“What I don’t understand – you see – what I really don’t understand, yeah?”
“What you don’t understand.” Ema Skye prompted, struggling with the weight of the defence attorney. Apollo Justice could not hold his alcohol, and she would do well to remember this the next time she was looking for a drinking buddy.
“What I don’t understand...”
“Fraulein Detective? Herr Forehead?” Klavier Gavin. Stood across the street, possibly on his way to the bar they’d just left.
Apollo and Ema looked up. “Prosecutor Gavin!” Apollo cried, grinning. “Now you see, what I don’t understand is...is...”
“He’s drunk.” Ema supplied.
“I gathered.” Klavier frowned, crossing the street. “You are in need of assistance?”
Ema would’ve preferred to have her pride, ideally, but practicalities outweighed such things. “If you would. He looks so skinny, but looks are deceiving.”
“Nein, you simply need to spend more time in the gym, fraulein, work upon your strength and muscles.” Klavier shouldered Apollo, taking on most of his weight easily.
“As I imagine you have?” Ema replied drily.
“But of course.” Klavier grinned. “I am sure you have noticed?”
“I haven’t been looking.” Ema was not in the mood.
“Perhaps I can offer you –“
“Look, Gavin, I’ve been drinking, but I’m not drunk. And that is the only time when I may even begin to entertain any of your offers.” She glared at him.
Klavier sighed. “I imagined you would be more fun after drinking, detective, but I see that you are not. Disappointing. Where are we headed?”
“Mine. I don’t know where he lives, and he’s not exactly in a state to tell me.”
“I am still here, you know.” Apollo frowned. “You two always get lost in each other. You forget what’s going on around you. You forget me.”
“Well, Apollo, where do you live?” Ema asked kindly.
“He isn’t a child, fraulein...” Klavier criticized.
Ema glared at him. Clearly he was not used to dealing with drunk people.
“You’re doing it again. You see, you see, the thing I don’t understand...”
Ema looked at Klavier triumphantly. “Lucidity lost once more.”
“How far is your home?” Klavier asked, deciding to take charge.
“It’s a fair walk, I was kinda hoping the air would help sober him up. It made him worse.” Ema sighed. “I’m about four blocks – “
“The decision is made, then. We shall go to my home – I am but a block that way.” He indicated the direction he’d come from. Seeing the look on Ema’s face, he smiled reassuringly – it was a rare, genuinely comforting smile that Ema had seen maybe once or twice before, and had certainly never been directed at her. “I shall call you a cab when we arrive, and you can be escorted home.”
Ema returned the smile despite herself, feeling rather touched. “Thank you, but I can’t. I promised Apollo I’d take care of him. It was one of the conditions for him coming with me. I...kind of caused this, I suppose, I need to take care of him.”
“Then you shall have my favourite guest-room.” Klavier replied graciously, considering how pretty she looked when she was smiling, not sneering.
“Does it have a giant picture of you in it?” She asked sceptically.
“I shall have one put in for you especially.” Klavier grinned.
Ema chuckled, again despite herself. “No, no, don’t go to any trouble for me.”
“It is not trouble, I know how much you love me, it would be an honour!” He laughed.
Ema shook her head, still laughing. “So, where were you going tonight? Have I – we – robbed you of some beautiful girl’s company?”
“Nein.” He smiled warmly at her, not that she was looking at him.
“Some handsome man’s...?”
“Nein!” He replied emphatically, not willing to let any of the gay rumours start again. “Nein, I was simply going to have a drink at a bar, and perhaps – “
“Perhaps pick some drunk girl up?” Apollo interjected. “You rock stars. You can meet girls so easily. I don’t know any girls. I know my sister. I know Ema. I know... I don’t know any girls!”
Ema and Klavier exchanged a glance. “I shall take you out with me, next time, and we shall find you a lovely fraulein.”
“Besides, you do know girls, Apollo, you know that sweet Vera girl, and...well, Alita Tiala was a murderess, but she’s still a girl and you know her, and...that Orly woman, she was pretty, and...oh, no, wait, Lamiroir was your mother, I suppose she doesn’t count...but still, you know girls, Apollo.” Ema smiled weakly.
Klavier gave her a look. “Perhaps you should leave this advice to me, fraulein?”
“Perhaps.” Ema turned her head. “How far – “
“Still one block.” Klavier smiled, turning to Apollo. “We will find you a girl, Apollo.”
Apollo sighed, looking to Klavier as if he was a lifeline. “Will she be pretty?”
“Of course.” Klavier scoffed. “What else would they be?”
Ema tried to bite the comment back, but it simply wasn’t going to happen. “Intelligent? Funny? Sweet? Kind?”
Klavier looked at her lazily. “Ideally, but you cannot tell this from first glance. Turn here, fraulein.”
She did. “Yes, but that just means you could miss it in a girl who...” She trailed off. “It’s just not fair.”
Klavier frowned. “No, but it is all we have. Attraction is sehr important. You would not date a man you did not find attractive.”
“...true, but – “
“And you are more likely to remain friends with those who have the qualities you enjoy, but not necessarily the features you find attractive.”
“I don’t base my attraction to men on looks alone!”
“I am not saying that you do, but you either feel the attraction or you do not, and looks are part of this.” Klavier’s voice was subtly triumphant.
“You’re doing it again.” Apollo moaned.
Ema was rather pleased by Apollo’s interruption, seeing as it seemed she was losing this argument. “Sorry, Apollo.” She replied sheepishly.
“You do it when I’m sober, too, you know, and it isn’t just me. You two, you just always end up...blocking everyone else out!”
“That’s not true...” Ema frowned. It couldn’t be true. She avoided as much conversation with Klavier as possible.
Klavier nodded. “I do not believe we do this.”
“You’ve been doing it all night!” Apollo cried. “You always end up getting caught up in your arguments or just normal talking...and once you start you don’t stop...” He sighed. “It isn’t easy.”
Ema bristled. “Well, I’m sorry if you feel like I’m doing that to you, Apollo, I’ll try not to in future.”
“It’s only with him.” Apollo clarified.
“Then it’s probably his fault.” She muttered, looking around for some sort of indication of arrival. She wasn’t sure that she liked the way this conversation was going.
“It’s only you two.” Apollo explained. “He doesn’t do this with anyone else either.”
“Well, the fraulein detective is special.” Klavier reasoned. “She is an essential part of the investigation, I must pay full attention to her.”
Ema felt a tiny glow, and rather wished that she didn’t.
“Yeah, but the other day you were doing it whilst you talked about coffee...” Apollo pointed out.
Ema glanced at Klavier, who was looking at her imploringly. “You’re the lawyer.” She informed him drily.
“And you are the investigator, investigate the source of his ideas!”
“I can just show you that his ideas exist, you’re the one that makes sense of them...”
“Not true! You often offer ideas! They may be wrong, but you offer them!”
She bristled. It wasn’t her fault she might not always hit the right answer. “But it isn’t what I get paid for.”
Klavier gave her a look. “Turn right here.”
Apollo sighed. “What I don’t understand is...is...oh. Ohhh, ohh, Ema, I don’t feel well.”
Ema looked at him. “You don’t look well...” She replied delicately, looking around for a bin, or maybe a drain. “Klavier, how far are we from your house?”
Klavier, meanwhile, was looking faintly disgusted. “Is he going to...vomit?”
“Ohhhhhhh, Ema...”
Ema nodded. “It’s ok, Apollo, it’s ok.”
Apollo looked at her helplessly.
“It’s ok.” Ema meant it to sound reassuring, but it came out more like an order.
Apollo stopped complying with them, choosing instead to sit on the sidewalk, placing his head between his knees. He was breathing deeply.
Klavier looked on sceptically, only too happy to relinquish his hold on the drunken defence attorney. “Is he about to give birth?”
Ema glared up at him, seated beside Apollo, gently rubbing his back. “It’s ok.”
Apollo, still breathing deeply, looked up at her weakly. “You’re so pretty, Ema.”
Ema smiled. “Thank you.” It would’ve meant more if it hadn’t come from a drunk boy, but it was still nice to hear, now and again.
“And nice...”
She continued to rub his back, faintly amused.
“And...and the thing that I really don’t understand, Ema, is why...why you waste your time on him?”
She looked at Apollo blankly. “Him?”
Apollo nodded. “He doesn’t...you shouldn’t...you need someone who really appreciates you...” He looked deep into her eyes. “Ema – I think I’m going to be sick.”
With that, he turned swiftly, facing the sidewalk, just as the alcohol began to leave his system in arguably the most direct method possible.
Ema looked over at Klavier. “Are you going to help?”
“Who is this him?” Klavier asked mildly, cautiously moving beside her, avoiding Apollo and all things related to him.
“I have no idea.” She replied with a sigh. “He’s drunk, most of it isn’t going to make any sense. My sister once found me trying to call Einstein when I was drunk.”
“He wasn’t picking up?” Klavier smiled slightly.
“I was just pressing 3622 over and over again.” At Klavier’s confused expression, she clarified – “EMC2. On the keypad.”
“Oh, of course.” Klavier replied with feigned understanding. It didn’t make much sense to him, but it clearly did to her.
“What do you care, anyway?” She frowned. “You’ve never asked me about a him.”
“I didn’t know there was a him to ask about.” Klavier reasoned. “I like to know things about my staff.”
“You prefer to know which girls have boyfriends who could beat you up.” She replied drily, recalling what she’d heard around the precinct.
Klavier laughed. “As if any irate boyfriend would be able to get past my security.”
“That’s from experience, isn’t it?” She was rather bemused, although this changed a moment later. “Why would you care if I had an irate boyfriend who may attempt to beat you up?”
“You simply presumed that was what I wished to know about my staff. You may not think so, but I prefer a happy staff, and it is nice to know things about them, so I know whom to ask about.” He informed her, making her feel a little ashamed of her conclusions – until, of course, he tipped his head with a grin and added “Of course, it is useful to know which beautiful frauleins do not have a him.”
“Just as I was forming a good opinion of you.” She sighed. “How are you feeling, Apollo?”
Apollo looked up at her, still pale. “I’d like to go to sleep.”
“Klavier’s apartment isn’t far.” Ema replied soothingly, looking to Klavier for confirmation, who nodded. “You can sleep there.”
She helped him to his feet, assisting him in avoiding the pile of vomit he had just created. Klavier artfully dodged around it, taking most of Apollo’s weight onto his shoulder. “Ja, I have many rooms, Herr Forehead.”
“You’ll stay with me?” Apollo looked at Ema hopefully.
“Of course, I promised you I would.” Ema replied kindly.
Apollo sighed. “You’re so lovely Ema.”
Ema felt the ever growing ball of guilt twist in her stomach. She should not have invited Apollo out that night. It was simply not a good plan. No good had come of it.
The rest of way was in silence, as Klavier guided them toward a large, stately building. The doorman gave both Ema and Apollo the once-over before speaking in a very low voice to Klavier.
Klavier waved him off quickly. “It is fine, but if we need any help, I shall send for you.”
“Very good, sir. Miss.” The doorman nodded slightly, holding the door for them.
Ema smiled at him. “Thank you.”
Klavier frowned. “You are never this polite to me.”
“You don’t usually deserve it.” She replied simply as they entered the lift. “Let me guess. Penthouse.”
Klavier grinned. “But of course.”
“You’re proud of being so predictable?”
“I’m proud of living in the penthouse.” Klavier’s grin became somewhat wolfish, making Ema feel faintly uncomfortable. It was a far cry from the warm smile he had given her previously.
The lift doors opened, and Klavier found his key in his pocket, briefly leaving most of Apollo’s weight on Ema – not something she appreciated.
Klavier’s apartment was stunning – as could be expected, really. It opened onto a large lounge area, with the beginnings of a kitchen, on a slightly lower level to the lounge. Ema didn’t want to admit how impressed she was as Klavier lead them through only of the many doorways. It was an elegantly simple bedroom – pale walls, a double bed in the centre of the room with a dark bedspread. “Is this alright, Apollo?”
Apollo nodded. “Yes.”
Klavier looked him up and down. “We’ll clean you up first.” He took all of Apollo’s weight, dropping him onto the bed. “Ema, perhaps you could leave us for now?”
Ema nodded slightly. “Do you mind if I make some coffee?”
“Ah, a beautiful woman in my kitchen, making me coffee, what more could I want?” Klavier sighed happily.
“Just as well, coffee is all you’re getting.” Ema replied shortly, leaving Klavier and Apollo to it.
Klavier’s initial idea had been to guide Apollo into the shower as best he could and leave him to it, but the reality was far from simple. The defence attorney appeared to be incapable of getting undressed, leaving Klavier to do what he could (all the while glad that there were no windows in this particular room – he really, really didn’t need the gay rumours to start again) – at the underwear level, he refused to go any further, and simply guided Apollo to the shower. Turning it on and plying him with as much shower gel as he could (all the while attempting to keep his distance), he found that Apollo was more in control of his movement than he and Ema had given him credit for. Not that he would dare leave him alone yet.
Finally wrapping the defence attorney in a towel and sitting him in the bath – it was the only place he could think of where
Apollo would remain upright. He made a face – he’d been splashed with quite a lot of water. It was entirely possible that this was what it was like to have a child.
Removing his shirt, he left to find Apollo something to wear that night. He looked to see Ema in the kitchen, using the percolator he’d purchased mostly because it looked good in the kitchen. She glanced over at him, raising her eyebrows.
“My house, my rules.” He smirked, joining her in the kitchen.
“Still doesn’t work on me.” Ema replied, a proud smile on her face.
He shook his head. “But you wouldn’t be happy if I stopped, fraulein.”
She was about to tell him that, obviously, she’d be perfectly happy, but it did strike her that she may actually miss their banter. “And you wouldn’t be happy if I gave in.”
“Not if you gave in, no.” Klavier acknowledged, leaning over her shoulder to examine the coffee. “That smells good.”
She turned to face him, and for a strange moment their usual banter was gone. There was an odd warmth in his eyes, and a bright flicker of curiosity in hers. He had spent so much time telling women they were beautiful that he felt like he had missed true beauty occasionally – he had failed to notice just how lovely she looked, how lovely she was. As much as she had always called him a glimmerous fop (and she wasn’t about to start taking that back) she had missed that he did have those rockstar looks, that aura of charm and confidence – it wasn’t the same as the ego which she usually encountered, there was something genuine and attractive about him when everything was stripped back like this.
Standing in his kitchen, making coffee with a half-naked rockstar, she found herself peculiarly enchanted.
He was the one to break the strange, silent spell; he stepped back, no longer feeling in control of the situation. “I need to get clothing for Apollo.”
She refused to watch him go.
Alone in his room, he breathed deeply, catching his breath. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Usually if he was entertaining a lady and he happened to pull that particular stunt (with variations on what may or may not be smelling good), she was eager to close the distance between them. It was meant to throw her off her guard, not him off his.
He decided to focus on Apollo, finding an old pair of pyjamas – although they were technically in their original packaging, a gift from Kristoph some years back. After a moment’s reflection Klavier decided it was also probably a good idea to give Apollo one of the many merchandise samples he had been given – boxers, more specifically, seeing as Apollo’s would be drenched after the shower.
Despite himself, he was rather good at providing for waifs and strays.
He tugged on a t-shirt – another merchandise sample, it was one of the more subtle designs, just a white G on the back shoulder.
He’d probably left Apollo alone for far too long. He strongly suspected that these items would probably be amongst the nicest that Apollo owned. He smiled over at Ema on his way past, but her eyes would not meet his as she appeared to be hunting around his kitchen.
“I don’t own any Snackoos, fraulein.” He informed her.
She glanced up. “I know.”
“So you are searching for...what?”
“I’m making pancakes. You like pancakes, right?” She smiled slightly.
He nodded, slightly taken aback. His kitchen wasn’t often used for cooking – especially not by anyone other than himself. His lifestyle didn’t exactly lend itself to cooking – being a prosecutor meant much of his time was spent working on cases, and the time in which he wasn’t doing that was spent working on his music career. In recent times this had been truer than ever as he began to orchestrate the beginnings of a solo career.
And, of course, he didn’t particularly enjoy cooking, so any excuse to avoid it was more than welcome.
“Shall I make some for Apollo?”
“I do not believe he will be in a state to eat them, certainly not appreciate them.” He smiled slightly, leaving her to her cooking.
Apollo appeared to have sobered a little, although he was by no means sober. “I overdid it, didn’t I?” He smiled weakly at Klavier, who nodded.
“Ja, but these things happen.” Klavier helped Apollo out of the bath – the defence attorney was mostly dry now. “I brought you dry clothes.”
“Thank you.” Apollo grinned.
“You can keep them.” Klavier clarified as Apollo selected the boxers. “I’ll leave you to get dressed. Can I get you anything else?”
Apollo shook his head. “I’d like to sleep.”
Klavier indicated the bed in the centre of the bedroom, guiding Apollo out of the en suite. “If you need anything, we’ll be through there.”
Closing the door behind him, Klavier decided to check on Apollo in about half an hour or so, just in case. He joined Ema in the kitchen, taking the full cup of coffee from the side. Ema’s was beside the hob, as she turned the pancakes.
“Almost done?”
“Almost. What do you live on? You have barely any food...” She frowned slightly, moving that pancake onto a plate with the others, and pouring more mixture into the pan.
“Take-away, mostly. And eggs.” He opened a few choice cupboards, finding maple syrup, lemon juice and sugar. He moved to the freezer, perhaps moving a little closer to Ema than he needed to, finding various flavours of ice cream. “So, why pancakes?”
“You had the ingredients for them. And not much else. Besides, everybody loves pancakes.” Placing this last pancake onto the pile, she glanced at the mixture. “Mmm, only enough left for a tiny one.”
“I am certain it will be the sweetest of the batch.” He beamed.
She turned to him, a bemused smile on her face. “Sure.” She replied indulgently, pouring the mixture into the pan.
Klavier, in the meantime, took the plate of pancakes to the lounge, as well as the various toppings he’d decided would work well. Placing them on the coffee table, he relaxed on the sofa, watching Ema cook. Apparently the tiniest pancake was finished, and she sat beside him, coffee in hand with a tiny pancake on the side, like a biscotti (but considerably softer).
He deftly stole it, taking a bite then offering her one. “It’s good.”
She attempted to take it from him, causing him to dangle it higher, out of her reach. She sighed, and opened her mouth, allowing him to feed her some.
“Beautiful.” He beamed.
She glared at him, although proud of her work. “They’ve come out well.”
“You are clearly an excellent cook.”
She laughed. “No, I just can cook. Take-aways are a luxury I can’t afford.”
He smiled, preparing himself a pancake, before regarding her seriously. “So, why were you going out this evening?”
“I wanted to get out of the house...” She murmured, almost ashamed to admit it to him.
“With Apollo?” He raised his eyebrows.
She smiled. “He’s a good friend. He can’t take his liquor, but he’s a good friend.”
“Perhaps I can accompany you next time.” Klavier suggested.
Ema burst out laughing. “And how are you going to pick up some hot young thing with me cramping your style?”
Klavier sighed. “I don’t always go out to find women.” She gave him a look. “I do so occasionally, but not as much as you think.” He shook his head. “What do you think of me as?”
She shrugged. “What your press would have me believe – that you’re a charming prosecutor rockstar, who can entertain any woman – or man – he chooses. And that you entertain a lot.”
Klavier rolled his eyes. “I expected better of you. You truly believe the papers?”
“Your rampant flirting with anything in a skirt – including, might I add, a fifteen year old girl – didn’t do much to dissuade me.”
“You mistake charm for flirtation.” He replied simply. “Especially in the case of Trucy.”
Ema scoffed. “I know what I’m on the receiving end of every day.”
“Ah, with you, it is flirtation.” He smirked.
“And how many girls have you told that to?” She shook her head.
“What will it take for you to believe me?” He asked her softly.
“As if you’d pick me when you have your choice of women.” Ema replied incredulously. “You can have a woman who’ll
worship the ground you walk on, why would you pick the only one who won’t?”
“You think so little of me?” He asked coldly. “You think I only wish for a woman who believes I can do no wrong?”
“Who wouldn’t?” She replied defensively.
He laughed mirthlessly. “So you would prefer a man who kept you on a pedestal?”
“Well...no, no, of course not, that would be ridiculous.” She frowned. “But you’re a rockstar, you live for the fans...”
“Which is why it’s so refreshing to hear an honest voice.” He replied evenly. “Although in your case it is more simply critical.”
“Yes, but...” She frowned. “You...”
“I?”
“...You...” She looked at him critically. “You just want something different. Me refusing your advances is the only interest I hold for you.”
He arched his eyebrows. “I continue to go down in your estimations.”
“No, no, that’s part of how attraction works, it’s...science, you want what you can’t have...once you have it...you won’t want it anymore.”
“Science?”
“Psychology.” She replied simply, smiling slightly. “I take an interest in all the sciences.”
Klavier sighed. “I shall never win with you. You will never believe that my intentions are genuine.”
She turned away from him. “But they aren’t.”
He closed his eyes. “All things are, of course, moot, since you do not feel this way about me.”
She looked at her feet, taking another pancake. “Yeah, well...”
He opened an eye. “No sassy remark?”
She didn’t look at him – in fact, she wouldn’t. “No.”
He leaned over, gently moving her head so she faced him. “No?” He smiled gently. “You’re blushing, fraulein.”
“Yes, well, Apollo thinks...” She wouldn’t meet his face, instead fixing her gaze on her lap. “It doesn’t matter what he thinks.”
“...I’m him.” Klavier grinned. “You like me, detective, even if you do not wish to admit it.”
“What Apollo believes and what’s true –“
“The blush across your cheeks tells another story.” He murmered, moving his thumb over said blush and leaning close to her, an almost predatory smirk on his face.
“And that’s precisely why I’m not giving in to you!” She snapped exasperatedly, wanting to pull away but not quite doing so. “You just want what you can’t have.”
“But I can have it...” He smirked. “And I’m still interested.”
She pursed her lips. “You wouldn’t be tomorrow morning.”
He stroked her cheek. “You’ve held my interest for a long time, fraulein. Give me a chance.” He smiled sadly. “You hold affection for a man you have such little respect for.”
“I have respect for you, I just don’t think you’d ... “ She sighed, eyes closing, not wanting to look at him. “It’s easier to believe you would never bother with me, that you were just flirting with me because you flirt with everyone...”
He released her cheek, before leaning over to kiss her.
She let it happen – although she swiftly became more than passive. She had tried not to let herself fantasize about anything with Klavier, knowing that no good could come of it, but even when she had...
It simply couldn’t compare.
She pulled back from him unwillingly, swallowing hard. “Still want me?”
“I want you more.” He whispered in her ear.
“Big surprise.”
He licked his lips, giving her what he clearly intended to be a smouldering look. “Later.”
She burst out laughing. “Does that line ever have the desired effect?”
He smiled ruefully. “It usually does, on the woman who fall at my feet...”
“Besides, it wouldn’t be a surprise, if you’ve already prepared me – no, that’s not what I meant –if you’ve already warned me.” She giggled, finally infecting him with her laughter.
His arms wrapped around her, tugging her onto his lap and burying his head in her shoulder as they both shook with laughter.
She closed her eyes, laughing until he began to kiss her neck – the mood shifted.
Maybe she should let herself take a chance on him – he certainly seemed sincere now.
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