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Klavier had moved into a new apartment.
Moving into an apartment was something that Klavier did at least thrice a year, and it was something he could easily do with the salary of a bigshot prosecutor and the money he got from being a rock star. Klavier always felt grateful that he had enough money to be able to move apartments so much, as he was aware that so many people didn’t have that opportunity, even if they needed so desperately. There were lots of reasons why he moved so often, reasons why he could never find the perfect apartment building to live in.
He needed a scene change for him to be able to function properly, the monotony of living in the same apartment for more than three months often made him a lot less productive, especially if his apartment was in a noisy busy location. Not only that, but his fans tended to be…fanatic, and they would often find his address in a matter of a few months, sometimes even just weeks. His last apartment had gotten leaked on Twitter, so Klavier had moved out for his own safety. He would rather not have some random fan go to his address and start bothering him. It wasn’t that he hated them, but it was more so that he needed his privacy, needed to be able to sit alone in his apartment to unwind from his undeniably hectic busy life.
For some odd reason, finding the perfect apartment to settle in was hard, though that wasn’t something that Klavier was new to, since he was also like that in relationships.
Though, the apartment building he had recently moved into seemed like it would be the one.
The apartment building was a nice place, and it was old. The walls of the building were noticeably weathered, though it wasn’t to the point of being unlivable. It was made of a muted red brick, and a pointed shingled dark gray roof. The building had balconies, overlooking the street and the other buildings. There was notably an apartment building across from his, and Klavier sometimes wondered what it was like inside. Though, he knew that it could never happen. Klavier had to admit, the apartment was nice, cozy in a nice simple and lowkey way. Sometimes Klavier liked to go out and sit on the balcony chair, just watching as people hurried on with their lives, and sitting back and just…allowing the time to pass.
And every night as Klavier was at his balcony, for the past few weeks that he had been living there, he heard a man sing.
The man from the apartment building across his would sing the same song, the same song of an unrequited love, in the same passionate soft way, as though he related deeply to the song. His violin playing very often accompanied his singing, the notes masterfully played and so beautifully clear. Whenever the man would sing, Klavier would drop everything he was doing, go to the balcony, and just…listen to him sing. He would listen to the way the man would passionately sing, sing not for an audience but for…himself, and the emotions that he felt. Klavier hadn’t sung like that in a while, and there was something admirable with the way the man sung, how he sang his emotions so openly.
And oddly enough…Klavier found the song relatable.
Unrequited love wasn’t something Klavier experienced, he was used to being able to get anyone he wanted…until now. It was odd, being in love with someone who he knew would never love him, and it hurt him just as much. As much as he tried to convince himself that it didn’t bother him, as much as he acted like his heart didn’t ache every second the one he loved didn’t love him back, it did. So, something about the song touched him deeply, as much as the voice of the man singing did.
Out of curiosity, Klavier searched the song online, discovering that the song was from TikTok. While Klavier usually didn’t like TikTok songs…this one he liked. The song touched Klavier, made Klavier feel seen and heard. The song wasn’t gimmicky or made to be popular, it was made to touch the hearts who related to it, was made to express the familiar feelings that everyone felt. There was something just so intimate and raw about the song that immediately made Klavier love it so dearly. Pretty soon he had memorized the song and knew how to play the chords on his guitar, and he would hum it to himself whenever he was doing something. It was just something about the song and the man singing together, that made Klavier feel as though he was important.
And just like the nights before, the man was singing again.
Klavier was outside in the balcony, lounging while he occasionally played chords on his guitar. While it was mostly dark out, Klavier could see his surroundings perfectly, because of the lights of the city and cars below paired with the pale silvery moonlight. It lit the balcony in just the right amount of light, just light enough to see the surroundings around him, but just dark enough where his eyes could rest. He sat on the balcony chair, next to the potted plant in the corner of the balcony. It was in the fall, so the nights had been getting colder and longer, prompting Klavier to wear a coat as he sat at the balcony. He strummed another chord, enjoying the way his guitar joined the sound of the bustling city below.
At some point, he heard the familiar sound of the man singing again, heard the clear notes of the violin accompanying his voice.
“I’m in love with someone, who’s in love with someone…” The man began to sing, along with his violin.
There was a melancholic mellow tone in the man’s voice, as he sang in a gentle, lilting tune. His voice was slightly raspy, but generally rich and sonorous. There was a uniqueness to his voice, so different yet so familiar and comforting. The notes that he played on his violin were clear and melodic, the notes cascading down like water droplets falling through the night sky. The violin, along with the man’s voice, harmonized in a beautiful unique sound that Klavier had never heard before. It was a sound that Klavier selfishly wanted all for himself, wanted for nobody but him to hear. It was as though the man was singing to him and him only, and something about that was comforting.
Before Klavier knew it, he had joined along, strumming the strings of his guitar as he sang along. “And that “someone” will never be me~”
The singing and violin stopped.
Klavier waited with bated breath, and some part of him started to regret this.
But soon enough, it continued, and Klavier let out a sigh of relief.
“So let me tell you about how I love the way you smile.” The man sang, the violin playing along to the melody.
“And that smile someday will be mine~” Klavier sang next.
Klavier couldn’t help but think of Apollo as he sang, think about the defense attorney who had so quickly stolen his heart. He thought about the way Apollo smiled, at that smile that he had so quickly fallen in love with. It was every kind of smile that Apollo made that Klavier had fallen in love with. The sheepish smile he made whenever he was embarrassed, the smug smirk that made its way to his face whenever he had caught a witness on a lie, and the joyful grin that he made whenever he was laughing. That smile was the one that Klavier fell in love with the hardest, and the smile that he cherished the most, whenever Apollo would laugh with Klavier in those seldom moments.
Klavier continued to play his guitar as he sang. “I don't know how to describe my feelings-”
“-Blonde hair, brown eyes the way you see me-” The man continued.
“-Hoodie, beanie, baggy jeans and cap.” Klavier finished.
Klavier still remembered the day he first met Apollo, remembered the annoyed frown on his face when Klavier had made a corny pick up line. He remembered the gently warm feeling he felt just at the sight of the man, even when they were in the courtroom. Klavier had expected for that trial to be the last time he would ever see Apollo, and though some part of him was disappointed he was ready to move on, but…it wasn’t. Apollo got assigned to more of the same trials, and at some point they had started spending more time with each other. They became…friends, even. The more Klavier spent time with Apollo, the more the warm feeling he felt around him grew and grew, all while Klavier didn’t know what the feeling even was.
Months later, Klavier realized that the feelings that he first felt were a crush. Slowly and surely, as he got to know Apollo more, that feeling…grew. It grew and grew, blossoming into what Klavier was sure was love.
“You just walked into the coffee shop, while I am standing watching you.”
“Wondering if I can know your name?”
Now that Klavier and his guitar had joined the music, it now felt fuller and more complete. The way their voices and the combined instruments of a guitar and violin harmonized together in a unique never before heard sound, it almost sounded like a symphony. A private symphony, for only the two of them, a symphony that was a display of their most intimate thoughts and feelings. Even if Klavier didn’t know the man, he felt connected to him, more connected to him than anyone he had known for years. He found that he understood the man, understood the man’s problems and what led him to this moment. And…undeniably, there was something intimate with the way they sang together.
“That was my thought, when we first met, it’s so eerie but it’s also sweet.” Klavier sang.
The man continued with him. “‘Cause I seem to fall in love…with you~”
Klavier was scared to admit that he was in love, scared to admit that these feelings that he felt were more than he had originally thought. He was scared of many things that came with love, the rejection, the isolation, the inevitable way that Apollo would frown if he confessed his feelings. It terrified Klavier, to open up about the feelings that he tried so hard to deny, to admit the fact that he loved. But as he sang along with the man, he found it easy to admit his love so openly to the world, just as the man with him found it easy to admit his.
“I’m in love with someone-”
“-Who’s in love with someone-” The man continued to sing.
“-And that “someone” someday will be me.” Klavier and the man sang with each other.
Klavier strummed one last chord on his guitar, and the song slowly transitioned to silence, the only sounds that could be heard the traffic below on the streets. Klavier looked out at the other apartment building, and he could see the distant form of another man holding a violin. The man played one last soft, lulling tune, before he walked back into his apartment. That was the man that sang, Klavier assumed, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew that person…Klavier shook the thought out of his head. Now that the man had stopped singing, the air around him felt silent, despite the fact that there were the sounds of traffic below. It felt…lonely.
Klavier then strummed his guitar again, and sang in a voice that he knew only he could hear.
“And that “someone”…someday will be me~”
━━━━ ❰ ･ ❉ ･ ❱ ━━━━
Klavier did not go on many investigations, he had always found them so tiring and boring. However, when he had met Apollo, he found himself being much more eager to join in on investigations, all in hopes of catching even just a single glimpse of Apollo Justice. He often only investigated on cases that he knew both he and Apollo would be working on, always making sure to tease the man whenever he was there. Though at some point, Klavier was starting to slightly enjoy investigations. He went to slightly more investigations, even the ones without Apollo. Though, that was not to say that he went to many now, in fact without Apollo his motivation to investigate often dwindled, but three was always more than zero, wasn’t it?
That particular afternoon, Klavier was assigned to a murder case that happened at Global Studios. He didn’t want to go at first, but when he heard that Apollo too was working on it he practically jumped at the opportunity. Besides, Klavier had heard good things about Global Studios, especially from Edgeworth. When Klavier had told Edgeworth that the crime scene was at Global Studios, he saw Edgeworth smile a small, almost nostalgic smile. He had no time to ask however, since a police officer went into the office to discuss something with Edgeworth, and he requested that Klavier go out after that.
Soon enough, after a quick drive in his motorcycle, Klavier made his way to the Global Studios. He turned off his motorcycle, setting his helmet on the motor and smiling at the studios that outstretched in front of him. There were many bushes and trees throughout the place, all with leaves that were now a variety of shades, though they mostly fell on the orange, red, and yellow hue. One of the trees provided some nice shade small parking lot, which had a few old cars in them. From where Klavier stood, he could see the red brick walls, shielding the studios from the rest of the world. On the adjacent side of the sharp iron pickets of the studio gates was a security booth, a studio map beside it.
Klavier made his way to the gates, having an unpleasant chat with the grumpy old woman who was supposedly the security lady, before he got a keycard from her and then made his way to the studios. He walked through the studio path, making it to the diverging path that went to either Studio One or Studio Two. Though, the security lady had told him that Studio Two was off limits, so he made his way to Studio One. He walked through the Studio Path, and eventually he came upon the diverging path, taking the direction where the sign had pointed where Studio One to. He whistled as he walked, making sure to enjoy the stroll.
Klavier entered the building, immediately recognizing all of the filming equipment there. Tripods, stage lights, microphones, reflection sheets, backdrops, and other things that Klavier would need an entire notebook to describe. The studio lights that were above lit up the building nicely, making it easy to see everything inside. He grinned as he spotted Ema, crouched over and checking…something out? Or she could be resting, either one wouldn’t be surprising for her.
“Hallo, Fräulein Detective.” Klavier said as he approached her.
Ema groaned. “You again, Fop? When are they gonna stop assigning you to cases I’m working on?”
“I see that you are thrilled to see me, Fräulein.” Klavier said with a grin.
Ema rolled her eyes, saying sarcastically. “Yeah, just like how I love eating dog shit.”
“That’s not sanitary.” Klavier teased.
Ema scowled, throwing snackoos at Klavier.
“How did Frau…” Klavier trailed off. What was the security lady’s name again?
“Oldbag.” Ema supplied for him.
Klavier paused, and then asked incredulously. “That’s her name?!”
“Yep.”
“Well…how did Frau Oldbag treat you?” Klavier asked.
“Eh, she was a bitch but whatever, I have to deal with you all day.” Ema said with a shrug.
“Ah. She was rude to me, too.” Klavier said.
Ema burst out laughing. “Ha! Guess your plastic ass charm doesn’t work on everyone, eh?”
Klavier gasped, in faux hurt. “Fräulein, you wound me!”
“Whatever.” Ema said, rolling her eyes.
Klavier looked around the building, noticing a distinct lack of red. He spoke up. “So, where is Herr Forehead?”
Ema raised a brow. “How do you know that Apollo is working on this case?”
“I have my…sources.” Klavier said with a grin.
“Stalker.”
Klavier chuckled. “In truth, Fräulein Wright is my source.”
“…Why would she tell you about what cases Apollo is working on?” Ema questioned.
“Because she is kind hearted.” Klavier answered, teasingly adding. “Something you can learn from, Fräulein.”
Ema full on scowled. “Asshole.”
“I try my best.”
“…Can you just go back to being obsessed with Apollo?”
“Gladly.” Klavier said with a grin. He then asked. “So? Is Herr Forehead coming?”
Before either Ema or Klavier could say anything else, they then heard the sound of two very familiar voices from outside.
“Oooh! This is so cool!” Trucy’s upbeat voice could be heard from outside.
“Truce, you’ve been saying that ever since we got here.” Apollo’s less excited voice replied.
“Because it’s just that cool!”
Klavier could practically hear Apollo roll his eyes.
The door opened, revealing both Trucy and Apollo. Trucy was dressed in her usual magician getup, something that she never failed to wear every day. Apollo on the other hand was wearing something a lot more casual, which consisted of a red hoodie, white shirt, denim pants, and a navy Cosmos Space Center branded backpack. Klavier smiled at the sight of Apollo, smiled at the way Apollo took in the surroundings with sharp eyes. Apollo had always been an observant man, though he seemed to be oblivious to Klavier’s obvious adoration towards him…
Trucy’s face lit up when she saw the two, while Apollo had a poker face, making it hard to read his expression.
“Hi Mr. Gavin! Hi Ema!” Trucy greeted.
“Hey, Prosecutor Gavin. Hey Ema.” Apollo greeted too.
“Hallo, Fräulein. Hallo, Herr Forehead.”
“Wassup.” Ema simply said.
“It’s nice to see you again, Fräulein.” Klavier said coolly, then adding. “Ah, you’re here too, Herr Forehead.”
“Prosecutor Gavin.” Apollo simply said, barely amused.
“You know, I was starting to miss you, Herr Forehead.” Klavier said teasingly. “You like making me wait, ja?”
Ema groaned. “God Fop, when are you gonna stop hitting on him?”
“H-Hitting on me?!” Apollo stammered.
Klavier grinned. “Am I not a allowed to be friendly towards a colleague, Fräulein?”
Apollo reddened in that adorable way he always did. “And he’s not hitting on me!”
“I may know jackshit about romance, but even I know that the Fop is hitting on you, ‘Pollo.”
Apollo scoffed, rolling his eyes.
Trucy slowly began to grin. “Speaking of guys hitting on Polly…”
Ema raised a brow, and Klavier? Well, he was…intrigued, to say the least.
“Oh god.”
“You know, Polly! That guy was super into you!” Trucy teased. She then added excitedly. “And he was super handsome! Not your type yeah, but handsome!”
Apollo groaned. “Not this again.”
“…Come again?” Klavier asked.
“The guy we’re supposed to defend was really into Polly! Like, it was so obvious, even a dummy like Polly could get it!” Trucy answered.
Apollo shot Trucy a glare.
“So, the guy was hitting on him?” Ema asked.
“Yup! His tells made it obvious, he was head over heels in love!” Trucy said, dreamily sighing. She then added. “You should go on a date with him after this, Polly! Who knows, maybe you’ll get married!”
Klavier frowned.
“Trucy, I am not getting together with my client.” Apollo said.
Trucy crossed her arms as she demanded. “And why not?”
“First of all, it’s very unethical to date a client.” Apollo started.
“He’s right, you know.” Ema added.
“Ja.” Klavier agreed simply.
Trucy pouted.
“And second of all, I’m not interested in him!” Apollo continued.
Klavier couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.
“Ooh! You’re saving yourself for…him, huh?” Trucy teased, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
Klavier’s frown deepened at that.
…Him? Who’s him?
Apollo reddened slightly. “Trucy!”
“That’s a yes.” Ema quipped.
Apollo directed his glare to Ema. “Ema!”
Trucy and Ema laughed with each other…and that only made the hurt that Klavier feel worse. Apollo was in love with someone, and Klavier knew with all of his heart that it wasn’t him, knew that he wasn’t good enough for Apollo. It shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did, Klavier knew that he wasn’t entitled to Apollo’s love, but for some reason…it did. It hurt, and Klavier hated how much it hurt. The three of them talked some more, though Klavier couldn’t hear any of it, all of their distinct voices seemed to blur together in one fuzzy unintelligible noise. He only realized that someone was talking to him midsentence, enough to snap him out of his thoughts.
“-ell, we’re gonna try to look at the rest of the studios. Maybe try our hand at Studio Two, there might be something useful there.” Apollo had said.
“It’s still cool that they filmed the Steel Samurai here!” Trucy said excitedly.
“Eh, I prefer the Golden Geisha. Has more fleshed out writing.” Ema chimed in.
Klavier stayed silent the whole time, almost…thoughtful.
Apollo shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I only watch anime.”
“Weeb.” Trucy teased, giggling.
“Whatever.” Apollo said with a roll of his eyes. “We gotta get to Studio One now. Thankfully that nice old lady gave us a keycard.”
Trucy pouted. “That lady was mean.”
“She was nice to me.”
“Ugh! Don’t remind me…” Trucy said with a shudder.
Apollo shot her an odd look.
“Hah! She wasn’t nice to the Fop too, he told me so. It was bound to have been hilarious. I kinda wish I saw it.” Ema said with a cackle, stuffing her face with snackoos. “Sherioushly, leshgit Cshomeshdy goshld. Wish Ish’d sheen isht.”
“Ah, I’m surprised.” Apollo said, then adding. “Well, we’ll go now. See you two at the courtroom.”
“Bye you two.” Ema said.
“Bye.” Klavier said, distractedly.
As soon as Trucy and Apollo were gone, Ema turned to Klavier, a brow raised slightly as she rather bluntly stated. “You like him.”
“Hä?”
“Apollo, you like him.” Ema clarified.
“Ja, I do…” Klavier admitted almost instantly. He paused, and then asked incredulously. “Wait, how did you know?!”
Ema tutted, shaking her head. “It’s so obvious, Fop. The only reason Apollo doesn’t know is ‘cause he’s stupid.”
“Oh, I suppose so.” Klavier said, he then sighed. “He’s interested in someone else though, so I have no chance…”
Ema snickered.
Klavier looked at her, a brow raised. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing, just…” Ema snickered again, obviously trying to hold in her laughter. “It’s nothing.”
“…You know who Herr Forehead is in love with, don’t you?”
At that, Ema burst out laughing. She said in between her laughter. “Yeah! I do! And it’s so funny watching you get pissy over it! Especially with who he likes…”
“Who does he like?”
Ema smirked. “And why should I tell you?”
“Fräulein.”
“I’m not telling, Fop. Not only would I be breaching Apollo’s privacy, but also…It’s kinda funny seeing you not knowing him.”
“…Do I at least know him?”
Ema cackled like a hyena. “Oh, you know him alright.”
Klavier sighed.
“Now let’s look through the rest of this crime scene. Can’t exactly waste our time on stupid shit like love.” Ema continued.
Ema and Klavier continued to investigate Studio Two, though the entire time, Klavier could only think about the man Apollo was in love with.
━━━━ ❰ ･ ❉ ･ ❱ ━━━━
It had been days since Klavier’s last case with Apollo Justice, specifically the one in Global Studios. Apollo had won, which didn’t surprise Klavier at all, all that mattered to Klavier was that the true murderer got caught. Klavier should have been glad, glad that a murderer was no longer allowed to walk freely amongst the people, but…Klavier found that for the past few days, his mind was plagued by certain thoughts. Certain thoughts that replayed in his head over and over again, even as he strummed his guitar as he sat on his balcony chair. He could only barely hear the sound of the chords that his guitar played, or the traffic down below. No, Klavier could only think of one thing.
All he could think about was the man that Apollo was in love with.
That man.
That man…
…Who was that man?
Who was Apollo in love with? Who was the man that had stolen Apollo’s heart?
No matter how hard he tried, Klavier couldn’t stop thinking about him, couldn’t stop the mysterious man from dominating his every thought. What type of person was this man? Was he a good person? Would he hurt Apollo? Klavier hated the idea of Apollo being in love with someone who would hurt him, but the thing was that…Klavier would never know. Because ultimately, he had no idea who the person that Apollo was in love with was. Klavier barely knew about him, and he had only heard about this supposed man days ago. All he knew was that…he knew him? It couldn’t have been Clay, Clay and Apollo had a strictly platonic relationship. It wasn’t Phoenix, either. Phoenix and Apollo had more of a father-son relationship.
So…who was he?
Klavier didn’t know who this man was, didn’t know who stole Apollo’s heart so quickly…and that was the worst part.
Was…was Klavier jealous?
No, no, he wasn’t jealous. Klavier wasn’t sure of many things, but he was very sure that he wasn’t jealous of the supposed man that Apollo had fallen in love with. Whatever he felt towards the man that had stolen Apollo’s heart, it wasn’t jealousy. It was too sad to be jealousy, not angry or envious enough, too wistful and with too much longing. Yearning even, yearning to be the one that captured his heart, yearning to be the “someone” that Apollo was in love with.
Someone…
He wasn’t sure when, it was all basically a blur now, sitting on the balcony chair. But at some point, he had picked up his guitar, and he had started singing.
“I’m in love with someone, who’s in love with someone…” Klavier sang, playing the chords on his guitar that corresponded with the lyrics.
A pause of silence, and then the man joined, accompanied with his violin. “…And that “someone” will never be me~”
Klavier smiled, and he continued to sing. “So let me tell you about how I love the way you smile.”
“…And that smile someday will be mine~”
Klavier could almost see Apollo, laughing and happy with the man he was in love with. He could hear the way Apollo would laugh, joyful and pleasant, but for someone that wasn’t him. Klavier could see the way that they’d hold each other’s hands, and how they would smile so lovingly at each other. Their whole relationship played in Klavier’s head, like a horrible movie that would never end. Apollo’s smile, his laugh, the way his eyes lit up, now exclusively reserved for another. All things that lit up Klavier’s world, now made him experience the most unbearable heartbreak. Klavier wouldn’t be upset at Apollo being happy, he could never be upset at Apollo, he was just…
He was just bothered that the person who made Apollo happy…wasn’t him.
It shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did…but it did, it hurt.
The song met its decrescendo, the song slowly becoming softer and softer as the song came to its natural end. Klavier could still hear, though. Hear the way the man sang, hear the wonderful way the man’s voice went up and down, hear the way his guitar and voice mixed together with the man’s voice and the violin. Klavier could almost hear the desperation in the way that he sang, the deep longing that he had kept to himself for so long. He could hear the melancholic way the man on the other side sang, the underlying sadness in the violin’s beautiful tune. This man…whoever he was, was longing too, for someone that he loved. It was almost…comforting in a way, the fact that they were both so far away, yet understood each other so so deeply.
“I'm in love with someone, who's in love with someone-”
“-And that "someone" someday will be me.” Klavier finished.
Klavier hoped will all of his heart that it would happen someday, and that he would finally be Apollo’s someone.
━━━━ ❰ ･ ❉ ･ ❱ ━━━━
The rain fell from the skies, making soft pitter patter noises as raindrops hit the walls of the bus stop and the ground. The skies were overcast, gray with blanket of dark gray clouds. It seemed that the wind was cold around, and Klavier wore a coat to help himself stay warm. The roof shielded Klavier from the rain, though that didn’t stop the occasional raindrop from hitting his slightly wet shoes. Klavier watched as droplets fell from the roof of the bus stop, in a slow steady stream. He would have driven his motorcycle back to his apartment, but he had taken in the motorcycle for repairs. Though, some part of him was glad that he didn’t have his motorcycle at this particular day, driving through the rain had always been a pain.
Bored, Klavier took out his phone, and looked through his contacts for someone to text. When he found nobody, he started playing a game on his phone, to pass the time. Klavier wasn’t sure how many minutes had passed, all he knew was that at some point later, he heard the voice of a certain defense attorney.
“Prosecutor Gavin?”
Klavier was snapped out of his thoughts, looking up at the person who spoke to him. He smiled when he saw that it was Apollo. He had to admit, Apollo looked adorable in the stereotypical yellow raincoat that he wore. “Hallo, Herr Forehead.”
“Hey.” Apollo said, sitting down next to Klavier. “So, what are you doing?”
“Waiting for the bus.” Klavier said, placing his phone back in his pocket. He then added jokingly. “What else would I be doing? I don’t sit in bus stops for fun, Herr Forehead.”
“True…”
Klavier couldn’t help but laugh.
Apollo rolled his eyes. Then, he asked. “Why aren’t you driving in your motorcycle?”
“It’s in for repairs, so it’s the bus for me.”
“Ah, I see…”
“Actually, Herr Forehead. Why are you here? Don’t you usually use your bicycle?” Klavier asked.
“I didn’t take my bike today.” Apollo said, then adding. “Besides, it’s raining. I’m not biking out in the rain.”
“Fair enough. I wouldn’t want to ride my motorcycle in the rain, either.” Klavier said with a chuckle. Then, he asked. “So…where are you headed, Herr Forehead?”
“Chestnut Avenue, my apartment building is there.” Apollo answered.
“My apartment building is there, too.” Klavier said.
“Huh, that’s a huge coincidence.”
“Ja, it is.” Klavier said, briefly wondering if Apollo had heard him and the man sing on those nights. He then asked. “Carmine Complex?”
“Azure Apartments.” Apollo replied.
“That’s the apartment building across from mine…” Klavier said, frowning slightly.
There was no way Apollo didn’t hear them singing every night. Perhaps Apollo was asleep by the time they had begun singing…
“Huh, another coincidence.”
“Ja.”
After that, both of them were silent. They simply sat in each other’s company, not having to say a single word for the air around them to be comfortable. Klavier had to admit…this was nice. He knew that he didn’t have a shot with Apollo, but sitting next to Apollo, as he scrolled through his phone? Well…it made anything feel possible, even the slightest possibility of Apollo being in love with him, though he knew that it would never happen.
…Was it selfish to want more?
Was it selfish to want to hold Apollo’s hand? To cradle him oh so lovingly? Or to be cradled by Apollo, holding him tight, as if letting go would lose him? These were all thoughts in his head, that swirled in a messy symphony as Klavier stared at Apollo’s hands. It took all of Klavier’s willpower to not blurt out the three words, three words that would change their relationship forever. Klavier had to resist the urge to hold his hand, resist the impulse that wanted to confess to Apollo right then and there. But he couldn’t, he could never. So they just sat in silence, the only sound the soft pitter patters of the rain, as raindrops fell from the gray clouds above. Though, this silence didn’t last for long.
Because at some point, Apollo had started to hum.
Something about the way Apollo sang was…familiar, as though he had heard his voice a million times before. The familiarity of the voice was as loud and clear as it was soft and distant, and Klavier didn’t know why. Klavier recognized this voice, the voice that Apollo sang with, he really did, but at that moment he couldn’t place why. He couldn’t place why the voice resonated so deeply to him, or why his voice comforted Klavier so much. He simply listened to Apollo, and the familiar tune that he hummed. That melody, it was the same as the one that Klavier often heard the man sing…
Then, in a moment of almost divine quality, Klavier realized why that voice was so familiar.
He’d heard that voice before.
He’d heard the voice, every night before he went to bed, every night as he sat on the balcony chair. This voice was the same voice that accompanied the violin, the same voice that never failed to comfort Klavier. He was certain, as certain as he could be, that Apollo was the man who sang from the apartment building across from his. It made perfect sense, all of these things adding up to that inevitable conclusion. The fact that they lived across from each other, Apollo knowing how to play the violin, and the way Apollo sang…Klavier was so stunned by this revelation that he kept silent for a few moments. But Apollo carried on singing, softly to himself, but Klavier still heard.
Klavier knew the lyrics that came next, the lyrics that came along with the melody, that he and Apollo sang with each other every night for what was now two months. Before Klavier knew it, the words were already out of his mouth.
“And that someone will never be me…” Klavier sang in a murmur, in a voice he was sure that nobody would hear.
But Apollo heard it.
Apollo turned to Klavier with wide eyes, and that was all Klavier needed to see, all the response he needed. He was the man, the man who he had been singing with for the past few weeks.
…The man that he was in love with.
“Prosecutor Gavin, you’re…” Apollo trailed off.
Klavier didn’t need for him to finish, he already knew what they were both thinking, knew the words that were left unsaid. “Ja, and you’re…”
“…Yeah.”
Silence, complete and utter silence. The only sound that could be heard was the rain, and the way Klavier’s heart hammered in his chest.
After a few moments, Klavier broke that silence, as he spoke up. “…Who do you sing about, Herr Forehead?”
“H-Huh?”
“When you sing, about someone never loving you, who do you sing about?”
Apollo frowned. “You don’t need to know that.”
“Why not? Why can you not tell me, Herr Forehead?”
“Because! It’s…it’s…” Apollo trailed off, then mumbling out something inaudible.
“Hä?”
“It’s…it’s you.” Apollo said, louder this time. Though, that didn’t stop his voice from being shaky, uncertain, and almost…scared.
Klavier’s eyes widened in shock. “…Me?”
“Prosecutor Gavin, you’re a big shot prosecutor, and you’re a rockstar. I had no chance with you.” Apollo sighed. “I knew that falling for you was a bad idea but I…I couldn’t control my heart, and before I knew it, I…” He frowned slightly, looking away in slight shame. “I’m sorry, if this makes things weird between us. I shouldn’t have said anything…”
“Herr Forehead…” Klavier hesitated, taking a deep breath. He knew that there was no turning back…but for some reason, the words that he said came out with ease. “…You’re the one I’ve been singing about.”
Apollo whipped his head towards Klavier, shocked. “Wait, really?!”
“Ja, really.”
“But…why? I’m not special. I’m…ordinary.”
“Herr Forehead, you are far from ordinary. You are extraordinary, in every sense of the word. You are extraordinary in amazing ways, and I love all the ways that you’re different. That’s what made me fall for you. But I…” Klavier sighed. “…I never thought I’d have a chance with you."
“…Why did you think you’d never have a chance with me?” Apollo asked.
“I can’t explain it, Herr Forehead. It’s just…” Klavier sighed, pausing for a few moments to search for the best words. Though he couldn’t find the perfect words to say, the right words to describe what he felt at that moment. Despite this, he pressed on. “…The idea of you loving me is just so surreal, I could never imagine it.”
“But I do love you.”
“You do…”
“…And you love me too.”
Klavier smiled. “I do.”
Apollo reached out, cradling Klavier’s face with his hands, smiling when Klavier leaned into his touch. His hand was warm, even out in the rain, and it was…pleasant. He wanted to lean in, to kiss Apollo, to let the whole world know who he was in love with. Before Klavier knew it, the words were tumbling out of his mouth, like a cascading waterfall.
“Herr Forehead, can I kiss yo-”
Apollo cut him off, leaning over and then kissing Klavier on the lips. The kiss was soft, gentle, oh so sweet and oh so heavenly. Klavier felt at peace, as the two embraced and kissed each other. They soon separated, and Klavier opened his eyes once they had separated. He could see the way Apollo’s eyes were half lidded, his expression eventually morphing into a small smile. Klavier had to collect himself for a few moments, had to process the fact that yes, Apollo Justice initiated a kiss with him. It took a few seconds to process, and that didn’t stop it from being so surreal. Though after he did, he knew exactly what to do, and that was to tease Apollo.
“Is that a yes, Herr Forehead?” Klavier asked with a grin.
Apollo rolled his eyes. “Duh.”
“…Do you want to do it again?”
“Yeah…I do.”
The two leaned over, kissing again. Klavier wasn’t exaggerating when he said that the kiss that they shared was magical.
However, that didn’t last long.
They both jumped out of their skins as a car passed by them, drenching them in water. Klavier and Apollo stared at each other, both shocked. But at some point…Apollo started laughing.
Klavier was confused at first, but…Apollo’s laugh was infectious, and at some point he joined in on the laughter. The two laughed on bus stop, Apollo doubling over from laughing so hard. They laughed and laughed, not a care in the world with how weird they looked. Eventually, their laughing stopped, and they both looked at each other. Klavier fell in love further with the way Apollo looked at him, the love and adoration in his eyes as he gazed at Klavier’s face. Love, there was love in his eyes, love in the way those chocolate brown eyes met his. What Apollo said next only confirmed this surreal moment, grounded Klavier to reality, affirmed him that this was really happening.
“…I love you, Prosecutor Gavin.” Apollo said with a smile.
Klavier smiled back. “I love you too, Herr Forehead.”
Apollo laughed again, and Klavier laughed with him. As they laughed with each other, soaked with rainwater and sat at the bus stop, everything felt right in the world.