Defcnestrate's Gift
Winnie, I was your Secret Santa! I did my best with Klapollo Christmas Fluff since I usually write the opposite genre.
***
âApollo, go get the door!â came the muffled voice of Mr. Wright. He sighed and did as he was told. His muttering to himself was cut off as Athena shoved a present in his arms and managed to balance a serving dish in the other hand. âApollo! Merry Christmas!â âSame to you,â he said around the large box. âWhatâs in this?â
âYouâll have to open it and see for yourself, of course!â ââŠOf course. Come on in, Mr. Wright is in the kitchen and Trucyâs in Mr. Wrightâs office, I think. Do you have any experience with cooking?â âMucha experiencia!â âI donât think Mr. Wright actually knows how to cook and I fear for our dinner if someone doesnât interveneââ âLetâs do this!â she said with a grin, leaving him to balance the serving platter in one hand and the gift in the other. âHey! You couldâve taken this to the kitchen with you!â If she heard then she chose not to respond, and Apollo was left in the hallway to complain to himself. A meow around his ankles alerted him to Mikeko, who was circling his feet and trying her hardest to trip him. âNo,â he warned, the tray wobbling dangerously. She mewled pathetically and jumped on the arm of the couch, nuzzling against his arm. âWhy are you like this?â he asked as the box fell. âThat was the only present Iâd gotten. You probably broke it.â He couldnât resist those big green eyes of hers and he rubbed behind her ears. âI canât stay mad at you.â âPolly!â called a new voice. âI need your help!â âApollo Justice, attorney at law,â he mumbled. âYeah, right, I just clean the toilet and help Trucy with her magic. Whenâs the last time I was in court?â He didnât have the ability to keep complaining as Trucy ran up to him and wrapped a mass of fabric around his head. âNow hold still!â âTruce, hold on just a secondâ!â She unwrapped him again and grinned. âThanks!â Just as he was about to finally leave the hallway there was another knock at the door. He was surprised to see the Chief Prosecutor standing there but Mr. Wright ushered him inside, apparently having been removed from the kitchen by Athena. âMiles! Iâm so glad you could make it.â âI was in the area.â âAthena is taking care of dinner so you can come to the living room.â âMaking your subordinates cook, hmm?â âShe more or less forced me out of there,â he admitted. Apollo was closing the door when someone stuck a patent black leather boot in the way. âIs there room for one more, Forehead?â âP-Prosecutor Gavin?â he spluttered. âI couldnât help but notice Herr Edgeworthâs car outside. It seems your little firm is busier than itâs been in awhile, no?â He frowned and finally set down the platter, offering his now free hand to the prosecutor. Instead of shaking it like anyone else he leaned forward and kissed it, offering one of his flirtatious smirks as Apolloâs face burned. âAch, youâre so red. Just like that suit you usually wear. Speaking of that, itâs nice to see you in something that isnât so formal.â âPlease come in,â he mumbled. âIâll join you in a minute.â Trucy chose that moment to leave the office and rest a bright green elf hat upon his head, complete with ears on the sides. âThere you go! Youâre like Daddyâs little elf, always helping out. Oh, Prosecutor Gavin! Would you like a hat as well?â Klavier tried not to laugh as the hat sat lopsided on Apolloâs head and his usual horns drooped in his face. âIâll be fine without one, fraulein. Why donât you run along?â She skipped off, another hat in her hands, and Apollo ripped his off as soon as she was gone. âForehead, it was cute,â Klavier said with a pout. âKeep it on, if not for her then for me.â He begrudgingly put it on again and Klavier adjusted it so it sat straight this time. âNow then, my little elf⊠Shall we get ready for dinner?â âDid you really come here just to eat?â âSchatz, do you really think Iâd do such a thing?â Apollo gave him an unconvinced look and he laughed nervously. âI brought my own addition to the table, of course.â He produced a tupperware from behind his back and Apollo pried it open, staring at the apparent mashed potatoes suspiciously. âItâs a family recipe,â Klavier added. âOf course. Thatâs why it looks exactly like the stuff Mr. Wright got from the store last week.â ââŠOh.â âKlav, please, just drop the façade. Youâre only making a fool of yourself.â He was about to respond but a mewl from their feet cut him off. âI didnât know you had a cat.â âAre you okay? Your face looks kinda red.â âItâs nothing,â he persisted. âWhatâs her name?â âMikeko. She doesnât like being alone for too long so Mr. Wright said I could bring her tonight.â As if understanding, the cat jumped up on the arm of the couch and nosed at Klavierâs hand. He shakily pet her head and Apollo half-smiled. âAre you sure youâre alright?â He tried to nod, but a second later sneezed loudly and Apollo jumped. âThe fur,â he explained. âIâm afraid Iâm allergic to it.â âOh! I can put Mikeko in another roomâ!â âNein, nein, it wonât be a problem. Just let me get used to it.â âThat canât be healthy,â Apollo argued. âAnd neither can your constant frowning but I donât say anything about that.â His point was interrupted by another sneeze. âThis is different. Something serious could happen to you andâ Hey, I donât frown all the time.â âSchatz, please. Let the cat be and Iâll be fine. Besides, I think she likes me.â He couldnât ignore that as Mikeko got on the back of the couch and rubbed against his neck, the poor prosecutor looking like he had to sneeze again. âAt the very least Iâll put her away while we eat. I doubt everyone wants fur in their food, anyway.â âThat might be for the best. Iâll meet you in the kitchen. Oh, and I almost forgot. Merry Christmas, Forehead.â ââŠWhere do you keep pulling these boxes from?â âJust unwrap it.â Apollo grumbled at the blondâs impatience and did as he was told, his smile wavering as it was revealed to be a Gavinners CD. âEr⊠thanks, Klav. You know Trucy already has all your albums, right?â âThis isnât a typical CD, mein lieb. I suggest you listen to it when you have some free time.â âAlright, alright, Iâll listen to it later. Letâs get to the kitchen before Mr. Wright thinks I ran off with you.â âWould you like to run off with me, Forehead?â âI do need this job, you know. That means I have to stay on Mr. Wrightâs good side.â âAch, the life of a law abiding attorney.â âAnd you donâtâŠ?â âAh, I think I heard fraulein Cykes just now. Itâs time to eat!â âUh-huh. Get going, Gavin.â *** Apollo lounged at home, Mikeko on his lap and purring contentedly. Dinner had gone well, if he had to say so himself. Mr. Edgeworth was more than surprised to see Klavier but moved on quickly. So long as Prosecutor Blackquill doesnât show up, heâd said. Athena assured him that neither Blackquill nor Taka would be visiting that evening. He glanced at his stereo and the CD which sat in it, ready to be played. What could be so different about a CD? It looks just like the one Trucy has, and sheâs played it often enough at the Agency that everyone has the lyrics memorized. I guess it could be something else⊠Like that time he recorded me in court for one of his songs. I canât believe that went platinum. But if it is something like that⊠Curiosity won out and he grabbed the remote. Their debut single, 13 Years Hard Time For Love, filled the room and he cringed. âHow that one went platinum I will never figure out,â he mumbled as he skipped it. The rest of the album was the same; all their old songs that had gone gold. Love With No Chance Of Parole, My Boyfriend Is The Prosecutionâs Witness, and Gunna Lock U Up followed that. He couldnât help but chuckle at the last one. Thatâs what started their chain motif, he remembered. That stupid album cover. Now you can hear Klavier whenever he walks down the hall. Guilty Love played after that and he laughed so hard Mikeko jumped off his lap with a hiss. This is his ringtone! he realized. What a narcissus. Itâs also what got Athena calling me Forehead too⊠Even so, he let the song play and drummed his fingers along to it. As it faded out a very different song started and he smiled softly. The Guitarâs Serenade⊠The first time Klavier and I worked together on a case, even if it was figuring out that creep Daryan missed his cue. The song ended far too soon and he was reaching for the remote when there was the sound of a mic being adjusted and someone shuffling around. He fumbled for the case and frowned. There werenât any other songs after The Guitarâs Serenade, yet something else was starting. Recorded Klavier cleared his throat and laughed nervously. âAh, Forehead. Iâm finally making a CD for you. Now all I have to do is actually gather up the courage to give it to you. Ach, whyâd I say that? Letâs just forget about this anââ It cut off and something else started. âI donât know how to delete old recordings,â he admitted. âSomeone in the studio takes care of all the technical things. Letâs pretend that never happened, okay? Just focus on the music.â He strummed a guitar and Apolloâs heart soared. A smooth sounding stream of German words followed, although heâd picked up enough over the years of knowing Klavier. Even without understanding everything he knew the song was special. The melody was easy enough and he began to hum. Mein Apollo, du bist mein Licht. Der ich warm hĂ€lt; Die mein Leben erhĂ€lt. Du hast mich vor der Dunkelheit gerettet. Lassen Sie mich an Ihrer Seite bleiben, bitte, und versuchen, die Gunst zurĂŒckzugeben. Mein Licht, versprechen, an meiner Seite zu bleiben.










