Phoenix Wright / Gyakuten Saiban, its settings and characters, are property of Capcom, and are being used here without permission. This fic is rated R for violence. Maybe sex…? I haven't decided yet.

This fic takes place after GS4 and contains many spoilers. I'm deliberately setting it in Japan, which means that for the sake of this fic Phoenix is Naruhodou, and Ema is Akane. I hope it won't be too confusing.

It also takes place after the short fic I did a while back, "Sugar Sugar?", though in that fic I said Kyouya hadn't taken a case in over a month. Let's pretend I wrote "under" a month, okay?

Well Frogs

Chapter 1

Odoroki had to steel himself a moment at the door. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. There could be anything past the threshold. Anything. What could a man in his position expect to find, laying in wait within the Naruhodou Everything Offices?

Makoto peered at him from beneath her straight bangs, blinking inquisitively. "Mr. Odoroki?"

Odoroki smiled grimly. You're just going to have to find out. "It's okay," he quickly assured. It had taken a lot of coaxing to get Makoto this far, and he didn't want to waste that accomplishment by scaring her off with his own hesitation. "I'm just not sure what Minuki's got set up in there." He squeezed her hand gently. "Do you want to go see?"

Makoto bit her lip, glancing between his face and the door. "Yes," she said after some consideration. "I do."

Relieved, Odoroki nodded. "Then let's go."

He twisted the knob, opening the office door inward. All Minuki had told him was that they needed to celebrate and were having a party, with several people involved. Odoroki had envisioned many scenarios to follow such a declaration, but what he found beyond the doorway put them all to shame.

The office had been cleaned. That alone was a small miracle, but what replaced the normal clutter was all manner of orange and black decorations unlike anything Odoroki had ever seen before. Crepe paper streamers and cut-outs of ghosts and black cats covered the walls, and even a plastic skeleton sat in the corner.

But the greatest shock stood at the center of the room. It wasn't Minuki, dressed in black with a pointy witch hat atop her head, or even Akane, with her thick-rimmed glasses and poofy white wig. It was Naruhodou, chatting with the two of them. Unlike his companions he was clad in what one could consider normal attire: a blue business suit, a white cotton shirt, a red silk tie. But together, clothing a clean-shaven and spiky-haired Naruhodou Ryuuichi, the effect of the three clothing pieces was more bizarre than anything else the decorated room had to offer.

The trio noticed their newest arrivals, and turned on them with bright grins. "Hey!" Minuki gave a little cheer as she hurried forward. She had to coax Makoto out from behind Odoroki, where she'd ducked upon first entering the office. "I'm so glad you made it," she said happily as she tugged Makoto forward. "I have a costume for you, too. Do you want to wear it?"

Makoto looked baffled and a bit wary, but she allowed Minuki to lead her on. "Oh…." She shifted her drawing pad in her grip. "All right."

With the two girls occupied, Odoroki stepped forward to join the others. He couldn't take his eyes off Naruhodou, and the unexpectedly impressive figure he was in his signature blue suit. "What…" He coughed into his fist to hide the grin threatening to spread across his face. "What's all this about?"

"Today's the thirty-first," Akane explained with enthusiasm. "Halloween!"

"Halloween?" It had never occurred to him that Minuki might have meant that when she told him they were having a party. "But…we don't celebrate Halloween."

"I know, and isn't it a shame?" Akane adjusted her plastic glasses--they kept slipping down her nose, obviously meant for a party-goer of greater size. "Halloween is so much fun in America. If I had to start November without pumpkins and candy, I just wouldn't make it!"

Plenty of candy was spread at various points around the office, but Odoroki didn't see any pumpkins. "So what's with the wig?"

Akane rolled her eyes at him for having to explain everything. "I'm Einstein. And Minuki is a witch, and Naruhodou is a lawyer."

For a moment Odoroki's mind played tricks on him. "You…" He straightened, his chest mysteriously tight as he watched Naruhodou's cool expression. "You got your badge back?"

Naruhodou laughed, touching a hand to his gelled hair self consciously. "No, dummy. It's a costume. I'm going as a lawyer today."

"Oh…." Odoroki sagged once more, disappointed. For a moment, he thought he might really get to see the man in court once more, like all those old cases he'd studied through school… "I see."

He lowered his eyes, and Naruhodou took full advantage of his ill attention--he smacked his hand onto Odoroki's forehead and gave his spiked bangs a hard ruffle to ruin their carefully manicured shape. Odoroki jumped, but just as he reached to smack the hand away he found himself suddenly in a headlock.

"Got him!" Naruhodou laughed. "Go to it, Akane!"

"What!?" Odoroki struggled, but he had no chance of fending off the two of them. He could only flail as Akane advanced on him with an evil cackle. A pair of cheap, plastic bug antennae were shoved onto his head, and despite his thrashing Akane managed to force his arms into a pair of adorable red and black wings. As soon as she was finished, she backed off and Naruhodou released him.

Dumbfounded, Odoroki could only stand miserably at the office's center. He felt out the shapes of the headpiece and wings. "What…am I…?"

"Aww, you're a lady bug!" Minuki made the high "awwing" noise that girls had a knack for as she returned with Makoto in tow. "How cute!"

Odoroki slumped, but when he saw Makoto he quickly perked once more. He even blushed a little at the ridiculously adorable spectacle she made, with a pair of black felt cat ears atop her head and whiskers drawn on her cheeks in stage make up. He never would have imagined she would allow Minuki to do that to her.

Makoto blinked at him, and after a moment opened her book, and sketched out a rough design of a half humanoid, half insect Odoroki. "Like this?"

Apparently, short lawyers crossed with feminine-named bugs were a big hit with women, and the three of them giggled over him for several minutes afterwards. Not that Makoto giggled, really: she continued to offer the other two similar doodles, and smiled, very softly, when they approved. Odoroki decided it was worth putting up with the humiliation to get that reaction from her.

Just as Minuki was digging into their Halloween candy, most of it too sweet for Odoroki's tastes, they got their next guest. The door swung open with a flourish, revealing another, less startling transformation: familiar prosecutor Kyouya Garyuu, dressed in black leather and silver buckles beneath a broad, red-trimmed vampire cape. His usually dark complexion had been covered up with pale makeup, and plastic fangs stuck out over his red-painted lips.

"I come vor your vomen!" he declared upon entering.

Minuki laughed delightedly as Odoroki and Akane both rolled their eyes and cooperated in pelting him with wrapped taffy. "Hey--hey!" Kyouya held up his cape to fend off the sweet projectiles. "No love for heavy metal Dracula?"

"You said you weren't coming," Akane grumbled, shoving a piece of licorice into her mouth.

Kyouya chuckled as he lowered his cape. "Oh, but how could I miss…" He paused when his gaze reached Naurhodou; for a moment the humor fadded from his expression. A few awkward seconds passed where the two men only stared each other across the office--Kyouya uncharacteristically quiet, and Naruhodou's eyes thin with dry amusement. Then time started again. "…a Halloween party? I grew up in the States, you know. I thought I could show you how it's done." He shifted slightly, and finally offered a nod of greeting to his host. "Naruhodou."

Naruhodou smirked, and returned the gesture. "Garyuu."

Odoroki glanced between the two, thinking that he could sense some of the tension still present. Anxious to find a way to break that unease, he groped after some remark. It was then that he noticed Makoto had ducked behind him again, and without really thinking he reached down to take her hand.

It must have given her strength, because with a quiet intake of breath Makoto peeked out from around his shoulder. "Hello…Mr. Garyuu…" she greeted in nearly a whisper.

Kyouya's eyes softened, and he stepped further into the room. "I'm glad to see you out, Ms. Ese," he said, his charm slipping back into place. "You're looking very…feline." He gave her nose a tweak.

Makoto jumped, and when her voice failed to provide a response she scrawled a smiling face into her book.

Mugitsura arrived next, having promised Minuki that he would provide the "catering" for their little event, his usual bowl hat replaced with half a plastic jack-o-lantern. After him came Kawadzu, though no one could remember just who might have invited him. Having done much research on the subject the night before, he arrived in what he had determined to be the perfect American Halloween costume: a white sheet with ghost eyes cut out. But it was the entrance of Takita Kitaki that caused the most stir, as he'd had the audacity to arrive without a costume. Akane and Minuki were on him at once, and he put up such a strong fight that even Odoroki had to laugh.

"I ain't gonna be no stinkin' werewolf!" Takita ranted as he was backed into the corner. "You keep those fuzzy ears the hell away from my head!"

"But it's the only spare costume we have left," Minuki complained. "You're gonna have to wear it or switch with someone else."

Takita crossed his arms stubbornly and glared them down with unflinching determination. "Not gonna happen."

"Well you have to wear something," Kyouya was all too happy to insist. "It's Halloween. If you don't wear a costume, we get to play tricks on you. Trick or treat and all."

Akane frowned at him. "That's not how it--" She cut off when he wagged a finger at her.

It was Naruhodou who came up with the solution. "Minuki, why don't you grab your stage make-up? Maybe you can help him come up with something. In fact…" He snagged Makoto, who had been doing her best to hide from the commotion by slipping behind their plastic skeleton. "Why not ask Makoto? She's an artist, I'm sure she could do it."

Takita scowled, ready to reject that idea as well, until he saw Makoto. The sight of the young artist--in cat ears and whiskers--trying to duck into her shoulders worked with startling effectiveness at defeating Takita's temper. He gaped at her for long moments, awestruck and speechless as she fidgeted beneath his scrutiny. If not for Naruhodou's hand at her back, she looked like she might have fled.

Soon enough, Takita's dumbstruck expression curled into a bright and eager grin. "I'd love that."

Seeing as he had taken it on as his responsibility for the majority of the evening so far, Odoroki stepped forward to better reassure Makoto. "Makoto, this is Takita Kitaki," he introduced gently. "Another client of mine. He's a little loud, but he's…ah, perfectly safe."

"Makoto, huh?" Takita was all smiles. "That's a lovely name."

Makoto stared at him silently for a long moment before finally drawing a rather uncertain looking face in her book. "Hello."

Odoroki smiled--it wasn't maybe the best reaction from Makoto, but every little step counted. As Minuki offered her stage make up, the four of them moved aside to begin applying it to Takita's face. He had no more complaints to offer.

Akane watched them go, smiling a little to herself. "Just under a month, and she's improved a lot," she remarked to no one in particular. "I didn't really believe Odoroki would be able to get her here."

"He's a determined little guy, that's for sure," Kyouya replied, and she jumped a little to find him so unexpectedly close.

"You have no idea," Naruhodou remarked, opening up one of his beloved grape juice bottles. "I have a feeling that kid just might turn out to be the…second best lawyer I've ever met."

The two looked to him, but Kyouya asked before Akane could offer her assumption. "Who's the first?"

"Not you." Naruhodou smirked against the lip of the bottle as he moved off to help Mugitsura with his meal preparations.

Akane rolled her eyes after him. "He's turned into a real dope, that Naruhodou," she muttered. Kyouya was still watching him, his face oddly expressionless, and she touched his arm to get his attention. "Hey. I am glad you decided to come."

"Oh?" It worked--back came Kyouya's boyish grin. "Why's that? Have you been missing me, Detective?"

"Of course not--don't be stupid!" Akane blushed as the memory of their recent encounter returned to her: the leather chair in his office, the wooden guitar pressed against her stomach, but most of all the touch of warm lips. Her face turned bright red. "That was an accident!"

Kyouya tilted his head to the side innocently. "That? What? I'm not sure what you're talking about."

But Akane would not be teased as easily as that. She poked him hard in the chest. "You're not going to make me say it!" she promised. "You know just what I mean, Kyouya Garyuu. That's the last time I'm letting you get to me. And stop smiling like that!"

"Like what, Detective?"

"That! Like--like that!" Akane pointed emphatically, but it was only making him more amused, and her more flushed. She had no choice but to retreat. "Just have a good time, okay? I think you need it."

Kyouya frowned, but by then Akane was already turning away, desperate to hide her embarrassment. There was only one refuge she could take where she knew Kyouya wouldn't pursue, and that was in speaking to Kawadzu in the corner of the room. A bold move on her part, but such was her need for escape.

Odoroki, meanwhile, was still occupied in Project: Costumize Takita. Seeing as Takita had become uncommonly docile in Makoto's presence, Odoroki had taken the chance to use some of his very powerful styling gel to pull his hair into several sharp spines. What that had to do with the zombie makeup Makoto was applying to his cheeks, no one was quite sure. But by the time they finished the effect was rather impressive.

"Mm, it tickles," Takita just about giggled as Makoto did the finishing touches.

Makoto leaned back, quickly snatching up her drawing pad once more, since she had been forced to leave it aside as she did the makeup. After considering her work a moment, she flipped open the pad and sketched out the zombified results.

"It looks great!" Minuki declared, bouncing up and down on her toes. She hunted around for and finally produced a mirror, which she held up for Takita. Though Makoto had only used various colors of eye shadow, lip stick, and a little nail polish, she had managed to make a convincing bloody smear of his face, and Takita was quick to approve.

"You really are an artist!" he beamed. "Thanks, Makoto."

Unused to the attention, Makoto ducked her head and scrawled a smiling face this time.

"Well, now that that's done." Takita grinned and clapped his hands together. "Why don't you tell me a little more about yourself, Mako? Can I call you that?"

Makoto nodded blankly. "If…you want…"

"Good! I want to hear all about you." He flopped onto the sofa, and after an uncertain glance at Odoroki and Minuki, Makoto sat next to him. "Have you been drawing for a long time? Do you do portraits, or landscapes? Do you have any sisters?"

Makoto continued to stare at him, and as Takita tried to charm her into responding, Minuki tugged on Odoroki's wing. "You don't think this is a bad idea, do you?" she whispered in his ear. "Introducing them…"

Odoroki sent her a look--she had been encouraging them until a moment ago. "Well, he's behaving better than usual, at least," he replied. "I think it'll be okay." When he glanced over, Makoto was ducking away from Takita's hand as he reached for her cat ears. "But maybe you should keep an eye on them."

"Can do." Minuki tipped her hat in a salute, and quickly turned to swat Takita in the back of the head.

"Hey!" Takita glared at her, and his raised volume made Makoto flinch away again. "I wasn't doing anything!"

Odoroki sighed, but they seemed to be doing all right anyway. He stepped back for a moment to find himself some candy. At least everyone was having a good time.

Half an hour later, Kawadzu's sheet was ruined from spilling salty ramen on it, Minuki was half sick from eating imported candy corn, Makoto had finally been convinced to draw Takita's portrait, and Akane had retreated to Naruhodou's side to keep Kyouya away from her. Thirty minutes, and Odoroki was already exhausted. He dropped onto the end of the sofa with a cup of water, hoping to get a few moments to relax.

Of course, that couldn't be the case. He was only seated long enough for one sip before Kyouya sat down next to him and threw his arm over his shoulders. "Hey, Big Brow."

Odoroki rolled his eyes. "Hello, Prosecutor Garyuu. Are you…" He watched with a frown as Kyouya stole the cup from his hand to drink from it. "…enjoying yourself?"

"Sure am." Kyouya handed the cup back once he was done, but by then Odoroki wasn't interested in it anymore. "Haven't been out in a while."

Somehow, Odoroki didn't think their half-hearted "party" in the office was in the same league as Kyouya's definition of "going out." "Glad to hear it. Can you move your arm?" He tried to shove Kyouya out of his personal space without much success. "You're…bending my wings."

"Oh, they're fine," Kyouya assured. He seemed intent on staying, and even began to tap out some rhythm against his knee. "They're awfully cute."

"They weren't my idea," Odoroki was quick to make known. Giving up on his protests, he relaxed beneath the weight of Kyouya's arm, however awkward. Over the past few weeks he'd wondered about the next time he would have to face Kyouya, and how they might react to each other, but he'd never considered a situation like this. In fact, he was rather surprised that Kyouya was willing to speak to him at all.

"Hey…" Odoroki licked his lips. It was rather foolish to think that he could get away with saying anything remotely serious in this kind of position, but he felt compelled to try. "How are you?"

"Hmm?"

"I mean…" Odoroki followed the man's gaze, and found that Kyouya was actually watching Naruhodou as he spoke to Akane a few feet away. He glanced between the two. Every once in a while Naruhodou would look back, his expression that same mix of humor and indifference that it had been all night.

Odoroki licked his lips. It wasn't his place to be giving advice, but…. "Why don't you just talk to him?"

Kyouya snorted. "I've seen you come up with some great ideas," he replied dryly, "but that's not one of them."

"I know how he can be, but it wouldn't hurt, right?" he continued anyway. He waited, and when Kyouya didn't respond except to slow his tapping, he tried a different angle. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"What?" Kyouya looked to him with an incredulous half grin. "Thanks, but I did graduate the fourth grade, kid." He gave Odoroki's already mussed hair an extra ruffle.

Odoroki's face screwed up as he pushed at Kyouya again. This might have escalated into a shoving match were it not for the sudden interruption of a familiar voice: "Don't you two look cozy."

After all that had happened, and everything he had witnessed, Odoroki wouldn't have believed there was anything that could really get to Kyouya Garyuu; but when Naruhodou approached the two of them, he clearly felt the tensing of muscles beneath all that leather. He had to admit, he felt a bit intimidated himself, especially considering the man's outfit.

The words tumbled out of Odoroki before he could consider if he ought to be saying them. "Prosecutor Garyuu was just saying he wanted to--"

Kyouya gave him a rather harsh pinch at base of his neck, cutting him off, even though he took over himself anyway. "I just wanted to say thank you," he told Naruhodou easily. "For inviting me…given the circumstances."

Naruhodou took a gulp from his grape juice bottle. "Akane invited you," he replied smartly. "Thank her."

Clearly, Naruhodou had no intention of making things easier on him. As Odoroki watched, it even seemed that there might have been something unexpectedly cold behind his half-lidded eyes. It occurred to him that this was a bad idea after all, and he suddenly wished he wasn't caught in the middle of it.

But Kyouya took a deep breath then, and braced a hand against Odoroki's shoulder to push himself to his feet. "Listen, Naruhodou," he said carefully, his body posture struggling between ease and awkwardness. "I just want to say…I'm sorry. I know that's not enough, but--"

"I know," Naruhodou interrupted coolly.

He didn't say more than that, and eventually Kyouya couldn't help but speak up again, as if his first attempt had failed. "I mean, I'm not asking you to forgive me, because--"

"I know," Naruhodou said again. "It's all right." He still had that strange, ironic smile on his face as he rolled his eyes to the side. "I forgive you."

Odoroki winced, and even though they were no longer seated together he could have sworn he felt Kyouya cringe as well. Naruhodou's careless acceptance was almost worse than any words of refusal. Though by now Odoroki had become accustomed to the feeling that he was caught in something that went further than himself, he didn't want to let this instance pass so easily. He stood. "Come on, you don't have to--"

"No." This time it was Kyouya that interrupted. He ran a hand roughly through his hair. "I get it. It's okay." He glanced to Odoroki with a faint smile. "Thanks."

Odoroki's jaw worked, but it was too late--Kyouya stepped past the both of them and headed for the door. His shoulders slumped briefly before he turned on Naruhodou. "What was that for?"

"What?" Naruhodou returned innocently. He took another gulp of his juice and turned to wander off again.

Odoroki hadn't been the only witness to the strange encounter; Akane had watched from a distance, and as Kyouya passed her on his way out she quickly turned to give chase. "Hey, Garyuu--"

He didn't stop. Akane pursed her lips and followed anyway, out of the office and into the parking lot outside. "Garyuu, wait," she tried to calm him. "You don't have to leave."

"I shouldn't have come at all," Kyouya said with a shrug. He undid his Dracula cape, and tossed it to Akane once she was close enough. She fumbled a bit as she tried to collect all the heavy fabric. "I knew it was too soon."

Akane stuttered over a response. "You…You can't take Naruhodou seriously. He's just messing with you--he knows what happened to him wasn't your fault."

"What difference does it make?" They reached Kyouya's motorcycle, and he tossed his hair back before reaching for his helmet. "I know he's your friend, but that doesn't mean he has to be mine." He smirked wryly as he mounted the bike. "Go back and have fun at your party."

"Garyuu…." Akane sagged helplessly. "I just wanted you two to…get along. That's all."

Kyouya pulled his helmet on, glancing to her sideways through the visor. "I'll see you at work."

He revved the motorcycle, and Akane stood back to keep out of his way as he backed out. It wasn't the least expected of endings to the evening she planned, but she couldn't help the heavy disappointment she felt. With a sigh she turned back to the office, and was only a bit surprised to see Odoroki waiting for her there.

"Is he…um, okay?" Odoroki asked awkwardly. The sight of him looking so uncomfortably distraught in his ladybug antennae helped lift her spirits a little.

"Yeah." Akane nodded slightly as they went back to the party together. "I dunno, I just hoped…things might be okay."

"Yeah…" Odoroki scratched the back of his neck. "It'll be okay," he tried to reassure her. "There'll be other chances."

"You're right."

They traded weak smiles, as if having exchanged some kind of understanding, before rejoining the activities inside.