Work Text:
"And where am I supposed to find that ? Need I remind you that there are plenty of files here and that I cannot go through all of them ? Or is that bird nest you call hair obscuring your view ?"
"The only thing obscuring my view right now is your disgraceful figure standing in front of me." Simon briefly looked up from his computer.
"You putrid, filthy panda ! Tell me where the file is already !" Nahyuta sighed, as Simon smiled. He paid no mind to his insults, seeming more amused than offended.
"Why don't you look for it yourself ? I am quite busy at the moment." His voice was toneless. His ability to shift from one emotion to another was quite impressive. And so is the way he can control his feelings. It was almost terrifying. Nahyuta wondered if that was something Simon had to learn in jail, in order to "survive". He couldn't even begin to fathom what he had been through.
"I refuse to put my hands on these files, and I, too, am busy. Now tell me where it is before I—" Simon cut him off.
"Yes, yes. If that's what it takes for you to get out of my sight." He got up from his chair, and slowly walked up to him, taking slow steps, one by one, making Nahyuta cross his arms in annoyance. He was playing with him, trying to annoy him. And it worked, despite Nahyuta being aware of his intentions.
When Simon reached the drawer where Nahyuta was standing, he never broke eye contact with him. He opened it, and, without looking away, took the file Nahyuta had asked for.
If Nahyuta wasn't so busy being embarrassed (and admiring the beautiful man in front of him), he would have thought about how amazing it was that Simon didn't have to look inside the drawer to know which file was the right one.
He wanted to hold eye contact with him, to show he didn't care about Simon's antics, but his body decided otherwise.
His pupils were dilated. His cheeks couldn't help but heat up at the sight of Simon's insufferable, yet extremely attractive smirk that seemed to make its way onto his face whenever Nahyuta was there.
Nahyuta's hand grabbed the file Simon handed him, (putting in extra effort not to touch the hand that was so kindly giving him the document) as if it burned his hand. He almost spat a "thank you", and walked to the door, wanting to leave as quickly as possible. Nahyuta left Simon's office, hoping he didn't notice how dizzy he felt after that exchange. He quickly went back to his office, which was right next to Simon's. He closed the door behind him, and leaned against it.
Pohlkunka !
He ran a hand over his face and closed his eyes, cursing himself for whatever had just happened.
Why did he feel that way ? It had never happened before. What kind of devilish curse did he cast on him ? His face was burning. Surely Simon had caught some disease and decided to kindly "share" it with him.
That unholy—
His thumb grazed a piece of paper, making him flinch. He had almost cut himself. The file he held so tightly against his chest was now crumpled. He released a breath he didn't know he was holding.
Nahyuta sighed and walked over to his desk. He placed the file in front of him before sitting down. The printed documents inside had a few words scribbled on them.
Simon's handwriting always surprised him. It was the complete opposite of him (or the complete opposite of Nahyuta's vision of Simon). It was quite small, slanted, and surprisingly orderly. Now that he thought about it, Nahyuta had seen Simon write with a quill. He was the only person in the whole Prosecutor's Office who refused to use a regular ballpoint pen.
And of course, he never used ink that wasn't black.
He guessed Simon was accustomed to writing with one, as there was no smudged or smeared ink.
Nahyuta sighed. He refused to let Simon waste even more of his time. That unholy panda was not worth it.
Nahyuta's computer was displaying his mailbox. Right. He was in the middle of sending Datz an email. He was very interested in what "Yuty" was up to, always asking about his cases, and the latest rumors about his colleagues. Datz loved gossiping, something Nahyuta didn't enjoy at all.
But he would listen to Klavier's conversations, just for him. That was one way of showing his affection for his friend (who was more of a strange "uncle" than a friend, but anyway). After all, Prosecutor Gavin was the king of gossiping. Though Nahyuta appreciated the fact that he never judged the people who were involved in the rumors.
He had learned a lot of interesting things about his coworkers. Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth was a huge fan of that "foolish child TV show". That was the last thing he had expected from him. But it explained the strange statues hidden behind his office's curtains. Nahyuta guessed Edgeworth didn't want people to see them, as it would probably hurt his credibility.
Another rumor said that Simon would often talk to Taka, when alone in his office. Nahyuta thought that was more than probable. He was the kind of man who'd do foolish things like that, such as talking to a bird, who obviously couldn't understand a word Simon said, and couldn't reply.
However, the most "interesting" rumor was that Prosecutor Gavin and Apollo were dating. Nahyuta remembered Simon's loud laugh as he said that. He made fun of Nahyuta for not noticing such an "apparent thing".
He felt offended, but mostly confused. Nahyuta wasn't very familiar with the whole concept of love and dating. That was why he didn't notice anything. He felt a little excluded. He often saw and heard people talk about love, about the people they liked, their partners.
But Nahyuta didn't understand.
As far as he remembered, he had never felt such emotions for another person, be it a man, a woman, or anyone else. He could think of people he despised, sure. But people he liked or was attracted to ? He couldn't.
It is true that it was something that weighed on his mind. He couldn't even tell if it was because he just hadn't found the right person, or simply because he wasn't interested in such things.
This time, unfortunately, Nahyuta didn't have any rumors to kindly share with Datz. His mind wandered, and he sent the mail without really looking at the screen.
And that was probably his best mistake.
—————————————————————
"Hmpf. Did you see that, Taka ? The expression on Sad Monk's face was..."
Amusing ? Hilarious ? Positively priceless ?
Countless words appeared in Simon's mind, but none of them were really fitting.
He deeply enjoyed teasing Nahyuta, but this time something was different.
Maybe it was Nahyuta's reaction. He would often blush in embarrassment at Simon's insufferable antics, but this time, the way his eyes followed even the slightest movements of Simon's face was definitely unusual.
Simon laughed at the thought. Who would've thought that such a "holy" person could so easily be uncomfortable ? And most importantly, being so bad at hiding his emotions ? Simon thought that being a member of the royal family meant having a perfect poker face, and not letting anything accidentally slip out.
But Nahyuta ? He was so readable. Just like an open book. Especially for someone like Simon, who studied psychology and, naturally, knew how to read body language.
Simon wondered how he had managed to trick the former queen into thinking he was on her side, when his body language "spoke" more than he did.
He scratched Taka's neck, and took a sip of tea he had poured himself. It was Genmaicha tea, a sort of Japanese tea known for its calming and soothing effects. It was made from green tea and roasted rice.
He put down his cup on his desk, making sure not to spill his drink on the various documents laid in front of him, or on his computer.
He opened his mailbox, his eyes scanning the list of mail he had received recently. Most of them came from various coworkers, asking him to give them specific documents about cases, or to mail them regarding a meeting.
He spent the rest of the day answering their requests, and wandering in the hallways, a large stack of files in his arms. It was definitely not the best part of his job, but it was important and had to be done, so he put his all into that task.
Unaware of Nahyuta's confused stare as he walked past his office several times.
—————————————————————
Simon drove back to his flat, irritated. The traffic on the way back was worse than usual, and he had to take an alternative route, which resulted in him coming home later than he was supposed to.
He prepared his dinner and placed the plate on his desk. He still had work to do, and he had wasted an important amount of time on the road. He double checked if he had indeed replied to all his mail and noticed he had received a bunch of mail on his private email.
Most of them were spam, but the last one caught his attention. It didn't look like spam, or computer generated emails. This one had definitely been written by someone, not a robot.
The subject was "Weekly Yuty Gossip Report". How odd. Maybe the sender made a mistake and sent it to Simon. He decided to read it, just to be sure.
Datz,
Here's the usual "weekly report".
I unfortunately do not have anything interesting to say, as I haven't caught any discussions worth mentioning.
…
I wish you would stop pestering me with the rumors amongst the "group". I do not wish to know every member's little secrets.
You should focus more on doing what you are paid for instead of gossiping like an old lady.
…
I must get back to work. Do not message me unless you have something to say that might be worth my precious time.
Simon was sure of it. That email was not supposed to end up in his mailbox. He didn't know any "Datz", and the sender's mail did not ring any bells in his mind.
Telling them they sent their email to the wrong person was the least he could do. He typed on his keyboard, trying to find the right words, without sounding rude or weird.
Simon sent his reply, and decided to call it a day. He had worked enough today, and Taka was dozing off on his desk. He stretched his arms, and went to bed, wondering who sent him this bizarre message.
—————————————————————
Praying was the first thing Nahyuta did after entering his office. One of the walls had a huge portrait of the Holy Mother, to whom he'd pray every day. Once he was done, he poured himself a cup of green tea, and looked out the huge window at the back of his office.
He had a dashing view of the city, the tall buildings, and the cars, which looked so tiny from up there that it was hard to tell which color they were. The most amazing thing was undoubtedly the breathtaking starry skies that Nahyuta could sometimes contemplate.
His computer's bright screen reflected itself in the window, catching his attention. Datz had probably replied to his mail by now. One hour was the longest it could take him to reply. The now half empty cup of tea was resting next to his computer.
To his surprise, Datz hadn't replied. Instead, an email from a complete stranger was sitting in his mailbox.
Probably someone who sent it to the wrong person, by mistake.
…
It was the other way around.
Nahyuta sent yesterday's email to a complete stranger. He frowned. How could he make such a stupid mistake ? He never gets distracted, and yesterday was no exceptio—
Or maybe it was. He had been distracted after all.
The stranger had been kind enough to politely point out Nahyuta's mistake. He thanked the Holy Mother for that, as well as for the fact that he didn't have anything to gossip about in yesterday's email. He doesn't want to think about how awkward it would have been if he had told a complete stranger about all the "juicy" rumors in the Prosecutor's Office.
He replied to the stranger's email after sending Datz the mail, for real this time. That was the least he could do. The other half of his tea had now disappeared.
If Datz was there, he'd be laughing uncontrollably at Nahyuta's "stupid" mistake. He felt quite ashamed. How could he get that distracted ? Upon further investigation, he discovered that the stranger's email was, in fact, very similar to Datz's new email address, hence the mistake.
"Takamuraii" was their name.
—————————————————————
It has been a month since the "email incident". It has been a month since Simon started exchanging emails with "Butterflyuty". He hadn't meant to keep contacting them after he told them they mistook him for someone else.
But they had replied to his mail, and it felt quite rude not to say something, to ignore them. And that is how, over the past month, they have exchanged a rather important number of emails. At first, they were mostly just polite messages, but in the past few weeks, the emails started resembling the sort one would send to a friend.
Simon found their "friendship" quite refreshing. He wasn't sure if it could be called friendship, as they had never met and didn't know what the other looked like, or even their names.
He was happy to be able to exchange with someone without fear of being judged for his past, or his appearance. He could be himself, without having to deal with the potential judgment that could result from showing his true self.
Plus, they were much more agreeable to talk to than some of his coworkers, like the way too energetic Klavier, or the Sad Monk.
Especially the Sad Monk.
Simon couldn't stand his "holier than thou" attitude, and it seemed the feeling was mutual. Simon would never admit such a thing to Nahyuta, but he thought it was quite unfortunate that they didn't get along. He had seen him and the Chief Prosecutor interact more than once, and he was much nicer with him, or Klavier.
Nahyuta seemed like a genuinely good person to be around, and Simon wished they could get along. Simon knew very well that they had more in common than they wanted to admit. But he was too stubborn and had a bit too much pride to propose a truce.
So they were sentenced to argue and despise each other for the rest of their lives.
Well, despise wasn't the right word. Simon has never despised, or even hated Nahyuta. They had just started off on the wrong foot, and never bothered to change it. Maybe pretending to hate each other was much easier.
Also, and Simon would literally rather cross the Styx than admit it , Nahyuta wasn't that bad looking. Actually, since Simon was forced to see his face more than he'd like, he could say it was quite the opposite. He had the most mesmerizing green eyes Simon had even been given the chance to stare into. And his hair was such a pretty color, too.
Speak of the devil.
As if on cue, Nahyuta appeared in his office, his face harboring the usual facial expression he saved just for Simon. The "I would rather be anywhere but here with you" face.
"What could bring you to my office ? I suppose you did not come here on your own free will." Simon sighed, not looking up from his laptop. He was too busy messaging them, who were much more pleasant to interact with than the Sad Monk.
"I was kindly asked to bring these documents to the landfill you call your office, regarding Wednesday's case." As usual, Nahyuta did not miss an occasion to insult Simon, who, as usual, wasn't impressed in the least.
"You can leave them here." Simon recalled what he had thought about earlier. He couldn't say he wished to be on better terms with him if they kept throwing mean remarks at each other.
So, for the first time, he decided to let it slide, (even though his claim wasn't based on anything. Simon's office was very clean and tidy, except maybe for the few feathers scattered on the floor. But he would pick them up before leaving his office tonight, as always).
His hawk-like eyes did not fail to notice the surprise on the Sad Monk's face.
For the first time, Nahyuta left without a word.
They were a step closer to being "friends".
—————————————————————
Nahyuta laughed. When was the last time he laughed with someone, like this ? It had been a very long time.
Nahyuta and "Takamuraii" have been talking for a little over three months now. Around two months ago, they ditched emails for their phones. They had exchanged phone numbers, claiming it was easier that way.
And it was. They could text wherever they were, whenever they wanted. And they talked all the time. Every time Nahyuta glanced at his phone, a notification from Takamuraii popped up on the screen.
Nahyuta didn't know what he looked like, only that he was a man in his late twenties, who lived in the same country as him.
They had agreed not to share any personal information besides that. No names, no addresses, no jobs. And, obviously, no pictures of themselves, in case the other was some kind of hacker, or just a person with malicious intent.
Another thing he knew about him was that he had a coworker they couldn't get along with. He had asked Nahyuta for advice on how to get them to appreciate him, or at least to tolerate his existence.
It made Nahyuta smile, knowing he wasn't the only one in that situation. Takamuraii's story echoed his and Simon's. They would often talk about their despicable colleague. At first, when he asked Nahyuta for advice, he refused to apply it to his situation. But after a while, he thought that maybe he could try to give Simon a chance. That was easier said than done.
He had suggested trying not to take what they said to heart, and trying to be nice to them.
"Maybe it would help them realize how wonderful you are." he had told him.
It is true that Nahyuta thought Takamuraii was a wonderful person. He was nice, funny, and Nahyuta could swear he had flirted at least once with him. That's what Datz told him.
Nahyuta remembered his reaction upon reading Datz's email. Has Takamuraii been flirting with him all this time ? And, most importantly, why did he hope it was the case ?
"Think about it. Maybe you have a crush on him ?"
Was it even possible to feel that way about someone he didn't know ? He wasn't sure. He had never felt that way about anyone.
According to what Datz had told him about feelings and crushes, maybe, just maybe, he felt that way about someone. That constant blush on his face, the euphoria whenever he received a message from him,...
Nahyuta had a crush on this "Takamuraii".
The realization hit him like a brick.
He buried his face in his hands. All this time, he thought he had finally found a trustworthy friend. But if he did have feelings for him, their friendship could be ruined. Their friendship is way too important to him now. He couldn't take such a risk. And his emotions were bound to burst out at some point, he could not just bury or ignore them.
Another problem.
How do you even flirt ?
Was Takamuraii attracted to men, anyway ? Nahyuta was pretty sure he wasn't even interested in such things. He had probably just flirted with him, as a joke. Or Datz lied to him. Holy Mother. How was he going to handle the situation ?
—————————————————————
Simon was home, absentmindedly watching TV. A news channel was on, but Simon couldn't tell what was going on in the world if his life depended on it. He had more important things to focus on. More important things, like texting "Butterflyuty".
They were in the middle of a very interesting conversation, one that exclusively consisted of complaining about work and coworkers. Nahyuta had a hard time following Simon's advice.
He hated everything about him. His appearance, his personality, his way of talking, his office, his small habits.
"Even his breathing possesses the unexpected capacity of annoying me.
The message made Simon grin. He could definitely relate to that. His relationship with Nahyuta was still weird. Some days, he was actually nicer, and sometimes he was even more insufferable than before.
Maybe they just weren't meant to get along.
For example, yesterday, Nahyuta stormed into his office, for no reason, mumbling about some "illness" he had caught because of him. Although Simon hadn't been sick since last year. Which was surprising, because prison usually weakens prisoners' immune systems.
It is true that Nahyuta did not look well. His face was red, and Simon recalled him saying he felt hot. Maybe he had a fever, or something. Simon didn't need to touch his forehead to know it was very likely.
Taka stretched his wings, having finally woken up from his nap. He flew out of the window, after clumsily jumping off the couch. A screech could be heard from afar.
That was it. Simon got up from the couch. Taka was free as a bird. And so he was. Prison was a part of his past. Now he could do whatever he wanted. Go out on a stroll at three a.m. Sure. Buy 3 pounds of ice cream and devour it all by himself ? Sure.
Meet Butterflyuty in person ? Sure.
He could just ask.
—————————————————————
Nahyuta was almost positive his legs were going to be sore tomorrow. He had probably walked a few miles, pacing around his office like a fool. His nails were a complete mess, with fresh marks of his teeth carved into them. They were the sole witnesses and the sole proof that Nahyuta was terrified.
Terrified of going on a "date" with Takamuraii.
"Maybe we should meet in person, so we can hate our coworkers together."
Nahyuta hated how a single message could set his cheeks on fire. He needed to calm down. It wasn't a date, he didn't say it was. Holy Mother, he was going to be late if he just kept on wasting time like this.
He hadn't specified where they were going, Takamuraii only gave him a meeting point as well as a specific time to meet. To be honest, that seemed a little suspicious. Why wouldn't he tell Nahyuta where he was taking him ? To kidnap him, perhaps ? Well, if that was the case, he had to go. As one of the Holy Mother's humble servants, we could not let such a putrid soul roam freely in the streets.
However, this was just speculation, and Nahyuta had a feeling Takamuraii was genuinely a good person. He didn't give his trust easily, but his gut told him that this time he could make an exception.
Footsteps coming from the hallway could be heard, and Nahyuta could only hope no one would require his assistance on something. What if someone saw him lose his calm like this ? His name would be on everyone's lips. He'd become the source of these damned rumors that Datz loves so much. But if it ever came to that, he'd keep this one for himself.
There was no earthquake, but Nahyuta's hands were shaking, and he struggled to grab the doorknob of his office. Holy Mother, this is going to be horrible. His only hope was that Takamuraii wouldn't notice his nervousness because he didn't know how to read body language. Not like that putrid lawyer he had no choice but to call his coworker.
Speak of the devil.
Nahyuta had terrible timing. He opened the door right when that reversed panda walked past his office. Simon, on the other hand, seemed delighted to have "run" into him as he left. He opened his mouth, probably in an attempt to make some kind of snarky comment, but Nahyuta parried his assault, saying he didn't have time for his usual foolishness.
It seemed the Holy Mother had decided to put all kinds of obstacles in his way. Simon's footsteps were getting closer, but not the elevator. Nahyuta prayed that whoever was monopolizing the elevator would be reincarnated as an insignificant worm. The number above the doors went up, and Nahyuta counted along in his head.
The elevator felt even slower than usual. The poor accountant from the third floor found themselves trapped between two pissed prosecutors. The tension could be cut with a blade. Relief flooded his mind when the doors opened with a little sound, his feet hitting the floor, wanting to put as much distance between them as possible.
Simon had unknowingly decided otherwise, his destination being the same as his. He desperately tried to ignore the clacking of his boots on the pavement, to no avail. The sound was similar to a clock's, clicks evenly spaced, the same noise repeated over and over.
Nahyuta took a turn, and then another. He stopped in front of the traffic lights. Simon had no choice but to do the same. He made sure to be standing at least 2 meters away from him, mind you. Nahyuta sighed, and he decided to make the situation clear to prevent any misunderstandings.
"Before you start asking, I am not following you. It appears we are headed in the same direction." All he got in return was a sigh. "There is simply someone, a friend, that I must meet there."
"You have friends ?" Simon closed his eyes, and his shoulders lowered. How original.
"You are running out of inspiration, I see. To answer your question, yes, I do." Be nicer to people, he had told them.
"Who'd want to be friends with you ?" The lights turned green, tearing Simon from that pointless conversation.
They walked side by side to the park, keeping a safe distance between them, earning curious glances from the passersby. The bird's chirping slowly became louder than the traffic, meaning their destination was near. The huge, rusty green gate with carved leaf pattern in Simon's field of view.
A notification popped up on Nahyuta's screen.
"I have just arrived at the park, I'll be waiting for you beneath the bronze statue."
Simon was positive that in the 29 years he had spent on this planet, he had never felt so ashamed before. The message that was displayed on Nahyuta's screen was the same one he had just sent from his phone.
"Nahyuta…" For the first time, Simon called him by his first name.
"Yes ?"
"I…am Takamuraii."
"Come again ?"
A Nightmare. It had to be. Simon Blackquill was the person he had admitted having feelings for ? He had complained about Simon to Simon himself ? How could he make such a huge mistake ? Most importantly, what was he going to do now ? What about his feelings for him ? Now that he knows his real identity, will they remain ? Or disappear ?
Nahyuta must've been grimacing, because Simon put a hesitant hand on his shoulder.
"Listen. I understand that this must not be easy for you. If you'd rather cancel our "date" and forget this ever occurred, I will not stop you."
Maybe this was the perfect chance to start over again, and get to know each other, minus the "hate" part.
"No, don't. Don't you think this is an opportunity for us ? I am aware of the…terrible relationship we've had so far. I have discovered another side of you I would have never had the chance to know otherwise, and I am convinced we should try again. I hate hating you."
"You are absolutely right. Shall we be on our way then ?"
"Absolutely."
"...Do you still consider this a date, Nahyuta ?"
"Of course."