Athena tossed the light blue silk blouse on the bed, yawning loudly over the slow rock song playing from Widget's Internet radio app. Instead of getting her beauty rest like she should, she was spending the last couple of hours before Valentine's Day mixing and matching her few casual clothes and accessories for the perfect first date outfit.
No, she reminded herself. It's just a weekend out with an old friend. Not a date.
The young defense lawyer had been thinking this over ever since Simon was released from prison two months ago. Apart from the usual curt acknowledgments as they passed each other in the court house, the two haven't spoken at length since. Athena had heard from Mr. Wright how the man had been throwing himself into his work all this time, and she was undeniably worried for him, that he wasn't taking it easy after all he'd just been through.
Put more correctly, she felt guilty of it all - she was responsible for destroying Simon's life. She was reminded of it every time she caught a glimpse of the shock of white hair disrupting the black, every time she beheld the dark streaks reaching up to his upper cheekbones. She missed how they were before, back when it all hadn't yet gone wrong. She had so many things she wanted to tell him. She wanted to be his friend again.
Hence, the sudden phone call.
To be honest, she wasn't sure if it was a good idea, even though it had seemed like a good one just a while ago. Athena called the prosecutor earlier that evening on an impulse, wanting to spend Valentine's Day together. She heard his breath hitch for a moment before saying yes, catching the faint apprehension in his voice. No sooner had she put down the phone than she immediately regretted it.
What in the ever-loving world was I thinking?, she lamented, mentally slapping herself for her utter insensitivity. She was pretty certain the Day of Hearts never existed back in the clink, and even if it had, it would probably be filled with awful memories for him anyway. Maybe she should just call him back and-
Athena reined in her rambling thoughts at once. For one, Simon himself agreed to meet up. It would be very awkward to back out now, and he might take it the wrong way. No, there's no going back. She's his friend; she has to help him unwind. She knows this kind of healing takes time, but she has to start somewhere, and tomorrow's it. They're going out - as friends - on a Sunday off, which so happens to be Valentine's Day. That's all there is to it.
It's not a date.
Athena felt her heart beat faster as the next song - yet another slow one - began to play. She glanced at Widget on her nightstand, which currently gave off a soft pink light. Now, if only she could convince herself of the same thing.
Sunday found Athena chatting animatedly as she walked backwards, facing Simon who was listening to her as he followed. It was a bright and early morning at People Park, the place not yet crowded with couples young and old, in addition to the usual families who already hang out there every weekend.
She settled for a salmon pink sleeveless button-up collared blouse tucked into a pair of long, fitting white slacks with a thin, gold belt tied around it, cream-colored doll shoes with gold trimming adorning her feet. For once, she wore her long hair down, instead of in its usual side ponytail. This seemed to contrast with her companion's chosen outfit of a dark gray roundneck underneath an open navy blue sweater and matching long woolen scarf, black straight-cut jeans and just as black wingtip leather shoes. The long, black, unkempt mane had already been cut off, although he had yet to re-dye the remaining fringe of white over his right eyebrow.
Athena absentmindedly twisted a lock of her loose orange bangs, briefly wondering when Simon ever had time to shop for clothes. Good-looking clothes, at that. Nevertheless, she found it amusing to see him in anything other than his usual suit and surcoat, much less in anything that wasn't entirely black and white.
"Athena," a baritone voice called her back to the present. They had both stopped walking, and Simon was staring at her, his piercing gray eyes slightly clouded with - concern? Confusion? Her emotion-sense seemed to be off today. Oh, whatever it was, those irises of his were still hauntingly beautiful.
"Uh... yeah, Simon?"
The prosecutor raised an eyebrow. "You were telling me about how Wright-dono's daughter beat you in poker thrice."
Athena's mouth hang open in shock. Had she been rambling that far off already? She grabbed Simon by the open ends of his sweater and pulled him close, her voice dropping to a panicked whisper. "H-How much did I tell?"
Simon attempted to look down at her from his position. "You lost to Wright-dono and Justice-dono fifteen times each, to Edgeworth-dono twice, and to Gavin-dono, Skye-dono and Faraday-dono once each." He gave her a teasing smirk, which evolved into a full grin. "And I can see why."
A deep blush spread across Athena's puffed cheeks as Simon easily extricated himself from her loosening grasp, and he started to walk ahead. She immediately snapped back to attention when she no longer felt the sensation of holding on to dark blue fabric, her head quickly jerking towards Simon's disappearing figure down the winding paved dirt road before her.
"Why, you... Take that back!"
Athena hastened her own footsteps, as well, but Simon's casual strides grew longer and his pace faster until he broke into a full run, his deep laughter echoing as she angrily gave chase across the near-empty park.
The two lawyers sat on a low bench underneath a big, bare tree, watching the people stroll past them in either direction of the winding path. Many of them accompanied their children downhill to the confectioner's stand that had just opened for the day.
Athena hummed to herself after popping yet another candied cherry into her mouth. Beside her, Simon took another sip from the water bottle he'd bought earlier while she chose sweets. She let the fruit roll around on her tongue as she observed him, closely watching the trickle of clear liquid dribble down his chin as he gulped down another mouthful. This prompted her to accidentally swallow the candy, causing her to suddenly choke. Her sudden coughing, in turn, almost caused Simon to spit his water out in surprise.
At once, the prosecutor put his drink down between them and placed his hands behind both Athena's shoulders, steadying her as she attempted to catch her breath. When her breathing finally slowed down, Simon picked up the bottle once more and wordlessly offered it to her. The defense lawyer gratefully accepted it, and was about to down the remaining contents when she caught him staring at her from the corner of her eye. Her cheeks reddened immediately when their eyes met, so she looked upward and distanced the mouth of the bottle from her lips, forming a cup under her chin with her left hand and pouring the water into her open mouth that way.
Simon smirked in amusement. "I never imagined you the type to be wary about partaking of someone else's drink."
Athena hurriedly swallowed the last of the water before facing him again, the luminescent blush from earlier still coloring her cheeks. She hasn't ever been conscious about it, as far as she could remember. Not even sharing the occasional can of beer with Apollo during after-office dinners elicited this kind of reaction in her.
Which was exactly the point, she realized. This person isn't "someone else"; he's Simon.
Your friend.
Athena forcefully shook her head and stood up. Maybe she just needed more water. "You're imagining it, Blackquill," she replied. "Thanks for the water!"
"You did not," Simon muttered incredulously.
Athena laughed heartily as she untangled her arm from his. "I'm still alive now, aren't I? Although I have to admit, anticipating the incoming swords through the slits while being shut in that small box was pretty damn scary." She turned to face him, letting out a wide grin. "It's not as scary as having a feather sliced clean in half mere inches from your face, though."
The prosecutor smirked as he placed a hand under his chin. "I have grown quite fond of using that routine in court myself. You had best get used to it, Cykes-dono."
"Can it, Simon," Athena grimaced as she slumped her shoulders. "It's not amusing to be on the receiving end of that, you know?" She walked ahead once more, observing the still lakeside. "It's a shame Gourd Lake doesn't offer boat rentals anymore. I actually wanted to go out for a ride."
"It has been closed for almost a decade now," Simon added thoughtfully. "They were unable to find a new caretaker since the last one had been arrested."
"I was more surprised to find out who that boatman really was, though." Athena pursed her lips as she ran a hand through her bangs. "The whole DL-6 business was one messed up tragedy right there. I can't even begin to imagine how Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth even felt, having been at the center of it all."
Simon chose not to comment, a far-off look in his eyes. They both stopped walking, the low hum of the breeze cutting through the growing silence between them. Athena mentally kicked herself for unwittingly steering the conversation into this direction and dredging up unpleasant memories once more. Way to ruin the moment, Cykes.
Athena relaxed her features into a smile and stepped up the foot-high ledge they've been walking beside, her back facing the lake. "Say, maybe we should check out the rental cabin later! See if we can take over the business or something." She balanced herself, putting a hand on her hip and energetically flashing a V-sign. Simon, realizing that her voice was no longer at his ear level, abruptly turned to face her, who was now looking down at him from her elevated position on the ledge. The initial flicker of alarm on his face was eventually replaced by a disappointed frown.
"Get down from there, Athena," he admonished. "You might fall in."
The young girl chuckled as she waved away his concern. "Nah, I won't," she dismissed, starting to walk once more, him following behind her. "I wonder what kind of paperwork is needed to start a business," she wondered. "Not to mention the land and property matters. I haven't handled a corporate case yet, after all."
Simon sighed inwardly, then started to explain to her the existing laws and guidelines governing the business sector.
The conversation continued in this vein for a while, until Athena finally decided to get down. She did not notice, however, that some bricks forming the ledge she'd been standing on were missing, leading her to trip over the depressed portion and lose her footing altogether.
With a surprised yelp, she attempted to reach for Simon, who immediately offered his hand in alarm. However, she only managed to grab the inner edge of the sleeve of his sweater, the support not enough to keep her from regaining her balance. The sudden pulling sensation on his arm, in turn, caused Simon to hit his shin onto the ledge, the jolt of pain disorienting him and causing him to fall over in her direction. Athena's scream was abruptly cut off as the two of them fell into into the freezing lake behind her.
Holding back her tears, Athena pulled over the long, thick hospital-provided towel over her shivering form, her eyes darting back to the locked door to her far right. Seeing no one come out yet, she brought her knees up to her body and buried her head in between.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
As they plunged into the lake, Simon had immediately wrapped himself around her to cushion their fall. In her panic, she was unable to hold her breath in time and started to choke. Fortunately, the lake wasn't as deep as she had expected, as she momentarily felt some aquatic plants tangled around her right ankle, before the prosecutor brought them both back to the surface. A passing young couple had noticed the accident, the brown-haired male wearing a leather ensemble pulling them to safety while his girlfriend in sky blue clothes called for help.
They were brought to a nearby general hospital and checked for signs of hypothermia and respiratory distress. Once the emergency physician decided they were out of danger, Simon was brought to the minor OR for some stitches. Apparently, he'd grazed the back of his left upper arm on a jagged underwater stone during their sudden descent into the lake. The laceration spanned almost three inches longitudinally; it was not particularly deep, despite appearing to be profusely bleeding earlier. If ever he felt the pain, Simon made no mention of it, merely grunting when the doctor had cleaned and examined the wound.
As her friend was currently getting patched up, she was stuck here outside, milling about the waiting room for what seemed to be the longest half-hour of her life, give and take a few more additional minutes. Athena hoped that she'd never find herself in this agonizing situation of waiting after a loved one's condition ever again. She found that she didn't like the feeling at all.
Some Valentine's Day this turned out to be.
It was only supposed to be a fun day in town, spending the entire day with a good friend she hadn't seen in seven years. A couple of months before, she never imagined she'd get to enjoy happy little moments like this - such was her great despair at losing him forever. But come to pass it had, and she finally had Simon all to herself once more.
She didn't mean for this to happen at all. She really didn't.
If only she'd been careful earlier and listened to him. Better even, if only she hadn't forcefully asked him out for the day. Admittedly, she'd never really been the most patient person around, but never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine her forwarded-ness to lead to something like this. She knew she was being overly irrational from the trauma. If Simon never blamed her for his seven years of imprisonment and almost-execution, he wouldn't be angry with her now. But she couldn't help it then, and she certainly couldn't now.
Athena steeled herself as she heard the door unlock and swing open. This is it - she's going to apologize properly to him, then make sure he gets home safely. And after that, well...
All thought promptly escaped her as Simon approached the waiting bench, his scarf and navy blue sweater slung on his right forearm. Aaaand, there goes her plan. A whole minute passed in silence, as both stared at each other - she, in particular, with her mouth gaping open.
Say something, Athena!
Clenching her fist, she bit her lip and turned to say something, but Simon gently placed his free hand over her head, displacing the towel she had over it. She did not miss the strip of white dressing over the back of his arm as he did so.
"It's all right, Athena," he softly began, as if he already knew what she was about to say. "We are safe." Both back then and now.
At hearing those short words, the tightness in her chest finally disappeared. She felt his arm drop down to encircle her shoulder as she buried her face in his chest, tears streaming down her face.
The walk back to Simon's place passed in silence. Athena, now wearing his scarf, was unusually quiet for most of the route, only occasionally mumbling concerned questions about subsequent treatment and wound care. Not once did she ever look up at him. Stolen glances at the ripped sleeve of Simon's sweater only added to the waves of guilt she was experiencing.
Again, she knew she was being too emotional about it. Not that it made her feel any better.
Athena blinked as she heard Simon's footsteps slow down. Curiously, she looked up, and was surprised to see they haven't arrived at the Cosmos Space Center compound yet. The prosecutor had opted to live in the apartment complex situated across the imposing building, renting an open unit on the same floor as Aura's old one.
She turned to face him, confused. "What's wrong, Simon?"
It was only fleeting, the ghost of a smile passing his lips as he looked down at her. "Is it all right if I ask you to accompany me for a little while longer tonight? There is a place I'd like to stop by first before returning home."
Athena could only stare at him, dumbfounded. Her sense of hearing must have died on her during the accident, as well. Simon Blackquill, asking to stay out longer of his own will? This was unheard of from him, even back then. He was always the type who never kept people at all if they had to leave. But then again, that was years ago.
I guess it wouldn't really hurt to return the favor, after I dragged him along that wet roller-coaster ride. She slowly nodded yes.
"Thank you," he nodded. They turned right at the next intersection, following the road until reaching a small, grassy clearing, upon which an old, abandoned warehouse was built. Simon motioned for her to wait as he walked briskly towards the door, then pushed a side of the old sliding doors until it forced open.
For a while, Athena was at a loss, trying to make sense of what business her companion has in a deserted place such as this. But the grinding sound from the rusting iron coming in contact with the hard ground eventually awakened memories of lighted sparklers and happy midsummer nights from the more carefree times of old. When she was still young, her mom would bring her, Simon and Aura to this place every summer to light fireworks of their own, like in Japanese summer festivals. She found herself smiling, both in nostalgia and in anticipation.
Simon eventually re-emerged from the warehouse, carrying a large, rectangular cardboard box with him. "I found these while I was going through some of Aura's old robotics projects," he explained as he set the box down. Athena peered inside over his still-extended arms. Inside were several long, thin sparklers wrapped in aluminum foil, as well as a box of matchsticks.
"Oh hey! Didn't know we still had these!" she grinned, gleeful with childlike excitement.
"That we do," the prosecutor agreed. "It isn't July yet, but now is a good time as any," he mused, unwrapping one of the sparklers and lighting it in quick succession. Athena watched in wonder as the bright, white flame consumed the stick three-fourths way through before going out. Simon proceeded to light another one, and she immediately did the same, albeit fumbling at first with the matchstick, to his amusement.
This time, the lighted sparks took slower to ascend the sticks, Athena observed as she put hers beside Simon's. Her thoughts wandered as she immersed herself in the dancing lights. Part of her was still plagued with worry for her friend, who was still exerting himself after having sustained an injury. But deep down, she felt happy and relieved at seeing him enjoying himself like this, as if the seven long, agonizing years were all but behind him.
Athena knows there will be nights when everything will come back in a turbulent rush of grief and pain, as tonight had just reminded them of how close they were to losing each other. Still, she appreciates simple, peaceful times like these, very much just like before. It is for these times that they'd held out for so long, after all.
She knows they were far from okay. But they will manage somehow. They will be fine.
Simon rose as the last of the sticks were finally consumed, just in time as booming sounds from a fireworks show came from a distance. Athena also stood up as the one in her hand also gave out, marveling at the display of lights far, far away from the grassy plain they were on.
"Ooooh, that's a great one!" she exclaimed as a bright, yellow sunflower pattern flashed across the night sky, with orange lights dotting the middle. "Hey, Simon! Check it out!"
Turning to her right, Athena found Simon kneeling on the grass, seemingly preoccupied with something. She quietly approached him and observed as he gently stroked the underside of a certain hawk's beak before sending it off again.
She cleared her throat. "I didn't know Taka was here," she commented as Simon raised an eyebrow. "Does he also live near the Space Station?"
"More or less," he replied nonchalantly, standing up again to face her. "He now flies between the courthouse rafters and the trees we just passed on the way here."
"Same old, I guess." Athena put a hand to her mouth as the smile on her face gave way to laughter. Even Simon had his own fun, she supposed. She turned back to watch the display, and had not been for long when she felt an additional weight on her shoulders.
"Hold still, Athena," Simon murmured from behind her. "Let me just fix the clasp."
Moments passed in silence as Athena tried to process the prosecutor's words, her hand unconsciously reaching up and touching the new moon-shaped pendant that now hung from her neck. Her eyes widened as she looked down at the ornament in her hand, before immediately looking behind to Simon, who had withdrawn his hands from around her and was watching the fireworks again.
"W-Where'd this come from all of a sudden?" she stuttered, stil surprised at how fast everything happened. "I-I mean..."
"I had Taka bring it over from home while you weren't paying attention," he answered matter-of-factly, his eyes momentarily leaving the fireworks as he caught her surprised gaze. "As thanks for today, of course."
"That's not what I-" Athena stopped as her eyes fell on his bandaged forearm. She lets go of the pendant as she remembered the accident they had gotten in earlier at Gourd Lake, extreme guilt consuming her once more. "I-I don't understand," she began again. "I've always caused you so much trouble since back then, not to mention what happened today. So why?..."
Simon frowned as Athena averted her gaze. He pulled her close into a tight hug with his uninjured hand, her tears staining his already-dried shirt. Today had been rough on both of them, on top of everything they had just gone through the past few years. They'd have to talk about everything again someday - preferably somewhere quiet and accident-free.
He smiled over her shoulder as another loud boom accompanied a large, red sunburst pattern. "You're always worth the trouble, Athena."
Athena looked up at him, having felt the vibrations as he spoke, but couldn't hear because of the fireworks from afar. "What?"
"It's nothing." Simon promptly let her go and ruffled her hair with a smirk. "Let's go over there," he pointed out to a further location from the warehouse. "We can see the fireworks better from there."
God, he's so unpredictable! One minute they were sad and emotional, and he managed to turn it around with a hug and a few choice words. Only defense lawyers should be able to do turnabouts this well, darn it!
Simon was already some distance away when Athena returned to her senses. "Simon! Wait up!" He did slow down this time, but didn't stop moving forward.
"Thanks for today! And for the pendant, too!" She called out to him, multiple sharp crackles accompanying the small white star patterns obscuring her voice. Simon merely waved a hand in response as he continued walking.
Athena clasped at the moon-shaped pendant on her neck, a newfound warmth filling her chest. Wiping the remaining tears from her eyes, she began to run after him.