Archive of Our Own

Sometimes, on his most reflective days, Klavier thinks that it's probably strange that so much of his social life takes place in or around the courthouse. All said and done, he isn't even therethat often. On balance, he must spend equal or greater time in his office, possibly even more than that at the various coffee houses he frequents, and certainly at least some of it in his own apartment. He even goes out sometimes, under heavy cover, of course, but nothing interesting tends to happen when he does.

No, it can't all be down to time. It must have something to do with the particular mix of people who tend to cross his path in the courthouse.

Take today, for example, which has allowed him to see Apollo Justice for the first time in days, if only in passing. It has also brought him into contact with the formidable Ema Skye, whose presence is a bit less thorny than it used to be, and her charming but elusive friend Kay Faraday.

Additionally, he has the …pleasure of meeting Raymond Shields for the second or third time. The older defense attorney is apparently well acquainted with Edgeworth, and he is… strange. Exuberant, if Klavier had to choose a polite word. Overfamiliar, if he is allowed to choose a more frank one.

The whole crew of them converge in the hallway as the morning trials ring into commencement, and there, in the open doorway of courtroom #4, is where the day's chaos truly begins.

He gives Apollo his best smile as they pass each other closely enough for their arms to brush. The shorter man rolls his eyes in response, but in his peripheral vision, Klavier sees him flush pink and start to smile as well. He's an absolute darling, and just being in his presence is often enough to brighten Klavier's day. If only he would believe it.

When he turns his attention forward again, Klavier takes in the sight of Ray Shields approaching Ema and Kay with his arms outstretched.

The two women turn to each other as they see him headed their way. Klavier only hears a part of their conversation:

" –should we tell him?"

"I don't know! I don't want him to get weird–"

"He's always weird, Em–"

"I know, I know, but what if he–"

"I'm just gonna go with it!" Kay declares, turning from Ema to aim a shining grin at Shields.

"Girls! Give Uncle Ray a hug. It's been too long."

Klavier flinches; he hadn't been braced for that kind of weird. He's about to throw himself into the situation as a distraction, but Kay beats him to it.

"Ummm Uncle Ray, did you know that actually Ema and I are dating now?" she asks in an uncharacteristically shrill rush. At least, he’s pretty sure it’s uncharacteristic.

Ray's arms drop. His eyes go wide. "You and Emmy? Really?" he asks. "You girls are growing up too fast. It was just yesterday–"

"Uhh, I think it's time for the trial to start," Ema says, loudly enough to make it obvious she's been spending time with Herr Forehead, King of Shouting.

"Oh… talk later, though, OK? We have to catch up!" Ray responds, but he waves goodbye and wanders into the courtroom.

"That wasn't so bad," Ema murmurs.

"Told you!" Kay chirps back. "My plans always work."

Klavier shakes his head. What a drastic and dramatic plan, and all to avoid a single awkward encounter. It was hardly even believable! The entire concept of Ema putting up with someone as impulsive as Kay is hilarious on its own, but Kay's delivery was the real giveaway. Klavier shakes his head at them as he passes, finally granted passageway into the courtroom he was supposed to be in two minutes ago.

Ah well. Arriving fashionably late always gives him the old-fashioned endorphin rush of having all eyes on him. There's no better way to start a trial.

— — —

"Oh, thank god, I've been dying to say this to someone," Apollo says, breathless, when they coincidentally run into one another in the bathroom.

Intrigued, Klavier stops in his tracks, adopting his listening pose.

"You were there too, right? You heard that, with Kay and Ema?"

Klavier lets out a breath, dropping his facade in his excitement. "Ach, a disaster, wasn't it?"

"Right? I can't believe he fell for that. It sounded like he fell for it."

"Hook, line, and sinker, as they say." It makes him feel a little better to know that Apollo, who seems able to sniff out lies like no one else, also found Kay’s explanation suspicious.

"Oh, Holy Mother, he's as gullible as Clay," Apollo says around a snort.

"It would have been much funnier if it hadn't been painfully obvious that they were trying to avoid Shields. I'll have to put in a word to the Chief."

"Yeah, I know he's a friend or whatever, but if he's making people that uncomfortable… " Apollo trails off, and now they are uncomfortable too.

It's clearly beginning to click for them both that they're standing unusually close to one another in the courthouse bathroom, which, thanks to certain mentors of theirs, already has something of a reputation.

If he were smart, he would allow Apollo to disengage before the awkwardness peaks and keeps them apart for a long recovery period. He isn't feeling very smart, though, and he wants to continue the conversation at any cost.

Surprisingly, it's Apollo who finds a reason to keep talking. "You know what would be really funny?"

"Hm?" Klavier forces his attention to snap from looking at Apollo to listening to him.

"If we, um," he starts. He pauses to lick his lips, a nervous habit of which Klavier is particularly fond. "If we make them keep up the charade."

"Oh?" Klavier asks, intrigued.

"I– ah, I gotta get back, but– listen, I owe Kay from when she stole my badge and accidentally lost it last week, and I owe Ema for making me reach into a dumpster at an investigation last month, so."

Klavier is delighted to learn that Apollo, a champion of restorative justice, practices the exact opposite in his personal life. "Well, I'm happy to assist. Come by my office this evening?"

"Uh, sounds good," Apollo says, face red. He attempts to leave past Klavier, who in turn attempts to move out of his way but guesses wrong.

They nearly collide, and Klavier has to bite his lip to avoid laughing at the frustration on Apollo's face. "Sorry," he says, holding up his hands. "I'll be still. I still need to freshen up!"

He could swear he hears Apollo mutter, "Freshen up what?" as he makes his way out the door, and he finally lets himself indulge in laughing at the poor attorney's expense.

— — —

He waits in his office that evening, by turns anxiously impatient and thrilled to have an excuse, at long last, for Apollo to visit. Trucy, he knows, will probably also be along, but that’s hardly a problem. He makes sure to have at least three of each of his usual drink options chilled, and he’s just putting the finishing touches on three plates of snacks when there’s a knock on the door.

Klavier adjusts his hair on the way to the door, using his guitar display case as a mirror, and swings open the door when he’s satisfied. “Herr Forehead! Come on in. Oh? No sidekick tonight?”

“Oh! No, uh. I figured we’d keep this as far on the down-low as possible. Besides, um, I’m not sure how to tell you this, but I’m pretty sure Kay Faraday outranks even you in Trucy’s eyes,” Apollo says, rolling his eyes and sounding just a little bitter.

Klavier hides a laugh behind his hand, closing the door behind them once Apollo is inside. “Well, I guess that’s just more snacks for the two of us. Please, help yourself. Anything in the fridge as well.”

“Oh, uh, thanks. This wasn’t here last time we came by, right?” Apollo asks, eyeing the fridge somewhat suspiciously.

“Ja, I’ve had a bit more time to move in now. Between the amount of phone calls and the amount of vocal practice I do in here, it became necessary to keep all my favorites stocked.” What a strange topic. It reminds him of the way Apollo gets stuck on little details when he’s unsure how to respond to a testimony. Nervous, perhaps? “Regardless, I reiterate, what’s mine is yours. Care to tell me about your nefarious revenge plan?”

“It’s not a–” Apollo coughs around a mouthful of candy-coated almonds. “It’s not nefarious,” he amends, hunching up his shoulders and attempting to flatten his ridiculous, endearing spiked bangs.

“Oh, certainly not,” Klavier agrees. He grins and settles himself into his favorite chair, watching Apollo move around the office as he waits to hear more.

Apollo finally selects a beverage– plain water, exactly as expected– and leans his hip against the edge of Klavier’s desk. “So my thought is…” He pauses, face screwed up as if it hurts even to say, and then he blurts out all at once, “We ask them on a double date. While Kay’s in town and all.”

“We– what?” Klavier’s heart has stopped. It has stopped and he has ascended to some previously unknown state of delirium.

“A fake one, obviously. Geez. So we can, like. They’ll either have to fess up or play along. And we can…I bet we’d be way more convincing than they are. I mean, they came up with their idea on the spot, but we could hash out some details right now. We’d be ready for any questions they tried to ask to catch us out.”

“Goodness, who knew that forehead was hiding such a devious mind.” Klavier is honestly flabbergasted.

“It’s not that devious,” Apollo argues. “And when they slip up, we can use the time to talk with them about Shields. Make sure they’re feeling OK about working with him in the future.”

And there’s the kindness he’s come to expect. “All right,” Klavier agrees, sighing. “Might as well make yourself more comfortable. I imagine the crash course on Apollo Justice is no simpler than the one on Konrad Gavin,” he says with a wink.

“On who? You– wait, excuse me, you’re telling me you called yourself ‘piano’ on purpose?”

“I was fourteen!” he defends himself, laughing.

“You had basic reasoning skills!” Apollo insists.

“And a high affinity for sound with very little care for meaning,” Klavier concludes. “Anyway, that one is a matter of public record,” he adds, waving his hand. “It won’t get you very far with Ema. Please, sit. Or would you prefer my chair?”

“I’d rather stand,” Apollo says, still looking a little dazed from the new information he’s just learned. “Um, sitting makes me fidgety. Which Ema also knows.”

“Almost a shame she’s come to know us so well, ja? We might have to dig even deeper than you planned.”

“She can’t pay that much attention. OK…ugh, I can’t think of a single thing, actually.”

“Hm…what about…how long have you lived in the area?” A simple enough question, Klavier assumes, but it makes Apollo freeze.

“Uh, a little less than fifteen years.” He doesn’t offer anything about the time before that or any details about what brought him here. “You?”

“Off and on, about the same.” Best to keep it balanced and reciprocal, though Klavier would be happy to wax poetic about his childhood. “I was here a few years before the Gramarye trial, attending Themis and then living with Kris. I left after that trial to focus on my music, as you know, but I also spent lengths of time in several countries to study law there. Despite technically winning, I was…disheartened by the results of my first trial. I’d decided I needed much more time with practice rather than just theory. I made the acquaintance of one Franziska von Karma during my time in Germany, and it was she who convinced me to return as part of Edgeworth’s move to repair the justice system.”

Apollo nods, and Klavier’s ramble seems to help him pick up steam. “I basically always wanted to be a defense attorney,” he starts. “My, um…father figure was, and I looked up to him for a long time. But there was a little while when I wanted to be an astronaut instead,” he admits. “Clay Terran is my best friend’s name. He actually is one.”

The name sounds familiar. “He’ll be on the upcoming launch later this year, won’t he? I remember reading the press release.”

Apollo’s nose wrinkles, like he’s trying to keep from smiling. “You follow GYAXA news?”

“I follow all the news,” Klavier corrects, “and I do all the crosswords.”

“Of course you do,” Apollo mutters, rolling his eyes again. “Remind me how you have time for all that and two full-time jobs? I barely have time for one.”

“Oh, I’m hardly doing music full-time these days,” he says sadly, running a hand through the fraying ends of his hair. It’s time for a cut. Perhaps even a very dramatic one. “I am in the very early stages of planning for a solo album, but let’s keep that between us. The answer to your question, though, is…I’m a very terrible sleeper. I don’t apply this much makeup daily just for fun.”

“You wear makeup?” Apollo asks, and it’s both hilarious and flattering that it’s such a surprise to him.

“All that time in my dressing room last year and you didn’t piece that together?”

“It wasn’t that much time! And I thought it was from– I don’t know– groupies or whatever,” he concludes in a grumble, crossing his arms and looking away. “But. I don’t sleep well either.”

Klavier nods. Surely it would be rude to point out that the bags under Apollo’s eyes are obvious. “That’s when we make time to talk to one another,” Klavier decides, suddenly inspired.

“Huh?”

“Ema will know what our schedules are like and that it’s unusual for us to have free time. Perhaps we got to know each other because, one night when neither of us could sleep, I…no, you called me. To check on me, after everything.”

“I…I should have,” Apollo says, looking down again. “I thought about it. I didn’t want to overstep.”

“I would have welcomed it,” Klavier says. “I was…rather alone. But! Let’s say you did, for these purposes, and no bad feelings about what didn’t happen.”

“R-right,” Apollo says. “And it just became kind of a regular thing. But we haven’t had time for a real date, and we’re hoping the group setting will help us ease into it.”

His heart is going through some things, fluttering and pounding. Just knowing that Apollo had thought of him threatens to overwhelm him, equal parts joy at the notion and pain at the missed opportunity. “And we wouldn’t want to go with just anyone, so it’d be really nice to go while Kay’s in town.”

Apollo nods. “I think…do you think that’s enough? Since we’ll be saying it’s pretty new, it’s not like we need to have all the details about each other.”

“Almost enough,” Klavier says, “we should be prepared for them to expect a bit of…casual physical contact, at the very least?”

“Oh, right. Should we…we’re gonna have to practice that,” Apollo sighs, looking defeated. He takes a long swig of his water and stands up straight. “OK. Let’s get it over with.”

Klavier has to hide another laugh. “Is that any kind of attitude to have?”

“It’s the kind of attitude I always have,” Apollo points out. “Don’t you think Ema would think it was weird if I got all lovey-dovey?” he asks, cheeks turning pink at just the thought.

It’s a fair point, but… “If you want to convince them, you’ll have to stop being so stiff, at the very least,” Klavier says, getting to his feet and crossing the distance between them. He tilts his head, humming to himself as he tries to figure out where to start. “Let’s see. One thing everyone knows about me is that I love to dance.”

Apollo looks terrified. “I absolutely do not do that.”

“I know,” Klavier says, “and I absolutely do not take part in convoluted schemes to annoy my friends. I really am a simple man,” he reiterates. “Left to my own devices, I would have contacted Ema tonight to check on her and left it at that. Granted, she would either have ignored me or reminded me that she can take care of herself, but she also probably would have coincidentally had an extra bag of cinnamon Snackoos tomorrow.” The only flavor worth eating. She can keep her chocolate.

“Oh, so this is quid pro quo now, is it? You make an exception for me, I make one for you?”

“Sounds like an awfully flawed legal system,” Klavier tuts, grinning, but the look on Apollo’s face makes him pause. “If it makes you truly uncomfortable–”

“No, it’s– it’s fine. But why this? If we haven’t been on a date, we haven’t danced together.”

“True. But a man whose courtroom debut was a murder trial surely learns best by jumping in at the deep end.” Klavier winks at him again just because he likes the way Apollo reacts, somewhere between a derisive scoff and a genuine blush. The combination would not appeal on anyone else, but Apollo is, as always, an exception.

“Couldn’t I say the same about you?” Apollo asks, narrowing his eyes and finally setting down his bottle of water.

“There, you see? We have something in common. Now, step a little closer. We’re dancing with each other, not with my desk.”

Apollo rolls his shoulders, clearly tense and uneasy, but he steps forward. “There’s not even music.”

“I’ll hum us a waltz.”

“I don’t even know what that means,” Apollo says. “I don’t think you understand how little I know about– oh.” He stops talking abruptly when Klavier’s hands settle at his waist. His own arms remain held slightly bent, slightly away from his body, forcing distance between them.

“Hands on my shoulders. Relax your arms. You’ll still have plenty of control about the distance. Just feel it out.”

Apollo’s face is as red as his suit, but the look on his face now is all determination. His hands are warm where they slide to rest against Klavier’s back. It’s not quite where he’d expected Apollo to reach for him, but he’s not complaining.

“There you are. Now, you’ll find that I lied about the waltz,” he says, just to watch Apollo splutter. He directs his voice-activated speaker system to play an album he knows to have a consistent beat that might be Apollo’s speed. “No need to pick up your feet much. Just move with me, and relax if you can.”

“I can do it,” Apollo all but spits, at odds with the increased tension in his body.

“Of course you can,” Klavier encourages him. “So, since I have you here a little longer…what other information should we exchange, hm?”

“Dude, there’s no way I can talk and also focus on this.”

“Precisely. The less you’re thinking about it, the more natural it feels.” It already feels alarmingly natural to Klavier to be this close to Apollo. He’d like to move closer, to have Apollo’s head rest against his chest, wrap his arms around the man’s smaller frame…alas, it’s not to be. “And the less alarming it will be if I stand a little closer to you than normal when we’re with Ema and Kay, or if I put an arm around you or reach for your hand.”

“Right.” Apollo’s voice is low, full of some emotion Klavier can’t quite place. “Uh, I really don’t know what you should know. I’ve known Clay forever, and Trucy just drags stuff out of people. I don’t…really…make new friends.”

“Nonsense,” Klavier says. “Ema and I both consider you a friend. I hear through the grapevine that Pearl Fey has taken a shine to you. Detective Gumshoe is a particular fan.”

“Oh…really?” Apollo says, rocking back a little as if genuinely surprised. “Wait, why do you even know Pearls?”

“I don’t, but …well, there’s a lot of traffic involving Feys and Wrights in and out of this office, believe it or not.”

“Huh. Well, anyway, Pearls just likes that I like cleaning as much as she does. And that I didn’t laugh at her when she told us she wants to be a nurse.”

“That’s quite a noble dream. Why would anyone laugh?”

“Uh, I’m not too sure. Something about putting a vase back together, I guess? And I think Gumshoe just assumes that anyone who’s kind of mean to him is worth looking up to.”

Startled, Klavier lets out a sharp laugh. “Oh, don’t sell the man short. He simply knows competence when he sees it.”

Apollo is finally completely relaxed, moving easily as Klavier guides him. It’s just a gentle sway, but it’s nice, and he’s quite good at keeping a rhythm for someone so opposed to dancing. He isn’t even fazed when Klavier adjusts his grip a little lower, pulling him just a bit closer as they turn. “Well. Anyway. Oh, wait. Should I know about your knee?”

“My knee?” Klavier asks, blinking down at him.

“The right one. It hurts sometimes, I think?”

Of course he would notice. “Mm, just about always, actually. There are all sorts of things I should be doing to care for it, but…I’m afraid they don’t quite fit my image.”

“Well, first, if I were your…your boyfriend or whatever, I would hound you about that shit. But it’s your choice I guess. But also, um, is it from an injury or something? That I would know about if…”

“Not one I’m ready to talk about just yet,” he answers gently, cutting off the line of questioning. It’s nice to know Apollo would put in the effort to get him to take care of himself, even if it’s only a hypothetical. “Is that all right?”

“Course.” Apollo shrugs.

“Ah, here’s one,” Klavier says, jumping at the chance to change the subject. “You, my dearest Forehead, are going to have to call me something other than ‘Prosecutor Gavin’.”

“Ugh, I give up. Let’s scrap the whole plan, K- Klavier. Or– Klav?”

“Either is fine.” Either is wonderful. “So, shall I ask Ema, or should we approach her together?” They turn again, and Klavier dares to let one arm cradle his lower back as they do.

Apollo makes the tiniest of sounds somewhere in the back of his throat, but he stays at ease. “Might be overkill to go together, but I’m not sure she’ll believe I’m involved otherwise.”

That’s a fair point. It does sound like something Klavier might sigh at her about after a trial against Apollo: “I’m going to take that man to dinner, see if I don’t.” In fact, he’s quite sure he has said it before. Does Ema tell Apollo these things??

“I’ll see her in the morning and ask then. She’s likely to be doubtful…perhaps you can ask Kay, if she comes around?”

“Ah, yeah, she’s coming to consult with Trucy on lock picking techniques. I don’t really love that law enforcement is out there teaching young people to break into places without getting caught, but…I’m glad Trucy made a friend,” Apollo says, still sounding a little begrudging.

“Perfect,” Klavier says. “Let’s check in by lunch.” He steps back and lets Apollo go free. “And, Apollo, if you can’t sleep…”

Apollo scurries out the door. “Right, bye, goodnight, Prosecutor Gavin!”

Klavier sighs to himself as he cleans up all the uneaten food, noting that Apollo didn’t touch anything with chocolate on it. Something else they have in common. "It was worth a shot."

— — —

Ema is easy to find now that she's an actual forensic investigator. She still does fieldwork on occasion, but for the most part, she's planted in her lab, and that is where Klavier finds her the next morning.

"Oh no," she says, noticing him before he can greet her. "It's too early to deal with you. Go on, back upstairs. Your case is no more important than anyone else's, and a two-day turnaround is a two-day turnaround no matter how politely you ask the handwriting experts."

Klavier pouts at her. "You don't even know what I'm here to ask about!"

"All of you prosecutors are always here to ask about the same thing," she gripes. "The lab will call you about results as they're ready. I should really start counting how many times I say that in a week."

Poor Ema. As Klavier understands it, she'd anticipated that taking on more lab work would decrease the amount of time she had to spend in human interaction.

"Well," he persists, "I assure you, this is an entirely novel request." He frowns, unhappy with the absolute. "Probably."

Ema sighs. "Probably not. But I get the feeling you won't leave until you ask, so lay it on me."

"Well… do forgive me if I'm overstepping," Klavier begins, erring on the side of extensive buildup. "But yesterday, I couldn't help but overhear… it sounds like congratulations are in order?"

"What?" Ema asks blankly, squinting at him through her goggles as she begins to shift around some chemicals in her workspace.

Klavier fights to keep his face from falling. It would be no fun at all for her to give up the charade already. "You and Ms. Faraday, that is?"

"Oh! Geez, yeah, that's old news. We just hadn't seen Mr. Shields in a while, and… he can be kind of old-fashioned. Kay's wanted to tell him the last couple of times she visited, but…she looks up to him. I didn't want to risk him letting her down. Turned out fine, though." Ema is so completely intent on the task she's performing, which seems to involve rather more fire than Klavier remembers his Bunsen burners ever producing, that she doesn't even look up at him when he goes completely silent.

The thing is, he believes her. The story checks out and explains the rushed decision-making she and Kay had tried to coordinate.

He and Apollo have miscalculated, he realizes, and quite badly. He should back out now. He should take her silence as an opportunity to exit, and he should call Apollo before he can talk to Kay, and they can all just forget about this.

"Oh, but were you gonna ask something? Be warned, if it's a gross question, some bleach might accidentally spill itself on your jacket." Ema blinks up at him again, looking no more flustered or uncertain than before she'd explained the situation to him.

Klavier panics. "Er, well, just… after hearing that yesterday, Apollo and I wondered if you might perhaps be interested in a double date."

Now her eyes widen. "Wait, you guys finally got all that worked out? No way!"

All of what worked out? he wonders. Klavier doesn't say anything else, reluctant to dig himself any deeper. Apollo is already going to be mad at him.

"OK, because I'm very, very intrigued by that– and this is a one-time deal, you understand– I'll consult with Kay. But to be honest… we don't really get a lot of time together as it is. I can't imagine her saying no, because she thinks Apollo's hilarious for some reason, but I can't promise a yes. We did have dinner planned for tonight, but it's nothing too fancy…shouldn’t be a problem to add two more.” She narrows her eyes at him. “Wait, is the press gonna be all over us? Some of us like to keep a low profile."

That has to be the most Ema has ever spoken to him without insulting him. The sour feeling in the pit of his stomach is a reminder of why he avoids deceiving his friends. When she finds out he's lying –and she will find out eventually– it's going to hurt her.

"I'll be careful," Klavier promises. "Apollo isn't much for the spotlight either. It's one of the reasons we haven't really gone anywhere yet. It seemed easier to go under the facade of a group of friends, but… until now, there wasn't really much in the way of options."

"You haven't even taken him out yet? Man, I bet that's just been eating you up," Ema muses, sounding unaccountably thrilled about his perceived suffering. "OK. That's super respectful of you, and I appreciate that, so… I'll see what I can do."

"Excellent," Klavier says, giving the best of his show-stopping grin. "Ah, while I'm here," he adds, just to throw her off the scent, "any news about the note from the Adams case?"

"Leave, Gavin," she commands, eyes flashing.

He leaves, hurrying back to his office to call Apollo.

— — —

When he arrives, though, he sees that he already has a missed message from the attorney. He plays it back.

"Uh, hey. I think maybe we messed up? Kay said they've been together for like two years and Edgeworth corroborated? Also, he was here before I was, and he doesn't even work here. Anyway, uh, I also personally messed up, so call me back maybe."

Klavier stares at his phone's screen as if doing so will help him parse Apollo's chaotic message. Playing it back a second time doesn't make it much clearer, so he just calls, placing Apollo on speakerphone and setting his phone on the desk.

"Hey." Even given the circumstances, Klavier can't help but smile at the casual greeting.

"Good morning, Forehead. Did you want to tell me about your adventure? Or shall I tell you about mine?

"Why? What did you find out?"

He sighs. "Oh, much the same. Apparently, we are the ones who caught them in a vulnerable position, not Ray Shields."

"Yeah," Apollo sighs back. "Kay looked super shocked when I asked how long, and for a second I thought it was because she, like, didn't have a story planned? But apparently she was just trying to figure out how I knew. And, uh… that's where I messed up."

"Let me guess," Klavier drawls, undoing his hair just to have something to do with his hands. "You didn't have a backup plan, so now Kay thinks that we're interested in an actual double date."

"That sure would be a simple problem, wouldn't it?" Apollo asks, pitch so high he's practically chirping.

Klavier's brow furrows in confusion as he twists his hair up into a low bun. "What do you mean?"

"Just for one second, remember where I work and who I work with," Apollo all but begs him.

Then, quite suddenly, Klavier doesn't have to remember any of that, because Trucy's voice cuts in.

"Daddy, if Polly's taking personal calls at work, I'm practically obligated to eavesdrop, right?"

She's followed by a lower, dry voice that’s distant enough that Klavier has to strain to hear it.

"Leave him alone, Truce. I'm sure he has a good reason for hiding in the bathroom."

Klavier can't stop himself from laughing. "Are you hiding in the bathroom to talk to me? I'm insulted that you're so ashamed of knowing me."

"Ugh, shut up. I just didn't want them to overhear."

He stifles the rest of his laughter. "Apollo, darling, I don't know how to tell you this, but if I can hear them, they can hear you."

"I know," Apollo whines. "It was the best option I had. So anyway, the Wrights heard me asking about it," he continues, "and um. Edgeworth. Sorry."

"Luckily for me, my supervisor stays quite firmly out of my personal life."

"He started grumbling something about 'conflict of interest' before Mr. Wright laughed him right out of the building. But I still wouldn't be surprised if you get some kind of stern reminder about professional conduct." Apollo sounds so put out that Klavier immediately knows that Apollo has already received this stern reminder. From Edgeworth, of all people.

"Well, if it's any consolation, I also still asked Ema even after learning she and Kay are apparently serious. Which, again, is almost too strange for me to understand. Ema hates the unpredictable."

"Well, whatever they have going on, I guess it works. Uh– sorry, I have to go. Trucy's starting to slide notes under the door, and I don't have the energy for that this morning."

Finally content with his hair, Klavier laughs again. "All right, all right. Well, perhaps I'll see you tonight?"

"Uh, yeah, maybe. Bye." He hangs up, abrupt as always, leaving Klavier to wonder just what Apollo must have said to bypass the Wrights' collective lie detecting skills.

— — —

Prosecuting, Klavier is often reminded, is thankless work. Those being prosecuted range from indignant to terrified to violent in response, and those who stand to benefit from others being prosecuted invariably wonder why it didn’t all happen faster.

Today is one of those days filled with unhappy emails from defense lawyers and angry calls from individuals who, for one reason or another, believe they are being wronged. There isn’t even an active investigation for him to visit to break up the monotony, and it’s beginning to wear on him.

Thus Ema’s arrival shortly after lunch is particularly welcome, especially since she brings good news. “Hey. Kay’s in. 7:30 tonight at Bistro Bistro?”

“Good grief, what a name,” Klavier muses, crossing his arms and sitting back in his chair. This is as good an excuse as any to give his eyes a break from the screen he’s been staring at for five hours.

She shrugs. “Mr. Edgeworth recommended it. I guess he knows the guy who trained the pastry chefs or something? But he promised the food is good and not too fancy. Or expensive, not that you were worrying about that.”

He hadn’t been, but he’s sure it will be one of Apollo’s first questions. "That all sounds lovely. Thank you for allowing us to join you."

"Yeah, sure. But listen, I meant it. One-time deal. If you can't figure out how to date him without training wheels, you should cut him loose. One of the lab techs has had their eye on him for a while." She smirks, clearly waiting for a comeback.

Klavier can't come up with one. He hadn't let himself consider the fact that the day he and Apollo have to come clean is going to happen sooner rather than later. "I'll thank you not to give them any false hope," he says instead, frowning. "I don't intend to let go of him now that I’ve got him.” Foolish competitive instinct, always there to dig him deeper. Oh, Apollo is going to hate him.

“Well…good,” Ema says slowly. “You know, it took me a long time to believe you were serious about him. Or about anything.”

“I know. And look at us now!” Suddenly, he feels bad for laughing at Apollo’s cracking voice earlier. He must not sound much steadier himself.

Her eyes narrow. “Right. Well, we’d better see you tonight. Kay is excited to ‘spend time with my friends,’ whatever that means.”

“We’ll be there!” Klavier promises, waving a very pointed goodbye.

Ema backs away, glaring at him all the while, until the door falls shut.

He sends Apollo a text.

[1:47 PM]: 7:30 Bistro Bistro. I’ll pick you up.

Forehead <3[1:48 PM]: ???
Forehead <3[1:48 PM]: Not on that bike, you won’t???

[1:48 PM]: :(
[1:48 PM]: Fine. We’ll take my car.
[1:49 PM]: This time

Forehead <3[1:53 PM]: This time???

Klavier decides not to respond, smiling to himself as he gets back to work. Apollo’s response doesn’t automatically negate the possibility of a next time, and he’s going to allow himself the fleeting pleasure of believing that’s the same thing as implicitly agreeing to a next time.

Maybe he can, at the very least, artificially extend his increased communication with Apollo by relaying Ema’s message about the lab tech. Perhaps Apollo will want to keep up the farce to diminish their interest in him.

Except, of course, Apollo being uninterested in dating Klavier doesn’t mean he isn’t interested in dating other people. Reporting about the lab tech might mean that Apollo decides he has a real option, and Klavier will have to wallow in self-pity over being the one to make the connection. Refusing to tell him is just as bad, though, because Klavier is pretty sure he knows which tech this is, and they’re very nice. If Apollo happens to like them in return, shouldn’t he know about this?

What a terrible dilemma.

Regardless, they’ll get through tonight first.

— — —

After leaving the office, Klavier barely has time to get home, pull himself together, and get back on the road. He hates feeling rushed, especially when getting ready for something so important, and this is perhaps the most important thing he’s done in months.

Not that he’ll ever tell any of his clients that.

Oh, but all his rushing is worth it to arrive in time to see Apollo leaving his building, still adjusting the collar of a dark blue button-down. It’s tucked into black slacks that are somehow even more flattering than his usual courtroom wear. He looks uncomfortable as he lets himself into Klavier’s car, but that’s practically a default expression on him.

“I don’t need a tie, right? I don’t have a good one for this. I–”

“You’re perfect just as you are,” Klavier assures him, too honest in his haste to be encouraging. “I think you chose well for the location. Besides, it’s only us. Ema is going to judge you regardless, I believe you can do no wrong, and Kay seems like the type to have very few opinions on fashion.”

Apollo turns red as Klavier turns the car around. “Why do you always say stuff like that?” he asks.

“Like what?”

“Like that I’m…perfect, or whatever, or do no wrong.” He’s curled in tightly on himself, and Klavier wants to tell him not to ruin the lines of his shirt, but he’s too frozen to say it.

“Did, ah, did I say that? Silly me.”

“Klavier.” It’s only the second time Apollo has addressed him with his first name, and the sound of it is not helping him focus on the directions from his GPS.

“Because I mean them,” he says simply, turning his eyes firmly to the road. “Apollo, it cannot be a surprise to you that I– never mind. Let’s get through tonight.” He’s getting tired of the phrase already, weary with everything he’s pushed into the “deal with it later” folder.

Apollo goes quiet, messing with his cuffs. It’s strange to see his forearms covered, even just in the periphery. His bracelet is nowhere in sight, and Klavier finds that he misses it. “Thanks for picking me up,” he says after a few minutes.

“Of course. Any time.”

He itches to turn on music, or talk radio, or anything to fill the silence, but he knows that Apollo isn’t one for background noise. “Ah, I forgot to mention. I’m happy to pay tonight, though I’ve been told it’s not very expensive. I believe I left Ema under the impression that I’ve been very eager to treat you to a nice meal.”

“Funny. I told Kay I wanted to be the one to take you out because I know you’re usually expected to pay for stuff.”

“I suppose it won’t be that surprising for us to split it down the middle, then.”

“Or we can just pay for our own. People do that. Even if they’re dating. I think.”

“They do,” Klavier confirms. It doesn’t sit well with him, and he suspects Ema will put it under close inspection, but if it makes Apollo happy, he’ll let it go. This time.

He has to stop thinking about it that way. There’s only this time.

“Ah, here we are. Lucky you live nearby, given the way traffic gets.”

“Right,” Apollo says. When they park, he gets out of the car with just as much awkwardness as he’d shown climbing into it.

Klavier can’t let that stand. It will be a dead giveaway, for one thing, and for another, Apollo can’t possibly enjoy food in his current state. Once he’s locked the car, he makes his way around it to catch up with his friend. “I’m going to put my arm around your shoulders,” he warns him, and then he follows through.

Apollo straightens up for half a second, but Klavier feels him take a deep breath and then relax into it, slouching a little bit in Klavier’s direction.

“There we go. Well done,” Klavier says, squeezing a little. It’s not long before they reach the door, and before they have to fight about who will open it, Kay bounces their way, pushing it for them.

“You guys made it! Come on, we just got a table. Em’s getting settled there.”

“Lead the way, my dear lady.”

Kay grins widely at him and goes ahead, waving at Ema as if they hadn’t just parted. It’s cute, and Klavier feels newly awful for having doubted them.

Even more surprising, Ema waves back, a soft smile on her face that she hurries to hide when her gaze finds Klavier and Apollo.

“After you,” Klavier tells Apollo as the aisle narrows, releasing him with a brief press of a hand between his shoulder blades.

“Oh, so I can deal with her first? Nice,” Apollo gripes, and it sets Klavier oddly at ease for his usual grouchiness to have returned.

“She’s not going to be rude to you. Did you see her face? She’s happy. I think…happy for us, too.”

“Shit,” Apollo says. “That just made it way worse, thank you,” he murmurs, walking just far enough ahead of Klavier to pull out his chair for him.

Surprising, but a good move given their situation. Klavier takes his seat and smiles over at him, and when Apollo sits, they end up briefly grasping each other’s hands. Klavier couldn’t even begin to say who had reached out first, and he allows himself to believe it was a shared thought.

“It was so nice of you guys to want to join us! It’s hard to catch up with everyone when I’m out of town so much. I don’t get to meet a lot of Em’s friends.”

Ema makes a face. “You’re giving them way too much credit. They’re colleagues at best.”

“Uh-huh,” Kay says, clearly disbelieving. “Well then, as colleagues, this would be a good time to give me all the dirt!”

“The only dirt I associate with Ema Skye is contained in soil samples,” Klavier says, tipping a wink in Kay’s direction.

“Ugh,” Ema and Apollo say in conjunction.

The waiter comes to deliver water and menus, and Klavier is just gearing up to start a conversation with the one reasonable person at the table when Apollo cuts in.

“I thought you said this wasn’t expensive?” he asks, eyes wide.

“I said Mr. Edgeworth said it wasn’t expensi– oh my god,” Ema answers, bringing a hand to her mouth.

“What? What?” Kay asks, grabbing for her own menu and scanning it. “Oh…yikes. Uh, so, they don’t actually pay trainees that much?”

“Or first-year forensic techs.”

“Or defense attorneys.”

“Er,” Klavier says when all eyes turn to him. The prices look reasonable to him. Below expected, in fact, given the dress code. “I hesitate to ask where the three of you usually go to eat.”

“We don’t,” Ema says.

“Ramen and sandwiches!” Kay adds in support.

“Wait, you guys splurge on sandwiches?” Apollo asks, but he kicks Klavier gently under the table as if to reassure him. At least, he hopes that’s what it’s for. He feels reassured, somehow.

“So, this raises the question,” Klavier asks, looking around the table. “Will you all allow me to treat you, or are we moving ourselves to a convenience store?”

Apollo bristles next to him, probably unhappy with either option, but Ema and Kay look at each other.

Kay nods eagerly, pointing to something on the menu with significant fervor.

Ema pulls a face at her, but sighs eventually and turns to Klavier. “Fine. But I don’t owe you anything.”

“A one-time deal,” Klavier returns. “Consider it repayment for allowing us to join you. Please, order anything you like.”

Kay lets out a little squeal that makes even Apollo smile.

Ema smirks. “Oh, dude, you have no idea how much food you just bought.”

Klavier doesn’t mind. He especially doesn’t mind when Kay turns the whole experience into a family-style dinner, insisting on trying some of everything and passing plates around. They make quite the scene in the otherwise quiet restaurant, but the wait staff smile every time they pass. Besides that, Apollo seems more at ease with sharing than he had with ordering for himself, and Klavier files that away for later.

Eventually, as the evening wears on, even Kay slows to a stop, no longer able to shovel in food the way she had at the beginning.

“This was great,” Apollo says, surprising Klavier yet again. “If you want, we could, um. I mean, next time you’re in town, we could do it again?”

Ema and Kay turn to look at each other. Each of them looks equally disbelieving.

“Seriously?” Ema asks. “So you’re gonna try to keep this whole thing up for like eight months?”

“What thing?” Klavier asks automatically.

“Oh, come on,” Ema sighs, exasperated. “Look, you might have fooled me this morning if Apollo hadn’t been asking Kay all the same questions. But it just came across as weirdly desperate when I found out it was both of you.”

“And we were willing to play along,” Kay says, “because maybe we were wrong and you’re both just really awkward?”

“I mean, that part’s true,” Ema interrupts.

“But then tonight, you barely even talked to each other at all, and the few times you actually touched or looked at each other, it seemed really deliberate.”

“So the only question really left is…what’s your angle?” Ema asks, squinting.

“Why are you– hey, aren’t you supposed to be wearing your glasses?” Kay accuses.

Klavier smiles a little, thinking about the knee brace he’s supposed to be wearing and what it would be like for Apollo to remind him about it.

“Hey, you can’t smile your way out of trouble.” Ema is looking very hard at him. "I'm immune to your whole charm thing."

Apollo elbows him, so Klavier turns to look his way instead. They may not have as much practice with silent conversations as Kay and Ema, but the question on Apollo's face is obvious: what's the right thing to tell them?

It's a hard question. Deciding how much truth to mete out after the fact is one of the main reasons Klavier avoids lying in the first place. Well, that and the crushing guilt. "I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that two professional investigators found us out," Klavier sighs. "The truth is…"

"The truth is I was being an asshole," Apollo says frankly. "And I dragged Klavier into it for really bad reasons."

Well, if nothing else comes out of this disaster, Apollo seems to be consistently using his name.

"I'm gonna need a little more than that." Ema looks unimpressed, which Klavier figures is fair.

"When we overheard you speaking to Mr. Shields," Klavier begins, stopping to take a large gulp of water to soothe his nausea. It does not work. "We thought you were, ah lying to him."

"To get him to leave you alone," Apollo clarifies.

"And what I should have done was step in if I was concerned. I'm glad he's a friend of yours."

"What we actually did was gossip about it because we both thought you were lying. And then, um, I might have mentioned that Klavier and I would be way more believable if we were trying to convince people we were together."

"Which we obviously were not," Klavier concludes.

"Let me get this straight," Ema says, fixing Klavier with a look he had previously thought to be scrutiny but now suspects may simply be a byproduct of myopia. "You thought we were lying about being together as a quick exit because we were uncomfortable with Mr. Shields."

That’s bad enough, but then Kay follows up with, "And then decided to try to beat us at a game we weren't even playing?"

"I know. It was shitty. I'm sorry. To be fair, Klav wanted to check in with you but I convinced him this would be funnier. And yes, it sounds worse when I say the whole thing out loud." Apollo does look sorry, as well as embarrassed.

It's kind of Apollo to try to take the responsibility for it all, but it's inaccurate. "No, I'm sorry as well. Thinking about doing something isn't the same as doing it. I should have listened to my instincts."

Ema mutters something under her breath that makes Kay snort and giggle, but he can't hear any of her hushed words through the pounding in his ears.

"OK, but…none of that explains why you kept it up after you found out what was really going on," Kay points out.

Klavier had really been hoping neither of them would bring that up. "I panicked," he says.

"Panicked," Apollo echoes, nodding.

"Useless," Ema huffs, shaking her head. "OK. You," she says, rudely pointing her fork at Klavier, "are off the hook since you're buying dinner. Make better choices next time."

He nods solemnly, feeling as though he's been granted reprieve from on high.

"But you," she continues, turning her fork on Apollo. "Outside. Now."

"Ooh, fight! Fight!" Kay cheers, which does not instill Klavier with any good feelings. He has no doubt that, scrappy though he may be, Apollo would not win against Ema in any fair contest.

"Um?" Apollo asks, but he gets up anyway and goes out the door as she directs, shooting a terrified look at Klavier on his way.

That leaves him with Kay, which is a less daunting prospect until he notices that she's put on a rather serious face. "Ema might be mad that I said this, but… she really cares about you."

"I know." That's the worst part. It took them so long to build, and he's afraid to see what will be left.

"She was… really excited for you this morning. You and Apollo."

"Oh…truly?"

"Mmhm. Something about… it's not her business, but you guys keep making it her business?" Kay produces the words slowly and carefully, like she's pulling them from memory.

"A– ah. I see." He doesn't see. Or… perhaps he does. Ema has certainly seen him in the depths of his attempts to get Apollo's attention. What, he finds himself wondering, has she seen from Apollo?

"Oh! They're coming back." Kay winks at him and then sits back in her chair, pretending at a demure pose.

"Not buying it," Ema whispers as she reclaims her seat, but she looks amused.

Apollo, when he sits beside Klavier once more, is red-faced all over again.

"All right?" Klavier murmurs, leaning toward him slightly.

Apollo nods stiffly, then jerks as if someone has kicked him beneath the table, which, judging by Ema’s pointed expression, is exactly what has happened. "Kinda… ready to go home."

"I'm sure." Klavier is too. His chest still hurts despite evidence in favor of Ema forgiving him. He's also quite full and sleepy, though he doubts he'll rest well.

He flags down their server to accept the bill and stuffs perhaps an abundance of cash into the sleeve, leaving it flat at the corner of the table. "We'll take our leave, then. Thank you for indulging us, ladies. I'm sorry again to have cut into your time like this."

Klavier stands and waits behind his chair for Apollo to take the cue and wave his awkward goodbyes. "Was she very angry?" he asks quietly as they exit the building.

"Just, um, disappointed."

"Ah, always worse." He unlocks and opens Apollo's door for him, shutting it from outside when he's sure Apollo's clear, and he takes the briefest of moments just to stand there with his hand on the door, wondering how different the mood might be if they had done this at all properly.

They didn't, though, and the mood remains heavy as they drive in silence to Apollo's apartment. It's an even shorter route on the way back, and all too soon, they arrive.

"Thanks for the ride," Apollo says, sounding hoarse and hollow. "I'll, um, I'll see you around."

"Soon," Klavier amends. "We'll see each other soon. Sleep well, Forehead," he says, and for just a moment, there's a flash of something bright in Apollo's tired eyes.

— — —

Klavier's phone rings about two hours later.

"Apollo? Is everything all right?"

Apollo clears his throat and says, "I just wanted to call and check on you. After everything."

Klavier thinks for a wild moment that he must be dreaming. "Oh. Well, to tell you the truth, I don't think I'm going to get much sleep tonight.” He hesitates. “Perhaps your voice might keep me company for a while?"

He hesitates, and Klavier wonders if he's misinterpreted again. He must have. After that awful display at dinner, there's no way Apollo could be genuinely be interested in–

"It's not too late?"Apollo asks finally. "To… do it the right way?"

Klavier practically melts into his favorite chair. "I think, my dearest Herr Forehead, it might be exactly the right time."