Authors note: I work odd hours. Sorry, this one might be coming on the same day as the last one depending on where you live.

Porthos raised his gaze to the man opposite him. The man was tapping his index finger on the back of his card. Porthos knew that meant he had a good card. The finger was tapping on the good card - making sure it was still there. Protecting it.

The man on Porthos' left sighed. The sigh of a man who would have to admit defeat. That man was not a threat. He had nothing in his hand.

On his right Aramis was pulling a confused expression. Porthos almost smirked. Aramis had always been an easy read when they played cards. He gave so much away. And yet his friend was one of the best actors he knew. He could talk his way out of any situation with tall tales and outright lies but put a pack of cards in his hand and he lost all ability to keep anything secret. Porthos could probably guess what the cards Aramis was holding were his eyes were darting about, back and forth from the cards that already lay on the table.

And Porthos, well he had nothing. A handful of numbers that did not add up to anything. But he was not about to announce that. He wanted to see how far he could push the man opposite him. The man that did have something.

Porthos knew Aramis' hand would not be strong enough to win but the man opposite had something good.

They were ready to raise the stakes. The man on Porthos' left threw in the cards and sat back with a chuckle. He knew it was not worth losing any money over a hand of cards that amounted to nothing.

Porthos knew differently.

He glanced at the man opposite again. The man opposite had picked up on Aramis' poor attempt to hide his mediocre hand. The man upped the stakes. He upped the stakes enough for Aramis to hesitate for a few seconds before he pushed in the rest of his coins.

Aramis would be folding on the next round of bets.

Porthos did not hesitate to push more coins forward. He was confident.

The man lay down his cards. A winning hand.

Porthos sighed and threw his hand of nothing down. The man opposite grinned and gathered up his winnings.

'Again?' he asked.

Porthos affected an expression to show he was not sure before he nodded and reached out to collect the cards together.

The man opposite became still for a few seconds. His expression darkened.

'You're cheating,' he said loudly enough for the tables close enough to stop their conversations and look around.

Aramis pushed his chair back a little and tensed up.

Porthos shook his head, 'no, I'm not. I just lost. If I was cheating, I'd have won.'

Aramis shook his head and sighed. Porthos knew his friend would have a few choice words to say once they got outside.

The man opposite Porthos pushed his chair back with enough force to tip it over. The loud bang of it hitting the flagstones caused the rest of the tavern to become quiet.

'Out!'

It was not the man opposite who spoke. It was the diminutive landlady. She barrelled towards their table causing her patrons to move out of her way.

'Get them all out. You are not welcome any longer. I should never have let you in.'

Porthos was about to speak but changed his mind when he saw two large stonemasons looming behind Aramis who looked a little worried by the proximity. Porthos was sure the four of them would have won in a fight, but there was a chance an innocent bystander would be hurt. Porthos would have to accept defeat.

The two men behind Aramis grabbed him by the arms and marched him from the building. As they moved away Porthos could see d'Artagnan and Athos who had been enjoying a quiet conversation backing out of the tavern. They both had their hands out to the sides showing they were unarmed. D'Artagnan was giving Porthos a withering look. Porthos guessed it would not just be Aramis who would be having a word with him.

Porthos attempted to walk out of his own volition.

He was not given the chance.

The man who had accused him of cheating and the man that had thrown in his cards grabbed him and pushed him out. He knocked into the door on the way past causing him to hiss as his wrist scrapped across the lock.

The two men escorting him laughed and shoved him in the back as he reached the threshold causing him to stumble to the ground.

The landlady appeared in the doorway.

'Do not come back here,' she said before spitting in their direction.

MMMM

As Athos stepped outside, he was aware of Aramis straightening up and rubbing his chest. He appeared to be taking careful breaths. One of the heavy-set men who had forced him out of the tavern was stretching his fingers out and looking at his knuckles. The two men made a point of barging past Athos and d'Artagnan.

Athos looked at Aramis, who waved a hand to show he was alright. Athos guessed the stonemason had punched Aramis leaving him winded but otherwise still in good health.

Porthos was the last of their group to join them. Their friend was unceremoniously pushed out of the tavern landing in an inelegant heap on the wet cobbles.

'Do not come back here.'

The landlady enunciated her order carefully before spitting in Porthos' direction. The door to the tavern was pulled closed followed by the hubbub of noise returning as the evening got back to normal for the regular drinkers.

D'Artagnan crouched by Porthos and helped him to sit up. Porthos was looking at his wrist where he had cut it somehow during his forced exit from the tavern.

'You'll be the death of us all,' said Athos without hiding his annoyance.

'I like that Inn,' said Aramis, who had caught his breath. 'They serve good stew.'

Porthos looked up at his friend, 'I wasn't cheating,' he said, his voice sounding a little pathetic.

Athos almost laughed, 'if you weren't injured, I'd punch you myself,' he said with a shake of his head.

Between them, Athos and d'Artagnan pulled Porthos up to stand. Aramis reached out for his friend's hand and inspected the damage to his wrist.

'You'll live,' he said. 'It could probably do with stitches…'

'No, it's fine,' said Porthos, as he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket.

At the same moment, two playing cards fell to the ground. They all looked at them for a few seconds before looking back up. Athos was sure his accusatory expression was reflected on Aramis and d'Artagnan's faces.

Porthos sighed, 'I wasn't cheating … yet.'

The End.

Whumpee: Porthos and Aramis. Featuring: Athos and d'Artagnan.