Work Text:
Kristoph Gavin was a tough rival, that was for sure certain.
His loyalty to his clients were noteworthy, having resulted in you developing a kind of respect towards him. You two had crossed paths multiple times, to the point of having some semblance of a partnership, or in other terms, ‘communication mainly related to work business and nothing else’.
And it was the same today—a trial with you acting as prosecution, and him as defense.
Except it wasn't.
You noticed how Kristoph acted during the trial. He wasn't focusing clearly—and it wasn't like him to not notice such glaring contradictions during the cross-examinations. He also had a surprisingly snappy attitude, instead of his usual cool persona.
The judge slammed the gavel on the podium, instructing the defense and prosecution to investigate further, and dismissed the courtroom for the day.
Quickly setting all files and papers inside your bag, you headed out of the courtroom and prosecution’s chambers. As odd as it felt, there was a sudden urge to question Kristoph; while he was technically your rival, and his inattentiveness would prove to be useful in the case, you believed in fair fights. Something was off.
You catched up to him leaving the courthouse and placed a steady hand on his forearm, immediately making him tense and his head snapping over to your direction.
He looked pale. Unusually pale.
You snatched your hand back, giving a cough before beginning.
“You.. you okay?”
By now Kristoph had turned his body to yours, and remained mostly quiet, even after your question lingered in the air.
He was a perceptive listener who often paid close attention to others during conversations, but there was something unique about the way he fixed his gaze on people. He had some sort of tendency to stare while conversing, which did its job at intimidation while he worked as a lawyer.
However, it looked as if the silence that stretched between the two of you wasn't supposed to have that kind of effect. It was almost as if Kristoph wanted to speak, but nothing came out.
What was odder, was that you somehow noticed a trait like this in him.
You heard him inhale sharply before he suddenly replied.
“Fine.. yes, fine.” He paused. “I'm fine.”
You blinked, and let out a smile. “You're reminding me of your co-counsel now. You know, the kid with the two horns.”
Now that you noticed, the attorney hadn't been alongside him for the trial.
He chuckled at that, only once, then returned back to a neutral expression.
“Apologizes. I.. I'm alright.”
You raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? You weren't entirely present in court today.”
“Some dizzy spell is all,” He replied dismissively.
You gave a swift nod and he turned to leave, not looking back.
It was weird, how you cared. While he was polite and did his line of work well, he was simultaneously closed off, so there wasn't even a moral duty to ensure his well being.
Either way, you waited until the next day to see him in court, distracting yourself with the investigation and paperwork.
Except he never showed.
Someone younger—possibly in his mid-twenties—stood behind the bench, representing the defendant.
You managed to hide your shock and proceed the trial as usual. While doing so, you observed the substitute; sharp and vigilant were fitting words to describe him, so you doubted he was any close to a rookie—but he clearly wasn't good enough. At least not on the level of Kristoph.
You mentally shook your head—why were you thinking of him?
The court was dismissed after a few hours, with the guilty verdict echoing inside your head as you returned back to your office in the prosecution’s building. Worst part of concluding trials was definitely the paperwork that followed.
You sighed and picked your pen up, ready to get it over with.
The tangerine shade of the sky distracted your thoughts as you drove. You had gotten late taking care of the papers, and now you needed to reach the Gavin and Co Law Offices as soon as possible.
Pulling into the parking lot, you swiftly picked up the file and walked into the building; everything about the furnishing screamed Kristoph. He owned the firm, so it made sense.
But nothing screamed like Kristoph than Kristoph himself—standing in front of the receptionist, where you were supposed to be inquiring about the substitute attorney’s office to get the signature on a few documents.
Slowly you approached and cleared your throat to notify the two of your presence. While the receptionist snapped their head to yours, Kristoph gracefully turned—still paler than ever. Probably expecting you.
“I'll be taking my leave, then,” Kristoph told the receptionist, moving past you, before pausing and speaking in a low voice, to the point that only you could hear. “You simply got lucky that I couldn't defend my client, and had an employee of mine filled in.”
You blinked, unaware of what to say. Why did he feel the need to explain himself? “Why..?”
He scoffed. “I wonder why you wish to know so badly.”
You pursed your lips. With the lack of response on your part, he exited the room, leading you to step toward the receptionist and quickly get to work.
And work allowed you to keep your mind off of things. Things being him.
It was a good question. Why did you wish to know?
“That's the last of it,” The substitute replied, making you jolt out of your thoughts.
“Thank you.” You crossed your legs, wondering if it would be unprofessional to ask. If you didn't, though, your curiosity would eat you alive.
“I wonder why the switch of attorneys happened,” You said, almost speaking to yourself, except loud enough for him to hear. Intentionally.
He let out an exasperated sigh, leaning back in his office chair, before crossing his arms.
“Mr. Gavin hasn't been well since last week. Nobody knows why, and no one is stupid enough to ask.” He paused, leaning in. “While I believe this was one of the reasons he passed on the case to me, I also think he understood that the guilty verdict was inevitable. And everyone knows how adamant he is on keeping his record clean.”
You hummed. His earlier outburst made sense, then. “What about that two horned kid?”
He let out a laugh. “Justice? Yeah, he didn't want him to act as co-counsel. He made the dude co-counsel another lawyer in the firm, which is rare.” He leaned back in the chair and looked above at the ceiling thoughtfully. “The kid idolizes him, I heard. He probably didn't want to make a fool out of himself.”
You slowly nodded, picking up the files.
What if he didn't want to make a fool out of himself infront of me?
That thought went away as soon as it came ; albeit with some force on your part.
“Thank you. For the information.”
He gave a swift nod as you stood, turning away to leave the office, and subsequently the building.
There was a lot about Kristoph you didn't know. You weren't even aware of your relationship with him, but there was definitely something odd about him. Something enticing, but so eccentric at the same time.
You shook your head and quickly got in your car and turned on the engine, ready to down some dinner and get some rest.