Out In The Open

Chapter Two

It’s the long silence that captures his attention initially, dragging Klavier back to reality from an involved mental dialog he’d been having with himself regarding events he’d set in motion earlier that day. Apollo, who had been relating some humorous anecdote from the law office, is now just staring intently at him.

With a fork-full of penne hovering just before his open mouth, Klavier freezes, immediately noting his dinner companion’s expression; forked eyebrows sharply arched, lips tightly pressed together, nostrils flaring, wide dark eyes even larger than normal. ‘Oh… shit.’

Klavier sets the fork down on his plate quickly and straightens up, expression carefully neutral. “Ja, baby?” he ventures nervously, well aware of how little point there ever was in attempting to conceal anything from the sharp eyed attorney.

After a few awkward moments of intense scrutiny and just as Klavier is beginning to twitch in discomfort under his lover’s unblinking gaze, Apollo suddenly leans back in his seat, cocking his head to the side and with a self satisfied smirk, utters only one word.

“Achtung.”

Briefly floored, Klavier can only stare for a moment, knowing that his mouth is hanging stupidly agape and aware that he looks like an idiot. He regains some of his usual composure rapidly enough though, flashing a charming, if a bit sheepish grin and brushing his long bangs away from his eyes. “I apologize Foreh- ah.. Apollo.. Forgive me, I was distracted…” Klavier drops his eyes to the table top, genuinely contrite but Apollo is already waving his hand dismissively, that chunky bracelet glimmering dully in the muted mood lighting.

“S’ok… It was a boring story anyway… You got something more interesting?” The defense attorney is still smirking, clever eyes narrowed and shrewd, and not for the first time even that day, Klavier has to momentarily reflect on his strange fortune… that Apollo had been there, had been the one to pick up his tattered fragments one year ago, and had, in no uncertain terms informed him that he was not allowed to give up… not allowed to fade away… “Ja… Apollo…” ‘I am completely in love with you…’ “I have a request…”

He pauses as Apollo sits forward again, flexing his left hand and bracelet bound wrist, just like he always does five seconds before somehow already knowing all Klavier’s deepest secrets. Dark mahogany eyes now set and solemn, Apollo simply waits for him to speak.

“My request is that you face me…” Impulsively, the prosecutor reaches for the other’s hand, clasping it in his own and caressing its contours for just a moment, taking in his lover’s befuddled expression before continuing. “If… it is the three of us…” He begins to clarify, smiling softly at the way Apollo’s face flushes, eyes widening in understanding… at the way his hand is gripped in return.

“Klavier… This… W- we don’t-”

“Apollo, wait…. Just let me finish, ja?” Apollo’s hand, tense in his own, relaxes somewhat but does not release as Klavier searches for the right words to explain… to assure. “I adore you, Apollo... and I want you to know that nothing I feel will change with even the wildest sex game we might decide to play with Herr Wright or with anyone else… I just want to look at you… I want to be able to see your eyes… to have my lips against yours when you-”

He has to pause mid-thought because Apollo’s lips are against his then, leaning far over the small bistro table between them, aqua tie nearly trailing into his linguini and his hand still tightly grasping Klavier’s own. It isn’t a traditionally passionate embrace, closed-mouthed and brief, but it enflames Klavier’s desire nearly as much as their office grope session had, earlier that afternoon, a hot shiver coiling through his lower belly.

When Apollo pulls away Klavier’s cheeks are flushed, his cock half hard against his thigh. ‘How does he do that!? Mein Gott!’ Klavier touches his lips, still tingling from the electricity in that touch and Apollo settles back into his chair, releasing Klavier’s hand with a self-conscious cough and picking his fork back up. He begins twirling his pasta absently with a pink cheeked expression of abashment on his averted face.

“Let’s get out of here Forehead…” Klavier stands suddenly, dropping enough cash for the bill and a generous tip on the table between them. “I am craving something… sweet.” He smiles when the other eagerly gets to his feet and follows him out of the nearly deserted restaurant and onto the busy sidewalk, hesitantly reclaiming his hand. Klavier squeezes reassuringly, attempting to convey that it no longer mattered to him who saw them together… that it should never have mattered.

Klavier nudges the shorter man lightly with his elbow as they lean close together on their short walk to the Myzithra Bakery, Apollo’s favorite sweets shop. It’s a warm evening for October, even in L.A. and the bakery is almost too conveniently close to Apollo’s apartment. Klavier secretly suspected that the defense attorney had chosen his home’s location based on its proximity to baklava and not the Wright & Justice Law Office like he claimed. “Your sweet tooth is rubbing off on me Forehead.”

“Pfft, and your questionable rock star morals are apparently rubbing off on me.” The shorter man counters, making Klavier laugh aloud as he brings an arm up to rest over Apollo’s shoulders.

“Speaking of which…” He smirks. “Did you encounter Herr Wright when you returned to work this afternoon?”

Apollo stiffens slightly but doesn’t slow their pace. “No, actually… His aide was locking up when I arrived, said he’d left suddenly with Mr. Edgeworth, uh a… a little before three… did.. did he…?”

“Ja… he did.” Klavier chuckles. “We’re on…”

“Wh- when…?” The attorney falters in his pace, dragging Klavier off to the side and out of the flow of pedestrian traffic.

“Relax Forehead… this will be fun!” He presses Apollo’s lead a bit, backing him up against the sun warmed brick wall and lightly pinning the shorter man with his body. “No fair spoiling the surprise, ja?” Klavier curls his arms around the small of Apollo’s back bringing their bodies into close contact to murmur into his reddening ear. “I mean… it is your fantasy after all and I do not recall fair warning being a part of the deal.”

“Nghh… damn it… Fine, keep your secrets… The fact that you arranged it virtually assures that it’ll be obvious enough…”

When Klavier pulls back with a mock pout, Apollo is already prepared to kiss it off his face and he enthusiastically accepts the embrace, grinning against his lover’s lips and humming in contentment. He reflects that just over a year ago he would never have been able to do this sort of thing in public… but Klavier doesn’t give a fuck what the magazines print about him anymore, it had all been said before.

After the Gavinners’ very sudden and sensational break up following Daryan’s murder conviction and the double shock of Kristoph’s high profile betrayal of everything he had believed in; everything he had thought they both believed in, the photos of, and articles about Klavier that began to surface, as if by one of Trucy’s conjuring tricks, in both the tabloids and also the more respectable papers had been anything but flattering… ripping away the only thing Klavier felt remained for him, his image. But over time, and through much patience and effort, Apollo had somehow managed to force some perspective onto his shambles of a life, accepting and dealing with everything that had come at them with astounding grace.

Because of Apollo, Klavier was free, to be a fabulous rock-star-prosecutor, to be a real person, to have flaws and to love who he wished, openly. He was finally free and he credited Apollo and to an extent, the entire Wright “family” with giving him that… The passionate attorney had shown him what was truly important and Klavier had, at some point, found that he could believe again; believe that together they could always reach the truth.

‘Truth… That’s right… I should tell him…’ Klavier clears his throat as Apollo pulls away and he gazes down at the shorter man fondly. “Apollo… When I spoke to Herr Wright… He… Uh, he had a request also, ja…?” At his lover’s curious but not distrustful expression Klavier continues. “Herr Edgeworth wishes to… Ah.. observe… Is that alright baby? We can call it off if you-”

He’s cut off by Apollo’s vigorous head shaking and bites his lip, preparing to hear the attorney out.

“No, Klavier, that’s perfectly fine. I kind of expected it actually.” Although his face has flushed again, Apollo is all satisfied smirk and confident attitude. “You know how joined at the hip they are when he’s in town… Were you surprised?”

“Ah… no… not really…” Klavier can’t help but mirror Apollo’s self indulgent smirk, leaning in to embrace the smaller man once more against the warm red bricks.

They’re soon on the move again, the lure of honey and pistachio nuts and crisp pastry being a little too strong for Apollo to waste much time making out with him on a busy L.A. sidewalk. Klavier checks the time on his cell when they arrive, 7:48… ‘Plenty of time to become horribly nervous…’ He begins to scan the parking lot from his seat at the window-facing booth Apollo favors while the attorney banters with a friendly girl at the counter, selecting several pastries and ordering them both dark sweet coffee served in comically tiny cups.

As they sit and quietly enjoy their desserts, engaging in affectionate but sporadic and subdued conversation, Klavier has a difficult time keeping his eyes on his lover, instead continually scanning the sidewalk beyond the large window for the older defense attorney.

So, of course by the time Klavier finally spots the man, turning the corner and heading up the block toward them on foot, he knows Apollo suspects that something is up. He’s giving Klavier that look again, stroking the dull bronze bulk of his bracelet thoughtfully as he licks honey syrup from the back of his fork in a gesture Klavier knows he’d typically find irresistibly erotic, had he not been so nervous.

Avoiding Apollo’s knowing gaze, he simply bolts down his cooling coffee, attempting also not to eye Phoenix through the glass as the door jangles open. ‘Ach, he’s right… I have absolutely no subtlety…’ Klavier reflects on his humorous failings ruefully, watching his companion straighten the smirk out of his face just as Phoenix approaches their table with a contrived, friendly greeting that neither really hear.

“Herr Wright, what a surprise…” Klavier ignores Apollo’s eye-roll, rising to guide the older attorney into their third chair, grinning brightly. Apollo also rises to greet his partner warmly, and Klavier is impressed that the young attorney has been able to school his features into something resembling surprise.

“I didn’t realize you came here too, Mr. Wright.” Apollo sips his coffee demurely after they have all settled back into their seats. “Loukoumades?” He slides their serving plate, still containing several sticky, cinnamon sprinkled doughnuts, over to Phoenix as the cheerful, black haired girl from the counter brings another miniature sweet coffee. Klavier is not surprised that she and Apollo seem to be well acquainted.

“Well, I could hardly have you bringing these things into the office all the time without becoming horribly addicted myself…” Phoenix laughs, devouring a pastry and sucking the syrup from his fingers. As Phoenix and Apollo continue to speak companionably, Klavier notes a slight narrowing in Apollo’s eyes but his braceletted wrist remains still. ‘Of course Herr Wright knows all about Apollo’s talents… he would take care not to speak falsely… Ja, it must be true… No one can resist these sweets it seems.’

Klavier’s inappropriately timed chuckle draws the attention of both his companions who regard him with twin quizzical looks. “Ah… Apologies…” he rubs his forehead, pushing his bangs back away from his eyes sheepishly in a gesture he instantly recognized as one that he’d picked up from Apollo, at some point. “I seem to be a bit lost in my own head, ja?”

Klavier is amused to note how both Phoenix and Apollo attempt to hide the knowing glances they share with him, from each other.

To be continued…