Chapter Text
Even though the big grievance were out of the way, Kazuma and van Zieks still didn’t exchange many words outside of business. They’d memorized each other’s usual schedule and would question one another should they step out of it without prior explanation; they would assist each other with different viewpoints on evidence and witness testimony -particularly Kazuma, with his previous defence experience, would help van Zieks- and that was about it. There was not really much desire for pleasantries from either of them. They showed their comradery in other ways than the tea and outings of their friends out east.
Still, it was a surprise to Kazuma when he heard a very energetic knock at the office door. (Lord van Zieks said he would be out all day. Could someone be here to see me? I have my doubts…) he thought to himself as he stood from his desk and went to let the stranger in. In doing so he saw a face he found hard to forget.
“Hello there!” Harebrayne bellowed, waving enthusiastically, and taking Kazuma’s hand in a shake. “You must be the unmasked apprentice that Barok mentioned in his invitation! I must say, it’s a pleasure to properly meet you face to face!”
“Ah… yes. Kazuma Asogi. It’s a pleasure.” Kazuma said calmly, not anticipating it would make the professor gasp and bite at his nails nervously.
“Ahhhh, where are my manners! Of course, of course, I know your name from Barok, but I must be a mystery! After all you must have so many cases, who would remember someone like me. I’m--”
“I remember who you are, Professor Harebrayne. That was a case I may never forget, no matter how many I may preside over. You say Lord van Zieks gave you an invitation? To what? As far as I know there is nothing of note happening in all of England, much less London.” The samurai prosecutor asked. Harebrayne scratched at his hair mass, thinking.
“Well, his invitation gave no reason other than to see the sights of London. It has been over ten years since I’ve been able to see this wonderful city, and since I’ve seen Barok outside of a courtroom. I suppose he just wanted to spend time together now that the ‘Reaper of the Bailey’ nonsense is dealt with.” Kazuma nodded in agreement.
“That is a good enough reason for most people. I myself hope to invite a pair of friends back here, though not for a while.”
There was an awkward pause, accompanied by a dorky little smile on Harebrayne’s face. He looked around a bit before finally speaking up.
“So, er, if I may ask, Mr. Asogi… where is Barok? I thought he would be the one to open the door. N-Not that I don’t enjoy seeing you, of course!” Kazuma stifled a laugh and shook his head. He saw a little of Ryunosuke in this man.
“Lord van Zieks left about an hour ago. I assume he went to find you at the harbour. Do you think perhaps he might worry when you don’t appear?” Kazuma was just trying to be helpful. He didn’t mean to make the man start biting at his nail again, this time much more aggressively.
“O-Oh no… you don’t think I’ve worried him? I wouldn’t want to cause him more trouble than I have in the past, I-I should head back. Perhaps if I run, I can find him before he leaves! Then again, I have no stamina, just leg length. Oh, how I wish my hypothesis had been correct! You don’t know how many times I’ve wished for the convenience of instantaneous kinesis since that trial! But no, I have a few shillings, I can still--”
“Sir! Sir.” Kazuma interrupted finally. “You’re going to give yourself a heart attack at this rate. If he does not find you there, his first instinct is almost surely to come here, or to look for you at your hotel. Your best course of action right now is to stay here and wait.”
“Ah… I suppose you’re right. Forgive my outburst, it’s just been a very long time, and I’m anxious to see him properly.” Harebrayne bowed in apologies, his hair bobbing as he moved up and down.
Again, they were surrounded by an awkward pause. Kazuma watched the man in front of him as he looked around the office, his eyes moving from the painting to the latest diorama on the table, to van Zieks’ copious amount of kegs.
“Um…” Harebrayne began, trying to end the strange silence. “You know, alcohol, and wine for that matter, is very obviously a flammable liquid. I’ve been trying to find a new hypothesis to bring to the next government exhibition, and I was beginning with the idea that heat could be converted into electric energy in some fashion. I’ve done a hundred calculations, and with the right--”
“Are you only van Zieks’ friend?” Kazuma interrupted abruptly, not really caring about the idea of setting a building ablaze in the near future. The question was simple, but it made Harebrayne blink.
“Wh-What?! What prompted that?!” The professor sputtered. “I’d been lead to believe you were Barok’s friend! And Mr. Naruhodo, and--”
“You misheard me.” Kazuma corrected, calmly crossing his arms. “I asked if you are only his friend, not his only friend.” He raised his eyebrow as Harebrayne’s face involuntarily turned pink.
“O-Only his friend? Of… course! What else could I be?!”
“What else could you be indeed.” Kazuma repeated. “I hold no judgement, if you are worried.”
“I-I…” Harebrayne pushed his glasses into place, averting his gaze from the prosecutor. “It-It doesn’t matter. It’s quiet illegal, what you’re suggesting, you know! Besides, it’s been ten years, I’m sure--”
“Lord van Zieks is an eligible bachelor. There is not a lady in his life, friend or otherwise, from what little I’ve seen.”
“H-He’s… well, it doesn’t matter! I distinctly remember I promised him I would not allow myself to impede him, or anyone else in that manner! I’m not about to get anyone in legal trouble for such a reason!”
“Is that really your reason, Professor Harebrayne? One would think that is just an excuse.” Kazuma suggested. “No one in either of your private lives would persecute you. No, I believe you are afraid. You’ve deemed yourself unworthy.”
“Mr. Asogi…” Harebrayne looked down at his shoes sheepishly.
“I apologize if this conversation is making you uncomfortable. I merely wanted to give my opinion. The worst Lord van Zieks will do is let you down gently. After all… you are his only friend, as you said.” Kazuma tried to joke.
“…Ha… h-ha hah! Yes, indeed, Mr. Asogi!” Harebrayne tried to laugh, though it was hard to hide his deep pink face.
“I hope I am not interrupting.” A lower, darker voice boomed, startling the hell out of the scientist.
“Ah! Barok!!” Harebrayne shouted, turning on his heel, and taking his old friend’s hand in both of his own. “My apologies if I worried you! I wasn’t aware you were going to come find me; when my boat came into shore earlier than I expected, I thought I would surprise you at your office! I never anticipated that you would come to find me.”
“I knew you wouldn’t be in any sort of trouble, Albert. I only waited a few minutes for the harbour to clear to ensure you weren’t there.”
“A-Ah, of course. I should have known you’d be unflappable as always!” Harebrayne stammered.
“…You seem out of sorts.” van Zieks noted. (And Mr. Asogi seems oddly pleased with himself.) As if on cue, Harebrayne maneuvered his away around van Zieks, giving Kazuma angry wide side-eyes as he did so, and stood himself in the doorway, standing as straight as a soldier.
“Yes- no! I’m fine, just excited to be in London in good circumstances for the first time in ten years, I’d be delighted to see how everything is changed and I’d rather not stay at this office of yours; though it is rather charming, I’d rather be out there if it’s all the same to you! It was nice to meet you properly, Mr. Asogi, now if you’ll excuse us we’ll be ON OUR WAY?” Harebrayne ranted, trying desperately to escape the awkwardness of Kazuma’s knowledge.
“…Of course. I have a plan for your first day. To help you get reacquainted with the streets.” van Zieks started, turning his back to his office and apprentice.
When the door closed, Kazuma huffed.
“It seems like such a trifling law. What harm does he do?”
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“This… is not where I expected our tour to end.” Albert admitted.
Barok had taken him across half of London. He’d most notably taken him to the National Gallery, The Tower of London, and the jewels within, and, fascinatingly enough, to Dr. Maria Gorey’s lab, where Harebrayne had a delightful conversation about rigor mortis and the toughness of a body three hours after death. He’d also, mistakenly, walked past the Tusspells exhibit, which Harebrayne insisted they go into, if only to see if the professor exhibit had been changed; it was, in fact, replaced with a case about a convicted man committing suicide at the witness stand for a woman he loved.
When all else was said and done however, Albert never expected to stop for lunch at a little French restaurant.
“Is there a problem with it?” Barok asked, arching an eyebrow.
“No no no no no!” Albert dismissed, shaking his head vigorously. “It’s just… well, I recall, when we would study together, and we would work into the late hours, we would always move our study to your home so, in the event that supper would come, it wouldn’t interrupt. You used to have a much more… delicate palette.” A pause. “Th-though I suppose it, again, has been a while.” He stammered, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
“I have been broadening my horizons in the last ten years. This place is not as deplorable as some of the places in the east end.”
“Ah, quite right! Indeed, I don’t think I’d ever want to be found in a place called the slug and salad.” Albert joked. Then a pause. “…Would you mind if I tried this Ratatouille? I know you said you would pay, but it’s rather--”
“It should be no issue. Have whatever you want.” Barok insisted.
Again there was a pause. But this one hung on for much longer, as Albert decided how he was going say this next part.
“…I, er… I’m sorry about Klint.” He finally said. “I do wish I’d been there when the truth had originally come out.”
Barok said nothing. It made Albert tense a bit in his hands.
“Ah… h-how are you faring with it?” He asked, trying to prompt some form of response. Barok was still quiet, but he rested his hands on the table, and his face made it clear he was thinking of how to reply.
“…I had my doubts initially.” Barok finally admitted. “When the P… when he was still at large, I had my doubts that my brother was innocent. Still I had believed for years that I had avenged him in some form when I sent Genshin Asogi to the gallows. It was more troubling to know I’d sent an innocent man, who only carried out Klint’s final wishes, do his death. To know I’d left a family without a father because of a blind need for revenge, without looking through everything like he would have.”
Barok lowered his head and closed his eyes. It was still very fresh in his mind, the events in that courtroom, and Albert could tell he was trying desperately to bottle it all inside.
His eyes moved down to his friend’s gloved hand. Hesitating for only a moment, he took in a deep, quiet breath and placed his own hand on it, in an attempt at comfort. Almost immediately, Barok pulled away. Albert left his hand in place.
“B-But look at you now!” Albert started to reassure. “You’re a genius, and the truth has come out. No more Reaper, no more lies, no more breaking the law to prevent the law from breaking; none of that would have happened had you not started the movement!”
Barok looked up at him, his face unreadable. Albert didn’t stop.
“You told me to not mistake myself for the likes of Mr. Drebber; that what he called me, a talentless fool, was the words of a fool who thinks himself a wiseman. Well…” Albert pushed his glasses into place, doing his best to sound as intimidating as his friend. “Don’t tar yourself with the same brush as Stronghart. What happened was his doing and his alone. You’re not to blame in any way.”
The minute it took Barok to think of a response felt like an eternity. Albert wanted to instantaneously teleport himself directly into the sun for the entire duration. Who knew that this feeling would make time stop almost entirely? He’d write a paper on the feeling, perhaps.
“…Tch.” Finally, Barok moved his hand atop Alberts, gripping it firmly. “When you wrote about your safe passage to Germany, I was already incarcerated. I read it a dozen times. While I don’t think you fully understand what I meant about Klint… thank you, Albert.” He answered.
“O-Of course!” Albert said, his voice cracking a little bit as his face burned bright red. This was a little more than he was expecting. “S-S-So! Er, let’s not talk about that dreary topic! H-Have I told you about my latest hypothetical? I think this one may actually be feasible; I’ve not forgotten to do any of the equation this time, I’m absolutely sure of it! In fact my notes are all waiting at my hotel!”
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Albert prattled on about his alternative to gas power as they ordered and waited, barely noticing his hand in his best friends, and only pulling away when it came time to eat.
“…And that’s when I said 'Madame, your work is clever, but the quadratic equation was never meant to grace this project with its presence!' Hah hah!” Albert joked as the two made their way to the hotel. It made no sense to Barok, but he enjoyed listening to Albert anyways.
“Tomorrow,” Barok interrupted, “I will be quite busy in the morning. There is a trial for one Ian Nocent. I expect it will be done by the morning. If you’d like, you could come witness it yourself, or traverse the city on your lonesome.”
“Oh dear, did I detract from your investigating time? I’m sorry, had I known--”
“Inspector Lestrade and Dr. Gorey are handling the investigation well enough on their own. So long as I review the evidence tonight, I will be plenty prepared.” Barok reassured.
“Oh! Well, er, good! I’m glad I didn’t obstruct justice!” Albert paused for the millionth time this night. He took a deep breath and… “Barok… I know you accepted my secret ten years ago, and I know I promised I would never let it be a problem for you, but… if you… and I… were to--”
“I’m not opposed to the idea in theory, Albert.” He interrupted. “In truth, I’ve felt the same way for you as you have me for a long time. But I am… not ready for that amount of emotional vulnerability again. Not yet.”
“…I understand.” Albert nodded, running his hand through… or, in… his mass of hair. “That’s okay. I’ll wait. I was glad for your invitation.” Albert hadn’t noticed the huge, dorky smile that had appeared on his face. “I’ll see you tomorrow then, Barok. I wish you luck in court!”
The friends said goodbye to one another as Albert dragged his baggage to his little room. Upon reaching the room he immediately collapsed face first onto his little twin bed.
Twisting onto his back he stared at the ceiling, mind blank for the first time in his life.
What would this mean for them? There was no way for the two of them to make this public. He would be condemning Barok to yet another private scandal, which could damage his family name. Not to mention them living in different countries for the foreseeable future.
This was a mistake. A massive mistake. He never should have started any of this. So why did he feel so much better having finally asked what he’d meant to when he came out all that time ago?