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Apollo hummed in acknowledge as he felt Trucy poke him in the shoulder, she was giving him that look of hers again. He reached up to pull out the earplugs he had been wearing and raised an eyebrow at the younger girl, “What?”
“Polly, I cannot believe that you actually brought earplugs to the concert!”
“I told you that’s the only way I would come, Trucy.”
“I didn’t think you were actually serious though!”
“Serious as a heart attack, which is what this crowd might give me if I stay any longer.” He grimaced as a group of girls ran into him as they were trying to get closer to the stage. A sigh escaped past his lips, he really did not want to be here right now, but for more reasons that Trucy thought.
The magician place her hands on hips and stared at him, “Come on, even Daddy’s having fun!” She gestured over to her father, who did indeed look like he was having a good time but only at how uncomfortable Miles Edgeworth looked. Phoenix was in the middle of saying something very close to the prosecutor’s ear, and Miles almost knocked heads with him he turned to him so quickly, his face matching the shade of red Apollo usually wore. Apollo couldn’t help but shake his head at his boss’ antics, feeling a little sorry for Edgeworth as Phoenix laughed. Or maybe he was just feeling sorry for himself at this point, he couldn’t be sure.
“Uh, yeah. I think Mr. Wright and I have different ideas of fun.”
“We are at a Gavinners concert, Polly. There is only one definition of fun here!”
“Not exactly my idea of fun either, and it really shouldn’t be yours either.”
Trucy waved away his comment as Athena suddenly came up behind her, wrapping an arm around the magicians shoulder. “Ugh, that line was sooo long. I thought I was going to get trampled by a horde of wild teenage girls.” She let out a sigh as Trucy patted her hand and Apollo couldn’t help but glance at the t-shirt in her hand.
“And yet you still bought something?”
Athena fixed him with a look, “W-well, I was in line anyway! I didn’t want the fruits of my labor to be for nothing!”
“Did Ema get what she wanted?” Trucy asked as she stretched on her tip-toes, looking around for the detective who had come with them.
Athena put a finger to her chin as she answer, “I think so? She was super excited to test out how the strong the fabric of ‘that glimmerous fop’s merchandise’, or something to that effect. She’s braving the line to the bathroom right now.” Removing her arm from around Trucy, Athena straightened up and added, “This technically isn’t a Gavinners concert either Trucy. Although, one could easily mistake it for that.” The entire venue was filled with screaming and crying teenage girls and a few boys, with a sprinkling of disgruntled parents who were obviously there only because they were the transportation.
Trucy nodded, “Oh yeah! It’s Mr. Gavin’s super awesome holiday performance! He was so nice to give us all free tickets, even if Polly isn’t appreciating them right.”
“Hey. My hearing is a little more sensitive than yours.”
“Okay, old man.” The girls laughed at Apollo’s expense (but what else was new) but their attention shifted to Ema and what she was going to do with the shirt she bought. He vaguely heard something about chemical tests before he drifted off into his own thoughts again, there was actually room to think during the short intermission that was happening.
He did not want to be here.
Not in the slightest.
Everyone thought it was because of his discomfort or dislike of the rock star prosecutor, because they were like night and day in their personalities so it was obvious they didn’t get along, could never get along. Apollo was fine with letting everyone think that though, it was easier that way. He didn’t want to have to explain that yes, he didn’t want to come because he didn’t want to look at Klavier Gavin. He didn’t want to hear Klavier Gavin. He didn’t even want to be in presence, it all hurt too much.
Apollo had hurt Klavier, and anytime he even thought about the other man, the image of hurt, sadness and what Apollo though looked like betrayed flashed in his mind again. The look that Apollo had caused to the man he loved. Why? Because he as a coward.
Klavier had always been a tactile person, even before they had developed into anything further than friendship. Slinging his around Apollo, grabbing his hand, patting his head, and when the touches started to linger and say more, Apollo found he didn’t mind. He liked it when Klavier’s hand would linger around his waist for a moment longer than necessary. He found comfort in when the prosecutor throwing his arm around him would result in Apollo being close enough to breathe him in. Their touches said more than their lips for a while, it was like their hands knew before their heads or their hearts.
Apollo shook his head though, he had broken it off with Klavier. Now was not the time to think about the good that had been in their relationship, it was over. Done. Gone. As if to guilt himself into remembering that, the lawyer conjured up the hurt expression on Klavier’s face when he had told him it was over, his bracelet cutting off the circulation in his wrist as he lied, and lied, and lied to convince him it was over. That he didn’t love him anymore.
The sudden high pitched screaming of the girls around him, including Trucy and Athena, brought him back to reality. Klavier was walking back on stage, giving off the rock star aura like he normally did, and Apollo had to fight so hard not to smile as the man on stage waved to his adoring fans. Ema said something about his ego being too big for the tight leather pants he was wearing, but no matter how much he didn’t want it, Apollo’s attention was on the man as he walked up the mic to talk to the crowd. “Thank you! Thank you, everyone!” the screaming died down a little as Klavier spoke. “That was an exciting first half of the show, ja?” The crowd roared in response, Apollo winced a little as the sound pierced his ears, his Chords of Steel seemed like child’s play compared to this noise.
“However, I think it might be a good idea to slow things down a little bit as we come back. Ease back into the groove as they say.” He flipped his hair slightly and smiled, leaving the crowd with no other option that to agree with him. “I also think,” Apollo frowned a little as it seemed like Klavier was squirming a little. Was he uncertain with what to say? “this is the perfect part of the show for me to get a little…personal.” He coughed slightly, as if he was giving himself time to find the right words. “There’s a certain song I’ve had on my mind recently, sadly not one of my own, but it’s something I think I need to share with you all tonight regardless. It’s my duty as an artist.”
The crowd watched as Klavier turned around and said something to the band playing with him on stage, they looked a little surprised at the change in the set list. Athena meanwhile was trying to stop Ema from throwing snackoos at the stage, claiming how the teenage fangirls might murder them. The lights dimmed slightly in the venue and one spotlight shone on Klavier as the music started up, it was certainly slower than anything else that had played that night. Apollo listened out of sheer curiosity, waiting to see if he needed to put the earplugs back in, when Klavier started to sing though, the younger man felt his heart drop into his stomach.
“What did you think, I would do at this moment? When you’re standing before me, with tears in your eyes.” It was a damn love song. Klavier was singing a damn love song. “Trying to tell me that you found another, and you just don’t love me no more.” The crowd was taken in by the sudden change in tempo of the night, and the attitude of Klavier. Before he had been strutting around on stage, oozing confidence and charm as he sang a mix of his own material and popular holiday songs. Now though, he looked like a broken man, a hurt man, a man with the same expression that Apollo had caused him to have a few weeks ago.
The crowd murmured slightly as the music swelled again and Klavier gripped the mic as he sang the next verse, eyes scanning the crowd as if he were looking for someone. “And what did you think, I would say at this moment? When I’m faced with the knowledge, that you just don’t love me.” Apollo felt sick as he heard these words and the pieces fit together in his mind. There was a reason Klavier had given them all last minute concert tickets as a group Christmas gift. There was a reason that the band had looked surprise at the change in the set list. There was a reason that Klavier had looked nervous before he started and while he sang the song. He was singing to him. “Did you think I would curse you? Or say things to hurt you, cause you just don’t me no more.” This song, it was exactly like how Apollo had broken up with him.
He watched the stage as Klavier gripped the mic even tighter, his eyes pleading that this message was getting through. “Did you think I could hate you? Or raise me hand to you? Oh come on, you know me too well.” Apollo lowered his own head and shook it slowly as he heard the next lyrics, “How could I hurt you, when darling I love you. And you know, I would never hurt you, no, no, no!” Apollo’s head was spinning and his lungs felt closed off. He needed to get out of here. He needed to leave. His feet were like lead though, he couldn’t move, couldn’t think, he couldn’t-
He looked up with a start as he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, Trucy was giving him a concerned look, in fact everyone was giving him a concerned look. It was a moment like this when he hated working with people who had such amazing intuition. “Polly?” The younger girl as slowly as Athena was gripping Widget, feeling Apollo’s discord.
“I’m-I’m fine.” He gave a weak smile. “I think I’m just not feeling well, too much noise and bad concert food. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Trucy reached after him as he turned away, trying to shoulder his way through the crowd, he didn’t want to face any of them right now, he didn’t want to explain anything.
As if sensing that the intended receiver of his song was slipping away, the music and Klavier swelled in desperation. “I’d fall down on my knees, kiss the ground that you on baby. If I could just hold you…” Apollo attempted to shove his way through the crowd a little faster, not caring about manners or politeness as he felt tears burning at the back of his eyes. It was better this way. It was better that he was leaving. It was better. He was fine. He would be fine. They would both be fine. Apollo found himself stopped though as the music slowed to a stop and the crowd cheered in response to Klavier.
“I would fall down, down on my knees, oh God please! Let me hold you. Let me hold you, again.” The lawyer chanced a quick look over his shoulder, to see Klavier literally down on his knees, looking like a man who had lost everything. Apollo hated that he caused that expression and wanted nothing more than to run back through the crowd and just hold him as he requested. His hands were burning with the need to run his hands through the familiar blonde hair again, to touch that stupid face with his stupid smile, to hold his hand again and feel like nothing could ever go wrong. That wasn’t a choice though. They wouldn’t last, couldn’t last. Apollo would do something screw it up eventually and make Klavier leave, so Apollo had pulled the band-aid off before it get any tighter.
It was fine. It was fine to walk away.
So he did.