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For some unknown reason, Klavier had decided to grace the WAA with his presence. Well, Apollo at least knew the excuse , being that he needed to retrieve the file Apollo had borrowed from him a few days prior. Seeing as the case for which the file was relevant was over and done with, there was no reason that Klavier couldn’t have waited until the following day, since Apollo had told him he had some errands to run at the prosecutor’s office and could deliver the file then. But for some reason Klavier couldn’t have waited until then.
Based on the pace Klavier had sauntered into the office and the assurance that Apollo should take his time in getting the file, Apollo could guess his real reason for being there. Klavier must have been really bored.
Truth be told, Apollo was also a little bored. Not one to waste the working hours of the day, he had taken to perusing some of the law books on Mr. Wright’s shelf. Based on the thick layer of dust on them, he would be surprised if someone else had read them within the last century. Though most of their clients were accused of murders, there was no reason not to think their next client might be accused of... golf course vandalism? In any case, it didn’t hurt to learn more obscure details about the law, though his brain was starting to feel a little fried from reading all day. So, he might have felt just a little grateful for Klavier’s interruption.
“Here you go,” Apollo handed the file off to Klavier, who deflated a little.
“That was certainly fast.” Klavier looked pointedly at the many piles of random paper stacked throughout the office.
“Yeah, well, unlike everyone else here, I actually like to keep my files in order.”
“I would expect nothing else from you.” Klavier made to put the files away.
“Hold on, Prosecutor Gavin,” Trucy snatched the files away and did a little spin. “I just wanted to double check something... okay. You can have them back now.”
Klavier took the file back, then snorted. Apollo had a bad feeling. He snuck over to Klavier’s side to get a glance at the papers and was met with... a crude caricature of himself...
Klavier flipped through the pages and the little Apollo walked around the space on the page, finishing by yelling ‘I’M FINE’ . If it hadn’t been at his own expense, Apollo might have praised Trucy for the little animation.
“Trucy, where is the real file,” Apollo asked.
She shrugged. “I dunno, guess you’ll have to find them.”
Klavier didn’t seem bothered. “Is this just a ploy to get me to stay a little longer?”
Trucy smiled. “Maybe.”
Klavier smiled back. “Well, we better get looking.”
Visions of the stacks of papers falling to the floor and making the WAA even more of a disaster than it already was flashed into Apollo’s mind. “Uh, no. I’ll look for the file, you two... do something else.”
Trucy pouted. “A treasure hunt is no fun when only one person is looking.”
“I wouldn’t exactly call that file treasure ,” Apollo countered. “I don’t trust you two not to make this place an even worse mess.”
“Don’t worry about that. I know exactly where it is,” Trucy smiled.
“Yeah, I know you know. But will you tell me-”
Trucy pointed up. Apollo followed her finger to the ceiling above the couch. The file was on the ceiling. Of course, it was.
Apollo sighed and climbed the couch... only to find he was still too short. He didn’t appreciate Trucy and Klavier’s poorly stifled laughter. Apollo jumped down and looked pointedly at Klavier.
“What?” Klavier said once his laughter was under control. “Didn’t you say that only you could be trusted to get the document without messing this place up?”
“I... didn’t say that exactly, ” Apollo muttered.
“In any case, my hands are tied.” Klavier held his hands up, proving the opposite of his previous claim.
“Since you’re staying anyways, we can all taste test my cookies!” Trucy produced a tray of cookies out of nowhere.
“They smell delicious!” Klavier took a cookie for himself. “I will gladly be your guinea pig.”
While Klavier and Trucy enjoyed the cookies, Apollo hunted around for something he could stand on. He eventually decided to use some of the books he was supposed to be reading. They were all quite thick, so when he stacked them up and stood on top of them...
“Herr Forehead, bitte, come down before you hurt yourself.” Klavier stood in front of the couch where Apollo was straining.
“This is the only way I can get you to leave the office,” Apollo retorted. Standing on tip toes, he could almost reach...
“I know you don’t hate my presence as much as you pretend to,” Klavier said. “Just come down and enjoy these cookies with us, then I’ll get the page down.”
Apollo opened his mouth to deny out of reflex, but closed it. Reacting antagonistically towards Klavier had become habit over the time they’d worked together, but he couldn’t deny that at this point, they were more or less friends. Truth be told, he had been a little happy to see Klavier and wouldn’t mind taking a break to chat with him over cookies. Sure, it was a little annoying that Trucy went through such a charade when she could have just asked Klavier to stay a little longer, but that’s just how she was. Looking down at the pile of books he was standing on, Apollo could acknowledge that own stubbornness was getting out of hand.
“Alright, alright,” Apollo feigned reluctance, as he made to step down. “I guess we can-" The books decided in that moment they no longer wanted to be Apollo’s step stool. Apollo pitched forward. He reached out to brace for impact- Klavier’s hands found themselves on Apollo’s upper arms, steadying him and the pile of books.
Apollo had closed his eyes automatically, so when he finally opened them, he was wholly unprepared for the genuinely worried look Klavier was shooting him. The look was quickly masked with a teasing smile. “Finally fallen for me?”
Apollo scowled, hoping the redness in his face would be interpreted as anger. “In your dreams,” he grumbled, staring at the floor. He heard Klavier laugh lightly... and did nothing else. And therein lay the reason Apollo was rarely happy to see Klavier: Klavier was obsessed with teasing him. Apollo didn’t think Klavier was intending to be malicious with his incessant flirting, but he had to wonder if Klavier still had no idea about the little crush Apollo had on him. But Klavier flirted that way with everyone, so hopefully he still bought Apollo’s immune-to-your-charms act. Speaking of which. Apollo did his best to compose himself, before turning to face Klavier. “Mind letting me down?”
“Ach, of course!” Klavier gently guided him down. Once Apollo was on solid ground- er- couch, Klavier squeezed his arms before letting go. Apollo thought he felt his bracelet twinge around his wrist, but it might have been his imagination.
Apollo hopped down from the couch and gathered the books up, as Klavier stepped on the couch to grab the file off the ceiling. When Apollo finished reshelving the books, Klavier was standing before him.
“Here you are.” Klavier passed him the file.
“Thanks.” Apollo took the file, verified it was indeed the correct one, and handed it back to Klavier. “And here you are.”
“Ah, right,” Klavier sounded surprised as he took the page back. He seemed to have already forgotten what he came to the office for, further cementing Apollo’s suspicions that Klavier’s motive for visiting had nothing to do with the document.
"Alright, let’s get some cookies before Trucy eats all of them.”
Somehow, the cookies were still steaming...
Apollo found himself at Klavier’s office door the next day. Since he had to visit the prosecutor’s office for some errands regardless, he decided to stop by once he was finished. The door to Klavier’s office was slightly ajar, so Apollo knocked gently to alert the prosecutor of his presence.
Klavier, having been standing at the window, spun around at the knock, some papers in his hands. “Herr Forehead!” He grinned and Apollo almost had to avert his eyes at the brightness. “Have you come to deliver the real documents?”
“No, I was just- wait, what do you mean real documents?”
Klavier walked over to his speaker desk and exchanged the papers in his hands for another document on the desk. He held it in front of himself so Apollo could read the big block letters spelling ‘ Trucy’s secret cookie recipe’. Trucy switched the documents. Again. Of course, she did.
“Judging by your drooping horns, I take it you didn’t realize?” Klavier put the recipe back on his desk.
“No, I’m so sorry about that. I hope you didn’t need it.”
“Nein, don't worry about it. It just gives me another excuse to come see you.” He winked.
Apollo rolled his eyes. “You don’t really need an excuse, we’re friends, aren’t we?”
Klavier look strangely surprised by that statement. Had Apollo been the only one who considered them friends? But then Klavier laughed lightly. “With an open invitation like that, I might come visit more than you like.”
“Yeah, yeah, you still have to work sometimes .”
“Speaking of work, was there another document you needed?”
“No, no, I just came by to say hi.”
Klavier blinked. “To say hi?” he said as if the notion was unheard of.
“Uh, yeah?” Apollo replied, not understanding what the issue was. “It’s also almost lunch time so I was going to ask if you wanted to get something to eat.”
“Lunch?” For some reason, Klavier sounded even more surprised. “Just us two?”
“I came here alone so unless you want to invite someone else, then yes.”
Klavier finally snapped out of whatever stupor he was in and flashed Apollo a blinding smile. “Lunch would be lovely.”
Klavier led them to a small bistro a few blocks away. They ordered a couple sandwiches and sat at one of the tables on the terrasse. While they waited for their food, Apollo pulled out his phone to let his colleagues know of his lunch plan. When he pocketed his phone, he realized Klavier had been humming a melody he didn’t recognize.
“Someone’s in a good mood,” Apollo commented. “Something happen?”
“I’m having lunch with my favourite defense attorney, aren’t I?”
Apollo grabbed his wrist out of habit, but there was no lie in his words. He couldn’t stop the pleased flush from covering his face as he assimilated Klavier’s words. He tamped down his excitement. Just because Klavier meant what he said, didn’t mean he put that much thought into them.
Apollo attempted to shrug nonchalantly. “I’m in the same boat, but you don’t hear me singing about it.”
Klavier’s eyebrows shot up. “I'm your favourite prosecutor?” He grinned and leaned forward to rest his chin on his folded hands.
“You’re certainly the most bearable,” Apollo grumbled before Klavier felt too full of himself.
Klavier laughed. “Is the bar that low?”
“Do you really need to ask? You’ve seen Payne in court...” Apollo tipped his chair back and grimaced as he remembered his last trial. He didn’t get how Payne had the gall to be so condescending when he’d never lost a trial to anyone in their agency. “Do you have to deal with defense attorneys like that?”
“Though most consider me their enemy, few are needlessly antagonistic. Of course, none are as fun to argue with as you.”
“Of course.”
A staff member put their sandwiches down in front of them. Apollo thanked them before digging in. It was pretty good for the price. After scarfing down half the sandwich, Apollo slowed to a more moderate pace. Seeming to take that as an invitation for conversation, Klavier spoke again, “Tell me, Herr Forehead, how is life at the WAA? Hectic as always?”
“Nah, things are pretty quiet right now. It’s nice to have a break, but it’s kind of boring. At least this Friday I’ll be able to go home on time and actually relax for a change.”
“And what constitutes a relaxing Friday for you? Reading about the legal procedures in other countries?”
“Ha ha. No. I’ll probably just have a movie marathon or something.” Apollo took another bite out of his sandwich, not bothering to swallow before asking “What about you? I bet you go clubbing every weekend.”
“That's a bit excessive even for me,” Klavier laughed. Having finished his sandwich, he leaned forward to rest his cheek on one hand. “I’ll occasionally grab a drink with a coworker, but that’s the current extent of my night life.”
Apollo hummed, unconvinced. “You’re telling me, that a guy who wears this ,” Apollo gestured with his sandwich to Klavier’s gaping shirt, “to work, doesn’t change into something even racier for a night on the town?”
“Nein, sorry to disappoint.” He used the hand not supporting his face to stir his drink, the ice clinking gently.
“So, what? When you get home, you get less casual? Put on a suit maybe?” Apollo joked.
“Ah, no, I typically slip into some lingerie.”
Apollo choked on the last bite of his sandwich.
Klavier laughed while Apollo did not imagine Klavier lounging at home in lingerie!
…
He hoped Klavier assumed the redness in his face was for a lack of oxygen.
“Apologies, Herr Forehead,” Klavier said once Apollo finally stopped coughing. “You just make it too easy.”
The inappropriate joke and the soft look Klavier was shooting Apollo reminded him of why he had been so reticent to call Klavier his friend in the first place. A little part of him still believed that Klavier was trying to win his affections. Win being the keyword, since after winning, he’d no longer have to play the game. But no. He knew Klavier better now. The flirting was just part of his persona. Man, woman, young, old, no one was safe.
It wasn’t Klavier’s fault that his cheesy lines actually worked on Apollo...
“What about you?” Klavier continued, not dissuaded by Apollo’s lack of response. “Every time I see you, you seem to be wearing the same suit. Does it also double as pajamas?”
“...I have proper pajamas.”
“What counts as proper pajamas to you? A fuzzy onesie?”
How did he-?! “I usually wear sweatpants and a T-shirt to bed.”
“ Usually ? That means there’s something else you occasionally wear.” Klavier looked him in the eyes as he grinned. “And don’t think I didn’t notice you avoided my accusation about a onesie.”
Geez... and Apollo was supposed to be the perceptive one... Apollo briefly considered telling Klavier he slept nude as a taste of his own medicine, but had a feeling it would backfire. Might as well just admit it. “Trucy bought us matching onesies.” Klavier’s grin grew at his admission. “But I only wear them when we have movie nights together!”
“Does that mean you’ll be wearing it this Friday?” Klavier sounded weirdly eager.
“No... Trucy has plans with a friend so it will just be me and my cat.”
“Sounds a little lonely. Wouldn’t you rather have someone else there with you?” He raised an eyebrow, suggestively.
“You sound like you’re inviting yourself over,” he joked, seriously doubting that Klavier would want to spend his Friday night with Apollo.
Klavier feigned surprise. “I would never be so forward. I wouldn’t turn down an invitation, however.” He winked.
Apollo’s pulse spiked, but he was sure Klavier was just joking around, as usual. Apollo rolled his eyes to cover his inner turmoil. “Alright. My place, 8 o’clock. Bring caviar.”
“I’m not sure if caviar is the best thing to eat while watching a movie, but I’m sure I could find a suitable substitute.”
“Guess I’ll trust your judgement.”
“Wunderbar! I won’t disappoint you,” he paused. “Should I also bring my lingerie?”
Apollo choked again... this time on his own spit. Unfortunately, he no longer had the excuse of a sandwich clogging his windpipe for his reddening face.
“Well!” Apollo stood up, the chair behind him scraping noisily as he did so. “I think I’ve wasted enough time for today!”
Klavier stood much more gently. “I would say time spent with you is never wasted.”
“I think your boss would disagree,” Apollo said, instead of swooning like his heart wanted him to.
Klavier sighed dramatically. “I suppose you are right.”
Apollo took an awkward step backwards. “I guess I’ll see you around then.”
Klavier gave him a two-fingered salute. “I’ll see you Friday
“Right, see you-” huh? Wait, had Klavier actually been serious about coming over? Klavier turned the corner before Apollo could yell out to clarify.
When it came to friendly things, hanging out at Eldoon’s or going over a case together, Klavier was genuine, but if he was flirting that meant he was just playing around. Apollo wasn’t sure where their recent interactions lay. Apollo had meant the invitation to come across platonically, but with all of Klavier’s flirting, it was hard to know how he’d interpreted it. Apollo supposed it shouldn’t matter. He was having a movie night whether Klavier decided to join him or not. Klavier’s presence would make no difference.
At 7:30 on Friday, Apollo found himself standing in an apartment cleaner than it had been in months. The GYAXA T-shirt and sweatpants felt too informal for meeting up with Klavier so he almost hadn’t changed out of his red suit before remembering their previous conversation. Despite telling himself that Klavier’s presence wouldn’t make a difference, he had spent the whole day thinking about their possible date plans together. He was lucky he only had a bit of paperwork to get through that day...
Too anxious to sit down and wait, Apollo wandered around his apartment, looking for anything out of place. The apartment itself wasn’t too impressive, but he at least had a separate sleeping space from the living room/kitchen area, perfect for hiding anything incriminating he might find lying around.
Apollo’s head was stuck in the fridge, making sure none of his food had spots of mold on it, when the doorbell rang. Startled, he hit his head on the freezer door. He slammed the fridge door shut and looked at the oven clock. Klavier was ten minutes early. Not that Apollo didn’t appreciate punctuality...
He took a deep breath before opening the door. It was actually Klavier. He was dressed in a trench coat, with a plastic bag hanging from one arm. But why a trench coat? He... he was wearing clothes underneath, right?
“Are you going to let me in, Herr Forehead?”
Apollo jolted. How long had he been staring at Klavier’s chest? “Uh, right! Welcome!” Apollo’s chords of steel rang out as he stepped aside to let Klavier pass.
“Do you have a board I could arrange my snacks on?” Klavier raised the plastic bag.
Apollo came back from the kitchen with a plastic cutting board. “Is this okay?” It would have to be, since it was the only board Apollo had.
“Perfect.” Klavier took the board from Apollo. “Danke.”
“I can take your coat if you want.”
Klavier raised an eyebrow. “Getting me to strip already?”
“If taking off your coat counts as stripping, I’m not sure I want to see what’s underneath,” Apollo lied.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll approve.” Klavier put the board and bag on the coffee table. Then, while making eye-contact with Apollo, began slowly unbuttoning the coat. Klavier’s eyes challenged him to look away. He couldn’t back down. Even though it was a joke, even though he knew Klavier was fully dressed underneath, Apollo’s heart still thudded in anticipation.
The final button was finally undone. Klavier dramatically opened his coat and placed one hand behind his head, the other on his hip. The tension in the air immediately dissipated as Apollo registered the fuzzy Gavinner’s patterned pants and T-shirt.
“Very nice,” Apollo said, dryly.
Klavier grinned. “I knew you’d approve.” He handed over his coat to Apollo, who took it over to the coat hooks by the door... all currently occupied. He heard Klavier rummaging through the plastic bag as he attempted to rearrange the coats.
“I’m a little disappointed in your outfit,” Klavier said. “When are you going to change into your onesie?”
Finally having sorted the coats out, Apollo spun around. “Not going to happen.”
“Such a shame.” Klavier was kneeling in front of the coffee table, spreading out some cheese and bread on the board. “You looked so cute in it.”
“Too bad, you’re never going to see-” Wait. “What did you just say?”
Klavier smirked as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. After searching for a moment, he turned it around, showing a picture of Trucy smiling beside a scowling Apollo, both wearing the accursed onesies.
“How did you... Trucy?!”
“Fraulein Magician can be quite generous when she wants to be.”
He was never wearing that onesie again... “So, you two are friends, then?”
Klavier paused. “Yes, we've become quite close recently.” Apollo’s bracelet reacted, slightly. “I was thinking of making it my lock screen.”
“ Don’t. ” Apollo mustered his most intimidating glare.
“Alright, alright.” Klavier put his phone away. “Truth be told, I’d rather keep this photo for myself.”
Apollo decided not to acknowledge that last comment.
Apollo went to get them some iced tea while Klavier perfected his cheese display. Apollo handed the drink over to Klavier, as he joined him on the couch. “So, this is your caviar substitute?” Apollo gestured to the board, where many pieces of bread lay, already prepared with cheese and meats on top. “Fancy bread and cheese?”
“The fanciest of breads and cheeses. I paired the perfect cheese with the perfect meat, and the bread is from an authentic French bakery.”
“I dunno,” Apollo said, because it was in his personality to be difficult. “I still think caviar is fancier.”
“You should try it before judging.” Klavier picked up a piece of loaded bread and held it in front of Apollo’s face. “Say Ah .”
Apollo said nothing, hoping that his face would adequately convey the message Are you out of your mind?
Apparently, Apollo’s telepathy needed some work as Klavier followed with “You need to open your mouth to eat.”
Apollo just stared at him, unimpressed, and held his hand out. “Just give me the cheese, Gavin.” Apollo’s bracelet reacted. Klavier's smile had gone from teasing to stiff in an instant.
“Why don’t you call me Klavier?” he asked. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”
Apollo wasn’t sure how to react to the request. Normally, he’d just assume Klavier was teasing him again, but there was clearly more to it than that. Wanting to do anything to dissipate the tense atmosphere, he instinctively responded with sarcasm. “Stop calling me Herr Forehead and we’ll see.”
“That won’t be a problem, Apollo." Klavier’s voice deepened. Apollo inhaled sharply. In an instance, the mood had changed from tense to... something else. He made the mistake of looking into Klavier’s eyes. His eyes, normally light and carefree, had turned dark. Apollo felt like he was being drawn in- but no, Klavier couldn’t want that. He was just reading too much into Klavier’s flirting again. He forced his eyes to the bread in Klavier’s hands. “I was starting to think you didn’t even know my name.” His voice came out unintentionally soft.
“How could I forget a name like Apollo Justice?”
"By how rarely you use it, I wouldn’t be surprised,” Apollo mumbled.
“Well now I have now proven that I know it.” Klavier leaned a little closer. “And you?”
Apollo sighed. “Alright. Give me the cheese, Klavier .” He held out his hand again.
“Of course!” Klavier beamed, breaking the mood. But then he just kept trying to nudge the bread closer to Apollo’s face.
Apollo leaned back. Why was he even playing along? He snatched one up from the table and stuffed it in his mouth.
Klavier lowered the bread, finally having given up. “What do you think?”
Apollo shrugged and swallowed. “It’s good.”
“Ach, so difficult to please.”
“Hey, I said it was good.” He doubted he would be able to properly appreciate caviar either.
Apollo turned back to the table. Behind the board, he had set up his laptop by stacking some thick law books and putting it on top. He didn’t have a TV, so it was the best he could do. Apollo had decided to go for some classic Slasher movies that night. He was forbidden from watching them with Trucy, even though she’d seen real dead bodies... or maybe that was why.
Apollo pressed play on the first movie, Nightmare on Elm Street, then leaned back into the couch. He immediately became aware of how close they were currently sitting. Klavier hadn’t moved back to his original spot after all that bread nonsense, so they were close enough that Apollo could feel Klavier’s body heat. Whenever either of them shifted slightly, their shoulders would brush. It set Apollo on edge but the proximity was also kind of nice. It kind of made it feel like they were on a date.
Turns out Klavier was a talker during movies. Apollo didn’t mind. He was used to Trucy’s chatter when they watched movies together, and he’d seen the movie before. It was fun to hear Klavier’s comments, most of it was about the character’s fashion choices, but also just general surprise at the events in the movie. He quieted down during the more intense scenes, which Apollo appreciated.
After one of the death scenes, Klavier remained uncharacteristically quiet. Apollo thought he was just absorbed into the movie, until his bracelet reacted. He grabbed his wrist and glanced over at Klavier. He was fiddling with the drawstrings on his pants with one hand. Even though his tell was obvious, he didn’t know why Klavier was tense in the first place. There was nothing particularly scary happening in the movie, so why-
Something touched Apollo’s shoulders and he jolted. It was gone a moment later, as Klavier retracted his arm.
“Ach, my apologies.” Klavier fiddled with his rings. “I wasn’t paying attention to where my arm was.”
Apollo’s bracelet tightened again, which meant Klavier was lying about it being an accident? What had he been trying to do? Wrap an arm around him? There was no way, right?
Apollo perceived Klavier and noticed a dusting of pink on his cheeks. Klavier was blushing. Was he embarrassed by his mistake, or... or was it Apollo that made him feel flustered? Apollo’s stomach swooped at the thought. Klavier wanted to... to hold him?!
Klavier started twisting his ring so fast that Apollo was worried he’d burn himself. He snapped himself out of his indulgent thoughts. Apollo sometimes forgot how unnerving his stare could be. Klavier had apologized and Apollo had responded by staring a hole into him.
“No, it’s fine,” Apollo kept his voice steady, despite his racing thoughts. “I was just surprised.”
Klavier relaxed a little and nodded. He kept fiddling with his rings.
A scream from Apollo’s laptop caused them both to jump. Apollo awkwardly turned back to the movie, but his attention was still on the man beside him.
You’d think that Apollo would be used to Klavier’s flirting by this point, but unlike any other time, Klavier had been nervous . Apollo didn’t know what to make of it. Was he actually being genuine this time? If his intentions had been to tease Apollo and get a reaction out of him, he wouldn’t have acted so bashful after.
Or , maybe Apollo was just jumping to conclusions. Maybe it really was just an accident and Klavier had been tense because he was embarrassed. If only he could press Klavier like in a courtroom.
Ironically, during the last death scene Klavier had relaxed considerably and Apollo’s bracelet hung loosely.
At one point, Klavier voiced his irritation with the character’s parents, for not believing their children.
“You think you’d believe some teenagers if they told you a dream monster was murdering people?” Apollo countered.
“Not just some teenagers. I would believe my own children,” Klavier said. “Wouldn’t you believe Fraulein Magician if she told you something unbelievable?”
Apollo frowned, knowing Klavier was right. “If I really thought she was serious, I’d hear her out.” Plus, Apollo would know if she were lying. “I don’t know if I’d believe the supernatural aspect, but I’ve seen enough weird cases that I could believe a murderer was tricking people into thinking they were a monster.”
“Oh? You think you can explain the plot of this movie with logic?”
“Maybe... there’s a murderer that hypnotizes his victims into having the same dream, where he kills one of them.”
Klavier hummed. “Impressive... don’t tell me that’s actually the plot of this movie.”
“No, I wouldn’t spoil it for you.”
They continued watching in silence for a bit before Klavier piped up again. “What about Halloween?”
“What about Halloween?” Apollo repeated.
“Could you explain that movie logically?”
“That guy’s just a regular serial killer, there is already a logically explanation.”
“But he has supposedly died and come back to life many times.”
“He could be like Rasputin. Or Mr. Wright.”
Klavier laughed. “Herr Wright?”
“Yeah!” Apollo leaned forward to pause the movie, before turning to fully face Klavier. “You don’t know about all the stuff that’s happened to him?”
“I assume it’s quite dramatic.” There was an amused glint in his eye.
“You don’t know the half of it.”
Apollo gave Klavier the full spiel of Phoenix Wright’s many near-death experiences.
“I hear your boss is good at poker, perhaps he literally cheated death,” Klavier commented when Apollo was finished.
Apollo shuddered. Images of his very first case flashing through his min, a topic he was sure Klavier would rather avoid. “Now we’re back to supernatural explanations.”
“I’m not certain supernatural is necessary illogical.” Apollo raised an eyebrow at that but Klavier shook his head. “I suppose that’s a matter of belief. Oh, but I also heard about the incident on the bridge, but through Prosecutor Edgeworth’s point of view.”
Apollo was surprised to hear that. “I heard he’d participated in the case, but I didn’t know he was there at the time.”
“He wasn’t. He chartered a private jet the moment he heard the news.”
Apollo’s brows shot up. That was certainly a detail Mr. Wright had left out of his story. “That’s... a pretty extreme reaction.”
“I would agree, if their relationship was only that of a prosecutor and defense attorney.”
“So, you’ve noticed too?” Apollo whispered, as if Mr. Wright could walk through his front door any second. “That there’s something going on between them?”
It turned out Klavier had a surprising amount of dirt on his boss, at least when it came to his relationship with Mr. Wright. It seemed the only times that Mr. Edgeworth’s mask of professionalism would slip was when it concerned the defense attorney. Klavier and Apollo tried started matching dates and events where they’d noticed their respective bosses behaving strangely, trying to get the whole picture.
While the exercise felt more like an investigating than anything else, it didn’t change the fact that they were effectively discussing their bosses love lives. Ironically, similar conversations took place whenever he had movie nights with Trucy. Not about her dad, of course. Instead, she’d take the opportunity to pry into Apollo’s nonexistent love life. In particular, she’d ask him if he’d made any progress with Klavier (the answer was always no). He supposed that’s just how sleepovers were, seeing as 90% of movies with Trucy ended up as one, with them sprawled out asleep on the couch. Not that Apollo was expecting the current movie night to end up that way! The couch was too small for them and he only had one bed so- Apollo aborted that thought.
Klavier chuckled and Apollo was afraid he’d said his last thought out loud before realizing Klavier was looking at Apollo’s screensaver, which currently showed a picture of Trucy atop a local church’s belltower, holding Apollo’s badge. Even though the picture was taken months ago, Apollo automatically checked his pockets for his badge.
“Does she have it now?” Klavier asked.
“No, I have it here.” Apollo presented his attorney’s badge.
“You have it in your pajamas?” Klavier asked, delighted.
“Uh, yeah. If I have to evacuate my apartment, I want to make sure I have it on me.”
“If you’re that paranoid, I’m surprised you don’t have your wallet on you too-” Klavier choked.
“Klavier? You alright?” Once again, Apollo followed his gaze to his computer. He lunged forward to clear the screensaver image that had just appeared: Apollo lying in his bed, drool on his pillow, covers kicked off, and his shirt riding way up. He swore he’d deleted it! When had Trucy snuck it back on?!
Apollo was much happier to see the gruesome scene his screensaver had been hiding. “Should we continue the movie?!” Apollo accidentally made use of his chords of steel.
“Ah, ja! Good idea!” Klavier replied, not quite as loud, but close. Apollo couldn’t say whether the red on Klavier’s face was just a reflection of the blood on the screen.
Apollo pressed play and they watched the grisly scene in silence. When Klavier eventually did start talking again, it seemed more like nervous chatter. Apollo had a feeling something was about to happen. Apollo’s bracelet hadn’t reacted yet, but maybe- wait, there! It tightened. And Klavier had gone quiet again. What was he going to pull this time...
Klavier leaned against him. Not so much that he felt heavy, but enough that it was clearly on purpose. Apollo didn’t breathe, expecting some kind of follow-up, but it never came. Klavier remained still, and tense. Was he expecting something from Apollo?
Tentatively, Apollo leaned gently into Klavier as well. His bracelet immediately loosened and the tension bled from Klavier’s shoulders.
“Did 8-hour energy exist back then? I think it could have been useful,” Klavier said, sounding entirely content.
“When the crash hit, you’d be doomed.”
“You’d just have to keep drinking them.”
“So you can die from a heart attack rather than a murderer?”
“I’ll have you know my record is 5 in a row.”
“...how are you still alive?”
“Not an energy drink fan? They can really help on late night cases.”
“I’ll stick to good old coffee, thank you very MUCH!” Apollo’s volume jumped at the same time as Freddy Krueger appeared out of nowhere. He could feel Klavier laughing. He poked him in retaliation.
Thanks to all their chatting, it was pretty late by the time they finished the movie.
Klavier stretched on the couch, taking his warmth with him. “I suppose I should be going then.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Apollo tried to keep his tone neutral. If Klavier hadn’t said anything, Apollo would have suggested they watch the next movie. A part of him had been hoping the evening would end the same way as those with Trucy.
Klavier slipped on his shoes and buttoned up his trench coat by the door.
“You really look like a flasher with that thing on,” Apollo commented.
“You sure it’s not just wishful thinking?”
“Shut up.” Apollo kicked his shin lightly. Klavier winced, exaggerated.
“Violence aside, I had a lovely evening.” Klavier watched him warmly, expectantly.
“Yeah,” Apollo swallowed. “Me too.” The air was strangely charged. Apollo felt as if there was something he was supposed to do or say, but he wasn’t sure what, so he just kept talking. “If you want, you could join Trucy and me for our next movie night. O-or, if Trucy is busy, we could do this again.”
Klavier’s gaze softened. “I would love that.”
Apollo expected that to be the end of the conversation, and the evening, but instead, Klavier took a step towards Apollo. He slowly raised his hands to cup Apollo’s face. Klavier leaned down slightly and, Apollo couldn’t breathe.
“May I?” he whispered. The only thing Apollo could say in response was
“HUH?!”
Klavier’s hands dropped as if he’d been burned and he stood to his full height. “Ach. My apologies, I... I misunderstood.” He took a step back and found the doorknob. “I will... I’ll see you in court.” He slipped out the door, closing it with a deafening click.
…
Was Klavier going to sue him?!
Wait no. They were both lawyers.
Apollo took a step towards the door and bonked his forehead ahead against the wood.
Did that really just happen?! And what was that anyways? Had Klavier really been about to... to kiss him?!
Apollo felt he might burn a hole through the door with how hot his face felt.
He turned around and leaned against the door, sliding until he hit the floor.
In his career as a defense attorney, things were almost never as they initially seemed. Was this one of those cases? But what else could Klavier have possibly been trying to do? If he thought outside the box, then... Klavier admitted to believing in the supernatural. Was he a supernatural being himself? Asking if he could suck Apollo’s soul out of-
His phone chimed. He almost dropped it in his haste to pull it out of his pocket. He wasn’t sure whether or not he was relieved to see Trucy’s name as the sender. The message simply read “polly”. Apollo replied with an equally simple “Yeah?”
Trucy’s next reply really did make him drop his phone. “why did you reject prosecutor gavin”
Apollo peered around his apartment, in case Trucy had installed a video camera somewhere. If she had, it wasn’t visible. After checking his phone for cracks, he sent out another message.
Apollo: How did you know?
Apollo: Wait
Apollo: No
Apollo: I didn’t reject him!
Trucy: then what happened?
Apollo: I don’t know.
Trucy: polly
Trucy: you gotta turn your brain off
Trucy: and listen to your heart
Apollo: What
Trucy: stop thinking and go get him!!
Apollo didn’t know about turning off his brain but he was grateful that Trucy had stopped him before his thoughts got too ridiculous. Well, maybe he was past that point, but still. He was overlooking the solid proof right in front of him, he always had. And even if the evidence was forged, or the judge was biased or- never mind law analogies- even if Apollo was wrong about Klavier, he had to know for sure!
Emboldened, Apollo was out of his apartment a moment later, before realizing he didn’t have a plan. He didn’t particularly want to follow Klavier back to his apartment. Hopefully Trucy’s encouragement to ‘go get him’ meant he was still nearby.
Thankfully, that turned out to be the case, as a moment later he spied Klavier sitting on one of the swing sets of a playground near his place. He was carving a line in the sand with his shoe, barely swaying back and forth. The image would be funny if it weren’t so sad.
Apollo cautiously approached Klavier and cleared his throat. Klavier, having been in his own world, started at the sound. “Ap-, Herr Justice.”
Apollo frowned at that. “I thought we were on a first name basis now.”
“Of course,” Klavier looked away and smiled sadly. “Apollo.”
Well, they were off to a great start. “Look, about what happened before, it was a misunderstanding-”
“I know.” Klavier cut him off sharply, before repeating more softly. “I know.”
“...you know?” Apollo repeated slowly. Judging by Klavier’s body language, it sure didn’t seem like he knew.
“Evidently, we both had a different understanding of this evening.” Klavier stared at the sand to the left of Apollo. “I apologize for jumping to conclusions.”
“That’s...” technically not wrong. Apollo had intended for the evening to be a completely platonic affair, but he certainly had no issues with it turning out otherwise.
“You don’t have to worry,” Klavier continued before Apollo could gather his thoughts. “I won’t let this effect our professional relationship.”
This was getting ridiculous. Apollo took a step closer, so he was standing directly in front of him. “Klavier, I-” He stopped. Klavier wasn’t looking at Apollo. It was starting to bother him. Without thinking, grabbed Klavier’s face in his hands, forcing him to look at Apollo.
Everything he was about to say died on his tongue when his eyes met Klavier’s, wide and nervous. He realized that his action had produced a reversal of their previous encounter, down to the height difference.
Apollo felt Klavier swallow, and followed the motion with his eyes, before snapping back up. His gaze didn’t quite reach Klavier’s eyes, instead snagged on his mouth.
Maybe Apollo didn’t need words to express what he wanted to.
Slowly, to give Klavier enough time to push him away, Apollo leaned down and closed the gap between them. Almost immediately, Klavier kissed back tenderly. It was gentle, cautious, chaste, but it made Apollo’s heart beat as if it were anything but.
Apollo pulled back slightly to gauge Klavier’s reaction. His eyes were half-lidded, dazed. Apollo swallowed at the sight, sorely tempted to lean in again, but then Klavier blinked and some clarity returned to his eyes. “Why did you reject me before?”
Apollo straightened himself. He objected to the word reject, but he supposed it was fair. “I was just caught off-guard. I really wasn’t expecting it.”
“You weren’t?” Klavier’s voice was incredulous, but still soft. “I thought I’d made my intentions clear long ago.”
Apollo huffed a laugh sheepishly. “I never thought you were serious.”
“I assure you,” Klavier covered Apollo’s hand, still on his face, with his own. “I am.”
Apollo swallowed, suddenly at a loss for words. Instead, he leaned down and felt Klavier’s smile.