Chapter Text
Day 1 after switch reversal: Wednesday, 8 AM
Athena’s laughter pealed out for several more moments after Simon’s slip-up with her phone, causing him to grin, as well.
He gestured to her that he was going to leave for the bathroom, seeing that they were unlikely to be able to go back to sleep at this point, anyway, and got up from the bed.
She finally managed to stop laughing as she heard the sound of the shower starting, and cleared her throat.
“Sorry about the phone mix-up, Apollo…”
“…I didn’t just dream that, did I?” Her colleague replied. He sounded completely flabbergasted.
Athena grinned. It’s so good to be able to talk to you again, Apollo.
“Nope, that was him, alright.”
Suddenly, the voice of her colleague on the other end of the line betrayed a note of outrage. “Don’t tell me he put the moves on you while you were vulnerable…?”
Oh damn, of course it would look like that to someone with no idea of our switch. Athena felt to urge to smack her forehead.
“Actually,” she returned in a firm voice, “it took me quite a bit of convincing to get him to stay last night.”
Granted, it had not been entirely like that, but given their situation until they had gone to sleep yesterday, it was the closest to the truth she could get without giving the game away.
“…uh, okay.” Apollo once more merely radiated bafflement. “Well, you gotta know what you’re doing. I was just calling because I was worried about you…”
“Thank you, Apollo.” Athena smiled. “I’m fine. Really.”
His answer vibrated with relief, even if he was obviously still more than a bit freaked out over encountering Simon on the phone first. “Thank goodness, that’s so good to hear. So I take it you – and he – are going to be in court later?”
Only now, she remembered that she had delayed ‘her’ statement to the police regarding ‘her’ abduction until today, which now presented her with the problem of having to give it, herself.
“Actually, I have to go down to the precinct before that… could you contact the judge and ask for a postponement until 11 or so?”
Not only that, we’re also going to have to strategize regarding today’s session…While she was, of course, extremely happy that the change had been reversed, she was not particularly thrilled that it had happened once again in the middle of a trial. Talk about inconvenient.
“Oh yeah… sure, I’ll give the courthouse a call and send you a message once I know what’s going on.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you later, then,” Athena returned, and Apollo said his goodbyes and hung up.
By the time she was done with the call, the shower was still running. Since she suspected that, after the various activities of the last 24 hours, her body was overdue for a thorough cleaning, as well, she decided to join Simon and made her way to the bathroom.
***
Simon had just finished washing his hair when the shower curtain opened and he felt her hands coming to rest on his bare back.
“If you’re going to use up all the hot water, you’re gonna have to share, you know,” Athena’s voice sounded behind him.
He took a step forward and then turned around. “By all means.”
She was wearing an appreciative grin. “Seeing you all wet like this gives me indecent thoughts all over again. Unfortunately, I don’t think we have time for more recreational activities before this thing goes cold.”
Simon leaned down to kiss her, his fingers running through her hair; she had freed it from the side ponytail with which he had fallen asleep. “Insatiable minx.”
Athena smiled into the contact of his lips against hers, replying afterwards, “I hope that wasn’t meant to be a complaint…?”
She already knew it was not.
He enfolded her in his arms. “Far from it.”
Feeling the water slowly becoming cooler, Athena stated regretfully, “Unfortunately, we both have places to be… please pass me the soap so I can wash up.”
***
After finishing their ablutions and toweling off, both aware that they had to show themselves to the public today instead of spending the day in bed together, Simon went on a scavenger hunt for his clothes, while Athena helped herself to a fresh ensemble from her closet.
Grimacing at the state of his attire while getting dressed, he commented, “I am going to look as though I slept in these.”
Athena smirked as she closed the buttons of her shirt, the facial expression looking much like one of his. “If you’d rather tell everyone what you were really up to last night, instead…”
Simon chuckled. “While I wouldn’t have a problem with that, it might give his Baldness a heart attack, particularly if I mention one rather crucial aspect…”
She joined in his laughter at the thought, only to quickly sober once more.
“About yesterday… you realize that I have to go to the precinct and talk to O… Doddbury about what happened with Splodge before going to the courthouse, right?”
Simon stilled at that, and she could hear his sudden tension. “Do we still have time before the beginning of the trial?”
Athena reached for her cell phone and found the promised message from her associate. “Hold on… yeah, I asked Apollo to petition for a postponement, and it seems the judge was generous. Today’s trial day doesn’t start until 11:30.”
Apparently, worry of being late was not the source of Simon’s current anxiety, as it persisted when he answered, “In that case, we should ensure that you are able to give a correct and complete statement.”
Having finished putting on all of his clothes except for boots, vest, and surcoat, he strode out of the bedroom to busy himself with the coffee maker.
Athena frowned, suddenly concerned, herself. You are more affected by this than you let on afterwards. Dammit, why didn’t I realize this without hearing it before? I know I asked you yesterday if you really wanted to do this, but did I…did I end up taking advantage of you, after all?
For a moment, she found herself wondering if Simon’s aggressive need last night had primarily arisen from a desire to prove to himself that he was not just a helpless victim. Then again, his subsequent surrender to her both then and this morning, as well as his more than enthusiastic participation, spoke against that theory. Additionally, while she had not been able to listen to the emotions in his heart yesterday, she had not caught a hint of apprehension or anger from him today – until now. There must be something else he hasn’t told me yet.
Once more fully dressed, she joined him in the kitchen, where she found him staring at the coffee dripping into the pot.
“If you don’t want to talk about it…”
Simon sighed, closing his eyes. “Needs must, if Splodge is to be convicted for his crimes, and while the evidence for his guilt should be sufficient, I’d rather not take any risks.”
After the brown liquid had finished brewing, he filled two cups, handing her one, and both sat down on the couch.
They took a few sips, Athena looking over at him more than once, until he began to relate to her what had transpired after he had left the courtroom, up to the point at which he had emerged from the basement and found himself face to face and weapon to weapon with her. Her eyes widened in disbelief when he described how he had nearly killed his assailant without so much as resorting to the gun. He actually went berserk there for a moment… adrenaline is crazy stuff.
Simon concluded by stating quietly, “By the time Taka arrived, I had just made the choice to not fight back anymore. I chose violation over risking immediate death. I…”
He was interrupted by Athena hugging him tightly, her cheek on his chest.
“Don’t you dare tell me you’re sorry for feeling that you had to choose,” she said softly. “You thought you had no way out, and you got away in the nick of time. It’s over. I’m fine and you’re fine, and that’s what’s important.”
The next moment, Simon was kissing her desperately, a small noise in the back of his throat giving voice to his renewed relief and a multitude of warm undercurrents which almost made her dizzy.
When he finally attempted to moved away, Athena pressed herself against him for a moment longer, unwilling to part with his readily given closeness, and then reluctantly got down to business once more.
“What do you wanna do about Muzai? I mean, obviously he’s not the murderer, but…”
Recalling his words from last night, Simon thought for a minute, taking another sip of his coffee with one of his arms wrapped around her.
“I won’t contest a ‘Not Guilty’ verdict for the Jamais case. However,” and here his gaze hardened, “I am contemplating interviewing his ‘employees’ later today and potentially re-indicting him for procuring and rape based on their answers.”
Athena understood immediately. We’ll never know if the sex with Fleur Jamais was really consensual, but the gossip might have a basis in fact, and if he touched any of the other women without their consent…
Not only that, Simon would not go after the prostitutes themselves, if the sudden thread of protectiveness in his heart was any indication.
You are a good man, Simon Blackquill.
She smiled at him. “Sounds like a plan to me. Just… be gentle with them, they’re probably still in shock and won’t talk to you otherwise.”
He kissed the top of her head softly. “Since you somehow managed to convince Ms. Jenkins to testify yesterday in spite of her misgivings, and in spite of your looking like me, I will defer to your judgment in this matter. Are you ready to go to the precinct now?”
Athena nodded as one of her hands balled into a fist and smacked into the other hand’s palm. “Let’s finish this.”
***
Detective Doddbury smiled when Prosecutor Blackquill showed up alongside Athena Cykes as she came into the police station to give her statement on the events of yesterday. His superior did not leave her side, his hand resting on her arm whenever she tensed as she recalled her ordeal. After he had received the defense lawyer’s signature on her testimony, the young detective assured her that she would not be called to testify against Splodge in court, and offered to bring them to the courthouse along with a few colleagues, as he knew that they would both be beleaguered by reporters otherwise.
During the entirety of the short second trial day, Apollo Justice would stare across the courtroom at Simon Blackquill, who looked slightly rumpled today, particularly since he sported a hint of beard shadow on his cheeks and chin; both the sight and his not-so-vague idea of what had transpired between their opponent and his colleague last night left him more than a little shell-shocked. He nearly fainted when the imposing prosecutor came into the defense lobby after the ‘Not Guilty’ verdict had been declared, only to wordlessly gather Athena in his arms and kiss her right after the door had fully closed behind him. Then, he afforded Apollo a surprisingly friendly-seeming nod, and left to once more brave the onslaught of nosy press personnel in the corridor.