Chapter Text
Simon Blackquill would never, ever admit it, but his work days had gotten brighter since the Sad Monk had appeared.
Sure, they were a sneaky, pesky bastard, but they dueled with him on a level he had not experienced in a long time. They were cunning and vicious with their verbal onslaught. It was… refreshing. Gavin-dono was friendly and helpful enough, though conversations with him weren’t always… stimulating. The Paynes were the Paynes, and while von Karma-dono was an incredible conversationalist, she wielded a whip and was not afraid to use it. On top of that, she was rarely ever around.
If the work day ever dragged, Simon could count on Nahyuta to be there. They would pick a fight with him, throw some prayer beads, or go for his pride and be friendly with Taka. That damn bird was a traitor, swayed by their cooing and chin scratches. Simon firmly shoved down any envious thoughts that creeped into his head. They would always catch his glare and smile condescendingly in turn, causing him to bristle and call Taka back before storming out of the room.
That was their routine. Piss each other off, bicker, leave. Simon liked it that way. It was easy and good. He could repress the thoughts that would always creep up in the back of his head. The ones that yearned for them to look at him just a little longer, or the ones who made him stare at their lips. The ones that made him wish their smile was kinder. He knew better, though.
At least, he thought he did.
Nahyuta was the one to ask Simon out first. They hid it behind the guise of a casual get-together, something for two coworkers to do to wind down after a stressful day at work. Logically, Simon should have declined. He should have told them to piss off.
He didn't.
He found himself compelled toward them. Maybe it was some sort of twisted joke? He wanted- no, needed- to know. When he reached the designated meeting spot, they greeted him warmly, which was strange. But even stranger, they took his hand in their own and led him the rest of the way to the restaurant.
The night started awkwardly enough. They exchanged pleasantries and sat across from one another silently, each eyeing different parts of their surroundings. Eventually though, Nahyuta found an icebreaker. From there, it was easy- almost disturbingly so- to fall into a rhythm of conversation. It switched from ranting about coworkers to discussing their respective defense attorney family members to any other manner of topic.
The night ended and Simon found himself feeling just a little bit conflicted. He still did not know their true intentions. Were they friend or foe? They had yet to play their card. But… the way their eyes crinkled up when they smiled, the way they chuckled at a particular joke he told and then covered their mouth with a hand… it was all so genuine. So confusing.
The next day at work, they greeted him with a smile. Even their coworkers noticed, turning their heads with a slightly confused expression. Simon could only awkwardly wave back, likely looking equally dumbfounded. From there, he started to notice little things change. They provoked him less. They approached him asking for his opinion on a matter. They always acknowledged when he walked into a room, be it with a nod or a polite smile.
Simon noticed he started to change, too. He would greet them as they passed each other. He would have Taka deliver them notes during the workday, gossiping about the Chief Prosecutor and Phoenix Wright or poking fun at the Paynes. Taka would always return with a response from them. He would pretend he didn't notice the smile he got every time he read their notes.
"Simoooon!" An annoyed voice broke through his train of thought, snapping him back into reality. He blinked and looked around. Beside him, Athena was pouting. "There you are! I've been bugging you for ages!"
Ages! Widget agreed.
She crossed her arms over her chest. "What are you brooding over now?"
"I'm not brooding, Cykes-dono."
Bull. Widget said. Athena quickly covered her with a hand. Simon raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"It's written all over your face."
"That's just how I look."
"And your heart." Damn it. "I can hear the discord. The confusion-"
"Athena, I am not doing this in the Whet Noodle." Simon grumbled, turning back to his bowl with a note of finality. Unfortunately, Athena was not quite done.
"Too bad, I am." She scooted closer, scrunching up her face as she eyed him suspiciously. "I can feel it. Something is bothering you! Did something happen at work?"
"... You could say that." He muttered, not wanting to delve any further. He was terrified of what she might dig up. There were certain things he wasn't ready to face.
"Is it the Paynes? I know you hate them. Is the Chief Prosecutor giving you too much work? I know him and Boss are close, but I'll give him a good talking to if I have to!" She punched her own hand, flashing a disturbingly excited grin.
"Uh… no, Cykes-dono." Simon responded. "Get that smile off your face, its disturbing."
"Whatever." She rolled her eyes. With a huff, she glanced up in thought and brought a hand to her chin. "... Is Klavier being too upbeat? Prosecutor Sahdmadhi bothering you?"
Simon tensed at their name. Athena, perceptive as always, noticed instantly. Her face fell, her demeanor becoming oddly serious. "I knew it! What are they doing to you?"
"They're not doing anything to me, Athena! Relax. And get out of my space." He shooed her back into her own seat.
"Well, excuse me for being worried about my bruncle. I know what they're like in court. Mean… excessive." Simon's hand twitched, his grip and expression tightening just slightly. Athena tilted her head in confusion. “... Si? I… swore I just-”
“You heard nothing!” He cut her off. “I’ve just been having longer work days and more assignments. It’s exhausting.” He continued his meal, praying that was the end of that. Athena simply stared at him for a long time before sighing.
“Simon… there’s a lot of discord in your heart right now. You know that’s not healthy to keep inside.” She frowned at him, all pretenses of poking fun at him gone. “You can talk to me, you know that?”
“I do.” He assured, huffing. “I just do not wish to disclose this certain thing to you.”
“Why not?” She paused and thought about it for a moment. “... Do you think I’ll make fun of you?”
His silence told her everything she needed to know. Her pout grew. “Hey, c’mon. You know me! I’d never make fun of you when it comes to something you’re actually upset about!”
“I’m not… upset.” He muttered. “I just… I know how you are with Justice-dono, Gavin-dono, Wright-dono, and Edgeworth-dono… I do not want to be on the receiving end of this too.”
“... Huh?” She stared at him in confusion. He didn’t want to be made fun of like Apollo, Klavier, Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth…? And he got angry when she insulted Prosecutor Sahdmadhi… The discord in his heart… “Oh my god.”
Simon felt his soul shrivel up and die.
“You have a crush on Prosecutor Sahdmadhi!” She exclaimed.
“Will you keep your bloody mouth shut?!” He growled, slapping a hand over her mouth. She peeled his hand away like it was nothing.
“You do! Simon, that’s-!”
“Bollocks! That’s what it is. Now, be silent!” He ordered. She rolled her eyes.
“You don’t have to be embarrassed about this, Si! I mean, they wouldn’t be my first choice, but-” He withered her with a glare deadly enough to kill ten men. “But it’s not like you’ve got anything to hide! They’re stunning, you know? Anyone would trip over themselves for them.”
“How many times do I have to deny this?” Simon crossed his arms over his chest. “Besides, I don’t even know if they… swing that way.”
“You mean like men? Oh yeah, they do!” Athena cracked a grin, leaning back in her chair a bit.
“... How are you certain of this?” He raised a brow.
“I asked. We were talking since they were visiting the Agency but Apollo wasn’t there and we wanted to get to know each other better, smooth things over. I went on a tangent about Junie and ended up asking them if they liked anyone, and they said they ‘found men attractive’.”
“... You’re lying.”
“I am not! Look, I’ll even call them to confirm-!”
“YOU WILL NOT!” Simon shouted, snatching her phone out of her hands.
“Hey!”
“As I’ve said many times now, I have no interest in them! And even if I did- which, I don’t- there is no evidence that they feel the same.” He pocketed the phone with a shake of his head and sighed. “It is not worth pursuing, especially with the likes of the Sad Monk.”
“There’s no evidence they feel the same, huh?” Athena crossed her arms over her chest in a mockery of him. “I beg to differ.”
Simon remained silent. He wanted to object, but the small part of him, buried deep within, wanted to know more. Needed to.
“They visit the Wright Anything Agency whenever they can to talk with Apollo. Often, the two of them talk about their work days and how they’re doing. On many occasion, I’ve heard them talk about you. Specifically, about how you were ‘such a gentleman, much different than when they first met you’. They get this smile on their face when they tell Apollo about your notes. It’s really subtle, but Apollo said he saw it!”
Simon frowned in thought. Was this all really true, or was Athena just trying to boost his confidence? It wasn't beyond her.
"And they told us about the little get together you had."
"That was nothing." He turned away from her. He didn't want to think about that night. It was too complicated. What they had was simple, simple and easy. That night was anything but.
"They don't feel that way."
Simon shut his eyes tightly. His chest constricted and he clenched a fist. He wasn't sure what he expected, but it certainly wasn't that. "Simon, they care about you. Everyone can see that you both care about each other, in the Agency and the Prosecutor's Office."
"You don't know that! None of you do." He snapped, glaring down at her. She glowered at him.
"I would know better than you. I can hear their heart, and it practically sings when you come up in conversation! Come on, Si. What do you gain from hiding this? Nothing!"
"Dignity. Sparing myself from a world of hurt. A mutual respect between us. What wouldn't I gain?"
"Simon, you are insufferable." She wrestled her phone out of his pocket. "Fine then, I'll just have to do this myself."
"Do what?" He asked, finally finishing off his bowl of noodles.
"Ask them out."
He choked on the mouthful. As he coughed, Athena quickly dropped her phone and hit him roughly on the back until he was breathing normally. "Simon! Are you okay?!"
"I-I'm fine! What the devil did you just say?!"
"Oh, that I'm going to ask them out for you."
"No the hell you're not!" He protested.
"Look, Simon. You're being a stubborn asshole. I know you know how you're feeling, no matter how much you deny it. And I know how Nahyuta feels. You both want something more. Why not take a chance?" She looked at him expectantly. "What's the worst that could happen?"
"... Athena…"
"I know you're afraid, Si. It's okay. But you're just going to be miserable forever if you sit and watch your life pass you by." She grabbed his hands in her own. "Haven't you done enough of that?"
Simon averted his gaze to the counter. She was right; he had spent a quarter of his life in a prison cell, waiting to die, watching the world go on without him. It was a bitter fact, one he didn't like to think about. It was terrifying to imagine the sheer scale of what he had missed out on.
"So, what are you going to do? Watch yet another thing pass you by, or take a chance and finally live instead of survive?"
He shut his eyes. Took a deep breath.
"I'll do it. I'll… invite them on a date." He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and firmly ignored his face burning.
"Simon! I'm so proud of you! Look at you, taking the initiative!" Athena beamed at him and threw her arms around him. He grumbled at her but made no real effort to remove her.
"You're paying for lunch though, you blackguard."
"Deal!"