A/N: I'm in my Ace Attorney phase. More specifically, I'm in my Klavier/Apollo phase. Period. Damn you Capcom, for creating such awesome games. Damn you, for sucking my life away.

A perfect world

oooo

There were days when you would deem yourself the happiest person in the world: a perfect health, reliable friends – no matter how strange they could be –, a job that wasn't too time-consuming and paid pretty well – provided that the client's name wasn't Phoenix Wright –, a sunny weather, and a secret crush whom you could meet almost every day. Those were the kinds of days you would almost fear they were too good to be true, and that sooner or later, you would wake up from that perfect dream and be called back to the harsh reality of a miserable life.

And somehow, out of sheer cruelty, fate would prove your fears right.

March 15th, 09:47 AM
Wright Anything Agency

"Are you ready for tomorrow's trial, Polly?" Trucy asked as she sat down on the sofa next to the young attorney.

The latter closed his court record and nodded. "I guess so. You did the investigation with me, so what do you think?"

Trucy crossed her arms thoughtfully. "Well, we have gathered several pieces of evidence in our court record and we have a suspect, but you never know what can happen with Mr Gavin!" she finished cheerfully.

"You almost sound like you want Prosecutor Gavin to win." Apollo muttered.

"Do I?" The girl grinned. "Well, you have to admit that Mr Gavin always manages to surprise us during the trials. Sometimes he seems to know the truth before the trial even begins!"

"That's just your imagination, Trucy." Really, the last thing Apollo needed to hear was that his eternal rival, Klavier Gavin, was always one step ahead of him, even if he usually ended up losing his case.

"Aaw Polly! Don't look so upset! It's fine if you can't be half as good as Mr Gavin. Not everyone can be a god of rock and a genius prosecutor at the same time." Trucy patted Apollo's hair almost condescendingly.

"I'm not quite sure what being a rock singer has to do with being a good prosecutor." Apollo protested. "But thanks for your obvious support."

"Hey! How about we pay Mr Gavin a visit?" Trucy suggested happily, completely ignoring Apollo's last remark.

"Feel free to. I have no reason to go to the Prosecutor's office." the defence attorney lied. Oh, he may have a reason, but it was definitely not work-related. Trucy didn't need to know it, though.

"Oh, come on!" The magician girl grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to the door. "Maybe we could spy on him a bit and see what he has for tomorrow's case. And you can't let a young girl like me go alone!"

You look perfectly capable of going anywhere alone, thank you very much, Apollo was tempted to reply, but he knew better than to upset a Gramarye, and Trucy was right about tomorrow's case. It was a good reason to pay Prosecutor Gavin a short visit. Excuse,a small voice in Apollo's head murmured. He ignored it.

Outside, the few white clouds could barely hide the bright sun casting its warm rays upon the city. The Prosecutor's Office was barely twenty minutes away by foot, which would make for a nice walk downtown. Trucy was humming while walking, a smile on her lips. Seeing her, Apollo couldn't help but feel equally content inwardly. True enough, Trucy looked cheerful most of the time, but it never hurt to see her smile. Her good mood always tended to rub off on the people around her, and Apollo was no exception.

"Where is Mr Wright, by the way?" he inquired, interrupting Trucy's humming.

"Daddy? I'm not sure. He always wanders off here and there and is doing stuff for court."

"Doesn't he intend to take the bar exam again?"

"Oh, probably! I'm not sure I like the idea, though."

"Why?"

Trucy grinned. "I like playing poker with Daddy! If he becomes a lawyer again, he'll have less time to play poker!"

"That's... an unbeatable logic." Apollo replied with a tone void of any enough, they arrived at the Prosecutor's Office and were admitted almost immediately. The door to the office was partly open, as usual, and Klavier's voice rose before neither Trucy nor Apollo got the chance to knock:

"Do come in, the both of you."

"Mr Gavin! You knew we were coming?" Trucy asked, surprised.

"Well, I have good ears and could hear you talk in the corridor." Klavier replied with his usual charming smile. "So, what brings you here today? Is it tomorrow's case?" he asked, turning to Apollo. The latter flushed slightly, as he always did whenever the prosecutor's eyes were on him.

"Actually, Trucy just felt like saying hi." he replied, hoping to sound as natural as possible.

"Is that so? Then why are you here as well, Herr Forehead?" Klavier leant forward slightly, both fists on his hips and an impish smile on his lips.

"He said he'd come along to sneak around your place a bit, in case you have interesting clues about the case!" Trucy said happily, much to Apollo's despair.

"I never said such a thing! That was youridea!" the latter protested.

"Now, now. It's not nice to accuse young ladies like that, Herr Forehead." The blonde prosecutor laughed. "But since you came all the way here, you might as well stay for some coffee while I settle a few things of my own."

"Are we disturbing you?" Apollo asked. "If so, we can leave–" he added, hoping inwardly for a negative answer. His prayers were heard.

"I did say you could stay for coffee, ja? So make yourselves at ease. I'll be done soon with my own papers." Klavier smiled.

Being able to see the blonde prosecutor smile was one of Apollo's secret enjoyments, even more than seeing Trucy smile. He didn't need more, really. Just the mere sight of the handsome man was enough to make his day, and even though Klavier could be rather irritating in court, Apollo had soon found out that he could also be a very nice person outside. A bit too self-conscious, perhaps, but it was part of his charms. Not that Apollo would ever admit it out loud.

So he settled on the sofa, next to Trucy, pretending to listen to the girl as she spoke about how she missed the Gavinners, while his eyes were actually on a certain prosecutor who didn't seem to notice the attention he was receiving. At some point, though, their gazes crossed for a second and Apollo quickly looked away, hoping that Klavier hadn't noticed it. He failed to see Klavier's lips curving upwards ever so lightly.

"All right, I'm finally done with today's work." the prosecutor said after a short while. "Shall I make coffee?"

"I'd like orange juice, if possible!" Trucy requested.

"Coffee is fine." Apollo replied.

A minute later, Klavier was handing him a cup of steaming coffee. The tips of their fingers brushed lightly when Apollo took the cup, but he tried his best to ignore the fluttering feeling in him, as usual. Perhaps it was his imagination, but it seemed to him as if Klavier had purposedly let his fingers linger on his a bit longer. Dismissing the thought, he also tried talking about the case so as to make the visit look like it was work-related, but the conversation quickly drifted to more pleasant topics.

They didn't stay long at Klavier's office, yet when Apollo left, he felt more than happy with his day. Trucy seemed to notice it on their way back to the agency.

"You always look in a better mood after seeing Mr Gavin." she observed.

"D-Do I?" Apollo stuttered and cursed himself mentally for doing so. "It must be your imagination."

"Maybe." Trucy replied, laughing. She then gazed at the sky. "Today's a nice day, right Polly?"

Apollo nodded.

Today, he felt like the happiest person in the world.

March 16th, 08:26 AM
Apollo Justice's studio

Apollo didn't see the blow coming. Within the span of a minute, his world of happiness crumbled like a sand castle blown by wind. A single phone call from Trucy had been enough to shatter the dream.

'Daddy has just called! Mr Gavin was shot last night and was transferred at the ICU of the Hotti Clinic!'

Apparently, a relative of a defendant that Klavier had found guilty in a previous trial had sought revenge. The man had been put under arrest, but now this was the last of Apollo's concerns. The culprit had shot at Klavier twice: in the shoulder, and in the abdomen. Apollo did not dare imagine the worst outcome. He couldn't.

Never before had he run so fast; ignoring the queer looks from other passers-by, ignoring the rude comments from people he had bumped into, ignoring the honks and the screeching of the tyres as he dashed across the roads, to the clinic. His heart was pounding against his chest, both from the run and the panic that had seized him and narrowed his mind to only one thing: Klavier. He's going to be fine, he kept repeating to himself, he's going to be fine. Klavier Gavin hadto be fine. It couldn't be otherwise. He was too perfect not to be fine. A world without Klavier Gavin was simply not possible.

He barely noticed that he was completely out of breath when he reached the clinic's reception, and the nurse who showed him the way to Klavier's room had to remind him that it was forbidden to run in the corridors. He soon found himself in front of the fated door which he pushed open, only to see Phoenix Wright and Trucy standing by the bed in which was lying... Klavier. At least, Apollo assumed it was Klavier, for his whole body was covered with a white sheet.

Apollo felt nauseous. His body refused to move, except for his eyes which went slowly from Phoenix and Trucy to the covered body. In the silence of the room, he could hear his own heartbeat slowing down, and at that moment, he wished that it stopped definitely. He gazed pleadingly at Phoenix, as if hoping that the latter would tell him that it was but a nightmare and that he would wake up soon; and yet, the dim expression he read on the man's face reduced his hopes to smithereens. Trucy had her back turned to him, and therefore he couldn't see her face, but it was easy to guess that her usual smile was nowhere to be seen.

"No..." he finally uttered with a hoarse voice, still not moving from his spot. "It can't be..."

Phoenix merely put a hand on Trucy's shoulder, motioning to her that it was time for them to leave. When the girl finally turned round, her head was lowered so that her hair was hiding part of her face, but her cheeks clearly displayed two shiny trails. As the both of them walked past Apollo, Phoenix patted him silently on the shoulder, and without a word, he exited the room with his daughter, leaving Apollo alone with a nameless pain that bit him like ice.

Finally he found strength enough to force his legs to move by the bedside, where he dropped on his knees. He reached a trembling hand to where Klavier's face was, and slowly pulled the bed sheet back. And then the last remnants of his foolish hopes vanished to nothing. For he had hoped that maybe, maybe everything had just been a plain mistake. Maybe it hadn't been Klavier who had been shot, but some other random person. And yet the sleeping face under his eyes definitely bore Klavier's traits. It was unmistakable.

It was the same refined face, the same platinum hair, the same long eyelashes, the same elegant nose, the same thin lips that had captured Apollo's heart. Except that Klavier wasn't sleeping.

Apollo held out hesitant fingers – why wouldn't they stop shaking, damn it? – to that perfect face and delicately brushed away a few strands of hair. They were thin and soft and Apollo wondered for a moment how come he had never felt the urge to touch them before, even though he knew he would never have had the opportunity to. Now he could, and yet he would have given a lot and even more for the circumstances to be different.

Before he even realized it, his fingers had trailed down Klavier's cheek, hovering over the tanned skin without really touching it, as if he feared to soil it. It was still warm, Apollo noticed, which made his heart sank a bit more. Perhaps if he had come five minutes earlier… What if I had come five minutes earlier? I wouldn't have been able to do a damn thing. His vision got blurry, and it took him several seconds to realize why. He blinked twice, and suddenly his lips tasted salt. He didn't bother drying his eyes; choosing instead to bury his face on the bed, between his arms.

If someone had entered the room at that instant, they would have believed that Apollo was merely sleeping, as his body didn't betray any sign of sobs. He had never been one to sob, for as far as he could remember, preferring silent mourning. Ironically enough for a defence attorney, whenever it came to that kind of situation, Apollo would find himself unable to find the fitting words to express his feelings. It was one of the rare moments when the burning flame of the ever-passionate Apollo Justice would simply die out.

Today however, he wanted to force his knotted throat loose, to say the few words he had never had the chance to say because he had never imagined that he would be given that chance. To him, it had always been natural to wake up every morning and to know that he could see Prosecutor Gavin in court, that he could go to the Prosecutor's Office and be welcomed by his warm smile, that he could go to a crime scene and spot a blazing motorbike and a crowd of Gavinners fans.

Apollo raised his head, clutching the bed sheet tightly between his fingers.

"Damn it… Klavier…" He had never called the prosecutor by his first name out loud like that, though he had uttered the name countless times in his head. It felt strange on his lips. "How the hell could you let yourself be shot like that? That's such a lame way to die, don't you think?" Something started building up in him. Something that he couldn't identify yet, but he could clearly say that it wasn't sorrow. It was something much more intense, much more violent, but for now his affliction was still too great for him to pay attention to that budding feeling. "You were supposed to be the coolest attorney of the country, the one everyone admired, the one who rocked every trial… so how the hell did you allow that bastard to shoot you down?" The unknown feeling grew a bit more. "I swear, I'll see to it that he gets what he deserves. He's going to pay dearly. I'll take the prosecution side if it's what it takes to send the bastard to the execution stand." Apollo's face darkened.

This wasn't like him. That kind of reaction wasn't like him. He was a lawyer, a man who fought for truth and justice without letting his feelings interfere. But he was also Apollo Justice, an ace attorney who had won all his cases by relying on his guts and his instincts, who always needed to be tempered down whenever he started being too ardent in his speeches. And generally, it was always Prosecutor Gavin who took care of cooling his head down. But today, Prosecutor Gavin had to relinquish his role.

And slowly, Apollo understood what it was that was pooling within him, making his blood boil in his veins like never before, and making him want to shout to the world.

It was rage. Plain rage twisting his insides and blinding his mind to any sensible thought. His fists clenched unconsciously, turning his knuckles white.

And then he burst out.

"Damn it! Why did it have to be you?" He stood on his feet and punched the nearby wall. "That's so unfair! You didn't deserve this! You were just doing your job as a prosecutor! So why? Why? Tell me why, Klavier!"

But the prosecutor remained silent to Apollo's plea. And as quickly as it had surfaced, his anger faded out. He fell back on his knees and hid his flushed face in the bed sheet again, clutching at it tightly. "And who am I supposed to fight in court, now?" he whispered, dejection filling his voice. "If it's not you, it's meaningless…"

When Apollo raised his head again, his eyes were red. "You're such a freaking idiot, Klavier." he murmured. "Leaving like that, without thinking about the others… Really, are all rock stars as selfish as you? You're an idiot." he repeated. Deep inside, he knew that Klavier wasn't the only idiot of the story, and perhaps Apollo was a bigger idiot than him. He had been a fool to imagine that he could spend the rest of his years as an attorney living like that, simply enjoying battling against Klavier, enjoying the latter's gentle mockeries about his hair, enjoying – secretly – being called 'Herr Forehead', enjoying Klavier being Klavier. He had been a fool, really.

And now it was too late to tell the blonde prosecutor everything he'd have wanted to tell him.

"How could someone as perfect as you die just like that?" he repeated, stroking the blonde's hair again. "How could you leave me behind like that?" Apollo forced a short laugh. "Now I'm the one who sounds selfish, aren't I? Well, since no one can hear me, I guess I can afford being a bit selfish." He paused, before taking in a deep breath. "I didn't really like you at first, you know? The way you succeeded in everything, the way you could draw everyone to you with a mere smile or a mere wave of your hand. It was irritating. I thought it wasn't the right behavior for a prosecutor. But then I faced you in court and I realized that you were as serious about law as you were about music. I guess I started tolerating you a bit then. Just a bit. But I supposed you managed to convince even me that you were actually a nice guy. Of course you had to be always nice and smiling to everyone, so there's no way you'd be smiling more for me, right? After all, I'm just your average defence attorney, unknown to the world and without a single fan around. Not that I mind. I was happy enough that you would always receive me at your office, even though we're supposed to be on opposite sides. It was during those times that I always thought that maybe, I was a bit more special to you than the others, but that's just me being selfish. I told you I was going to be selfish today." Apollo sighed and buried his face in the bed again, right next to where Klavier's arm was. There was one last thing that his selfish side had yet to say out loud, but somehow that thing was more complicated to say than the rest. One thing that would summarize everything he had wanted to convey in that monologue of his.

It was probably for that reason that he whispered the words in a barely audible way, using the bed sheet to stifle them.

"…love you."

He remained in his half-seated position for god knew how long, his head between his arms, ignoring his legs turning numb. Silence bathed the room. Minutes passed. He didn't count how many.

And then something moved quietly beside him and the next second, something stroked his hair gently.

"Don't you think you could have told me that earlier, Herr Forehead?" a very soft voice broke the silence.

Apollo jumped on the spot, his heart failing a beat. His eyes opened wide when he directed them at Klavier's lying form. Chestnut met with sapphire blue and for a second, time seemed to stop. Apollo stood up hastily.

"K-Kla… Prosecutor Gavin?" he finally stuttered.

"I prefer it when you call me by my name." Klavier replied with a weak smile.

"B-But I thought you were…"

"Shot? Yes. Apparently I lost quite a nice amount of blood in the process. But I'm not dead yet." The prosecutor said softly.

"But… your face was covered, and Mr Wright didn't say a word when I came in! And Trucy was… she was crying!"

"Ah well…" Klavier chuckled. "Herr Forehead, I hope you will be able to forgive my jape. I talked a bit with them, and though the Fräulein was a bit reluctant, they still went along with it."

"But why?" Apollo was now standing, flustered, unsure whether to be annoyed at having been tricked, or happy because Klavier was still alive.

"Because I figured out you would never speak so openly to me as you did now."

"Th-That's completely…" Apollo was at a loss for words. His face had turned a bright shade of red, and his only thought at the moment was to disappear far from this place.

Klavier had heard everything. Everything. This was more than what Apollo could bear.

"You idiot!" he snapped, turning round, ready to leave the room. But a hand caught his wrist.

"Herr Forehead, wait." Oh, the grip wasn't strong at all, and Apollo could have easily freed himself from it. He could have. Instead he turned his head back to Klavier, still flustered, and flinched as he was granted with the sweetest smile he could ever dare hope to see from the prosecutor.

"W-What?" he asked. "H-Hey, what are you doing? Don't move!" he added hastily as he saw Klavier trying to sit up with an obvious wince of pain.

"It's fine." The latter reassured him. "Besides, it's handier this way, ja?"

"Handier for what?"

Klavier's hand slid swiftly from Apollo's wrist to his cheek and slipped under his chin which he grabbed and pulled to him, without forcing. The younger attorney was too caught off guard to resist, and even less when Klavier's lips met his. It was a surprisingly chaste kiss from someone like Klavier, Apollo thought; he had always imagined that kisses from him would be much more… rocking? But somehow, he preferred it like this, soft and modest. His cheeks were on fire, and his hands resting on the edge of the bed would not stop trembling. A whirlpool of emotions fluttered in his head, preventing him from determining if this was reality or just another dream; if it was the latter, he wished he didn't wake up too quickly.

And then Klavier broke the kiss, but his face stayed close to Apollo's. It was the latter who pulled back abruptly, as if his mind had finally registered what they had done. He unconsciously brought a hand to his lips, feeling his heart pound against his chest crazily.

"Am I such a bad kisser?" Klavier teased him.

"Huh? N-No, of course not! But… I just didn't expect you to…" Apollo fell silent, looking away.

"To feel the same as you?" Klavier chuckled as the other boy nodded. "You see, I happen to have a soft spot for defence attorneys, especially the hot-headed ones wearing antennas and showing off a nice forehead."

"You must be joking…" Apollo mumbled, glaring at the prosecutor.

"How about you come closer and see if I'm joking?" the latter held out a hand to him invitingly.

At first hesitant, Apollo found himself unable to refuse the invitation. Feeling Klavier's lips on his once again convinced him that today was perhaps not such a bad day.

March 16th, 10:13 AM
Hotti Clinic

"So, how did it go? Tell us, Polly!" Trucy literally jumped on Apollo as the latter finally appeared in the entrance hall of the clinic, where Phoenix and his daughter were waiting.

"You…" Apollo said threateningly. "You knew he wasn't dead, didn't you?"

"I didn't really approve of Mr Gavin's plan, you know? But Daddy thought it could be funny." Trucy crossed her arms thoughtfully.

"Funny? How is pretending to be dead 'funny'?" Apollo snapped at Phoenix who pretended not to be concerned. "Damn it…"

"Well, what did you two talk about? You spent over an hour in his room." Trucy inquired.

"What did we–Nothing in particular." Apollo lied rather badly. "We talked about the case we were supposed to have today."

While the girl looked at him suspiciously, Phoenix merely laughed. "You look awfully close for a defence attorney and a prosecutor." He merely noted.

"W-Well, from what I read of your past cases, it was the same between you and Prosecutor Edgeworth." Apollo retorted back.

The uninterested look he received from Phoenix showed him that he had somehow hit the bull's eye.

March 30th, 04:32 PM
Prosecutor's Office

"Come in, Herr Forehead." A familiar voice said before Apollo could even knock. Sighing silently, he stepped in the office only to find Klavier standing in front of some bookshelves and putting some files into order.

"Shouldn't you be resting at home?" Apollo asked, trying not to sound too concerned, but the prosecutor wasn't fooled by the light tone.

"A prosecutor should devote himself to his work no matter the circumstances, ja?" the latter replied with his usual smile.

"Let me help you." Apollo offered grudgingly as he walked to Klavier and literally snatched the folders in his hands away. "And just go rest or something." he added as he started putting the files on the bookshelves.

But a pair of arms enlacing him from behind and a chest pressing against his back made him jolt.

"Pr-Prosecutor G–"

"Please, Apollo, call me Klavier." The blonde prosecutor whispered at his ear.

"F-Fine, Klavier! Just go rest already!" Apollo replied, his face warming up.

"Hmmm… Will you finish ordering all my files?"

"Yeah."

"Will you make me some coffee afterwards?"

"If you want."

"Will you come have dinner at my place afterwards?"

"…If you want."

"Will you let me–" The rest of the sentence was whispered into Apollo's ear. The boy turned scarlet and threatened to throw a file at Klavier who dodged it, laughing.

A perfect day.

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Aaaaand it's done. A special thanks to Luna, 'cos the fic was basically born thanks to her o_o. You rock, woman.