Chapter Text
The end of a normal case, one might say. Well, as normal as any case could be when the lawyer defending it is Apollo Justice. Which means that, this time, the killer wasn’t the person that was in the same room, which was bolted shut from the inside, as the victim but another, third person who put a lethal amount of ricin in her drink at lunch. Which was obviously discovered when the prosecutor’s office requested a second autopsy, this time specifically focused on searching for traces of it, after they found a suspicious bottle filled with what seemed to be poison and after Apollo pointed out that the cause of death didn’t match up with the clues they gathered.
In the end, Apollo cleared his client’s name and justice (pun intended) was served once more.
Klavier felt satisfied in the way he always feels when tying off a good mystery. He probably shouldn’t be as chipper, a woman has died after all, but seeing Apollo so… bold before the judge and the gallery even when all evidences were against him, seeing that smirk when he pointed out yet another inconsistency in a witness’ testimony, the way his eye lit up when he figured out the case and his following glance towards Klavier as if to make sure he got it as well (which he always did, especially when Apollo was so intent on trying to communicate mind to mind).
Well… all of that to say that this particular trial is going to be stuck in Klavier’s head for the next month… or less, depending on how the next one goes.
So, as Klavier gets his things in order, he thinks that this will go the same way it usually goes.
He will congratulate Trucy and Apollo for their win while endlessly teasing the latter man. Then he’s going to ask Apollo out and play it out as a joke because he’s terrified of his answ- because he’s joking, obviously. Then Trucy will ask him to join them to Eldoon’s and Klavier will pretend to think for a second even though his mind is set and accept smoothly. Apollo will groan at yet another German sentence and Trucy will giggle at yet another teasing remark and Klavier won’t even have to think about how much it hurts that he doesn’t wake up next to Apollo every day, especially when he flashes that soft, God-forsaken smile at him that makes his teeth peek out of his lips and his asymmetrical dimples come out and-
Anyways, simply put: Klavier is ready for a night of very happy mingling and nothing more. The thought isn’t even that sad. Really! He even feels marvelous about it.
As Klavier walks into the defendant’s lobby playing the night in his head, he feels good. He’s fine, as Apollo would say. He’s completely okay with everything that his mind flashes before his eyes. He doesn’t, even for just a second, register the small, slight twinge of sadness that tugs at his heartstrings. Nope!
He barely has enough time to set foot in that familiar corridor before his entire plan gets thrown out the window. Because Apollo drops all his files on the ground in a heap of manila and cream right before Klavier’s eyes, only a few meters from him.
“Agh! Fuck me!”
And it isn’t usual. Because Apollo isn’t what most people would call a klutz. He is actually quite dexterous with those… strong, wiry hands that would look delightful tangling into Klavier’s hair and pulling just so- ahem, right, no getting sidetracked.
So there it is, the opportunity of a year, nay, a life laying right before Klavier’s eyes. He ponders, stops. Should he? It sounds like a terrible idea… But on the other hand, he is known for his flirty persona, right? He could shrug it off if it doesn’t work, right? It probably wouldn’t hurt… right?
Fuck it.
“Well, that’s what I’ve been meaning to do for a while, Forehead…”
“What?? Prosecutor Gavin, I-I can’t believe you just said that! Oh my god!”
Is what Klavier expected to run out of Apollo’s frowning lips, right under a delightfully red forehead. But…
“Really now?” Apollo straightens up, walking towards Klavier before looking up at him, eyes playful despite the lack of smirk. “And… how long is that, exactly?”
What… is happening right now? This is not their dance and he’s certain Apollo knows it. The way their song goes is always the same: Klavier teases Apollo for something menial and Apollo turns red, eyebrows furrowed in disgust as he starts spouting out series of stutters and mumbles.
“Prosecutor Gavin?” Apollo’s eyes are glinting with something almost evil as Klavier realizes that he was meant to answer at least a second ago.
“Well I… What I meant was… I mean… uh…” Well look who’s red and stuttering now… Klavier feels like an idiot, is that how Apollo feels when he teases? Gott, it’s both horrendous and, weirdly enough, quite flattering. As in, flattering that Apollo cares enough, wants to flirt back (if that’s even flirting). Not the whole… embarrassing-yourself-in-front-of-your-crush-and-the-defendant’s-lobby part.
“Yes? You meant?” His voice has a lilt… Klavier can’t even begin to decipher it. Teasing? Mischievous? Coy? Why must he always fall for walking enigmas? He gives out a quick prayer to God for his performer skills as he shots an answer right back with a grin.
“I meant,” He leans in, not wanting their unwanted audience to be privy to what he’s about to confess, “if you’d let me…” The rest of his sentence goes unspoken but he’s certain Apollo understands. The man is perceptive… scarily so even.
“Oh…” Oh fuck did he fuck this up oh no he should not have said that Klavier you moron abort mission send air support kILL THAT MAN-
Despite the rambling of his mind, Klavier sucks it up, leans back and smirks down at Apollo, desperately trying to not let his impatience or nervousness show on his face. Now he’s sure of how Apollo will react. He’s going to laugh it off and tease Klavier on his stutter, finally gaining back the semblance of power over all the times Klavier made fun of him.
By now, he probably should have caught on that this conversation will never going to go as he expected.
“Well…” Apollo raises his eyes to Klavier’s, movement slow, almost languorous. That is until he yanks his chain, pulling Klavier down at eye level. “Why don’t you then?”
He smiles roguishly and Klavier has most likely died by now. Because this is, by far, the hottest thing that has happened to him. There is no way on earth that it came from Apollo fucking Justice of all people. Either he’s having a sweet, so sweet dream or he absolutely has been killed and there is no in between.
Except… Except, the heat of Apollo’s breath on his mouth, the slight tremor in his hand where it’s wrapped around his chain, the way his eyes flit across his face to check if he’s gone too far, the smell of his earthy and musky cologne mixed with a slight twinge of sweat (nervous?), his lidded gaze that despite the nervousness seems to keep being dragged back towards Klavier’s lips and, oh, just as a side thought, the fact that he’s so close to Klavier that he can notice the smallest differences in the deep warm brown of his irises, weirdly enough makes Klavier just maybe perhaps think that this might be reality.
And heaven must be testing Klavier’s will. Must know he will never pass on such a divine opportunity. Because just as it is presented to him, he has to tear away as, remember, they are in the middle of the lobby and he’s quite certain that every single eye in the room is glued to them. So, Klavier scoffs, pretends to not be affected at all and leans away.
“Well, Herr forehead, I am glad you’ve told me this sehr important part of our new investigation!” He says, loudly enough to be noticed but not be weird whilst trying to recreate the previously mentioned connection between their minds without letting the whole crowd know he was this close to bed his colleague-slash-rival-slash-crush.
It’s a tough line to toe, believe him. Thank Gott that the other man is quick on his feet, because he smiles, albeit smaller, and answers easily. “Yeah, I know. You’re welcome, prosecutor Gavin.”
Apollo casts his eyes down, seeming a bit dejected. But they have a part to play and they must play it until the end.
“Look, Forehead?”
Apollo looks up and hums in acknowledgment, face soft but smile decidedly gone. “Can you just go check out this address please? If you’re absolutely certain of what you’ve just told me, then you’ll want to see this.”
And Klavier is proud of his way with words because he’s quite certain that this innocuous sentence from an outsider’s perspective, is the exact one the reignited the spark he saw in Apollo’s eyes before he pulled away. He jots down a few words on his notepad, tears off the page and passes it over to Apollo.
As he reads further, his eyes widen just slightly enough to be noticed only by him. He looks up again and the fire is so wild Klavier has half a mind to step away to not get scorched, before he realizes he’d probably let it ignite him whole.
“Thank you, prosecutor Gavin. I will most certainly check this lead out.” Then, quieter. “Thank god you gave it to me because I would not have been able to sleep otherwise.”
A double entendre of course, they’ve gotten quite good at this, it seems, thanks to their many secret conversations across the courtroom. Klavier feels his face warming up. Does Apollo also like him?
“Sehr gut. Do keep me informed, ja? I believe I must leave, sadly.” He is actually sad about this but, knowing what will happen soon, he finds himself not caring too much.
“Of course.” That fucking smile, again. Apollo will most certainly kill him one day. “I’ll keep you in touch.”
“Danke schöne, Herr Forehead. I’ll see you and the Fräulein later, ja?”
“For sure, mister Gavin!” He hears Trucy's loud voice across the hall. He thanks God she wasn’t there earlier. Klavier would hate to traumatize a young lady because of his inability to just… be a normal human being and ask out his crush, Klavier, you know? Like you did several times before? And to people you didn’t even like as much as Apollo Justice.
Klavier has to quiet down the nagging voice before it starts going off on about Apollo’s eyes or, worse, his butt.
Klavier waves at her before looking back at Apollo. He seems lost in thought, his hands fidgeting with the note before putting it, carefully if his eyes aren’t betraying him, in his wallet. He notices Klavier staring and his eyes turn teasing once again.
“I’ll see you later, then” He whispers, voice so soft it almost looks like he’s mouthing the words instead. Klavier’s heart does a helpless flutter, followed by a heady thrum in his chest.
Klavier hums in answer and turns away with a sultry wink. When his back is facing Apollo, however, he finds himself touching his face, just to check if it melted off.
God he’s going to need a shower… A cold, cold shower.