I didn't mean for this to be as long as it turned out, but I'm really happy with it. I guess it could be a parallel universe - but who knows? Maybe Ema and Klavier did meet right after Rise From the Ashes? Please review - it's only fair when I keep you all so well-fed with oneshots.
EDIT: This work is part of my ongoing attempt to edit my old fanfic to get them up to a standard I'm (almost) happy with. As this one was so old, quite a lot has been changed, including adding entirely new dialogue. So if you're reading it for a second time and it's different than you remember, that's why.
I met him on a park bench. It was getting dark, right after the end of Lana's case. He wasn't the first person to spot me there, crying, but he was the first to sit down next to me.
"Fraulein, what's the matter?"
"Nothing." I sniffed, turning my back to the mysterious boy to stop him seeing my red nose and streaming eyes.
"Something's up. Want to talk about it?"
"No." I said a little more firmly, but he didn't leave. We sat in silence for a bit. I turned to look at him.
"You're Lana Skye's sister." He stated. I looked up, surprised he knew. "I've seen you in the court lobby." He said as a way of explanation. "My brother's a defence attorney - Kristoph Gavin - he's the best there is, ja?"
"Not true." I said. "Mr. Wright's the best." I sniffed.
"And why might that be?" the boy asked, smiling. I gulped. I didn't want to get into this - I couldn't unload everything that had happened on a boy I'd just met. He didn't ask again when I had no answer.
We sat there in silence. I was absorbed in my own thoughts, he was just looking at me, watching my every movement. I brushed my fringe out of my eyes and straightened my glasses self-consciously. He chuckled. A soft sound.
"What's the time?" I asked now the silence was broken, looking at him.
"Do I look like I have a watch?" he asked. I looked - I hadn't really noticed his clothes before now, I'd been absorbed in his face and voice. He had a purple jacket and black jeans, verging on the point of skinnies. He wore a lot of jewellery for a boy - mostly rings, I noticed. He had more on than me, that's for sure. I checked his wrist - no watch.
"You have a mobile, don't you?"
"Ja," He said wistfully, "But I keep it on German time, to remind me of home."
"Well, what's the time in German, then?" I asked, trying not to get impatient. He told me, his face puzzled. "So it's half-eight here then. I've got to get home."
"Oh," he said "Goodbye, Fraulein." I smiled back, then jumped up and hurried back home.
I saw him again a week later in the court lobby. I was waiting for Lana to come out of a trial, and he walked in.
There was no reason for him to be there. "Shouldn't you be in the defendant's lounge?" I asked him.
"Ja, but I spotted you here, all alone, so I've decided to join you. Snack?" he asked, holding the bag of fried dough cakes in front of my face.
I smiled, food was the way to my good books. "Just one." They tasted fantastic. I was instantly in love. I took another from the bag the minute I'd swallowed the first, which made him laugh.
"They're called Snackoos. I bought them on a whim - you can have them, I don't really like them." He handed me the bag, and I grabbed a couple more before putting it in my satchel
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Ema Skye, with one 'm'." I said, almost automatically.
"I'm Klavier." He smiled. "Klavier Gavin, rock god and prosecutor to be." I stifled a snort. In the light of day, he seemed a bit full of himself, far less of the mysterious-saviour type.
"Ema Skye?" he said slowly, trying out the name.
"Yes?"
"Sorry." He said,"I don't like calling you that. How about I stick to Fraulein?"
"I'd prefer not."
"Well, Fraulein, may I have your phone number?" I blinked.
"Why?"
"So we can stay in contact!" I chewed my tongue, weighing the pros and cons of giving my number to a a boy I'd basically just met.
"Fine." I said, giving in to the puppy dog eyes. I recited my mobile number - he wasn't getting the home phone. He gave me his, and said he would call me so we could meet up.
Klavier started talking about the trial his brother was working on, but not soon after Lana arrived to take me home. She spotted Klavier and paused in the doorway, letting him finish his sentence and me say goodbye.
As we were walking back she raised the subject. "Was that Defence Attorney Gavin's younger brother you were talking to in there?" I nodded. "He looks just like him." I shrugged. I didn't know - I'd never seen Kristoph Gavin. "Why were you talking?" she asked, her brow furrowed.
"We met in the park once." I told her - no need to mention I had been crying over SL-9 at the time. "Why so interested?"
"That boy has a crush on you." She told me simply.
"Yeah, as if!" I laughed. "He's just being nice because he knows you're my sister."
"Do you like him?"
"He's alright."
"Do you want to see him again?"
"I guess I'm going to. We swapped numbers, so if he calls, he calls. I can't say no."
"No, but do you want to?"
"I guess...?" I asked, not sure why she was cross-examining me.
"Aww... my little sister has a crush!"
"What? NO! I don't like him that way!"
Lana laughed. I could tell she didn't believe me.
"It's true!" I protested.
She was still unconvinced.
"Oh come on, Lana! I can have friends-who-are-boys without having a crush on them, you know!" I tried to flick a snack at her and missed, which made her laugh louder. I didn't have the heart to be truly angry, though. It was too nice to see her smiling again.
We weren't even through the door when I got a text from Klavier's number, inviting me to go bowling that Saturday evening. Lana read the text over my shoulder and raised her eyebrows. "Eager, isn't he?"
"Shut up." I said, tapping out my reply.
I couldn't work out if I was dreading the trip or looking forward to it, a feeling that stayed with me right up until Saturday evening itself.
Lana dropped me off, telling me she'd be there to pick me up again at nine. It was currently only six, and I had no idea how I was going to spend that much time with a boy I'd only ever had two conversations with.
Klavier was waiting for me by the entrance, and he rushed to meet me as the car pulled away.
"I like the lab coat." he said, "Do you ever take it off?"
I didn't know how to respond to that, so I simply glared.
"Come on,"he said, oblivious to my irritation,"I trust you know how to play?"
"Technically, yes." Not that I'd ever had much chance to apply the knowledge.
Klavier, in an act I was quickly discovering was typical of him, practically recoiled at the idea of wearing the supplied bowling shoes. He'd bought his own: black ones that were one foppish moment away from having rhinestones on them.
"You play a lot, then?"
"Not at all. Never had the friends to play with."
I seriously doubted that, but I played along. "Why's that, then?"
"They're intimidated by my dazzling appearance." He flashed a grin so falsely charming I was sure he'd practised it in a mirror.
I weighed several of the balls in my fingers before picking the one I thought I'd have most control of. I'd always been more of a chemistry/biology girl than a physics one, but I tried my best to predict how the ball would roll.
"Planning to take all day, Fraulien?"
"Predicting the ball's trajectory is a key part of winning."
Klavier made a disbelieving noise behind me, so I turned round and stuck my tongue out.
He continued to tell me how sceptical he was until I actually bowled, and got a strike. That shut him up.
Klavier turned out to be a surprisingly graceful looser. We went for ice cream at the little food counter afterwards, where he insisted upon twenty questions.
I answered the ones about my favourite colour (green) my best friend (Lana) and my worst enemy (my lab partner) but aborted the game once he started asking me turn-ons and -offs, laughing and pushing him away. I was surprised when he pointed out that it was past nine already and Lana would be waiting - I had been having a surprisingly good time, and I'd stopped looking at my phone after the first half hour.
"Oh - I should really go!" I said, jumping up.
"I'll escort you out." He said, taking my hand.
"No thank you!" I said, yanking my hand from his grasp. "Let's just go, shall we?"
Lana was full of questions I couldn't be bothered to answer when I got in the car.
"Was it fun?"
"Yeah."
"Did you win?"
"Uh-huh."
"What did you talk about?"
"Stuff."
"Will you be meeting up again?"
"Probably."
As it turned out, 'probably' very quickly became 'definitely'. Klavier seemed to enjoy irritating me, and I found I actually enjoyed his company.
He was a flirt, a egotistical idiot, but a surprisingly good guy. I liked our outings - always arranged by him - and not only because he insisted on paying.
It was frankly a horrifying realisation that I was starting to consider Klavier a close friend, so when a Saturday morning came around and I hadn't received the usual invitation to go out, I took matters into my own hands, and texted him.
You doing anything today? Want to meet up in the park for ice cream and shopping?
The reply was almost instant. Can't. Busy.
I felt vaguely put-out, since the two of us had this unofficial routine and he'd broken it. I'd go out anyway, I needed a new notebook.
I wondered through the park - it was a hot day and the ice cream van was too tempting to resist. There was a line, irritatingly. Normally I was talking to Klavier, and didn't notice the wait.
He hadn't even said what he was doing, and Klavier wasn't one for short responses. He could be catching up on coursework, not that I'd known ever known him to actually pay attention in school. I guessed that maybe his brother was doing something with him. But didn't he say that his brother was completely work-based, and never had time to hang out?
I shook my head and sighed. It was no use pointing out contradictions in my own excuses. I'd paid too much attention to Mr. Wright when he was in court. I kept on cross-examining my own thought stream.
"What is it you're after?" said a bored voice, snapping me back to reality.
Ice cream in hand, I went to go sit on my normal bench, the one I sat on with Klavier. I stopped in my tracks when I saw it was occupied by a teen couple. Urg. I would never understand the teenage affinity for PDAs.
Actually, did I know those two? I walked an inch closer. Yes, they were definitely familiar.
Another inch closer. Was the one in purple who was whispering the sweet nothings Klavier?
One more inch.
Oh God. Klavier had a girlfriend.
Spinning on my heel before I could be spotted, my cheeks burning, I rushed away from the bench and out of the park.
Klavier had a girlfriend. My heart was in my throat and tears were prickling in my eyes. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
I felt like such an idiot. Of course Klavier had a girlfriend. He was handsome, he was European and he was talking about starting a band.
Why did it bother me so much, then?
Lana seemed surprised when I stormed into my bedroom upon arriving home. She was used to me and Klavier falling out - I often came home earlier than planned, ranting about how Klavier drove me up the wall.
Today, however, I didn't feel like ranting. Mostly because even I knew I was being unreasonable about this. I kicked off my shoes and flopped, head-first, onto my bed.
"Ema?" she called tentatively through the door, "Can I come in?"
I didn't answer, but Lana came into the room anyway.
"Are you ok?" She asked, pushing my feet out of the way and perching on the end of the bed.
"No." I said into my pillow.
"Why not? Did you and Klavier have a falling out?" she asked, stroking my hair. Feeling like a baby, I pushed her hand away and sat up. I rubbed my eyes, thankfully dry.
"I didn't go to the park to meet up with Klavier. I texted him to ask if he'd like to go out, but he said he was busy."
"Is that why you're angry?"
"No. I'm angry because- I'm not- Why wouldn't Klavier tell me he has a girlfriend?"
I registered genuine surprise on Lana's face. "He has? But I thought-"
"If you dare tell me you thought that that fop was in love with me I will make you leave this room."
Lana said nothing, which was just as bad.
The week that followed was absent of my usual banter with Klavier. I kept my phone turned off. I categorically refused to read any message he sent me. Childish? Yes. Served him right, though, for blowing me off and keeping secrets.
Monday morning, I sat down at my desk in chemistry and spent a few minutes staring at the clock and wishing that my lab partner, Esme, would be off ill.
Unfortunately, she turned up, literally breezing in late with Starbucks and a new dye job. It was blue-black this week, same shade as Klavier's mystery girlfriend.
She sat down with a nasty look at me that seemed super malicious, even for her. I could never work out why she hated me so much… well, I had got her done for smoking in the girls toilets… twice.
"Hey, I met that boyfriend of yours on Saturday." She whispered as I got out my books. I dropped them onto the desk with a thunk.
No way.
Not Esme. Surely not. I had told Klavier what I thought of Esme.
"I must admit," she continued, "I'm impressed. I thought you made him up."
I was too stunned to speak.
"Bit of a flirt, isn't he?" She continued. "Strange sense of style too. Still," she said, looking me up and down, "you have one too. The perfect pair."
Wait… not his girlfriend, then? I bit my lip and balled my fist, willing myself not to say something stupid.
"Started trying to chat me up - wouldn't take 'I'm not about to date my lab partner's boyfriend' as an answer!" She gave me a look, daring a retort. I was seething. Both at Klavier, for flirting with the closest thing I had to a mortal enemy, and at her. Only I was meant to take the piss of Klavier.
She was still looking at me, waiting for a response. I opened my mouth, but all that came out was a weak instance, my mouth working on autopilot. "Klavier's not my boyfri-"
"Good thing too, the way he was all over me. Honestly, how does such a big ego fit into such a small brain?"
God I could hit her.
"I mean, you'd think he'd drop everything and run when his friend who speaks so highly of him sends a text. But he goes and replies he's busy. Honestly, what a cre-"
I punched her, my fist swinging of its own accord and catching her just above the eye.
She let out a furious, pained yelp and the class fell silent.
Mr. Gant (unfortunate coincidence) looked away from his laptop, taking a moment to register the scene.
Tears were pouring down Esme's face, smudging her makeup and making me feel unbelievably guilty.
What had I just done?
"What the hell just happened? No, I can work it out. Ema, please leave my lesson. Now."
Teacher-code for go to the principal's office. I didn't need telling twice.
"What could have possessed you to do something like that, Ema?" asked Lana furiously, as she drove me home. I was in disgrace. Suspended pending a visit to the school councillor to discuss anger issues. "What could she possibly have done that made you think it was acceptable to hit her in the face?"
"I didn't think it was acceptable. I was mad."
"What did she say that made you that angry?"
I didn't respond. Lana sighed, and when she spoke again her voice was at a more reasonable volume.
"I had to leave in the middle of planning for a trial because my sister was being suspended from school. Do you know how embarrassing that is?"
I still said nothing. I didn't realise how protective I was of Klavier. He, for his own warped reasons, seemed to like her and hearing her call him names and make fun of him just made me furious. More so than the two of them getting along would have.
"Sorry." I said to Lana in a small voice.
"Well," she sniffed, "It's the least you could be."
The two days sitting at home grounded, without wifi and suspended from school were dull, dull, dull. The visit to the councillor on Thursday morning was just embarrassing.
Saturday morning was tougher. I stared at my phone for a good half hour before Lana took it from on top of the fridge (grounded meant no phone privileges, apparently) and slid it across the countertop. "Call Klavier. Meet up."
I stared at it. "I thought you said I was grounded."
"Except for visiting Klavier. Maybe it'll make you less moody."
"I don't want to go." I huffed, pushing it away from me.
I was sure there would be no more times of seeing Klavier. Our last meeting felt like months ago. This time two weeks ago, we'd been in the science museum (it was my turn to pick the place) and arguing about his ability to get a date.
"You're not paying attention to what I'm saying again, fop!"
"Frankly, I find your talk of 'interesting' science-y stuff rather boring."
"I know what you were doing - you were ogling that blonde girl over there!"
"Was not!"
"Were too! She won't date you, you know!"
"Course she would - I'm a rock god to be, remember? I can get anyone I want."
"Bet you can't! Not everyone worships at your feet, you know. No matter how glimmerous you are!"
He had gone up to the blonde girl and, of course, managed to get her phone number. He waved it in my face, mocking.
"Oh, come on. I can think of a whole load of people who wouldn't date you."
"Like who?"
I had given him a list of names, ticking them off on my fingers. That list, I now realised, had included Esme.
It was just part of our usual banter, forgettable and meaningless to me. Apparently not so much to Klavier.
I swallowed my pride and pulled the phone towards me. Lana beamed.
I turned it on, gulping when I saw the four missed texts, but not able to bring myself to actually read them. I tapped out my message.
Usual place? Or are u busy?
The phone vibrated in my hand moments later.
She speaks! Meet me there in 20 minutes?
I basically bounded down the road after telling Lana where I was going, and got there a few minutes early.
"You win." Said Klavier, sidling up to me with a charming grin.
"What?"
"I attempted to get a number of three of the girls and one of the guys from that list of yours. Not on would date me. They were all under the impression that I was your boyfriend, ja?" He chuckled. "What have you been telling your school friends about me?"
"You know how it is." I laughed. "friends-who-are-boys, boy-friends. The mind of the average schoolgirl just can't cope."
Klavier laughed, but then his face turned serious.
"Look, Ema." he said, "I'm really sorry for not seeing you last Saturday to attempt to get Esme's phone number. I'm assuming that's the reason you've been ignoring me all week?"
"I may have punched her in the face."
Klavier, to his credit, only seemed marginally shocked. "Ach, perfectly normal response. She smeared ice-cream down my shirt, but the way."
I couldn't help myself. I snorted with laughter.
"Does laughter mean I'm forgiven? Do I still get to be your guy friend?"
I pondered. Not that I needed time to think about my answer, but because I wanted to milk it for all it was worth.
"Ok, fop. You can be my friend-who's-a-boy. On two conditions. One: You need to buy me a huuuuuuge flake ice cream." He nodded obediently. "Two:stop whatever it is you're doing that makes people think that we're in love."
"But I really do love you." He said innocently.
Oh God.
That was something I hadn't bargained for.
