“You have already chosen it.” This news, admittedly, startles him a bit, offering up the painful reminder of precisely what he had tried to push out of his mind at their initial revelation: that as a pair, they had plans of their own, a life of their own, into which he still only awkwardly fit. He drapes his forearm over his eyes, trying to make the gesture casual, though he hopes it hides some of his hurt. “I suppose I should see what you have found, then.”

He takes a breath, forcing back the panic that fills his throat. This future is what they want more than anything. More than they ever wanted the honor of the musketeers, more than they want him, even. And for that reason, Athos wants them to have it. “I know,” he answers Aramis softly. “I’m not going anywhere."