Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Klav Gav: You need a vacation.

The text was simple, to the point, and incredibly confusing. Apollo stared at his for a long moment, reading and rereading the message in hopes it would clear itself up.

A.J : Are you offering?

He sent back, turning back to his paperwork. He'd been processing some documents with the latest string of cases he'd taken on before the text had come in, and was trying not to let it be a welcome distraction.

The response came almost immediately.

Klav Gav : Ja, if you're alright w/ it.

Apollo sighed, turning the screen of his phone off and setting it aside for the time being. He couldn't quite allow himself the break just yet. He was missing a rather important document and absolutely needed to find it before he let himself get caught up in a conversation.

He had been living in Khura'in for almost two years now, and things were finally starting to settle down some. A few months after he'd officially moved – he'd had to return to L.A for several things, most importantly his cat – he'd gotten his first message from Klavier. Before then, they'd only really texted for work purposes, with the occasional offer for coffee or dinner thrown in from Klavier's side.

After that first message, things had just sort of spiralled. Eventually, they'd fallen into something of a routine; they'd each say good morning when they woke up, text throughout their respective days, and argue about going to bed until they threatened to block each other to make the other sleep. Sometimes on weekends they'd video chat if Apollo had the time as well, though Trucy and Clay tended to claim most of his weekend free time.

Another ping from his phone pulled Apollo out of his work once more.

Klav Gav : Sorry if that was too forward.

A.J : No, it wasn't. Honestly, I could use a vacation, but there's still a ton of work to be done. Idk when I'll get the chance.

He hit send, and a few seconds after the little indicator said it was read, his screen lit up with a phone call. With a sigh, he answered, putting Klavier on speaker.

“Isn't it like two in the morning for you?” he asked, not bothering with a proper greeting.

“That's beside the point,” Klavier laughed. “You haven't been the only lawyer in Khura'in for months now, Forehead. You can take a vacation whenever. It won't completely collapse without you.”

“I know, I know,” Apollo said, still digging through his papers, trying to hunt down that missing document for reference. “Honestly, I was planning to move back to L.A next year. It'll give me time to help teach another batch of new lawyers, find a new place, and generally get my shit together for it.”

A beat of silence. “You're planning on coming back next year?” he asked, and Apollo didn't need Athena's sense of hearing to pick up on how hopeful he sounded.

“Excited to see me in person again?” Apollo teased.

“Obviously,” Klavier replied easily. “Is it a permanent move back?”

Apollo ignored the way his heart stuttered at the ease with which Klavier admitted his excitement. “I'm hoping so?” he said. “As much as I love Khura'in, I miss being a nobody, and having my friends in the same city as me. Hell, having everyone in the same time zone would be a blessing and a half at this rate.”

“Ach, Herr Forehead, do you not have any friends there in Khura'in?”

“Okay, as a response to that: how many non-work friends did you have at the height of the Gavinner's days?”

“... Fair point! Still, you've at least got Herr Monk, ja?”

Apollo nodded before remembering that Klavier couldn't see him. “Yeah, I've got Yuty and Rayfa. Same with Datz and some of the old Defiant Dragons. Coworkers at the firm, too, I guess,” he said. “No one like Clay, you, and the rest of the clown show called the Wright Anything Agency, though.”

“We're friends?” Klavier asked, sounding surprised.

“I would hope so? I don't exactly text just anyone everyday, let alone do video calls at ridiculous hours of the night,” he said. “Correct me if I'm wrong, though.”

“Nein, nein,” Klavier said. “I've considered you a friend for some time, I just wasn't sure if you also viewed me that way. I'm glad to hear it.”

“Of course,” he said. “But, yeah. I miss having people around that... I can talk on more personal levels with. I have a good handful of people I consider acquaintances, and a few I even consider family, but it's not really the same, y'know?”

“That makes sense,” Klavier said. A moment of silence seemed to stretch out as Apollo continued halfheartedly shuffling through papers. “So the vacation would be... after you move back?”

Caught by surprise, Apollo let out a laugh. “Yeah, I guess it would be. I want to take it earlier, but it'll be easier to take a couple of months off after moving. I've got enough saved up that rent won't be a major worry for me – oh shit ,” he said, a realization hitting him like a truck.

“Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, I'm fine. Just... I've got enough saved up that I could easily afford the down payment on a cheap house? Fucking wild,” he said, finally fishing out the document he needed. “Maybe I'll buy a house or something. Stay with Clay or something until I find something I like.”

“If it's a place to stay you'll need in the interim, I've got a spare room and lots of storage space,” Klavier offered with a light laugh. “That is pretty exciting, though. How adult does it feel?”

“A lot adult. A lot,” he admitted. “Mind if I call you back later, though? You need to get to sleep – and don't deny it, I can hear it in your voice that you're close to passing out – and I have work to catch up on.”

Klavier hummed, a muffled yawn coming through a moment later. “Ja, that sounds good. I'll text you when I wake up, like usual.”

“Then I'll wait an hour to call you after that,” Apollo said, picking his phone up and turning the screen back on. “I know you well enough to know not to call you before that time frame is up. You need way too much coffee to function in the mornings, I swear.”

“Ja, ja, criticisms from you on caffeine intake are going to be firmly ignored,” Klavier yawned. “You drink more than I do.”

“I've been trying to fix an entire country's legal system. Sue me for needing coffee to do that,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Seriously, get to bed. You're about to pass out while on the phone, and you bitched so hard last time you did that.”

“Goodnight, Herr Forehead. I'll chat with you again in the morning,” Klavier said.

“Goodnight, Klavier. Sleep before I text Clay to go make you sleep,” Apollo said. He listened to the hum of a final goodnight from Klavier before the line went dead, the prosecutor on the other end hanging up hopefully to actually sleep.

Apollo stared down at the phone in his hand for a long moment. “ A vacation, huh? ” he thought.

Setting down the document he'd located, he unlocked his phone, opening up the first real estate website he could think of, and began to browse.

As it turned out, he did not have enough to put a down payment on a house in L.A, especially not anywhere near the areas he needed to have relatively easy access to. He did, however, have enough to cover several months of rent on a semi-decent apartment right near the old Agency. He'd sent Clay over to check it out while on video call with him, and, while a touch confused about the middleman, the landlord answered all the questions Apollo asked over the call. He'd agreed on a date to meet, and had booked his flight shortly after getting off the call. A few months later Apollo found himself finishing up packing his belongings, getting ready to fly back to L.A.

“You know, you don't have to fly coach, right?” Nahyuta asked, tapping their finger against Apollo's final bags. “We're more than happy to pay for a private flight at a more reasonable hour.”

“I know, Yuty, but I really don't mind this. I already paid for the ticket anyways, so I can't exactly go back on it,” Apollo explained, cradling Mikeko in his arms and trying to soothe him before he was put into his carrier. “I already feel weird enough having had the rest of my stuff shipped out on Her Benevolence's bill... even if she did insist on it.”

“I understand. Still, a flight where you'll be arriving that early is rather...” they grimaced, looking around the empty apartment.

“Yeah,” Apollo sighed. “But I'll look on the bright side here. At least when I get to L.A I won't be dealing with the worst of the traffic.”

“You'll be getting there when, again?”

“... About four in the morning. Not Ideal, but I can sleep in the car.”

It was Nahyuta's turn to sigh. “You're at least taking time off before starting to work again, yes?” they asked.

“Yeah, a few weeks at least. Probably a couple of months, though,” he said, carefully lowering Mikeko into his carrier. The poor cat let out a sad mewl as he was clicked into the plastic crate, immediately sticking his paw through the metal grate in the front.

“Have you thought more about opening your own firm back in L.A?”

“Yeah, I have,” Apollo admitted. “I don't know. I-I like carrying on Dhurke's work, and I know that Datz and the others will handle the office here just fine with me gone, but I don't know if I'm going to open up an L.A branch or whatever. Honestly, I was thinking of just going back to work for the Wright Anything Agency again, at least to start.”

“Really? I thought you and Wright weren't on the best of terms, though,” Nahyuta said, picking up one of Apollo's bags to bring to the car.

Apollo shrugged with a grimace. “It's complicated. I'm mad at him, still, but I know that he wasn't the only one to make the choice to keep information about my mother quiet. I-I'm honestly more mad at her for that one,” he explained. “We've had a few chances to talk things out some – thank the holy mother for Trucy for that, actually. For the most part we're... decent. We're able to work in the same room together, probably.”

Nahyuta nodded. “Trucy... She really is incredible, isn't she?” they said. “I still feel rather bad about how I treated her when I first met her. How I treated both of you, honestly.”

“Yuty, the past is the past. We've both forgiven you, so you don't have to worry about it anymore,” Apollo said, hauling Mikeko's carrier up after tossing his backpack over his shoulder. “Not to use your own old saying against you here, but let it go and move on.”

They scoffed, opening the door and letting Apollo out of the apartment first. “Don't quote me to me like that. It's weird.”

“What's weird is being hung up on being a dick, like, four years ago even after making up for it several times over,” he replied.

Their bickering continued all the way to the car that would bring Apollo to the airport. Khura'in still didn't have many cars, the city streets largely too busy for them to be navigated safely, but in the few years Apollo had been living there, a small highway had been constructed, specifically for airport travel. It had been Ahlbi's idea, something about making it easier for tourists to get to and from the main city, and Nahyuta had backed it. It still didn't have much traffic, but the public view of it had been largely positive, so it was maintained fairly well despite it's minimal use.

Once his bags were loaded up, though, they fell silent, an awkwardness falling over them.

“This isn't goodbye,” Apollo said firmly after watching Nahyuta fiddle with their prayer beads for a few moments. “I'll still visit, and you still work internationally, so we will see each other again. This isn't goodbye.”

“It sounds more like you're reassuring yourself than me right now,” they said, unable to stop their voice from shaking.

“... I might be,” he admitted, wiping at his eyes. Damn it, he had hoped that he wouldn't start crying over this.

Without a word, Nahyuta pulled Apollo into a hug, resting their chin on the top of his head. He returned the hug, wrapping his arms around Nahyuta's waist as he pressed his face into their chest. “I'm going to miss it here,” he said, words muffled.

“I know,” Nahyuta said. “I'm going to miss having you here.”

“... Do you think you're going to stay here for much longer?” he asked.

They hesitated. “I don't know. I – I don't want to just leave. Khura'in has been home for my entire life. Leaving it permanently would hurt a lot, but... I don't know. Rayfa wants me to stay at the palace still, even though I'm no longer the acting regent,” they explained, “but it's hard. There's not very many good memories I have of my time in the palace. It's convenient for work, yes, and that is a very large part of why I still am considering staying there, but I don't think I like it that much.”

Apollo pulled back from the hug, holding onto Nahyuta's forearms as he put a bit of space between them. “Why don't you take over my apartment?” he offered. “You can more than afford it, and it's not somewhere with the baggage of the palace. You probably have a few decent memories of it as well.”

“I... never thought of that, actually. I may do that,” they said, giving him a watery smile. “I'll keep you updated. I may or may not leave, but I will visit before you start work again. Perhaps I'll also take a vacation of sorts.”

He smiled up at them, pulling them into one more short hug. “I'll see you then,” he said, arms wrapped around their shoulders.

“Of course. You keep me updated as well,” they said, pulling back and shooing him towards the car. “Now get going or you're going to miss your flight.”

Rolling his eyes, Apollo nodded. “Got it. I'll text you when I land.”

“Good. I probably won't respond, but I'll wait until I get that text to go to sleep.”

“I'll see you later, then,” Apollo said, getting into the back seat of the car with Mikeko.

“See you later, Apollo.”

He waved out the window at them as the car began to pull away down the street, heading off to the highway. He watched them in the back window until the car turned a corner, cutting them off from view, and then pulled out his phone.

A.J : Just got into the car to the airport.

Barely a second passed before the message was read, and the typing bubble appeared on his screen.

Klav Gav : Twelve hours until you land in L.A!

Klav Gav : How are you feeling?

A.J : Not great, if I'm being completely honest. I don't think Yuty's doing all that great either.

Klav Gav : :( I'm sorry to hear that. It's not a permanent goodbye, though, right?

A.J : No, it's not. Thank fuck for that. Still, it's weird, y'know?

Klav Gav : Ja, I know. I know it's not quite the same, but I did have a similar experience when moving from Germany to L.A. My parents stayed behind, while Kristoph and I... Well. While we came here.

Apollo raised an eyebrow at that. Klavier didn't talk much about Kristoph – never had, if he was being completely honest about it – so seeing his ex-boss' name dropped so casually into the conversation was a bit of a surprise. He supposed the years of separation were making it just a bit easier to talk about it. Not to mention the... definitely conflicted emotions of Kristoph's execution from the last year were likely beginning to fade some. Maybe his therapist had suggested he try talking about him to make it easier or something.

A.J : Yeah, it's weird to leave family behind. Though... I guess it's not my first time doing that, either.

Klav Gav : Herr Forehead, you're sleep deprived right now. Don't go beating yourself up for choosing to stay four years ago. Especially not when you're coming back now.

A.J : Ur right, I suppose. We're almost at the airport. I'll text you when I get to the first layover?

Klav Gav : I look forward to it. Stay safe!

A.J : I have no say in the matter.

Apollo turned his screen off, tucking his phone into his jacket pocket as the car pulled up to the front of the airport. He thanked the driver, climbing out of the car before putting his backpack on and grabbing Mikeko. The driver popped the trunk of the car for him, and he grabbed his suitcase, settling Mikeko's carrier on the top of it as he wheeled it in behind him.

Security was a breeze to pass through, largely because of his status as technically an honorary member of the royal family, though definitely partly due to just how dead the airport was at the time of morning it was. He was through the queue in record time, passing a crying and confused Mikeko to a stewardess for safe transport. She cooed at the pathetic cat, reaching a finger through the bars of the front of the carrier to stroke at his forehead, and Apollo let himself relax a bit.

The wait until boarding was a bit of a blur. He messed around on his phone a bit, texting Clay and Trucy to let them know he was likely to be on the first plane soon, played some solitaire, and wasted a bit of time checking out the currently-closed restaurants. By the time his flight was called for boarding, he'd managed to work himself up, down, and back up again, and the airport was beginning to fill.

He settled in his seat – a window seat, unfortunately for his fear of heights – and waited until the usual safety demonstration was complete to put his headphones in. He let his eyes slip closed, fighting back nausea when they started takeoff.

By the time they landed in Greece for their first layover, Apollo was downright miserable. He texted Klavier, Nahyuta, Clay, and Trucy that he'd survived the first leg of his trip, before immediately hunting down an open restaurant to get something to eat at.

The second leg of the trip was no better. Neither was the final. Somehow, on all three flights, he'd managed to get stuck in a window seat. Needless to say, by the time he stumbled off the plane in L.A, he was feeling more than shaken up. He picked up Mikeko first, cooing at him tiredly and offering him some food through the bars. Next, he made his way over to the luggage carousel, shooting Klavier a text that he'd landed and was just waiting to pick up his suitcase. While waiting he also sent Nahyuta a text, confirming he'd landed in L.A safely, if not exhausted.

“Herr Forehead!” a voice called out over the thrum of the early-morning crowd, and Apollo turned to look for the guaranteed source of it.

Just as he'd known, Klavier was there, making his way through the crowd, two coffees in hand. The bit he hadn't expected was Clay to be there in tow, looking tired but excited.

The second they spotted each other, Clay and Apollo were pushing through the crowd to get to each other. Apollo all but collapsed into his friend's arms once he reached him, everything he felt bubbling up and fizzling out in a matter of seconds, leaving him even more tired than he'd been a moment ago. He clung to Clay like a lifeline, shaking as he laughed through the tears that steadily streamed down his face.

While he'd known Clay was alive, it had been quite some time since he'd seen him like that.

When Apollo had left for Khura'in, Clay had been in a very deep coma, with the doctors telling him and Clay's father that it wasn't likely that he would be waking up any time soon – if ever. However, Clay was never one to follow the odds, and just over two years after the incident that had landed him in that coma in the first place, he'd woken up. Apollo had been living in Khura'in for several months at that point, and when he'd gotten a text from Clay that was just a hospital selfie and the words “I lived, bitch,” he didn't know what to do. He'd called Clay instantly, his friend's father answering the phone in his stead.

“You bitch,” Clay said, voice thick with his own tears. “You fucked off across the world on me while I was dead!”

“To be fair, I did think you were dead,” Apollo laughed, half-collapsed to the floor as Clay supported most of his weight. “Good fucking god, Clay, don't scare me like that again.”

“I won't. I promise,” Clay said, trying to urge him to stand up properly. “Come on, don't just abandon your cat like that. Let's go get him as well as the rest of your stuff.”

Apollo nodded, wiping his eyes on his sleeve as he did his best to stand up properly. Once standing again, he turned to Klavier, who had, apparently, grabbed Apollo's cat while he'd been sobbing over his friend. He'd stayed back a couple of feet, likely trying to respect the privacy of their reunion, but was watching with a teary smile himself.

“Well? Are you not going to join in on this?” Apollo asked, still half-hugging Clay.

Klavier looked surprised, caught off guard for just a moment before he set the coffees down on the top of Mikeko's carrier and stepped over to the pair. The next thing Apollo knew, he was being wrapped in a hug from both of them, caught in the middle of his two irritatingly tall friends.

“I've missed you guys,” he said, relaxing into the hug.

“I've missed you, too,” Klavier said, while Clay just pressed his face into Apollo's unstyled hair.

“As much as I'm enjoying this, I want to sleep,” he said, trying to squeeze out from between the pair. “You two can bother me after I've slept for a few hours.”

“Got it. Want help with your stuff?” Clay asked, letting him go and going to grab his suitcase off of the carousel.

“Please and thank you,” Apollo said, following him and grabbing Mikeko's carrier. Klavier grabbed the coffees and followed close behind. “Where are you two parked anyways?”

“So, we're going to wait with your stuff while Klav here goes and brings the car around, because we did not manage to get a spot near enough to the entrance to just walk there,” Clay said. “At least not when you look about two seconds from passing out. Dude, did you not sleep on the plane at all? Any of them?”

Apollo shook his head. “I don't do well with flights, especially not with the window seat,” he said. “Which, I'll have you both know, I had on all three flights.”

“Ach, I'd give anything for that luck. I usually get stuck with the middle seat, typically with someone who enjoys kicking behind me,” Klavier griped. He passed off one of the coffees to Apollo as they stopped at the curb where the drop offs and pick-ups were held. “You wait here, I'll be back shortly. That's yours, by the way. Figured you'd need it.”

Apollo immediately took a sip, breathing in the smell of the shitty, overpriced airport coffee. “Thanks. This'll keep me awake long enough to get to my apartment and collapse onto my mattress, at least.”

Klavier laughed, and left without another word. Apollo and Clay watched him jog away, off to find where he'd parked before.

“So, Klavier Gavin, huh?” Clay said after a moment.

“What about him?”

“Of all the guys to get a crush on, you of course wound up with one on that guy.”

Apollo nearly choked on his coffee. “I what ?” he asked, turning to stare at his friend with wide eyes.

Clay blinked down at him, eyebrows raised. “Wait, so you're saying you're not secretly crushing on him?” he asked.

“Not – not that I'm aware of?” Apollo stuttered out. The pitying look he got at that was enough to make him feel the bruise on his dignity. “Listen,” he said, “I don't know if I do or not. We're decent friends, and I've been enjoying that. Even if I did have a crush on him – which I likely do not – I don't think I'd act on it. I care more about having his support as my friend than any potential relationship that could come from it. He's been solid; I don't want that to change based on potential throwaway feelings.”

“I guess I can't argue with that too much,” Clay admitted. “But still, how'd you land yourself a friendship with a guy like that?”

“What do you even mean by that?” Apollo asked, taking another sip of his coffee.

“I mean, have you seen him? He's drop-dead gorgeous, he's funny, he can sing, and from what I've heard, he's a half decent lawyer, as well,” Clay listed off. “He's like... the entire package. How'd you land someone like that following you around everywhere? You're the human embodiment of those little desk cacti.”

“What?”

“Y'know? The little round ones that weird people have on their desks? You're like one of those but as a person.”

“That's not what I was asking for clarification on, but alright,” Apollo said, squinting at Clay incredulously. “I was asking for clarification on everything else you just opened your mouth to say.”

Clay shrugged. “He seems to want to follow you around like a lost puppy, and you just got back,” he said. “I don't know. He just seems to really like being around you. He was crying when we hugged, you know that right?”

“I thought I saw him getting misty-eyed there,” he muttered. At a normal volume, he continued, “He doesn't, though. Follow me around like that, I mean. Hell, until I left we barely talked outside of work-related conversations.”

“Really?”

Apollo nodded. “Yeah, it's weird, actually. I don't know what it was that actually kick-started it, but a bit after I moved to Khura'in, we started talking more,” he explained. “I think it just felt... safer to talk with the distance between us. There was a lot we needed to unpack, and without the risk of awkwardly running into each other at Starbucks or something while working it out, we were actually able to do it. Not that I'm complaining or anything. He's been a pretty solid constant in my life since we worked things out.”

“Oh, right, you two had a pretty messy first few cases together, didn't you?” he asked.

“Yeah, they were pretty rough all around. Honestly, I thought he hated me for them for a while,” Apollo said. “Obviously I don't think that now. I know that he didn't, actually.”

“Yeah, you mentioned that a while back, if I remember that right. Glad that it got cleared up, though. He's pretty cool.”

Apollo snorted. “If you've got a crush on him, you can just say so, dweeb,” he said, lightly elbowing Clay in the side. They both knew that that was completely out of the question, and it had become a joke back in high school for them to tease each other over things like this whenever the topic came up.

Clay didn't bother responding; he just laughed, tossing an arm over Apollo's shoulders and pulling him in for a side-hug. Apollo leaned into the touch, looping an arm around Clay's waist to pull him closer as well. It had been a while since he'd gotten to do this, and he was going to take every second of it in. Neither of them spoke while they continued to wait for Klavier to come get them, both just soaking in the companionship.

When Klavier pulled up, he popped the trunk, taking Apollo's suitcase and carry-on and loading them in. Mikeko, of course, stayed with him in the back seat of the car as he climbed in and buckled up.

“Is it alright to let him out of the carrier?” Apollo asked. “He behaves while in cars. Usually he just climbs onto my lap.”

“Ja, ja, that's alright! He's probably hungry as well, right?” Klavier asked, adjusting his mirrors while he waited for traffic to lighten up so they could pull out of the pick-up area.

“Oh, almost definitely. I fed him a bit earlier, but he's going to be pitifully crying for food when I let him out at home,” he said, unlatching the front bars of the carrier and opening it up.

Cautiously, Mikeko poked his nose out, sniffing the air of the strange vehicle with wide eyes and a twitching tail. Noticing that it was safe, he climbed out, chirping loudly as he climbed onto Apollo's lap.

“Glad to be able to stretch your legs some more, hey, Mik?” Apollo asked, scratching at the fat calico's chin. “Missed me while travelling?”

Mikeko just purred, loud enough that it drowned out the soft radio that Klavier had turned on as they got onto the main road.

“He's an affectionate one, isn't he?” Klavier asked, glancing at them in the rear-view mirror.

“Just with 'Pollo. He's neutral to me, unfortunately. I wish he liked me enough to lay on me,” Clay pouted. “Hey Mik-mik! Remember me?” he said, turning around in his seat and making kissy noises to try and get Mikeko's attention.

Mikeko, for his part, did chirp at him in response, though he didn't make a move to sniff Clay's outstretched hand.

“He does! 'Pollo your cat actually replied this time!”

Apollo laughed, shaking his head at his friend's antics. “You're bound and determined to get Mik to love you, aren't you?”

“He does love me, he just isn't comfortable showing it yet!”

Klavier said something in response to that, but Apollo had stopped paying attention. Between the soft purring of Mikeko on his lap, the steady movement of the car, and whatever banter the two in the front had gotten into, Apollo was feeling more relaxed than he had in months. He let his eyes slip closed, fingers buried in Mikeko's soft fur as he sleepily scratched at the back of his head and shoulders.

Apollo wasn't sure when he'd fully dozed off, but he awoke when a hand gently shook his shoulder.

“Hey, we're here,” Klavier said, gently shaking him once more to make sure he was awake. “Are you going to be able to make it up to your apartment like this?”

“Mmh... Yeah, I'll be fine,” Apollo mumbled, blinking his eyes open. “Where's Mik?” he asked, noticing that neither cat nor carrier were in the back seat with him.

“Herr Terran brought him and your luggage up ahead of time,” he said, offering Apollo a hand to steady himself as he got out of the car, standing up. “I don't trust you to stand on your own right now.”

“Pro'lly smart,” he said. “I don't really trust myself to not fall into a wall right now.”

“In that case, let me help you up to your new apartment,” Klavier said, closing the car door behind Apollo and linking their arms together. “Let's get you up there so you can pass out properly for a few hours.”

Apollo just nodded, leaning onto Klavier as they made their way out of the parking garage and into the main building. He barely paid attention to where they were going, opting to spend his limited focus on not falling over as they stepped into the elevator. Klavier pressed the button for the fourth floor, and the doors shut. Apollo closed his eyes as the short, slightly shuddering trip upwards made his stomach flip, only opening them again once they were out of the elevator. He wasn't as bad as Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth with them, but he was all too aware of the space below the floor that stretched out, and it made him just a touch dizzy.

His apartment door was shut when they reached it, and Apollo briefly remembered that, yes, Clay did have a key to his apartment, and he didn't just break in. Or, at least he hoped he didn't just break in. He knew that Clay had been hanging out with Kay quite a bit while he'd been in Khura'in, and wasn't sure how that transferred over to breaking into Apollo's home.

When he opened the door, he expected to be greeted by piles of boxes, a disassembled couch, and a kitchen in need of stocking. What he hadn't expected was seeing his apartment already set up for him, not a cardboard box in sight.

The couch and table were put together, sitting tucked in his living room, facing a TV stand he did not remember having before, complete with a small TV sitting on it. The kitchen was tidy, and Clay was digging through what seemed to be fully stocked cupboards, searching for something to eat for breakfast. His pictures were hung on the walls, rugs laid out, and Mikeko's things were already set up, the fat cat happily eating from his dish as his owner looked around, dumbstruck.

“We invited a few people over to help us set up for you,” Klavier explained, closing the door behind them as Apollo stepped in in a daze. “We figured you'd be tired after a flight that long, and wouldn't want to have to deal with unpacking and setting everything up while also dealing with jet lag.”

“I handled your room and bathroom,” Clay called, words muffled slightly by the granola bar he'd dug out from somewhere. “Trucy and Athena handled the living room and office, and Klavier here handled the kitchen setup. We also got you a few things as housewarming presents.”

“I... What?” Apollo asked, voice coming out a lot weaker than usual.

“Welcome home, Apollo,” Klavier said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You should probably get some rest before trying to process all of that.”

“Y-yeah... I...” he said, sniffling. Damn it, he was crying again, wasn't he? “Thanks, you two. And – and everyone else, but I'll tell them that when I see them.”

“Bitte, it was nothing.” Klavier gently pushed him forward, trying to urge him further into the apartment. “You go rest. We'll let the others know once you're awake, if you want?”

Apollo nodded, wiping his eyes. “Yeah, that's fine. If you guys want to stay here while I'm out I don't mind, but don't feel like you have to,” he said. “Clay, hang on to the spare key for now, too.”

“You got it, 'Pollo,” Clay said, leaning over the counter with a grin. “Want me to give you a tour of your place later?”

“Maybe? I can probably figure it out,” Apollo said, finally kicking his shoes off and stepping into his living room. “I do need you to show me where my stuff is, though, since you were the one who set it all up.”

“'Course! Come on, I'll show you where everything is in your room,” he said, pushing off the counter with way too much enthusiasm for someone awake at not even five in the morning. Apollo followed, trying very hard not to trip over himself. He almost managed, but Clay had to stop and wait for him as he fell into the wall at one point.

He made it to the door to his room without fully falling over, though, and gestured for Clay to open it. His friend was practically vibrating as he tossed the door open, stepping in with a flourish. He spun in a slow circle in the middle of the room, arms outstretched, and Apollo took the cue to look around.

It was perfect.

That was really the only way he could describe it. His bed was tucked into one corner, string lights hanging on the wall above it, lit and shifting through various hues as they glowed. Against the opposite wall was a small writing desk, ready for his laptop to be set up on it for whatever personal nonsense he planned on getting up to, and his dresser. Checking one of the drawers, Apollo noted that all the clothes he'd shipped back were already sorted and put away for him as well. Thick, dark curtains covered the window opposite the door, leaving the room largely darkened. The closet doors were shut, and the mirrors squeaky clean, reflecting the dim lights back at him. To top it all off, his bookshelves were set up as well, personal novels and boxes of games sorted meticulously. The only things out of place were his still-packed luggage from his flight, set up next to the door waiting for him.

Clay had really outdone himself on this.

“I know, I know,” Clay said, noticing the way Apollo turned to look at him, mouth agape. “I did great. It's perfect. The lights also have a remote to set the colours, which is in the drawer of your bedside table. The lamp is plugged in, there's an outlet for your phone charger, and I put a water bottle on it as well for you, because I know you.”

“You really didn't have to do this,” Apollo said, crying again . God, was that all today would be? “I mean, seriously. This is so much, Clay.”

Clay softened a bit, stepping forward and pulling Apollo into a hug. “Maybe not, but I wanted to. You were pretty emotional when we talked over the weekend, 'Pollo. I knew you wouldn't be in any state to set your shit up when you got back,” he said. “I wanted to make this a bit easier for you. I know you miss Nahyuta and what you just left in Khura'in, and I didn't want you to come home to boxes and an empty house. You deserved to come home .”

“Please tell me that the TV and stand are thrifted at least,” he muttered, pressing his face into Clay's shoulder. “Please tell me you guys didn't go out and buy a brand new TV for me.”

“God, no. Klavier wanted to, but the rest of us bullied him out of it. There's still a few housewarming presents to give you, by the way. I wanted us to set everything up before you got back, but Trucy and that lot all wanted to give you them in person,” he said. “The string lights are a gift from yours truly, and Klavier set some stuff up in your office for you as well. I wasn't allowed to see what the fuck he did in there after Trucy and Athena had set it up, so I have no idea what it is he did.”

Apollo pulled back and raised his eyebrows at that, lifting up his wrist with his bracelet on it. It was squeezing just slightly, and Clay laughed when his eyes fell upon it.

“I forgot you had that still,” he admitted. “Okay, so I know what it is. I wasn't able to stop him, though, so don't blame me for it.”

The bracelet loosened, and Apollo let his hand fall back to his side. “I don't know why that fills me with as much dread as it does, but it does,” he said.

“It's 'cause you're tired and anxious on the best of days. Mix jet lag and new-home-anxiety, and you're going to find everything a bit ominous,” Clay said. “Now, your pyjamas are in the bottom left drawer of the dresser, just like how you'd set it up. Get changed, get some sleep, and once you're rested up, we can figure out what to do for dinner. The others all want to see you today, but I've already warned them that you're probably not going to be willing to see anyone until later this evening at the earliest.”

Apollo nodded, swaying slightly as Clay pat his shoulder. “I'll let you know when I wake up, if you're not here when I do?”

“Oh, I'll be here. You need someone to show you where Klavier put everything in your kitchen. You're probably going to completely reorganize it once you're feeling more like a person, but until then, you should know where everything is,” he said, stepping back and towards the door. “I'll be around, and if I'm not here, I'll probably have just run to the store or something and won't be gone long.”

“Got it,” Apollo said, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it over the back of his desk chair. “And Clay?”

“Yeah, 'Pollo?”

“Thanks. Seriously.”

Clay grinned at him, soft and familiar. “No problem, man. I'll let you get some rest now.”

And with that, Clay left, shutting the door behind him, leaving Apollo alone in his new room. Apollo didn't waste much time getting ready for bed. He tugged his shirt off, dropping it on the floor beside his bed for now, and his pants followed suit. He didn't even bother picking out proper pyjamas, just throwing on a pair of comfortable boxers and climbing into bed. He shut off the lights hanging above him using the remote Clay had mentioned, and promptly fell asleep.

When Apollo woke up, he had no idea what time it was. His room was dark, though he wasn't sure if that was just because of the black-out curtains, or the time. He felt around his bedside table for the lamp and switched it on, blinking in the sudden bright light. He'd forgotten to plug his phone in before he'd gone down for his... nap? Was it a nap if it lasted as long as it had? Either way, he'd forgotten to plug his phone in, and was surprised to see it still had charge when he pulled it from his coat pocket.

There were a few text messages waiting for him when he opened it. One from Nahyuta, wishing him a good rest and promising to text later when they had time to chat properly, a couple from Clay letting him know when he'd gone out and come back, and several from various other friends of his.

He replied to Nahyuta's, saying he was awake for now, and would be able to talk more once he'd gotten a full night of sleep. The rest he simply read, knowing that he'd be seeing most of them soon enough. He did send Trucy a thumbs up emoji, though, to answer her question of if he was alive.

Fishing out his charger from his carry on bag, he plugged it in behind his nightstand, plugging his phone in to let it charge properly. Despite it still having just under forty percent charge, he didn't want to risk it. It wasn't exactly a new model, and the battery had been steadily getting worse over the last year or so.

Phone charging, Apollo decided he may as well put some clothes on and see what Clay had done to his apartment while he'd been sleeping. He grabbed one of the thicker sweatshirts from his closet – thank god Clay knew to hang those up – and whatever the softest pair of pyjama pants he could get his hands on were, and threw them on. Apparently, he hadn't bothered to take his socks off when he was getting ready to sleep earlier, a fact that normally would bother him, but that he couldn't bring himself to mind in the moment. Saved him from having to dirty another pair, he supposed.

Padding out of his room, Apollo rubbed the sleep from his eyes. As he made his way down the short hallway, he heard a quiet conversation from the main area of his apartment. Clay was still there, apparently, and so was Klavier, as well, if he was right on whose voices they were.

When he came into view, the conversation lulled as they noticed him.

“Well if it isn't sleeping beauty himself,” Clay said. “Welcome to the waking world; how are you feeling?”

“Like I need coffee,” Apollo grumbled, making a bee-line for the kitchen cupboards before remembering he had no idea where anything was in this apartment. “Where is it, anyways?”

“Got a fresh one here, actually,” Clay said, tapping at the counter. Apollo looked, and, sure enough, there was a cup of what appeared to be Starbucks waiting for him on the counter.

“Is it still hot?” he asked, going to pick it up. The cup warmed his hands, though it didn't burn them. Probably bought about twenty minutes ago if he were to take a guess. He took a sip, holding the cup close.

“I was going to say yes, but I guess I took too long to answer,” Klavier teased, and – hold on.

“Why are you sitting on my counter?” Apollo asked, looking up at him.

Klavier was tall normally, and the few inches added by the counter he was seated on just made the smug little smirk he gave all the more infuriating. “It's comfortable,” he said, shrugging. His own coffee cup sat next to him on the counter, and for a brief, petty moment, Apollo considered stealing it from him as a tall person tax.

He didn't, though, and took a sip from his own cup instead, like a normal person.

“You hungry?” Clay asked, scrolling through his phone. “We've got a few options for food this evening, so just say the word and one of them can come through for us.”

“What are the options?” Apollo asked in return, deciding to poke around in his cupboards. May as well learn where everything is, he figured.

“First one is Eldoon's with the rest of the clown show, though I'm not sure if you're up for that yet. Second option is ordering pizza,” he listed off, “and the third is we just make something here.”

Apollo thought about it for a minute, grabbing a box of crackers from his cupboard and opening it up. “I don't mind the clown show, but I don't think my body can handle Eldoon's this soon after coming back,” he said through a mouthful of cracker. “Maybe we can invite them over here or something?”

“Oh, good idea, actually,” Clay said, switching apps and starting to type something in on his phone. “I'll let them know to come by in... an hour? Is that enough time?”

He shrugged. “Depends on what we're doing for food, but I'll be able to pretend that I'm a person and not anxiety and jet lag manifested by then, yeah.”

“Good enough for me! If the food isn't ready by then, they can wait.”

All throughout Apollo and Clay's discussion, Klavier watched them without a word. “I don't think I've seen you so candid before, Herr Forehead,” he joked, sipping at his coffee.

“Oh, uh,” Apollo started, putting the crackers away and rubbing at his head. “Yeah, it sort of comes with the territory that Clay occupies,” he said. “I mean, he's more family than anything else by this point, so I'm not worried about putting my foot in my mouth with him, really.”

“And you are with others?” Klavier asked.

He nodded. “Yeah. More so with friends than strangers, actually,” he admitted. “I worry a lot about scaring people off, y'know?”

A few beats of silence passed, with Clay and Klavier both looking at him with raised eyebrows.

“... Exactly like that, actually!” he said. “I'm blaming this one on jet lag, and not thinking too much harder about it.”

“Ach, no, it's nothing like that,” Klavier said. “I just was surprised, is all. I'm not used to you being so open about yourself, so I was taken aback by it.”

“Again, I'm blaming this on the jet lag,” Apollo said, sipping at his coffee again. “What time is it anyways? Despite everything you lot did for me in setting this place up, you couldn't bother to set the time on the stove or microwave.”

Clay swiped down on his phone. “About six? Almost six. Ten-too.”

Apollo choked. “I slept for how long ?”

“You needed it, man. Not like we were going to bother you about it.”

“Right. I... am going to go get dressed so I can pretend I feel like a functioning person,” Apollo said, turning and walking out of the kitchen.

Back in his room, he flicked on the light switch. The ceiling light lit up, and his room was washed in signature cheap apartment lighting. Wasting no time, Apollo went and dug through his drawers. Jeans, check; t-shirt, check; something for layering, check. Looking in the mirror, he rolled up his sleeves to just below the elbow and took a deep breath. He was fine. He was fine . There was totally nothing nerve-wracking about finally seeing Klavier in person after one of the most stressful travel experiences he'd ever had, and he was managing to be a normal person. Totally.

God, he was fucked.

Truthfully, he knew that the thing stressing him out most was seeing Trucy after four years in Khura'in. They'd been both thrilled and pissed when they'd found out Wright had kept information about Thalassa from them – not at each other, of course, but apparently hell hath no fury like a pair of Gramarye siblings teamed up. Wright had gotten the silent treatment from Trucy for a week , and neither of them spoke to Thalassa for a couple of months after. Of course, they had come around, but neither were exactly thrilled with the pair that had kept this from them.

That evening would be the first time he'd be seeing Trucy since they'd gotten the news, though, and, yeah, he was pretty nervous! He'd already seen her as a little sister of sorts after their first trial together, if he were to be completely honest, but it was... different now. Somehow.

Really, he still wasn't sure how he was going to react to seeing Wright again.

He put those thoughts out of his head for the time being, though, and went to join his friends back in his kitchen. When he got there, Clay was rifling through his fridge, muttering some nonsense about how cooking was bullshit magic, while Klavier insisted that it really wasn't that complicated.

“What are you two bickering about this time?” Apollo asked, leaning over Clay to see what they'd stocked his fridge with.

“He's claiming cooking is complicated alchemy that is impossible to get right,” Klavier said with a huff. He crossed his arms, leaning back against the counter he'd finally hopped off of. “He's wrong, of course, and learning how to cook isn't actually that hard. Finding simple recipes and definitions of cooking terms is as easy as using the internet.”

“Okay Mr. Rockstar, you cook dinner for a party of, like, ten, then,” Clay said, standing up and nearly knocking his head into Apollo's chin. “Whoops, sorry 'Pollo.”

“It's fine, just kill me in my own home why don't you,” he teased, holding the fridge door open to get a better look now that he wasn't standing over the astronaut. “And Klavier's right. It's not like it's rocket science.”

A beat of silence.

“That's kind of the point!?” Clay yelled, gesturing wildly. “I can do rocket science! I'm a fucking astronaut! You don't really need to know how to sautée a fucking onion in space!”

“I'll take you up on that challenge, actually,” Klavier said. “There's easy dishes for large groups, and I happen to know one.”

“Salad doesn't count,” Clay quipped.

Klavier scoffed, flipping his hair out of his face. “I'm not that lazy,” he said. “I was thinking something like stir fry. I'm pretty sure everything we need is here; it's just a matter of preparing it and then cooking it.”

“I've got a wok, if that helps,” Apollo added, reaching into the fridge to grab some veggies from the bottom drawers. “I think you're supposed to use a wok for stir fry, at least. We do in Khura'in.”

“Yes, a wok is the main thing used when cooking stir fry,” Klavier confirmed. “Unless you have a flat-top grill, at least. I find those work best. You can also use just a regular frying pan.”

“So it doesn't actually matter what you use to cook stir fry in, is what you're saying,” Clay said. “Just as long as it's being fried and stirred on a cook top of some kind.”

“... Ja, I suppose that's accurate.”

“Well what all do you need other than veggies,” Apollo said, dropping the bags of vegetables on the countertop and looking at Klavier.

“You tell me. I was thinking we could do a Khura'inese stir fry,” he said.

“Not happening.”

Klavier tilted his head curiously. “Why not?”

“Because I can guarantee you that we do not have what's needed for that. Also, I think it would kill half of the group coming over.” Apollo explained. “It's a spicy dish, normally, and I think Clay is the only other person I know that could handle it.”

“You only say that because I eat hot peppers,” Clay retorted. “I don't think I'd survive your pain dish.”

“Is it really that hot?”

“How's this: go find me some ghost peppers and I'll let you decide that for yourself.”

“... No, I think I'm good, actually.”

Apollo snorted as he started opening drawers and cupboards in search of his knives and a cutting board. “Let's just go with something simple, shall we?” he said. “You go find whatever else you need in my cupboards that you stocked for some reason, and I'll start cutting up the veggies.”

“Will do,” Klavier said, tossing open one of the lower cupboards to reveal the hiding place of the cutting boards, followed by the drawer directly above it. “You were searching for these, I assume?”

He grabbed the items needed, closing both the cupboard and drawer without a word. He would figure out where everything was. Reorganizing was way too much work, and if everything was already sorted, he just had to learn the new sorting method. He was not reorganizing his whole kitchen.

The third time he failed to find the salt, he was reconsidering that vow.

“Where the fuck did you put my salt and pepper shakers?” he asked, shooting a glare over his shoulder at Klavier. The blond was busy at the stove, whipping together a meal that smelled, if he was being honest, unfairly good.

“Over the stove, here. You use them a lot while cooking, ja?” he asked, returning the over-the-shoulder glare with a crooked grin. “I figured spices go best over the place where they're used most.”

Okay, so, that made sense, unfortunately. “I hate that you organized this in a way that makes sense to other people,” he muttered, walking over to get the shakers that Klavier pulled out for him.

“How did you organize your kitchen before?” Klavier asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Badly!” Clay called out from the living room. He'd already taken it upon himself to break out the paper plates, setting them and various disposable utensils out on the counter for people to use to serve themselves.

“How bad is badly?”

“Okay, back before I left for Khura'in, I really didn't have any sort of organization system, and survived mostly off of cheap ready to eat meals, microwave meals, and instant ramen,” Apollo explained. “ However , the last four years... really changed that? At least the last two years did. First two years I was literally just too busy to cook most days, and when I wasn't I was too tired to. I had this decent sized pantry that was mostly filled with herbs, spices, various oils, and some pre-made shelf stable sauces I could use, though, and the last couple years I got a ton of use out of it. Left most of it with Yuty, though, since I didn't want to risk anything breaking or going bad during transit.”

Klavier seemed surprised when Apollo looked over at him. “What, is that so weird for me to do?” he asked, setting the salt and pepper down over with the plates and utensils.

“Nein, not at all. I guess I'm just a bit surprised that you... enjoy cooking, I suppose?” Klavier said, shaking his head as he tossed the stir fry around in the wok again. “I don't know why, but you've never seemed like the kind of person who likes to cook all that much.”

Apollo shrugged. “I'm not, actually,” he said. “I can cook, yeah, but I really find it's not worth the effort a lot of the time. I just don't... I don't know. It's annoying, but I figure if I have to, I may as well do it in a way that the payoff is halfway decent.”

“That makes sense,” he said. “Personally I love cooking. I like seeing dishes come together as a result of my effort. I also like seeing other people enjoy the things I cook. Speaking of: both of you, taste test?”

Clay practically vaulted off the couch when he heard that, and Apollo stepped aside to let his friend steal the first test bite. He stole a piece of meat with some chopsticks, and shoved it into his mouth without even letting it cool.

“Hot, hot, hot!” he said, fanning at his mouth frantically. “Don' do tha'!”

“Wasn't planning on it, Einstein,” Apollo laughed, snagging a piece of meat for himself. He blew on it a bit, letting it cool before trying it. “This is really good,” he said, covering his mouth as he ate. “What all did you use?”

Klavier smiled, turning away from him to stir at the food in the pan again. “I'll write it down for you later,” he said. Apollo didn't miss the slight flush on Klavier's cheeks as he said that, nor just how pleased he sounded. Still, he didn't have any time to address it, though, as a knock came at his apartment door.

“I'll get it!” Clay said, hurrying over to answer the knock. Curious and excited, Apollo followed, breaking out in a grin when he saw who had arrived.

Standing in the doorway were Trucy and her two fathers, the men looking far more awkward than their excitable daughter.

“Polly!” Trucy shrieked, shoving past Clay to nearly tackle Apollo in a hug.

He caught her, spinning her around to keep her momentum going before setting her down with a grin that he knew matched hers. “Long time no see, Truce,” he said. “You're taller now, that doesn't feel fair.”

“I am! You didn't grow at all!” she laughed, holding onto his hands as she stepped back. “It smells great in here; what did you make?”

“Well, I didn't make anything. I helped prep it, but Klavier's the one who's been doing the actual cooking,” he said, letting go of her hands as she went to investigate the kitchen. Turning to face Wright and Edgeworth, he nodded. “You two seem to be doing well.”

“Look at you,” Wright said, gesturing at him. “Got off a flight this morning and you're not dead to the world still. Impressive.”

“Thanks?”

“Here,” Edgeworth said, handing Apollo a bag. “A housewarming gift. There's three things in there, one from each of us. We hope you like them.”

Apollo took the bag with another nod. “Thanks. I'll be opening things later, after dinner,” he said. “Come in, though, join the party. Just take off your shoes first.” He stepped aside, bringing the bag over to the living room and setting it down beside the couch. He didn't join the others in the kitchen, opting to take a moment to breathe before the rest of the group started trickling in.

As usual, he wasn't sure what to make of Wright. He wasn't intimidated by him anymore – he hadn't been since the case against Ga'ran, if he were being honest – but he was still tricky to read. Edgeworth still intimidated him a bit, though. It was weird, considering he'd been working with Khura'in's heads of state for the last four years, but Edgeworth's presence still felt strangely grave.

Well, it was a bit less grave seeing him in a sweater vest and jeans, but still.

It wasn't long before there was another knock at the door, and Apollo signalled to Clay that he'd get it this time.

“Apollo, hey! You look great,” Athena said, going in for a hug the moment the door was opened. “Where should I put the housewarming gift?”

“With the other one, next to the couch,” he said. “Thanks for helping set the place up, by the way. It really took a lot of the stress off when I got home and realized there weren't two dozen boxes to unpack before I could relax.”

“It's no worries, honestly! Simon, get in here!” she said, yelling the second part to the still open door that Simon Blackquill stood in.

“Justice-dono,” he said, nodding. “I'm glad to see you're well.”

“Thanks, Prosecutor Blackquill. You as well,” Apollo said, waving him in. “You don't look as tired as the last time I saw you.”

“Yes, well, proper sleep and medication will do that for you,” he said, grinning slightly.

“Mikeko is in my room right now. Want me to get him for you to see?” he offered.

“... Perhaps later. I believe it may be too loud for a cat like him right now.”

Apollo shrugged. “Up to you. If you want to see him at all, just let me know and I can find him for you,” he said.

A few minutes later, Apollo was pulled from the conversation he'd fallen into with Athena by yet another knock at the door. With only a few people remaining, he was a bit more nervous to go and answer it this time. When opening the door only revealed Kay and Ema, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Wow, that was certainly a response to seeing us,” Ema teased, handing him a large box. Kay followed up by placing a smaller one on top of it, effectively blocking his view.

“Well, it was either you two or my mother, and I'm not actually sure if I'm ready to have that meeting tonight,” he admitted, leading the pair of women into his rather full apartment. “Dinner should be ready by now. I think we're just...” he trailed off as he felt his phone buzz in his pocket.

“In quite the high demand today, aren't you?” Kay asked, elbowing him lightly as he set the boxes down and pulled his phone out.

“I guess that's what happens when you get back after fucking off across the world for four years,” he retorted. “Do you two know if Sebastian was supposed to be joining, or is this a text I should let Clay read?”

Kay shook her head. “Sebby is busy tonight, as far as I'm aware. Has a big case coming up that he's excited to prove himself with,” she said. “Also, where is my bastard astronaut?”

Apollo heard Clay gasp from where he was in the kitchen. “Is that my bastard Great Thief?” he called out, earning a laugh from a few members of the party.

“Get over here !” she called, throwing her arms open in anticipation of Clay's greeting hug. “It's been too long since I've seen you, all locked up in that space centre of yours!”

As expected, Clay nearly bowled her over, picking her up and spinning her around a few times before setting her back down next to Ema. “Says you! You're a private investigator now, and you haven't bothered to come by even once !” he said, putting his hands on his hips.

“Hey, if there's anyone you pair of morons should be mad at, it'd be Apollo for fucking off across the planet and leaving your Trio short one short-stack,” Ema said, leaning on Kay's shoulder.

“H-hey! Don't turn them on me!” Apollo yelped.

The housewarming party was a glowing success, if Apollo were to say so himself. There had somehow been enough food for the lot of them, and Klavier garnered many praises for the dish. The housewarming gifts he'd been given were pretty great, as well. Most of it was practical, yet somehow there was just enough weirdness that it all felt genuine, rather than bought purely for the functionality of it.

A new single-serve coffee maker, a whiteboard for his office that came with a bunch of magnets and markers, more lights to put up and set to fun colours... he definitely had some redecorating to do. However, for some reason or another, Trucy had insisted he wait to open the bag that her family had brought over, so it still sat next to the couch while they cleaned up.

Trucy, Wright, and Edgeworth all had offered to stay and help tidy up as best as they could, citing that it would go a lot faster if there were six pairs of hands rather than just three. Apollo was going to argue that three pairs of hands would be just fine, but a look from Trucy shut his mouth pretty fast.

The only thing he could say that wasn't ideal – or maybe it was; he didn't even know how he felt about it still – was the text he'd received earlier in the celebrations.

It had been a text from his and Trucy's mother, Thalassa, stating that she wouldn't be able to make it to the party. She said she was glad that he'd arrived safely, wished she could be there, all of that, even said she had a gift for him once they had a chance to meet up. When Apollo had handed his phone to Clay to read, he'd been anxious. When Clay just looked up at him and shook his head... he wasn't sure what he'd felt.

He knew he wasn't exactly ready to talk properly with his mother, face to face, but he was still disappointed that she couldn't make it. Or, at least, that she claimed she couldn't make it. He didn't know if that was the truth, or if she was putting off the awkwardness that was inevitable as well.

That weird mix of disappointment and relief hung over him as he washed the pan, scrubbing at the bottom where some of the sauce had cooked onto the metal.

“Everything alright?” Wright asked, leaning on the counter beside him.

“I think so?” he said, checking the pan to make sure it was clean. Still a bit stuck on. He scrubbed at it again. “I had fun, that's for sure. It was great being able to see everyone face to face again.”

Wright hummed. “Yeah, I imagine. It's good having you back, Apollo,” he said. “Do you know if you'll be coming to work for the Agency, or are you looking towards opening up your own firm?”

Wok finally clean, Apollo turned off the sink, squeezing the sponge out and setting it next to the soap bottle before placing the wok in the drying rack. “If you don't mind it, I was thinking about going back to the agency,” he said. “I'll be taking a few weeks – up to a couple months, actually – to get readjusted to L.A, but once that's done... Would you be alright with that?”

“Would I be alright with that?” Wright asked, raising an eyebrow. “Apollo, it'd be great to have you back. I'm not just saying that because of the publicity it'd give us, either. You were a part of the Agency before, and it's been weird not having you around the last few years. We got used to it, sure, but it wasn't the same.”

“I'm not the same as I was before, you know,” he said.

“None of us are,” Wright said with a shrug. “It'd still be good having you back.”

Apollo nodded, turning around and leaning back against his counter, arms crossed in front of his chest. The two stood there in silence for a few moments before Wright spoke up again.

“You're still mad at me,” he said, simply.

“Obviously. I'm not... pissed like I was before, but I'd be lying through my teeth if I said I wasn't still upset that the two of you kept that from us,” he said.

“I noticed she didn't show tonight. Did she tell you?”

Apollo shook his head. “Not why, no. Said she wouldn't be able to make it for whatever reason, but didn't explain why. Just said that we should schedule something to meet up sometime in the next couple weeks.”

“... Do you plan on doing that?”

“I dunno. Some time, yeah, but... Honestly, I wasn't even sure if I wanted her to show up tonight or not,” he admitted. “It's weird. I want to get to know her better, but also...”

“You're almost thirty and the thought of only having a mom now just feels like a cruel joke?” Wright offered.

“Exactly. I don't know what it's like to have a mom, and it feels too late to learn.”

Wright stretched, and Apollo winced at the sounds that his back made. “Yeah, that makes sense,” he said. “I don't think it's too late to learn, though. Lots of people don't meet their parents until later in life, especially if they're adopted. Hell, even some people who've had parents all their life don't really learn who their parents are until they're in their thirties or even forties. It's normal.”

Apollo just nodded, letting the conversation fade out.

“Polly! You gotta open this now, alright?” Trucy called out from the living room. She'd taken over his couch, sprawling over it and messing up the throw blanket covering it as she scrolled on her phone. When she called to him, she waved over her head at the bag sitting at the end of the couch – the housewarming gifts from the Wright-Edgeworth household.

With a groan, he pushed off the counter, going over to sit on the floor next to the couch.

“You could just ask me to move, you know,” she said, laughing at him.

“Yeah, but also I'm gay and the floor is comfortable,” he said, pulling the bag over in front of him.

“There's three things in there, as a heads up,” Wright said, tapping Trucy's knee to get her to sit up so he and Edgeworth could sit with her. “Check the wrapped one last.”

Apollo nodded, quickly undoing the tape holding the top of the bag shut. “Oh, wow,” he said, reaching in and pulling out a smallish box. “This is a really nice calligraphy set. You do know I don't know how to do calligraphy, right?”

“I figured you didn't, but take a closer look at it,” Edgeworth said, nodding at it.

Doing as he was asked, Apollo felt a small lump form in his throat. “It's a Khura'inese one,” he muttered, flipping the box over and reading over the characters on the back of the box. “Did you import this?”

“I probably could have, but no. I found it at an art store, actually. I figured you would enjoy the familiarity of having one around, even if you don't get much use out of it,” he explained. “I remember that you had one on your desk in Trucy's video calls with you, but never could remember if you actually used it or not.”

“I didn't really, not much. Yuty tried to teach me how to use it but I was never any good at it,” he said. “My Khura'inese writing has always been kinda shit, though. Maybe I'll figure it out in order to send stuff to them, though. Thank you so much for this, really.”

Edgeworth smiled and nodded. “It's nothing, really. I'm glad you like it.”

The next item Apollo pulled out of the box was a smaller bag. Opening it, Apollo raised his eyebrows. “This is decent wine,” he said. “And is that... a set of linens padding it?”

“Yeah. I figured something fun and something functional would be welcome,” Wright said. “The linen set is hypoallergenic as well.”

“I will definitely be changing my bed sheets this week to these,” he said, picking the wine bottle up and setting it aside in order to feel the fabric. “They're soft too...”

“I had to help him pick that one out,” Trucy laughed. “He didn't know if patterned or plain would be better, so I told him to just go with a simple pattern as a compromise.”

“I still don't think that's a compromise, but alright,” Wright said, nudging her. “I figured I couldn't go wrong with red, either, so...”

“No, they're great! Like I said I'm definitely going to be using these. You may have just given me my new favourite sheets,” Apollo laughed, setting the wine – that apparently had apple accents according to the label – and sheets aside. “So, this wrapped one is the last thing.”

“Mhm! That one's from me,” Trucy said.

Apollo glanced up at her, noticing the way she was fiddling with her hat in her lap. She was nervous for some reason. Weird. The reaction made him all the more curious as to whatever it was that was wrapped up, and he was a bit surprised at the weight of the package when he lifted it out of the bag.

“Heavy...” he muttered, carefully pulling at the edges of the paper.

He nearly dropped it when he got the cover unveiled.

“Is this a scrapbook?” he breathed out, tearing back the rest of the paper and tossing it aside. Opening it up, he got his answer.

Photos of Trucy's shows, of Clay's reinstatement at GYAXA, and so many other events he'd been told about but couldn't make it to filled the pages alongside short hand-written paragraphs about each one. The Agency getting a new, official sign. Klavier's debut as a soloist. Edgeworth's award for King of Prosecutors. Wright and Athena's major wins. Each event was perfectly documented with so much care, photos slotted in and stuck down with appropriate stickers. Notes taped down with colourful tape. It was incredible.

When Apollo reached the second half of the book, he choked up.

There were photos he hadn't known existed in there. Photos of his father – of Jove – and his mother together. Wedding photos, Jove's performances, even Thalassa's performances as Lamiroir. He flipped through them slowly, almost reverently, as he took in the information about his birth parents with wide eyes. He was crying, he knew that much, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

At the last few pages, there was a large group photo stuck in on one page, with the others covered in short notes to Apollo from the rest of their friend group. Most of them were short, congratulating him and wishing him well, but some were longer. Kay's was shockingly sincere, stamped with her Yatagarasu stamp she'd made a while back, and was about how much his friendship meant to her. Clay's was a bit long as well, and detailed how proud he was of Apollo for his accomplishments. Wright's and Edgeworth's, too. Everyone's notes were there, and he read each one. The only one he was confused over was Klavier's, which was actually a folded letter, with a sticky note taped to it that said Read After Vacation . It did get a laugh out of him though.

Wiping his eyes, he shut the book and looked up at Trucy. She was tense, looking equal parts hopeful and afraid as he stared at her.

“Do you like it?” she asked timidly. “It's technically a group effort, but I was the one who put it all together. Well, me and mom were. She... she was the one who offered everything in the second part of it, actually. Said she thought you deserved to have it.”

“Truce, I...” he said. The words caught in his throat, and instead of saying anything else, he stood up and immediately pulled her up and into a hug. “I love it. Thank you so much.”

“I'm really glad to hear that,” she said, pressing her face into his shoulder. “You've always been a really great brother to me, even before we knew. I wanted to do something that showed you just how much you mean to me. I hope it came through.”

“Of course it did. You've always been the best sister I could ask for,” he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I really like it. I'll take good care of it.”

“We can always add to it as well!” she chirped, pulling back from the hug with wet eyes. Figured they were both emotional messes over this. “It's made so you can buy and add extra pages to it. I thought we could maybe make it a thing we do with big events. Like today!”

“Is that why you got us all together for the photo before Kay had to leave?” he asked, laughing.

“Yeah! It is, actually. I was thinking we could document your welcome home party!” she said, opening her phone to show him the picture.

It really was a good photo, he had to admit. Everyone was gathered together, with Apollo right in the middle. Klavier and Trucy had claimed his shoulders, with Clay and Kay crouching on the floor in front of him, and Athena sprawled out posing on the floor in front of them. Simon and Ema stood behind Klavier and Trucy, both looking amused at the chaos, while Wright and Edgeworth took up the very back, smiling down at the haphazard group. It had been taken on timer, Trucy having set her phone up on a tripod Ema had brought, and Apollo had been caught mid-laugh, eyes scrunched closed and mouth open with a smile. He didn't miss the way Klavier was watching him in the photo, and felt his cheeks heat up at the soft smile he had.

“It's perfect,” he said. “We should get it printed out at the art store or something. Maybe I'll work on my calligraphy enough to add some notes to the page as well.”

Trucy lit up. “Of course! We can do that some time this week?”

He nodded, stifling a yawn with one hand. “Yeah, for sure. Just let me know when you're free for it?”

“Will do!” She laughed, poking his cheek. “You need to sleep again.”

“Yeah, I really could go for some more sleep,” he admitted. “Weird considering I slept a good twelve hours earlier today.”

“It's not too weird,” Wright said. “Especially with this group. It was a busy day.”

“We'll let you rest, alright Polly?” Trucy said, pulling him in for another hug. “Text me tomorrow when you're up and we can go for brunch!”

“I'll try to remember that,” Apollo said, hugging her back. “No promises, though.”

She didn't argue with him, for once. Just messed with his hair and sidestepped his halfhearted swat at her hand before bidding him farewell. Wright and Edgeworth both told him they'd look forward to when he was adjusted back to L.A and ready to get back to work as they left, as well as bidding him goodnight.

And just like that, his home was quiet once more. Clay and Klavier had kept to the kitchen while Apollo had been opening the final housewarming gifts, and emerged once the Wright-Edgeworth household had left.

“So,” Clay said. “Did you like Trucy's gift?”

“You guys are absolute dweebs, and I'm going to have that scrapbook on display in my damn office,” he said. “Speaking of: am I allowed to see that yet?”

“I'll let Klav here show it to you,” he said, tossing an arm over Apollo's shoulder. “I got a text from Starbuck earlier saying that they want me in early for training.”

“Guessing that means you're also heading out for the night?”

“Yeah, unfortunately. They want me there for six, which is way too fucking early if you ask me, at least after a day like today.”

“Ouch, yeah, go get some rest, man. I'd offer to let you crash on the couch but I already know your thoughts on sleeping on that thing,” Apollo teased, reaching up to mess with Clay's perpetual bedhead. “Let me know when you're done with that tomorrow, though, yeah? We need to catch up in person some more. Video calls can only do so much.”

“'Course, 'Pollo. I'll catch you two later!” he said, patting Apollo on the shoulder as he waved goodbye at him and Klavier.

And then there were two.

“So,” Klavier said, “are you still interested in that vacation?”

Apollo turned to him, stretching his arms above his head. “Are you still offering?” he asked. “It has been, like, a year since you offered initially.”

“Ja, of course I'm still offering,” he said. “Obviously it'll be a bit before the vacation can actually be taken , but if you're willing to give me a couple of weeks I can get it set up.”

“Sounds good to me. Just let me know the details?”

“Of course,” Klavier said, pulling his phone out. “Is there anything I should keep in mind to not do?”

“No motorcycles or heights,” Apollo replied instantly.

Klavier stared at him for a second before laughing and writing something down in his phone. “Understood,” he said. “Anything else?”

“I can't swim, so none of that either,” he said. “That should be everything I won't do, though.”

Again, he typed something in on his phone. “Got it. No swimming, heights, or motorcycles,” he said, putting his phone away in his pocket. Reaching for his jacket, he added, “I'll let you get some rest, then. You look about ready to keel over, Forehead.”

Klavier started to walk past him to the door, and before Apollo could get his logical brain to kick in, the sleep-deprived anxious brain kicked in, and he reached out and grabbed onto his sleeve. “Don't go?” he said, immediately wanting to kick himself in the shins for whatever the hell it was that was making him do this.

He stopped in his tracks, turning and looking at Apollo over his shoulder, looking a pretty even mix of surprised and concerned. “Are you sure?” he asked.

That was something Apollo had really come to appreciate about Klavier. He'd ask and make sure people were sure of what they were asking of him, but he largely didn't question it, so long as they weren't a witness in court. Apollo had experienced the relief of Klavier not questioning why he was calling at strange hours, or why he asked for pictures of Vongole with no prompting, or whatever else he'd asked of him in his anxious hazes. It hadn't been quite so palpable as it was in that moment, though.

“Yeah,” he said, letting go of his sleeve and stepping back.

“... Are you alright?”

“Just don't really want to be alone in the apartment tonight. First night back nerves, y'know?” he said. It wasn't completely a lie.

Klavier smiled at him, soft and reassuring. “Ja, of course. I'm going to run and put together an overnight bag first, if that's alright? I won't be long.”

“Y-yeah. I'll set the futon up,” he said, silently begging his poor heart to calm down . “You'll have to show me what you did with my office tomorrow, as well.”

He laughed, shoulders shaking as he nodded along. “It wasn't much. You can always go and look for yourself while waiting for me to get back.”

“Oh, uh, right. I'll probably just do that, then.”

Klavier reached out, then, placing his hand on Apollo's shoulder. “You'll be fine,” he said, a glint in his eye. “After all, you're Apollo Justice, ja?”

“Yeah...” Apollo breathed out, suddenly feeling like Klavier was way too close. The moment passed quickly, Klavier giving his shoulder one more squeeze before declaring he'd be back in about a half hour and heading out the door.

Alone in his apartment for the time being, Apollo went to explore everything he'd yet to. Very quickly, he got distracted by his own reflection in the mirror. He looked dazed, cheeks flushed and hair messed up from his nap and Clay's affectionate ruffling. He looked like he needed to get his shit back together before Klavier came back.

He went to his room, then, and grabbed his hair brush, tooth brush, and toothpaste from his carry on – God, had he really only gotten back that morning? It felt like it'd been a week already – and went to go freshen up.

A short while later he was putting fresh pyjamas on after towelling himself off after a shower. He quickly brushed his teeth and hair, and tucked everything away where it was supposed to go before going to face down his closed office door.

Mikeko coiled around his feet as he stood there, chirping at him as he begged for more food.

“You already got fed by Simon earlier, you greedy little pig,” Apollo said, bending down to scoop the fuzzy little monster up into his arms. “What do you want? Want me to open the office door for you?”

He stared at the office door, and sighed. “I don't think I've been so nervous about opening a door before,” he said, setting his cat back down in order to grab the handle. With a deep breath, he twisted it and pushed the door inwards, eyes shut tightly as he stepped in.

When he opened his eyes, he sucked in a sharp breath, eyebrows raising.

It was really nice . The L-shaped desk was set up in one of the corners, a plastic mat on the ground beneath it to prevent his chair from scratching up the floors. At one end, a filing cabinet made its home, while a – hopefully cat-safe – plant took up the other end of the desk. His work computer was already set up, two monitors shiny and clean, the tower settled nicely behind them. Underneath, a shredder sat empty, ready for him to start getting rid of useless papers in. A simple mail sorter also sat ready and waiting on his desk, reminding him that he was definitely going to need to keep on top of that these days.

The rest of his bookshelves lined the wall behind the desk, next to the door, and under the window. Most of them were filled with various law books, old textbooks he couldn't bring himself to get rid of, and folders stuffed with old case files. There were a few other things scattered throughout that he could see – namely a few figures he'd bought, still in their boxes, and things Trucy had made for him. Somehow, it still was bright in the room, despite the darkness outside, and the cheap lighting that glowed down on him. Maybe it was the clean, white walls and light wooden floor. Maybe it was the sheer white curtains that were tied back to let the moonlight into the room. Maybe it was the fucking acoustic guitar that was tucked into the corner opposite the door, wood polished to a shine and more than likely perfectly in tune.

Wait.

Fucking what?

Apollo stepped closer, picking the guitar up and looking over it. There was something familiar about it, though he wasn't able to put his finger on it right away. Probably just one he'd seen in Klavier's office before. Still, it was nice . He ran his hands over the body of it, going and sitting down in his chair so he could rest it in his lap. Checking the tuning, he nodded. In tune, not that he was particularly surprised about that.

A knock at his door had him checking the clock on the wall, and that certainly surprised him. He put the guitar back on the stand, flicking the light off and closing the door behind him as he went to go answer the knocking at his front door.

“It wasn't locked,” he said, opening it up and letting Klavier back in.

“Ja, but I was trying to be polite,” he said, stepping in and dropping his bag on the ground next to the door. He looked over at the couch and raised an eyebrow. “I thought you said you were going to set the futon up?”

“I got a bit sidetracked,” Apollo admitted, turning on his heel to go do that. “Where'd you get the guitar in the office, anyways?”

“Hm? Oh, it was just something I'd been holding on to for safe keeping,” Klavier said, hanging his jacket up and picking his bag back up. “I thought it'd be better here, though.”

“You know I don't play, right? Not really.”

Klavier just shrugged, going over to the hall closet and grabbing a set of sheets for the pull out futon. “I still think it belongs with you rather than with me,” he said, handing one end of the fitted sheet to Apollo.

He took it, working with Klavier to stretch it over the futon. “I don't know how to take care of a guitar,” he argued. “Did you at least consider that?”

“I did, don't worry. There's a guitar care guide tucked into the bookshelves in the office. Plus, one of the drawers has a humidifier and spare strings in it as well.”

Apollo paused, squinting as he pulled the final corner over and tucked it in. “You really wanted me to have that guitar for some reason,” he muttered. “Not that I don't want it, of course!” he added hastily. “I just... don't get it? Like, I barely know two chords.”

“Just trust me?” Klavier asked, tossing him one end of the other, non-fitted sheet.

“Always,” Apollo said, catching it and helping lay it flat.

“Then believe me when I say that that guitar belongs with you, alright?” he said, walking around the end of the pull-out bed and sitting down next to where Apollo was standing. “It's all explained in the note I put in Trucy's scrapbook.”

Apollo rolled his eyes. “Which I can't read until after whatever vacation you've got in mind for me,” he said. “I'm going to go grab spare blankets. How many do you need?”

The rest of the set up went by in a bit of a blur. Apollo tossed Klavier several blankets, with increasing exasperation as he asked for yet another. By the fifth blanket, Apollo threatened that he'd be the one putting them away in the morning, which was taken smoothly with a laugh and an agreement.

He let Klavier take over the washroom, citing that he'd done his nightly routine while waiting on him to get back.

“If I'm up before you, I'll be sure to keep quiet,” Klavier said as he joined Apollo in the kitchen after brushing his teeth.

Apollo had been knocking back his meds when Klavier came in, and nearly choked on them as he startled. Coughing, he nodded, taking a sip of water before trying to speak.

“Shit, sorry,” Klavier winced.

“It's fine,” Apollo croaked out, taking another sip for good measure. “And, yeah, same here. I don't know if I'll be getting up at my usual time or not, but if I do, I'll keep it down.”

“Danke, though it's nothing to worry about for me,” Klavier said, grabbing a glass and pouring himself a cup of water as well. “Get some rest, Forehead. I'll be here in the morning when you wake up.”

He nodded, stepping past Klavier as he slipped out of the kitchen. “Goodnight, Klav,” he said, flicking off the hall light as he made his way back to his room.

“Goodnight, Apollo,” Klavier called back.

Apollo quietly shut his bedroom door behind him, shucking his shirt before he climbed into bed. Wrapping himself up in his blankets, he tried really hard not to think about what Clay had said to him that morning about Klavier, though it was to no avail.

Klavier was... important to him, of course he was; they'd been through hell and back with their first few trials together. Seeing him in person again was a lot , he could admit that, but so was seeing Clay again.

He was glad, though, that Klavier had agreed to stay. He'd never had an easy time adjusting to being in a new house, and his move into the apartment was no different. Just knowing that there was someone there in the other room, willing to stay nearby just in case anything happened? It was a relief and a half. His anxiety was calmed enough that he was able to slip into a proper sleep, instead of tossing and turning all night.

Wrapped up to his chin in his blankets, he slept, steady and soundly, looking forward to what the next days would bring.

And if he dreamt about this being a regular occurrence? Well, that was for him to know, and him alone.

Chapter Text

It was two and a half weeks later when Apollo got an unexpected text from Klavier. He was sitting in a small cafe with Trucy, having just finished a trip to a local art store she liked, when his phone lit up with the notification, buzzing against the table.

Klav Gav : So, I managed to book something for the vacation.

Apollo raised his eyebrows, unlocking his phone to reply.

A.J : Oh? For when, and how long?

Klav Gav : One week, and I can pick you up Friday morning. It's a bit of a long drive, though, be warned.

“Who're ya texting?” Trucy asked, leaning forward to peer at his phone. “Klavier?”

“Yeah,” Apollo said, sending an affirmative response and letting Klavier know he'd talk more later since he was out with Trucy at the moment. “Just setting up some plans, is all.”

“Plans for what?”

“... A vacation.”

The gasp she let out hearing that made him flinch back slightly. “It's not whatever you're thinking!” he added, gesturing for her to sit back down .

She did so, though she was practically vibrating out of her skin. “You're going on vacation with him?” she asked, eyes alight with curiosity. “Where are you going? What are the plans? I need answers, Polly!”

“I don't know, actually. It's supposed to be a surprise for me, for the most part,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee. “I know what's not going to be involved.”

“And what won't be involved?” she continued to pry.

“No heights, swimming, or motorcycles,” he said, listing them off on his fingers. “Other than that, no idea what's in store for me. It's a week-long vacation, though, so I'll be back in L.A for Christmas, if that's what you're worried about.”

“A week from...?”

“He's picking me up Friday, so I assume from then. He did say it's a bit of a long drive, though, so... not sure what's in store for that.”

She laughed, leaning back in her seat and taking a long drink from her hot chocolate – she still had more of a sweet tooth than he did, and apparently never really warmed up to coffee. “Yeah, that could mean anything from a three hour drive to a twelve hour one,” she said. “I wonder just where it is you're going to be going, though! Like, what sort of vacation did he come up with?”

Apollo shrugged. “Again, I have no idea. I just know that I'm looking forward to getting out of the city for a bit. As much as I love you and the rest of the clown show we call family, changing from Khura'in to L.A is a lot to get used to.”

“I'd say. There's not really many cars in Khura'in, right? Is the traffic noise bothering you at night?”

“There aren't. At least not where I was, in the capital,” he said. “And, believe it or not, it really isn't? I've missed the white noise of it, actually.”

“You're weird, Polly. I don't know anyone who would say they missed the constant traffic sounds of this city.”

“I guess we're strangers then?”

“Yep! Who is this man sitting across from me who looks like my brother? I've never seen him before in my life!” The line was delivered with such a straight face that it took both of them a second to process the joke. They both cracked up at the same time, Trucy curling in on herself as she giggled, while Apollo leaned back in his chair, covering his face with his hand.

“You're terrible,” he laughed, shaking his head. “Absolutely terrible.”

“Says you! You're the weirdo who missed L.A traffic!”

“Do your dads not miss it when they come back from abroad?” he asked, leaning forward to rest his elbow on the table.

She shook her head. “Nope! Daddy and Papa constantly complain about it when they get back,” she said. “Though... Well, Papa did say once that he liked the consistency of it. It never feels sudden, when there's some sort of siren or honking. It's just part of the experience, or something like that.”

“He's right! He's right about that, that's why I like it,” Apollo said, snapping and pointing at her. “In Khura'in if there was a siren, or a horn going off, or a fucking War'baad making it's terrible noises it always felt really sudden!”

“Startled you awake, did it?”

“More often than I'd like to admit.”

As Trucy opened her mouth to comment, her phone went off, the Steel Samurai theme ringing out loud and clear. “Hello?” she asked, answering it, clearly not having bothered to look at the caller ID. “Oh! Yeah, I'm out with Polly right now, actually... Aw, boo, come on! We just bought more stuff for the scrapbook! ... Okay, fine, I'll start heading home soon. Love you too, Papa. Yep. Bye!”

“Guessing that was Edgeworth calling?” he asked.

“Yep! Papa wants me to come home and help him with some event planning. He and Daddy can't decide on flower arrangements and apparently it's gotten to the point of trying to bring out evidence on both sides,” she said, tucking her phone back into her bag.

“... Flower arrangements?”

Trucy froze, eyes widening as she realized something. “Oh my God we forgot to tell you,” she muttered, hands covering her mouth.

Anxiety began to settle in Apollo's stomach, and he very much dreaded asking what she meant. However, curiosity won out, and he said, with no small amount of trepidation, “Forgot to tell me what , exactly?”

“Daddy and Papa got engaged!” she said, bouncing in her seat, looking highly embarrassed. “It was a while ago, actually, but they didn't want to hold the wedding without everyone being here. If you hadn't told us you'd be coming home to stay, Papa was going to actually contact you and ask about visiting if it took more than a few years to get around to the wedding. But , since you're here now, they've started the proper planning! They've had ideas bouncing around for a while, but now that it's come to actually cementing those, it's gotten kinda hectic.”

“Hang on, hang on... What ? I thought Edgeworth didn't... I didn't think he was for the idea of marriage?” Apollo said, gesturing for her to slow down.

“He doesn't see the point of it, no, not for the emotional aspect of it,” she admitted. “But Daddy came up with the legal points of it and presented them, and Papa agreed that he had a point. He was... unsure? About the ceremony, that is, but they decided it'd be best if it was just family and close friends attending.”

“So there is a ceremony happening?”

“Mhm! Probably in the spring, if everything goes to plan.”

Apollo slumped back in his seat, running his hand over his head. “Wow,” he said. “That's... wow. A lot to take in. Good for them, I guess? I'm glad that they're happy, at least.”

“Yeah! It's been really fun, actually. Auntie Franzy and Auntie Maya have been around a lot more as well, helping them set everything up and figure out planning,” she said. “Maybe after your vacation you can join us some time! We could make it a scrapbooking worthy event!”

“I – uh, yeah, sure, Truce,” Apollo said, still trying to wrap his head around the news. “I don't think I'll be much help, but we can do that, yeah.”

“Great!” she said, checking a text that set her phone off again. “I really do have to get going, though. I don't know if the flower catalogues will survive those two much longer.”

“Hey, that's fine, Truce,” he said, smiling at her. “We can do scrapbooking tomorrow, since we didn't get around to it today, if you want?”

“Yeah! After that, want to come help me with prep for my latest show? Don't worry, I won't drag you in as my assistant... this time,” she asked, winking.

He laughed, nodding along. “Of course. I've missed seeing your shows, and I think it'll be just what I need before whatever long drive Klavier's going to be dragging me on the day after.”

“Perfect! I'll see you tomorrow, Polly!” she said, bouncing over to him and pulling him into a crooked hug. She pressed a kiss to his cheek before popping back upright and waving as she pranced out the door.

Apollo was left there with his half-drank coffee and more information in his head to process than he'd expected of the afternoon out. He took another drink of coffee, and took out his phone to search for somewhere to go for dinner.

Friday rolled around, with barely any time for Apollo to actually be anxious over whatever he had in store for him. The scrapbooking with Trucy, followed by helping her prepare for her next show, took up most of his time the day before, and he'd barely had the wherewithal to remember to pack his things the night before Klavier was due to pick him up.

He was so exhausted from the excitement that he'd nearly slept through his alarm.

It was his second alarm that actually woke him up, along with a ping from an incoming text that reminded him why he'd set it in the first place. He jolted out of bed, suddenly very awake, and frantically checked his phone.

Klav Gav : I'll be heading over in about an hour!

Breathing a sigh of relief, Apollo quickly shot him a text back.

A.J : Sounds good. Ngl, text scared the shit out of me, 'cause I missed my first alarm.

Klav Gav : And that's why I figured I'd give you the hour warning lmao.

Was he really that predictable? Apollo shook his head as he set his phone aside, dragging himself over to his dresser to grab clothes for the day. He'd managed to get enough information from Klavier the day before to know that he should pack warm clothes, and to dress for weather significantly chillier than December in L.A. Of course, this just made him wonder what the hell sort of drive Klavier had planned, if he had to be prepared for actual winter weather. Obviously they were going out of state, considering the stress Klavier had put on bringing a proper coat.

He mulled over possibilities as to where the fuck they were headed as he brushed his teeth. For a moment he considered bothering to style his hair, but decided against it if he was going to be in a car all damn day. He hauled his duffle bag out of his room, dropping it near the front door before going to wait for Klavier on the couch.

He'd been scrolling his phone for a little while when another text came in.

Klav Gav : I'll be there in 5!

Apollo smiled at the message, sending a thumbs up in response. He went to pull his jacket on, deciding at the last second that he'd just carry it and put it on when he needed it. However, he did decide to opt for the heavy boots he'd brought back from Khura'in instead of his usual running shoes, the worn leather soft to the touch as he pulled them on and laced them up.

A knock at his door alerted him that Klavier had arrived.

“That was not an hour,” he said as he opened the door, stepping aside to let Klavier in.

“It was! You just have time blindness,” Klavier said, eyes landing on the duffle bag. “Is that all?”

“I've got a bag with my laptop, but I forgot to bring it out,” Apollo said. “We're only going to be there a week, so it's not like I need to pack more than a single bag.”

Klavier grimaced, going to pick the bag up either way. “I cannot relate to you one bit on that one,” he said. “I'll bring this out while you get your laptop bag?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Apollo turned on his heel to go fetch his laptop bag that he had definitely forgotten to pack. He threw his laptop, charger, spare headphones, and phone charger into a beat up old backpack. Hefting it over his shoulder, he called for Mikeko, giving him some chin scratches and a kiss on the head as he said goodbye.

“Be good for Trucy,” he said, patting Mikeko's head one last time before he left, locking the door behind him.

He made his way down to the front of the building, where Klavier was parked with his four-ways on. He was just shutting the trunk when Apollo walked up to the car, and looked up when he heard him approach.

“We'll put that in the back seat,” he said, opening the back passenger door so Apollo could drop his bag on the floor of the car. Shutting it, he opened the front passenger door with a small flourish. “After you.”

Apollo rolled his eyes, sliding into the car and letting Klavier shut the door for him. “So, where are we headed anyways?” he asked, as Klavier got into the driver's seat.

Klavier laughed, suddenly seeming nervous. “So, how well do you handle long drives?” he asked.

Dread settled in Apollo's stomach, and he sighed. “How long are we talking here?”

“... Approximately eighteen hours?”

He considered it for a moment, grimacing as he nodded his head. “Not the worst I've done,” he said. “Is that how long this is going to take?”

“Ja, about that. We're going up to Washington. I found something there that I've booked from this evening until next Saturday,” Klavier explained, turning his hazards off and starting the car. “It's nothing too busy, and it's a short drive to the nearest town, in case we need anything.”

“I call dibs on at least some of the music for the drive, at least,” Apollo said, adjusting his seat as they drove off.

“Perfectly fine by me,” Klavier said, glancing over at him with a small smile.

When Klavier had said it would be an eighteen hour drive, Apollo hadn't been thrilled exactly. He had been prepared for a good few hours in the car with Klavier, of course, but that was a bit more than he'd expected. As it turned out, though, it wasn't all that bad, being stuck in a car with him. Honestly, he would go so far as to say it was fun .

A few hours into the drive, they'd stopped for something to eat. Nothing fancy, just some fast food that they could choke down before continuing on. Apollo chose then to shoot a text to Clay, letting him know that they were on their way up to Washington state, followed by a terrible car selfie that featured Klavier rather obviously belting along to the radio in the background. Trucy got a similar text, though it was accompanied by a thanks for offering to look after Mikeko for the next while.

He didn't get a response from either, since it was barely eight in the morning at that point. Apollo had been pretty confused at the six in the morning leaving time at first, but now? He honestly considered that to be a bit late to be leaving for a drive that long.

By noon, they both had worn themselves out some, and had fallen into a comfortable silence. The interstate was busy, and Apollo had, at some point, started looking for specific state license plates, keeping a running tally of how many he'd seen. Currently, he was at five count for Maine, eight for Nevada, and three for Tennessee.

They stopped for lunch at a little diner attached to a truck stop, taking a longer break to stretch their legs out properly. After lunch, though, they were back on the road, and Apollo had taken over the music choice.

“Is this Khura'inese?” Klavier asked when one of Apollo's favourite cheesy pop songs came on.

“Oh, uh, yeah. It was on the radio a lot back in Khura'in, and I liked it, so... yeah,” he said, shrugging.

“It's fun,” Klavier said, nodding along as he tapped his fingers to the rhythm. “Bouncy, almost.”

Apollo laughed. “I guess? What counts as a bouncy song?”

“This.”

“... Touché.”

“I'd say it's a mix of an upbeat, quick rhythm, major chords, and a bit of a... ah, bouncy beat,” Klavier explained. “Like, there's a bit more to the downbeat, but the upbeats are kept light? That's the best way I can explain it.”

“That makes sense, I think?” Apollo said, trying to hear what Klavier was talking about.

“Listen carefully. I'll tap my full hand on the downbeat, but just my fingers on the upbeats, so you can have the visual clue as well,” he offered, doing as he said.

After a moment, Apollo found himself nodding with more confidence. “Yeah, yeah I see what you mean now,” he said. “Y'know, I never actually considered seeing music like that before.”

“Really?” Klavier asked, glancing over at him in surprise. “I never would have guessed that.”

“Yeah. I've always liked music, but it's never been... easy for me to learn, I guess? Like, I can't read sheet music to save my life, and tabs are just barely easier,” he said. “It's always seemed like something I have to listen for the cues for, read the music and match it, but I never really considered the fact I could just... watch other people to learn. See how they move and play.”

“That's how I learned,” Klavier said. “I learned watching my father play the guitar, and my mother with the piano. They actually would sit there and let me watch them play, how they moved their hands and pressed the pedals to make things make the sounds they wanted them to. Reading music came later, for me.”

“Huh,” Apollo said, turning to look out the window. “That's... the first time you've ever mentioned your parents to me.”

“That's what you got out of that?” Klavier sounded just a touch exasperated when he asked, not bothering to wait for a response before sighing and laughing. “I don't talk about them much in general, though,” he said. “It's not just you.”

“Do you not have a good relationship with them?”

“Hm? Oh, nein, nothing like that. I suppose I just... don't feel the need to? I moved to L.A for both my law career and my music with Kris when I was pretty young, while our parents opted to stay back in Germany,” he explained. “We still talk, still get along pretty well even, but we're not exactly close like we used to be. I grew up, Kris got arrested, and they've been busy with their own lives.”

“That's...” Apollo started, unsure what to say to that.

“More than I've told you about my family life in the seven years we've known each other?”

“Well, that, yes, but also not what I expected, I guess?”

“What did you expect?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at Apollo as he spared a glance his way.

“Something way more dysfunctional than that?” he offered with a grimace.

Klavier burst out laughing at that, and Apollo almost asked if they should pull off at the next exit so he could take a moment to collect himself, but he composed himself enough to keep driving quickly enough.

“That actually makes sense,” he said, wiping his face with a shaky breath, clearly about to start laughing again. “Considering how Kris and I turned out? Most people have guessed that we had some sort of fucked up family life. But, no, my life was surprisingly normal, I'd say. Even when I was living with just Kris in L.A while finishing my schooling, it was just... sort of average?”

Apollo hesitated before asking his next question. “What was living with him like?” he asked. “Before all of that shit happened, I mean.”

Klavier's hands tightened momentarily on the steering wheel before he relaxed his grip again. “It was good, actually. Kris was strict about school, and made sure that I had all of my assignments in on time. If I had a long project, we would make a schedule so I wouldn't be doing all of it at once, and could get it done in chunks up until the due date. I had to complete my homework daily, before I was allowed to go out with friends, and complete my chores on the weekends,” he said. “I got weekends off of homework – with the exception of exam time, when I had to study at least one hour each day – and we spent holidays with our parents, so I didn't really have to work on anything then, either.

“We cooked dinner together, I got in trouble for playing the guitar too late at night, did extra chores for money before I got a job, and... did average teenage things. It was normal. Calm.”

“I guess that means that everything that happened back then really did just sort of... come out of left field,” Apollo muttered, lips pursing as he realized just how hard everything had probably been for Klavier to process.

“...Ja. It really did. It's a large reason why I had a hard time even believing that it had happened. But it was real, and it did happen,” he said, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. “Kris told me that himself.”

“Did you visit him a lot, then?” Apollo asked.

“More than I should have, honestly. He was... different, the last year or so that he was in there. More like the Kris I knew,” he admitted. He paused for a moment, glancing over at Apollo. “Are you sure you want to talk about this?”

“If you're uncomfortable, I don't mind changing the topic,” he said, “but I do want to know more? I'm curious about you.”

Klavier smiled, genuinely smiled at him, as he glanced over at him. “I don't mind sating your curiosity,” he said, “but expect me to ask about you on the trip back.”

Apollo laughed, nodding along. “Fair trade, fair trade,” he said, trying to ignore the way that he felt like he'd just been flipped upside down for a moment. His head felt light, and his stomach was fluttering. He had a faint idea as to why he was suddenly feeling so disoriented, and it definitely had something to do with the way that Klavier seemed to genuinely like telling Apollo about himself.

It clearly wasn't something he did often, talking about his family life the way that he was, but he was still willing to, just because Apollo was curious and had asked. It was a heady feeling, and one that he'd be hard pressed to deny that he liked.

They continued on like that for a while, with Apollo asking Klavier questions every once in a while, and Klavier answering with some sort of anecdote, story, or weird example scenario. As it turned out, Klavier didn't even need to wait until their return trip to get some stories out of Apollo. He'd just finished telling a story about how he'd learned how to swim, and Apollo couldn't hold back his comment about how it was better than falling into an ice-cold river as a kid, and that was it. Klavier had lit up, asking him about it, and Apollo had responded in kind, telling him about bits of his childhood in Khura'in.

They only stopped swapping stories when they pulled off the highway to find somewhere to go for dinner. Like with lunch, they opted for a small diner, though this time it was on the main street of a tiny little town they'd stumbled across. The food was incredible, and they both agreed to jot down the name and address so they could stop in again on their way home.

The final stretch of the trip found Apollo dozing off and on with the radio playing softly in the background. He'd finally pulled his coat on as well, the chill from outside finally prompting Klavier to turn on the heating in the car. It was cozy, being wrapped up in his jacket, with the heat warming his toes through his boots, and the radio was playing just softly enough to filter out into the background.

“Don't you fall asleep on me,” Klavier teased, tapping his elbow. “We'll be there in less than a half hour, now. No offence, but I'm not carrying all of both of our luggage in, as well as you.”

“'M not asleep,” Apollo grumbled, sitting up straight in his seat and rubbing at his eyes. “Fuck, it's dark out. I didn't think it got this dark out here.”

“We're a decent bit out from the town still, so I'm not all that surprised it's this dark,” Klavier said. “There's not much light pollution out here, even with the interstate, so the sky is nice to look at, at least.”

“Wish my phone camera could pick it up,” he muttered, peering up at the sky through the window. “Clay'd love to see this.”

“No doubt; he really loves space, doesn't he?”

“More than just about anything else, I think. He's always loved it, at least as long as I've known him.”

“Do you know why?” Klavier asked as they pulled off the interstate, taking an exit that led to a smaller highway. “Or is it just one of those lifelong interests that you pick up as a kid that ends up dictating your career?”

Apollo laughed. “No idea, actually. I think his mother had something to do with it, back when she was alive? I never met her, though, so I can't say for sure,” he said. “And, hey, neither of us are ones to talk about childhood interests dictating their careers.”

“Okay, so, maybe not,” he conceded, “but I was asking genuinely. It wasn't a jab; god knows I can't say anything, considering I did it twice.”

Opting to not comment on that, Apollo turned to watch the trees go by. He tried to focus on what was beyond the treeline, though he quickly found that it was far too dark to see anything, even with his supernaturally good eyesight. Still, he watched, hoping that maybe he'd catch a glimpse of some kind of animal on the side of the road.

Klavier turned the radio up a touch, and Apollo realized that he recognized the song after a moment. When Klavier began singing along, he wasn't surprised. What did surprise him, though, was that he started singing along as well, though much quieter. It was a bit nerve-wracking, singing around other people, but with the way Klavier smiled at him when he started, he found that he was just a bit more confident than he normally was. He didn't change his volume, but he didn't stop when the song changed to another one that he knew.

By the time they pulled off to a side road, the songs playing had changed from things Apollo knew, to things Apollo refused to sing along to despite recognizing.

He should have known he wouldn't have gotten through the entire drive without some Gavinner's music coming up.

Klavier sang along to his old band's music as they pulled up to a long driveway, more energetic than he had been for the last hour of their drive. When they turned down the gravel driveway, Apollo turned his attention forward, trying to see where the hell they were headed.

He had been expecting something nice, but the log house that they pulled up to really put his expectations to shame. It wasn't overly large, but still was comfortable, standing two stories high with a green roof. It reminded Apollo a lot of this one toy Clay had had when they were kids – Lincoln Logs or something like that.

“Is this where we're staying?” he asked incredulously, turning to Klavier.

“Mhm! I was thinking about getting us a place at a proper hotel or ski resort, but then I thought about the heights involved in at least one of them and decided against it,” he explained, parking the car in front of the cabin. “So, I thought renting out an AirBNB may be a good idea. It's got the charm of being away from any large cities, and the town nearby has whatever it is we may need.”

Apollo nodded, getting out of the car slowly, reeling slightly over the situation he'd found himself in. He grabbed his backpack out of the back seat of the car, all while Klavier kept talking.

“We can go into town tomorrow morning,” he said. “Stop in at one of the restaurants for breakfast before we do some groceries.”

“Right,” Apollo said, following him around to the back of the car to grab his duffle bag from the trunk.

Klavier paused as he pulled his own suitcase out of the car, eyebrows pinching as he looked at Apollo. “Is everything alright?” he asked.

Was everything alright? That would depend on what the hell that even meant, Apollo thought. Technically, everything was fine. This was infinitely better than trying to muster up the courage to go on a ski lift, or dealing with questionable hotel views, on one hand. However, on the other hand, he did not expect Klavier to have rented out a cabin out in the middle of fucking nowhere so Apollo could relax away from the stress of L.A. And on yet another hand, he felt like he was walking into a slightly less snowy hallmark movie, which he had no idea how to deal with.

“I'm fine, just a bit surprised is all,” he said instead. “It's nice, though. I just hope the inside is just as... welcoming? As the outside.”

Klavier smiled down at him, closing the trunk and gesturing for Apollo to follow him. He did so, still in a bit of a daze as he watched Klavier unlock the front door.

As it turned out, the inside was just as welcoming as the outside. Even more so, Apollo would argue, thanks to how warm it already was.

The inside of the cabin was almost entirely made of stained dark wood. The floors, the walls, and the thick beams stretching across the room near the ceiling – all of them were a deep red-brown, and shined to a polish. There was a loft off to the far end of the cabin, accessible from a staircase in the main living area. The kitchen and living room were open concept, with an island that doubled as a breakfast bar separating the two spaces. To top it all off, a stone fireplace sat ready off to the side of the living area, a small pile of wood waiting to be used.

The couch and chairs in the main space were plush brown leather, and a cozy throw blanket covered the back of the couch. The table looked like it was a slab cut straight from a tree that had been stained and sealed, the edges uneven and still with bark on it. Beneath all of that, there was a thick red area rug that Apollo had no doubts on how soft it was.

“The listing said it was a good two-person getaway,” Klavier said, closing the door behind them, “so I figured it would be worth a shot.”

“I guess the beds are up in the loft,” Apollo said, looking up at it with a grimace. He could handle a loft, but that did not mean he found it ideal.

“Ja, probably. Are you tired?”

“Honestly I feel like I'm about to just drop where I'm standing,” he admitted, hauling his duffle bag over to the staircase. He took a deep breath before lifting it higher so he could carry it up.

When he set it down at the top of the staircase, he paused. Leaning over the railing to see Klavier dragging his own things over to the stairs, he called out, “You said this was a two person getaway, right?”

Klavier paused, eyes immediately filling with fear. “... Oh no,” he said. Without hesitating, he picked his suitcases up and carried them up the stairs, dropping them next to Apollo's duffle bag and backpack when he saw what awaited them.

A single, large bed, set up for two people.

Technically, it was exactly what was advertised.

“... I'm literally too cold right now to complain about this much,” Apollo admitted with a shiver. His toes were cold already, having kicked his boots off at the door. “I won't make this weird if you don't?”

Klavier looked surprised, when Apollo said that, though it quickly faded to the same exhaustion that Apollo knew was on his own face. “Deal,” he said. “Which side do you want?”

Instead of answering him, Apollo dragged his bags over to the side farther from the staircase, hoping that would work for an answer. Klavier seemed to think that it was, dragging his own bags over to the other side of the bed.

“The bathroom is... downstairs, I think?” he said, digging through his bags. “You can use it first if you want. I'll check in on the app, so they know we followed through on the booking.”

Apollo nodded. “Thanks. I am... too tired for a shower, I just had one last night, I can survive one night,” he said, grabbing a set of pyjamas and his toiletries bag.

“Ja, same here. I didn't realize just how tired I actually am until now,” Klavier said. “The drive was fun enough that I was able to forget about it.”

“Yeah, it was,” Apollo said. “I'd have taken over at some point, but... no license.”

“That's why I didn't ask if you want to drive at any point,” he said. “I didn't think you had a license, still. Go get ready for bed, though. You're swaying.”

So he was. Apollo steadied himself for a moment before heading back downstairs. He looked around, noticing a door along the same wall as the staircase that he hoped was the bathroom. His hopes were rewarded, and he shut the door behind him as he flicked the light on. He changed quickly, not wanting to have to deal with the cool air on his skin for any longer than he needed to. While the cabin was warm compared to the northern winter air outside, it was still too chilly for his tastes. Once he'd finished brushing his teeth and hair, he gathered his clothes back up in his arms, and went back out.

“Mind if I turn the heating up?” he called out, making a bee-line for the thermostat.

“Please do, holy shit,” Klavier replied. “Also, is the bathroom free?”

“Yep, go ahead and take over,” Apollo said, messing with the temperature until he was content with the settings. He passed by Klavier on his way back up to the loft, both giving the other a tense, tired smile.

Apollo tucked his dirty clothes into a laundry bag he'd brought with him, setting it next to the rest of his things. He grabbed his phone charger from his backpack and plugged it in behind the bedside table, connecting his phone once it was plugged in.

He'd charged it for a bit in the car, but it was still nearly dead. Clay and Trucy had been texting him off and on all day, and a couple hours earlier, he'd told them that his phone was dying. That, of course, did not stop either of those two from continuing to pester him, with a couple of more genuine texts telling him to tell them when he arrived.

He shot them both a quick text back with confirmation that he and Klavier had made it to their destination, and that he'd share pictures the next day. He didn't expect either of them to respond, noticing that it was almost one in the morning.

Of course Clay would still be awake, though.

Space Cadet: Fuck yeah, bro! What's the problem you mentioned tho?

A.J: You're never going to let me live this down

Space Cadet: ????

A.J: It's a two-person getaway. Two person. Not two room.

Space Cadet: Only one bed?????

A.J: Bingo.

Apollo set his phone aside for a moment, pressing the heels of his palms to his eyes to try and stop the headache that had started to come on.

Space Cadet: Jesus Christ, dude, you're living every Gavinner's fan's dream right now, you know that, right?

A.J: Don't remind me. I gotta go, though, man, my eyes are hurting.

Space Cadet: Good luck, AJ. Get some sleep, keep me updated.

A.J: Will do, Space Cadet. You get some sleep, too.

Apollo set his phone face-down on the bedside table after sending his final text to Clay. He stretched out, yawning, and climbed into the bed, trying not to breathe in the weird stale scent of the blankets. He hated sleeping in new places. New homes were the worst of it – he remembered how he'd asked Klavier to stay over his first night at his new apartment – but really, it was anywhere strange.

He'd managed to relax slightly when the lights of the downstairs section of the cabin flicked off, leaving the loft illuminated just by a couple of lamps Klavier had apparently switched on. A few moments later, there was the sound of Klavier coming up the stairs, and then the bed dipped down.

“You still awake?” Klavier asked quietly.

“Yeah, I'm awake,” Apollo said, rolling onto his back and propping himself up on his elbows. “Want me to get the light on this side?”

“Bitte, ja,” he said. “I'm just going to plug my phone in before I get the lamp on this side.”

“Is there a plug over there as well?”

“I think so. There should be one, at least?”

A moment of fumbling later Klavier let out a small noise of triumph. “There is, perfekt. Knew the lamp was plugged in on this side...” he said.

Apollo rolled his eyes as he reached over to turn the lamp on his side off, the room sinking into darkness a moment later as Klavier did the same.

“Gute Nacht, Apollo,” Klavier said, the bed dipping down and blankets shifting as he settled in for the night.

“Night, Klav,” Apollo replied, closing his eyes and trying his best to fall asleep.

Despite how tired he was, sleep didn't seem to want to come to him. He refrained from tossing and turning, mostly out of courtesy to Klavier, but he was still too tense. He tried to relax, tried doing everything he'd learned in order to get to sleep in the past.

It took an hour for him to realize he hadn't taken his medication.

Swearing under his breath, Apollo slipped from the covers, digging through his bag as quietly as he could as he searched for the small bottle. He found it, popping it open with his shirt as a muffler, and took two of the pills out. Then, as quietly as he could, he made his way downstairs, and to the kitchen. He checked the fridge, hoping that there was a water jug already in there to use, and that he wouldn't have to run the tap.

There was, luckily, and it didn't take him long to find which cupboard the glasses were in. He downed the meds quickly, pouring the rest of the water down the sink and setting the glass off to the side of it before making his way back upstairs and tucking into bed.

As he settled in for the second time that night, he finally felt sleep tug at the edge of his mind. It wasn't enough to put him under, yet, but knowing that he would sleep helped him relax some.

At least until he felt an arm drape over his side, and a warm body press up against his back.

Apollo squeezed his eyes shut tighter, breathing through his nose as he mouthed just about every curse word he knew. He didn't have a problem with this, of course, quite the opposite, but that didn't mean he wasn't in a bit of a panic over it.

Of course Klavier was a cuddler. Of course he was. Apollo was just starting to weigh the options of waking Klavier up just long enough that he could get to sleep himself, versus just succumbing to his fate when Klavier let out a sigh in his sleep and pressed closer. His face pressed against the back of Apollo's neck, and he shuddered at the warmth.

Okay, so, that answered his question as to which option he would be going for.

He breathed out, slow and steady, and relaxed. It was a lot, yes, but it was also nice. The last time he'd been held like this, he and Clay were in college, and they had just finished their final exams in their last year. He was a bit touch starved, sue him for being weak.

Klavier's arm tightened around his middle, just for a moment, and Apollo finally felt sleep start to overtake him. He wasn't sure if it was the warm embrace he'd found himself in, or his meds finally kicking in, but he was out like a light within a few minutes.

It was one of the better sleeps he'd had since he'd left for Khura'in, not that he'd ever admit that out loud.