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Apollo stares at his monitor with glazed-over eyes. It was a beautiful autumn day and he was pent up in the WAA office, finishing the files for State v. Woods. He was glad the trial was over, but it was an exhaustingly confusing case, and he was eager to clean his hands of it.
“I wonder why Juniper likes you?” Trucy is sitting on the couch, doing her homework when she interjects the question.
Apollo doesn’t bother to look up from his work. “What?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
He frowns and spins to face her. “Is it?”
“I mean,” she leans over, so her head tilts upside down at him, “she burst into knitting a heart-shaped scarf every time she talked to you. Didn’t you see that when she was on the stand?”
“I was unaware. … and what do you mean, why? I’m plenty charming.”
“Sure, Polly.”
He goes back to his work, wondering about her question. Juniper was a nice girl, sure, and he’d been proud to defend her. He turns the idea of being with her around in his head.
It was reasonable enough. He was a guy, she was a girl, and they got along well enough to be friends.
One thing led to another. After the issues of the UR-1 were resolved and Clay was at last avenged, the office felt calmer than it had in a long time. Athena invited him occasionally when she went out with Juniper.
They hung out more in their spare time, and eventually, Apollo asked her out. Everything felt right; Athena and Klavier both congratulated him, Phoenix gave him a fatherly nod, and Trucy… was the exception. Even though she appeared happy, they both knew he could see through her actions and that something was off. What exactly was wrong, however, neither knew nor bothered to ask.
After all, Apollo was happy. When he was with Juniper, it just felt right. This is how things are supposed to be, he thought, so why does it still feel off?
Athena winds down at the WAA by kicking her feet up on her desk and using the miraculous and revolutionary power of Widget to scroll through Twitter. The coffee machine gurgles on the countertop. As soon as she got her cup of energy, she would be out of the office, and her attention is so fixed on its noises that she nearly misses the giant “Incoming Call” popup on Widget.
The caller is just about the last person she would have expected. A zoomed-in picture of Klavier Gavin at the Themis concert flashes on the screen, and she presses it with a mild frown.
Klavier is nearly blinding, dazzling with his pearly white smile and sharp blue eyes. His overpriced apartment is spread behind him. “Fräulein! You heard the news of Herr Forehead and your Mädchen, Juniper?”
She wonders how worn down she looks. “Yeah.” Some strange anxiety buzzes over the phone line. “I’m happy for her.” Her words fail to cut through the tension.
“Mm. Bist du fröhlich wirklich?” Are you really happy? Athena blinks and double-checks, yes, it’s Klavier she’s talking to and not some German philosopher. His stage smile is still there.
“Well, yeah! Juniper and Apollo are both good friends of mine. Why wouldn’t I be happy?”
“Ach, maybe I pegged you wrong, then, but I thought you had feelings for Fräulein Juniper.”
“I-!” Widget alights her face with a pinkish glow, and she hurriedly turns the volume down in case Trucy hears. “I mean… ist jetzt es wichtig?” Is it important now? Especially, she thinks, now that she’s with Apollo. Juniper is happy with Apollo, who was she to try and spoil that? She ignores the fact that her gut twists every time she sees them hold hands.
“Would you like to come over for a drink? I know you’re not yet of age here in the States, so I have sparkling cider.”
She gives her still-brewing coffee a strong glance. It was only dollar store coffee, a Wright signature. “Alright. I’ll be over.” The call ends with a blip. “Trucy! You can dump my coffee, I’m leaving now!”
Out of court Klavier is unexpected. After their glitzy meeting at Themis, Athena’s understanding of him is that he’s a showboating but well-intentioned star; the man in front of her looks like he’s been chewed up and spit out. Video call filters must have come a long way, she muses.
“Hallo, Fräulein, come in.”
“‘Athena’ is okay. I’m not a petite Mausi. ”
“Understood. Anyways.” Already a flute and a wider glass are set out on the table. He pours cider into the flute and hands it to her and fills his glass with a dark beer. “I called you here for one reason.”
“That being…?”
“To mourn the loss of our friends.”
“Prosecutor Gavin--“
“Nein, Klavier.”
“Klavier. They just started dating. Why not give them a chance?”
“Because I’m jealous!” The outburst echoes through the room. Ah, the showboating, pouty side was back from vacation. “For months, before you even began working for Herr Wright, I’ve been incessantly flirting with Herr Forehead. Yet the Dummkopf blows completely past me.”
“I didn’t know that.” Athena widens her eyes behind her glass. The force of his fury nearly makes her want to blow her lid. “I heard you were rivals, though, the second coming of Mister Turnabout Terror and his Demon Prosecutor.”
“Ja, you mean the couple married all but legally?”
The bubbles of her cider dance as she swirls her glass. “That’s ironic.”
“Did you not notice how much I’ve been trying?” Klavier bemoans, nearly spilling his beer from the force of moving his arm. “I’ve asked him out to lunch more times than a desperate middle schooler who can’t take a hint! I’m at the point where I’m running out of tasteful compliments, I’ve almost resorted to my bad pickup lines. Look at what I’ve been reduced to.”
Klavier then launches into a storied retelling of his feelings for Apollo, a stormy symphony of loss and pain and light shining through the darkness. Bach would be impressed. Widget, at least, goes through a rainbow of emotions, and Athena has to cringe at some sections because the emotion is so overpowering.
“Anyway,” he says, as though he hadn’t just given an orchestration meaty enough to make Colon Nancarrow bawl his eyes out, “that is my plight.”
“My God,” Athena responds in a vague guise of surprise as she pours her fifth glass of cider, “you’re more dramatic than even Ema made you out to be.”
“She does nothing of mine justice. You know, Athena, I invited you here so we could air out each other’s woes, but I fear I’ve taken up all the time tonight. May I ask for another night so you might feel something of catharsis?”
“You’re being overdramatic.” She takes her cider in one long gulp. “But I won’t say no to another evening like this. It’s a pleasant way to wind down after work.”
“Agreed. I shall see you tomorrow, Mausi?”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Sure,” he chuckles as he sweeps the glasses into his hands, “and be careful on your way home.”
She waves as she closes the door.
Their meetings became regular. Athena frequently spent her after hours at Klavier’s apartment, swinging her feet and petting Vongole as she listened to him ramble about the latest endeavor. Her own woes over Juniper’s sudden business eventually came to light as well. To an outsider, it would be most comparable to a long, drawn-out funeral procession for someone still alive.
Apollo was completely in the dark as to the purpose of their meetings. All he understood was that Athena would randomly answer phone calls entirely in German, which he eventually came to understand as “I’m going to Klavier’s after work.” Like clockwork, the prosecutor always came, revving up his bike two notches two high. He received a loose wave as Athena was swept away.
Apollo had to admit: there was an odd twinge of jealousy whenever he saw them drive away. Since he didn’t have a car, he would go biking together with Juniper instead, but he couldn’t reach Klavier’s level of (annoying) coolness with just a bike.
That was, anyway, how he justified the green tint he saw Klavier with recently. He was so cool, of course Apollo was jealous. Of Klavier. Definitely jealous of Klavier.
Juniper, for her credit, was fully supportive of Athena’s blossoming friendship. Seeing Apollo meant less of her time could be spent with Athena, and she was glad that Athena would not be left friendless. Imagining Athena all alone without anyone to care for her was a dreadful thought.
A thought that often plagued her, as of late. Juniper walks through her garden, watering her foxgloves and carnations. It is a pleasant summer day, and a soft breeze rolls gently through the plants.
She stands on her tiptoes to water her sunflowers, and Athena floats to her mind. Since they were young, she said Juniper looked best in their bright golden hue. Sunflowers were, coincidentally, Juniper’s favorite flower.
“Say,” she begins, tilting her head towards her significant other sitting at the garden table, though mentally miles away, “do you think Mr. Gavin and Thena are going to end up together?”
Apollo is thinking about whether he cleaned the toilet today when her voice snaps him awake. “Where did that come from?”
“They’ve been spending a lot of time together, and I saw flowers with his G symbol on her desk yesterday.”
The idea of Athena and Klavier being together thoroughly bothers Apollo for unexplainable reasons. “I doubt that means much. You don’t know him like I do, but Prosecutor Gavin flirts with anything with a pulse.”
“Hehe.” She giggles and sets her now empty water pot on the floor. “You gave me flowers when we first started dating. That sure meant something!”
He reels back as she sits across from him. “Well, that was different! Flowers are important to you. For someone like Gavin, I’m sure he grabbed whatever bouquet was cheapest.”
“Mm!” Leaning forward, she places a gentle kiss on his forehead. “Why don’t we ask them to go out with us?”
“What, like a double date with two people who aren’t dating?”
“Yeah, I haven’t seen Thena for a while!” She looks so eager, twirling her pigtails, that he can’t say no.
“I guess we can.”
“What about the zoo? Athena loves funny monkeys.”
“If you want, yeah.”
Perhaps it was a better decision than he thought. It had been some time since he’d seen Athena outside of the office, Klavier even longer.
Seeing them on the curb outside the zoo sends a strange jolt up his spine. Klavier especially has on a casual Hawaiian button-up and white shorts, a sharp change from his garish purples and blacks, a change that jars Apollo. Even his hair is out of its usual twist and instead in a neat yet messy bun.
Juniper is equally impressed by the flower-patterned jumper Athena sports, complemented by a sunflower pin in her ponytail. “Hello, Thena!” She strolls towards them with a sunny smile and Athena turns eagerly.
“Junie! You look so nice. I love the skirt. Handmade?” She asks with a knowing smile.
“Yep.” Later, Juniper could have sworn that as she hooked her arm into the crook of Apollo’s elbow, she saw Klavier and Athena cringe. Surely, though, it was a trick of the light. “Hello to you too, Mr. Gavin.”
“Klavier, please, for both of you. We’re all friends here, no?”
Apollo laughs. “Never thought I’d be considering you a friend, but alright. Klavier.” The name is foreign. If it wasn’t suggested, he would never even consider addressing a professional associate by their first name. Klavier.
“Danke, Forehead.”
Huh.
They move towards the ticket stand together, Apollo buying his and Juniper’s, Athena for her and Klavier. The action surprises him, enough that his bracelet gives him a pinch but not enough for him to point it out. Athena looks normal as ever, and Klavier’s hands are away from his telltale rings, instead flippantly running through his hair.
The sun shines through it like golden flax. The man almost looks like a bronze statue in the warm sunlight.
Apollo shakes the thought, and they enter the zoo.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m looking forward to the monkeys. I love their little hands!” Athena wiggles her fingers for emphasis. “They’re like tiny little people.”
Juniper nods like she’d heard the explanation a million times yet looks forward to it every time. “I like penguins.”
“Peacocks for me.”
“Of course you like the flashy animal.” Apollo rolls his eyes and Klavier presses his hands to his chest, aghast.
“That’s not the only reason! The peahens are pretty too.”
“I think eagles are the best. They can soar so high and for so long.”
“No chickens for Herr Pollo?”
“No. I used to see chickens every single day. They’re not interesting. All they do is walk around, make noises, and eat.”
“Isn’t that what you do?”
“Hey!”
Juniper giggles, giving his arm a light squeeze as they come to the first exhibit. “Look, there're the penguins.” A waddle of penguins was, well, waddling around under the shade of some trees.
“African penguins,” Athena says as she leans over the information post, “are also known as jackass penguins and Blackfoot penguins.”
“It’s your penguin, Klavier.”
“Gah, what’s with you today? Fräulein Juniper, can you control your man?”
She giggles again, and her man huffs. “I’m my own person, jeez.”
He’s about to apologize for the low blows when Klavier adds, “I know you’re short, but surely there’s some fruit hanging a bit higher?” and any sincerity is extinguished.
“Hey,” Juniper chimes, “they have alligators over there!”
“Eeugh. I had enough of those when I was touring in Florida.”
“Sucks for you!” Apollo grins as he’s dragged towards the alligator exhibit.
Klavier hums as Juniper frantically points at the alligators lazing in the sun. “Are you enjoying yourself, Mausi?”
Said mouse shrugs. “Yeah, but it hurts seeing them like that.” She tugs at her ponytail. “I wonder why they invited us out today, anyway.”
He fingers the hair tie of his bun. “Maybe they have the wrong idea.”
“Hey, is this a hair salon?” Apollo shouts and waves at them. “Stop playing with your hair and come over already. Junie wants to look at the tortoises.” He briefly wonders why a simple first name sends a rush up his spine but an affectionate pet name does nothing.
They wander through the zoo, continually stopping for Athena to point out how weird howler monkeys look or for Klavier to wonder at the California quail.
Juniper points to an enclosure filled with chickens. “Hey, look here. You can feed chickens.” With zero hesitation, Athena is already forking over dollars to feed the hens.
Klavier looks between birds and lovebirds. “‘May as well.” He enters the cage and the keeper hands him a bag of seeds.
Athena eagerly tosses the feed at the chickens, who peck at it accordingly. As soon as he enters, however, all of their attention is suddenly diverted to him. The entire brood races towards him, and Juniper and Apollo watch from outside the cage in disturbed awe.
Athena suddenly looks very lonely. “Klavier, you stole all the chickens, what the heck.”
“Ahah,” he laughs as he is assaulted for feed, “sorry, Mausi, I’m just a chick magnet.”
Apollo groans and bumps his head against the cage. “You’re awful. How long did it take you to come up with that?” And when, he ponders, did Klavier have a nickname for Athena?
“Why don’t you join them? See if you can out-chick Klavier!” Juniper giggles mercilessly and shoves him towards the flock.
He awkwardly hands money to the tired-looking keeper and enters the pen with a fistful of seeds. “Um, c’mere chickens.”
A few chickens walk tentatively toward him, and he sprinkles down the feed. They quickly peck away till the dirt is clean; they then speed back to Klavier, long since feedless and now simply being harassed by the hens.
Athena snickers and kneels toward the crowd of birds, extending her handful of seeds. Once more a few of the chickens wander over to peck at her before returning to a disappointed Klavier. “Alright, that’s all I’ve got. Good luck, Klavier.” She waves and exits the pen.
“Forehead, won’t you help me?”
“Not if you keep calling me forehead, no.”
“Apollo, then,” he says desperately, “I am going to smell like a chicken the rest of the day.”
Apollo firmly ignores the strange sound of his name on Klavier’s tongue and smiles. “Hmmm… No.” He follows Athena out of the pen. “That’s what you get for calling yourself a chick magnet.”
Klavier moans as his allies abandon him to join Juniper and laugh at him. Eventually, the keeper gives up and helps him shoo away the chickens so he can leave.
They return to their browsing, the midday sun blazing down as they walk. The heat gets the better of Klavier and he crashes onto the first bench he sees.
“Gaahhh,” he sighs as he sits down. “My feet are aching.” He sprawls over the table like a yawning cat.
Apollo affirms his tiredness and plops across from him. Slightly more graceful, Juniper brushes her skirts as she sits next to Apollo. “The food stand is right there. We should get something while we’re here.”
Athena pumps her fist, still standing and now bouncing on her heels. “Junie and I can go!”
Juniper nods. “That’s fine.”
“Are you sure, Fräulein?” Klavier does half of a bow while sitting. “We gentlemen would hate to force a lady to—“
“Shut it, Klavier.”
“Mein Gott! The cruelty today!”
“It’s okay.”
“You sure?” She nods and Apollo sighs. “As long as you don’t strain yourself. I’ll get the mac ‘n cheese.”
“Ach, any sub is gut for me.”
The women depart for sustenance. Klavier and Apollo are left across from each other, alone at a table that wasn’t so large a moment ago.
Klavier is playing with his hair again, and Apollo’s bracelet tugs at his skin again. “Hey, Klavier.”
“Ja?”
“Is there something bothering you?”
His eyebrows knit together. “Not that I can think of.” A cool smirk drifts onto his face. “Unless you mean the nonstop waves of Fräuleins, that was tiresome.”
The second sentence is pointedly ignored. “You keep fidgeting with your hair. You did it at the ticket entrance, too.”
“Ach, am I?” He lifts his elbow and drops it. “With anyone else, I’d say it’s a coincidence, but with you, well. Your perception is so sharp.”
Apollo says nothing, simply eyes Klavier’s thumb as it spins a dark red ring around his index finger.
“I am a little bothered, but I’m afraid you won’t be of any help.”
“Really? I mean, didn’t you say we’re friends? Surely I can do something. If nothing else you can ramble to me.”
“Mm.” Klavier looks over to the food stand, where the line seems to have advanced by two whole inches. “I suppose. Some friends of mine recently became a couple. I’m happy for them, but I’m also irritated because I was trying to get closer to one of them.”
“That sucks.” He shrugs. “The best thing is to move on.”
“Ja, I normally would cut my losses. But they don’t seem… happy together.”
“Isn’t it possible that’s just jealousy clouding your vision?”
“Maybe, and I can’t put it into words why I feel that way. They’re off, somehow, like two puzzle pieces that fit, but the patterns on the pieces don’t look right together.”
“I think I know what you’re saying. But what are you going to do about it?”
“Ich weiß nicht! That’s the question that troubles me— my feelings are conflicted. I don’t want to break them up, that would be cruel, but I feel like they’re worse off together.” He brushes his fingers through his bangs. “Do you understand my woes?”
“Yeah, uh.” Apollo stutters as he attempts to ignore the sharp pain on his wrist. “I, er, think you’re being overdramatic. As always. Why not just wait?” Klavier tilts his head. “If you’re right, and they aren’t good together, they’ll break up eventually, and then you can shoot your shot. If you’re wrong, then you can move on. It might take a while, but no one gets hurt that way.”
“But what about him?” Apollo’s bracelet is ready to cut the circulation from his wrist. “I don’t want him to suffer in a relationship made for ending.”
“Then… tell him, I guess. You shouldn’t interfere in other people’s relationships unless it’s really bad, but if you think he’s just wasting his time, you should tell him.”
Klavier turns the words over in his head. Tell him, huh?
“Apollo, I—“
“Food!” Juniper calls as she slides a tray in front of Apollo and takes her seat. “I got you water, too.”
He tears his eyes away from the words caught on Klavier’s mouth to the steaming bowl of bad timing in front of him. Athena lands next to Klavier and gently punches him back into reality.
“Speise für die Sonne’s Mann!” Athena’s words are disturbingly cheery and inevitably unintelligible. Whatever they mean, they peeve Klavier, and he assaults his sandwich without looking at her. Apollo wishes for the hundredth time that he understood German.
Besides an excessive earful of scientific and German words thrown his way through the day, Apollo enjoys himself at the zoo. Perhaps minus the peacocks which attempt to eat his hair.
As they walk into the parking lot, he wonders if his sneakers are going to start melting on the pavement, black hot enough to fry an egg.
“Man, I’m beat.” Athena stretches her arms above her head. “It’s been a good day. Thanks for inviting me out.”
“Ja, agreed.”
“Bye, Thena!” Juniper stands on her tippy toes to hug Athena. “Text me your pictures, okay?”
“‘Course.”
Apollo nods awkwardly at Klavier. “Well, bye.”
“Ja. Auf Wiedersehen, Herr Forehead.”
Apollo nods again and gets into the passenger seat.
Juniper leans over to kiss his forehead as he buckles his seatbelt. “Thank you again, Apollo. You looked cool as always.”
He smiles weakly. “All I did was walk around.”
“But you looked cool doing it.”
“Alright, alright, now let’s get on the road.” Juniper beams and they leave the zoo parking lot shortly behind Klavier’s car.
They make their way to Apollo’s apartment in short time.
“Goodnight, Juniper.”
“Goodnight!” She stands halfway in the doorway for a moment, before abruptly turning to him and placing a firm kiss on his lips. “I-I really enjoyed today, and, uh, I’ll see you tomorrow!” The door is closed on his face before he knows it.
He’s left dumbstruck at the door. For someone as demure as Juniper and as easily flustered as Apollo, the surprise kiss should be enough to send blood rushing up to the tips of his ears, but he barely reacts.
He curls his fist around the knob and hesitates.
His apartment feels strangely quiet. Mikeko purrs him to sleep.
Apollo wakes up to a text from his boss, sent at 2 am for some reason.
Phoenix Wright at 2:08 I am going to be out of town for the next three days Trucy is fine by herself but please help her if she needs anything.. Thank you! 😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃
Me at 6:03 Okay, have fun
He stretches and changes into a light t-shirt and shorts for his morning run. The sun smiles softly on him as he jogs, the cord of his earbuds bouncing slightly as the song “Sun” burbles to his ears.
Alex Trimble’s guitar solo is cut off by a quiet ding. Apollo slows to a walk to look at his phone.
Owl you kidding me at 6:13 apollo did you really wake me up to say ok
Me at 6:15 Yes
Owl you kidding me at 6:16 you suck
Me at 6:16 no u
He goes back to his remorseless run.
His feet guide him back to his apartment an hour later, out of breath and worn down.
An unpleasant stench greets him. After a glance around the apartment, he finds the offending pile of puke, a tipped over carton of cracked eggs, and a collapsed Mikeko.
“Fuck,” he declares, dashing to his closet to try and find her carrier, soreness abandoned. “Shit, shit, shit.” He finally finds the bag and scurries to his cat.
“C’mere, sweetheart.” He scoops the calico in his arms and gently plops her into the carrying bag. “You’re going to the vet for a little bit, okay?” Mikeko’s breathing is labored and her eyes flit open at her name.
Apollo slams the gas as hard as the speed limit allows, and his frantic sputter earns him an expedited look from the vet.
The vet looks at the cat laying in front of them with narrowed eyes. “She’s not doing hot. What happened?”
“She ate a bunch of raw eggs. Like maybe a whole carton’s worth.”
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
The vet gives Mikeko an appraising look. “She should stay overnight. We need to watch her vitals and make sure her condition doesn’t get any worse.”
“Okay. Okay. It’s fine. I’m Apollo Justice and I’m fine.”
“Er, yes, Mr. Justice. If you wouldn’t mind giving her papers to the receptionist?”
“Ah, I left home in a hurry. I’ll get them.”
Apollo returns to the vet with Mikeko’s paperwork and settles down in his now very sad and lonely apartment, mentally preparing himself to mope the entire day. His phone jams a nail through his plans.
Juniper ❤ at 8:29 how are you doing? you didn’t send your morning mikeko pictures
Me at 8:35 She’s at the vet actually
Juniper ❤ at 8:35 what???
He explains begrudgingly what happened, and mere minutes later, Juniper bursts into his apartment, out of breath and about ready to cry. “Apollo.” She hugs his middle like she’s clinging for life and he gently pats her. “I’m so sorry about Mikeko! I hope she’s okay.”
“I’m sure she’s fine. Now that you’re here, do you want to help me distract myself?”
“O-oh,” she turns ruby red, “I’d love to.”
“Great.” Apollo releases himself from her grip and opens the cabinet.
“What are you doing?” He explains that he’s getting tea, and her response noticeably dims in volume. “I see. I know how much I like tea. You always get the best brands.”
He flinches at his bracelet and blinks, hard. “It’s okay to tell me you don’t like my tea.”
He looks directly at her and his bracelet pinches him as she coughs out her response. “N-no, I like it a lot!”
“Sure. I’ll get you water if that’s okay.”
“Y-yeah, that would be nice…”
They settle in together on the couch, sipping tea and watching the latest theater hits that neither wanted to actually see in theaters. She leans her head against his shoulder, and he can feel her laughter through him as she giggles.
Apollo leans in close and whispers. “Hey.”
Her eyes flutter up at him, her ears pink, her lips soft. “Hi.”
“Isn’t this movie beautiful? I love the lighting effects.
“Oh. Yeah,” she mumbles, turning back to the TV, “it’s really good.”
For some reason, his bracelet tugs at him ever so slightly, but he ignores it.
“Oh,” the woman on screen declares, “Matthew, how long I’ve missed you!”
Matthew proclaims with equal melancholy, “Kim, you are mine forever and always. Let us never part ever again!”
Juniper sits up slightly and her eyes meet Apollo’s. “This scene is really cute.” She turns back to the screen with flushed ears.
“Yeah, but it’s too dramatic.” He waves his arm at the disappointing scene. “Matthew shouldn’t have left in the first place. This whole movie could’ve been averted if they just communicated better.”
“I-I guess.” Her head returns to his shoulder and the credits roll in silence.
“Uh, um,” Juniper squeaks, quickly overshadowed by Guitar’s Serenade ringing from his phone.
Apollo swings the phone into his hand and huffs. “Sorry, I have to take this.”
“Hi, is this Mr. Justice?”
“Yeah,” he takes a sip of his tea, “what do you need?”
“It appears you gave us the incorrect papers. “
He frowns and adjusts the phone. “I’m sorry?”
“The ones we have seem to be for a court case, State v. Woods…?”
His mug nearly drops from his hand.“Oh, shi--! Ah, sorry, sir, that’s on me. I’ll get them to you ASAP. When do you guys close?”
“Six.”
“Okay, I’ll get them to you by then.”
“Thank you.”
“Yeah.”
Juniper sits up on the couch. “What happened?”
“Paper mixup. I accidentally gave the vet some case files.”
“Oh, no! Are you going now?”
“Yeah. I can take your car, right? You don’t need to come,” he adds as she stands, “I’ll just be a second.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yep. Bye!”
“Bye, love you.”
Apollo closes his door just as her words escape.
Love you.
Love you.
Juniper loves you.
No time to think about that! Papers to find! He takes the steps two at a time and hits the road.
There’s only one place that he keeps something as confidential as case files, and that one place happens to be closed because the boss is on a spur of the moment vacation.
He runs his hand under the WAA’s mailbox till he reaches the spare key; quiet as a mouse, he attempts to slink through the agency. He plucks his briefcase and begins to leave when the lights are thrown on.
“Apollo.” Trucy stands in the doorway of the WAA with her legs spread and her hands on her hips with the most intimidating face a small teenager can muster. “Can I ask you something?”
He wonders how she got into the office so fast and then decides he’s too tired. “... Sure.”
“Bist du fröhlich wirklich?” If Apollo could blink with his ears, he would have at that moment.
“I didn’t know you spoke German. Don’t hang out with Athena so much, I can only take so much of it in court.”
“That’s not the point, Polly! ‘Are you really happy?’ is what that means. I heard Athena say it the other day. So!” She sticks her chin in the air. “Are you really happy?”
“Well,” Apollo begins, trying to take her seriously. “I think so. I had a great date with Juniper today. I have a steady job, a good family. I’m not perfectly happy by any means, but I’m… okay happy.”
Trucy tilts her head back and forth, and some of her thoughts swirl out. “I don’t know. You always look so unenthused when you’re with Juniper.”
“What? No. Juniper makes me really happy.”
“Why are you dating her?” He reminds himself that Trucy can be unbelievably observant when she wants to be.
He thumbs his bracelet. Both pairs of eyes dart to the slight movement, and he stills. “She’s, um, smart, pretty, nice,” he feels his face heating, “and this is really embarrassing, so if I could get my things and go…”
“No. Polly, what’s the real reason you’re dating her?” Juniper’s sunny smile flickers in his mind, swiftly followed by Athena and Klavier sitting across from them at the zoo; for whatever reason, Klavier’s troubled hair twirls linger more than Juniper’s spur of the moment kiss.
“It feels… right.”
“‘It feels right’!? Not because you love her?”
“We’ve been dating for three months. Have mercy.”
“I want you to be happy, and I don’t think you’re happy.” She pouts.
“You know, Truce,” he says as he sets his briefcase down along with any hope of being able to deliver the papers in person, “you’re the one who informed me of Juniper’s feelings in the first place. If you hadn’t told me, I don’t know if I’d ever have asked her out.” He folds his arms, feeling not unlike a father cross with his child and being forced to prove why the child was wrong.
“Don’t blame this on me! Look at yourself!” He’s rarely ever heard Trucy so angry. “Are you dating her because you care about her, or because you feel like you have to?”
“That’s. That’s absurd! I’m the one who asked her out. What do you mean, feel like I have to?!”
“Who initiates kisses?”
“What?”
“Who kisses who first? Who texts first, who calls first, who’s the one who’s going to run through the pouring rain to save the other?”
“Truce, you’re- you’re being absurd like I said, we’ve barely started dating.”
“Look at yourself!! Juniper is putting herself out there like never before for your sake. What are you giving her in return?”
Bye, love you.
“What I am giving,” he bites back, “is none of your business.” He pushes her away from the door frame.
”Apollo!” He doesn’t stop his march to his car.
Apollo drives off with a storm brewing in his stomach and raindrops dripping in his eyes.
Juniper is great. She’s all smiles and soft kisses and gentle hugs. So why…?
“Why don’t I feel anything for her?”
The Guitar’s Serenade floats gently to his ears. He doesn’t answer, instead letting the line ring until the caller gives up.
Trucy’s words thunder against his ears like heavy drums. Juniper is almost perfect in every way. She’s incredibly sweet to him. They slot together like they were made for each other.
Klavier’s voice joins the drumbeats. Like two puzzle pieces that fit, but the patterns on the pieces don’t look right together.
Apollo squeezes his eyes shut and opens them after remembering he’s on the road. The storm abates enough for the drive home but returns in full force as he parks his car.
“God.” He crashes into his apartment door as he unlocks it and stumbles inside, barely remembering to lock it. “This sucks.”
Juniper greets him with a huge smile. Juniper. He forgot she was here. “Hi, what happened with Mikeko!?”
“Um, Juniper, hey, listen. Can you… go home early tonight? I think I need some time to myself.”
“Oh.” Her disappointment threatens to strangle him. “Okay, that’s fine. I hope the vet went okay?”
“Yeah, it… went fine.” He hands back her car keys.
“Okay. See you later.”
She closes the door with a click. Somewhere in the typhoon, he faxes Mikeko’s records to the vet.
His last serious relationship was in high school and ended when the girl’s parents discovered she’d made out with Apollo in the school bathroom instead of taking a calculus test.
Whatever worm it is squirming around inside his stomach, plaguing him with feelings of unease, he wants it out.
He calls Juniper.
She answers quickly. “Hi. Did you get my voice mail?”
“What? No, sorry, did you call? I was driving.”
“Yeah. We, we,” she takes a breath to collect herself, “we need to talk.”
“Agreed.”
“Um. You can start.”
“... okay. I’m losing feelings. And I feel really confused. I don’t want to keep going like this without telling you anything.”
“Mm.” He can hear her lip quivering over the phone. “Okay. I was going to, um, say that I feel like you don’t put enough effort into our relationship, but I guess that explains that!” She laughs, gargled by tears.
“Ah.”
Silence joins the call, overpowering what words were coming next.
Apollo swallows before speaking again. “I… can try and explain it.”
“Go ahead."
And so, they talked. And talked. Into the wee hours they opened their hearts to each other, leading to the ultimate discovery that indeed, the patterns on their hearts didn’t quite match, even if the pieces did. What begins as a break evolves till only one question remains, quivering in Apollo’s throat.
“So…”
“So.” He expects her to sound heartbroken, but she’s almost relieved, judging by her easy tone.
“Friends?”
“Friends.”
Apollo sets his phone down.
Juniper dials Athena with a wobbling lip.
Apollo flops onto his bed. He still has on his day clothes and begrudgingly gets up to change.
Juniper speaks slowly, her words choked out between deep inhales from her sunflower.
Apollo does his bedtime stretches.
Juniper puts her phone on speaker and pulls out her knitting supplies at 1:27 AM because nothing calms her better than a combination of Athena’s voice and knitting.
Apollo lays down in bed and stares at the eggshell ceiling.
Athena gently persuades her friend that everything will be alright, that the pain will pass, that at least they’ll remain friends.
Apollo turns on his side to reach for his bedside table where his phone lies. He clears out his voicemail box and moves to set it down when he sees a notification from several hours ago.
Klavier looks away from his guitar when he sees his phone light up.
Athena wishes she lived closer to Juniper as she speeds down the dark highway.
Klavier adds three too many emojis to his text.
Juniper wipes her tears as she opens her door, only mildly surprised at her guest.
Apollo scowls as he enters a string of German into a translator.
Athena readily pulls out a set of pajamas at Juniper’s prompting, and both girls laugh like old times.
Klavier’s texts lose their playful emojis.
Juniper nearly drops a bowl of cookie dough, were it not for Athena’s quick recovery.
Apollo presses the power button on his phone.
Klavier’s message fails to deliver and he deletes it.
Phoenix gets up early to run the coffee in the office. He beams at the steaming pot, feeling immense pride for finally arriving before notoriously early riser Apollo.
As the coffee pours in, he watches Apollo lock his bike to the bike rack, stumble over the inclined curb, and pull at the push door of the office.
He ponders if he should have made the coffee darker.
Apollo takes off his helmet and his signature horns spring up. “Hello, Mr. Wright.”
He nods as a good boss does. Apollo is about three percent more disheveled than usual— has been, for the past week— but he keeps his lips sealed and pours a pitch black cup for the dreary attorney. “I don’t remember— cream and sugar?”
“Actually…” Apollo gently slides the cup away, “I prefer tea. I have it in my thermos already.”
“Oh.”
They stare at each other and the abandoned cup for an awkward minute. Phoenix picks it back up and takes a slow sip. “I guess it’s mine, then.”
“Where’s Athena been?”
“Sick leave. We don’t have any cases right now so it’s fine.”
“Sick leave.” Apollo repeats the phrase a few more times and turns to his laptop. “Okay.”
A solid hour and a half pass before the sick attorney bursts in.
“I’m not late. I’m not late!” Athena swings open the doors, her chest heaving, wearing a flower-patterned sundress instead of her suit. “I’m- hoo! I’m sorry, Boss, I forgot to set an alarm.”
“It’s fine.”
“I’ve been staying with Junie the past few days, see, and I’ve been so busy making sure she’s okay that I just completely forgot to come in and—!”
“Hey, Athena, I said it’s fine. You told me you were taking off and I approved. You didn’t need to come in today, either,” he gestures, “I’ve got Apollo to help me hold down the fort.”
“Are you sure? I’ve already been gone for a week!”
Their voices wash away into the quiet whirr of Apollo’s laptop fans.
The case file glares at him through the blue light. He feels distraught, empty, but not heartbroken. Klavier’s words refuse to leave his mind.
I hate to say it, but do you love Juniper for who she is, or do you love Juniper for being a she?
Weakly, in a mental fog, he lifts his pen and signs the appropriate line.
Phoenix’s voice bobs up again. “Now go, okay? Tell Juniper I said hi. I want you back next week, though. On time!”
“Yes, Boss!” Athena salutes and marches out the door.
Minutes pass and her ride arrives.
“I assume you have heard of Herr Forehead and Juniper.” Klavier wastes no time breaching the elephant weighing down his car as Athena slides into the passenger seat.
“Yeah.”
“I’ll ask again. Are you happy?”
“No.” She leans back to stare outside her window and avoid Klavier’s line of sight. “Why would I be happy about my friend being sad?”
“Because…” He shakes his head. “Never mind. I suppose it was a dumb question.”
“What about you ?”
He drums the wheel as he drives. “Apollo is ghosting me.”
She cringes at the cacophony of emotions. “What?”
“He texted me, mere moments after it happened, full of questions. He asked where it went sour, and I think I made a suggestion that he disliked.”
“Which was…?”
“Perhaps he only felt compelled to date her because she is female and never actually liked her.”
Klavier looks straight ahead, like a good driver, definitely not because he wants to avoid Athena’s sharp stare.
“What makes you think that?”
“He was Kristoph’s protogé. I’ve heard the man practically raised him.” He pauses for his words to sink in and after they float, he continues. “Kris and I were raised in a very traditional environment. I have escaped that sheltered mindset since moving out, but I think Kris has only hunkered down.”
“So you’re saying…” She tilts her head back and forth. “It’s…” after a few quick taps from Widget, “compulsory heteronormativity that drove him to date her.”
“Ja.”
“That’s… a hefty accusation.”
“Is it? Think, Mädchen.”
“Eugh, Fräulein is bas enough.”
“Hah. Think— back during the State v. Woods trials. You would say Juniper was head over heels then, ja?”
“On cloud nine.”
“And Apollo?”
“Completely oblivious.”
“So someone probably told him about it.”
“Most likely. Can’t imagine him figuring it out on his own.”
“Why?”
“Because… no clue.”
Klavier shifts his car to park and they step out of the car without a break in the conversation. “I want you to reach this conclusion on your own so I’m not totally insane. Turn your thinking around like Herr Wright.” He unlocks the door to his apartment and they step inside.
“That’s for when we already know the culprit.” Athena finds her way to his cabinets and pulls out a bag of pretzels. “Ah, well. We know someone told Apollo about Junie’s crush.”
“Mm.”
“And they would do this because… well, Apollo and Juniper met at the Themis trial, which was a tough time for her. Maybe to make her happy?” She leans against the kitchen countertop in deep thought. “But other than me, Junie doesn’t have too many friends. I guess to make Apollo happy,” she adds, “since they only really got closer after UR-1 was resolved. That was hell for everyone.”
“So our timeframe is about from January to April.”
“You even know when they started dating?”
“I’m a perfectionist, Mausi.”
“It has to be someone perceptive enough to notice Junie’s feelings and blunt enough to actually point it out.” After a contemplative pretzel chew, she mused, “It couldn’t be Mr. Wright. And I don’t think Apollo has many friends outside of the office.”
Klavier leans down on his kitchen island, wiggling his eyebrows as the attorney across from him works her brain.
“... Trucy.”
He straightens. “It could only be her.”
“But why?”
“Whatever the reason is, I’m sure Apollo is just as lost.”
Apollo is lost. Sitting on the edge of his bed, watching advertisements for the latest overpriced blender, he feels lost.
He hasn’t felt this lost in a long time.
Everything felt right when he was with Juniper, but now, even his old routines feel out of place. Normally he’d be grateful for a lull in the nonstop havoc of the WAA’s cases, but now it only leaves him itching for more ink and busywork.
His phone dings quietly, and habit urges him to check what newest insects Juniper’s found in her garden.
At the same time, he almost feels lighter.
He reaches over to check his phone.
Billy Joel but worse at 1:18 I know you’re there, Forehead 🙂 it’s rude to ignore your friends
Billy Joel but worse at 1:19 We are friends right
Billy Joel but worse at 1:120 ANYWAY! Go out to dinner with me, I’ll pick you up at 5
Billy Joel but worse at 1:20 This is happening whether you like it or not, if you don’t go then I’ll start stalking you at 5, either way be prepared😘😘😘😘
His vision slides to the top of the screen. 4:11.
He supposes Klavier deserves to be dressed somewhat decently for.
His hands flip through hanger after hanger of crimson, scarlet, and vermillion shades. Finally, he finds a faded jean jacket, the tag still attached and the price scribbled out in sharpie. A loose memory of a work party and a dramatically flourished gift box resurface.
The jacket was a gift from Klavier. Only appropriate that its first wearing would be in front of him.
He elbows his way into one of his few plaids which still fit, throws on the somehow perfectly sized jacket, and jams his keys and wallet into his pocket.
He steps out into the cool night air. Klavier is already perched on his bike, spinning a black helmet between his hands. He’s back to his black biker jacket and fingers with glinting rings.
“Hi.”
“Hallo. Thank you for coming.”
“You said you would stalk me if I didn’t.”
“There is a thing called sarcasm, you know.”
“So how are you feeling?”
“Not great.”
“I imagine. You spent all of your time with Juniper.”
“I did.”
“Right then, on the bike you go.”
Apollo is accustomed enough to the rockstar’s wild rides that he simply dons the helmet with a nod. He holds Klavier’s middle for dear life, shoving his head into the prosecutor’s back and praying that being a legal worker equates to not breaking the speed limit.
“Here we are.” Klavier slows to sane speeds and pulls into the parking lot of a place with a neon sign labeling it Fox and Hunt. “You’ve never been here, ja?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Good.” He strides ahead in long steps and Apollo almost twists his ankle catching up. “Reservation for Klavier Gavin? Ja, danke.”
Klavier knows the curves and angles of Fox and Hunt well, and he guides, with a flittering hand over Apollo’s, himself and his guest through the restaurant.
They sit, Klavier pulls off his coat, and Apollo utterly fails to do anything but watch. Klavier has on a beige sweater and a red plaid scarf.
They stare at each other for a moment, Apollo briefly glancing down at his own violet tartan.
“I didn’t-! I didn’t know you’d be wearing plaid, too.”
Klavier’s grin is overwhelming and irresistible. Apollo’s fingers twitch with the urge to pull off the offending scarf. “It’s fine. You look good, by the way. Glad to see you wearing another color besides red.”
Apollo thumbs his jacket. “This is from you. Thank yourself.”
“Oh, I know, but I wanted to be humble.”
“Sure.”
“Hey y’all,” a sweet-voiced waitress coos her way to their table, “I’m Casey, I’ll be your server. Drinks tonight?”
“Water.”
“Two, please.”
“Be right on back.” She strides away to the next table.
“This menu is overwhelming.” Apollo squints at the tiny font. “It doesn’t even tell you the price. Don’t tell me you took me to some absurdly fancy restaurant?”
“Maybe. But it’s affordable fancy. I suggest the pasta, All their sauces are homemade.”
“Right, sure.”
Casey sashays her way back, order pad in one hand and pen in the other.
“Are we ready to order?”
“I’ll have the spaghetti with meatballs.”
“A bowl of the she-crab, please. And for that salad, no tomatoes, extra cheese, tossed in honey vinaigrette with French on the side.”
Apollo opens his mouth to complain about the pickiness, but Casey takes it in stride. “Coming right up, gentlemen.”
They say their thanks and she departs. Klavier twirls his index finger through his hair. “How long has it been? You and Fräulein Juniper.”
Apollo pulls his bracelet down his wrist so the tightening doesn’t kill him. “A little over two weeks.”
“Have you returned to normalcy?”
“No. I mean, well, Athena is back. She took off for a while, even though she wasn’t in one of the main involved parties. And l… I don’t know. We haven’t gotten many cases so I’ve kinda just been lazing around? I read A Confederacy of Dunces.”
“You don’t sem the type.”
“I also read Canterbury Tales, though. Maybe something’s wrong with me.”
“True, weird pair. May I ask something potentially inappropriate?”
“You’ve asked me what size underwear I am before.”
“It was for gift-giving purposes!”
“Why would you gift me underwear! Agh, just ask the question.”
“Why exactly did you two break up?”
The question gives him pause. While he’s thinking, Casey drops off three beastly platefuls of delicious food. Klavier whispers something to her about sunshine as she leaves.
“It’s because I didn’t like her anymore.”
Klavier crunches like a rabbit on his salad. “Really? We’d had that zoo date a handful of days earlier, though, and you two seemed… fine.”
“I guess. But something,” he ponders why he feels the need to obscure Trucy’s involvement, “made me kind of snap awake, I guess. That I liked her but didn’t… like like her.”
“Are we elementary schoolers?”
“Shut up.”
“Ah, youth. Anyway, please, talk to me.” He stretches across the table to jab Apollo’s chest. “You are the kind of person to keep your emotions right in there, and I won’t stand for it.”
“I’m just…” he twirls his spaghetti into a perfect bite-size and holds it up. “I feel tangled like this spaghetti.”
“You can improve your metaphor game.”
“Sorry. What I mean is that I’m confused. I knew I think, that my heart wasn’t in it. But I’m still surprised I’m not heartbroken. Does that make sense?”
“Okay.”
“When I was with Juniper, it just felt… right. Like it was the correct choice. But after what you said, now, I can’t even look back at it like that.”
“Should I apologize?”
“No, don’t, that’s worse.”
Klavier reaches across the table to rest his hand over Apollo’s. He doesn’t hold tight, simply sets it atop his hand, as if squeezing too hard will make him fade away.
“I’m not going to ask you questions you don’t know the answer to. But if you want to find those answers, I’m always here to help.”
“Thank you. Klavier.”
Athena is only mildly upset when she sees Klavier’s car roll up to the curb. “We didn’t make plans.”
“It’s because we don’t have any.”
She quirks an eyebrow as Apollo comes from behind. “Have a good day, Athena.”
Her jaw narrowly stays attached to her skull. “Sure.”
Klavier winks as they drive off.
Apollo settles into the familiar passenger seat. “I’ve been wondering: why do you call Athena ‘Mausi’?”
“It means mouse.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
“She… “ reminds me of a mouse, he wants to say, but no, why does he call her that? “Doesn’t like it. That’s why.”
“You call her Mausi because she-- well, I guess that’s your logic for Mr. Forehead, too.”
“Herr forehead is a charming nickname. German is great for nicknames.”
“Alright, Shmiterling.”
Klavier slams his horn as he laughs, accidentally honking at a passing squirrel. He wheezes with giggles as he parks, finally turning with teary eyes to a very embarrassed Apollo. “Do you mean Schmetterling? Butterfly? Rather than whatever the hell you just said?
“... yes.”
“Ha, ha! You are incredible.”
“Look,” he grumbles, “I got jealous of you and Athena always speaking in German and never being able to understand so maybe I started taking an online course. Don’t judge me!” His red-faced outburst sends Klavier into another fit of cackling.
Klavier continues to give his guest bemused glances as they sit and greet the familiar Casey.
“Would you stop looking at me like I’ve committed a crime for mispronouncing a word? German’s hard, okay!?”
Klavier snorts. “Indeed it is. I can’t speak it perfectly either, but I’m better than that word vomit for butterfly.”
“Aren’t you German?”
“Ach, that is what the paparazzi believe, yes. But actually, I was born and raised in America.”
“Then why the hell is your name Piano? That makes it even weirder.”
Klavier grits his teeth. “I would love to know. Anyway, how long has it been?”
“Huh?”
“The breakup.”
Apollo sighs. “I think it’s been a month and a week? You have to forgive me if I don’t track it.”
“Hey, y’all,” Casey interrupts, “any food tonight?”
“I’ll do the sun special.”
“Miso soup, please.” She scribbles their orders and glides away.
“Soup night, huh?” Apollo rolls his eyes. “You really should try the she-crab sometime.”
“I prefer my meat to walk on land. Solid land, not the beach.”
“You’re boring, Herr Forehead.”
“Isn’t it boring getting the same soup and salad every time?”
“No.”
“And why do they call it the sun special, anyway? That first time, you said the whole order.”
“Don’t worry your pretty little forehead about it, Apollo.”
“Ugh.”
“Can I ask my questions now?” Apollo nods. “Danke. Was Juniper your first relationship?”
“I’m not looking for another one, so don’t even start,” he snarls, “but no. She wasn’t.”
Klavier grins. “Herr Forehead is now Herr Casanova?”
“Not really. I had three. One in high school and two in college. Grace, Emily, and Lola.”
“Did you feel this same sense of emptiness when you broke up with them?”
“I don’t know. What happened to not asking questions where I don’t have the answer?”
“Ach, tut mir leid, but I’m trying to find the answer to a much scarier question.”
“Okay. Fine. I don’t think I felt this empty, no.” He held up his hand and counted off. “Grace broke up with me because her parents made her. Emily cheated on me. And Lola and I had a mutual breakup because she moved to New Zealand.”
“Lucky her.”
“Right? Anyway. This is the first time I’ve had an… emotional breakup instead of a circumstantial one. I think that’s messing me up.”
“Makes sense.”
“I still feel like shit, but not because I broke up with her. I don’t like knowing Juniper is sad, but I don’t… I don’t want to get back with her.” He leans back into his chair. “I don’t want to…? Huh. I guess I don’t.”
“You sound uncertain.”
“No, just surprised at my own emotions.”
“Ja, that happens. Lovers unearth unknown emotions when they arrive and can’t help finding more as they leave. And don’t give me that look,” he adds to Apollo’s indignant stare, “I fooled around a lot in college before my big head got the better of me.”
“What happened?”
Klavier’s grin slides down slowly. “Er, in a word? Daryan.”
The discomfort is palpable. “Got it.” He ignores the taut bracelet on his wrist. “Are you…” his words slink out, some mysterious feeling emerging from hibernation, “happier, without him?”
“Absolutely.” Klavier laughs deeply, from his stomach. “I am incredibly happy now that he is out of my life. Thre is still bitterness,” he admits, slower now, tentatively, “but I am, in sum, better off without him.”
Apollo finds that this fact warms him to his core. “I’m glad.”
“I am too. I should thank you, really, for getting that shark’s teeth out of me.”
“There’s no need to thank me.”
“Ach, but I will anyway, so: thank you, Apollo. You… you are absolutely a net positive in my life.”
The words make his heart beat faster.
“Hey, since you’re always asking me questions, I’ll give you one: what’s it like to, er, like someone?”
“Oh, that’s a good question. It’s, well, a lot of things. Your heart speeds up when you’re around them. You blush more. You pay attention to everything they do because you’re looking for a sign that they like you too.”
Apollo, who was previously attempting to bore a hole into Klavier’s thumb as it went wild fidgeting with his ring, quickly averts his gaze to the lovely mahogany wood of the table.
“I see.” He scratches at his hair and prays that Klavier didn’t notice the obvious staring.
Trucy steps out of bed and glares at the clock on her wall. A loud banging noise reverberates from below. Someone is knocking at the Wright Anything Agency door far too early.
She stumbles down the stairs and stares through the glass door with knit eyebrows.
Klavier Gavin stands in the doorway, spinning an umbrella in his hand. He waves.
She pushes open the door just enough to hear him talk.”
“Ach, hallo, Fräulein. Am I too early?”
“Mr. Gavin-”
“Klavier.”
“Klavier, we open at 11 am. It’s eight o’clock.”
“I thought you and Herr Wright lived above the office?”
Trucy tries to blink the sleep out of her eyes. “Did you notice the door to your immediate right? That one is our house door.” She cracks her neck. Her performance would start early today. “What did you need?”
“An answer, preferably an honest one.”
“Will it be long?”
“Likely.”
“Come in, then.” She steps back and Klavier strides into the dark office. “Don’t be too noisy, Daddy is still asleep.” She plops onto the couch and pats next to her.
He sits beside her. “Understood. I apologize, I didn’t think this issue could wait.”
“That’s alright,” she bubbles, “go ahead.”
“Why did you tell Apollo about Juniper?”
Her smile reminds him of Apollo’s. Bright, like the sun. In hers, however, the truth seems buried in the blinding light. “What do you mean?”
“I know you told him Juniper liked him, it’s the only way. And… I have my suspicions that you told him to break up with her, too.” Trucy simply listens, her expression unchanging as he gathers his evidence. “It all makes sense, and it couldn’t have been anyone but you. Which leaves me with one question: why? Why do any of this? You wouldn’t play with his feelings like that without some kind of reason.”
“I want him to be happy.”
Klavier pauses, breathless. “What?”
“I want him to be happy.” She pouts and blinks rapidly. “I thought that knowing someone likes him would make him happy. But then he got worse. He got a lot worse.” She blinks harder, rubbing at her eyes. “So I tried to fix it.”
“And it got out of hand.” Klavier runs his hands through his bangs and she squints at him with teary eyes. “Did you ever think about how Juniper would feel in all of this? That perhaps she wouldn’t enjoy being your emotional fulfillment puppet?”
Trucy brings her knees to her chest. “I’m sorry.”
Klavier scoots closer to the girl to give her a side hug. “It’s okay. I’m not… I’m not mad. Not anymore, now that I know you had good intentions. But don’t do this again, okay? You can go back to bed, Fräulein.”
“Okay. I’m really sorry, Klavier.” The two rise and Trucy walks towards the stairs. “I’m really, really, super mega sorry. I wanted to make Apollo happy, but now I made a big mess.”
“Your apologies are going to the wrong person. Now,” he glances at his watch, “I have something important to do.”
“Good luck.”
Klavier nods as he leaves. He needs all the luck he can get.
He supposes he has run out of luck when the top of his umbrella goes flying the moment he steps out of his car. “Now or never,” he mumbles, abandoning the umbrella and his hair routine. Staying cooped up in the Prosecutor’s Office has not been kind to Klavier’s body, and he is wheezing heavily by the time he reaches Apollo’s floor. He ponders briefly if Apollo is a good runner after constantly doing high knees just to get into the building.
Klavier presses the doorbell. “Hallo.”
Apollo opens the door and his eyebrows pinch together. “Uh, hi.” He looks up and down at the sopping wet prosecutor in front of him. “Do you, er, need something??”
Klavier leans against his door frame with heavy breaths. “May I ask that scary question?”
“What?”
“The question I’ve been building towards. The one that I hope you have an answer to now.”
“Oh, right, yeah, I mean, I guess you can, go ahead, I don’t know what’s happening?”
“Do you like men?”
Apollo blinks. Once, twice. Klavier is still dripping with rainwater. Klavier is still here. Klavier is still real.
“I think so.”
“Do you like me?”
Apollo’s face blooms with heat; instinct urges him to witty retaliation, but his sarcasm withers under Klavier’s genuine desperation. “Yeah. A lot.”
Klavier bites his lip, already a wide grin spreading across his face. “One… one more question.” He bends down and his lips find Apollo’s. It’s a soft, chaste kiss, quickly pulled away. “Did you like that?”
Apollo stands on his toes to hug Klavier’s neck. He leans in close, his breath hot and voice heavy. “Trust me, I liked it.”