Authors note: I don't own the Ace Attorney series nor anything else written in here.
The young boy stared at the small, crying thing in his arms. He didn't get how it was so small, just that it was related to him. His little brother. He looked up at his parents, who were smiling at him. A little hesitant, he started moving the baby, up and down, side to side. The baby made a few noises, small gurgles. Then, for a moment, he opened his eyes. They were bright blue, like the elder brother's own. He wrapped his arms around it, a little more protectively. The baby looked so small, so helpless... It looked like it needed someone, something to protect it.
"Kris! Kriiiiis!" The voice accompanied the thumping footsteps travelling up the stairs. As the door slammed open, a young boy flew through it, smiling widely.
"What is it, Klavier?" The blonde teen sat at the desk turned round, a pen in his hand.
"I found a worm in the garden!" Holding out a pile of mud, the 6-year-old gave a huge grin. Kristoph sighed.
"Didn't mum tell you not to bring mud into the house...?"
"But I wanted to show you!" Kristoph sighed again, glancing at the half-finished essay on the desk. Trying to think of an idea to distract his brother, he started tapping his pen on the table.
"Well... Why don't you count how many worms you can find in the garden? And leave them there, I don't think they'd be very happy that you've removed them from their home, okay?" The young boy nodded, and started to run out of the room. Then he stopped, and turned around.
"You'll come and help too?"
"...When I've finished my work, yes." Happy with the answer, Klavier ran back to the garden. Kristoph turned back to the essay. What he had to do to keep his brother amused...
"Oh, are you going out again?" Kristoph turned around, spotting his brother.
"I'll be back later... Don't stay up waiting, okay?" Smiling, he waved, and turned to leave. He stopped when he felt a small tug on the back of his jacket.
"You promise you'll be back?" The 10-year-old Klavier held onto it, waiting for an answer. Kristoph crouched down next to his brother.
"Look, I'll be back when I'm back. That's a promise, right?" He patted him on the head, and went out, quickly shutting the door behind him.
Several hours later, in the dead of night, Kristoph returned, creeping silently up to his room. Flicking on the lights, he noticed something lying in his bed. Curled up against the cold night air was Klavier. He must have tried to stay up, waiting for him to come back. Kristoph gave a small smile. He placed his jacket over the small child, just for something to keep him warm. Not wanting to disturb the sleeping Klavier, he pulled a pillow from the bed and a blanket from the cupboard, and settled down on the floor to sleep.
The next morning, he woke up to bright sunshine and a tapping on his shoulder. Opening his eyes, he saw the fuzzy outline of his brother.
"Kris? Hey, Kris! Why are you sleeping in your clothes?" Kristoph yawned, his tired mind not really making sense of anything.
"...Can't see..." He mumbled, feeling around on the floor for his glasses. When he finally found them and put them on, he saw what Klavier was talking about. His shirt was creased, his hair messy and sticking all over the place. Giving a frustrated sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair.
"...What time is it?"
"Uh..." Klavier ran over to the clock on the bedside table. "It's 10 o clock."
"...Right... Well, go and get something to eat whilst I get ready..." Kristoph yawned again, getting up. It was lucky he didn't have a lecture to go to today...
"So why are you going to America...?" Klavier looked up from the guitar book, resting the instrument against the table.
"There is a greater need for attorneys over there. It's in the best interests of finance..." Kristoph adjusted his glasses.
"Then I'm coming too."
"Of course you're not. I refuse to pay for your living costs as well as my own. You're only fourteen, you can stay here and finish your education."
"You are so cheap with money sometimes, Kris."
"And you don't think things through logically."
Soon, the conversation had turned into an argument, with an insulting match thrown in.
Kristoph sighed, leaning on the frame of the door. He just had to turn up, didn't he?
"What's the matter, Kris, not pleased to see me?" The same voice, the same grin... Just three years older than when he had last seen him.
"Why... are you here? And how did you find me, anyway...? I only remember giving you the address of my office."
"Well, there are only a few Kristoph Gavin's in the phone book, ja? It's not that hard to link a phone number to an address." Kristoph did, surprisingly, see the logic in his brother's reasoning.
"...And why haven't you got your own apartment, if you are planning on moving here?" Kristoph glanced at the luggage bag Klavier had behind him.
"Because I'm broke." Klavier gave a wide grin. Kristoph had the sudden urge to slam the door in his face.
"And what gave you the impression that I would pay for you...?"
"Because we're related? And it's only for a little while, I've got a little arrangement in place..." Klavier glanced at the guitar case slung over his shoulder.
"...Fine. Only for a few weeks." Kristoph went back inside, and Klavier followed him, still grinning.
"I'll just stay in my office after that, ja?"
"Anywhere but here is fine."
"Still as cheap as ever... Aber, you seem to be making quite a bit."
"Hmph. There are still some..." Kristoph's annoyance at whomever it was clearly showed for a moment, before he went back to his usual calm. "But it doesn't matter. I have had a string of several wealthy clients lately, several extremely grateful wealthy clients."
"Ja? Well, I have a band."
"I have money. Something you are lacking..."
"Well, we're gonna hit the big time, soon."
And just like that it had turned into a bragging match.