Who: Athos and Aramis When: Lunchtime Where: Baxters Bakery What: A question Rating: Low Status: Complete
Athos had arrived at Baxters a little before noon so had grabbed a table while waiting for Aramis to arrive, two extra hot sparkling lattes in front of him since his friend had mentioned craving one. He wasn’t sure what Aramis wanted to talk to him about but he’d been assured everything was fine so Athos wasn’t too worried.
When he spotted Aramis entering the bakery he lifted his hand in greeting and gestured to the coffee so he’d know he didn’t need to get one himself.
When he arrived himself, Aramis spotted Athos and put a hand over his heart as he neared. “You are too kind, my friend,” he said, sitting down and taking an immediate sip of the latte. “Ah, perfect.” Aramis gave Athos a smile. “How are you? How are things with our young companion and the like?”
Athos rolled his eyes at Aramis’ dramatics but smiled nonetheless. “I’m well. As is D’Artagnan. Getting used to little Grimaud running around the place. You know how he is with change” even though it had been D’Artagnan who had brought the dog as a gift for Athos. “And you? Plans going well with everything?”
“I can imagine,” Aramis replied, though there was a very vague edge to his voice. He hadn’t forgot D’Artagnan’s reaction to, well, everything, which Aramis still found a bit absurd considering it involved the younger man very little. But that was neither here nor there for now. He took another sip from his latte.
“Well, they’re going,” he said, setting down his cup. “We’ve got a date for the wedding, and a couple spots in mind. We’re flying out to DC in not too long to go have a look at things. Which, actually, now you’ve brought all this up, is more or less what I wanted to talk to you about.”
Athos frowned at the edge he detected in Aramis’ tone but didn’t comment on it. In fact he could potentially guess where the edge came from. D’Artagnan hadn’t been able to hide his reaction to Aramis and Sharon’s news, and while Athos couldn’t say he approved he did know it was Aramis’ choice. And everybody seemed happy with everything.
“Well the date’s usually the big thing right? Sounds like you have everything in hand” he smiled, liking the fact that Aramis seemed so calm about it all. “Oh? Do tell”
Aramis cleared his throat. Wedding talk made him internally nervous. He kept his hands in his lap to keep his fingers from tapping. "I was hoping you'd do me the honour of being my best man. I can't imagine anyone better suited for it."
“Aramis” Athos smiled, truly touched, “I would be honored to be your best man. Thank you my friend”
Aramis smiled, too, brightly and gratefully. He couldn't resist reaching across the table to put his hand on Athos's arm. "Thank you. It means the world to me. Really."
Athos patted the hand on his arm, “Then I am even happier to accept. If there is anything you need help with just let me know” he offered.
“I’m sure I’ll need you to talk me down from the ledge more than once,” Aramis quipped. He took another drink from his latte. “That was much easier than I anticipated it being.”
“Well I think I’m up to that task. At the very least I can just lock you in a room until you calm down,” Athos told him with a small smirk. “You thought I’d say no?” he asked curiously, one eyebrow rising.
“And I have absolutely little doubt you’d do just that.” Aramis cleared his throat, shrugging slightly as he looked into the frothy contents of his mug. “Well - No. I guess there’s the chance for it. I don’t know, it was a silly worry, wasn’t it?”
Oh he would because he could see how much Aramis and Porthos meant to each other and that Aramis was making the right decision. He smiled kindly, "Silly but understandable I think. I will no doubt have similar thoughts when it's my turn to ask you"
Aramis quirked his lips a bit, deciding to change the subject away from himself. “Are you thinking about it? Asking D’Artagnan, I mean.”
Athos nodded, "Honestly I have been for a while but, well, you know D'Artagnan and change. But he reacted well to the news of your engagement and has mentioned being with me forever a few times so perhaps soon"
“Well?” Aramis raised his eyebrows. “You and I, clearly, have very different definitions of handling things well.” He shrugged, though. “You do know him better than I do. Waiting might be best. If he still is trying to get used to a dog, getting used to marriage might be something else entirely.”
Frowning slightly Athos looked at his friend, “He is happy for you Aramis, he was surprised yes but happy” Other than being a little shocked D’Artagnan hadn’t said anything to make Aramis think he wasn’t glad for the other man, as far as he knew anyway. “Perhaps you’re right. I’ll at least let Grimaud settle in first”
Aramis wasn’t going to bother to respond. It was a silly thing to cause a rift about, and, honestly, there was no proper reason for it, was there? Aramis just found himself more and more, especially as he continued to dream, to feel distant from their young companion. Even then he still liked D’Artagnan. They were just too much alike, at the end of it all, to slot together nicely.
“I’m terribly pleased you named him Grimaud. I assume D’Artagnan explained it all to you? Grimaud is my favourite of the four lackeys. Well, Mousqueton isn’t so bad, either, in his bumbling way. Grimaud is efficient and to the point. Very loyal.”
Ironically D’Artagnan had admitted to feeling the same way, the newer dreams his boyfriend was having were slightly different to those they all shared and not as nice. Or so he was led to believe.
“Yes he did” Athos smiled, “I hear we aren’t all exactly stand up masters though. In fact we’re rather mean to our servants, I’m surprised they stay with us” Thought he was pleased even then he seemed to instil some loyalty in his own servant.
“Back in those times, work was work, I would think. Porthos is probably the nicest. Well, that’s no surprise, is it? And D’Artagnan is very fair to Planchet, who seems to go out of his way for D’Artagnan.” Aramis laughed a bit next. “You’re a sullen bastard, and Grimaud is solemn, so you two are a good pair.”
Athos nodded, “That’s what I said. Things were different back then and we were probably a good alternative to anything else” he said practically. “No surprise at all and it seems to be a theme, my sullenness” he smiled, “And you Aramis, how do you and your servant get along?”
It seemed that even at the mention of the subject, Aramis’s mouth narrowed into a thin lipped look of annoyance. “You know, I thought it was funny, that I’d named my cat Bazin ages ago and then these dreams happened. He’s ambitious, self-righteous. He holds my own future in high regard because, if I do well, that means he, in theory, will.” There was a moment where he paused, because he had no idea how much D’Artagnan had mentioned. “I am probably the least pleasant master of the four of us.”
He’d mentioned something about the church and them not getting along but he didn’t tend to go into too much detail. And honestly Athos didn’t pry unless something seemed to be upsetting D’Artagnan, “Oh dear” he said, “That doesn’t sound good. I imagine this dream you doesn’t hold with that well. And it sounds like he doesn’t deserve you being too nice to him if he sees you as a means to an end”
Aramis waved a hand dismissively. “I have a way I like things done. Bazin is useful, tries to keep my secrets for me but he’s dim and temperamental.” He paused. “Truth be told, I’m as ambitious as he is. He serves my needs, at the end of the day. He holds a spot at Notre Dame cathedral anyway, while I, in my dreams currently, take care of a convent in a small French village. We’re hardly anything together anymore.”
Athos nodded, “I have to admit I find it a little frustrating at times that I have yet to join you in having these dreams. But eventually I’ll catch up. I hope anyway” he added with a wry smile.
"Porthos hasn't had any new ones, either," Aramis said. "Funny how it works, isn't it? I'm even further along than D'Artagnan is."
“There doesn’t seem to be any kind of pattern at all” Athos said, “Nothing we do appears to influence the frequency or content of the dreams”
“And I certainly don’t have the sort of mind to try and figure it out. In any case, things never seem to turn out poorly for us in the end, so I can’t really complain.” Aramis smiled a bit. “Now. I think we said something about lunch, too.”