Who: Elizabeth and Athos What: Catching up over dinner and drinks Where: A restaurant When: Mid April Rating: PG Status: Complete
Elizabeth was looking forward to meeting up with Athos again. It had been a while since they’d last spoken properly and she was desperate to find out more about his fiancé. Sitting at the bar with a glass of wine while she waited for their table to be cleared she caught sight of Athos entering the restaurant. Smiling and waving to catch his eye, she put her glass down on the bar and stood to greet him. The restaurant was busy and the waiting staff seemed to be struggling with the sheer volume of the people Athos was making his way through now.
Athos had wanted Elizabeth and D’Artagnan to meet but it seemed fate was against them as D’Artagnan had been scheduled to work the evening Athos was to meet with her. Catching sight of her he made his way over, luckily his demeanor and general appearance made people move for him with no incidents. “Elizabeth, it’s good to see you” he greeted her, “D’Artagnan sends his apologies. He was looking forward to meeting you”
Elizabeth smiled at him and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “That’s ok, I understand. One day we’ll all end up in the same room together,” she joked. “Let me get you a drink. They’re still clearing our table but it shouldn’t be too long,” she hopped back up on the bar stool.
“Not a problem” he said, he had all the time in the world since D’Artagnan wouldn’t be home until late or early depending on how you looked at it. “Beer would be great thanks. So how are you doing Ms Weir?” he asked her with a small smile.
Elizabeth ordered a beer for him before turning back to him and replying. “I’m doing ok, thanks. Keeping busy with the UN and teaching mostly, but I’ve been thinking about learning a new language lately. You know, just for fun,” she shrugged and took a sip of her wine.
“Of course, as you do” he said in amusement, because only Elizabeth would think learning an entire language was fun, “How many would that make?”
Elizabeth grinned at his response. “That would make six fluently,” she told him. “I like to live dangerously,” she winked at him. “So tell me more about your husband-to-be,” she asked with interest and sat forward with an elbow leant on the bar.
Athos let out a small puff of amusement, “Well that much I know to be true” he said with a small smirk, after all with the UN she actually did enter dangerous situations even if she had been joking. “D’Artagnan” his voice and demeanor softening, “Is wonderful. Younger than me but funny, smart and determined with a good heart”
"And you are absolutely head over heels," Elizabeth grinned. It was obvious to see, his normally dour appearance completely softened as he spoke of D'Artagnan. "I've not seen you like this before. It's nice," she commented softly.
“Yes, whipped I believe is the term that has been cast my way” he told her with only a slight eye roll, “Thank you” he added, “He makes me happy, ridiculously so really. But we’re good for each other I think”
“I’m really happy for you,” Elizabeth said as a waiter come over and lead them to a table. Once they were seated, she ordered them some wine and the waiter left to fetch it. “So how did you two meet?”
“Randomly actually” Athos said, taking a sip of the water already on the table, “We’d spoken on the net a couple of times then I came across him outside a club one night about to be mugged so I stepped in to help”
"So you were the knight in shining armour then?" Elizabeth grinned back, leaning forward on the table. "I take it he was ok then? What happened afterwards?"
“I guess I was” Athos nodded, “As much as I needed to be anyway. D’Artagnan is a very capable young man. But yes he was okay and I took him home and we began a friendship which developed more thanks to the shared dreams”
“You mean you share Dreams as well? That seems rather fated doesn’t it,” Elizabeth smiled at him. “Well come on then, what are they?” she asked curiously. They hadn’t had much chance to discuss any Dreams yet.
“It does rather yes” Athos agreed, he liked that idea himself. It felt good to know that they were together in some way all the time. “We’re 17th century french musketeers” he said with a small smirk.
“French Musketeers huh? Parlez-vous français?” Elizabeth tested with a grin, thanking the waiter as he returned and poured their wine for them before retreating. “And I take it from the look on your smug face you’re quite a good musketeer?” she laughed.
“Oui, depuis les rêves” Athos replied with a nod, ‘since the dreams’ seemed to sum it up well. Nodding at the waiter he then chuckled, “Do I have a smug look?” he questioned, “I suppose I am rather proud of my job. I am one of the best” there was no use denying it. Despite his flaws he was damn good at his job in the dreams.
“Ah, très bien, très bien,” Elizabeth nodded, impressed. “It’s incredible, so you’re completely fluent?” she shook her head in wonder. “Just a little smug,” she winked and took a sip of her wine. “The best? Do you have many challengers then?”
Athos nodded, “Yes, it’s very strange. We mostly use English in the dreams but I happened to be flicking through channels on the television one day and realised I could understand this broadcast in French” It had been an odd but fun discovery. “Well I suppose it can’t be helped. Not so much challengers as those who wish to join the musketeers. Though actually D’Artagnan challenged me when he mistakenly thought I had killed his father”
“And D’artagnan? Can he speak French too? Though the Dreams?” Elizabeth asked intrigued. There were a lot of alien languages in her Dream universe, maybe those skills would map over to her waking life too. “He thought you killed his father? I assume you hadn’t then?”
"Actually I'm not sure. I don't think it's ever properly come up" Athos admitted after considering the question for a moment. He'd have to ask. "Not at all. Someone was trying to set up the musketeers but I had good friends to prove the truth"
“Ooo, a conspiracy! I love it! Tell me more!” Elizabeth grinned, excited to hear more of her friend’s Dreams.