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bevioletskies · 3 years

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(i’m caught between) goodbye and i love you

summary: Sometimes, Klavier thinks a little too much about how he never knew the last time he saw Apollo was going to be the last time he saw Apollo. So, when Apollo finally returns home from Khura’in, Klavier finds himself stuck, unsure of when to finally tell Apollo how he feels - especially when it seems like Apollo isn’t quite ready to confess, either.

word count: 16.9k | read on ao3

a/n: For @klapollo-week, day seven of seven (prompt: "catharsis"). All seven of my fics take place in the same continuity! However, each can be read as a stand-alone, with the exception of day seven being a sequel to day five.

Mild spoiler warning for Spirit of Justice; warning for brief mentions of alcohol and one scene where a character has a panic attack. Fic title is from the song (I'm Caught Between) Goodbye And I Love You by the Carpenters.

“What do you think, Gavin, which do you - hey, Gavin? Are you listening?”

Klavier startled at the sound of Apollo’s voice, too lost in his own thoughts to realize someone had been talking to him. He looked over at Apollo, who was standing underneath one of the courthouse’s most prolific picture windows, practically glowing in the early afternoon sun. Klavier’s breath hitched at the sight. “Ah - my apologies, Herr Forehead, I didn’t catch that. What were you saying?”

“Ema said we should all do something that doesn’t involve murder for once.” Apollo looked up from his phone, wincing. “Er, that is, something that doesn’t involve solving a murder for once. She suggested drinks, though Kay apparently prefers laser tag. As if I don't get enough bumps and bruises from helping Trucy out on weekends.”

“Ah, the life of a magician’s brother,” Klavier teased, smiling easily. “But, wait - do you mean to say Fräulein Detective actually wants to hang out with me? Or are you inviting me? Either way, I find it hard to believe.”

“No one’s more surprised than me,” Apollo drawled. “But seriously, Ema says Kay is making her ask you through me, ‘cos that totally makes sense. Anyway, drinks or laser tag? Or, y’know, both? They’re thinking this weekend since they’re going to some forensics convention next weekend. Did not know those existed. Do you think they give out swag bags full of fingerprint powder?”

“I would advise against it if they did,” Klavier said, chuckling. He then slipped his hands into his pockets, shooting Apollo an apologetic grimace. “Sorry, Forehead, you’ll have to have a good time without me. I have a dentist appointment, some meetings...you know how it is. Maybe next time, ja?”

“Sure, I’ll let you know whenever that is,” Apollo replied with a nonchalant shrug; he sent a quick text, presumably to Ema, then pocketed his phone. “Anyway, I should go find Mr. Wright and head back to the agency. So, uh...see you when I see you, I guess.”

“Auf Wiedersehen, baby,” Klavier said, winking. Apollo rolled his eyes, turning on his heel and striding away, waving Klavier off over his shoulder. “Don’t have too good a time without me, though, ja?” Apollo’s wave instantly turned into a middle finger.

Barely two weeks later, Klavier found himself replaying the rather mundane conversation in his head over and over again as he walked into his superior’s office, his hands shoved into his pockets to hide how hard they were shaking. “Willkommen zurück, Herr Edgeworth. How was your flight? Smooth, I hope.”

“Smoother than what conspired in Khura’in, to be sure,” Edgeworth replied, neatly setting his teacup down in its saucer. “Don’t worry, Prosecutor Gavin, I’m still getting everything in order. I doubt you’ll have much work to do today, bar any last-minute cases coming in.”

“Danke, sir, good to know.” Klavier glanced briefly in the direction of Edgeworth’s custom chessboard, his red knights and blue pawns, just so he wouldn’t have to look at its owner’s steely gaze. “So, er - ”

“Out with it, Prosecutor Gavin,” Edgeworth said, sighing wearily. “I can tell you have something on your mind. I’m afraid I can’t give you the exact details of what happened, if that’s what you’re looking for.”

“Ah - ja, I know, I - I was just wondering if…” Klavier hesitated. “...if everyone is...okay. Safe and sound, so to speak.”

Edgeworth’s face softened. “Yes, everyone’s perfectly fine. Wright, Ms. Fey, Ms. Cykes, and Trucy are all fine.”

Klavier blinked. “Wait, but - what about Herr Fore - Herr Justice? What...did he…”

“I should have known that was who you were really curious about,” Edgeworth said knowingly, looking at Klavier over the tops of his glasses. His expression, gentle, almost sympathetic, made Klavier’s stomach churn. “Mr. Justice decided to stay behind in Khura’in indefinitely. He’s looking to help rebuild their legal system from the ground up.”

Klavier felt as if his heart had dropped right through to the floor. “He’s...he’s not coming back?” He could barely hear the sound of his own voice over the rush of his pulse pounding in his ears.

“Eventually, perhaps, but not anytime soon,” Edgeworth replied. “My apologies, Prosecutor Gavin. I know you two were…”

“Close?” Klavier let out a bitter, hollow laugh. “Nein, not at all. We were barely even friends.”

Edgeworth straightened up in his seat, and then, to Klavier’s astonishment, removed his glasses. It was unnerving to see such warmth in his superior’s eyes, especially when he knew Edgeworth didn’t think much of him in the first place. Not after what had happened all those years ago, even though it hadn’t really been him. “Let me amend my previous statement, then. I know you two had a...connection of sorts.”

“Ja, through...through someone I’d rather not talk about.” Klavier cleared his throat. “Danke for letting me know, Herr Edgeworth. It’s...good to see Herr Justice making something of himself.”

“He's definitely an admirable young man,” Edgeworth replied, nodding slowly. “I can see why Wright took a liking to him. I can see why you took a liking to him.”

“Ah, well,” Klavier said, coughing again. “Anyway, I should leave you to it, sir. Have a good rest of your day, ja? I’ll be in my office if anything comes up.”

“Of course.” Edgeworth neatly slid his glasses back on, then turned his attention to his work laptop. “Take care, Prosecutor Gavin.” Nodding at the dismissal, Klavier bowed his head and left Edgeworth’s office, his footsteps noticeably heavier than they’d been when he first entered it. He took a few heaving breaths, then shut himself in his own office and let out a small, silent sob.

_____

“I see you’re moping again, Gavin-dono. Must be a day that ends in ‘y’.”

“Bitte, Herr Blackquill, I’m perfectly fine,” Klavier said, clutching his mug of tea a little tighter than necessary. “My trial yesterday? Perfekt. The weather during my morning run earlier today? Perfekt. The leftovers I brought for lunch today? Perfekt, so long as Herr Payne doesn’t break the microwave again before I get there...I don’t know how he manages to do that on a weekly basis. Anyway, as you can see, I’ve never been better.”

“What a sad testament to your mental state if that were true.” Simon dropped into the seat opposite him, his hands resting on top of the breakroom table, his intense gaze focused on Klavier’s face. Klavier didn’t find him as intimidating as everyone else did, especially not after he’d witnessed Simon sing a drunken duet with Kay, entirely unprompted, at an office holiday party. No amount of threats or glares could get Klavier to delete the video evidence off his backup hard drive. “Luckily for you, it’s entirely false. You’ve been acting strangely for weeks now, and I know the reason why.”

“Do you really?” Klavier sipped his tea. “I thought you didn’t, quote-unquote, ‘care to stick your nose in my absurd affairs’. After all, I’m the silly one of the prosecutor’s office, am I not?” Simon cocked his head slightly, perplexed. “Ah, that Prosecutor Gavin, what an odd one he is. All style and no substance, always speaking in that accent that no one believes is real, always spouting nonsense and song lyrics and little else.”

“Self-hatred doesn’t suit you, so I suggest you cease this pitiful act at once,” Simon said, frowning. “You’re a confident man, Gavin-dono. I’d even say your confidence is fully justified, foppish nature aside. And yet, here you are, torn up over Justice-dono’s absence like a heartbroken teenager.”

“I am not torn up,” Klavier sniffed, setting his mug down with a sharp clunk. “I’m happy to hear that Herr Forehead has found his true calling. A far cry from the loud, nervous rookie he was when we first met. Now, he’s just loud.”

“...hmph. Yes, that piercing voice of his certainly rivals Taka’s,” Simon replied, taking a moment to scratch the underside of his bird’s chin. Klavier didn’t like the way Taka was eyeing his hair; he suspected Taka was fighting against his instincts to make a nest.

“Maybe still a little nervous.” Klavier paused. “I imagine seeing him stand in a Khura’inese court must be quite...something.”

“I didn’t sit here with the intention of listening to you dance around your romantic feelings towards Justice-dono, you know,” Simon informed him. “It’s exhausting and pointless, and a waste of my time.”

Klavier averted his eyes from Simon’s face, finding himself oddly fascinated with a water stain on the opposite wall, right beside the notice board. “Why did you sit here, then?”

“Because...I know a lonely person when I see one.” Simon let the silence linger for a moment; Klavier wasn’t sure which of them favored dramatic pauses more. “Even Athena told me you seemed...not yourself. Though you’ve been performing your prosecutorial duties just fine, she said you were distant...distracted. Is it the lack of companionship, perhaps?”

“You and Herr Edgeworth seem to be under the impression that Forehead and I were friends,” Klavier said evenly, his tone growing increasingly irritated. “The truth is, Herr Blackquill - since you seem unusually interested for someone who barely says two words to me most mornings - that Apollo was my friend, but I wasn’t his. Is that what you wanted to hear? Has your analysis of my psyche scratched your itch?”

Like Edgeworth, Simon’s face almost seemed to soften. “I had no desire to rile you up, but...I see that I’ve done it, anyway. I see that I’ve overstepped. Forgive me, Gavin-dono.” Klavier looked up at him, stunned. Simon merely stood, smoothing out the front of his coat. Even Taka’s expression seemed apologetic. “Find someone to talk to, if you haven’t already; it will do you a world of good. I heard many a story from my fellow prisoners by simply offering to lend an ear. I think you’d find the process of opening up to be quite...illuminating. Freeing, even.”

“I’m sure I would.” Klavier took another sip and said nothing else.

_____

“Mr. Gavin! I thought I saw you in the audience, but I couldn’t believe it!”

Laughing, Klavier held out the bouquet of red roses in his arms for her to take. “Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, fräulein, what a perfect way to celebrate your eighteenth. You were as magical as ever, though who would ever expect any less?”

Beaming, Trucy accepted his flowers, then practically launched herself right at him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He barely managed to catch her in time. “Thank you so much! Ah, these are so beautiful - and they smell great, too!” She stepped back, taking a generous whiff before exhaling happily. “Hey, do you wanna drop by my dressing room for a sec? I have to go sign autographs and stuff, but I’m sure Athena would love to say hi!”

“Sure,” Klavier agreed. “Lead the way.” He followed Trucy down the backstage corridor, coming to a stop in front of a door with a gold nameplate in the shape of a silk top hat. Klavier involuntarily shuddered; the Gramarye seal had always been a sore spot for him, no matter how many good memories outweighed the bad. Trucy opened the door, revealing that it wasn’t just Athena who was waiting inside, but a whole group of people - Athena, the two Fey women whose names Klavier vaguely remembered from Trucy’s stories, Detective Gumshoe, and an odd, almost sad-looking girl wearing a traditional costume. However, Klavier’s eyes went straight to the two people conversing by Trucy’s dressing table - Phoenix Wright and Vera Misham.

Phoenix turned at the sound of the door opening. His eyes widened slightly when he saw who it was. “This is becoming a real party now, hey, Truce?” he teased, lightly ruffling his daughter’s hair. Trucy stuck her tongue out at him, then went to carefully place Klavier’s flowers among the dozens of others by her costume rack. Phoenix’s expression tightened somewhat. “Prosecutor Gavin, it’s - it’s good to see you. Trucy swore she spotted you in the audience, but I guess my eyes were never as sharp as hers.”

“I know her party is tomorrow, but I wouldn’t dare pass up the chance to watch her birthday extravaganza,” Klavier said smoothly. He felt as if Vera’s eyes were burning holes in the side of his face.

“So you’re Prosecutor Gavin, huh?” The older Fey woman - Maya, if Klavier remembered correctly - sidled right up to him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Trucy and Athena have told me all about you. I hear you’re different from the other prosecutors me and Nick had to deal with back in the day!”

The door opened behind Klavier. “Are you talking about us, Maya Fey?” He turned on his heel to see Edgeworth and Franziska von Karma standing in the doorway, both impeccably dressed as always, carrying identical bouquets of white lilies and blue delphinium in their arms.

“Auntie Franzy!” Trucy shrieked, barreling across the room to toss herself into Franziska’s arms, much like she had done to Klavier just moments ago. “Daddy said you weren’t gonna fly in until tomorrow!”

“And miss your performance? I would be a foolishly foolish fool if I did,” Franziska huffed, kissing Trucy on the cheek. “You will receive the rest of our presents tomorrow. I hear your fool of a father refuses to let you wear makeup despite the fact that you’d like to, and I am here to rectify that parenting mistake. You’re eighteen now, after all; you should be able to do as you please.”

“Within reason,” Edgeworth added, shooting Franziska a withering look. “Don’t encourage her too much, Franziska. I think we're all too familiar with Trucy’s...imagination.”

“Miles Edgeworth, how dare you question my - ”

Klavier quickly retreated into a corner of the dressing room as everyone’s voices grew louder and louder; clearly, his presence had been completely forgotten. He spotted the younger Fey woman, Pearl, conversing with the sad-looking girl - Jinxie, he heard her name was - while Maya and Detective Gumshoe chatted happily with Edgeworth and Franziska. Trucy had left to sign autographs for her fans, leaving Phoenix to turn back to Vera, who was still eyeing Klavier warily.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Klavier startled suddenly at the sound of Athena’s voice. He turned to see her perched on the vanity, legs swinging over the edge, smiling at him encouragingly. “You seem a little lost, Prosecutor Gavin. Everything okay?”

Sighing, Klavier leaned against the wall, glancing down at the toes of his Doc Martens. “Don’t tell me Herr Blackquill asked you to keep an eye on me.”

“Hardly!” Athena exclaimed; she almost seemed offended by his insinuation. “You just seem a little...quiet, that’s all.”

“Well…” Klavier looked back up, shooting her a stilted smile. “Everyone here is either someone I don’t know, someone I work with, or someone whose life I ruined. Forgive me for feeling a little...cornered.”

“C’mon, you didn’t ruin their lives,” Athena said, hopping down so she could lightly punch him in the arm. “I heard the whole story from Apollo ages ago, and he says it wasn’t you. He says you were just a…a schachfigur in someone else’s game.”

“A pawn, in other words.” Klavier chuckled despite himself. “Ja, if you want to be generous about it...or if you want to say that I’m easily swayed. Did Herr Forehead really say that?”

“He sure did! He talks about you all the time,” Athena added with an enthusiastic nod. “I mean, you annoy him - a lot - but he’s always mentioning how decent and honest you are. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think, well...nah, probably not.”

“Probably not,” Klavier echoed, trying his best to ignore his racing heart. The last thing he wanted to do was have hope. “Anyway, I don’t think I’ll be sticking around much longer. Don’t want to get in the way.”

“Huh? You’re not getting in the way of anything!” Athena protested. “Are you sure you won’t stay?”

Klavier shook his head, pushing himself off the wall and straightening up, smoothing out the creases in his hoodie. “Nein, I should make an early night of it. I have to meet my personal trainer bright and early, after all. But I’ll see you at Trucy’s party tomorrow, ja?”

Athena hesitated. “Ja, of course,” she chirped, plastering on an uncertain smile. “And hey, if you ever need a running partner, you have my number!”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Klavier promised, surprising himself by how true that was. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone running with someone who wasn’t his personal trainer. “Gute Nacht, fräulein.”

“G’night,” Athena said, squeezing his shoulder before letting him go. Nodding, Klavier deftly weaved his way through the crowded dressing room and slipped out the door. A few heads turned his way, but no one seemed interested in saying their goodbyes, nor was he all that interested in offering his own, either. The moment he stepped into the corridor, he heard a startled gasp, a choked breath, that almost made him jump.

“Ach - my apologies, I didn’t mean to - Trucy?”

Leaning against the wall opposite her dressing room door was Trucy, her eyes wide and suspiciously wet. “Oh - Mr. Gavin, d-don’t tell me you’re leaving already!”

“I have a session with my - are you alright, fräulein?” Klavier asked, closing the door behind him, then approaching her slowly, carefully. “You look…”

“ - like I’ve been crying?” Trucy let out a wet laugh, pulling a tissue out of nowhere and hastily wiping her eyes. “Don’t you cry after a big performance, Mr. Gavin? You know, that rush of adrenaline, that boost of energy, that feeling of relief - it’s all a part of being a performer! Especially on a stage as big as this!”

“Natürlich, I’ve absolutely wept tears of joy after a gut show. But this?” Klavier gestured in her direction. “This...it’s something else, isn’t it?”

“I - it’s just…” Trucy sniffled. “You won’t tell anyone, right?”

“Not if you don’t want me to,” Klavier said softly. “Though maybe Herr Wright should hear this another time, too.”

“I don’t wanna bother Daddy,” Trucy said, shaking her head. “Besides, I...I don’t wanna make him feel bad!”

“Bad?” Klavier repeated, confused. “What do you mean?”

Trucy took a moment to blow her nose. Then, she managed a small smile in Klavier’s direction. “It’s stupid, but...when I was in there earlier, and I-I saw all of my friends and family together, I started thinking about...you know. The rest of my family. All of the Gramaryes, all gone.” She sniffled noisily again. “Mommy and Daddy and Grandpa, they - th-they never got to see me grow up. And Uncle Valant, he’s still in prison, a-and - so now it’s just me. Just me. I have to carry on the family legacy, but no one’s here to teach me how!”

Klavier’s eyes widened in shock. “Trucy…”

“But if I tell Daddy - Phoenix, I mean - that I’ve been thinking about Mommy and Daddy, he’s gonna...I just can’t,” Trucy continued, shaking her head vehemently. “If he finds out, he’s gonna feel like...like he failed me. And he didn’t, not one bit, but - when I first started living with him, he said he felt like that all the time. Like he was doing it all wrong.” She swallowed, but her throat seemed to be stuck. “And...I’ve, um, I’ve been thinking about Apollo, too.”

“You were?” Klavier asked, his mouth twisting. “Why?”

“I know I’ve only known him for a few years, but...it feels like I’ve known him forever. Like we were always meant to be best friends, you know?” Trucy was now fiddling with the ends of her cape, avoiding Klavier’s eyes. “It’s my birthday, a-and he’s not here. He called yesterday to say he wouldn’t be able to talk today, so we had a little celebration together, just the two of us. It was nice, but it just...it wasn’t the same.”

“He’ll come back eventually, ja?” Klavier said gently. “You said that was part of his plan.”

“‘Eventually’ is looking further and further away,” Trucy said with a wry smile. “But I-I know I gotta be okay with it. He’s doing really important stuff in Khura’in, after all!” She then nudged him. “You should call him sometime - he’s talked about some really cool cases that I bet you’d be interested in.”

“I doubt he’d want to hear from me, of all people, especially if he’s as busy as he sounds,” Klavier chuckled.

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Mr. Gavin,” Trucy teased, elbowing him again. “He only just told me yesterday that he misses you…‘in a weird way’. That’s practically a glowing review, coming from Polly!”

Klavier felt his heartbeat race once more. “Ah, well, then maybe I should consider it. How could I not, when I might get to hear such generous praise myself?” Trucy burst into laughter, her face finally relaxing for the first time since Klavier had approached her.

They lingered in companionable silence for a moment, hearing nothing but their own steadying breaths and the muffled sounds of what seemed like absolute chaos coming from inside Trucy’s dressing room. Klavier wasn’t sure if he wanted to know why it sounded like Franziska was lecturing at least three different people at the same time. “Thanks for hearing me out, Mr. Gavin.”

“Bitte schön, though I’m not sure if I was any help at all,” Klavier admitted.

“Of course you were!” Trucy exclaimed, straightening up. “I feel better now, honest. Just talking about all that stuff really helped, even if I’m still not exactly sure what to do.”

“Hopefully you will soon, ja?” Klavier moved away from the wall, flashing her a genuine smile. “But if you ask me, you’re already doing a wunderschön job of upholding the Gramarye name, and I’m sure if you talk to Herr Wright about how you’re feeling, he’d say the same thing. Don’t be so hard on yourself, fräulein.”

Trucy hesitated. Then, she stepped forward to hug Klavier, holding him a little tighter than last time. He automatically held her closer, too. “See you tomorrow?” she mumbled against his shoulder.

“Of course,” Klavier promised. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

_____

“How is he doing, that defense attorney of yours?”

Klavier looked up from the box he was packing. He found it almost too easy to get distracted in here, to feel a wave of nostalgia crash over him as he packed away the books and toys that once filled his childhood playroom. There were already paint swatches on the wall, a collection of wood stain samples sitting by his feet, but he wasn’t quite ready to see it transformed into something else, for the room to belong to someone other than him. “He’s not mine, Mama, he’s just a friend. And he’s fine, if a little stressed. Er, make that a lot stressed.”

“Doesn’t surprise me.” She clicked her tongue disapprovingly. “Even just hearing it secondhand, I can tell that boy needs a break.”

“I’ve told him as much,” Klavier said dryly. “We talk most days, you know. He’s just stubborn, won’t listen to anyone - least of all me.”

“If you talk most days, then he must listen to you to some degree, yes?” she pointed out, momentarily crossing the room so she could crack open a window. “How long has he been away now?”

“Almost seven months, I think,” Klavier replied, turning back to what he was doing. “Though we’ve been talking for...around three at this point. If it wasn’t for Trucy, I...I don’t think I would have ever tried. Even now, I feel like I take up too much of his time when he could be going to bed early or doing something more productive.”

“Ah, Klavier.” He looked back up to see his mother had returned to his side; her hand went to the top of his head, ruffling his hair affectionately. “Why is it so hard for you to understand when people care about you, hm? Aside from the screaming fans, I mean.”

“Mama,” Klavier complained, his cheeks heating with embarrassment. “Achtung, it’s nothing like that. All I’m saying is, we were never close to begin with. I’m sure he’d rather talk to Trucy or get his advice from Herr Wright.”

Frowning, she withdrew her hand from Klavier’s hair. “I don’t know what I would say to that man if I were to ever meet him. Where would I even begin?”

“I...ah…” Klavier busied himself with the collection of picture books he’d been rifling through earlier, smiling faintly at the sight of his name scrawled on the inside covers in barely legible chicken scratch. “...I have that same thought, and I see him all the time. I suppose an apology is in order, but...I don’t know if he would even want to hear it.”

“To think Kris ruined far more lives than just the ones he’d taken,” she whispered, slowly sinking down to sit beside him. “To think he’d taken any lives at all, I - ”

“Mama, bitte - ”

“What did we do, Klavier?” she said forlornly, her voice thick with emotion. “Where did we go wrong? What could we have - ”

“Mama, Mama, breathe,” Klavier murmured, rubbing her back soothingly. “It wasn’t your fault, ja? Not yours, not Papa’s. Just his, and...a little bit of mine.”

“Hardly,” she insisted. She then cupped his face in her hands, looking up at him with watery eyes and a bittersweet smile. “Don’t let anyone blame you for what he did, darling, especially not yourself. Promise?”

“Ich verspreche,” Klavier said obediently, tilting his chin down so she could kiss his forehead. She then released him with a satisfied nod, turning back the box she’d been working on earlier; in doing so, she missed the way Klavier’s face fell. He cleared his throat. “So...a crafting room, ja? What kind of projects did you have in mind?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” she said, humming. “I want to try a few things - cross-stitching, beadwork, paper crafting...we’ll have to see what sticks. If any of them stick.”

“You’re not retired yet, Mama,” Klavier reminded her. “I’m exhausted just listening to you and Papa talk about what you’ve been up to - I don’t know how you do it.”

“You’re exhausted? I’m exhausted just listening to what you’ve been up to,” she teased. “You’re not the only prosecutor in the district, baby, so why do you work like you are? Go out, live a little. Or stay in, I suppose, whatever you prefer.”

“I like being busy,” Klavier said defensively. “And I enjoy my work, you know that.”

“I just wish you enjoyed more than just working, that’s all,” she said, clicking her tongue disapprovingly. “You know what they say - don’t turn your hobbies into a career. But you went ahead and did that anyway, and now you don’t have any hobbies left!”

“I have plenty of hobbies, danke very much,” Klavier chuckled. “Cooking, working out...and I’m not exactly in the music business anymore, so I’d say that’s back to being a hobby, ja?”

“How about friends?” she suggested. “All I hear about is the people who work for you or the people who work with you.”

“That’s just how it goes,” Klavier said with a rueful grimace. “Making friends as an adult...it’s hard. But I mean it, mir geht's gut. You have nothing to worry about, not with me.”

“I know.” She squeezed his shoulder. “But I’m going to worry, anyway.” She then stood, smoothing out the front of her shirt. “We should probably get going with lunch before your papa gets home, yes? We’ll continue with this later.”

“Ja, Mama, natürlich,” Klavier replied, also getting to his feet. He cast one last lingering glance in the direction of the picture books - for it wasn’t just his messy, childish handwriting inside, but Kristoph’s neat cursive as well - before following her out into the hallway.

_____

Time, Klavier mused to himself every so often, never really made sense to him. He liked being on time, of course, he liked the precision of it, especially when it came to music. He was proud of his natural affinity for rhythm, for keeping time. It was why he excelled at piano and guitar lessons at an early age, why the numerous vocal coaches he’d had in his life found him particularly easy to work with. But it always caught him off-guard whenever things seemed to speed up or slow down or even come to a complete standstill whenever they pleased. Twenty-four years of his life, changed, when he learned about his brother’s true nature. Seven years of his band, gone, when his best friend turned out to be a criminal as well. And now, an entire year that felt like five, all because Apollo wasn’t here.

“You should just ask him out already,” Ema had said to him one evening, over drinks. “I know his name is misleading, but he’s just a person, not a god. What’re you so scared of?”

“I’m not fond of wasps or small spaces,” Klavier had drawled, smirking at Ema’s infuriated scowl as he took a sip of his beer. Still, he knew she had a point. As blunt as Apollo could be, Klavier doubted he would be cruel about turning someone down. It also didn’t help that these days, he was starting to get his hopes up, now that he and Apollo talked on a daily basis. He still wasn’t sure how it had happened, aside from Trucy’s encouragement and his own impulses, but he couldn’t be more thrilled that it had.

“Two more months until I’m out of here...I think,” Apollo amended, yawning, his face filling up Klavier’s entire laptop screen. He looked good, Klavier though, even better than usual - during his time in Khura’in, Apollo had gotten more sun; his skin was a few shades darker, his freckles especially more prominent across the bridge of his nose. His hair was longer, too, mostly in the back, and his wardrobe had slowly evolved into an aesthetically pleasing mix of American street style and Khura’inese casualwear. Apollo had also mentioned a few times that he had built up some muscle, especially in his calves and shoulders, now that he had to walk everywhere and carry his fully-loaded bag wherever he went. Klavier tried not to think about how much he was looking forward to seeing it for himself in person.

“You’re sure now?” Klavier asked. “You’ve said that before.”

“Pretty sure,” Apollo said, chuckling. “Nahyuta even bought me a plane ticket, like he can’t wait for me to leave.”

“I’m sure he’ll miss you all the same,” Klavier replied. “And he’s used to flying back and forth, so I doubt you’ll be apart for long.”

“I think I’m gonna miss him, too,” Apollo admitted, tugging on the sleeves of his hoodie. It always gave Klavier a little thrill whenever he saw Apollo wearing it - after all, it was once his, having sent it to Apollo via a care package that Trucy had put together a while ago. Though their upper bodies were comparable in width, Apollo was significantly shorter, which meant the hoodie seemed to completely swallow him up. “It’s weird, looking back on it. How different we were when we were kids - like, both as people and as brothers - and yet...some things never changed. I don’t even know how to explain it, I just...I just know.”

“Something only the two of you can understand, I’m sure,” Klavier said diplomatically. He’d heard many stories about Apollo and Nahyuta’s childhood by now, sometimes accompanied by the occasional mention of Dhurke. Even now, he found it hard to picture; he wasn’t too familiar with Nahyuta, but the thought of him and Apollo chasing each other across mountainous hills or searching for frogs along the riverbanks seemed unlikely, yet it happened all the same. “You have a good relationship with him by now, I take it?”

“Definitely,” Apollo nodded. He then leaned in close to the camera, his voice dropping to an exaggerated whisper. “I’ve even grown on Rayfa, and though she'll never admit it, I think she kinda misses Mr. Wright.”

Klavier laughed. “Charmed her, have you? I’m not surprised. You can be...persuasive when you want to be.”

“You make me sound like a conman,” Apollo snorted, leaning back in his seat. “Give me a little credit, will you?”

“Ja, ja, fair enough,” Klavier said, holding his hands up in surrender. “After all, you did have a client ask you out once. Clearly, you have some natural appeal.”

“It’s happened twice, actually,” Apollo said, shuddering. “I don’t know what I did to make either of ‘em think I was remotely interested, but I shut them down fast.”

“You saved their lives,” Klavier pointed out. “It might be their...misguided way of showing their gratitude. Besides, you’re not half-bad. Some might even say you’re...attractive.”

“And the compliments just keep on rolling in.” Apollo got up from his seat, momentarily blocking the camera as he unplugged his laptop from its charger and carried it over to his bed. He sat cross-legged by his pillows, yawning and stretching luxuriously. “You really know how to make a guy feel special, Gavin.”

“If you’re fishing for praise, Forehead, you only have to ask,” Klavier teased. “Let’s see, should we talk about the impressive way that your voice cracks every so often when you shout, which is all the time? What about the fact that you only seem to own one tie in the most outlandish shade of blue I’ve ever seen? Or how, every single time, without fail, you always push on the courthouse entrance doors despite the fact that they’re clearly marked ‘pull’ - ”

“You are such a dick,” Apollo sighed, shaking his head.

“ - you managed to get food poisoning at two different events for the prosecutor’s office,” Klavier continued; if he wasn’t enjoying himself earlier, he certainly was now. “Ah, remember that time you ripped your pants at a crime scene? Good thing it was a thrift store, ja? But if you ask me, corduroy bell bottoms don’t quite suit you. You don’t have the height for flared hems.”

“...I think you’ve gone just a little off-track here,” Apollo drawled. “Take it back now, Gavin, you were s’posed to be saying nice stuff, remember? Like, tell me I’m good at my job or something.”

“You make the perfekt lawyer,” Klavier said in the most serious tone he could muster, biting his lip to stop himself from laughing. “After all, you just love to pick a fight.”

“Don’t think I won’t hang up on you,” Apollo said, yawning again as he half-flopped over onto his side, pillowing his hands beneath his cheek. For what felt like the thousandth time, Klavier found himself wishing he was in Khura’in, too.

“You say that every time, and you’ve never followed through,” Klavier reminded him. “Fine, you want a real compliment, Forehead?”

“That’s what I was asking for,” Apollo mumbled sleepily, his voice muffled.

“I think…” Klavier hesitated. “I think you might be one of my favorite people in the whole world.”

Apollo’s eyes flew open. “Huh? You...y-you really think so?”

“Would I be talking to you all the time if you weren’t?” Klavier chuckled. “How much free time do you think I have on my hands, hm?”

“Yeah, but - b-but still,” Apollo protested weakly. Klavier delighted in the way Apollo’s cheeks reddened, the way his nose scrunched up, the way his brows furrowed in an attempt to look irritated instead of embarrassed. “We only really became friends, like, uh...eight-ish months ago, so…”

“So nichts,” Klavier said derisively. “I say what I mean and I mean what I say, ja?”

Apollo shot him a drowsy smile. “Thanks, Gavin. It’s...actually kinda flattering.” He yawned yet again, curling up on top of his pillows. “Hey, I just remembered - you had your evaluation with Mr. Edgeworth just now, right? How’d that go, did you get three gold stars and an extra cookie to go with your juicebox like you wanted?”

“Call the prosecutor’s office a preschool just one time, all because Herr Debeste decided to bring Ritz crackers to the office potluck, and now you can’t let it go...and move on,” Klavier added, smirking; Apollo lifted a hand to flip him off. “It’s the usual with Herr Edgeworth, really - ‘excellent work, Prosecutor Gavin, nothing new to report’. Whenever I ask him if there’s anything more I can do, any way in which I can improve...I get nothing. It’s like he wants me out of his office as soon as possible.”

“I doubt it,” Apollo said quietly. “I know you keep saying over and over again that he blames you for what happened to Mr. Wright - but he doesn’t. Even if he did at one point, no one does anymore, alright? We know what happened, we know who it was, a-and it wasn’t you.” He propped himself up on his elbow, looking Klavier right in the eye. “Mr. Edgeworth doesn’t have suggestions for you ‘cos...you’re good at what you do. Somehow, you, Mister Euro-Rocker, are the most normal person at the prosecutor’s office. All anyone can accuse you of is, like, self-promotion, grandstanding, and wall slamming. Why do you do that, anyway?”

“I had a kickboxing phase,” Klavier said, laughing wetly. “That was surprisingly touching, Forehead, danke. Don’t we all aspire to be ‘the most normal person’ in any situation, achtung.”

“So you’re saying in some alternate universe, you would leg slam the prosecutor’s bench instead?” Apollo said dryly. “What would that even look like?”

“Gott if I know,” Klavier replied, continuing to laugh. “Anyway, should I let you go now? You look like you’re going to fall asleep at any second.”

“I’m fine.” Apollo slumped back down against his pillows, then let out an exaggerated exhale. “Though I wouldn’t, uh. I wouldn’t complain if you sang me to sleep, either.”

Klavier straightened up in his seat, surprised. “Again? I didn’t think you actually meant it last time, until it worked.”

“Your voice is, y’know...decent,” Apollo said, the corners of his mouth quirking upwards. “I have to listen to it for, like, two hours a day, after all. Going on and on about ‘ah, Herr Forehead, my bike didn’t start again’, or ‘I got a free drink at the courthouse café because the cute barista recognized me, can you believe it’ - oh, and we can’t forget the classic ‘you wouldn’t believe how terrible my hair looks today, I don’t know if I should turn my camera on’ - ”

“I take offense to that last one,” Klavier protested. “You’ve done the exact same thing to me! Remember when there was a thunderstorm - ”

“A Khura’inese thunderstorm, one of the worst the country’s ever seen, versus you having a, quote-unquote, ‘bad hair day’ ‘cos you woke up on the wrong side of the silk pillowcase. Very comparable,” Apollo drawled. “Go on, then, Gavin, give me a lullaby.”

Klavier steeled himself, taking a deep breath. Then, in the throatiest, most operatic voice he could muster, he began to sing. “Guten abend, gut nacht, mit rosen bedacht - ”

“Screw off, you - ” Apollo was doubled over, clutching at his stomach; the sound of his laugh, as cliché as it was, was music to Klavier’s ears. “Shit, I-I can’t even be mad at that one, that was on me. Okay, let’s not do a lullaby, just give me, like...something slow.”

Klavier hummed thoughtfully as he watched Apollo settle back down, drawing his duvet up over his shoulders. “Moon river, wider than a mile, I'm crossing you in style someday...dream maker, you heart breaker, wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way…” It didn’t take long for Apollo to fall asleep, his breath slowly evening out as he did. He looked peaceful in a way that he never did when he was awake. Smiling to himself, Klavier went to end the call. “Gute Nacht, liebe.”

_____

“For the love of everything, can you please stop bouncing your leg like that?”

“Ah - ” Klavier clamped his hand down onto his thigh, offering her a nervous smile. “My apologies, fräulein, I didn’t realize it was so cold in here. Does Herr Wright have a habit of leaving the air conditioning on? I didn’t think this office even had air conditioning, to be honest.”

Ema side-eyed him derisively; the effect was slightly ruined by the huge bouquet of roses she had sitting in her lap. They were practically tickling her chin. “...cold, right. That’s what’s going on, not the fact that we’re here to surprise Apollo on his way back from the airport.”

Klavier was very tempted to glare back. He liked to think he was an amiable person, but Ema challenged that notion every time they spoke. “Why did you decide to return early, anyway? Was Herr Sahdmadhi getting on your nerves?”

“Oh, please,” Ema snorted. “Sorry, Gavin, you’re still the problem child of the prosecutor’s office to me. No, I left early ‘cos...well, because I could. Besides, I missed this one over here.” She lightly elbowed the person on her other side, who giggled sweetly in response.

“Long-distance suuucks,” Kay agreed, dropping her head onto Ema’s shoulder and shooting her an affectionate grin. “Now that Em’s back for good, we can finally look into getting a place together!”

“Have you started yet?” Klavier asked, curious. “Because my area has a few - ”

“Um, I-I think a taxi just pulled up outside!” Klavier turned to squint through the darkness in the direction of the front window, where Juniper, Vera, and the Fey women were hidden, lifting their heads every so often to peek through the blinds. Thankfully, Vera seemed less nervous around him these days; he hated the thought of making her uncomfortable, especially when there was nothing he could do about it but wait. He’d tried approaching her on the rare occasions they were in the same room together, but more often than not, they both ended up tongue-tied. “I see Thena, and Apollo, and Trucy...oh, there’s Mr. Wright! I think Trucy made him tip the driver extra, heh.”

Klavier’s heart seemed to be in his throat as he, Ema, and Kay crouched down behind Apollo’s desk, while the others went to duck behind Phoenix’s and Athena’s desks as well. It had been so long, so long that he’d nearly forgotten some of the little things that just didn’t quite translate via phone call or video chat - how tall Apollo really was, how loud he could truly be; the way his nose scrunched up when he laughed, or how he absent-mindedly played with his bracelet more often than Klavier suspected he realized himself. He had to stop himself from letting out a hysterical laugh when he remembered how, the last time he saw Apollo in person, he’d flipped Klavier off. How appropriate, Klavier thought somewhat dazedly, shaking his head. And now -

“...huh, so I really did leave my jacket here. Guess it doesn’t matter since I never wore it, anyway. I’m more of a suit vest kinda guy, you know? So, what are we - ” The light flickered on. All at once, the agency seemed to explode with noise as everyone jumped out from behind the desks.

“SURPRISE!” Several party poppers, courtesy of Maya and Kay, went off simultaneously, which only added to the chaos.

“ - argh - what the - ?!”

“Wh-whoa, Polly, watch your head! You almost knocked over Mr. Charley!”

“Forget Charley, I-I almost twisted my ankle just now, shit - ” Apollo managed to find his footing again, half-leaning against the back of the couch to keep himself propped up while he caught his breath, his hand clasped over his presumably racing heart. Klavier could only stare at him, dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open. Ema was side-eyeing him again, but by now, he really didn’t care.

Of course, Klavier had known for a few weeks now that today was the day, but to see Apollo standing - well, somewhat collapsing - in front of him was something else entirely. Clearly, Apollo’s laptop webcam and spotty internet connection hadn’t done him justice, not the healthy glow of his skin, nor the shine of his hair. He was wearing a Khura’inese tunic and joggers with both the sleeves and pant hems rolled up, revealing just how muscular he’d become. However, what intrigued Klavier most of all was the familiar-looking hoodie in Apollo’s arms.

“Hey, stranger,” Ema said, lightly punching Apollo in the shoulder, then unceremoniously shoving the bouquet of roses into his arms despite the fact he was still holding the handle of his rolling luggage bag. He nearly dropped it on his own foot in an attempt to grab the flowers in time. “It’s weird, right? I’m still getting used to, like, mega-grocery stores and smog all over again.”

“Considering I’ve only been inside an airport, a taxi, and the agency so far, I can’t say I’ve had time to adjust, no,” Apollo said dryly. He then frowned. “Er, Ms. Fey, a-are you filming all this?”

Maya grinned almost manically over the top of her phone. “Yup! Blame Trucy and Athena - they wanted to get your reaction on camera, and ooh, you did not disappoint.”

Apollo deflated even further. “...glad I could entertain you all.” He then straightened up, approaching Juniper and Vera first to chat with them amicably while the others fell back to talk amongst themselves. Trucy sidled up next to Klavier with the brightest grin she’d had in months.

“I still can’t believe he’s finally here,” Trucy admitted. “It was starting to feel like he was never coming back, you know?”

“He looks...surprisingly refreshed for someone who’s been sitting on a plane for Gott knows how long,” Klavier chuckled, smoothing out the creases in the front of his shirt. He then shot Trucy a soft smile. “You must be thrilled.”

“Ecstatic!” Trucy chirped, nodding enthusiastically. “There are some tricks Athena just refuses to help with, but I bet Apollo wouldn’t mind if I volunteered him for the job!”

“That’s not the only reason you missed him and you know it,” Klavier said gently.

Trucy’s cheeks reddened; she shot him a sheepish smile. “...I-I may have cried at the airport. It was a total mess, ‘cos me and Athena were crying, and then Apollo started crying, and there was tears and snot everywhere, a-and Daddy got it all on tape, too. He said it was like we were trying to set the record for world’s longest hug!”

“That’s very sweet, fräulein,” Klavier murmured. “I’m sure it was quite the scene.”

“What was quite the scene?” They startled at the sound of a new voice, turning to see Apollo standing before them. The first thing Klavier couldn’t help but think, stupidly enough, was that Apollo looked taller somehow - he seemed to be holding his head higher, his chest prouder, though it also helped that he was wearing a heavy pair of brown leather boots with a thick sole. Klavier’s heart thumped pathetically in his chest at the sight of Apollo’s warm, curious eyes, now fixed on his face in confusion.

“Your reunion, or so I hear,” Klavier said smoothly, taking a few steps closer. His eyes flickered down to Apollo’s arms, half-folded in front of his torso; he was still holding onto the hoodie. “And I see I’ve done a good job of keeping you warm while you were away, Herr Forehead.” He sensed Trucy, Ema, and Kay exchanging bewildered glances behind him.

“Don’t flatter yourself, I got some pretty nice handmade blankets in Khura’in,” Apollo chuckled, lifting a hand to run his fingers through his unstyled hair. Klavier was more used to seeing it without gel than with it at this point, given how most of their video calls had taken place during Apollo’s evenings. “But, uh...thanks. You sure you don’t want it back?”

“Ah, nein, it’s all yours now,” Klavier replied. “But if you’re in need of more clothes that aren’t from the children’s section, I’d be more than happy to provide.”

Apollo snorted, shaking his head. “You’re such a dick.” Then, to just about everyone’s surprise, he took the last few steps to close the gap between them and wrapped his arms around Klavier, burying his face against Klavier’s shoulder with a contented sigh. “...it’s good to see you, Gavin.”

Klavier stood still for a moment, stunned, before returning the hug, holding him tighter than either of them expected, resting his chin on top of Apollo’s head. He smelled faintly of fruit and dirt and sweat, though Klavier didn’t mind one bit. “Ich habe dich vermisst,” he mumbled into Apollo’s hair, letting out a relieved exhale. “I’m glad you’re back.”

A little over an hour later, their rather large group of people - made even larger with the addition of Edgeworth and Simon, who had been held up in a work incident that, from the sound of it, was entirely Payne’s fault - found themselves at an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant, arguing over whether to order more salmon or more unagi while they drank beer, or in Trucy and Pearl’s case, soda. Their table was crowded, to be sure, and it was definitely the loudest in the entire restaurant, but with Edgeworth footing the bill, insisting no expense be spared, their servers didn’t seem to mind too much.

“God, you’re obvious.” Klavier turned to see Ema pointing her chopsticks at him rather threateningly. “Y’know, if you wanted to sit with Apollo, you should’ve just said so instead of sitting here and staring at him like a pining Austen heroine.”

“You really should be careful with those,” Klavier commented, gently pushing her hand away. “And it’s fine, he obviously wants to sit with Trucy and Athena. We have time to chat later, ja?”

Sighing, Ema turned back to her plate, stuffing a piece of tamago into her mouth in the most irritated manner Klavier had ever seen someone eat. “I don’t even know why I’m bothering,” she said, taking a generous gulp of her beer. “Look, Gavin, I - you know I was there, on the other end of things. I saw how...how happy he looked after your phone calls, whenever you sent him a text...all I’m saying is, sitting around and doing nothing like you did before? You really think that’s gonna work?”

“The last thing he needs is for me to bother him while he’s still settling in,” Klavier said diplomatically. “Like I said, we’ll have time to talk...later. Let him breathe, bitte. He literally just got here.”

Ema’s mouth twisted. “I really don’t get you sometimes.” She seemed to be talking more to herself than to Klavier now. “Like, I’m trying to imagine some world in which I don’t tell Kay how I feel about her, and...I can’t do it. It’s physically, emotionally, scientifically impossible. My entire life would be different, you know?”

“With you and Kay, you knew the feeling was mutual from the start, ja?” Klavier glanced across the table, where Apollo was cracking up over some joke Athena had just told. “As for me...I still can’t be sure. Even with what you just said, it’s no guarantee. And I think, for the time being, we’re...we’re glücklich this way. We’re friends. Close friends, even.”

“He talked to you more than everyone else combined,” Ema reminded him. “I only managed to talk to Kay maybe twice a week if we were lucky.” Kay leaned around Ema to nod affirmatively in Klavier’s direction, a stray udon noodle hanging from her mouth. “But whatever, I’m really only telling you for Apollo’s sake. If this was just about you, I guarantee I wouldn’t care.”

“Sure, fräulein, whatever you say,” Klavier chuckled. “So, you were saying something earlier about apartments - ”

“Hey, Gavin.” Once again, Klavier nearly gave himself whiplash at the sound of Apollo’s voice; he wasn’t sure when Apollo had gotten out of his seat and come to their side of the table, but he certainly wasn’t complaining. “Sorry to interrupt, it’s just - can I talk to you for a sec? Outside, maybe?”

“Er - ja, sure.” Klavier shot Ema an apologetic smile, though she’d already gone back to stealing pieces of ginger off of Kay’s plate. He then followed Apollo through the restaurant and out the front door, the two of them coming to a stop on the sidewalk. “What’s this all about, then?”

“Nothing, I just - I needed some air,” Apollo admitted, taking a generous deep breath. “Don’t get me wrong, I-I’m glad to see everyone again, but it’s a little...crowded back there. And loud.”

“Very true,” Klavier agreed, leaning against the exterior wall. “So...I’m surprised you’re still standing. Aren’t you exhausted?”

“Ridiculously so,” Apollo chuckled. “I’m sure I’ll crash in like, a few hours. Mr. Wright’s couch could be a literal rock, and I’ll still be out cold for the next...I dunno, week? Month?”

“You mentioned something about getting an apartment in your old building, ja?” Klavier mused. “When’s that happening?”

“I move in next week...if I’m awake by then, that is,” Apollo added dryly. He then smirked. “You offering to help, Gavin?”

Klavier leaned in close, his own teasing smile playing on his lips. “If you want me, just let me know, Herr Forehead.” He couldn’t help but feel a little thrill go through him when Apollo’s pupils darkened considerably in response.

“I’ll, uh...I’ll keep that in mind,” Apollo replied, chewing his bottom lip thoughtfully. Klavier found himself momentarily distracted by the motion. “Hey, uh - what were you and Ema talking about before I cut in?”

Klavier paused for a little longer than he would've liked. “I...was asking her about her plans to find a new place with Kay. To be honest, I’m surprised it’s only happening now. They’ve been together for years, after all.”

“True, but...if it works for them, I guess,” Apollo shrugged. “Did you guys ever get around to playing laser tag?”

Klavier blinked. “Entschuldigung?”

“Before we left, remember?” Apollo said, biting back a laugh. “Ema told me to ask you if you wanted to do drinks or laser tag, so did you and Kay...y’know, hang out without us? Or have you been waiting for us to get back?”

“Ah, that,” Klavier said, laughing as well. “Nein, we never did get around to it, though we’ve had the occasional drink together. Remember that story I told you a few months ago, the one where she - ”

“ - where she got kicked out of the bar ‘cos she accidentally gave them a fake ID she’d been holding onto as evidence, yeah,” Apollo snorted, shaking his head. “Sounds like something that could literally happen to any of us.” He straightened up, taking a couple of steps back so he could clear his throat. “Anyway, we should hang out after I recover from my inevitable jetlag. Like, the four of us, I mean.”

“Er - right, ja, the four of us,” Klavier nodded, faltering slightly. Apollo looked at him questioningly but didn’t say anything, instead turning his gaze towards the street for a moment, watching the cars and the occasional motorcycle go by. Klavier supposed he was still getting used to all the noise again, or rather, the different kinds of noise. He’d heard the evening sounds of Khura’in through the phone many times, especially when Apollo went for a late-night walk and “brought” Klavier with him for company. It had been relatively peaceful, serene, in a way that California was decidedly not. “Apollo, I...do you want to…maybe we could...”

“Yeah?” Apollo looked up at him, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Klavier coughed. “...never mind. Maybe another time, when you’re not so tired, ja?”

“Oh.” Apollo frowned slightly. “Uh, sure.” He then brightened, gently nudging Klavier’s arm. “Hey, but maybe we can make a thing out of my move-in day, make it a casual housewarming hangout or whatever. You interested?”

“Always,” Klavier said softly, nudging him back. Grinning, Apollo wordlessly beckoned for Klavier to follow him back inside, back to their table. He didn’t need to glance in Ema’s direction to know she looked as disappointed in him as he felt.

_____

“Ach, Klavier. You’re pouting more than your cousin Ingrid, and she’s barely seven years old.”

Klavier looked up from his glass to shoot his father an apologetic grimace. “Sorry, Papa. It’s just - the timing is unfortunate, you know? Er, not that I don’t want to be here. Anja and her new bride look wunderschön, and it’s been so long since we’ve had a wedding in the family - ”

“Now you sound like your Uncle Oskar,” his father chuckled, clapping Klavier good-naturedly on the shoulder. The two of them were standing in what looked and felt like a fairytale, in a sea of blossoming flowers and sparkling lights on a beautiful, crisp Saturday morning. In the distance, Klavier could see his cousin - or was she a second cousin, or a cousin once removed, he could never remember - and her wife posing for their wedding photographer by the park gazebo, while everyone else not-so-patiently waited to be called over for group photographs. All of the younger ones were especially moody, especially the aforementioned Ingrid, who had fallen and scraped her knee mere minutes before the ceremony. The poor girl had refused to let anyone put a bandaid on her, electing to sulk in silent solitude on a park bench instead. “I know you wanted to be with your friends today, but...there will be other days, yes?”

“Ja, ja, ich weiß,” Klavier replied. “Today is Apollo’s little housewarming get-together, it would've been nice to be there. But still, I wouldn’t miss Anja’s wedding for the world.” He then swallowed, glancing down at his feet. “That is, that’s how I felt before we got here. But achtung, now I feel like a caged animal. After all this time, do they really think - ”

“Not one person here thinks you’re going the same way,” his father interjected sharply, his eyes fierce behind his wire-rimmed glasses. “You’re not him. You’re not. But their stares...unfortunately, I don’t think it can be helped.”

“The questions were so simple before,” Klavier muttered. “Remember when I came back for a couple of weeks, between legs of the Gavinners’ European tour, for cousin Leo’s wedding? All anyone wanted to know was - ‘ah, Klavier, how is your band doing? Are you still a prosecutor? When are you getting married?’. And now it’s - it’s ‘what’s going to happen to him now?’ and ‘what exactly is this dark age of the law everyone’s been talking about?’ and ‘did you know the whole time?’. It’s endless, ach.”

“Klavier - ”

“I didn’t ask for my life to revolve around his, okay?” Klavier managed to stop himself before he could shout; instead, his voice came out as a harsh whisper. Thankfully, no one else seemed to notice, carrying on with their conversations while they waited for the newlyweds to call on them. “So if people are going to continue to talk, to stare, then I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to see it. If I can’t have a normal conversation with my family members that aren’t you or Mama, then…” He shook his head; his hand was trembling, his champagne sloshing over the edge of his flute.

Sighing, his father squeezed Klavier’s shoulder a little firmer now. “...I can tell them you have a migraine if you’d like. Or how about a stomach bug? Though maybe a work emergency would sound a little more...dignified.”

Klavier let out a watery chuckle, clasping his hand over his father’s. “Danke, Papa, I appreciate it, but it’s fine. This is Anja’s day, not a day for me to whine and fuss. I can grin and bear it for her, ich verspreche. And I apologize for my...outburst.” His father shot him a sympathetic smile, then turned back to watch the happy couple while they waited for Klavier’s mother to return from the bathroom.

It was nearly two in the morning by the time Klavier collapsed face-first onto his bed, only to sit up in a panic for a moment, thinking he’d just smeared a full face of makeup onto his freshly-washed silk pillowcases, before remembering he’d managed to trudge his way through his skincare routine just moments ago. With a weary groan, he grabbed his phone and sent a quick text message; mere seconds later, his phone began to ring.

“Forehead? I didn’t actually expect you to be up.”

“Mik’s being a literal scaredy-cat about living in a new place, so I’m probably not gonna be able to sleep anytime soon,” Apollo said with a weary sigh. “So, how was the rest of the wedding? All the photos you sent looked incredible!”

“What can I say? Gavins have good taste,” Klavier replied, chuckling. He rolled onto his back, staring up at his ceiling. “It was...perfekt, the epitome of classic fairytale romance, really. The kind of wedding you see in children’s books, you know?”

“Sure.” Apollo’s voice was warm in Klavier’s ear. “Hey - you, uh, you okay? You sound...off.”

“Ja, ja, I’m just tired,” Klavier said, frowning slightly at his outstretched hand. Despite getting them done yesterday, his nails were already starting to chip. “How long did everyone end up staying for?”

“They left a little before midnight,” Apollo replied, yawning. “Trucy has a matinee show tomorrow - or today, I guess - or else she probably would’ve insisted on sleeping over. Would’ve been kinda nice, actually, i-it’s always a little weird being alone in a new place for the first time. Though I guess this makes up for it.”

“What makes up for it?” Klavier asked, confused.

Apollo snorted. “This phone call, you dork. It’s like last year all over again, except we’re finally in the same time zone now.”

“Ah - right,” Klavier said, letting out an awkward laugh. “Ja, this is nice, though...I assume we’re not making this a habit again, are we?”

“Nah, definitely not. But, y’know, every now and then for old time’s sake? I wouldn’t, uh, I wouldn’t mind it.” Klavier shivered. Apollo’s voice had dropped to a low murmur; it almost sounded as if he were in the room with him. Klavier remembered Apollo making a snarky comment or two whenever he caught a glimpse of Klavier’s apartment during their video calls, leaving him to wonder whether Apollo would ever want to see it for himself. “So, you wanna do something next week? I’m still on co-counsel duty until I’m ready to take my own cases again, so my schedule’s not too hectic.”

“What did you have in mind?” Klavier hummed.

“I’m up for whatever - er, within reason,” Apollo added. “It could, well. It could even be just you and me, if you want.”

Klavier’s mouth suddenly felt very dry. “...I think I’d like that, ja. Drinks, maybe? Friday?”

“Yeah, uh - ” Apollo cleared his throat. “ - yeah, sounds good. Text me the time and place whenever, okay? Though I guess we’re probably gonna see each other before then, so.”

“Definitely,” Klavier said quietly, sucking in a breath to stop himself from making a potentially embarrassing noise - a squeak of joy, maybe, or a nervous laugh; either one would be terrible. “Should I let you go, then? We didn’t usually talk this late, even when you were on the other side of the world.”

“Very true,” Apollo said, punctuating Klavier’s point by yawning again. “I think Mik’s finally settled down, anyway.” Then, he seemed to hesitate. “...you sure you’re good, Gavin?”

“Mir geht's gut,” Klavier promised. This time, it felt more like the truth. Though his quiet anger from earlier hadn’t quite dissipated, he was calmer now, more at ease. “Family events just take a lot out of me, that’s all. Inevitable, given how big my extended family is.”

Apollo fell silent for a moment. “Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I, uh...I wouldn’t know.”

“I think it depends on the family,” Klavier admitted. This time, both of them went quiet, contemplating Klavier’s sentiment. “...anyway, let’s not carry on and ruin our sleep schedules, ja? Gute Nacht, Forehead.”

“G’night, Gavin,” Apollo said softly. “Talk to you tomorrow.” Despite the usual raspy quality of Apollo’s voice, not to mention how sharp it could get, Klavier found it immensely comforting at times, its warmth like a thick blanket - or, more accurately, an oversized hoodie. Mere minutes after they hung up, Klavier drifted off into a deep, restful sleep.

_____

Friday, it seemed, was not meant to be. Much to Klavier’s quiet disappointment - though obviously, he understood, given the circumstances - Apollo had to cancel their plans after getting some truly life-changing news.

“I-I don’t even know where to begin,” Apollo had stammered on the phone, sounding as if he were on the verge of tears. “I - she’s my - a-and her eyes - sh-she came to see us, me a-and - ”

“Slow down, Apollo, slow down,” Klavier had said gently. “What’s going on? What happened?”

Apollo had taken a big, shuddering inhale. Then, he spoke again. “...Trucy is my little sister...a-and Lamiroir is...she’s...she’s...she’s Thalassa Gramarye. Our mother.”

The news traveled quickly throughout their social circle; naturally, it was Trucy who told everyone else, while Apollo still seemed to be reeling in shock. No one seemed to know what to say, not with everything they knew about the twists and turns and tragedies of their respective family histories. A week passed, then another, and another, as the two Gramarye siblings took some time off to reunite with their mother. Klavier dropped by the Wright Anything Agency every so often, hoping to see how they were doing, only to find just Phoenix and Athena there.

“Apollo almost punched me...again,” Phoenix had said quietly. If it wasn't for the seriousness of his expression, Klavier would've asked about the first time. “It’s because I knew. I knew a long time ago. And Trucy, she can’t seem to decide whether she’s upset with me or not. Can’t say I blame her, though Thalassa and I had our reasons.”

“I’m sure you did, Herr Wright,” Klavier had replied sincerely, though he didn’t push further. After all, it wasn’t his family drama this time, and as far as he was concerned, knowing what their reasons were wouldn’t have changed a thing.

Phoenix had then paused. “She told me she talked to you, by the way. Trucy, that is.” He let out a hollow laugh. “Even when she didn’t know, it was like...like she already knew. But I shouldn’t be surprised, not with her. Never with her.” Clearing his throat, he shot Klavier a gentle, genuine smile. “Thanks for being there for her, Prosecutor Gavin. I really appreciate it.”

“Of course,” Klavier had promised. “Herr Wright, before I go, I really should say something - ”

“If you’re about to do what I think you’re about to do...there’s no need,” Phoenix had interrupted, though not unkindly. “I’ve said it a few times, but I’ll say it again. Let’s put the past behind us, alright?”

Klavier had been taken aback. “...if you’re sure, then...ja, I hear you.”

Almost four weeks after Thalassa returned to her children’s lives, Klavier finally saw Apollo again, during a brief one-day trial. Once Apollo got his client acquitted, the two of them took a moment to sit on the courthouse steps together in stilted silence. “How is she?” Klavier asked. “How are you?”

“She’s…” Apollo sucked his breath in between his teeth. “...she’s still figuring things out. Remembering stuff. Trying to, uh...trying to learn how to be a mom to two adult children who...who grew up without her. And I dunno if it’s harder for me, o-or for Trucy, because I accepted my whole life that...that my mom just wasn’t around. But Trucy lost her. She knew her, loved her, lost her...and now she’s back. Not that it’s a competition, it’s just…” He managed to give Klavier a small smile. “We’ll be fine. It’s just weird and confusing a-and...but we’re fine. Sorry I’ve been so - ”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Klavier said, gently nudging him. “So, are you going to see her again today?”

“Yeah, we’re gonna drop by for dinner tonight,” Apollo replied. “We’ll hang out again soon, I swear.”

“Don’t worry about me, Forehead. Take care of yourself first, ja?” Klavier chuckled, patting Apollo’s knee. “Anyway, I should get going before the paparazzi catch wind of me. Auf Wiedersehen, baby. Have a good time tonight.” As he was leaving, he took a moment to watch Apollo walk over to the courthouse bike rack to join Trucy, who was patiently waiting for him. The moment she spotted him, she flung her arms around his shoulders, pulling him in for a hug, as if they’d been apart for years and not mere minutes.

The days continued to go by without them seeing much of each other, though they did continue to text on a regular basis, even having the occasional late-night phone call or two. Klavier also managed to chat with Trucy when he dropped by the agency one afternoon in the hopes that she would be there.

“I’m okay,” Trucy had told him. “We’re still getting used to it, but it’s definitely one of the best surprises I’ve ever had! I’ve been saying this whole time that Polly’s like a little big brother to me, and now…”

“And now it’s true,” Klavier had remarked, laughing. “I’m happy for all of you, fräulein, truly. And thinking back...what a strange family reunion. All because I invited her to perform with the Gavinners. Er, not to make this about me, of course.”

“Of course,” Trucy had echoed, giggling as well. “You would never do that.”

Klavier had rolled his eyes good-naturedly, which only served to make her laugh even harder. His expression then sobered. “Have you told either of them about...what you told me and Herr Wright?”

“Huh?...o-oh. That.” Trucy had fiddled with the ends of her cape, eyes fixated on the toes of her boots. “No, n-not yet. It’s too early. We only just discovered the truth, why would I ruin that with my silly problems?”

“They’re not silly at all,” Klavier had reassured her. “They’re...I know a little something about family legacy. Carrying a name that belongs to someone else. Talk to them about it when the time is right, ja?”

“I know, I know,” Trucy had mumbled, her voice small. She then perked up, plastering on a false smile that Klavier was all too familiar with. “You should join us someday, Prosecutor Gavin! I’m sure she’d like to see you again, and Polly’s been dying to spend more time with you.”

Klavier felt warm. “Really? Did he say that?”

“Well, not in so many words,” Trucy had said sheepishly. “But we’ve been so busy with Mom lately that neither of us has really had time to hang out with people other than Daddy and Athena, y’know? So...maybe we could do another group dinner or something.”

And so, a little over a month and a half after their canceled plans, Trucy managed to get a smaller group of people together - her, Apollo, Athena, Klavier, Simon, Pearl, Juniper, Ema, and Kay, to be exact - for a rather chaotic visit to their nearest night market. Considering how narrow the pathways were, how packed the food stalls could be, it was hard for them to move as a collective through the crowds.

“We might have an easier time if we split up,” Apollo suggested. “And, uh, as a bonus, people would stop glaring at us for holding up literally every line.” And so, everyone divided themselves into pairs - or a trio, in Athena, Simon, and Juniper’s case - and went on their way.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go with Trucy?” Klavier asked once he and Apollo were in line for freshly-made takoyaki.

“Listen, and I say this with love, but I’ve been looking forward to hanging out with someone who isn’t Trucy for once,” Apollo said, chuckling. “Besides, we never got around to getting drinks. So let me pay for, like, a milk tea or something.”

“That’s hardly necessary, but danke,” Klavier said, smiling easily. “So, has it finally sunk in yet? Your newfound big brother status, that is.”

“Thankfully, not that kind of big brother,” Apollo said dryly. “Honestly, it hasn’t been that different. Me and Trucy have always looked out for each other, and...I dunno. We got attached pretty quickly, almost like we, uh...like we knew somehow. Like everything about our relationship made even more sense than before.” He then let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. “Never mind, that probably sounds really stupid - ”

“Nein, not at all,” Klavier murmured sympathetically.

“I don’t believe in fate or whatever, but...I couldn’t ask for a better sister,” Apollo admitted, his expression softening. “Though to be fair, I can ask said sister to stop dragging me on stage with her. I almost lost my eyebrows more than once, and once is already one time too many!”

“You did say better, not perfect,” Klavier teased, laughing. “So, what do you want to do tonight? Are we just stuffing our faces, or did you want to walk around? That bouncy castle looks sehr interessant.”

“Yeah, sure, if we wanna get kicked out,” Apollo snorted. “And I’m not sure yet, I was just gonna go with whatever everyone else wanted. When I used to come here all the time with...with…” His face fell. “Um. You know. He was so eager to try everything, I-I just let him drag me around. Literally.” Klavier looked away for a moment, unsure of what to say. Apollo then tugged on his sleeve so he would turn back, a small smile on his face. “Hey, c’mon. I’m the one who made it weird, don’t you make it weird, too.”

Klavier chuckled, placing his hand over Apollo’s and squeezing. “Why don’t you lead for a change? I mean it, Forehead, what do you want to do tonight?”

“Honestly? I just wanna eat and drink and laugh at the terrible knock-off merchandise with, uh. With you.” Apollo awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. Before Klavier could respond, they’d reached the front of the line; Apollo turned to the merchant with a polite smile. “Hi, can we get one order of takoyaki, please? And can we get the sauces on the side?”

“Sure, that’ll be seven dollars,” the merchant replied. “Is this just for you, or are you sharing with your boyfriend?”

Apollo blinked. “Er, s-sorry?”

“I need to know how many toothpicks to give you,” the merchant said, shooting Apollo a strange look.

“I, uh…” Apollo cleared his throat. Klavier looked at him curiously, unsure if Apollo’s reaction was promising or worrying. “Yeah, we’re sharing.”

Once they received their order, they went to stand a little ways away from the crowd to eat and people-watch in companionable silence. Klavier stole the occasional glance in Apollo’s direction every so often, admiring how good he looked in a bucket hat, denim cutoffs, and of course, the hoodie he’d given him. Other than his signature red suit vest, it seemed to be the item of clothing he wore the most these days. Klavier wondered if it still smelled of his cologne, the cologne that Apollo claimed to hate.

“Gavin?” Apollo raised an eyebrow at him. “Can I, um...can I help you?”

“Ah - entschuldigung, I didn’t mean to stare,” Klavier said, ducking his head in embarrassment. “It just surprises me whenever you wear that, you know? Surely, you have other hoodies.”

“I’ve just gotten used to it, I guess,” Apollo shrugged. “And it’s weird, ‘cos it’s yours, but now I mostly associate it with Khura’in. Like, whenever I went for walks before or after work, this was usually the first thing I grabbed, even when it was too warm for me to wear. Something to hold onto, I s’pose.” His eyes suddenly lit up. “Hey - new idea!”

Klavier chuckled at his sudden enthusiasm. “Oh? What’s that?”

“Over there,” Apollo said, gesturing towards the river running alongside the night market. Other market patrons were there as well, eating, talking, and admiring the city skyline. “It’s definitely no Khura’inese scenery, but we could also grab some food and go for a walk, get away from the main crowd and all that.”

“I’d like that,” Klavier replied, popping the last piece of takoyaki into his mouth. “What should we get next, then?”

After much deliberation, the two of them settled on milk tea and crepes, then began walking alongside the river, chatting amicably about nothing in particular while occasionally spotting their friends in the distance. They saw Trucy and Pearl sharing a giant bowl of shaved ice, Ema and Kay marveling at all of the bags for sale - Ema had once mentioned she needed a new one to fit her entire forensics kit - while Athena and Simon were, for some reason, arm-wrestling. Juniper was supervising them with a hint of apprehension in her eyes; Athena appeared to be winning.

As they passed by people going in the opposite direction, Klavier lowered the brim of his cap over his eyes. He felt somewhat nervous, even paranoid, every single time someone looked at him for a little too long. “Not too interested in signing autographs or taking selfies, huh?” Apollo teased when it happened for the fifth time in under twenty minutes. “Nah, I get it. I’m sure it gets pretty exhausting after a while.”

“It’s...it’s not fans I’m worried about,” Klavier confessed, ducking his head once more. “It’s...the opposite, really.”

“Huh?” Apollo’s eyes then widened. “Oh, you mean...o-oh. Has that been happening a lot lately, or…?”

“Just...more than it should,” Klavier said quietly, so quietly that Apollo almost couldn’t hear him over the noise of the night market. “Anyway, I’d rather not get into it. Tell me more about your mother, you said the other day that her memories were coming back to her, ja?”

Apollo eyed him worriedly, but decided not to comment. “Yeah, yeah, uh - mostly stuff about Trucy, and Trucy’s dad, and her time with the troupe. Not so much the before, the me and...and my dad part. It was...I tried asking her, y’know, basic stuff about him. Like what his voice sounded like, what kind of person he was...but it’s all bits and pieces for her. Little tiny things, not significant details. She remembered that he didn’t like spinach and he had a pair of lucky socks, but she wasn’t sure if my voice sounded anything like his, or how they picked my name, or what their first date was. Stuff like that.” He visibly swallowed.

“I’m sure that must have been frustrating for both of you,” Klavier said, humming in sympathy.

“I don’t know what to feel sometimes.” An odd look crossed Apollo’s face then, like he wasn’t sure where his words had come from, but he seemed determined to keep going. “Obviously, I-I’m happy to have her in my life, and to see her doing so well after what she went through, but...it’s not like I had this...this attachment to my dad that she did. And sure, I wanna know more about him, but sometimes, i-it feels like I’m doing it more for her than for me. But that makes me sound like a shitty person, like I-I don’t care about him. Like he doesn’t mean anything to me.”

Klavier went silent for a moment, thinking. It was hard to concentrate when he could hear Apollo’s breath growing increasingly erratic; he so desperately wanted to wrap him up in a hug, though he wasn’t sure if Apollo would want him to. “If you ask me, you sound like a good person who cares about his mother,” he finally said after some time. “And even if your biological father isn’t as important to you as he was to her, he still means something to you. You know that.”

“Do I?” Apollo chuckled wetly, wiping his damp eyes with the sleeve hem of his hoodie. “And Trucy - god, Trucy, sh-she’s…”

“What about her?” Klavier asked, frowning.

“It’s not like either of us likes to think about it, but…” Apollo chewed his bottom lip. “If something happened to Mom, then...well. It’s not like it’s new to us...losing people. When do I get to the point where I can accept it? Where I know...I-I can’t do anything to stop it?” He let out another horrible laugh. “Shit, that sounded so heartless. Th-that’s not what I meant, I - ”

“I know what you meant,” Klavier promised somewhat sadly. “Have you talked to her about it? Or...either of them, really.”

“No, but it...it’s why Trucy wants us to hang out practically every day.” Apollo stopped for a moment, turning to watch Trucy, who was currently shoveling huge spoonfuls of shaved ice and red bean into her mouth, with a fond smile. “She won’t say it, but I-I know her. I can tell what she’s thinking. Even before we found out we were siblings, she seemed...kinda worried that I was gonna leave again. Or that I wasn’t gonna come back in the first place, even when I said I would.”

“Maybe it’s time you have that conversation,” Klavier suggested. “It won’t be a pleasant conversation, but it seems...necessary, ja?”

Apollo exhaled shakily. “Yeah, I know, I know. It’s just...there’s always something. A trial o-or a show or whatever. But, uh, honestly? I just don’t like thinking about it. Like, ever.”

“I don’t blame you,” Klavier admitted, rubbing Apollo’s arm reassuringly. “I wouldn’t want to open myself up to that kind of personal scrutiny, either.” He paused. “I...gave Trucy some similar advice a while back, you know. Advice that I should’ve taken myself, should still be taking myself, but...it’s like they say. Easier said than done.”

“Easier said than done,” Apollo echoed in agreement, sighing.

Another minute or two passed in silence, accompanied by the noisy chatter and whistling winds around them. Apollo seemed to be thinking intensely about something, but with everything they’d talked about, not just now, but over the past year, Klavier couldn’t even begin to guess what it was. Then, he lifted his head to look Klavier right in the eye. “Why did you call me in Khura’in, that first time?”

Klavier’s heart skipped a beat. “...why does it matter?”

“Because...because you’re one of my favorite people, too.” Apollo’s cheeks reddened, though he was clearly trying his best to ignore it. “And I - I wanna know if something happened that day. If...something happened to you.”

“Nothing happened to me,” Klavier said smoothly, trying not to let his dizzying joy at Apollo’s words show. “Trucy suggested I call you sometime, that’s all. Simple as that.”

Apollo’s right hand instantly went to his left wrist. “But that’s not all there is to it, is it?”

“Is this a cross-examination now?” Klavier asked, letting out an uneasy laugh. He turned on his heel and continued to walk. “You’re going to find my tell, are you? My nervous habit? It’s a nice night, Forehead, let’s not spoil it.”

“I just wanna understand you, Klavier.” Klavier stopped dead in his tracks; he could feel Apollo’s eyes on his back. “Look, if it’s such a big secret, or if you just don’t wanna tell me, I-I’ll shut up about it already. But I just - I worry about you sometimes. You’re always so...so calm. And helpful, a-and sweet, and...I get what it’s like to put on a brave face. To pretend that everything’s the way it should be. That’s all I’m saying. So if it really was nothing, then I’ll drop it, okay? I’ll let it go, and move - ”

“I was sitting in my childhood bedroom.” Now he felt lightheaded for a different reason; Klavier dropped his gaze, his body swaying despite the fact he was standing perfectly still. Apollo quickly stepped around him so they were face-to-face, tucking his empty cup under his arm so he could hold Klavier’s shoulders, his still-wet eyes shining with concern. “I was sitting on my bed, staring at the wall, and suddenly, I-I wanted to talk to the one person in the entire world who - who doesn’t want something from me. Who doesn’t want to ask for my autograph, or my connections, or my help, or...or about Kristoph. Who just wants to talk to me for - for - for me.” Before he could stop himself, his eyes were suddenly filling with tears. Klavier clapped a hand over his mouth to stop himself from crying out.

Apollo let out a stifled noise. “Ah - Klavier!”

“Mama, a-and Papa, I - they say they can’t - that it - b-but they still mourn him l-like he’s already - already gone,” Klavier managed to say between short, gasping breaths, his heartbeat pounding alarmingly fast in his ears. He desperately clutched at his chest, but he was unable to find his grip. The ground, his surroundings, they all seemed to be spinning around him. “And I-I want to say - ‘I’m still here, y-you have me’ - and they know, but th-they - ”

“Breathe, Klavier, breathe,” Apollo urged. “Look at me, watch me, okay? In...out...in...”

Klavier dropped his cup entirely, desperately clinging onto Apollo’s shoulders, anticipating that his knees were about to give out beneath him. He swallowed a few generous lungfuls of air, trying not to cough or exhale directly in Apollo’s face, all while his eyes were fixated on Apollo’s - large, round, expressive to a fault. The color of melted chocolate, usually, though in the moonlight, more akin to the color of ink. “I’m okay,” Klavier whispered, though tears were still rolling down his cheeks. “Sorry, I - ”

“Don’t apologize,” Apollo said firmly. “I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to - we don’t - we don’t have to talk about this.”

“Nein, I - I want to tell you.” Klavier cleared his throat, wiping his face on his sleeve; he knew he looked like a mess, he knew that they were in public, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “Bitte, will you let me?”

“Yeah, o-of course.” Now it was Apollo's turn to rub his arm comfortingly. “But, uh, I think we should sit. There’s a bench over there, are you good to move?”

Once they managed to sit down, both of them visibly shaking, Apollo placed a trembling hand on Klavier’s knee, nodding for him to try again. “I was trying to say that - that I’ve always been our parents’ favorite. I was more outgoing, more curious, and I think they especially liked that about me.” Klavier’s breath was still shallow; he paused to take another deep, measured breath. “So when I say that...that I feel responsible somehow...that I played a part in his madness, his cruelty...I-I’m not just talking about Zak Gramarye’s trial.”

“You don’t mean…” Apollo sucked in a breath of his own. “You think he resented you, don’t you?”

“I think it’s more like...he never liked getting ignored, passed over, for someone else. For me, for Herr Wright…” Klavier swallowed thickly. “And then I go home to my parents, a-and they promise me it’s not my fault, that I was merely a pawn, but - but I can tell that, deep down, they miss him. They mourn him, like he’s no longer here. They're packing his things, cleaning out his room...trying to pretend he never existed, because it’s easier than living with the truth. But they slip sometimes. All the time, really. Because, at the end of the day...he still means something to them. To me.”

“Klavier,” Apollo said softly, squeezing Klavier’s knee. He seemed unsure of what to say.

“I can try all I want, but there’s no pretending for me,” Klavier continued bitterly, his voice growing stronger, louder. “Do reporters want to ask about my success as a prosecutor or my music career? Nein, they want to ask how it felt to prosecute my own brother and my own bandmate. Do my coworkers want to know how my weekend was or if I’m free to hang out? Nein, they only ask how I’m feeling when I seem less than perfect because it makes them uncomfortable. When I go to family gatherings, do they tease me about my love life or ask me how work is going? Nein, they want to know if he and I really are cut from the same cloth. No one - no one ever really wants to ask me about me. Just me.”

“Klavier - ”

“And I know they try,” Klavier sighed. “And I don’t mean to be...I’m trying not to ask for much. But how do I really know, that when Herr Edgeworth tells me I’m doing a good job, that I really am doing a good job? If Herr Blackquill tells me I seem to be happier these days, does he mean it, o-or is he telling me what he knows I want to hear?” He paused. “How do I...do I trust any of my family members - nein, how do I trust my own judgment...when the one person I grew up with...when he...when the people I-I thought I knew turned out to be...” He shook his head, unable to finish his sentence.

“For what it’s worth...you know I'm in your corner, yeah?” Apollo offered. “You know I won't...that I don't bullshit you. But still, I...I’m so sorry, that’s...that’s terrible. So when you texted me after your cousin’s wedding...”

Klavier nodded resignedly. “Ja, exactly. I don’t...it feels like…” He felt tears forming in his eyes again; he quickly wiped them away before they could fall. “...never mind, it’s stupid. It’s childish, i-it’s selfish, I - ”

“C’mon, don’t be like that.” Apollo gave him a watery, encouraging smile. “What is it?”

Klavier went silent for what felt like hours, his mind racing to find the precise words he wanted to say. “...it feels like I will always care more about someone else than they will ever care about me.”

Another lengthy pause soon followed, one that made Klavier unbearably nervous. For once, Apollo’s usually expressive face was completely inscrutable. Then, Apollo practically threw himself at Klavier, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him in close. “Klavier,” he repeated for what seemed like the thousandth time, his voice warm and urgent in Klavier’s ear. “People care about you, okay? You gotta know that. I-I promise, there are people out there who - who care about you more than you think. Like...like me.”

Klavier let out a sobbing, incredulous laugh. “Achtung, Apollo...you do know that I’m in love with you, right?”

Apollo went still. He stared at him, wide-eyed. “You...you are?”

“You mean you really didn’t know?” Klavier could only laugh again, more hopelessly this time; his mouth seemed to be moving faster than his brain. While it usually never happened to him, it seemed like Apollo brought out his honesty more easily than most. He wasn’t sure if that impressed him or terrified him. “With everything that’s been happening between us, you didn’t think - ”

“I-I knew we were getting closer, th-that we were gonna go for drinks, but...I-I thought this was, like. A recent thing for you,” Apollo stammered, still staring at him disbelievingly.

“A recent thing? You mean like your feelings...for me?” Klavier was almost afraid to ask.

“What? No, I - ” Apollo suddenly seemed to realize he still had his arms loosely draped around Klavier’s midsection. He yanked them back like he’d been burned, his cheeks flushed pink. “I mean, yes, yes, d-definitely recent - ”

“Apollo, bitte.” Klavier took Apollo’s hands in his, gently running his thumbs across Apollo’s knuckles. “I know you don’t owe me your honesty, but I’d like to think that after everything I just said, you could afford me just a little bit of it.”

Apollo fell silent, considering. Klavier held his breath in anticipation, heart thumping wildly against his ribcage. Then, Apollo withdrew one hand from Klavier’s grasp, instead lifting it to cup Klavier’s jaw. His eyes were wet once more, his smile impossibly soft. “I hate that you feel like you have to ask for someone else to be honest to you...least of all me,” Apollo murmured. “I-I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine - ”

“But it isn’t!” Apollo interrupted fiercely. “You shouldn’t have to ask for basic decency, especially from someone who’s supposed to care about you. Because - ‘cos god, Klavier, you - you’re - I love you, okay?” Klavier’s mouth fell open, stunned, but no words came out. “I love you and your...your…” Apollo inhaled yet again, taking a moment to think carefully. “You always surprise me, y’know. With how...willing you are to be proven wrong. How open you are to changing your mind. And even though you’re one of the most self-important people I’ve ever met...you still manage to be pretty selfless when it comes down to it. So selfless, that...that...that it worries me sometimes.”

“Worries...you?” Klavier asked, his voice small.

Apollo shot him a shaky smile. “Whether you’re looking out for yourself.”

“I think the last thing anyone could accuse me of is not making something about me,” Klavier said, chuckling wetly. “Take now, for example. We were having such a nice night, until - ”

“ - until you finally got the chance to say what you’ve been wanting to say,” Apollo finished for him. “Just like...like I did. Just now.”

Klavier’s eyes flitted across Apollo’s face, his gaze traveling from his tearful eyes to his parted lips, trying to find a sign, a warning that there was something there other than complete sincerity. When he found nothing, he cracked a grin of his own. “You really love me?”

In lieu of answering, Apollo moved closer, his forehead resting against Klavier’s, their noses barely brushing. Klavier’s breath hitched. Then, Apollo closed the gap between them, kissing him so tenderly, so carefully, that he felt a pleasant shiver go up his spine. Finally. Klavier melted right into him, every muscle in his body seemingly relaxing all at once; he released Apollo’s hand so he could wrap his arms around him, pulling him into his embrace. Apollo was so warm, Klavier thought, his skin surprisingly soft, his lips unsurprisingly rough, not that it lessened Klavier’s joy. Nothing else seemed to matter in that moment, not all the people walking by that could easily see them, not the fact that their friends could probably recognize them if they tried. When they reluctantly broke apart, they realized that they both had tears running down their faces.

“..shit.” Apollo let out a wet laugh, sniffling sharply. He reached into the pocket of his hoodie to pull out a packet of tissues, handing one to Klavier before attempting to take care of himself. “That was, uh - ”

“Perfect,” Klavier declared, his grin so wide, it threatened to split his face open.

“I was gonna say ‘gross’, but okay. Whatever you’re into, I guess,” Apollo teased, turning away momentarily to blow his nose. A comfortable silence fell over them as they took a moment to clean themselves up, to wipe their running noses and watery eyes. “Um, but - Klavier, are you okay? Because, well. That seemed like a lot.”

“Ja, I…” Klavier laughed disbelievingly. “...I feel incredible, actually. Like I’ve managed to...to let go of some of the things I’ve been carrying for a little too long. Even if I didn't do anything but drop them.” He then looked at Apollo. “What about you, liebe? We were talking about you, and then it became about me, and - ”

“That’s how conversations work, Klav,” Apollo reminded him. “And all that...I dunno, guilt, loneliness, whatever you wanna call it? That’s been going on for way too long. But for me, it’s...I-I’m still figuring some stuff out. Something I can deal with once I know, y’know?”

“If you’re sure. But...I’m here if you need me, ja? Always.” Klavier brushed a few loose strands of hair out of Apollo’s eyes, then leaned in to kiss him again. This particular kiss was thankfully less damp. “So, ah...what should we do now?”

“Well...I think all that crying made me dehydrated,” Apollo said half-jokingly. He stood, extending a hand in Klavier’s direction. “Will you finally let me pay for one of your drinks? Please?”

“I guess I can indulge you,” Klavier teased, taking Apollo’s hands and getting to his feet as well. Apollo rolled his eyes but pulled Klavier along nonetheless. Their fingers remained entangled, both of them holding on tight, even when they stepped back into the night market crowd.

_____

A few hours later, they found themselves in the elevator of Klavier’s apartment building, on the way up to his penthouse, grinning giddily at each other like lovesick teenagers. Naturally, the others had been suspicious when Apollo told them they were leaving together. Trucy, Athena, and Kay seemed ready to burst with questions, while Ema and Simon had merely watched them go with raised eyebrows. Still, no one said anything but their goodbyes, something both of them were grateful for.

“You look like you’re thinking really hard over there,” Apollo said, smirking. “You’re not changing your mind, are you?”

“Never,” Klavier replied instantly. Even though he knew Apollo was joking, he wanted to make it clear that he wasn’t. “Not when it comes to you.”

Apollo’s smile softened. “Good. That’s, uh...that’s good. Same here.”

After they’d washed up and settled in, the two of them collapsed onto Klavier’s bed, right on top of his duvet, comfortably exhausted from everything that had been said and done. Apollo was half-curled into Klavier’s side, yawning every so often while he sent off a few text messages, presumably to Trucy and their mother. Klavier had one hand in Apollo’s hair and the other loosely resting on Apollo’s hip, humming and tapping out a rhythm while he waited for Apollo to finish.

“Sorry,” Apollo said, briefly rolling over so he could set his phone down on the bedside table.

“Nein, nein, it’s okay,” Klavier replied. “I don’t know about you, but I’m wide awake. How am I supposed to fall asleep after a night like that, achtung.”

“Yeah, we definitely had, uh...we definitely had a moment back there.” Apollo sounded both embarrassed and pleased. “God, I hope no one saw us. I have zero interest in becoming a trending hashtag before our first date.”

“You don’t consider this our first date?” Klavier asked curiously.

“I prefer my first dates to be drama-free, thanks,” Apollo drawled. Still, his expression was relaxed, somewhat drowsy. “Though I think, in a way...we kinda needed that. Wish it hadn’t happened in public, but hey, we can’t exactly pick our battles.” At Klavier’s responding chuckle, he frowned slightly. “Klav? What is it?”

“Nothing, it’s just - mein Gott, I love you.” Klavier rested his forehead against Apollo’s, his smile warm and open. Apollo returned it with one of his own, his hands resting against Klavier’s chest, Klavier’s heartbeat steady beneath his fingertips. “I know we still have a lot to deal with, but...right now? I couldn’t care less. I’m just...I’m so happy.”

Grinning, Apollo shuffled closer, kissing him chastely. They exchanged slow, meandering kisses for a few minutes, fingers lightly pressed into each other’s sides, legs loosely tangled together. “...dork.”

“Your response is supposed to be ‘I love you, too’, liebe,” Klavier hinted, eliciting a delighted laugh from Apollo’s mouth. “But seriously, I mean it. I really do feel...free.”

“Good,” Apollo said affectionately, cupping Klavier’s face with both hands. “Look, I - I know all that stuff you’re feeling isn’t gonna magically go away, just like that, but...if you still need to hear it…” He then turned his head, his lips brushing against Klavier’s ear. “...it wasn’t your fault. It was his, all his. And people legitimately care about you for reasons that have nothing to do with him or your fame or their own motives. So try not to let anyone make you think otherwise, okay?” Klavier shivered. “And I love you, too. Dork.”

“Ach,” Klavier said, sniffling. “You’re going to make me cry again, baby. How dare you call me a dork.” Apollo burst into laughter once more, burying his face in the crook of Klavier’s neck with a satisfied hum. They went quiet for a little while longer, simply holding each other and enjoying the stillness of the night. “I do have...one last little worry, though.”

“Yeah?” Apollo ran his thumb across Klavier’s cheek. “What is it?”

“I...part of me is worried, that…” Klavier paused, taking a moment to choose his words carefully. “After everything we’ve been through...do you really think this is going to work? Or do you think that we just hope that it will?”

“No use in pretending like we know for sure,” Apollo said honestly. “There’s a million things that could go wrong, y’know? We could get into a really bad argument, we could have problems separating work from our personal lives - hell, we might be better off as friends…”

“Ever the optimist, aren’t you?” Klavier teased.

“Oh, hush.” Apollo kissed Klavier to silence him. The two of them became momentarily distracted, wrapped up in each other’s embrace once more. Klavier wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to let Apollo go in the morning, not when they’d both waited this long. “All I’m saying is, as long as we try, then…” Apollo’s kiss-bitten lips then stretched into a fond grin. “...I think we’re gonna do just fine.”

_____

a/n: Welcome to my seventh and final entry for Klapollo Week 2021! Continuity-wise, this is the third of seven fics, but again, there is no need to read the others to follow each fic on its own. However, this fic is best read after day five's, meet me halfway (across the sky), so I would recommend reading that one to fully understand the first half of this fic!

Y'all, I can't believe it's finally over! I feel like I've been working on these fics for ages (and I've fallen behind on others; we'll see if I end up getting two fics out in July like I originally planned), especially this one and day five's. Thank you to the lovelies who organized Klapollo Week, this was super fun to do! I got a little overambitious for sure, but I liked how they turned out. In doing this, I definitely learned that short(er) fics aren't really my thing; I had a good time writing them, but I'm not a concise writer, so I struggled with getting a good balance of plot and details for the fics that were under six thousand words. In fact, I low-key wanna write fuller versions of all of them 😅

If you missed any of the other days, I would love it if you checked them out! My personal favorites are the odd-numbered days, also known as the ones with angst. I'm thinking that sometime next year, I'll write a super long version of meet me halfway (across the sky) where Klavier eventually gets to be with Apollo in Khura'in. Knowing me, that thing will be a monster of fifty-thousand-word proportions. In the meantime, if you're interested in finding out what I'll be posting next, you can filter my fanfiction masterpost by "coming soon"!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Likes and reblogs would be much appreciated. Hoping you’re all safe and healthy and doing well ❤️

#KlapolloWeek2021 #klapollo #kyodoroki #klapollo fic #ace attorney #ace attorney fic #myfic #long post #y'all i'm so pleased with how this one turned out #thank you to everyone who read and commented and shared!!#my ao3 inbox is wild and i will be tackling that sometime this coming week

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fey-family-reunion · 4 years

Text

Turnabout Toilet Brush

Fandom: Ace Attorney Pairings: Wrightworth, background Klapollo Wordcount: 12196

AO3 FFN

Summary: Phoenix, with no ulterior motives whatsoever, calls a meeting to resolve an office dispute. Apollo and Athena, meanwhile, try to solve a few office mysteries, like why Phoenix is suddenly so insistent on not using their powers in the workplace.

More importantly: who broke the damn toilet brush?

***

"I think we can all agree," Phoenix began, fingers steepled in front of his face, "that things have gotten out of hand."

The three of them had gathered around his desk, which he'd finally cleaned off for the occasion. Apollo and Athena slouched in front of the desk, both looking like sulky students who'd been called to the principal's office, while Phoenix had managed to maneuver the agency's best chair behind the desk for the first time in years. In the center of the desk's polished wooden surface sat one toilet brush, snapped in half at the handle.

Apollo glowered off to the side, arms folded across his chest, probably thinking nostalgically of the time he'd punched Phoenix in the face. Athena, meanwhile, looked perfectly calm, but Widget's worried expression and the way her fingers toyed with her ponytail told a different story. Neither said a word as Phoenix stared them down.

Fine, guess I'll have to move things along myself. Phoenix never liked having to bring out serious boss mode, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

He drew the Magatama out of his pocket, placing it on the desk between them. "We need to talk about the use of powers in the office."

***

(One day earlier...)

"Mr. Wright, whose turn is it to clean the toilets?" Athena asked.

It was a slow morning for the agency. Apollo sat at his desk, concentrating hard on something on his computer that was almost certainly not work-related, while Athena lounged on one of the couches, flipping through a handful of court documents. Phoenix, meanwhile, relaxed on the other couch, enjoying coffee and quiet as he read through the morning's news.

"Apollo," Phoenix said, without looking up from his newspaper. He wasn't sure, but the answer was usually Apollo.

"What?" Apollo said, spinning around in his chair to face them. "No way! It was my turn last week!"

Phoenix sipped his coffee. "Oh, sorry. Must be Athena's."

Athena's cry of outrage was almost as loud as Apollo's chords of steel. "Wait, no! I definitely remember cleaning them last week! I was only asking so Apollo would remember to do his job!"

Phoenix shrugged. "I don't know, then. Does anyone know where the schedule is?"

"Trucy used it in another one of her magic tricks." Apollo groaned.

"Hey!" Trucy sat perched on top of Phoenix's desk, shuffling and reshuffling a pack of cards. She'd told Phoenix she wanted to learn more card tricks, and had been obsessively honing her technique ever since. "It's not my fault you wrote the schedule on the back of one of my props."

"You didn't have to burn it!" Apollo countered.

"I didn't know what it was! Your handwriting is terrible!" Trucy shuffled a little too vigorously, sending all her cards onto the floor. "Anyway, I don't know what you're talking about. I would never do fire tricks when Daddy told me specifically not to." She smiled winningly at Phoenix.

Nice save, Trucy.

Phoenix sent her a stern look intended to mean 'We'll talk about this later', but her smile just widened, and he shook his head. "We need more paper for this office, so we're not writing chore schedules on the back of Trucy's props. Could whoever's not cleaning the toilets go out and get some? I've got to get Trucy to school."

Athena leaped up, grabbing her bag. "Sure thing, boss! I'll head out right now!"

"Hey, wait," Apollo said, shoving himself out of the desk chair. "Since when did we decide it was my turn to clean the toilets?"

"Well, I guess we didn't, but it seems pretty likely," Athena said, flicking her earring.

"What? Why?!"

Phoenix winced. "Apollo, no chords of steel before noon, remember?"

"Well, Mr. Wright said he thought it was your turn first, didn't he?" Athena said. "And he'd probably know best. Anyway, I know I cleaned last week, so it's definitely not my turn."

Apollo pointed at Athena. "There!"

"Apollo," Phoenix repeated. "Please-"

Apollo grabbed the bracelet on his wrist, jerking his arm up toward Athena. "You're lying! You keep fidgeting with your hair when you say you cleaned last week!"

Athena folded her arms, regarding Apollo with a piercing look usually reserved for difficult witnesses. "Are you sure there isn't something causing you lots of anxiety about what you're saying?"

Apollo waved both hands at her. "Of course there is! I have a lot of anxiety about cleaning the toilets when it's not my turn!"

"I don't know," Athena said, rubbing her chin. "Are you sure you're not just feeling a lot of emotional discord because you're the one lying?"

"I'm not- Mr. Wright!"

Phoenix looked up. Both had turned to face him, and he knew what was coming. He sighed, setting down his paper, and wondered what Pearl and Maya would say if they knew the mundane things the Magatama was being used for these days.

Scratch that, they'd probably support it, if it meant this office got cleaned.

"I can't keep using the Magatama to settle office disputes," Phoenix said anyway, leaning forward.

Apollo folded his arms across his chest. "Fine, just this one time. Then we can remake the chore schedule, and stop fighting about this."

Athena mirrored Apollo's pose, jutting out her chin. It was eerie, sometimes, how many little habits they'd picked up from each other. "Yeah, Boss! Just tell us, who's really lying?"

"Alright," Phoenix said, drawing his Magatama out of his pocket. "Repeat after me: I cleaned the toilets last week."

"I cleaned the toilets last week," Athena said confidently.

"I cleaned the toilets last week," Apollo repeated, directing a glare at Athena.

Phoenix watched in amusement as chains appeared in the air along with two locks, one over Athena, and one over Apollo. He shook his head, not bothering to hide his grin. "You're both lying."

Athena's mouth dropped open. "What! But-"

"Fine, I'll go out and get some paper for you, Mr. Wright," Apollo said, darting toward the door.

"Wait!" Athena sprinted after him, blocking his exit with an arm across the doorway. "I already said I was going! It's your turn to clean the toilets!"

"No way, it's been my turn for the past three weeks!" Apollo said. "See you later!" He ducked under her arm, disappearing into the hall.

"Not if I see you first!" Athena called, sprinting after him.

Their shouts echoed down the hall before finally fading into blessed silence. Phoenix let out a contented sigh, taking a deep swig of his coffee and picking the paper back up. Apollo and Athena were both talented lawyers, valued employees, and very good friends, but both were far too loud in the morning.

"Hey, Daddy." Trucy popped up from behind his desk, clutching half of a deck of cards between her fingers. "You think they'll ever figure out that the schedule always vanishes before one of us has to take a turn?"

Phoenix chuckled. "Let them solve that mystery on their own. It's part of their training."

"You're the best, Daddy." Trucy placed the cards on the desk, and disappeared behind it again.

"Now about this fire trick..."

"Sorry, I can't hear you, I've got to pick up all these cards I dropped!" Trucy called, voice muffled by the desk. A hand came up and swiped at the cards on the desk, sending more on the floor. "Whoops, guess we'll have to talk about this later!"

Phoenix glanced up at the clock, and finished his coffee. "Leave those, Trucy, we've got to get you to school." We can talk more about your trick on the way.

***

"Okay, maybe we have gotten a little out of hand..." Athena began, fidgeting with her earring.

"A little out of hand?" Apollo raised his arm, indicated a bandaid on his forearm. "You almost shoved me down the stairs yesterday. I'm lucky to only have a scratch!"

"I'm sorry!" Athena said. "I didn't mean to, really! I didn't think you'd be so easy to push over!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Phoenix cleared his throat. "Regardless of how easy Apollo is to push over-"

"Come on, Mr. Wright!"

"-I think we need to stop using powers in the office," Phoenix said. "It's causing too many problems. I don't want to scare clients away because we're shouting at each other."

Athena leaned forward, gripping the armrests of her chair. "Well, hang on, Mr. Wright, it's not like my power is something I can just turn off! Plus, none of this would have happened if Apollo just admitted he didn't clean the toilets last week!"

Apollo sank back in his seat, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Can we forget about the toilets, please? I'm so sick of arguing about the damn toilets."

"Fine," Athena said. "Then admit you lied, and go clean them."

"He can't clean them," Phoenix said. When both of them looked at him, he gestured to the snapped toilet brush resting on the desk. "No one can."

Athena and Apollo looked down at the toilet brush, and up at him. Apollo sighed. "You're saying you think one of us broke the toilet brush so we wouldn't have to clean the toilets today?"

Phoenix shrugged, letting their minds do the work for them.

"Why isn't Trucy here?" Apollo said, voice rising. "She probably broke it for one of her magic tricks!"

"She's at school." Phoenix reminded him. "Trucy and I left the office together last night before you two left, and I dropped her off at school this morning and came here after you two arrived. Neither of us had an opportunity."

Apollo shook his head. "Mr. Wright, this is ridiculous. Just buy a new one. Can we get back to-"

"It was probably Apollo," Athena interjected. "He always gets so angry when we talk about cleaning the toilets. I bet he took the brush in a fit of murderous rage, and!" She mimed snapping the brush over her knee.

"You're the one with the freakish strength!" Apollo snapped.

Athena balled her fists. "Hey! That's not something you should say to a lady!"

"When I came in this morning, you were already here!" Apollo said, waving toward the rest of the office. "You could've broken it before I came in!"

"Yeah, well, when I left last night, you said you were working late! It's not like you have a client right now, what were you working late on, huh?"

And for some reason, that question made Apollo color. He sunk down in his seat, muttering something about 'reading up on the latest cases', and Phoenix turned his attention to him. This wasn't the point of the meeting, and he wasn't sure he had time for the detour, but it was intriguing.

"See!" Athena said triumphantly. "He's acting totally suspicious! I can hear it in his voice!"

Apollo sent a look of desperation at Phoenix. "Mr. Wright, weren't you just saying that we shouldn't use our powers on each other?"

"Uh..."

Athena crossed her arms. "Boss, isn't it suspicious that now Apollo's on board with this no powers thing? He's definitely got something to hide!"

Athena wasn't wrong. Phoenix was a little surprised that Apollo had suddenly jumped on board, given his insistence on using the Magatama yesterday to figure out who was on toilet duty. It didn't take a lot of thought, though, to understand what was going on. Apollo had very few secrets that made him turn that color.

Reading up on the latest cases indeed.

***

(Several weeks earlier...)

The first time Phoenix had seen Athena and Prosecutor Gavin interact was also the first time he'd worried about the practicality of cramming four lie detectors into one tiny office. Gavin had come by to discuss a detail on some old case with Apollo, and Phoenix had watched Athena carefully. He'd seen a few defense attorneys be too starstruck to stand against Gavin in court- it was one of the reasons Apollo was so well-matched with him- so it concerned him when the normally talkative Athena didn't say much while Gavin was in the room. Instead, she kept sneaking glances at him and Apollo.

It apparently concerned Gavin, too, because, after the usual three minutes of bickering with Apollo, he smiled at her. "Ah, I believe we've met before," he said, extending a hand to Athena. "Athena Cykes, was it not? Herr Forehead, where have you been hiding this lovely lady?"

Phoenix expected a blush, a slip of the tongue from Widget, a giggle, something, but instead, Athena just smiled brightly, shaking his hand. "It's good to see you again, Prosecutor Gavin!"

"You two already met?" Phoenix asked from across the room, and Apollo muttered something under his breath, glaring at nothing in particular.

Athena nodded. "Yep! During the Themis Academy trial!" With that, she and Gavin fell into such easy conversation together that Phoenix wondered if he'd imagined her previous shyness. By the end of the conversation, they'd discovered they'd both spent time in Germany, and were talking rapidly in German. Phoenix sent a bewildered glance at Apollo, but Apollo had returned to his desk, back to the room.

Finally, Gavin laughed. "You are too funny, Fräulein, but I'm afraid I've got a meeting to get to, and I can't keep Herr Edgeworth waiting. We must speak more of this later." He nodded at Phoenix. "Herr Wright. Herr Forehead."

"Yeah, bye," Apollo said shortly, digging a pen out of a desk drawer.

For a moment, Phoenix thought he saw a crease between Gavin's well-groomed eyebrows, but, with another easy grin, the man waved and left. Phoenix eyed Athena. She was smiling as she returned to her seat, but there was no longing sigh, no lovesick swoon, no pink cheeks. She did, however, catch Phoenix staring at her.

"What is it, boss?"

"Uh." Phoenix ran a hand through his hair. "I wanted to see how you reacted to him. You might have to face him in court someday. I wanted to make sure you wouldn't have any trouble because he's, you know..."

Athena shrugged, still smiling. "People are just people, Mr. Wright, even celebrities. I'm sure whenever I have to face him in court, I can take him on!" She punched one hand into her palm, striking a confident pose.

"Great," Phoenix said. "Apollo's faced him lots of times, he can give you some advice. Right, Apollo?" He was a bit concerned by how tightly Apollo was gripping his pen.

"Yeah," Apollo grumbled without turning around. "He's not actually German. He just pretends he is to impress girls."

Athena's smile didn't fade, but Widget turned an anxious blue. "Oh, he told me he wasn't German! He studied there for a while, right?"

If possible, Apollo's shoulders tensed even more, and Phoenix thought, if he squinted, he could make out a cloud of gloom over Apollo's head. Am I about to have to mediate my first-ever office dispute over Klavier Gavin, of all people?

He cleared his throat, trying to think of something halfway professional to say. Phoenix desperately wished Trucy or Edgeworth were here. Trucy was better at alleviating tension than he was, and much better at calming down Apollo when he got in one of his moods. Edgeworth, on the other hand, had no issues keeping a firm hand on the prosecutor's office, and his employees were more difficult than Apollo or Athena. Then again, Phoenix thought he'd rather die than ask Edgeworth's advice on something like this.

"Maybe we should talk about something else?" Phoenix suggested.

"You're right, boss. Besides, I got the feeling that I'm definitely not Prosecutor Gavin's type." Athena said, as if he hadn't spoken. "And he's definitely not my type. All that blonde hair, uck! I can't stand guys who are musicians!"

Phoenix blinked at her incredulously. Granted, Wright Anything Agency was never a professional environment at the best of times, but he got the feeling this was unprofessional, even for them. "Athena," he said slowly. "Let's not discuss the dateability of prosecutors at work."

Apollo spun around in his chair, arms folded. "Yeah, why'd you have to bring that up, huh? I don't care what you think about Prosecutor Gavin! What are you so defensive about?"

It didn't take special hearing to tell that Athena wasn't the defensive one here. Oh, no, Apollo.

"I'm sorry, I just thought that you two were-" Athena's eyes darted around the office, and she sank back into her seat. "I guess I was wrong. I'm sorry."

Oh, no, Athena. "It's alright," Phoenix said, not wanting her to think she was in any real trouble. "Let's get back to work. Apollo, can you show Athena how to shelve evidence?"

"Hang on, what'd you think?"

Phoenix closed his eyes. Forget Trucy or Edgeworth, he needed to call Maya and have her channel Mia for this. She'd handled him when he was head-over-heels for Dahlia, she could handle whatever was going on here. "Apollo, please."

Apollo held up a hand. "No, this isn't about how dateable Prosecutor Gavin is, I promise. I don't care. I'm just curious. It's just casual conversation, Mr. Wright."

Doesn't sound like it. But he also didn't want Apollo to corner Athena about it later, when he couldn't intervene.

"Nothing," Athena said, clutching Widget. "I thought- nothing." Apollo narrowed his eyes, and she offered him a nervous smile. "I thought since you're his friend, you might try and set me up with him, and I wanted to let you know that I don't want that to happen."

"Really," Apollo said flatly, eyes flicking down to her hand on Widget.

"Nope!" Widget chirped. Athena winced, sinking further into her seat.

"Apollo, drop it," Phoenix said, passing a hand over his face.

Apollo turned his glare onto Phoenix. "Why do you want to end this conversation so badly, huh? Do you know what she's going to say?"

"No." Apollo gestured toward his bracelet, and Phoenix sighed. "Fine. I have a feeling it's going to be about Prosecutor Gavin's love life, and it's going to turn into an even longer conversation about Prosecutor Gavin's love life."

"It's okay, Boss, I'm trained for this," Athena said. "Maybe if I just get it all out in the open, we can move on."

Phoenix very much doubted that, but he also very much doubted that Apollo was ever going to let this go otherwise. He waved for Athena to speak.

"Well." Athena smiled at Apollo, her hand still clutching Widget. "You acted so grumpy around Prosecutor Gavin just now, but I could tell, under that emotion, you were really happy to see him. So I guess I just thought maybe you...like him more than you let on?"

Phoenix buried his face in his hands, waiting for the explosion. It apparently took a second for Athena's words to sink in.

"You think I like Prosecutor Gavin?!"

"Apollo!" Phoenix said. "Chords of steel!"

"I didn't say that!" Athena insisted. She waved her hands from side to side frantically, as if trying to clean an invisible slate. "All I said was that maybe you guys are better friends than how you act! I didn't mean it like, um, something romantic!"

"It's totally romantic!" Widget chirped.

Phoenix did his best to turn his laughter into a cough, but, judging by the furious look on Apollo's face, he didn't succeed. "Sorry, Apollo. I tried to warn you."

Apollo scoffed. "Oh, like you're one to talk, Mr. Wright!"

Phoenix drew himself back up to his full height. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"About being closer to prosecutors than you act?" Apollo said. Phoenix stared at him blankly. "About pretending you're just coworkers when there's something else going on?"

Phoenix shook his head, reaching for his coffee mug. He had an inkling of what Apollo was trying to say, but he and Edgeworth had always been open about their friendship with each other. They toned it down if they were interacting in a professional capacity, sure, but there was no acting or pretending going on. "I don't know what you're talking about, Apollo."

"Come on, Mr. Wright, everyone knows you and Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth are dating." Apollo said, and Phoenix gagged on his coffee."You two aren't even subtle about it. I don't know why you feel like you have to keep it a secret, nobody cares."

"What- but we're not- everyone?" Phoenix said, dabbing at his chin with a napkin. They really weren't. Phoenix wouldn't deny that there'd been times over the years when he'd thought- but they really, really weren't. "Apollo, the chief prosecutor and I are very good friends who've known each other for a long time. We're not, and never have been, dating."

Apollo's face reddened, his eyes widening in horror. He glanced down at his bracelet, and back up at Phoenix. "You're really not?"

"No," Phoenix said shortly. This could be a funny story to tell Edgeworth later- or, more likely, another memory to throw deep into the box of 'things to forget about forever and never, ever bring up again'. "Who's, uh, everyone?"

"The entire prosecutor's office. Most of the police department." Apollo said, still looking like he'd seen a ghost. "And a few others- we thought you two just wanted to keep it private, so no one said anything. But-"

Phoenix set down his coffee cup, hard enough for hot liquid to splash onto his desk. "Apollo, could you show Athena how to shelve evidence? Please?"

"S-sure, Mr. Wright." Apollo nearly knocked over his chair as he stood. "Come on, Athena."

Athena got up much more slowly, lingering by Phoenix's desk as Apollo made his way to the door. "Um, Mr. Wright..." she began.

Phoenix looked up at her. "Yes?"

She directed an uncertain glance at Apollo, and Apollo shook his head. "Never mind. I'll shelve evidence really well, and no more talk about prosecutors, I promise." She saluted with a smile and followed Apollo out.

It's a good thing neither of them have a Magatama. Talk about locks on the heart.

"Shut up, Phoenix," Phoenix muttered to himself, wiping up the spilled coffee.

***

Phoenix considered his options, looking between Athena's furious glare and Apollo's desperate pleading. After a moment, he clasped his hands together in front of him. "I think Apollo is telling the truth about working late. I'm sure he has some side projects to work on."

It was an easy decision. Besides the fact that he had no desire to needle Apollo about something the kid was clearly sensitive about, calling him on that lie would set a dangerous precedent for the types of questions they could ask each other. The entire point of this whole conversation was respecting each other's privacy, after all.

Apollo grinned, sending a victorious finger toward Athena. "See? Mr. Wright believes me! Which means it was you who broke the toilet brush!"

Athena's mouth dropped open. "But-"

"But," Phoenix said, "no matter what Apollo was doing here, he still had an opportunity to commit the crime." Apollo's shoulders slumped, and Athena stuck out her tongue at him. "Both of you did. Unless either of you have any evidence to prove you didn't?"

Neither of his employees said a word. Apollo stared at the floor, and Athena crossed her arms, frowning.

Phoenix nodded, relieved to finally return to the point he was trying to make. "It doesn't matter who broke the toilet brush," he said. "We can buy a new one. What matters is that an argument got out of hand thanks to everyone using their powers, and-"

Apollo looked up. "What if I had a witness?"

Phoenix checked his watch. "Apollo, I don't care who broke the toilet brush. What matters is-"

"No, we're defense attorneys, right?" Apollo said, straightening. "Give me a chance to prove myself innocent."

Athena nodded. "Yeah, I wanna hear this. Because I sure didn't break the brush, so it must have been Apollo."

"We'll see about that." Apollo pulled out his phone. "I'll call him right now."

"Him?" Phoenix asked as Apollo dialed, and then he noticed the flush had returned to Apollo's cheeks. Oh, no, kid, I was trying to save you from having to do this.

"Here, I'll put it on speaker." Apollo pressed a button, and the sound of the call connecting blared into the office. He set the phone down next to the Magatama, and waited, arms folded, staring at it. Athena sent an uncertain glance at Phoenix before watching the phone, too. Phoenix, meanwhile, checked his watch again, wondering how things had gotten so off track.

As soon as the other line clicked, a smooth German voice filled the room. "Liebling, this is a nice surprise!" Klavier Gavin said. "I was just about to call you, I wanted to ask-"

Apollo leaned forward, arms still folded. "Prosecutor Gavin, you're on speakerphone."

"Ah." When Gavin spoke again, he sounded still sounded friendly, but it was an entirely different kind of warmth. "Who am I speaking to?"

"Hi, Prosecutor Gavin!" Athena called.

"Hi, Prosecutor Gavin," Phoenix echoed obediently. He had a very bad feeling about where this was headed.

"The entire agency!" Gavin said. "Only missing Fräulein Wright, of course. To what do I owe the honor?"

"I want you to clear something up for me," Apollo said. He squeezed his eyes shut, taking in a deep breath. "When you dropped me off at home last night, we stopped by the office on the way back, yes?"

Athena immediately gasped, and slapped her hands over her mouth to silence herself. Phoenix sat back in his seat with a creak, watching Apollo. Even Gavin took a bewildered pause before replying.

"Uh, ja."

Apollo nodded, opening his eyes. "And when we stopped by the office, I gave you the key so you could let yourself in and use the restroom. Yes?"

"Ja," Gavin said. "I don't see where this is-"

"And when you were in the office, there was a toilet brush in there." Apollo continued, as insistent as if he were pressing a murder suspect. "Yes?"

Phoenix's bad feeling rapidly evolved into outright dread. There was no way Klavier Gavin of all people- and what had Apollo been doing with him in the first place-

"Ah, I don't know," Gavin said. "I wasn't looking for one. I'm not sure what we're talking about right now, Herr Forehead. Did something happen?"

"Did you or didn't you?" Athena snapped, leaning towards the phone.

"Excuse me?"

Athena fired off a rapid sentence in German, and Gavin responded in kind, sounding even more bewildered than before.

Phoenix shook his head. "It doesn't count as witness testimony if we have to take Athena's word for what you're saying."

"Sorry, Herr Wright," Gavin said. "I was just telling Fräulein Cykes that I believe I remember seeing a toilet brush when I stopped by the office. Is that...all you called about?"

"One more thing."

Gavin's voice brightened. "Yes, Herr Forehead?"

"When you saw the toilet brush," Apollo said, leaning forward, "was the handle broken?"

Apollo and Athena stared at the phone, both looking like they'd forgotten how to breathe. Phoenix, meanwhile, began mentally calculating the timing of last night's events. There was no way- was there?

"Nein," Gavin said. "It was a toilet brush."

The effect on the room was instantaneous. Apollo grinned, relaxing back into his chair, and Athena tensed, balling her hands into fists. "I didn't do it!" she snapped. "Apollo still could have done it! What about when he let Prosecutor Gavin in, huh?"

"Would one of you please tell me what is going on?"

"Someone broke our toilet brush to get out of cleaning duty," Apollo said. "We're trying to figure out who it was. Whoever did it has to clean this week."

Phoenix, in the middle of trying to figure out when, exactly, Apollo and Gavin had dropped by the office, flinched. "Hey, punishment was never on the table!"

"Sure it is!" Athena said, slamming her fist into her palm. "Apollo broke the brush and I'm gonna make him pay for it!"

"A noble cause," Gavin said. "I'm happy to help, then. I asked Herr Forehead to assist me with an investigation last night, as he is not related to the case, and much better at reading people than I. We left your office around six-thirty pm, and returned around ten, on the way to his apartment. I, ah, needed to use your facilities, so Herr Forehead lent me the key and I let myself in. He stayed with the bike the whole time."

"Ooh, where'd you guys go?" Athena asked, apparently unable to resist herself.

"A restaurant, and then a bar," Gavin said. "...It was a long investigation."

"That's irrelevant!" Apollo said forcefully, jabbing a finger at the phone. "What matters here is that I have a witness who can vouch that the toilet brush wasn't broken after I left the office at six-thirty. And as Prosecutor Gavin said, I was with his motorcycle the entire time he was in the office at ten. He was carrying my key at the time, so there was no way I could have gotten in without him knowing. Therefore I'm not the culprit, so it has to be Athena!"

Athena was gaping at him. "You two rode on his motorcycle?"

"Don't worry, Fräulein, Klavier Gavin does not drive drunk."

Apollo nodded vigorously. "Especially because it was an investigation. We would never drink on an investigation. Right, Prosecutor Gavin?"

"Boss, come on, they're totally lying!" Athena said, turning to him. "Prosecutor Gavin's got to be a biased witness, listen to them! This has to be a conflict of interest- boss?"

Phoenix blinked, shaking himself out of his stupor, to find both Apollo and Athena staring at him. He offered a smile. "Um, yeah, that's probably right."

"Boss, are you even listening?"

It wasn't possible. There was no way. Years ago, Klavier Gavin had, admittedly without knowing the full story, ruined Phoenix's life, and now here he was, about to do it all over again.

Not all over again. Isn't that a little melodramatic, Wright?

Apollo's eyes narrowed, and he leaned back toward the phone. "Kla- uh- Gavin, did you notice anything else strange when you were in the office? Anything that wasn't there when you picked me up?"

"Now that you mention it, I did," Gavin said. "The lights were on, and I'm sure we turned them off when we left. I remember seeing a wine bottle and two wine glasses on the coffee table, too. I'm sure they weren't there before, or I would have suggested we take the wine on our investigation." He hummed thoughtfully. "The bottle was empty, though. Schade."

Nope, not melodramatic, he's ruined my life. Again.

"Thank you, Prosecutor Gavin, that's all I need," Apollo said, picking the phone off of the table. "I'll call you later about the, uh, investigation."

"Happy to help, liebling."

Athena was apparently too engrossed in this revelation to react to what Phoenix was sure was a pet name. "But there wasn't a wine bottle here when I came in this morning!"

"I figured," Apollo said, tucking his phone in his pocket. He aimed his stare towards Phoenix. "Which means someone else must have been in here last night."

It took all of Phoenix's training from years of poker to hold Apollo's gaze. "Isn't this irrelevant?" he asked. "Prosecutor Gavin said the toilet brush wasn't broken when he left. Maybe someone else came in beforehand for unrelated reasons."

"But if the wine bottle and glasses were gone when I came in, someone must have cleaned them up after Prosecutor Gavin left!" Athena said. "They could've broken the brush then!"

"And that someone had to have a key." Apollo stared Phoenix down. "I don't remember any signs of a break-in."

Athena nodded, tapping her chin. "Plus, that'd be a really weird break-in. I feel like some of Trucy's props would be worth more than a wine bottle and some glasses. And why would they snap a toilet brush?"

"Why indeed," Apollo said, elbowing Athena. Athena followed his gaze to Phoenix, and narrowed her eyes.

Struck by the glares of both of his subordinates, Phoenix felt sweat dripping down the back of his neck. He quickly considered his lines of defense.

Accuse Gavin of breaking the brush? Nope, he has no motive, and no real reason to lie about it.

Blame the wine and broken brush on Athena? Too obvious a lie, it wouldn't take much to discredit it. Athena's not old enough to buy alcohol.

Give up and admit the truth? Can't do that.

Redirect their attention?

Phoenix cleared his throat. "The broken brush wasn't actually what I wanted to talk to you about-"

"Boo!" Athena said, grabbing a handful of Trucy's scattered cards and throwing them at him. They sailed a few inches through the air before fluttering onto the desk.

"Yeah, that's not fair!" Apollo said. "You let us think one of us did it!"

Phoenix chose his words carefully, trying to keep his expression and movements still, his errant emotions under control."I never said I was the one who broke it."

"I can tell you're trying to talk like a robot, Mr. Wright!" Athena said.

Redirect, redirect. Keep them from asking the important questions.

"Fine," Phoenix said, with a tiny sigh. "I'm responsible for the broken toilet brush. I was hoping to avoid the punishment of, what was it, one week of toilet duty?"

"One month." Athena corrected.

Apollo shook his head. "Two months."

Phoenix, despite knowing there were more important things to discuss, rubbing the back of his head, smiling. "Hey, we never agreed there had to be a punishment at all, did we? I never agreed to that."

Apollo returned his smile. "Let's take an office vote, then. Majority rules?"

"We're getting off track," Phoenix said. When Apollo and Athena protested, he raised a hand. "Fine, I'll buy a new brush and clean the toilets for the next two months. Like I said, that wasn't the important part of this meeting." He took a moment to gage their reactions- both still looked furious, but they were listening to what he had to say. "We need to stop using powers in the office. I'm sure neither of you-" he sent a significant glance at Apollo- "want us prying into your personal lives, and we can't keep using them for office disputes. It escalates things until we end up pushing each other down the stairs."

Apollo's gaze had drifted to the floor as soon as Phoenix said 'personal lives'. Athena, however, was frowning, looking as though she were already preparing an objection.

"I know you two and Trucy can't turn them off like I can," Phoenix said, gesturing toward the Magatama. "But maybe we can try not to focus or, uh, listen too hard when we're having everyday conversations with each other, and not bring up anything weird you see or hear unless it has to do with a case. Does that sound reasonable?"

"Yes, boss," Athena said.

"Yes, Mr. Wright." Apollo echoed, not looking up.

"Great!" Phoenix checked his watch again. Somehow, he'd managed to get his point across in just enough time. He stood, hastily maneuvering his way around the desk and toward his bag on the coffee table. "Good work today, everyone! I'll see you both tomorrow!"

"Hold it!"

Phoenix turned back around. Apollo stood, holding the Magatama out toward him, determination in his eyes.

Phoenix forced a smile, reaching for it. "Thanks, Polly. Maya would've killed me if I lost it."

"Just one more thing, Mr. Wright," Apollo said, jerking it out of Phoenix's grasp. "If we're going to sentence you to two months of toilet duty, we need to make sure you're actually guilty."

Phoenix reached for the Magatama again, and Apollo dodged backward. Fine, kid. You want to play hardball? I learned hardball years ago, from the Nickel Samurai, no less. "I wasn't lying earlier," he said. "I'm responsible for the brush being broken. Apollo, don't you have your bracelet for this? Give me the Magatama, please."

Athena's eyes narrowed, and she swiped the Magatama out of Apollo's hand before Phoenix could take it. "Wait, boss. Did you really break the brush?"

Phoenix sighed. "Didn't I already answer that? Listen, you two, I have someplace I need to be, so-"

Athena traded an uncertain glance with Apollo, but she didn't let go of the Magatama. "Did you actually break it, though?"

"I don't know why you keep asking me that," Phoenix said, shaking his head. "Only the three of us have keys to the office. Was it you, Athena?"

"No!"

"Apollo?"

"No, but..."

Phoenix shrugged, not saying aloud the obvious conclusion.

"But he's acting so weird!" Athena whispered to Apollo. "His emotions are all over the place!"

Apollo took the Magatama from Athena, eyeing Phoenix thoughtfully. "Mr. Wright, how did you break it?"

"I had too much to drink." Definitely true. "It was an accident." Also true, at least as far as I know. He checked his watch again, making a show of it this time. "Apollo, can I have the Magatama back, please? I really need to go."

He could tell Athena's resolve was wavering, her don't-upset-the-boss instincts kicking in. Apollo had known Phoenix since long before he deserved to be called anyone's boss, but there was clear hesitation in his eyes. Phoenix held out his hand, waiting.

I could just run, he thought, but then they'd just ambush me tomorrow morning, and I'd look even more suspicious. Better deal with this now.

"Apollo," Phoenix repeated, using his best serious boss voice. "Arguments like these are why I wanted to ban the use of powers in the office. We-"

He could tell the exact moment the locks appeared. Apollo's mouth dropped open, his eyes tracing invisible chains through the air around Phoenix. Phoenix's stomach sank as Apollo clenched the Magatama more tightly in his hand, and Apollo met Phoenix's eyes, resolve strengthening.

Apparently that one was a stretch even for the Magatama. Goddammit, I was so close-

"Mr. Wright," Apollo began, "why do you really want to ban the use of powers in the office?"

Phoenix groaned. "Apollo, please."

Apollo shook his head, although his serious expression had melted into something amused. "This is a major change in office policy, Mr. Wright. I think all of your employees deserve transparency for why it's being established."

"Yeah!" Athena said, balling her fists. "Plus, you just spent the last thirty minutes trying to frame us for breaking that brush, and I wanna know why!"

Phoenix opened his mouth, shut it, and opened it again, mind blank of anything to say besides the truth. Clearly, the Magatama wasn't going to let him get away with much here, and even half-truth-half-lies about the subject would be damning.

I could really use a miracle about now, he thought. Anything to distract them so I can run, and call in sick until they forget we had this conversation. A flock of birds could fly in the window! A hurricane could level the building! Trucy could leap out of the desk as part of an elaborate magic trick! She'd...never let this go, but still, anything!

Someone knocked on the door, and all three of them jumped. "I'll get it!" Athena called brightly, moving past Phoenix toward the door, and Phoenix's shoulders sagged in relief. Then, he checked his watch again. His worst suspicions were confirmed when he heard the familiar voice greeting Athena.

...Anything but that.

"Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth!" Athena said, backing up to let Miles into the room. Her pleasant smile was undercut by Widget's anxious frown- Phoenix had always suspected she and Apollo were intimidated by Edgeworth. "What brings you here?"

Miles's gaze swept the room before landing on Phoenix. "I trust you are ready to go, Wright? I was expecting you outside." He turned to Athena. "Your boss and I have a business meeting to attend tonight, but it seems he's forgotten-"

Apollo let out a high-pitched yelp, and the Magatama clattered to the floor. He clapped his hands over his mouth as Athena and Miles stared at him.

Phoenix smiled tiredly, bending down to pick up the Magatama. "Punctual as always, Edgeworth."

***

(Last night...)

"You cannot be serious, Wright," Miles said from the couch.

Phoenix grinned down at him. He struck a pose, one foot up on the coffee table, with the toilet brush jutted out in front of him like a sword. "I thought I did a good job reenacting it."

Miles pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, his other hand struggling to keep his glass of wine upright. "You cannot expect me to believe that your subordinates began fencing over whose turn it was to perform a chore. Clearly, your daughter's penchant for showmanship has rubbed off on you." He was chuckling, though, a rare sound even these days, and it, more than the wine, warmed Phoenix from head to toe.

Phoenix hopped down, setting the brush down on the table. "Just because your subordinates never do it...besides Blackquill, I guess." He grabbed his glass of wine and fell back onto the other couch.

Miles replaced his glasses, fixing Phoenix with an unimpressed stare. "If this is how the Wright Anything Agency functions, it is no wonder your trials are always so haphazard and-"

"What are we celebrating tonight, again?" Phoenix asked, raising his wine glass toward Miles.

Miles sighed. "You're absurd."

"That's what I thought."

It'd been too long since Phoenix had a night like this. He and Miles had gone out for their usual weekly dinner, and had their usual pleasant time discussing the antics of their respective subordinates. The evening had taken a different turn, however, when Miles presented him with a bottle of wine in celebration of closing a particularly ugly case, and Phoenix had suggested they open it for their usual one-drink nightcap at the Wright Anything Agency office. At some point, one drink had turned into 'just one more', and from there into 'we might as well finish off the bottle', and now, after a steady two hours of drinking, the only wine not yet consumed was in Phoenix and Miles's half-full wine glasses.

Phoenix hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time, and, judging by the way Miles slouched back into the couch cushions, he wasn't the only one.

"Whose turn was it last week, then?" Miles asked, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"What?"

"To clean the..." He gestured vaguely towards the office restrooms.

Phoenix blinked. "Does it matter?"

Miles rolled his eyes. "It's an interesting puzzle, Wright, that's all. They were both lying, and you and your daughter apparently are never on the schedule."

"I'm surprised you can't figure it out."

"Of course I can. You know, then?"

Phoenix nodded, smiling patiently. "You want the solution?"

"Truthfully, I don't care enough to work it out," Miles said with a beleaguered sigh.

Phoenix took that to mean, Give me a hint. "One of them wasn't lying. At least, not completely. It was their turn, but they didn't do their job."

"Forgetfulness?" Miles said, pushing his glasses back up his nose. They seemed determined to slide off his face. "Or spite? Ms. Cykes seems more likely to have forgotten, but Mr. Justice has been quite bitter in the past about the chores you assign him, if I recall."

Phoenix shrugged. "What do you think?"

"From as much as I can trust your melodramatic recollection, Ms. Cykes seemed shocked to discover both of them were lying, while Mr. Justice did not. My assumption then is either Ms. Cykes didn't realize she forgot until that very moment, or that she was aware it was Mr. Justice's turn and was surprised to hear he didn't perform his duties. Mr. Justice must have known either way-"

"You can call them Apollo and Athena, you know," Phoenix said. "You're tipsy, and you've definitely spoken with them enough."

"As I was saying, Wright," Miles continued. "If Mr. Justice truly was not surprised, then I can only assume he knew neither he nor Ms. Cykes performed their duties. Therefore it was his turn, not Ms. Cykes', last week, and he didn't do as he was told." He sipped his glass slowly, eyes unfocused. "I can't comprehend why either would get your Magatama involved, however."

Phoenix shrugged. "Because asking me not to use it would be the same thing as admitting they were lying, wouldn't it? Apollo was the one who insisted on it. Maybe he was hoping Athena would crack under the pressure and admit she was lying first, or maybe he just wanted to drag her down with him."

"Your office sounds like a nightmare, Wright."

"We don't have any hawks," Phoenix said. He shuddered. "Or Paynes."

"I would take Taka any day over the amount of interpersonal meddling and gossip that appears to go on at the Wright Anything Agency."

Phoenix snorted. "Like the prosecutor's office never has any gossip."

"Of course not. We're professionals." Miles drained his wine glass and set it on the table beside the bottle. "We know how to stay out of each other's personal lives."

"Oh, really," Phoenix said, smirking. "Come on, Edgeworth, I know for a fact that-"

Wait, I don't want to talk about this, what am I doing?

It was too late. Miles was already watching him curiously over the rims of his glasses. "You've heard gossip from the prosecutor's office?"

"Uh..."

It'd been weeks, and he still hadn't forgotten the rumor Apollo had told him about him and Edgeworth. Maya had always teased him for being too easy to read, but, up until that conversation, Phoenix had thought he'd managed to keep that particular secret more or less under wraps. If everyone in the legal system believed this rumor, then Miles had to know, right? And if Miles knew, then he clearly didn't want to talk about it, or he would have brought it up already. And if he didn't know-

"Is something the matter, Wright?"

Phoenix tilted his head back, finishing off the rest of the wine, and set his wine glass on the table. "Nope."

"If you've heard rumors about me, I can assure you that does not affect me in the slightest," Miles said, gaze drifting to Phoenix's empty wine glass. "As I'm sure you're aware, I've dealt with rumors for most of my career."

Phoenix closed his eyes, remembering a time where rumors had greatly affected Edgeworth. "They weren't about you." he began, before realizing that the obvious lie would confirm Miles's worst suspicions. "Well, they were, but it wasn't anything...bad."

"And?"

Phoenix opened his eyes. Miles was watching him, face impassive. Phoenix fidgeted in his seat, scratching the back of his head. "It's not anything mean, either. It's, uh..." He couldn't bring himself to say it. "Hey, Edgeworth, you won't fire anybody over this, will you?"

"Of course not," Miles said dismissively. "I told you, I don't care about rumors. What is it that has you so rattled?"

"Rattled? Me?"

"Wright." Miles shook his head, smiling. "You look like you just realized your accused has run off with all of your evidence."

Phoenix, about to run a hand through his hair, clenched his hand into a fist in his lap. "It's a silly rumor. The entire prosecutor's office apparently thinks we're, uh, secretly lovers."

Lovers? Where'd that word come from?

Miles's face didn't change, but he picked up his empty wine glass. "The entire prosecutor's office."

Phoenix nodded. "And most of the police department. And a few others. Apollo said we're, uh, not subtle about it." He forced a laugh. "Isn't that funny?"

Miles's expression still hadn't changed. "You have an odd sense of humor, Wright." He brought his wine glass to his lips, and blinked down at it, confused.

"It's empty," Phoenix offered.

"I am aware." Miles cleared his throat, pushing himself to his feet. "Would you like to go for a walk? I think we could both use a clear head."

"Yeah, sure." Anything to end this conversation.

They locked up and wobbled their way down the stairs, only a little unsteady on their feet after the past couple hours of slow drinking. The cool air of the street outside was a relief, although Phoenix no longer had the excuse of the too-warm office for the flush on his face. As soon as they left, Miles strode ahead of him, headed in no particular direction, and Phoenix had to jog to catch up.

"Whoa, hang on!" he called, and Miles slowed slightly. "What, did you miss your cardio this morning?"

Miles gave him a withering look that Phoenix wasn't entirely sure he deserved. "Wright, you are out of shape."

"I've also been drinking." Phoenix pointed out. "Not all of us have your inhuman tolerance." Miles didn't respond, and Phoenix shoved his hands in his pockets. "So, where are we going?"

"I thought it might be nice to walk around your neighborhood." Miles adjusted his glasses, not looking at Phoenix. "I admit I haven't seen much of it in all the times I've visited. Is there anything of interest around here?"

"Uh..." Phoenix checked his watch. "Not at...ten at night, there isn't."

An uncomfortable silence followed as they passed underneath a streetlight. Phoenix glanced at Miles and, for a second, thought he made out panic in his expression. He cleared his throat. "Trucy's old elementary school is near here. It's not really a landmark, but-"

The creases in Miles's forehead smoothed out immediately, his shoulders relaxing. "Lead the way."

As they followed a route Phoenix and Trucy had walked hundreds of times, Phoenix didn't ask why they were visiting his daughter's elementary school in the middle of the night. He didn't ask why they were going for a walk in the first place. He was so busy not asking that he didn't hear the roar of the incoming vehicle right as they were about to cross the street.

He did, however, feel Miles' arm, thrust across his chest before he could step forward. "Careful, Phoenix!" Miles snapped, and the use of his first name snapped Phoenix out of his thoughts just in time to see a motorcycle speed by, a few yards ahead of him.

Phoenix looked down at the arm across his chest, and up at Miles, who was glaring down the street after the bike. Miles muttered something irritated under his breath.

"Hey, it's okay, Miles, people are always flying down this street," Phoenix said. "Thanks, though."

Miles studied him for a second, a mix of several emotions present on his face, and Phoenix raised his eyebrows. After a second, Miles's eyes widened in realization. "It was the best way to get your attention, Wright," he said. "You were lost in thought. You should have been watching the road."

"Sure, Miles," Phoenix said, with a rush of courage he attributed to the wine. He made an exaggerated show of looking both ways before crossing the street. "Trucy's school is just up here, come on."

Trucy's school was much more rundown than he remembered. The playground appeared to have been redone, though, with a few new death traps dotted around a mulched field that he was sure wasn't there before. Then again, he was getting old, as Trucy often reminded him. He walked up to the chainlink fence, intertwining his fingers around the metal, and heard Miles's footsteps as the other man came to a stop beside him.

Miles cleared his throat. "This is it?"

Phoenix nodded. "They've added a few things, but this is it." He pointed. "There's the swingset where she broke her wrist trying to prove she could fly. Those are the monkey bars she spent two weeks trying to master. She nearly broke her wrist again." He shook his head, not even bothering to keep the fondness out of his voice. "She's a stubborn kid."

"I can't imagine where she gets it from," Miles said, apparently not trying too hard to keep the fondness out of his voice, either. "As I recall, the monkey bars took you four weeks." He smiled at Phoenix, his first smile since Phoenix mentioned the rumors, and something fluttered in Phoenix's chest.

Phoenix laughed, looking away. The question of why they were visiting Trucy's old school at ten at night was growing into a larger question, one he'd kept at the back of his mind for years, only braving when he was tired or tipsy. Like now. "Uh, Edgeworth." Phoenix tightened his grip on the chainlink fence. "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable, with the..."

"I told you, Wright, I do not concern myself with the rumors of my subordinates." Miles's smile vanished, though, and the crease had reappeared in his forehead.

"Right." Phoenix, later, didn't know what made him decide to keep going, although it was probably that smile. "It's weird, isn't it, though?"

"What is?"

"What Apollo said." Phoenix kept his eyes trained forward, on some kind of spiral-shaped contraption that looked like an injury waiting to happen. "That we aren't subtle about it."

The ensuing silence was so long that Phoenix began idly daydreaming about going back to school, getting a physics degree, burying himself in research, and inventing time travel to prevent this conversation from ever happening. He didn't look over at Miles. He didn't want to see the expression on the other man's face. If he'd just upset a decades-long friendship, he wanted a few more moments of blissful ignorance before having to face that fact.

"Wright," Miles said, slowly. "Are you suggesting something?"

Phoenix wished Miles had gotten easier to read over the years. "I don't know," he said. "What would you say if I were?"

Miles eyed him, not responding.

Dr. Wright has a nice ring to it. They make people with PhDs in physics doctors, right? And Trucy would probably love time travel, I bet she could use it for magic tricks-

"Wright, look at me."

Reluctantly, Phoenix met his eyes. "Listen, Edgeworth, you don't have to let me down easy. We can pretend this conversation didn't happen. I don't-"

"Wright-"

"-want to make you uncomfortable. I can stay away from the prosecutor's office until the rumors-"

"Phoenix, for once in your life, would you listen to me?" Miles snapped.

Phoenix shut his mouth, but Miles didn't speak, scowling down the street at nothing in particular. "Okay," Phoenix said, carefully. "What do you want to say?"

"I..."

It happened in an instant. One moment, Miles was staring down the street, hand gripping his elbow in a familiar gesture, and in the next, Miles had stepped closer, his hands on Phoenix's shoulders, his face close to Phoenix's own, and-

What the-

Phoenix, shocked, took a step back, and Miles pulled away. For a beat, Phoenix tried to figure out what exactly had just happened, while Miles curled up into himself.

"Wright," Miles said. "Please tell me I didn't misinterpret-"

Phoenix quickly closed the distance between them and kissed him, letting go of the chain link fence to card his fingers through Miles's hair. It took Miles a moment to respond, but he did, with enthusiasm. The kiss was clumsy, fumbling, and tasted strongly of wine, but when Phoenix pulled away, he couldn't keep a smile off his face.

"You didn't misinterpret anything, Miles," Phoenix said, a bit breathlessly.

Miles looked vaguely gobsmacked, as though he'd just been told Franziska had quit criminal law to become a daycare teacher. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I see."

They kissed seven more times on the walk back to the building, three more times on the stairs up to the office, and once more by the door, not that Phoenix was counting. As soon as they were inside with the door closed behind them, the kissing became something much more distracting, and either both were drunker than they thought, or the phrase 'drunk on love' really held water, because neither noticed the coffee table behind them until Miles stumbled and fell back onto it with a loud crack.

"Ow," he said, sprawled on top of the table.

Phoenix stifled a laugh as he offered a hand to help Miles up. "Are you okay?"

Miles took Phoenix's hand, standing, and rubbed his back. "I"m fine." He looked down at the table. "I don't know about your table, though."

His fall had knocked the- thankfully empty- wine bottle and glasses onto the floor, and Phoenix gathered them up. The drinkware was unbroken, and the table appeared fine, too. "It's alright. No harm done," Phoenix said, carrying the wine bottle over to the office's recycling bin.

Miles bent over, picking up half of the toilet brush off of the ground. "What about this?"

Phoenix groaned as he discarded the bottle and took the wine glasses to the sink. "Apollo and Athena are going to have your head for that. There's been enough fighting about that toilet brush as is."

Miles's eyes widened. "You're planning on informing them?"

"You want to keep this a secret?" Phoenix asked. He turned on the faucet and ran water over the wine glasses, watching as the last traces of wine swirled down the drain in thin red trails.

"Whenever we do tell people," Miles began, picking up the other half of the toilet brush, "I have a feeling we're going to have to fill out a lot of paperwork. Of course, we will do nothing unethical beforehand, but I feel it would be best to get our footing before telling others. Don't you?"

Phoenix placed the wine glasses back in the cabinet and wiped his hands on the dishrag. He could already imagine the reactions from his own employees if word got out that he and Miles were, actually, dating. "Yeah, I get it. I'll make up some story for the toilet brush, I won't tell them you came by tonight."

Miles raised an eyebrow. "I know your employees have certain gifts..."

"I'll come up with something," Phoenix said, taking the broken toilet brush from Miles. "I've been meaning to get them to tone down using powers in the office, anyway." He examined the two halves. "Actually, this might be the perfect excuse."

"I don't follow."

"Don't worry about it, just help me clean up." Phoenix grinned, placing the broken brush on the table. "I'll take care of everything. They'll never even know we were here."

***

Looking back, Phoenix should've known the motorcycle that almost ran him down belonged to Klavier Gavin, on his way to the Wright Anything Agency. It was exactly the sort of coincidence that always happened to him. Franziska Von Karma had once said that she didn't know if Phoenix was lucky or unlucky. Phoenix didn't know either, but, going by the events of the past twenty-four hours, his suspicions leaned heavily toward the 'unlucky' category.

(Although he supposed he'd gotten lucky where it counted- having such ridiculous people in his life in the first place.)

***

Apollo's wide eyes darted between Phoenix and Miles, hands still clapped over his mouth. Miles sent him a quizzical look and nodded at Phoenix. "Shall we go?"

"Uh, yeah," Phoenix said. As he stepped forward to join Miles at the door, he tilted his hand so Miles could clearly see him putting the Magatama in his pocket. Come on, Miles, catch on, we can't lie to them, they suspect too much already.

"Wait!" Athena said. "What's going on? Apollo, why are you making that face?"

Apollo lowered his hands. "I'm not making any faces! This is just my face!" His voice was audibly shaking, though, and Athena's eyes narrowed.

"What's happening right now? What did you see with the Magatama?"

At the mention of the Magatama, Phoenix felt Miles tense beside him. "Wright, what exactly have you and your subordinates been discussing?" he muttered.

Phoenix closed his eyes. "It's a long story. Everything got kind of out of hand-"

"And you two!" Athena whirled, pointing at them. "I can hear you whispering! Mr. Wright, I know you're hiding something! You still haven't told us why you want to ban powers in the office!"

Apollo rubbed his forehead. "Trust me, Athena, you don't want to know."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Phoenix cleared his throat. "Look, the chief prosecutor and I really need to be going." He grabbed Miles' arm, spinning him around toward the door. "Come on."

Miles allowed himself to be led out into the hallway. "What happened in there?" he said under his breath. "It didn't go well?"

"What do you think?"

"Hold it!"

Phoenix turned around, just before they reached the stairs. Athena stood in the doorway, one hand on her hip, the other pointed toward them. Behind her, Apollo had buried his face in his hands again.

Phoenix smiled. "I'm sorry, Athena, we've don't have time for this."

"But..." Athena glanced back helplessly at Apollo behind her. He still looked as though he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him. "But you're lying! I know you are!"

"Daddy's lying?"

Phoenix stifled a groan as Trucy appeared at the bottom of the stairs, backpack slung over her shoulders. She took the stairs two at a time. "What are you lying about, Daddy?"

"Hey, Trucy," Phoenix said, letting go of Miles to hug her. "How was school?"

Trucy pulled back with a smile on her face. "It was great! What are you lying about, Daddy?"

"The toilet brush!" Athena strode forward into the hallway, a look of determination on her face. "Somebody broke it last night, and your dad knows something about it, and he won't tell us!"

"I told you, Athena, I broke the-"

"Last night?" Trucy repeated, and then comprehension dawned on her face. "Oh. Oh." Her eyes became impossibly wide as she looked at Miles and Phoenix standing next to each other, Miles staring pointedly toward the wall. "Oh!"

"What?" Athena asked.

"Nothing!" Trucy said, although the giant grin on her face said otherwise. She hugged Phoenix again, and then turned and threw her arms around Miles for good measure. He stiffened, but returned the hug. "I just- had a really good day at school, that's all!" She gave Phoenix another hug. "A really, really good day!"

Wait, how did Trucy figure us out? Has she been expecting this?

Athena was watching the whole exchange open-mouthed, one hand over Widget. She glanced down at her necklace, as if trying to confirm what she was hearing, and back up at the trio on the top of the stairs. "What's...what's going on?"

"Mr. Wright, please, can we just tell her?" Apollo said, emerging from his hands. "She's going to interrogate me and Trucy the moment you leave."

Phoenix glanced over at Miles. Miles nodded, and Phoenix took his hand. "Athena," he said. "We were hoping to keep it quiet, but Edgeworth and I are headed out on a, uh, date."

He expected Athena's gasp, Trucy's noise of delight, and Apollo's groan. He did not, however, expect a smooth German voice to say "Really?" behind him.

"Oh, for God's sake," Miles muttered, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose as they turned to greet the new intruder. Klavier Gavin stood at the bottom of the stairs, open-mouthed, carrying what looked suspiciously like a new toilet brush under one arm- a toilet brush with a rather ostentatious bow on its handle.

"Prosecutor Gavin," Miles said coolly.

"Herr Edgeworth," Gavin said, look of shock melting into a smile. "I didn't mean to intrude, I was simply making a social call."

Miles's gaze flicked down to the brush, and back up to Gavin's face. "Indeed."

"Did you buy us a new toilet brush?" Trucy said, bouncing down the stairs.

Gavin's eyes were still on Miles. "Uh...ja."

Apollo appeared at Phoenix's elbow, making him flinch. "You did what?"

"Herr Forehead!" Gavin raised the toilet brush in some kind of toast. "To assist you with all of your future toilet-cleaning duties!" His eyes darted around the group, who were all staring at him. "It was, ah, intended to be a joke. I was not expecting..." He gestured vaguely towards Phoenix and Miles. "...everyone to be here."

"Apollo won't be doing toilet duty for a while, though!" Athena said, stepping up beside Apollo. "Mr. Wright confessed to breaking the brush, so he's got two months of toilet duty, although he's still acting weird about it."

She shot him a glare, and he groaned. "Athena..."

"Two months?" Miles mouthed.

"What?" Athena said. "It's great that you and, um, the chief prosecutor are, um, dating, but I still don't get where all the emotional discord in your voice came from! Did you actually break the brush?"

Gavin raised his eyebrows. "That mystery still isn't solved?"

"The mystery isn't solved because it doesn't need to be solved," Apollo said, folding his arms. "Mr. Wright had too much wine, and he broke the brush. That's all there is to it."

Athena gasped. "Wait, but the wine! The two glasses! There was someone else there! Maybe-" Her gaze turned to Miles, and Widget's expression rapidly cycled through shock and fear. "Oh, um, never mind. You're right, Apollo. Mr. Wright broke it. He has to clean the toilets for two months."

"Oh, crap!" Widget added.

Miles began to laugh.

It was such an unexpected sound that even Phoenix stared at him. For a long moment, no one spoke, and Miles kept laughing, hand over his mouth. Eventually, he removed his glasses to wipe his eyes, and cleared his throat. When he spoke, his tone was businesslike again, although he hadn't stopped smirking. "Phoenix, while I was not aware there was a punishment at the time of the crime-"

"Neither was I," Phoenix muttered, shooting a glare at Athena and Apollo.

"-nevertheless, it would be a shame for you to serve the sentence for a crime you didn't commit. Justice must be done. If you like, I can take the punishment instead."

The hallway went dead silent again as, Phoenix assumed, they all tried to picture the dignified chief prosecutor on his knees scrubbing a toilet. Phoenix grinned. "We can negotiate, Miles. It was partially my fault, anyway."

"Gross!" Apollo burst out.

"I didn't mean..." Phoenix shook his head, resigning himself to whatever assumptions the other members of the Wright Anything Agency were going to make about him for the rest of his life. He took Miles's hand. "Come on. If that's everything, the chief prosecutor and I have a date to get to."

"Have a good time!" Trucy said, darting back up the stairs to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Don't stay out too late!"

"Thanks, Trucy." Shouldn't I be the one saying that?

Miles swept his gaze over the group, instantly assuming the power of his job title again. "And we would appreciate if you would be discreet with this...new knowledge you have gained today. We are planning on informing everyone, of course, just not in the first twenty-four hours."

"Of course," Apollo said, still beet red. Athena saluted, and Widget cringed. Trucy and Gavin nodded, too, and Phoenix grabbed Miles's hand, tugging him down the stairs.

As they passed by Gavin, he shifted the toilet brush to his other arm, laying a hand on Miles's shoulder. "Chief Prosecutor," he said. "Gratulation."

Miles nodded. "Danke."

"What was that about?" Phoenix whispered as they continued down the hall.

Miles glanced back. "Mr. Justice is not the only one who thought we weren't being subtle, it seems."

Phoenix followed his gaze. Gavin had climbed the stairs, and he and Apollo were talking intently, Apollo gesturing to the toilet brush. Athena, meanwhile, was giggling at something Trucy said, her hand still covering Widget. "I think my subordinates are terrified of you," Phoenix said.

Miles smirked. "They are." It wasn't a question.

"I wish I could say the same about me."

"It's not a bad thing to be friendly with them," Miles said. "You three- four make a fearsome team, both in and out of court. Your bond is one of your strengths."

"Tell me that again when I manage to keep a secret from them for more than a day," Phoenix said, smiling. He squeezed Miles' hand. "Who would've thought your idea of romance would be offering to clean toilets for me for two months?"

Miles scowled. "I recall mention of negotiations-"

"It's just like Gavin buying Apollo a new brush," Phoenix said cheerfully. He glanced back. Trucy and Athena had disappeared into the office, but Gavin and Apollo were still in the hall, standing almost too close to each other. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but Apollo's smile spoke volumes. "For...whatever's going on between them."

He fingered the Magatama in his pocket. It seemed monumentally unfair for him to be interrogated until his secret relationship was revealed, and yet no one questioned Gavin bringing Apollo a new toilet brush, wrapped up in a bow, less than an hour after finding out the old brush was broken, as part of a 'joke'.

"Don't," Miles said, eyes following the movement of his hand.

Phoenix sighed. "I won't. I'm the boss, right? I have to follow my own rules. No more powers in the office."

Miles nodded. "That, and I'd rather not spend our first date trying to figure out if our subordinates are dating."

"Don't worry," Phoenix said, grinning. "I've got much more pleasant things to think about."

If Phoenix had looked back, in the last second before they turned a corner and were out of sight of the stairs, he might have witnessed decisive evidence of what, exactly, was going on between Klavier and Apollo. But Phoenix didn't turn, and Miles smiled to himself, and the mystery remained a mystery.

***

(Coda)

"You know what's weird?" Athena said, fiddling with her earring.

"That Prosecutor Gavin bought us a new toilet brush?" Trucy said. She crossed to Phoenix's desk, gathering up the cards scattered all over its surface.

"No," Athena said. "I mean, everyone knows why he did that. No, the thing with the toilet brush had me thinking- when was the last time you were on toilet duty?"

Trucy straightened, happy her back was to Athena so she couldn't see the look of horror on Trucy's face. She pasted on her best magician's smile and turned around. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we worked out a schedule, and it's supposed to be all four of us, but you and Mr. Wright never do it," Athena said. "I mean, it should have been your turn at some point in the past month, but we kept restarting the order because the schedule was-" She paused, eyes narrowing in accusation. "...destroyed in a magic trick. Twice."

What's a magician's best trick? Redirect their attention! Luckily for her, a distraction appeared in the form of Apollo in the doorway. He had a tiny smile on his face, both more pleased and more private than his usual grin, and the bow-clad toilet brush was tucked underneath his arm.

"Polly, did your boyfriend already leave?" Trucy asked. "I wanted to thank him for the new brush!"

"Yeah, he had to-" Apollo began, and then his smile vanished. "Wait, boyfriend?"

Trucy assumed an expression of innocence. "Isn't he?"

"What?" Apollo looked between her and Athena, backing up. "Trucy, we just had an office meeting about this! We're not going to pry into each other's personal lives anymore!"

"Technically, it was just about using powers to pry into each other's personal lives," Athena pointed out.

Trucy nodded. "Plus, I wasn't here for it, so I can still pry!"

"No, we're not dating!" Apollo said, flushing. "You guys are so weird! This is why we had to pretend last night was an investigation! Can't two men go out for dinner and drinks together without it being a date?"

"But sharing a motorcycle-" Athena began.

Apollo gesticulated wildly, waving the toilet brush. "It was the fastest way there!"

"And he keeps calling you all of those German pet names when he thinks we're not listening," Trucy added.

"How did you- no, that's- that's just how he is!" Apollo said. "He treats everyone like that!"

It took one look at Athena's expression for Trucy to confirm that, no, she was not crazy, and yes, Prosecutor Gavin did not treat everyone like that. "Okay, Polly," Trucy said cheerfully. "If you say so."

Apollo threw up his hands in defeat. "Ugh, all of you are impossible. I'm going to put the new brush away in the bathroom." He stormed off, slamming the door behind him.

Athena was first to break the ensuing silence. "Do you think he knows he walked into the evidence room?"

"He'll figure it out," Trucy said, and Apollo stormed out of the evidence room, sent them another glare, and stormed into the bathroom. Somehow, him slamming the door a second time didn't have quite the same weight behind it.

When Trucy looked back at Athena, Athena was already eyeing her. "I haven't forgotten about you destroying the chore schedules, you know," she said pleasantly.

Darn.

#ace attorney #narumitsu #wrightworth #phoenix wright #miles edgeworth #apollo justice #athena cykes #meant to post this two weeks ago but ah well #takes place vaguely in the dual destinies era if you dont think too hard #also shoutout to tumblr mobile for messing up my formatting lmao

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