Drabble Fic: The Last Farewell
“Aramis,” the other man whispered, his arms palpably shaking as he wrapped them around his comrade for what felt very much like the last time. “I…”
“Don’t,” the prelate begged. “This is not good-bye.”
“It feels like good-bye.” Athos felt himself unable to let the other man go. “Forty years,” he whispered. “I don’t know what to say. We spoke of everything else.”
“And about thirty of those forty years ago, I made you a promise,” Aramis whispered back, his face hidden in his friend’s long, graying hair. “And I shall keep it.”
“Aramis, don’t go,” the other man sighed more than spoke.
“I have always loved you and I always will.” With these words, Aramis broke their embrace and looked warily back towards the horses.
“Thank you for coming here.”
“Thank you for the horses.” Aramis knew if he tarried another moment, all would be lost for all three of them. He felt a familiar grip of a hand on his arm.
“That can’t be the last thing you ever say to me.”
“I will write,” Aramis responded, his voice no longer steady. He quickly mounted, fully aware that the hand of Athos still held the bridles of his horse, in much the same way it always held his own life.
“I will find you,” Athos said, louder, in part speaking to Porthos as well, though his eyes never left the two glowing orbs of the man who had once been his entire world. “I will find you again, in this world, or the next.”
“And I you.”
It was so much less than what he wanted to say, but it was the only thing that truly mattered. He put spurs to his mount and led the way out of the gates for Porthos, who followed him, as he always had, without a shadow of any doubt, and always with an open heart. I shall never see you more. I shall always love you. In saecula saeculorum.
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And if that wasn't depressing ENOUGH, you can go read Rio's revenge fic "Never Time"
“Don’t,” the prelate begged. “This is not good-bye.”
“It feels like good-bye.” Athos felt himself unable to let the other man go. “Forty years,” he whispered. “I don’t know what to say. We spoke of everything else.”
“And about thirty of those forty years ago, I made you a promise,” Aramis whispered back, his face hidden in his friend’s long, graying hair. “And I shall keep it.”
“Aramis, don’t go,” the other man sighed more than spoke.
“I have always loved you and I always will.” With these words, Aramis broke their embrace and looked warily back towards the horses.
“Thank you for coming here.”
“Thank you for the horses.” Aramis knew if he tarried another moment, all would be lost for all three of them. He felt a familiar grip of a hand on his arm.
“That can’t be the last thing you ever say to me.”
“I will write,” Aramis responded, his voice no longer steady. He quickly mounted, fully aware that the hand of Athos still held the bridles of his horse, in much the same way it always held his own life.
“I will find you,” Athos said, louder, in part speaking to Porthos as well, though his eyes never left the two glowing orbs of the man who had once been his entire world. “I will find you again, in this world, or the next.”
“And I you.”
It was so much less than what he wanted to say, but it was the only thing that truly mattered. He put spurs to his mount and led the way out of the gates for Porthos, who followed him, as he always had, without a shadow of any doubt, and always with an open heart. I shall never see you more. I shall always love you. In saecula saeculorum.
--------------
And if that wasn't depressing ENOUGH, you can go read Rio's revenge fic "Never Time"