December Desolation Chapter 20
A/N: Enjoy :D
If he had to guess, Aramis would have wagered that even a stampeding herd of wild horses wouldn't have been enough to wake D'artagnan before he was good and ready. He had managed to sleep through the entire debacle going on around him and it wasn't until the scent of roasting meat reached him that he returned to the land of the living.
A sleepy moan was the first sign of his regaining consciousness and Aramis turned to smile fondly down at their youngest, giving a bright wave when he blinked open his eyes and peered blearily up at him.
"Aramis!" he cried happily, rolling over to plant his head in his lap and wrap his arms around his waist.
The rich sound of laughter echoed around the room as the Gascon snuggled closer to his brother, right up the moment his stomach roared like a lion in distress about to pounce upon some unsuspecting prey, namely Aramis' hand if he wasn't careful.
"Someone is hungry" Aramis teased gently, "was it the stew that woke you?" he gestured to the half empty bowl of rabbit stew that was sitting abandoned on the bedside table.
"Mmmm" was the only reply he received as a tanned arm stretched over him and snatched the food up, shovelling what was left into his mouth.
A creaking noise rent the air as the door swung open with harsh complaint, Athos and Porthos striding into the bedroom with their own bowls clutched in their hands, Porthos holding two.
"Whatever did that poor door ever do to you to deserve such harsh treatment?" Aramis teased softly, attempting to regain some sense of normalcy if he could.
"It was in my way, that is all" Athos drawled as he took a seat in a sturdy oak chair and began to eat his own meal in an extremely dignified fashion, fitting so perfectly with the noble surroundings despite the worn leathers.
"Could you not even wait for your own food lad" Porthos rumbled "you had to steal Mis'"
"I was hungry!" D'artagnan protested
"Yeah, Yeah. We all know what you're like when you're hungry, ruled by his stomach this one"
A comfortable silence fell in the sizeable room as the men focussed their attention on their food, all having had enough experience with the cramping pains of hunger to never willingly miss a meal. Not twenty minutes later the three healthy men were supporting their injured comrade as he was his usual stubborn self and insisted upon leaving his bed before he really was supposed to, the world tilting dizzyingly before his eyes and forcing his brothers to grip his arms tightly as he wavered.
"Remind me again why we are letting you carry on with this foolishness?" Athos' voice was heavy with exasperation as they once again stopped Aramis from planting his pretty face into the floor.
"Because we are pathetic sods who can't resist his puppy dog eyes" Porthos responded around a grunt of exertion "but we also know that if we were to refuse to help him, he would do it anyway, most likely breaking himself in the process"
Aramis tilted his head weakly to one side and levelled a glare at his brothers, "I can hear you, you know"
"Oh we know" Athos assured him "we hope that maybe if we say it enough times in your earshot it may get through to you"
D'artagnan who was waiting ahead of them with the front door held open in preparation, could not hold back a giggle at their antics, receiving his own glare from Aramis for his efforts.
The sound of birds singing greeted the four men as they finally managed to leave the lodge for the first time since they had arrived, the weak winter sun peeked tremulously through the trees, bravely warming the too pale skin of their wounded brother. A contented sigh spilled from Aramis' lips as he tilted his head back to bask in the warmth, gripping tightly to Porthos' hand where it was clasped within his own, keeping him standing strong and steady.
"Porthos" Aramis asked quietly into the peace
"Yes Mis"
"Will we be alright?"
Silence reigned, as the four men gazed out on the rolling hills. White snow blanketed the surroundings, with patches of winter flowers bravely poking their heads above their coverings and blades of green grass jutting straight up like frozen emerald icicles. The trees stood like skeletal sentinels, standing guard over the convalescing men.
"Of course we will" Porthos smiled back fondly "all families have their ups and downs, and just like always we will heal. It may take some time, and you may feel angry and hurt a lot of the time but we will get past this because we are family!"
Aramis stared blindly into the distance, eyes flickering with the ghosts of his past. He blinked and shook his head sharply to bring himself back into the present, smiled weakly at his brothers.
"I think it is a perfect day to go for a ride" he blurted out suddenly, spreading his arms wide to encompass their surroundings "I want to explore"
A/N: Sorry for the brevity of this chapter but I do not have much time, I hope you like it and next chapter we will see an altercation between the boys! Will it end in reconciliation however?
