Originally written for the kink meme, but upon reflection (also two people saying they loved it), it turned out pretty well, so I'm going to repost it here.
Prompt: "Kristoph manages to escape from prison by switching places with an unwilling Klavier. Anon would love to see Apollo slowly catching on and realizing what's happened, and wants to see how Klavier would handle prison. :o"
Caveat Lector!
Klavier had not handled the past month or two well. He was white as a sheet, he had grown so much skinnier than before, his hair looked unkept and he just sat in a corner of the cell, staring unseeing at the wall opposite him. He took no notice at all of the person standing on the opposite side of the bars until he spoke up.
"You look horrible."
Apollo's famed Chords of Steel were failing him at the moment, confronted by this.
Klavier's head snapped up and he turned to look at the defense attorney.
"I finally figured it out," Apollo answered in reply to the unspoken question in Klavier's eyes. "I should have realised it sooner, but I finally did."
When Klavier spoke, his voice sounded slightly hoarse. "Kristoph... where is he?"
"Down in the interrogation room. He caused quite a stir with the higher-ups, actually." Apollo laughed humourlessly. "They're trying to figure out how he managed to fool everyone, but he's refusing to say anything. Anyway, you're free to go when the guard gets back from getting chewed out by his superiors to open the door."
Klavier nodded slowly, but he kept his eyes on Apollo, as though afraid that if he looked away, it would all turn out to be a dream. "What gave him away?"
Apollo looked away from Klavier at that question, blushing slightly. Ashamed? "Little things, at first. Keeping a distance from people, for example. He claimed he - you were working on a solo album and you didn't want anyone to hear it yet. Then slightly bigger things, but those could be explained away, like refusing to sing anything by the Gavinners, claiming 'bad memories', and after Daryan, who could blame you for that?"
"...that's hardly conclusive evidence."
Apollo sighed. "I know. And if he hadn't slipped up twice the last two days, I might never have figured it out in time before -" Apollo made a face and didn't finish that sentence.
Klavier grimaced too, looking at the calendar on the wall he'd been staring at before Apollo walked in. Kristoph only had to hold out for another week before...
No. He wasn't going to think about how close he'd gotten.
"What gave him away?" Klavier repeated, slightly louder this time.
"Well... two days ago, I got home from court early, and I heard this classical music channel playing. You hateclassical music. When I asked him about it the day after, he made a movement like he was going to push his glasses up the way he does when he gets stressed." Apollo paused for a second. "He managed to hide it for the others by brushing his hair out of his face like you'd do, but I... could tell."
Klavier nodded thoughtfully, looking at the floor. After what seemed like an eternity, he got to his feet, walked towards Apollo and grabbed his hand through the bars, squeezing it gently.
"I was... afraid, Forehead," he managed to choke out. "Only seven days left until 'Kristoph Gavin' was executed. I tried telling the guard about it, but who would believe a story like that?" He laughed, but the sound was hollow, empty compared to how he usually sounded. "It's the word of a psychopath death row inmate against that of the famous prosecutor who helped put him away for good. Who would you believe? Mein Gott, only seven days..."
Apollo squeezed Klavier's hand back gently, brushing across the back of his hand with his thumb. "It's okay. We got him. He willpay for what he did to you. You know what they say..." Apollo gave Klavier a sheepish grin. "Justice always prevails."
Klavier couldn't help but laugh at that, even though it really was a lame pun. Compared to what he'd been through, it was absolutely hilarious.
For the first time in weeks, Klavier felt like everything would be okay.
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