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Fragility

Along with Apollo and Trucy, Phoenix revealed the truth about Kristoph. He's in jail and the Wrights are finally safe, although he's far from being able to clear his name: People still doubt him.

On the other hand, Klavier is devastated having discovered everything his brother did. He ended his band, the Gavinners, and left music completely to dedicate all his time to being a prosecutor, thinking that he has to make up for what he did.

Now, Klavier is at Phoenix's door, the one of the Wright Anything Agency, in the middle of the night.

" What does he want ?" Phoenix asks himself, although deep down, he knows exactly what. 

"What's up, Gavin? It's a little late," Phoenix says with false nonchalance.

Klavier scans him briefly.

"Ja, though you weren't sleeping, right?"

Phoenix looks down at himself, he's wearing a sky blue shirt and black pants. He was trying on some clothes for the readmission hearing before the board, they're going to decide if he can practice as a lawyer again. Apollo is going to be his lawyer, and he suggested that he shouldn't wear a suit to appeal to the court's sympathy.

He hasn't felt this nervous in a while, especially since people are reveling in the rumors of his return. He only answered 18 of 30 questions correctly on the bar exam model, he is rusty, tired, and above all, scared.

"...No," he manages to say, still holding the doorknob, "It's hard when I have something on my mind."

"Something such as…?" Klavier is looking at him with those expressionless eyes he only aims at him. Does he know he plans to return after so long?

"Well, what you may have heard in the news. That... and you, I guess? I don't see someone end their own career every day."

The first hit Gavinners fans got was that Daryan is a killer, the second that Klavier is retiring. 

"True. Happens every seven years, at most."

Phoenix winces at the joke.

"Come in, funny guy. Let's talk like actual people."

 

 

 

They both enter the agency, it's quite messy with Phoenix and Trucy's stuff.

"Do you want something to drink? Tea, coffee?"

"Do you have something stronger?" he asks boldly, exhaustion reflected in his disheveled hair, now evident in the light of the room. Phoenix didn't look any better, though.

That makes Phoenix raise an eyebrow. "I have wine," he answers anyway.

Klavier thinks, " Is this a good decision ?"

Meanwhile, the other man grabs two glasses and fills them. He smiles at him in that awkward way that he only aims at him.

" It can't be worse than the other ones ," he thinks at the end. Phoenix offers him the drink as they sit on the red couch.

"Thank you."

They drink for a few moments, without saying a word. Phoenix tries to turn on the TV, but it refuses to work, showing only a blue screen. Phoenix scratches the back of his neck, embarrassed. Instead of focusing on that, however, Klavier looks at Phoenix long enough for him to notice.

"What's wrong?"

"You know I'm not here for the wine."

"Uh-huh." he sips his wine, "Bring it on."

"I thought about it for a long time, you know? If my brother… was really who he said he was," he says quietly, "I wondered how he knew so much about that evidence, the one you presented at Gramarye's trial. It wasn't possible."

"It wasn't."

"So… I'm sorry for what happened. That trial haunted me every night, and I can't imagine what all these years must have been like for you…" He sighs with regret. "I hope you're doing good now. I at least can sleep a little better, and I should thank you for that."

"As someone who lost so many things, you say thank you too much." He smiles, it no longer seems like a grimace. "Don't apologize, okay? It's alright."

Klavier opens his mouth to...

"And no more thank yous today,” he says, raising his hand.

"…Oh. Of course."

Phoenix looks at him, about to say something he just can't put into words. There's something about Klavier that makes him nostalgic. As if something had gone terribly wrong along the way, and this moment, this life in a little glass box, was a glimpse into a better reality.

They both put down their glasses, and Phoenix says: 

"I think a good way to seal this would be…"

It happens quickly: Phoenix opens his arms and hugs him like he never, ever, ever wanted to let him go. Klavier freezes, and then carefully puts his arms around him.

"I'm going to do things right this time," Klavier says.

"We will. I need your help for that, to fix all this," he murmurs.

Because they both know this story isn't over, Kristoph is a man with power that, even behind bars, can still use it.

"Me too."

Klavier feels his cheap perfume, the warmth of his chin on his shoulder, a man who died but was able to revive... He holds onto it for a few seconds, his heart pounding. A few moments later, they let go, not knowing what to say after such a display of fragility.

"Do you want more wine?" Phoenix asks.

"Yes sure, more," he answers, not referring to that. He hasn't been hugged or even understood in so long... but he just watches as Phoenix fills his glass again.

They fall into a quite awkward silence. The conversation is over, Klavier isn't sure why he hasn't left yet, and Phoenix isn't sure why he hasn't told him to leave, either.

But they were hurt in a way that only the other can understand fully, and if they let this go, then—

Then, they're startled when they hear a shooting, the TV is finally on and a crime movie is playing.

"Do you like these?" Phoenix says.

"Yes. They're very… cinematic." he replies, and cringes afterwards.

Phoenix doesn't see that, he gets up and heads to the kitchen. Klavier follows him with his eyes.

"What about potato chips?" he says, turning to him from the refrigerator. Klavier nods, slightly confused.

Phoenix takes out a bag and sits back down, next to him, but a little closer. None of them comment on it.

"Oh, okay, I thought you didn't eat this stuff." He puts the snacks on the glass table.

"Why?"

"Because, uh, because you're fit and all that," he says, looking at him intently.

Klavier hums with a smile. Phoenix turns up the volume and puts the remote back on the table.

"If we're gonna watch a movie, we have to put on one that isn't about to end, right?"

"Right. I'm…"

He tries to grab the remote without seeing the table, and accidentally brushes his fingers with Klavier's, who dodges his hand almost immediately. Then he reaches up to his hair to tuck a strand behind his ear, trying to make it look natural.

There's a fleeting moment, their eyes meet and they can't help but smile at the ridiculousness of this little game.

Phoenix puts a romcom on the TV, Klavier speaks in the middle of the dialogues to tell unrelated things, Phoenix tries to guess what's going to happen and is wrong every time. They laugh, they didn't expect their night to end this way.

 

 

 

The next day, Klavier wakes up at his home. Phoenix called a cab to drive him there since he got pretty drunk. He unlocks his phone and sees that he has a friend as well as a message request from him:

" Took this picture last night. I can now blackmail you. "

Attached is a picture of Klavier sobbing after the protagonist of the movie lost his job.

Author's note: I think Phoenix and Klavier are both equally clingy, and would become close very fast. I mean, Phoenix became a lawyer because Edgeworth defended him in the class trial and Klavier started flirting with Apollo the second he met him... They would be insufferable together! So I think it makes sense for Phoenix to send Klavier a friend request immediately (I imagine them talking non-stop afterwards)