Trouble, Chapter 6

Aramis, D'Artagnan and Porthos stood alone in the armoury the next morning, putting away swords they had been tasked with sharpening, when Athos burst into the room.

With a roar he made a beeline for Aramis and punched him hard across the face sending the marksman careening away.

"Hey!" shouted Porthos as D'Artagnan threw himself in front of the swordsman. Athos threw D'Artagnan aside and drew his rapier.

"Stay out of this," he snarled at the two men.

"Athos! What are you doing?!" shouted Porthos as the lieutenant took a swing at his brother and one of his oldest friends. Aramis leapt aside and rolling, recovered one of the rapiers that had been cast to the floor and prepared himself to meet Athos' attack.

"Stay out of this, Porthos," Aramis said, extending his hand as if to hold back his friend. His cheekbone was cut where Athos had struck him, a slight trickle of blood and some bruising evident.

"I should have known better than to introduce her to you," said Athos as he delivered a vicious series of overhead attacks. "I should have known you would do everything in your power to add her to your collection."

"Athos, I – " Aramis began.

"What is she to you? Nothing more than another conquest?" Athos spat, continuing his offensive.

"Athos – " gasped Aramis as he tried to counter Athos' intense onslaught. Porthos and D'Artagnan danced nervously on the periphery, not sure how, if or when to intervene.

"She's like my sister!" raged Athos. "I warned you, I would kill you if you hurt her!" he said as he lunged at the marksman.

Anger took over Aramis at these words, and suddenly he was the one on the offensive.

"I would never do anything to hurt her," he said coldly. "She is not just another conquest," he said, each word falling as heavily as the blows he was dealing.

"I fell in love with her the moment I saw her in the marketplace, before I even knew her name!" he shouted, as more blows rained down.

"Hah! Love!" shouted Athos as he countered a riposte with a complicated parry.

"I would never harm her," said Aramis. "Why are you acting like this?" Aramis shouted as the two men stepped close, battling, their swords locked. A thought flashed into Aramis' brain.

"Are you in love with her?" he asked as the men struggled to overpower each other.

"No!" shouted Athos. The two broke away. "Are you?"

"YES!" shouted Aramis, casting his blade aside.

"Yes," he said panting and dropping to his knees. "I'm in love with her Athos. I'm in love with her in a way that I didn't even know was possible. And she loves me too," he said as Athos stepped in front of him, blade still in hand.

"I love her with a love that no force on earth can stop, Athos. I'm sorry. We never meant to hurt you, brother, but I will not stop seeing her. If you cannot accept this, then kill me, for as long as my heart still beats, it's hers, and I will never stop loving her."

Athos stood over the marksman who was breathing heavily from his knees. His blue eyes were dark and full of emotion as they looked upon his brother. He brought his sword to rest against Aramis' neck. Porthos' fists clenched and D'Artagnan tensed, eyes on the blade.

"You love her?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," said Aramis.

"And she loves you?"

"Yes. She says she does."

"And you will lay down your life for her?"

"Always."

"Then I am happy for you," said Athos as he sheathed his sword and reached down to pull a confused and startled Aramis into a warm embrace. Aramis sighed with relief in his arms. Porthos and D'Artagnan remembered how to breathe again.

"You're happy for us?" Aramis stammered as he pushed back with a hand on Athos' shoulder, searching the man's oceanic eyes.

Athos grinned. "I needed to be sure," he said, "But I couldn't be happier. I would entrust her to be worshipped by no other man but you," he said and the two men embraced again, as Porthos wiped a vagrant tear of joy and relief from his eye.

oOo

Later that day, Aramis was sitting on their regular table casually eating an apple watching Porthos instructing some cadets in hand-to-hand combat. Athos and D'Artagnan were due to be returning from duty at the palace. He gingerly wiped at his bruised cheekbone then saw Christine enter the garrison gates, smiling.

The smile quickly faded as she took in the cut to his face and the bruise on his cheek.

"What happened?" she asked as she took his face in her hand to examine the wound.

"Nothing, it's nothing," he said hastily, taking her hand in his, as D'Artagnan and Athos rode into the garrison and dismounted. Athos passed D'Artagnan his reins and made to approach the table.

"Uh oh. This could be trouble," he thought as Christine tore herself from Aramis' grip and stormed over to him with eyes of thunder.

"Christi – " he began.

"WHACK" came her reply as she struck him resoundingly across the face. The men in the practice area had stopped when the blow fell, seeing the lieutenant stagger under the impact. Porthos smirked to himself, impressed by the force of the blow she delivered.

"How. Dare. You." She said coldly. "How dare you! Who do you think you are to interfere in my life like that! I am a grown woman, Athos and free to make my own decisions." Aramis rose from the table.

She drew a breath. "I love you Athos, but you are not my father. I do not need you to protect me or approve of the man I choose to love! How dare you!" She glowered at the man who stood helplessly before her. Aramis came up behind her and wound his arms around her waist pulling her close against him.

"It's okay, love," he said to her, kissing the side of her neck. "Athos knows. He approves. He is happy for us."

"He approves…?" she asked meekly, turning slightly to face her lover. Aramis nodded.

"I thought you didn't need my approval?" Athos asked, raising a hand to his cheek.

"I don't," she said and glared at him. "But I should still like your blessing…" she ended softly, drawing Aramis' arms tighter around her, her smokey eyes staring into Athos' blue.

"Then you have it whole-heartedly," he said, bowing to her. "I know of no two people better suited for one another than the two of you. You're both far too reckless, you will both act without thinking to protect each other. You will drive each other crazy, but no one will love another as wholly and as passionately as you two will love each other," he said with a smile.

She grinned at him as Aramis kissed her neck again.

Turning to face him completely, she threw her arms around Aramis' neck and pulled him close. He lifted her into his arms and spun her through the air, kissing her deeply. She ran her thumb along his cheekbone, and laughing, with tears in her eyes, she kissed him again to the applause and cheers of the musketeers in the courtyard.

oOo

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A/N - Hope you enjoyed this! This is the first "episode" I've written for this series. I'll continue to post under this story title in order to maintain the character and storylines, so if you've enjoyed this first story, there are more to come!