AN: To everyone who has reviewed this story, thank you so much! Your support means everything to me. This is the final chapter, but I've finished a sequel that should be up very soon. It focuses on Aramis and Porthos after this story ends. I'll wait a few hours to see if anyone has anything they'd like to see included in it. I hope you've enjoyed it!
The moon was high in the sky and Athos had long since fallen asleep, stretched out catlike beside the fire, when the flap of the tent was pushed back and Porthos emerged. He moved wordlessly into the trees and returned a few moments later. He paused at the fire, clearly trying to decide if he should sit with D'Artagnan for a moment or rejoin Aramis. Apparently Aramis was fine for now, because after a moment of deliberation the big man sat down beside D'Artagnan.
"How is he?" D'Artagnan asked.
"He's doing alright," Porthos informed him, running a tired hand across his face. "Warmed up a bit at least. Bullet wound was treated early enough that I doubt it'll get infected. He's covered in bruises and cuts, but nothing's broken. Even the blow to his head isn't too bad." D'Artagnan shuddered at the thought of what a bad head wound could've done to the lively Musketeer. "It could've been much worse," Porthos finished. There was gratitude in his voice.
D'Artagnan nodded fervently in agreement, offering a prayer of thanks to God that they had found Aramis alive and in one piece. In his mind he had seen Aramis as a bloated, waterlogged corpse, staring sightlessly at the sky, Porthos kneeling by his side with a broken expression. Now that image would exist only in his nightmares.
They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes until Porthos spoke again. "Well?"
"Well what?" D'Artagnan asked, confused.
Porthos chuckled. "I'm sure you've got questions thundering around that head of yours. Ask away."
"You don't mind?" He was rather surprised. He did have questions, though it wasn't like he would've pried. But if Porthos was giving him permission…
"Not at all." Porthos grinned at him. "Rather have you get it all out now than drive yourself crazy thinking about it. Aramis won't mind," he added, accurately guessing D'Artagnan's first question. "I told him before he fell asleep. He warned me not to scare you with tales." Porthos's bright smile flashed in the firelight.
D'Artagnan sat thinking for a moment, wondering what to ask first. For some reason, he could only think of one question. "What about all of Aramis's lovers? Is that just a ruse?"
Porthos looked at him, clearly amused. "That's what you want to know?" D'Artagnan nodded. "Alright. It's true Aramis lies with many women. It's in his nature to love in abundance." Porthos smiled fondly. "He would forsake women if I asked it, but it would make him unhappy, and people would ask awkward questions if the famous Aramis stopped charming ladies. They're no threat to me. He may love them for a while, but he'll never be theirs. I have my mistresses too, though they are fewer and farther between."
D'Artagnan thought about this. Porthos seemed very confident of Aramis's feelings. He wondered what it was like to love someone like that. "Do many people know?"
Porthos looked at him, face serious. "No. The only ones I or Aramis have ever spoken to about it are Athos and yourself. Treville suspects, has for a long time, but he's too honorable to ask and we're good at being discreet. The others won't catch on, and that's enough for him. Not sure what he'd do if we got caught. What he could do."
Porthos's face looked grim for a moment. The next minute the shadow passed and he grinned again. "And Flea surely knows. Might've been part of the reason she didn't try harder to convince me to stay. She saw how we were together. Though it's not like it would've been hard to guess. She said Aramis was running around attacking people and demanding to know where I was. Not exactly subtle." He laughed heartily. "Even without that, the pretense wouldn't have fooled her, though she didn't bring it up before I left. As a young man, I never could seem to choose between men and women."
"So it has always been this way for you?"
Porthos shrugged. "I think so. Aramis is different. He loved Marsac before he loved me. He doesn't ever talk about him."
Porthos was silent a moment, and D'Artagnan felt suddenly the burden of trust his friend was placing on him. It was flattering, but also frightening. "Aramis loved him, but never before did he truly act on it. Wouldn't have now, if I hadn't realized how he felt and made the first move." Porthos grinned at the memory. "It was quite nerve-wracking, too. I was a little worried he might break my nose, but then he kissed me back. Lucky for me he did."
D'Artagnan smiled at the thought of Porthos ever being nervous. "You love him." It was a statement, not a question, and Porthos treated it as such.
"I do." The simple happiness in Porthos's voice warmed D'Artagnan more than the fire. He felt a rush of fierce happiness on his friends' behalf. He hoped he would find someone to love as much as Porthos loved Aramis.
Porthos glanced at him, looking suddenly contrite. "I'm sorry if I gave you a fright with my behavior earlier. I'm not one to lose my head in a crisis, but when he went over that cliff, I…" Porthos stopped, looking ill, and D'Artagnan cut him off before he could continue.
"No need to apologize, my friend. It is forgotten. I'm sure I would have done the same in your place, had it been my love who was lost to me." Porthos nodded gratefully and rose.
"I'll kick Athos awake. You should get some rest." D'Artagnan grinned and Porthos echoed it before turning back to the tent, aiming a kick at their leader's sleeping form. D'Artagnan waited until Athos sat up and stopped cursing to leave the firelight.
When D'Artagnan entered the tent, he found Porthos already sleeping at the far end, Aramis clutched protectively in his arms. He realized they'd been holding back all this time whenever he was around. He got the feeling those restrictions were about to vanish. He smiled and lay down, pulling his cloak over him as a blanket. Tonight, the world seemed a slightly happier place.
If there's anything particular you'd like to see in the sequel, please let me know!