Archive of Our Own

“The three main rules of private bookings in The Butterfly Club were ‘No touching, no heavy petting and… er… No fucking’, your honor.”

Klavier delivers this and promptly feels like putting his head in his hands. Across the court, Apollo Justice is simultaneously looking like he is about to burst into both laughter and sobs, and the gallery has broken out into slightly confused whispers. He tries not to acknowledge them, the outside forces, the poor people in the audience that didn’t quite know what they were getting into by coming to view this specific case. You know, like him.

He’s pissed off.

When Winston Payne approached him this morning, crying to him that he didn’t want to go through another humiliation ritual case with the Wright Anything Agency, Klavier was glad to take it off of his hands. He enjoys cases with Justice, Cykes and Wright not as much but he’s always happy to lose to Apollo. However, standing at the Prosecutor’s bench, reading most of the evidence for the first time and getting hit with words such as ‘no fucking’ written in sparkly pink letters on a poster featuring a very scantily clad woman, Klavier thinks Payne didn’t want this case for more than one reason. And maybe one of those reasons was his wife.

It’s not like he’s a prude, Klavier Gavin would not have gotten this far into his musical career if he had many reservations about -ahem- this type of thing, but… There are some things you just don’t expect to have to say in a court of law. Explicitly stating the rules of a strip club is one. They don’t prepare you for this in law school, they just tell you stuff about evidence law that nobody in the legal circle actually pays any attention to, no, but Klavier maybe could have done with a couple of pointers on how to cope with presenting a case like this, all whilst continually making eye contact with someone he actually has massive amounts of respect for and also a rather misguided crush on. 

Apollo -wonderful Apollo- has no co-council today, probably because although Trucy Wright is eighteen, it probably isn’t the greatest idea to be presenting a case like this with your younger sister occasionally chipping in. Klavier is grateful for that at least, this entire opening statement would have been so much more painful and, knowing the Judge, the whole case would have had to have been conducted in carefully selected euphemisms. And honestly, right now, Klavier would probably prefer euthanasia.

“Well.” The Judge mumbles, it’s possibly even worse because this man is about seventy-five. Klavier is used to having these conversations outside of court with his friends, not inside of it with someone old enough to be his grandfather.  “I shall refrain from giving you a penalty for swearing in the courtroom.”

“Danke.” Klavier sighs. “It is written on the poster.” 

From across the courtroom, Apollo looks like he is equally cursing whatever God decided to bless the two of them with this case. He looks uncomfortable, out of place and has an expression on his face which Klavier can only read as ‘this is about to get a whole lot worse’. Maybe he should just walk out, he has free will after all, he could just leave. If shit sucks, hit the bricks as Detective Faraday likes to say.

“Anyway.” He continues, slightly adjusting his position at the bench instead of making a run for it like he desperately wants to. “The body was found within one of these private rooms in a state of… undress with a knife sticking out of his stomach and bruising around the neck. The deceased was identified as Ben Dover by his wife, Harriet, who found the body. Police arrived approximately 15 minutes after being called and the defendant, Harmony Silver, was promptly arrested upon her entering the crime scene and expressing delight that someone had finally found her knife.”

“Ah, I presume that knife was the one in the body, Prosecutor Gavin?” The Judge says with an arch of his eyebrow towards the defense.

“Ja Herr Judge, this was later confirmed in forensics when examination of the handle presented prints matching with Miss Silver’s.” Klavier passes up the bagged weapon for investigation. “Natürlich, you can see why this is grounds for an arrest. Motive and means will make themselves known across the course of this trial and through witness testimony.”

“Well,” The Judge inspects the knife. “I can’t say this looks very advantageous for you, Mr Justice.”

Klavier looks towards the other side of the courtroom where Apollo is very focussed on one specific piece of evidence that Klavier can’t identify from this far away. In fact, the smaller man is so engrossed in it that he doesn’t even register the Judge saying his name, instead just holding out his hand and flexing his fingers in a peculiar manner and looking slightly confused.

“Herr Justice?” Klavier prompts, distantly wondering if this confusion will have any relevant pay off or if the case is simply a complete lost cause.

“Huh?” Apollo looks up and finally registers the conversation around him. “Ah, well, the defense still maintains our client’s innocence, your honor.”

Klavier snaps his fingers together, if with slightly less enthusiasm than normal. “Suit yourself. Let’s, ah, get ready to rock?”

Justice nods, finally putting down whatever he’s been staring at and facing Klavier head on. “Yeah… Or something along those lines.” And then he brings up one hand, pressing down on his spikes with that awkward expression that Klavier has always found a little too adorable. He shakes his head, he cannot afford to be sloppy, even if this case is the way that it is, there is still a wife over there who deserves the justice afforded by this place. Klavier has to actually do his job, shock, horror.

“Alright Prosecutor Gavin, call your first witness.”

“Taking the stand first is Harriet Dover, who shall testify regarding the discovery of the body and the speculated motive that Harmony Silver had to kill the victim.”

Harriet Dover, a mousy looking woman with a blotchy face suggesting she has been crying, takes the stand with small, hesitant steps. As the entire gallery looks down upon her, she stares straight ahead at the defendant before fixing her posture and addressing the court.

“My name is Harriet Dover, the wife of the deceased, and I am here to tell you that my husband was a pervert.”

Klavier closes his eyes and tries, once again, not to just turn around and walk out, despite how much more favourable his day would become as a result.

--

Harriet Dover explains that Ben was a frequent visitor of The Butterfly Club, that he often booked rooms and private sessions with the girls and routinely tended to push his luck, he very often broke the three sacred rules. Klavier takes this and extrapolates the possible motive, Harmony, one of his favorite girls, simply got sick of Ben Dover breaking the rules and snapped. A very understandable motive for murder, in fact possibly enough to change the charges to manslaughter instead, should the defendant confess to this. One thing, however, isn’t quite adding up, as Apollo points out.

“Mrs Dover,” He says, tapping the papers he holds, “If the crime took place in the way you suggest, Silver luring Dover into the private room in the hopes of killing him, how do you explain the bruising on his neck?”

“What do you mean?” Mrs Dover says as she shifts slightly at the stand. Apollo stares at her with that familiar look, as if he can see straight through her, and touches his hand to his bracelet.

“Well, according to the autopsy report, the knife to the stomach is what killed him, however, there is also substantial bruising around the victim’s neck, as if he was also strangled.”

Klavier nods when both the witness and the Judge turn their attention to him. “Ja, I did not oversee this autopsy, but with the bruising present in the picture, I am surprised that asphyxiation wasn’t considered as the cause of death?”

“As was I.” Justice continues, commanding the attention of the room again. “And I have a feeling that Mrs Dover can explain exactly what these bruises are.”

“They’re not hickies are they?” The Judge comments. “That would be the icing on the cake…”

Klavier blinks. “Well, Herr Justice did state that the marks are consistent with asphyxiation… So no. We are saved from that fate.”

“Good, I’m not sure how much more of this trial I can handle.”

“Well!” Apollo interrupts. “Mrs Dover, do you have an explanation?”

All eyes on her, Mrs Dover shifts once more. It’s such an obvious tell that even Klavier can recognise it -and he doesn’t have any special eyes or bracelets to help him. Something fishy is going on here…

“Well…” Harriet hesitates and sighs. “This doesn’t feel appropriate to discuss in a court of law.”

Apollo chuckles. “None of this case has felt appropriate, I’m afraid.”

“Ja, there is little way this could get much worse.” Klavier snaps his fingers. “I’d rather we make our way to the truth, no matter how sordid.”

Reassured -well, maybe that’s not the right word- regardless, Harriet seems to steel herself and get ready for whatever mental torture her testimony would afflict the courtroom with. 

“My husband had, uh, peculiarities when it came to the bedroom.”

Oh.

Suddenly very much understanding what Mrs Dover is trying to say, Klavier makes a face and looks at Apollo. The other attorney mirrors his expression, also able to come to this conclusion, and holds up his hand. 

“Understood.”

The Judge, however, is not on the same page. “No, no, not understood Mr Justice. Mrs Dover, please elaborate for the population of the court that do not operate in the same circles as your husband.”

“Are you calling me a pervert?!” Apollo says, aghast.

“Oh mein Gott please don’t make her say it.” Klavier simply mutters, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Even Harriet seems exhausted, even slightly distressed at the Judge’s insistence that she spells it out for him. So, she speaks to him like he’s an idiot. Klavier isn’t so certain that he isn’t an idiot.

“My husband enjoyed it when his sexual partners choked him during such activities.”

Klavier sighs.

“Oh.” The Judge seems genuinely taken aback. “P-people enjoy that?”

“Ja.” 

“Oh. I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah.” Apollo states. “We didn’t think you did.”

Harriet gets them back onto topic. “Yes. So I’d imagine the bruising on his neck is probably because he asked Harmony to… err… yes, do that. It could be that that was the last straw, pushed over the edge… Poor girl.”

Klavier flicks his eyes over to the defendant for the briefest of moments. They aren’t really allowed to talk and it seems that Harmony is taking this to the extreme, she has her jaw firmly clamped shut, but she doesn’t seem all that pleased with what Mrs Dover is saying. It is clear she does not trust this witness, it’s obvious in her eyes, narrowed and angry. Interesting, Klavier will keep this in mind.

On the other side of the courtroom, he notices that Apollo is staring at that picture again, the one he assumes is the same as his in the autopsy reports they’ve both been given. His eyebrows are pinched close together and focus captivated, his head turned slightly to the side akin to Vongole when she's offered ham. Apollo Justice is formulating a point and Klavier is ready to listen, seated if you please. Well, he isn’t, he’s standing but -ach, not the point.

“But that doesn’t make sense.” Apollo mumbles after what seems like hours.

“It doesn’t?” The Judge asks, clearly incredibly out of his depth.

“No, because… Well, if I could ask not to be questioned as to why I know this, that would be great, but…” Apollo walks out from behind his desk. “When taking part in this kink, those practicing are usually encouraged not to put direct pressure on the windpipe as this can be extremely dangerous. There is bruising to suggest this is the case nearer to the ears and side of the throat.”

Klavier picks up the photo and follows along, noticing what Apollo is talking about.

“However, there is also bruising on the windpipe. Substantial bruising.” He turns his head and examines the picture once more. “Enough to kill.”

Klavier would be inclined to agree, he’s also somewhat well-informed in these matters and it does look like this sort of strangulation goes beyond breathplay territory and well into necrophilia. Get it because- ja ok.

“I’m… not sure I follow Mr Justice.” The Judge says, glasses on and squinting at the same photo.

Apollo seemingly deflates, that explanation already fairly tortuous and now with a judge who seemingly cannot follow basic logic.

 “You don’t… Well, you see… One set of handprints is consistent with…” He trails off and Klavier suddenly feels incredibly sorry for the little man in front of him, in fact, he genuinely doesn’t know how Justice can spell this out any clearer for the Judge.

He’s actually trying to formulate a way he could explain it, in case the Judge is doing his old trick of only listening to the prosecution again, but before he can do so, Apollo turns to him.

“Prosecutor Gavin, I need you on your knees.”

For a second, Klavier is not sure what in the ever-loving fuck he has just heard, standing there genuinely bewildered and knocked into speechlessness. It’s then his brain catches up and he suddenly feels his cheeks growing red. Hey, hey hey now, he’s Klavier Gavin! He doesn’t get flustered, he doesn’t let Apollo Justice fluster him!

“E-e-entschuldigung?!” Great job, totally not flustered, totally fine!

Apollo has gone the color of his suit. “Ok, th-that… I think I was about three sentences ahead of what I wanted to say there…”

“I should hope so!” Klavier says, trying to laugh it off but he can tell his voice is a couple of octaves too high for it to sound entirely convincing. Throughout this, the Judge is silent, simply observing. The gallery, not so much. Klavier can hear little blips of conversation, mostly confused, some laughing at poor Apollo and that cannot stand, so he speaks up. “What did you mean to say, Herr Justice?”

Across from him, Apollo sighs and smiles, relieved. “I simply meant to ask… There isn’t a mannequin or anything in here and I wondered if the Judge, like… Saw it? And then I was too many steps ahead coz I remembered you’re quite tall so…”

“To demonstrate hand position?” Klavier clarifies, genuinely trying to ignore his heart starting to beat a little too fast to be healthy.

“Yeah.” Apollo nods. “Nothing weird, just clarity.”

Klavier shrugs. “Ja, I trust you not to actually strangle me.”

“Alright.” The Judge says, finally intervening and banging his gavel. “Order! There will be a demonstration now in order to illustrate the defense’s argument.”

Of course there will be. 

With the gallery whispering and clearly judging him, Klavier steps out from behind his desk and into an atmosphere akin to a public execution. He meets Justice in the middle, looking about as awkward and stressed as he feels, and an odd sort of tension appears in the air. For the first time since he was about fifteen, Klavier Gavin is nervous in front of a crowd, he’s almost impressed. Almost. Anyway, down to business, the quicker they do this, the quicker it’s over.

“Ok, am I facing you?” Klavier asks.

“If you please.”

Klavier lives to please, apparently, because honestly the speed at which he does drop to his knees before Apollo Justice should be studied. He does so with a slight creaking of leather pants -which he did forget he was wearing and is hoping and praying to God that don’t show anything too revealing. And then, he is kneeling at Apollo’s feet like the Ancient Greeks must have long ago and inexplicably, suddenly having a craving for olive oil. He blinks up at the other, trying not to stare too hard, the eye contact is almost painful.

“Thanks.” Apollo states, reminding Klavier violently that they are doing this for business, nothing more. “Uh, can you move your hair, it’s in the way.”

Klavier thinks he would like it very much if Apollo moved his hair for him, preferably with some force behind it because he’s not being the most obedient in the world and- oh mein Gott he has to stop that train of thought right there before it becomes a full on railway accident. Instead, he just moves his hair, like a good b- NEIN.

“Ok cool. So, if I could have the court’s attention…”

Mercifully, the gallery has become deathly silent. Actually, Klavier isn’t entirely sure that’s better because now all he can hear is the pounding of his heart and his own breathing. And Apollo’s, Apollo whose hands are moving closer to his neck. Quite obviously to anyone observing close enough, Klavier swallows.

“The actual motion you are supposed to do during activities of this nature will result in your hands being placed here.”

Apollo’s hands snake their way around Klavier’s neck, their temperature almost burning hot against his skin, yet simultaneously causing him to shiver which he tries to suppress as best he can. Apollo hesitates slightly, fingers twitching a couple of stray strands of hair away before he applies an ever-so-gentle pressure.

Klavier lets out the shakiest exhale and tries very hard not to get hard. 

“It’s meant to be a gentle motion, just to restrict airflow and nothing more. You have to apply quite a lot of force to choke someone to death and it is not a very quick method to kill someone. Do you see where the bruises have formed on the autopsy, your honor?”

Apollo tilts Klavier’s head slightly upwards so the Judge can see exactly where his hands are. Klavier, however, cannot trust himself to speak, simply remaining as quiet as if he was actually a mannequin. Apollo’s thumbs gently press into his neck, there is little force behind it, certainly not enough to actually constitute as breathplay in the courtroom, but Klavier finds himself breathless and slightly dizzy anyway, looking up at Apollo’s focussed expression as he continues to present Klavier to the Judge.

“Yes, I think I see it.” He mumbles, peering at the autopsy report. “And this is the, er, recreational one?”

Apollo nods. “Y-yes your honor. To actually choke someone to death, you would have to crush the windpipe, which would mean your hands would be here.”

He moves his hands slightly downward, without taking them off of Klavier’s neck, Klavier resists letting out a disappointed whine at this and quite frankly he thinks he deserves an award for his excellent amounts of restraint.

“Uh, Prosecutor Gavin?”

“Mm?” He responds, incredibly verbosely.

“Tell me if I’m hurting you.”

Klavier nods, but internally his thoughts are betraying him. What if I want you to? What if I’m wishing there wasn’t an entire court here so we could continue this away from prying eyes? What if I’m not entirely opposed to the prying eyes? What if- leather pants Klavier, you are wearing leather pants.

Apollo squeezes gently and Klavier resists the urge to flutter his eyelids shut. Wait, actually, yeah that does kinda hurt.

“This is how you would actually strangle someone to death which, if you care to turn your attention to the photo again, your honor, bruising suggesting this position is also present.”

“Which means…” The Judge says quietly. “That the knife cannot be assumed to be the murder weapon.”

Apollo nods, his hands still on Klavier’s throat. “Which proves reasonable doubt that the defendant could have committed the crime.”

The gallery breaks out into muttering, meanwhile, Klavier desperately needs to cough and get off the floor. Letting Apollo bask in his victory -and giving himself a little time to calm down- Klavier waits for a little bit before tapping Apollo on his arm. As if waking from a dream, the other attorney quickly drops his hands to his side.

“Sorry!”

Klavier coughs. “It’s ok, I’m all good.”

“Oh good. Thank you for doing that.”

“Any time.” He responds far too sincerely for the nature of that comment before immediately putting his foot in it and sticking his hand out for a handshake… Without remembering he is still on the floor. Apollo takes this as him asking for a hand up, so he grasps his hand and, with surprising strength that Klavier is absolutely going to catalogue for later use, fully pulls him to his feet.

“Woah.” Klavier can’t help but utter.

Apollo just grins in response and walks back to his side of the courtroom. Honestly with slightly shaky legs, Klavier returns to his bench and places his hands on the solid piece of wood he finds- poor choice of words- in order to somewhat ground his racing thoughts.

The trial continues around him, Apollo requests for Mrs Dover to return to the stand as he questions her further. Initially, she denies it, as most criminals do, but instead of Klavier jumping eagerly back into the prosecutorial ring, his traitorous brain decides his only desire is for this trial to close up quickly so he can go back to his apartment and jack off. In fact, Klavier is so caught up in his own thoughts that he is only shaken out of them by a loud slam to the witness stand.

“Ok, I did it! It was me!”

Oh. When did that happen?

“But I swear to you, your honor, on my mother’s grave, it was an accident!”

Klavier scrunches his eyebrows. No, that doesn’t make sense, isn’t anybody going to bring that up?

…

Oh wait, that is his job. That he is paid to do.

“Uh, nein, o- objection!” Klavier finally gets out with a frankly pathetic attempt at a desk slam.

“Huh?!” Mrs Dover whips her head around to face him, like even she had forgotten he was there. Ja, Klavier needs to get his head in the game, this is suboptimal.

He clears his throat. “Well, as Herr Justice said, it takes a considerable amount of force to choke someone to death, especially with someone who would certainly struggle. If you were not doing it deliberately, you would have to put up heavy blinders to ignore, say, your husband tapping out as I did.”

Mrs Dover says nothing, simply staring Klavier down. It’s a little intimidating if he’s being honest, but Klavier did not ascend prosecutorial ranks by being scared of criminals. Instead, he just meets her gaze.

“In addition, Mrs Dover, as someone who knows about this aspect of your husband’s sex life, you would have practised and you would know how to do it safely.” Klavier takes a breath, trying hard not to think about Apollo practicing any motions of any kind. “Therefore, it would be out of character to make -and continue to make- a mistake to the degree in which the result would be Mr Dover’s death.”

Silence.

“I think,” Apollo says, crossing his arms, “that is what we call in the business, checkmate!”

Klavier grins at him from across the courtroom, barely paying any attention as Mrs Dover screams blue murder about, er, blueball murder.

“Alright! I did it on purpose! But do you blame me?! My husband was out soliciting these poor girls day and night and I couldn’t do anything to stop him! He’d tell me I wasn’t enough and that he needed them!” She crosses her arms at the stand. “I couldn’t care less the bastard is dead, I don’t regret a thing!”

Apollo’s eyes flick down towards his bracelet. “Are you sure? Don’t you have something to say?”

Mrs Dover sighs. “One thing.” She straightens up and meets Harmony’s eyes across the courtroom. “I never meant to incriminate you… I just needed to divert the blame. And I suppose…” She takes a breath. “I suppose a part of me was jealous.”

Klavier turns his head, watching as Harmony’s expression changes for the first time, as she smiles. 

“S’ok Harriet. You’re a good woman.”

The verdict is, of course, not guilty for Harmony Silver and an arrest warrant for Harriet Dover. Klavier has no opinion on this, ja he lost the trial, but he’s used to that, he hasn’t won many against Justice in his career and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s just happy the person who did commit the crime went to jail, despite the nature of the victim.

He’s happy that he can finally fucking leave.

--

Klavier hasn’t exited a courtroom this quickly since he was seventeen years old and dodging the press. He packs his stuff up, shoving his laptop into his bag with haste, but not so much that it looks that obvious and carrying the files he needs to return like an average, normal human being that is not turned on by being made to kneel in the middle of a trial by his historical rival. He immediately ruins that careful nonchalance by speedwalking towards the door as if he is participating in a Saturday park run and trying to prove a point. Outside of the room, suddenly feeling rather warm, he fans himself with the documents before placing them aside to be filed later and getting the fuck out of this place.

He needs to go home. He really needs to go home.

He mutters something to someone about not feeling very well, hoping it gets back to Chief Edgeworth at some point, he should maybe send a text, but, quite frankly, right now he is not in the right state of mind to even consider this. The only thing on his mind is Apollo. And that is a problem.

Especially when he notices the aforementioned Apollo loitering by the exit to the courthouse as he is trying to leave. Oh scheiße.

Surreptitiously, Klavier attempts to slip past the little man waiting at the door, but, unfortunately, he is genuinely about as subtle as a car crash and Apollo’s head immediately perks up as his chain gives an unfortunately timed rattle. Double scheiße.

“Prosecutor Gavin!”

Klavier freezes and turns almost comically to face Apollo.

“Herr Justice!” He tries not to notice the other’s slightly raised eyebrows, Klavier knows that his voice came out awkwardly and high-pitched, but he’s gonna try and style it out. For the time being.

Apollo, mercifully, does not comment on this. “Can I speak with you briefly?”

No. No you can’t. 

“Ja of course.” 

Stupid. Dummkopf. He should have said he needs to go back and feed the dog, that would have been a perfect excuse to run far away and potentially never return. Go back on tour, leave the country, anything that involves him not being here and in this conversation.

“Great!” Apollo grins, then that grin falters. “Uh, not out here…”

“Warum?”

The other waves his hand about, slightly dismissively. “Er, Trucy will be here to collect me at some point -knowing my luck, she’ll be early- and I… Don’t want her to be part of this.”

Klavier squints at the man in front of him, genuinely baffled, and still very much not wanting to still be in the courthouse, but it’s Apollo asking and… Well, Klavier knows exactly where his weaknesses lay.

“Where are we going?”

“Come with me.” Apollo grumbles before immediately grabbing ahold of Klavier’s blazer sleeve and pulling.

“Ach! Herr Forehead, this is one hundred percent Worsted Wool!”

He stares back at Klavier over his shoulder. “So? You’re literally Klavier Gavin.”

“I do not want to throw out a perfectly good suit!”

Klavier does not give a single shit about this suit, he just wants Apollo to let go of him because the fact that this man is stronger than him is 1. Bad for his ego and 2. Already occupying enough space in his tiny, hormone-addled brain right now that he doesn’t need more fuel for the fantasy. This seems to be quite a common theme as Apollo drags him into the corridor, pulls open the door to a janitor’s closet and unceremoniously shoves Klavier inside.

Donnerwetter, what the fuck is happening here?

He simply blinks down at Apollo, scrambling to find a lightswitch in the -rather cramped- closet they have found themselves in. With a click, they are successfully thrown into the light, but yet he is still none the wiser regarding the purpose of the ordeal, Apollo seeming to hesitate before opening his mouth. Klavier doesn’t much care for the closet, considering he’s come out as bisexual at least four times in different interviews at this point, but, uh, he thinks he might be able to get used to this one. He presses his back up against the wall, trying to give Apollo a little bit more space as the other man avoids eye contact like he’s deep in thought. Like he wasn’t the one to drag Klavier physically inside a closet! Gott helfe ihm.

“Uh… Apollo?” He starts, awkwardly, his brain immediately flashing images of the ways he would hope this situation to go, if he were slightly more confident and less worried about the noise retention of this closet.

Apollo snaps his head up to Klavier, finally seeming to realise the situation he has thrown them both in and immediately, a cloud of pink makes its way across his cheeks. Klavier wants nothing more than to kiss it, to explore the man in front of him and see how far that flush reaches, but before he can dwell on that too much, Apollo finally speaks.

“Hi, uh, sorry about this, it was the first thing I thought of… Um.”

“W-we may have to work on your impulsivity…” Klavier awkwardly chuckles, mentally batting away his fantasies with a baseball bat. “What is it you wanted to talk about?”

“Just…” He takes a breath. “I just wanted to check in with you after… Court today? Like I noticed you were kinda rubbing your throat and I wanted to make sure I didn’t actually hurt you…”

He lets Apollo speak, silently pleading to anyone listening and asking Apollo to not talk about this right now. In this confined space, where their arms are touching, where he could so easily push Klavier against the wall and have his way with him- LEATHER PANTS.

“So, yeah, I guess I just wanted to ask if you were okay?” Apollo finishes, one hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. “Like you walked away pretty fast and you don’t usually… Do that?”

For a moment, Klavier is silent, lost in his thoughts before he remembers Apollo is actually looking for an answer, that Apollo is actually worried about him and worried about having done something wrong. Richtig, Klavier needs to focus.

“Nein, Apollo. Everything is ok, I am alright and you did not hurt me.” He chuckles. “It was just a bit of an odd point in my law career.”

Apollo sighs, relieved. “You’re all good?”

“Ja. Of course.” 

Klavier smiles down at Apollo, wonderful Apollo who he is always just that little bit hopeless about. Wonderful Apollo who could pick him up off his feet with one hand… Hands that were just around his throat, warm hands… Oh Gott he’s off again.

Meanwhile, somewhat distantly, Klavier can recognise Apollo’s expression souring and his hand coming up to rest against his bracelet. Oh no, his bracelet. Suddenly a little more focused on that actual reality of the situation instead of some horny recollection and fantasy, Klavier feels nervous. Apollo’s bracelet has reacted, but he doesn’t remember lying? 

Apollo holds the bracelet up, one eyebrow raised. “You’re really sure that’s the answer you wanna stick with? Listen Klav, you don’t have to lie to me, if I did hurt you or… Embarrass you in any way, I wanna make sure I can make it up to you.” He nervously laughs. “I’d be a pretty shit friend if I didn’t…”

As Apollo runs his mouth, Klavier is internally freaking the fuck out. He recognizes that Apollo can see straight through him, any lies he tells are gonna be picked up, so immediately he decides that Apollo knows exactly what happened to him in that courtroom and is preparing to get monumentally angry at him for being… Well, turned on, to put it bluntly. Is Apollo going to make fun of him? Perceive out that tiny little quirk of a muscle that points to him having his mind decidedly in the gutter about one of his friends? On one hand, the sensible part of Klavier is genuinely worried, the other part of him is still screaming to get out, go home, and go fuck himself. The internal conflict just has Klavier freezing instead, all the more so when Apollo leans slightly closer to him.

“Klavier, please talk to me?” The other man spins his bracelet around his wrist, half making eye contact. “You’re acting weird…”

And that is when Klavier makes the mistake of looking at Apollo’s lips.

Instantly he wrenches his gaze upwards, back to Apollo’s eyes, back to safety, but it’s far too late for that, the other man has certainly caught him. Klavier’s eyes widen and he hastily tries to backtrack, forming half syllables and words that are in neither German, nor English, more a chaotic clash between the two.

“Ach, er, s- er, es tut mir leid, I- I didn’t mean to-”

Across from him, watching him as carefully as he watches a witness in court, Apollo simply raises an eyebrow, a slight smile twitching its way across his lips. Klavier keeps trying to dig himself a hole, bury himself in the ground so no person will ever have to deal with his bullshit again, least of all Apollo Justice, but as he tries to do this, he is suddenly cut off by a finger pressing itself to his lips.

“Shh.”

And the leather pants are immediately a problem again. Klavier stares down at Apollo, finger pressed to his lips and he feels his cock twitch to life, oh he’s so fucked, this is hell and he is in it. However, Apollo told him to shh, so he shuts up, hoping the expression on his face can convey the situation he is in… The situation Apollo has put him in.

“My… Bracelet, it doesn’t detect straight up lies, it heightens perception, usually to tension.” He says, shifting a little in front of Klavier. “Are you… tense by any chance?”

Klavier feels himself nodding against his will, Apollo taking a small step forward until his body presses him against the wall. “Uh, ja, that’s one word for it.”

“Good.” He smiles, one hand- ach, those hands- finding Klavier’s hip and resting there, ever so innocently. “I could get used to this… Flustering the Klavier Gavin.”

The Klavier Gavin laughs a little nervously, mere centimetres between his mouth and Apollo’s. It would not be hard to kiss him… He should really kiss him. All is quiet in the janitor’s closet for a precious moment, the only sound Klavier can hear is -admittedly slightly shaky- breathing and the gentle rustle of fabric as Apollo hovers closer.

Fuck it.

Only barely thinking about his decision, Klavier leans down and presses his lips to Apollo’s. For a moment, there is no retaliation and he gets a horrible sinking feeling that he may have, somehow, misread the situation enough for this to be a surprise, but before long, Apollo returns the kiss. One hand comes up to cup his cheek, gently attempting to guide Klavier in closer and he is more than happy to oblige, chasing Apollo’s lips downwards and into a deeper, more intimate situation. Apollo’s lips are soft against his own, chapped slightly which doesn’t surprise him, but they’re wet and hot and so, so inviting.

Taking a brief gasp of air, Klavier breaks the kiss before diving immediately back in, one hand drifting traitorously downwards to cup Apollo’s ass and press him closer. The other man lets out a quiet hum of excitement, shifting his position so that his thigh can clearly press against Klavier’s crotch. At the pressure, he can’t help but buck his hips forward a little, Apollo breaks the kiss with a stuttered exhale and looks up at him.

Klavier grins. “Does that answer your questions?”

With a gentle chuckle, Apollo traces the outline of his jaw, tips of fingers getting caught on the few stray bits of stubble he hadn’t managed to eradicate the last time he shaved. “Yeah, a solid ninety percent of them.”

“What about the other ten?”

The hand traces further, stopping as it cups the back of his neck. “Well, I guess we’ll just have to find out.”

Their lips meet once again, Klavier fully embracing Apollo so the other man stays as close as humanly possible. The temperature inside the closet has raised to what is, to Klavier, practically an inferno, but he wants even more, even closer, even hotter, just more. He chases Apollo’s lips as they pull away, swipes his tongue against the other’s, chases him again. It’s about the third time he does this that Klavier suspects this motion to have a different meaning, but part of him is desperate to just keep kissing Apollo, whatever complaints he has about the location can be saved for a time where he is not painfully hard in -he must stress this again- leather pants.

By the fourth time Apollo tries to pull away, the other man actually lets out a frustrated grunt, one hand tightening on Klavier’s arm. He’s not exactly sure when it made its way there, but the other hand has come to rest on Klavier’s head, no, inside his hair and almost directly on his scalp. Before he can verbalise, ask Apollo what the problem is -although he can probably guess it's more to do with the janitor’s closet than him- instead, Apollo tightens his grip in Klavier’s hair and harshly tugs, forcing his head to the side.

Oh Gott.

Klavier lets his eyelids flicker closed and a frankly embarrassingly high-pitched moan falls from his lips. He moves his head to the side, where Apollo was clearly now guiding it to be, extending his neck until it's visibly free game for the other… But Apollo hasn’t moved. His eyes open, if not by much, only to see Apollo staring at him with stars practically in his pupils and a delightful smile on his face that Klavier wants to see again and again and- why has he stopped?

“Hmm?” Klavier practically whines.

“Holy shit you like that.” 

He blinks. “Well… Ja?”

Apollo takes a deep breath, then very visibly swallows. “Ok.”

“Ok?”

In a movement as brash and as sudden as Apollo himself, he takes ahold of Klavier’s hair and practically yanks his head back into position, jumping on his exposed neck to immediately press a kiss there that has Klavier reeling, a startled moan breaking the strange silence. Apollo peppers kisses to his neck, finding the place that makes him shiver ever-so-slightly and doubling his efforts, tenfold. Klavier tries not to make too much noise, but can’t stop the small whimpers and whines that fall from his lips. Apollo makes his way up to Klavier’s ear, sucking gently on the lobe there before whispering gently.

“Fuck you’re so hot.” He punctuates with a kiss. “Do you know how much of that trial I spent thinking about you like this? Falling apart for me, on your knees?”

Klavier gasps and tilts his head so he has a better path to Apollo’s neck. “Probably about as much time as I spent picturing you doing the same, I imagine.”

He makes contact with Apollo’s neck, gently pushing aside the starched white collar of his shirt to get better access to the unmarked skin there, just begging for Klavier to get a taste of it. 

“Y-you, ha right there, you did?”

Klavier nods, increasing the pressure in the place the other reacted to before lightly grazing his teeth against it and drawing a slightly too loud moan from Apollo. “Now who should shh, hmm?”

Apollo chuckles, well, more of a giggle. “Shut up and- hey, I thought I was in charge here?”

He pauses, gently drawing back from Apollo’s neck and hovering just out of his eyeline. “Well…” Klavier decides if they’re gonna do this, they’re gonna do this properly and if properly means a couple of cliches thrown in here and there… Who’s gonna stop him? “Why don’t you show me what you’re capable of, hmm?”

Apollo tenses, turning his head to face him with almost the exact expression he wears in court when he’s found a particularly good objection. “Oh you know exactly what you’re doing.”

Klavier only has time to smile sardonically before he is being unceremoniously shoved against a wall and kissed with all the force and desperation of a starving man, only hungry for one thing. The only protest he can utter is a slightly disgruntled oof when his back makes contact with the wall, but even that is pushed aside by a low moan as Apollo’s lips arrive back at his neck.

“I-” The other pauses, Klavier has half a mind to drag him by his hair if he keeps stopping. “Can I… Can I use my teeth?”

“Bite me?” He’s not sure if it’s a question or a demand at this point.

Apollo nods, his spikes slightly ticking Klavier’s cheek as he contemplates how on Earth he has gotten this lucky, how he has fallen into this strange, strange situation that is just… Perfect. Klavier doesn’t answer, simply moves the collar of his shirt down to expose more of his neck and tilts, once more baring himself for Apollo to have his way with him.

Apollo moans in his ear, before kissing down his neck towards his shoulders, to the fleshier and less painful muscle of his shoulder. Briefly, Apollo pauses, before almost bracing himself, one hand steadying himself on Klavier’s other shoulder. He bites down, not so hard as to be very painful, but just hard enough to have Klavier keening, tilting his head back and letting out a filthy noise that has Apollo bucking his hips towards him as he soothes the bite with laps of his tongue.

“Ah-Apollo…” He whines. “You’re good at this…”

He feels Apollo smile against his neck, pressing a gentle kiss on the bite that he immediately knows is going to bruise quite badly… Good. “I try my best.”

“It, er, certainly has paid off.” Klavier illustrates the point by blowing a piece of hair out of his face and turning towards the other man, currently pressing his nominal forehead partially against Klavier’s cheek. If the tension wasn’t so high within the tiny space, Klavier would be inclined to verbalise how adorable he finds the other. Instead, he just presses a kiss to Apollo’s curly head.

“Are we actually about to fuck in a janitor’s closet…” He mumbles, clearly only now realising the extent of the situation they are in.

Klavier chuckles. “I should hope so, otherwise you are going to leave me with a rather severe case of blue balls.”

“Hah! What are you gonna do, take me to court?”

“Nein, not quite.” He smirks, gently moving Apollo’s head off of his shoulder, the other responds with an inquisitive hum as he puts slight amounts of distance between the two of them.

“What’s the plan, rockstar?”

Klavier grins at Apollo and, in one fluid motion just like he did in that courtroom, he drops to his knees in front of him.

“Oh Holy Mother save me…”

He’s quite pleased with that response, simply chuckling to himself and turning his attention to Apollo’s belt, clicking the buckle open and threading the cheap and slightly cracked leather through with only a slight grumble of discontent at the quality, that’s quite good for him, if he doesn’t say so himself. Right before Klavier is about to tug down Apollo’s pants and get down to business, so it were, the other man places a hand on his, halting his movements immediately. Klavier looks up at him, purposefully equipping a gentle expression and taking his hands away, just in case this was an overstep.

“Everything ok?” He asks.

Apollo swallows. “Ok. Yeah, I’m ok.”

He relaxes a little, resting his hands against the other’s thighs. “Then please let me know the problem because my Gott you are killing me.”

“Alright, alright… You know I’m trans right?”

Klavier blinks up at him. “Ja you have told me this before, I could not give less of a fuck, I need to get my mouth on you immediately or else I will expire, right here, in this closet, ok?”

“I-” Apollo bursts into giggles. “Just didn’t want you to get any surprises!”

He places his head on the other man’s thigh. “Apollo, quite frankly you could have anything going on right now and I’d still wanna fuck you so…”

“It’s almost romantic when you put it like that.”

Klavier splutters and shakes his head, fumbling with the fasteners of Apollo’s suit pants and giving them a tug downwards until they pool around his feet. One layer down, really, court attire is possibly the most inconvenient choice in this situation, but Klavier is damned if he’s gonna wait for a more appropriate time. He looks up, only to be met with gray boxers with a very prominent dark patch.

“Oh Apollo…” He breathes. “You’re soaked.”

“W-well…” Apollo stutters, looking incredibly flustered in the low light of the closet. “Can you blame me?”

“Oh nein, of course I am very handsome.” 

Rather impressively for the situation, Klavier watches the other man roll his eyes. “Yeah ok, whatever you wanna be- LIEVE!”

Midway through the sentence, Klavier gets bored, experimentally stroking a finger along the wet patch of Apollo’s boxers before gently circling a finger over his clit, causing an outburst. Klavier smiles, glancing upwards only to be immediately pressed down again.

“Ach!”

“You need to get these off of me right now.” Apollo gasps.

He obliges, hooking his fingers on the waistband of his boxers and pulling them down. Despite his eagerness to follow an order from Apollo, he can’t help but tease, it’s in his nature, after all. “Bossy today, aren’t we?”

Apollo grabs his hair and forces him to look up and suddenly the words are dying in his throat. The man looks practically wild, his horns out of place, collar shoved aside and now naked from the waist down, it’s a vision, a treat and Klavier understands immediately that he shouldn’t be running his mouth and can certainly put it to better use.

“Klavier.”

He swallows. “Ok.”

“Good boy.”

In a desperate attempt to muffle the whine these words practically rip from his throat, Klavier presses his lips to Apollo’s clit, taking the flesh into his mouth and sucking. Apollo practically shouts, immediately slapping a hand over his mouth and managing to stifle it slightly, but it’s a little too loud for Klavier’s comfort in this -ahem- rather public location. Mildly frustrated, Klavier leans back and reaches up, freeing Apollo’s neck from his tie and unceremoniously shoving the undone fabric further upwards.

“Put this in your mouth so you can be quiet.”

Apollo mumbles something about being a massive hypocrite, but balls up the tie and grips it in between his lips, giving Klavier’s hair a tug to insist he gets back to it. As encouraged, he does so, pressing his tongue into the folds of Apollo’s crotch and licking a slow drag back towards his clit. Above him, Apollo makes a gruff noise of some description, now adequately muffled to urge Klavier to continue and continue he does, lapping and sucking interchangeably until the janitor’s closet is filled with muffled groans and the slight squelches that come with an encounter such as this one. Klavier would love to take his time with this, to slowly take Apollo apart until his juices are dripping down his face, like eating the finest fruit on offer, but he can’t help but acknowledge that the two of them are simply too desperate by now to even understand the concept of patience.

One hand coming up to rub circles around Apollo’s clit, Klavier pushes his tongue further into the soft folds, delighting in what could honestly be considered something close to a squeak that escapes being muffled by the tie up above. Apollo grips his hair, meaning Klavier couldn’t move away even if he wanted to, continuing his enthusiastic consumption as if he were a man starved. Above him, the other hand has Apollo bracing himself against the wall as he struggles with the effort of keeping himself upright, holding on for dear life.

He adjusts his position and is suddenly reminded of his own problem, having been too wrapped up in Apollo’s pleasure to even give a thought to his slightly violent hard-on. He only knows now because his pants have become incredibly uncomfortable. Without stopping, Klavier fiddles with the fastenings, nimble fingers loosening buttons and then dragging down his zipper, finally freeing his cock. He wraps his fingers around it, trying to match the pace in which he presses his tongue into Apollo’s hole, if only for his own benefit. The stimulation brings him closer to the edge and, judging by the clenching muscles and the higher pitched noises echoing above him, Apollo is probably getting there too.

One hand roughly jerking his cock and the other continuing to rub Apollo’s clit, Klavier moans directly into his crotch and the vibrations seem to push the other over the edge. Apollo braces himself against the wall, the other hand on Klavier’s shoulder -the bitten one, but if anything Klavier finds the sharp pain only brings him closer to his own climax.

“Klavier, Klavier, Klavier!” Apollo almost chants, muffled by the tie but the syllables so clear to their subject and, with a final cry, Apollo’s orgasm gushes over Klavier’s tongue as he speeds up his hand on his cock.

Apollo’s breath heaves in the cramped space, his head tilted back and his thighs shaking. Klavier rests his spare hand there as he jerks off, curses tumble from his lips in a combination of languages, but nothing truly culminates until one of Apollo’s hands drifts into view. He extends a finger, tilting Klavier up by his chin to look at him properly and that’s when he cums.

“Apollo!” He groans before spilling all over his hand.

Precious silence falls over the two men, Klavier feels his knees begin to scream out in pain, so he rocks back and practically collapses against the opposite wall. Speaking of collapsing, Apollo is being held up by the handle of a vacuum cleaner and a dream. He looks completely spent, his forehead shining with sweat and his cheeks all cute and rosey. Klavier imagines he can’t look much better, taking a deep breath and reaching for tissues that are in his blazer pocket somewhere.

Apollo opens his eyes, hazy and half-closed but as open as he can manage and inhales, ready to say something with a smile on his face just about visible past the tie clenched in his teeth. It almost makes Klavier want to go for a second round. However, before he gets the chance to speak, Apollo’s phone begins to ring.

“Fuck’s sake!”

--

Apollo scrambles in his waistcoat pocket as Klavier blearily acknowledges the caller from the position on the floor, absentmindedly wiping his hands on a tissue produced from the pack in his own pockets.

“Hello?” He says, slightly muffled. He spits out the tie. “Sorry, hello? Oh… Hi Trucy.”

Klavier almost laughs, oh unfortunate timing Fraulein Magician, or is it quite good timing come to think of it. If she had been just that little bit earlier, he can imagine Apollo would not be able to have a nice, casual conversation.

“Yeah, I’m fine, why do you ask?” Apollo is silent for a bit, breathing beginning to even out now. “Yeah I’ve, uh, I’ve been running?”

“Ja, she’ll totally believe that.” Klavier whispers, the other man simply swiping at him with the tie held tightly in his hand. With an affectionate smirk, Apollo gestures for him to be quiet and he holds up his palms in surrender.

“What do you mean by that… Trucy!” 

Klavier simply shakes his head in bemusement before easing himself to his feet, shimmying back into his pants as he does so and continuing to scrub any relevant bits of mess from clothing he is just going to throw in the wash anyway, but he’d rather not have anyone zeroing in on any suspicious white stains any time soon. He pieces himself back together fairly easily, tucking his shirt back into his pants, doing up his collar for once in his fucking life before stashing his medellion into another pocket, deciding it would look weird wearing it if his collar bones weren’t on show.

“Erm, yeah sure I can come round for dinner…” Apollo says, making a face in Klavier’s direction before making a very obvious gesture towards his hair. Oh scheiße, he’d forgotten about that.

With a swift and practised motion, Klavier undoes his hair, smooths down any stray strands whilst desperately avoiding the knowledge that it was so fucked up because the man currently arranging dinner plans with his sister tugged and pulled on it like he was controlling an unruly horse. He reties it, securing the tiny little plastic band and suddenly feels immaculate and normal and totally not like he was on his knees five seconds ago, nein your honor.

The same cannot be said for poor Apollo. He has his phone held between his ear and shoulder as he ineffectively tries to hoist up his underwear, the tie has been strewn across the handle of the vacuum cleaner, his shirt is undone… Honestly. Klavier approaches, first ducking down to assist Apollo in his chase for his underwear, the other giving him a grateful smile as he does. Then the pants, then the belt which Klavier again has to scramble around for, this time being his own fault as he did throw that out of his way as soon as humanly possible. He retucks Apollo’s shirt and does up his belt for him, all the while, fairly impressively, he maintains a conversation with Trucy over the phone.

“So we’re picking up noodles on the way home? Mr Edgeworth isn’t cooking? Oh yeah fair enough.” He pauses. “No, I don't think I’ll stay over tonight.”

Klavier straightens up, meeting Apollo’s brief sideways gaze at the last sentence and simply smiling, turning his attention to the tie. He grabs it, grimaces because it is slightly wet, before flipping up Apollo’s collar and hanging the material around his neck. The world seems to slow down then, Klavier staring down at Apollo with open affection as he takes care of him, tying the tie and tightening it in a slow and almost reverent manner. Apollo flushes, matching his gaze in its intensity and, ever-so-subtly, leaning slightly in for a kiss.

So close to him, Klavier can hear Trucy on the other side of the phone.

“‘Pollo… Pollyyyy.” She sounds bored. “Pay attention to me!”

Apollo snaps out of it. “Uh yeah, sorry. You’re on your way?”

“Yes. Rapidly.” Judging by the noise on her side, Klavier can deduce she’s probably on the street outside the courthouse, they don’t have much time.

“Ok, see you soon Truce.”

“Bye ‘Pollo… Bye Prosecutor Gavin.”

Klavier straightens up, eyes widening in alarm, but before either he or Apollo can ask any questions, Trucy has already hung up on them. Apollo lowers his phone in disbelief before bursting out into awkward, embarrassed laughter that Klavier can’t help but join him in.

“Oh mein Gott…” He wheezes. “This is ridiculous.”

Apollo’s laugh turns into an adorable snort. “Tell me about it.”

Before long, their awkward giggles fade, being replaced by a strange, heavy atmosphere that Klavier is not as much of a fan of. With a sigh, Apollo slides his phone into his waistcoat pocket and pushes off of the closet wall.

“So… Guess we should talk about that…”

 “Ja, of course, Schatz. Call me tonight?” His pleasant smile turns into a smirk. “After your lovely family dinner, that is.”

Apollo fondly rolls his eyes, then leans in close and presses a kiss to his cheek. Despite everything that has just happened between the two of them, this is what makes Klavier blush and grin like a teenage girl, but then Apollo whispers in his ear again.

“I’d rather talk at your place, if you catch my drift…”

Too stunned to speak, Klavier simply blinks at him with wide eyes as Apollo pulls back and winks, one hand reaching towards the door.

“Oh…” He exhales, suddenly feeling rather warm again. “Ja, I see.”

From outside the closet, a high-pitched voice calls out more like she’s looking for a lost dog than a lost brother. “Apollo?!”

“Oop, gotta go!” He chuckles, opening the door. “Later?”

Klavier nods. “Later.”

And with that, Apollo is gone. His footsteps retreat down the corridor as the door to the closet swings shut, leaving Klavier alone with a strange, airy feeling in his chest and a bright grin still plastered across his face. He finds himself laughing again, slumping against the wall with his head reeling, giddy with the thought of Apollo. In his thoughts, just about breaking through all the lovey-dovey bullshit, is one idea that sticks out from the rest.

He should really thank Winston Payne for making him take that case.