It's Not Real
By Montez
Disclaimer: Don't own, BBC does.
Authors note: Love the Musketeers, Porthos reaction at Athos 'funeral' inspired this. this is my second attempt at a musketeer story. This is actually the first story I wrote but am posting second. Wasn't sure about it but here we go. Hope you enjoy-Montez
He's the muscle and he knew it. Yes, he's good with a sword, but not as good as Athos. Yes, he's good with a firearm, but not as good as Aramis. He is good in brute force, and he is proud of that, he can intimidate with just his presence. However, there is something only his brothers know, his heart is as big as he is, and the depth of his emotions runs deeper than many can imagine. When you become a part of his family, he gives you a piece of his most fragile organ and he will guard you with everything he has, because despite his size, his heart is made of glass, and he cannot fathom losing anymore parts of it. Many things have chipped small piece away, losing his mother, nearly losing Aramis to the massacre that took twenty of their brothers, the many near misses since the three, now four, brothers had become as close as they have, but this…this nearly got through, nearly shattered his heart even though his mind screamed the entire time 'It's not real'.
Simple, but dangerous seemed to be the motto they lived by. Most missions were simple, but dangerous and this was no different. The Cardinal, Milady, they had to be stopped. In reality it was a simple plan that went sideways from the start when the shot Athos took was off and D'Artagnan was hit in the side, not the arm and the boy lost consciousness. Porthos nearly lost it when the warmth of his little brothers' blood was on his hands and even though they had to let that woman take him from them so his part could be played it had not been easy. When, a day later, he walked into the garrison he looked no worse for wear and the hug they shared in Treville's office reaffirmed that the boy was okay, sore, but okay.
No, what would come to haunt Porthos was what came next. D'Artagnan needed to 'kill' Athos to convince Milady that he had turned his back on his brothers and would follow her direction on placing his allegiance to the Cardinal. The plan was formed then, a confrontation on the edge of the market, a bladder of pig's blood and some play acting would hopefully convince the vengeful woman that the deed had been done and so the trap nearly sprung. He never expected for it to affect him as bad as it did, when he saw D'Artagnan take the shot and Athos' body react, for a moment the large man's heart nearly stopped. Both he and Aramis dropped beside their 'fallen' brother, who was laying deathly still as they spread the pig's blood over his barely moving chest, damn Athos was playing his part almost too well. It was when Porthos turned and yelled 'He's dead' that he felt something hitch in his own chest.
People were watching, had just witnessed two Musketeers take shots at each other with one appearing to fall at the others hand. It was during those seconds that Porthos felt himself pull Athos close to his chest, nearly cradling his friends' 'dead' body and even though he could still feel a heartbeat and could just barely see the nearly nonexistent rise and fall of the older man's chest, a part of the large man's heart was still trying to fracture. This scene was one he always feared would play out, a brother falling and him only being able to cradle their lifeless body. Aramis quickly dropped back beside them when he saw the look in Pothos' face, he knew that look and leaned in, "it's not real" the marksman whispered as a merchant came closer.
"You can use my cart" the elder merchant said solemnly, placing a hand on Aramis's shoulder.
"What?" For a second Aramis seemed to forget what they needed to do next.
"For your friend, son. To take him back to the garrison, you may use my cart" the elder man's sympathy nearly caused Aramis to choke up, as he looked at the crowd around them. These people believe they had just witnessed the killing of one of the King Guard and their saddened expressions were overwhelming. Nodding his head, the marksman accepted the offer as he looked back at Pothos, the look in his larger friend's eyes had not changed, there was the look of real lose, as if he had forgotten that this was an elaborate plan, a very real looking, but fake scene.
As the gentleman brought the cart closer to the three men, Aramis gripped Porthos's arm, "we need to move him." His breath hitched at the real tears he saw in his friend's eyes as he still held Athos close, the older man still playing his part of a dead man.
Porthos looked at Aramis, then back down at Athos whose heartbeat was still strong under the hand on his chest, covering the 'fatal wound', but the lump in his throat would not shift and the larger man remained silent as he gave a slight nod, starting to shift the man in his arms, so he could pick him up. Several men in the crowd moved forward as if to help, but a shake of Porthos head and a hand up from Aramis stopped them, "we have him" the marksman said quietly, everyone around them understanding that these men needed to be the ones to tend to their fallen brother. So, in the unnatural silence of that corner of the marketplace, the people stood and watched as the two Musketeers gently placed the third in the back of a merchant cart and with Porthos still holding his brother close, Aramis and the merchant took a seat and started the slow procession toward the garrison.
As the noise of the cart filled the air and Porthos kept his head bent over his brother, Athos could feel the tremble in Porthos's body, realizing that this act was affecting the larger man more than they could have ever realized, he managed to whisper through barely moving lips, "it's not real".
Feeling a small nod against his own head and an emotion filled, "know…not real…not real…not" whispered back to him, Athos wished in that moment that they could have come up with a different plan if only to save his brother from the pain, this 'act' was putting him through.