Ich bin Verliebt

by the Legendary Armor

It was, as always, just another trial, and this one happened to be on what some would describe as a lovely summer day.

The warmth of the sun was somewhat similar to that of Apollo's face as he bumped into Klavier's tall form in the lobby, dropping a file he was carrying; the papers spilled out behind him, pooling on the floor rather ungracefully. Inwardly, the young man grimaced. "Um, sorry..." the defense mumbled. "Didn't see you there." He wasn't surprised when the prosecutor shot him his customary dazzling smile, but as always, it caught Apollo somewhat off-guard, and his heart skipped a beat. Turning, he picked up the papers strewn messily about the floor, his cheeks tinging momentarily as a bead of sweat crept down his face.

Klavier's mind went into overdrive, and his smile grew just a little too wide. He had quite a nice view from here. As Apollo turned to face him once more, and met that grin, his expression became flustered, and his cheeks quite flushed. "What? What is it?".

Smirking, the blond replied, "Oh, nothing, Herr Justice. I was just thinking about how well your clothes fit you. There is evidence that your biking has had a positive effect..."

Spluttering indignantly, Apollo rushed into the courtroom without another coherent word.

Thankfully it was an easy trial. Thankfully, they'd all been easy trials as of late. It was becoming increasingly difficult for the young defense attorney to focus clearly when Klavier kept staring at him like that. Or saying things. "A nice deduction, Herr Forehead. I can't help but admire you, in more ways than one." This, of course, left the jurists tittering away with amusement in their chamber, and everyone in the courtroom snickering at Apollo's astonished expression, time after time.

"Objection! The prosecution is using bluffs to fluster the defense!" one raucous spectator called out jokingly.

"Bluffs? Why, I know not what you speak of. Only truthful melody passes my lips, ja?"

The sound of Apollo's forehead slamming into his desk echoed among the laughter.

A terrible frown currently marred Apollo's charming features as he stood outside the courthouse. Klavier spotted him as he sidled his way to his sleek motorcycle, and detoured over to the attorney's gloomy location. "Something amiss?"

"...Someone stole my bike. I... I forgot to lock it," he grumbled. "Who steals a bike from a courthouse...?" He didn't seem to speak to the taller man as he said the last bit, lost in his own gloom. What a day... The trial had gone well enough, though the defendant was annoying and stupid. Apollo was quite glad it was over--yet now, he faced a walk back to his apartment that was several miles away. If the prosecutor's earlier statement was to be taken seriously, apparently he did not really need the exercise...

"What a dilemma. Your apartment is near the flower shops before the stations, ja?"

"Yeah, but I really have to wonder why you know where I live--"

"A silly thing to wonder. Is it not uncommon for one to know where his partner lives, correct?"

"Partner? What do you mean by--"

"However, my house is much closer. Would you like to stop by tonight? Then you can purchase yourself a new bike tomorrow, as the shop is very close to my place."

Talk about being blindsided. The blond's lips curved into a slight smile as Apollo became flustered, which was almost too cute to be believed. "Um, I... what? What are you talking about? You mean you want me to spend the night with you?"

His hand zoomed at the speed of light to cover his mouth as he realized the implications, and Klavier began to laugh rather heartily. "Oh my. I suppose that's one way of saying it." He strolled over to his beloved motorcycle, motioning for the younger man to follow him. Apollo gave up on trying to understand the possible double meanings, climbing clumsily on behind the other man. Klavier turned, meeting his eyes with his own shining azure ones and a brilliant smile as always. "Hold on... tightly."

He sounded too excited at the prospect, Apollo thought, as he complied. Once the bike began moving, he squeezed even tighter, grimacing at the butterflies in his stomach. It... felt nice, holding onto him, his cheek pressed gently to the man's back, being so very close. He was warm, and smelled nice, and somehow, it felt so comfortable and natural. In fact--

"You're holding on quite securely," Klavier quipped, "though we ride at the speed of snails. Why is that?"

"I-I... uh, I've never ridden one of these before."

"Is that so? Do you like it?"

Apollo didn't sidestep the question, though his answer was burdened with nervousness. "Well, yeah. It's... it's pretty nice."

"Then we shall ride together more often, ja?"

And of course he did not disagree.

As the motorcycle pulled smoothly into Klavier's driveway, Apollo got a pretty decent idea of just how much money the man had as his gaze swept the outside of the two-story house... the very, very large, very picturesque two-story house. Hell, it was two inches away from being a mansion. The lawns were perfectly green and trimmed, the stone walkway impossibly clean and smooth. The bricks of the building were rough and historical, and--

"This is almost as far away as my house is, you know. Albeit in a different direction."

"Is that so? Perhaps my sense of distance is not so good as I thought." Apollo climbed clumsily off of the motorbike, stumbling--he had a brief flash of dreading his face meeting the stone path before a warm hand caught him by the wrist. The prosecutor held on as he slid gracefully from his seat, then grasped the younger man's hand in both of his own, leaning down slightly. "Be more careful, please. It simply would not do if you were hurt, ja?"

Confused and embarrassed, Apollo simply nodded.

It was even more beautiful inside. As the rock star led his dazed attorney friend through the halls, the brunette admired everything in stunned silence; the carpets were exotic, the walls covered in marvelous paintings and antique instruments; even the air carried a faint fragrance of high-class beauty. Eventually, they reached an impossibly ornate wooden door that gleamed in the hallway lighting. "This is my master bedroom," Klavier broke the silence as he opened the door, "and I am sure you will be very comfortable in here."

It was nice, of course. The bed was enormous, covered with soft blankets and pillows; guitars stood on stands in various places of the room, and a large mirror adorned the wall over an oaken desk, among other things. "Um, y-yeah. But you said I'm staying in here? It's your room..."

"That may be, but I don't see why we can't both use it."

Apollo thought his heart was about to suffocate him from jumping straight to his throat. "Um... what?"

"It's quite a large bed, ja?" He swept his hand outward, across the room; indeed, it had enough room for several people if one so desired, but--

"T-that's not the point!" Fumbling for words, he managed to stutter, "Sleeping in the same bed is, you know... that's what couples do." His gaze wandered from Gavin's, unable to meet the man's eyes; yet the next words made his stare lock onto him once more.

"Oh, right. We haven't quite gotten there, yet, have we?" His bronze face split into a mischievous grin as Apollo simply mumbled things such as 'I guess' and whatnot, avoiding his eyes once again. "It doesn't matter. You know as well as I do how we truly feel... Now, how about you go take a shower? There is clothing on the rack inside the bathroom that you can wear."

This is weird, Apollo thought to himself as he went into the bathroom, his face as red as his suit, but... not completely unexpected. Or unwelcome.

Apollo simply stayed in the bed, enjoying the soft, warm blankets and silken nightclothes he wore... listening to the steady sound of the shower water beating down a few feet away, blushing heatedly as he thought of the man currently inside. He was certainly cozy, and as Klavier came back into the room, Apollo's vision focused in on him in the dimmed light. He wore clothes similar to the attorney's, along with his usual smile. A strand of damp hair had fallen into his face, and he pushed it behind his ear, his eyes never leaving the brunette's.

"Ready for sleep?" At the younger man's nod, he turned a tiny knob near the bed until the lights dimmed into darkness before climbing into the bed himself. "Sweet dreams, beloved."

It wasn't long before the blond's breathing evened out into a deep, slow rhythm... and Apollo found that his dreams were quite pleasant that night.

It was not sunshine alone that the brunette woke to, but an arm around his waist and a pair of smiling, magical blue eyes.

"Wha?" Apollo stumbled sleepily over his words. "W-why are you staring at me? And we're so..."

"Close? Yes. Don't you like it that way?" He petted Apollo's cheek affectionately. "Oh, my. Technically, we've slept together, now. That makes us a couple, ja?"

Blushing, the brunette replied, "Can't you go about getting a significant other normally? You know, ask them out to dinner a few times? Take them to a movie? Something like that?" As soon as Klavier began to smile brilliantly, he had to wonder at the choice of his words. He felt a pleasant warmth in his chest at the other man's almost ecstatic reaction.

"Is that a yes, Herr Justice?" He drew closer to the smaller man, gently caressing his cheek. Apollo started at the affection, but nodded quietly.

"I... I guess so." Not like we haven't been acting like teenagers with crushes anyway.

Klavier's other hand threaded through the attorney's ungelled spikes. "...Apollo." The sudden use of his name, which the prosecutor almost never called him by, made him flush a little. Slowly, the blonde leaned downwards until their noses touched, smiling softly the entire time. Apollo's hand tentatively brushed the rock star's face, and the man took it as a signal; he turned his head slightly, pressing his lips tenderly to the brunette's.

Smiling sweetly, he pulled away after a moment, and whispered, "Ich bin verliebt."

The defense attorney could deduce what it meant easily enough.

"...I love you, too."

(end)