Work Text:
Apollo carried the ring for three months.
He tried to propose. Really, he did. He took Klavier out to the one of the nicest restaurants in town, only to get spotted by Klavier’s paparazzi. Opting for somewhere less public after that, Apollo tried a romantic candlelight dinner at home. Although Klavier was appreciative, he’d had a long, tiring day, and it didn’t seem right to throw such a big question at him when he was so worn out. The walk in People’s Park where they first met led to them both fleeing from a group of snot-nosed kids who’d started a snowball fight and didn’t play fair. Ice skating had been a complete disaster. Hiking, movies, the beach, the courtroom, every attempt had been met in failure. Apollo wanted his proposal to be perfect, but as the months wore on, perfection seemed more and more impossible.
Dawn rose on a glorious Saturday morning in February. Apollo curled against Klavier, acting as his big spoon, one arm draped over his waist. He stirred as light filled the room, casting the room into a warm, winter glow.
Klavier still slept beside him, hair sprawled all over his pillow, a peaceful expression on his face. Apollo couldn’t help himself and snuggled closer to him, planting a gentle kiss to the back of his neck.
At the touch of Apollo’s lips, Klavier began to stir. He mumbled something in German as he returned to consciousness, his hands reaching out through his sleepiness. When they found Apollo’s arms around him, he let out a contented sigh and relaxed.
“Good morning,” Apollo murmured against his skin, and planted several slow kisses along his neck and shoulders.
“Mm… morning,” Klavier mumbled. His voice was deep and gravelly with sleep, like it often was in the mornings.
Apollo lay with him as the morning dragged on, giving him more soft kisses, until the sunlight crawled across their bed to catch in Klavier’s hair. It glowed in the morning light, giving him an ethereal, otherworldly look. Apollo buried his face in Klavier’s back, his heart full and happy, and had the passing thought that life couldn’t get better than this.
Except maybe for one thing, he abruptly realized. There was still something that could make this lovely morning better. Maybe there was no perfect moment, just the love they already shared, so… what was the point in waiting?
Apollo’s arm tightened around Klavier and he smiled into his back.
“Klavier…”
“Hm?” Klavier toned as he stretched in Apollo’s hold, quickly breaking into a yawn right after.
Apollo smiled wider, his heart bursting with love, and sang softly in his ear. Despite his extensive chords of steel training, Apollo couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. His voice was scratchy and off pitch, but Klavier didn’t care, and had told Apollo time and time again that singing was an expression of joy, and shouldn’t be judged by skill.
“Wise men say… only fools rush in. Still, I can’t help falling in love… with… you…” He kissed Klavier’s neck between the last few words.
Klavier finally turned around to face Apollo, still staying in his arms, a warm smile on his lips. His blue eyes were filled with affection as he leaned forward to bury his face into Apollo’s neck. He began to echo the song back to Apollo, his voice a little rough at the start, but easing into its usual sultry tones by the end.
“Like a river flows… surely to the sea… Liebling, so it goes, some things are meant to be.”
Apollo smiled wider and continued their slow duet. As they approached the final stanza, Apollo reached back with one hand and found the ring box hidden in his nightstand.
“Take my hand. Take my whole life, too. For I can’t help falling in love… with…” He gently pressed the little box into Klavier’s hands. “...you.”
Klavier blinked down at the small box in his hands, his eyes widening. He quietly clicked the box open, and he let out a soft gasp. Inside was a silver ring, thick and wide, like the other rings Klavier preferred, and was engraved with the same design as Apollo's signature bracelet.
Apollo looked at him, eyes full of warmth and love.
“Marry me?”
Klavier let out a soft, watery laugh, tears bubbling up in his eyes as they met Apollo’s.
“Yes… hell yes, of course I’ll marry you, Apollo.”
A tear escaped Apollo’s own eye and his heart soared. He gave a breathless laugh and pulled Klavier into a warm, passionate kiss.
They shared a deep kiss in the glimmering morning light, lost within each other for an indecipherable amount of time. Finally, as their lips naturally parted, Klavier broke into a bright laugh that rang about the room.
“Dammit Apollo! Do you know what next week is?”
“Next week?” Apollo had to think about it for a moment. Today was the seventh, so a week from today would be the fourteenth, which meant— “Oh! It’s… oh, shit. It’s Valentine’s Day.”
Klavier grinned wide, pulling a similar-looking box out his own bedside table and pressed it into Apollo’s hands.
“Yes. Valentine’s Day.”
Apollo stared at the box for a long moment, then scrambled upright with a gasp, sitting cross-legged on the bed. He opened the box to find a classy masculine gold ring, inlaid with a Khura’inese design that wrapped around a diamond and two bright rubies.
“Klavier…” He sniffed loudly as tears of joy flowed freely from his eyes. “It’s perfect.”
Tears slid down Klavier’s cheeks as well, dripping off his chin as he wore an enormous grin.
“I’m so glad you like it. I wanted to be sure the design came out just right.”
“Do you…” Apollo swallowed, trying to speak through overwhelming emotion. “Will you put it on me?”
“Of course, Schatz,” Klavier replied.
He took the ring and gently slid it onto Apollo’s finger with steady, calloused fingers. A warm smile stayed on his lips as he admired the way the ring looked on Apollo’s hand, stroking Apollo’s slimmer fingers.
Apollo looked down at his hand, the ring sparkling on his finger, and made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob, then threw himself at Klavier, wrapping him up in a tight hug. Klavier held him close, tenderly kissing his hair.
“I love you so much, Apollo.”
“I love you, too, Klavier. I…” he burst into laughter, “I didn’t mean to steal your thunder right before Valentine’s! I just thought this was the only thing that could make this morning more perfect.”
Klavier leaned down to give Apollo a brief, soft kiss.
“And you were right.”
“Can… can I put yours on?” Apollo asked.
“Of course!” Klavier enthused, holding up his hand and the box his ring was in.
Apollo’s hands weren’t nearly as steady as Klavier’s, but he still slid the thick ring onto Klavier’s calloused finger, then gently kissed the knuckle.
“My Klavier… My fiance!”
“That’s right!” Klavier said through a laugh, “And soon to be your husband!”
Apollo let out a dreamy sigh. “My husband, Klavier Gavin…”
“Apollo Justice, my husband,” Klavier echoed, kissing Apollo’s smiling lips. One more laugh escaped him. “Well, I guess I’m not getting my deposit back on renting out that restaurant.”
“W-what? Oh no! I mean, we can still have a romantic dinner to celebrate, right?” Apollo asked.
“Yes, of course,” Klavier said, giving Apollo a quick kiss on the cheek, “And erm, maybe we could… um…” Klavier rubbed the back of his neck anxiously.
“Maybe what?”
“Only if you want to, but…” Klavier took a breath before continuing. “What if we opened the restaurant back up to the public and did a public proposal? I’d rather that it come to light on our terms than people gossiping about it and rumors flying everywhere… and this way, it won’t be a surprise and make you feel awkward.”
“You’d be okay with that?” Apollo asked, “I actually tried to propose to you that night the paparazzi found us. I didn’t want our proposal plastered all over the tabloids, but if it’s on our terms…”
“Yes, that’s why I rented out the whole restaurant,” Klavier admitted, “I didn’t want to risk anyone seeing us or finding out… and I really didn’t want to catch you off guard in a public place with something so important, but I did want to surprise you.” He laughed brightly. “Looks like you got the jump on me, instead!”
“I’ve had this burning a hole in my pocket for three months,” Apollo laughed.
“Oh, is that so?” Klavier quipped, “And how long ago do you think I had to secure an entire restaurant? It took so much bribing to get them to close the entire thing for Valentines! They’re going to be so excited if we let them open it up again.”
“Even if they keep your deposit?” Apollo teased, “Maybe we can invite over our friends, if it’s going to be a public debacle.”
“How about inviting them over for dessert after dinner?” Klavier said excitedly, “and you’ve always said you can’t keep secrets from Trucy… I doubt you’d last a whole week.”
Apollo sighed and flopped back into the bed.
“You’re right. She’ll know as soon as I get to the office that something’s up,” He held his hand over his head, admiring the ring glittering in the morning light. “I don’t want to take this off anyway.”
“It makes me so happy to hear that, Schatz,” Klavier said softly, leaning down to kiss Apollo’s forehead.
“I tried over and over to propose,” Apollo said with a sigh, then smiled, “but it never felt like the perfect time. Until I realized this morning that there is no perfect time. Just us.”
Klavier blinked rapidly, giving him a warm smile.
“You’re right. Perhaps I had the wrong idea, going for a big production…”
“Don’t you worry about that,” Apollo caught his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “We’re going to have an amazing time next weekend.”
Klavier relaxed again and smiled back at him. “Thank you, Liebling.”
Apollo lay in Klavier’s company in comfortable silence for a moment before a grin spread across his face once more.
“I’m marrying you!” He sat up once more and caught Klavier’s lips in a kiss. “I’m so happy, I can’t contain it!”
Klavier laughed brightly, springing to his feet and twirling about the room.
“We’re getting married!”
Apollo laughed and followed him to his feet. “I’m going to spend the rest of my life with you, wake up beside you, grow old with you…”
He sighed dreamily and threw on an old Gavinner’s T-shirt.
“There’s so much to look forward to,” Klavier said brightly, “many breakfasts together, like we’re about to take part in…”
“Then let’s have our first breakfast as an engaged couple,” Apollo said, standing on his tiptoes to give Klavier a kiss. “I’ll cook.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Klavier said, giving him a kiss on the nose. “And we’ll have to come up with a game plan of how we’re going to tell our friends.”
“Definitely. But for right now, we have no plans, no obligations…just each other.”
Apollo took Klavier’s hand and led him out of the bedroom and toward the rest of their lives.