type of aid given to veterans. It doesn't have to, but he has some people who are out for him, it seems. It's taking all of my favors to get this pushed through."
Porthos looks at the younger man, resting calmly, finally, against Athos. He trusts Treville. If he's working this hard to clear Aramis' name, then Aramis must be a good man, he must be worth it. And truthfully, in the short time he's been around Aramis he too has gotten the sense that he's worth it, already feeling a small wave of protectiveness for the man.