Simon wondered if he should really be doing this. He, an esteemed prosecutor known for his formal personality and slashing the defense, was going to a Christmas party at the Wright Anything Agency. Not even to the annual Prosecutor's Party organized by Klavier Gavin every 20th of December (which wasn't today, though). He was going to a Christmas Party at the Wright Anything Agency. He supposed that accepting the invitation offer was in order though. After all, the determination and the skill of the lawyers working at that agency saved Athena and himself, not to mention acquiring a less harsh prison sentence for Aura. Now that he thought about it (for the sixth time this evening), these defense attorneys had done quite a lot for him. Without them, he would be dead at this moment in time.

Simon knocked on the door in a brusque manner, a short knock each time, half hoping that no one would answer, which would be borderline impossible as cars were packed like sardines in front of the office, so someone was bound to notice three loud, short knocks. Sure enough, the door opened, revealing a young woman with long orange hair and a shining smile.

"Hey Simon! I'm glad you could make it! Come inside!" Athena said happily, holding his hand and pulling him inside. Simon froze slightly at the friendly human contact. When he was in prison it was always cold, no friendship behind it, and that was if there WAS any human contact. Most people preferred to stay away from him as he had a cold personality and he had been convicted for murder. A select few of the convicts would have conversations with him, but human contact was rare.
Athena noticed Simon falter slightly, and stopped in her tracks, giving him a confused look.

"What's the matter?" She asked. Simon shook his head, his dark hair flopping over his eyes slightly.

"Nothing." He dismissed. Athena beamed, and led him into the center of the room. The two passed quite a lot of people on their way. Some he recognized, like Phoenix, Apollo and Edgeworth, who were happily chatting to a woman with long raven black hair with a topknot, and was wearing a kimono. She had quite a regal appearance, but her actions were anything but. She was hungrily eating her burger as if it was about to disappear any second, and she had a large glass of coke in her other hand. Simon couldn't help but smile. She vaguely reminded him of Athena. Simon also spotted Yuri Cosmos, who had apparently given all his workers a day off (he had paid a visit to the space centre), who was talking to Solomon Starbuck. They appeared to be talking about the last space expedition that Solomon had been on. Suddenly a loud yell startled him out of his observations, and that loud yell happened to come from Athena with a megaphone.

"THE PARTY CAN OFFICIALLY START NOW, BECAUSE SIMON BLACKQUILL IS HERE!" She yelled, and Simon suddenly became very self-conscious. Truth be told, he didn't like everyone looking at him at parties. The dark prosecutor tried to blend in with the crowd, which was quite hard, seeing as though mostly everyone was wearing bright festive colours, which contrasted drastically with his trademark black and white clothes.

"Come on Mr. Blackquill, enjoy the limelight!" Said an unfamiliar voice behind him. He turned to find a man wearing an orange jacket with brown hair and a cheeky smile push him towards the center. Again. Athena grinned at him.

"Thanks Larry! Now, who's up for Pass the Parcel?" Athena called, and pretty much everybody put their hands up, apart from Simon. He looked around the room, surprised. Mostly everybody has agreed to this, Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth included. Maybe I should raise my hand, for Athena. So he raised his hand, much to Athena's delight. It appeared that she really enjoyed having him partake in 'fun' activities. Everyone in the party organized themselves into a circle (to the best of their ability, the room was rather cluttered, after all) and Phoenix brought out the parcel. The music started, and Phoenix handed the parcel to the woman in the kimono, who in turn handed it to the teenager in the kimono who had been at Simon's trial. Pearl, was it? The parcel quickly came to himself, and the music stopped right then, making him groan inwardly.

"Open it! I didn't wrap this, Mr. Wright did, so I don't know what it is!" Athena said eagerly. Simon shook his head, and gave the parcel to Athena, who put it right back in his lap.

"It's okay to be silly sometimes, Simon! It's only a little game anyway, you'll still have your dignity when the game finishes!" She told him. Simon heaved a sigh, and ripped open a layer of the newspaper to reveal a wrapped chocolate sweet. He stored it in his pocket, planning to give it to Athena later. Or maybe Taka, he had appeared to develop a liking for chocolate since Athena had been left alone with Taka for a day. Mice were still his favourite delicacy though.

The game continued on for quite some time, with Apollo's friend Ema Skye winning the end prize (a large box of chocolates). Simon was the first one to leave the circle, standing at the drinks table, and poured himself a glass of punch. He looked into the crowd, smiling to himself when he saw Athena laughing with someone he didn't know. It made him happy to see Athena happy- to see her laughing and smiling. It alleviated his worries, somehow. Suddenly a strong smell of coffee overpowered his senses, and he turned around to see his old cellmate- the coffee addicted Diego Armando.

"What are you doing here, Prosecutor Armando?" Simon asked, abandoning all tact. He had learnt from Diego that being blunt was quite a good surprise tactic. Diego smirked, and took a swig of his coffee.

"I was allowed out of that dark and bitter cell for this party. I had been charged with manslaughter, not murder, hence I was able to come to this party. It was a relief to be able to make my own coffee today; I have sorely missed Godot Blend No.107. Just as I have missed my friends. Maya has really matured over the years. My kitten would be proud." Diego explained, looking over towards the woman in the kimono, who was currently receiving a piggyback from Phoenix. Hmph... I guess I am not the only one who has left a girl to go to prison, and come back out again to notice how much she has matured.

"I accidentally killed Elise because I needed to protect her, you know. Elise… She channeled Mia's nemesis, who wanted to kill Maya. I had to stop her, for Mia's sake." Diego explained, half to himself, half to Simon. Hmph. It looks like Prosecutor Armando and me both have someone we need to protect. For different reasons, maybe, but we still have to protect someone. Simon looked towards Athena in silence, as Diego watched Maya. The two supported a comfortable silence, but then the mask wearing Spaniard took a swig of his coffee, and grinned at Simon.

"You love her." Diego stated. Simon's eyes widened, and he turned the faintest shade of red.

"I- I do not! She is merely a friend." Simon protested, looking fondly at the ginger haired woman.

"That's where you're wrong. How did you know I was talking about the ginger kitten? I may have been talking about Maya, or Iris, the girl in the white hood." He said slyly. Simon rolled his eyes.

"I was staring at her, so you must have obviously been talking about her. Also taking into consideration that the only girls I know here are Athena, Pearl-dono and Wright-dono's daughter, you must have been talking about Athena." He said.

"You were staring at her, precisely. And in that stare I sensed something. You looked at that girl with a fondness that I can associate with Mia and myself, when she was alive, of course. You're as bitter as black coffee, Simon. But that girl is as sweet as sugar. Together, you make a brew made in heaven. Of course, I don't like sweetened coffee, but in my opinion, you two make a perfect match. You have a chance Simon. You have a chance to settle down with this woman. Do what Mia and myself couldn't. Do it before death gets in the way." Diego advised wisely. Simon was stunned. He never thought Prosecutor Armando could be so... Wise. Simon had always thought that the mask wearing prosecutor was smart, but never even thought he would be wise. The man spoke too many coffee synonyms.

"I do not want to frighten her, or make her uncomfortable. The only way I would confess to her was if I knew that she loved me. And I do not know that, ergo I will not confess to her." Simon said, abandoning all pretence. Diego took a sip of his bitter blend.

"Sometimes you have to take the risk." He told him, and walked away, leaving Simon to his own thoughts. Should I? I might not get another chance, after all. But what if she doesn't love me back? That would create tension between us, and ruin our relationship, and I'd prefer to have my love remain a secret and remain friends with Athena than confess to her and ruin a perfectly good relationship. I think I should wait. Simon set down his empty glass with a thud, and made his way towards the AC (it was quite warm in the office) when Phoenix called for everyone's attention.

"Thank you! I would like to remind everyone of the people here, in this very room, who made it possible for many things to happen, including this party. Apollo Justice, the man who has kept faith in me through thick and thin. The man who cleared my name, the man who shielded Juniper from the bomb debris," Juniper blushed, smiling at her saviour next to her.

"The man who left the hospital just to see Juniper's trial, the man who searched for the truth of his best friend's passing and the man who always pursues the truth. He's the man who will always be fine." Phoenix complimented, making Apollo turn as red as a beetroot.

"Athena Cykes. The woman who became a lawyer to save her friend, Simon Blackquill. The woman who can always find a smile, no matter what the occasion. The woman who will always do her best to make everyone feel happy, and who will stick by the people she cares about, no matter what happens." Phoenix said, making Athena blush, and do her best to hide behind Apollo. Phoenix continued, naming quite a few people, but when he mentioned Simon's name, Simon froze. What had he done to deserve a mention in this toast of sorts?

"Simon Blackquill. The man who was willing to die for Athena, the man who would not admit his innocence until we at the Wright Anything Agency forced him to, the man who spent seven years in prison for Athena, and the man who takes losing a trial calmly, unlike some I know." Phoenix said, giving a look to Edgeworth and Prosecutor von Karma, who whipped him for his 'insolence'.

"And now, I'm afraid the party is at an end now. Thank you all for coming, and I look forward to seeing you all in the future!" Phoenix said, and opened the door, letting everyone leave. Simon made for the door, wanting a speedy exit, but Athena grabbed his hand, stopping him in his tracks.

"No, you can stay. There are a select few who are allowed to stay, Mr. Wright said so! So, you're one of them! I specifically requested you, and Mr. Wright and Apollo seemed to want you to stay too! But don't worry, you're not going to be the only prosecutor here! Prosecutor von Karma is staying, as is Prosecutor Armando, Prosecutor Edgeworth and Prosecutor Gavin!" Athena assured, and led him back into the room. Apollo was talking to Juniper, who was looking at Apollo in adoration. Apollo seemed to look at Juniper in a different way from when he looked at Athena, Phoenix and others. It appeared that both parties were smitten with one another.

"Right, okay. Um... Does anybody have any ideas what to do now?" Phoenix asked, grinning sheepishly. Athena immediately put up her hand.

"Oh, I know! We could have a punch drinking contest!" She suggested eagerly. Edgeworth shook his head.

"Not a good idea... Larry spiked it." He explained, throwing Larry an annoyed look.

"What? There was no alcohol, so-" Larry started, but was stopped short by a hard slap on the arm from an angry Pearl.

"We don't need alcohol! Now the people who are underaged can't have any punch!" She chided, frowning.

"Eh... Sorry..." Larry apologized, shooting Pearl a worried glance.

"Woah, you can pack a punch..." Larry said, rubbing his arm.

"At least she didn't give you a nosebleed." Phoenix said, rubbing his nose at the memory.

"Anyway... Anything else?" Apollo asked, clasping his hands. Maya spoke up then, grinning.

"We could play truth or dare! I've always wanted to play that!" She suggested, putting her hands together happily.

"Hm... That sounds like a good idea! I've got a few things on my mind I'd like to ask a few people..." Phoenix agreed, shooting a glance at Apollo, who gulped. Whenever Phoenix Wright wanted to ask you something badly, he would get an answer.

"So do I." Edgeworth said, looking at Franziska. Athena clapped her hands.

"So it's settled then! Everyone get into a circle!" She ordered, and the group did so. Simon found himself sitting next to Edgeworth and Athena.

"Since when were we children?" Simon asked Edgeworth, staring at the bottle in the middle.

"I have no idea. But I guess that there are children here, and some adults who act like children, therefore we true adults should humour the children." Edgeworth replied, sophisticated as ever.

"Okay, the rules! The bottle is spun, and whoever it lands on has to answer a question TRUTHFULLY, or do a dare! I couldn't think of a better way to choose the person, so I just chose the bottle! I'll spin it first!" Maya said, and spun it with such force that it spun for about twenty seconds, and landed on Pearl, who looked positively terrified.

"Okay Pearly, truth or dare? Don't worry, I'll make both relatively easy for you!" Maya assured, not wanting her younger cousin to become too worried or stressed. Pearl thought for a moment, the answered timidly.

"Truth, please."

Maya thought for about a minute, trying to think of a truth that wouldn't embarrass her little cousin. This proved to be difficult for her, as most of her truth questions were reserved for Phoenix. Suddenly her face lit up, and you could just imagine a light bulb above the Master's head.

"Pearly... Why did you skip channeling class that one day? You know, last week?" Maya asked. Pearl's demeanor suddenly changed, and she became sad. She tilted her head down, and confessed.

"I... I went to visit Mother in the detention centre that day. I lied to the teacher as Mother's no longer considered a member of Kurain Village by the elders. I lied to you too because I know Mother's actions traumatized you, and I figured that you wouldn't like talking about Mother..." Pearl trailed off sadly, and Maya instantly became worried for her.

"Pearly! You know you can tell me anything, even if it is about Aunt Morgan! She's your mother, you have a right to visit her! I'll mark your absence as authorized when we get back home, okay?" Maya assured, putting an arm round Pearl, who smiled gratefully.

"Pearl's turn to spin it now!" Trucy said, and Pearl spun up the bottle. It landed on Phoenix, who gulped. He had an inkling what she would ask him if he picked truth...

"Dare. I pick dare. No doubts whatsoever. Just dare." Phoenix said, before Pearl could even ask him the question. Pearl was slightly annoyed that he had picked dare.

"Umm... I don't know what to do... I don't want to make Mr. Nick too embarrassed..." She said, looking towards the group for help.

"Make Wright annoy Franziska." Edgeworth suggested, surprisingly. Simon groaned inwardly. Not you too, Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth-dono. Pearl beamed at him.

"Thank you Mr. Edgeworth! Mr. Nick, I dare you to annoy Ms. Von Karma!" She dared, and Phoenix gulped, turning towards Franziska, who cracked her whip menacingly. Sure, he knew what ticked her off, but actually saying it to her...

"Hey, um, Franziska? I broke your perfect win record, therefore you're not perfect... Larry did a poorly drawn drawing of you in his book... I, um, laughed when Pearls told you off way back in Hazakura, I insult you in my mind, and, uh..." Phoenix told her in the smallest of voices, trailing off when fire illuminated her cold, steely eyes. She cracked her whip, and laid it into him.

"HOW. DARE. YOU. PHOENIX WRIGHT! YOU DARE INSULT ME, IN YOUR MIND? OF ALL THE COWARDLY DEEDS! AND DO NOT CALL ME IMPERFECT!" Franziska yelled, whipping him at every syllable. She finished, the fire in her eyes slowly extinguishing. The spiky haired lawyer almost started crying, but took to curling up in a ball instead, stroking his arm where the whip had struck most.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Nick! I didn't know that she would whip you that much!" Pearl apologised, bowing to him frantically. Phoenix waved it away.

"Never mind! My turn!" He said, and spun the bottle. It landed on Apollo, and Phoenix punched the air in victory.

"Truth or dare Apollo?" Phoenix asked, smirking. Apollo's expression was one of worry. He did not like it at all when he had to do one of the two.

"Erk... I'll take... Truth?" He answered tentatively, biting his lip worriedly. Phoenix grinned.

"I hoped you would pick that! Right... Do you love Juniper?" He asked, suddenly becoming serious. Apollo blanched, doing a double take.

"How do you expect me to answer that?" He asked, looking from Phoenix to Juniper, and then to everyone else in the room.

"Just tell the truth Apollo. Do you like her, or do you not?" Athena asked him, also serious.

"If you do, say so. If you don't, say so. The little kitten is clearly head over heels in love with you," Diego said, causing Juniper to blush profusely, "And I think you are too. So just say it."

Apollo's face became very red, and he turned to Phoenix.

"...Yes... But nobody heard that, okay?" Apollo said, and the rest of the group laughed, save Simon, who didn't see the need to laugh, and Juniper, who was sporting a small smile and a large blush. Apollo quickly spun the bottle, and it landed on Athena.

"Truth or dare?" He asked the orange haired lawyer.

"Truth. I'm way too exhausted for a dare." Athena responded confidently. Someone doesn't care about consequences. Typical Athena. Apollo thought for a moment, then grinned devilishly.

"Finally, payback time for making me do your toilet cleaning duty last week! Is it true that you like Prosecutor Blackquill?" He asked, making Athena's smile vanish instantly, and making Simon blanch.

"Where did you hear that?" She asked sharply, and Apollo grinned sheepishly.

"Your diary..." He mumbled, and Athena shook her fist at him.

"You don't look through a girl's diary without express permission from the owner!" She chided.

"It's not how you think! The page was on the floor, and I read it! I didn't know it was a page of your diary! You can't blame me for being curious!" Apollo said defensively. Athena still looked miffed with him, and she jutted her chin.

"I'm not answering that question." She said, and Simon mentally thanked her. If she said 'yes', I would have to confess to her, but if she said 'no' that would be quite awkward. Diego shook his head, making Simon snarl at him, and Athena groan.

"You've got to answer, and tell the truth at that. Justice did it, so why can't you, Kitten? Isn't the truth all that matters at the Wright Anything Agency?" He asked, taking a sip of his bitter black coffee, wiping the condensation off his mask. Athena shifted uncomfortably. Just say 'no' Athena. You can tell me if you actually do AFTER this goddamn game.

"I know, but..." She trailed off, suddenly becoming interested in her hands.

"What would happen if Simon were to die tomorrow, and he died never knowing the truth? How would that make you feel?" Diego pressed, staring straight at Athena through his red visor. Suddenly the room had become very silent. All eyes were on Athena, excluding Simon's, which were staring straight at Diego. The game members were all serious now, not a trace of the laughter and fun left. Mostly everybody knew how much love meant to Diego Armando. He had lost his, and he wasn't prepared to allow anybody else to lose theirs without at least a confession.

"Sad... And ashamed of myself..." She answered, grabbing hold of her right arm, looking towards the twisted samurai next to her, as if she was willing him not to die. Do not worry Athena. I am not going any time soon.

"So then tell the truth." Diego said bluntly.

"I'm not saying." Athena replied, just as bluntly. Diego shrugged, and took a sip of his coffee. He pointed to it.

"This was my 17th cup of coffee, and I've just finished it. When I finish my 17th cup of coffee, the debate is over. It's your loss, Athena." He said, and put his cup next to him, folding his arms. Suddenly Juniper spoke up, surprising everybody.

"I don't think Athena should say if she does or if she doesn't is she doesn't want to. Athena would never coerce someone into spilling their secrets unless it was involved in a case, so I don't think we should." She said firmly, clenching her fists. She had adopted the demeanor she had used in Themis Legal Academy, just to defend Athena, who smiled at her.

Phoenix suddenly clapped his hands, not particularly liking the atmosphere in the room.

"Um, how about we wrap this party up for today?" He suggested, trying his best to lighten up the atmosphere. Ema Skye nodded her head, and put on her rose tinted glasses.

"Lana's probably wondering where I am. Even though I'm an adult, Lana still worries about me! I'll be seeing you then. Thanks Mr. Wright, Apollo, Athena!" She bid her farewells and left the building, taking her bag of test tubes with her. Edgeworth and Franziska stood up after her.

"We had best be going as well. Good evening Wright, Justice, Cykes. Have a nice Christmas." Edgeworth shook Phoenix's hand, and opened the door for Franziska.

"Goodbye Phoenix Wright. Have a satisfactory Christmas and do whatever you foolishly do." Franziska said, being nice in her own way. The two left, and gradually the whole group left, leaving only Phoenix, Trucy, Athena, Apollo, Pearl, Maya and Simon. Pearl and Maya were staying over, as Kurain Village was quite far away. Plus, Maya hadn't seen her best friend for over seven years.

Simon got up from his chair, smoothing out his black and white coat.

"I should be going. Taka will be waiting for me, he has taken a liking to my apartment. I assume because of its resemblance with the courtroom." And its untidiness. I should get it cleaned, movement is gradually becoming increasingly difficult.

"Farewell Wright-dono, Justice-dono, and Athena. This was a pleasure." He bid his farewells, and exited the office, his customary frown playing on his face. I wonder... Does she? Hmph... Snap out of it, Simon. Love is not the thing that should be on my mind. Work... That should be. His frown became deeper as he briskly walked through the pouring rain, mentally slapping himself for not acquiring his driving license in the past year. Suddenly something warm embraced him, and he looked down to see a pair of arms covered by a yellow jacket. Only one person he knew wore a yellow jacket, and this person was the only person who would embrace him.

"Athena? Should you not be in the office? It is cold out here, and God forbid you would catch a cold, or something worse." Simon asked, fretting over her in his own way. She laughed.

"I can withstand a little bit of rain, don't worry. I'm not as fragile as I was eight years ago." Athena responded. The pair stayed like that, neither one moving an inch. Truth be told, neither wanted to. Neither one wanted to break this 'magical' moment. If what you call 'magical' was one person embracing the other in the pouring rain.

"Hey, move it lovebirds! Stop blocking the pavement!" A large man ordered, startling the pair. They separated, and the man passed, giving the two a dirty look. Athena laughed nervously, fiddling with her ponytail.

"Well, haha... I'll see you later, Simon. Au revoir!" She said, and ran back to the office, using her hands to cover her head.

"Goodbye!" Simon said, loud enough for her to hear. He placed his hands in his pockets, where he felt a piece of paper that hadn't been there before. I shall open it when I get to my apartment. The rain will 'melt' it.

Simon entered his apartment and took his coat off, shaking it to get rid of most of the rain on it, but not before taking the piece of paper out. That moment with Athena was... Awkward, to say the least. He gave a long, loud whistle, and his trusty feathery cohort instantly appeared at his shoulder.

"Hello Taka. I trust you have been well?" Simon asked his feathery companion, who screeched, in what Simon knew to be a 'yes'. He sat down on his black leather couch, and opened the folded piece of paper.

I do love you, Simon Blackquill.

"That's Athena's writing..." He noted, then the full meaning of the crumpled up note hit him like a bolt of lightning. His hand faltered, making Taka wonder why his master wasn't petting him anymore. Simon noted the use of his full name. She does not use my full name unless she is being deadly serious. So she does love me. Prosecutor Armando was right. So now I have to do it. I have to confess. But how? I suppose I should text her, that would be easiest. He took out his smartphone and pressed Athena's name in his contacts. He was about to type the first letter, but his hand faltered. She took the time to handwrite a message, why can't I? He looked in his cupboards for a piece of parchment, and ripped a section off to write on. Using a black quill he wrote a message to his best friend and lover.

"Taka, send this to Athena, if you please. You know where she lives." Simon commanded, and Taka flew off in a flurry of brown hawk feathers. The Twisted Samurai looked out of his large window, noticing for the first time the magnificence of the shining orb that was the moon.

Athena picked up her phone, thinking about what happened between her and Simon in the pouring rain. He didn't pulled away, so that must have meant something, right? She shook her head, trying to apply rational thinking to her rambling thoughts. No, why would he love me? I'm just a little girl to him. He won't be able to love me properly- he'll still see the little girl from eight years ago. She sighed softly, and picked up some streamers from the party. Suddenly Apollo and Phoenix appeared at either side of her.

"Sorry, Athena. Maybe I shouldn't have asked you such a personal question..." Apollo mumbled.

"And I think next time we'll leave the truth or dare game out, yeah?" Phoenix suggested, grinning. Athena shook her head, and took a deep breath.

"No, I was being stupid. That incident actually got me to think about it. So... Thanks, guys. Thank you." She responded, smiling at both of them, who smiled back. Suddenly there was a loud knock on the window, followed by many other loud knocks. Athena opened the curtains to find a very wet Taka. She quickly opened the window, letting the poor bird into the office. Taka dropped a piece of parchment into her hands, and took off into the pouring rain. Hm, why would Simon send me a piece of parchment? Wait... Parchment? Athena opened the folded piece of parchment to find something written in black ink. Parchment and black ink... Just how Harry Potter does this guy want to get? She closed the window and looked at the word properly. What she saw lifted her spirits dramatically, and Widget went bright green. She couldn't believe it, but it had to be true.

Likewise.

A/N- Here's my late Christmas gift to you all! I started this on Christmas Eve, it just took me forever to get it finished...

Well, how did this story go? It was my first ever stab at romance, so I don't know if it was any good or not. I just decided that I wanted to write a Cykesquill romance story, so I did it. It started off as Athena and Simon writing down their romantic wishes into a wish collection box, but I decided to scrap that idea, thinking 'Why on earth would Simon or Athena rifle through a wish collection box?' Athena wouldn't do it for the sake of wishes, and Simon just wouldn't be bothered. So this happened...

Sorry if you feel the story rambled on a bit when the games were occurring, I just had this urge to put them in. The pass the parcel thing didn't need to be in there, that was an urge. The truth or dare kinda needed to be in there, I think.

Plus, tell me if I used 'said' too much. I get stuck with other words sometimes...

Well, thanks for reading, and it'd be nice if you'd leave a review! Thanks!