A/N: OH MY GOSSHHHHH 14 followers, thank you so much! I can't ignore that, can I? So here you go! By all means, happy reading, cuz this is all you get for a while. Not that I hate you or anything, just that school is an asshole...
COMMENT REPLIES
AnkicaCicero: Thank you very much and you're welcome! :) I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.
Yin-Yang Yoh:I'm also glad it's becoming a thing, and I would love to see it become cannon, which it wont, because AA characters are so asexual it's ridiculous lol Thanks for the Review!
XellossLina:I agree this pairing needs more supporters! What's wrong with the fandom, it's so undeniably adorable it's cute (Ilovethemtheyaresocutetheyareperfecttheyshouldbetogetherjhksncksckzsj), I'm glad you enjoyed the fanfic and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well :)
mariogman25:I'm glad you liked this fic! I hope you like the continuity as well, and thanks for all the compliments, (aww stop it you), I'll make a joke about the DLC case as fast as I finish it, which will be soon.
MGM:Look, I deeply appreciate all your kind words and that you like the fanfic, but I beg of you...if you wont quit nagging about the DLC case and stop spoiling it to me I will be removing your reviews. I'm serious, I don't appreciate when you do that. You have been warned.
Now onto the gushiness!
Reactions
"You...you are what?" He asked again, wanting clarification of the paranoid qualms he feared must be true by now.
Athena dropped her gaze down, her shaking worse at his reaction she had expected to happen, yet not with such power.
"I-I...we're having a baby." She answered again, the words slipping off her tongue. Standing up, she reached for the cup she had prepared on a tea table, and held it out to him. He responded immediately by grabbing the cup on record time and took huge, suffocating gulps, and what was lack of from the shock, was the ability to taste anything at all. He just wanted to distract himself, wanting his brain to work, to regain rational thought of the news given to him, if only for a few seconds.
On short time, he had emptied it and wiped off himself on the sleeve. Athena took the cup from his hold, staring closely at him in mean time of the drinking.
"I thought you hated tea."
'...I was drinking tea?' "Then why were you giving me that?" Cold blood kept gushing in the circulation, and he had no idea why. This wasn't her fault, it was both their fault. He maybe had a small thought of a kid in the future, but not right after the marriage, lesser ever the entire concept of the pregnancy!
"I-I..I'm...I forgot until I saw you drink." She stuttered insecurely, trying a small smile.
'"I forgot", my foot.' He had not heart to respond, his legs frozen at place as the mind couldn't click into place and gather up the information. Now they just stood there, blinking, breathing, staring at each other, only thing heard in their trance was the ticks of the clock, that sounded so far away from each other, and to themselves, the sounds of their own beat-per-millisecond heartbeats, that was made out of their blossomed dread of how the other would react next.
Apollo decided he couldn't stand staring at her anxious eyes anymore and decided to break this. This was the most painful silence in his life. He just wanted, needed, something to break it. Anything. Be it a needle hitting the floor or the end of the world, for all he cared. Just any sound.
"I need to go." At that, Athena was about ready to give up Life itself at the fear of what might be behind those words.
"Wh-where?" She tripped, with lack of better words to say, and lack of comprehension from her spouse, as she never knew he could possess such isolation, not trying to unravel this mess together with her. They would sort this out together, wouldn't they? By the looks of his feels what she guessed was requiem, it didn't look like he wanted it that way. She hoped for a surprise, until her hopes died down with his monosyballic adverb.
"Out." With that, he grabbed the coat he had hoped to put down for the weekend. Soon a light slam was heard, Athena about ready to grab a pillow out of nowhere and scream her remorse into it, yelling and hollering at herself that it was all her fault she was losing Apollo.
"You were so eager to leave us behind, why this now?" Phoenix said, surprised at Apollo's choice of talking joint, Eldoon's, to discuss what he called was an "emergency", what could be an emergency in the calmest winter day in human memory? And the place choice was beyond him. Why not the office? When he asked Apollo he got a sensible explanation.
"I don't want Trucy to eavesdrop, she'll come at me like a missile and attack me with hugs. I've had enough of those for today..." There was no humor in his voice, and that truly concerned Phoenix to a high degree. But the reply had him raising his eyebrows in a confused manner.
"Why would she be hugging you? What is the real reason that you wanted to talk to me?" He asked sincerely, pointing at himself. Apollo was a person who kept his private life private, and he always tried to tell his boss as little as he could about it, why would he be insisting on that now?
"...let's just say that what you were sort of right today." Apollo began, letting Phoenix guess by himself, afraid of what sort of tone he could be using when breaking the news to his boss.
"About what? Punchlines?" He guessed with a grin. 'I don't think this is a time to be grinning.' That thought convinced him and his face turned serious.
"No...before that..." Apollo second-chanced him. The older man, with years of his lawyer experiences, clicked the last puzzle into place and figured out pretty quick what his apprentice might be trying to say. He smiled subtly, trying to put on a neutral face so not to move around any sensitive emotions in Apollo's chest. But he wanted it to be said out of Apollo's mouth, not from his. That didn't count.
"The truth about truth?" Phoenix blinked, trying his hardest to stay oblivious.
"...now you're too far back..." This game was beginning to make his strained muscles to relax, though not to his likes at all.
"Trucy being the cutest thing ever?"
"No, th- did you ever say that...?"
"That I'm the best boss ever?"
"Gosh darn it, Wright! No!" Apollo begged, sick of dealing with a laid-back lawyer legend, he really was not in the mood of humor right now. He tilted his head down and folded his hands over his head, feeling frustrated over his own mixed emotions.
He shut his eyes tight, trying to convince himself that normal to-be fathers were happy at occasions like these, not moping about thinking of 'what ifs' and the bad timing. He had wanted to take on harder cases with Athena, murder cases alike...as his wife. But now that wouldn't be happening, now when she was waiting the sign of their partnership and love, their mixed genes, a little bundle to hold, a heart-warming little baby scream...
To his surprise, these thoughts calmed him down, trying to persuade himself that maybe it was okay after all...it didn't work all the way though.
"Athena is pregnant. There, I said it. Happy?" Apollo said the first line in inhumane speed, Phoenix nearly not catching it.
"So I was right.", he turned his flashing grin Apollo's way, clearly seeing he did not appreciate the look. "Congratulations."
"Don't you sit there and congratulate me." He demanded halfheartedly, he wasn't sure what to think himself any more.
"Okay then...I guess...what a bummer...?"
Sigh.
"Not that either." He began, paused, then continued, "I don't know what response I want. 'Congratulations' sounds too optimistic, 'What a bummer' too pessimistic...I don't know how I should freaking respond when she says that to my face, with her own of trust?! 'Shucks'? It's like she's giving me the job to react for the both of us!" Apollo ranted with a loud tone, not caring about the bunch of eyes drawn their way.
"Well, then...how do you react to it?" Averting his eyes, Phoenix felt weird in the shoes of some sort of therapist. It was not his occupation, but he guessed he didn't need to tell Apollo that, so there must be a logical reason. He would ask later.
"I never had a chance to! I mean, how should I feel about it? I wouldn't mind a baby, but right now?! We just got married! I-It was just so sudden!" He paused to breathe, rambling on, "Furthermore, I have no idea how to be a father figure! My own died when I was little, and the little I know about him is that he was a performer, and my mother abandoned me! I don't know how to be a parent either way! How can I freaking take care of an infant?" He now clutched the wood of the bench, the knuckles whitening staring down at nothing with wide eyes. After moments of no response, he looked over at the older, who looked unexpectedly calm.
Unbeknownst to him, it was because he understood his situation, it was all reasonable reasons to be worrying. With that information gathered, he tried a different angle, to 'corner' him. He needed to understand another possible look at the situation, that would make him realize how he should feel and want to feel.
"Consider this, Apollo," He took the free mini-baguette from the stand,
"How do you think Athena feels?"
That hit like a tons of bricks in the chest. Apollo tried to consider his reasoning. Athena, Athena...how would Athena feel? Another brick hit him at further searching in his memory of what he might be aiming at. Didn't Athena have a mother? What was her name again...Metis? Of what he knew, she didn't have a father, and her mother Metis was murdered by the spy who also murdered his best friend, Clay. Well, she did know her mother, but at that point it seemed that she hadn't really cared about Athena, but just using her as a walking subject to her devices. Another valid point was that her mother was murdered such a long time ago, at her age of 11...by so far back, it would be understandable if the memories of her mother would be pretty obscured.
Why hadn't he thought of all this? Athena knew as much about parenting as he did! He felt so stupid.
"You see what I'm getting at, don't you?" Phoenix interrupted, ripping the bread into two pieces, a demonstrating gesture showing as Apollo trailed his dark eyes at his boss with bewilderment.
"With two not knowing, you'll be working together. You'll be discovering the wonders of parenting."
'Wow. That sounded so corny just now', Phoenix thought and forced his face to stay serious, though, he was close at any time to burst into laughter. Apollo's shoulders slumped, seeming not to care about the statement Phoenix ever regretted saying. He could have put it differently, but it was too late to change that now...
"You understand the reason I wanted to talk with you of all people, right?" Apollo cast light over his intentions, earning a teasing smile from the other.
"Because I'm personified wisdom?" He brimmed from ear to ear. He got an eyeroll back at him.
"No, because all of a sudden, you had someone to hold on to you."
"Tell me then who this person was." 'Say "Take that!" Say "Take That!" Phoenix thought eagerly.
"Trucy." Apollo answered flatly.
'Damn it'
"Yes, well, what about her? What's she got to do with anything?" Phoenix asked, taking a bite of the bread.
"She's got to do with a lot of this." Out of context, that line wouldn't make any sense, "You adopted her, which means you became her father, right?" Apollo hinted as to where he wanted to lead on. He never knew if Phoenix took the hint or not, or just choose to draw out the conversation a notch.
"Yeah, well, sort of." He refrained from asking the obvious, knowing Apollo would get there.
"How did you know how to take care of her?" He couldn't have put the question any better or clearer.
"Oh, believe me, that wasn't easy." Phoenix quickly added to the line not long after noticing Apollo's overstrained expression, "but as for you, it will be your biological child, so I think those father instincts will kick in the moment you see the little bundle. Or so I heard." It seemed to work a little judging from a long sigh of the younger attorney, embracing himself so to keep his body heat. The night was still young and the branches were dipped in masses of snow, the sky catching a light purple color with a shade of blue. Heavy snow flakes were falling from the purple infinity of above and softly landed on the already snow-capped ground. Apollo watched as one snow flake passed down beside him, recalling his thought earlier that day that he would be calling Athena a special snow flake.
"Thank you for your time, Mr. Wright." He prepared to leave, standing up, "I think it's about time I get home to Athena. I don't want her to think I'll be leaving her or anything." That said, he took off into the darkness, without another word. Phoenix just smiled contently as he tilted his head back to feel the fresh, cool air and look at the beautiful dark sky up there.
"I wish I had done better things in the youth, like you two, Apollo, Athena." He talked to himself, enjoying to silence, and the dim light circling around the stand and keeping it safe for those who were afraid of the dark,
"Just next time Apollo, so you wont have to go through this again," He gave off a cocky grin,
"Use protection."
Again, Apollo were home, but with determination to make up to all the mistaken signals she could be worrying sick about. The whole time he had been walking here, he had been pondering intently and then coming to a conclusion. Maybe he had no idea how it was to be a father, but he would never know unless he tried. Plus he just had to rely on Phoenix's words that the father instincts would be kicking in, he had to fully believe in his testimony. But really, there was no other choice but to. He wasn't alone either; Athena had no clue how to be a mother. All they could accomplish together so far was defending, was parenting really the same? No. Defending was about talking to people, accusing and showing evidence, parenting was about self-sacrificing, diaper-changing and feeding.
But as long as they worked together, they could do it. They weren't just partners in law, they were partners for life, including taking care of a baby. They were a great team, in and outside the courtroom. They would prove that to everyone and to themselves.
They were one; two halves. One flesh. United.
There was no stopping them. The color of their clothing had predicted their partnership before themselves knew it, that red and yellow makes orange. They could dress their baby in orange clothing...hey, that was actually not a bad idea! He felt in a better mood as he slid off his shoes and coat, ascending upstairs.
He opened the already ajar door wider and gasped lightly at the image.
Athena was reading a novel, wearing a snow white gown, looking like a mysterious ghost of beauty, the very short gown only reaching down to the beginning of her thighs. Her hair was put out, the orange silk locks hanging loosely over her shoulders and draped across her back, leaning her own frame against the headboard to get better light at the text of her book.
He blushed ever so faintly, clearing his throat to get her attention, turning her head to him emotionlessly, blinking with those blue, charming eyes. This, this is too much, come on, calm down now.
He sat down on the end of the bed, his back bent and opened and closed his mouth, repeating the motion a few times as he was trying to come out with the right words. He jumped a little next when he felt her arms embracing around his shoulders tightly, because he hadn't noticed the shaking of the bed as she had crept over. Holding on tightly, she closed her eyes and buried her face into the back of his neck, overjoyed and a little shaky with longing feeling his scent, on account that her paranoid thoughts had developed a nightmare scenario in her head that he had left her. She scolded herself now for even thinking something as ridiculous as that. Apollo was loyal always, even when it looked bad for him in court. Being an attorney was much about loyalty. The ability must have been pushed when asking for her hand in marriage. His personality was bulletproof from otherwise now.
"Thank...thank you for coming back." She shook, pushing herself tightlier against his back and breathing shakily. Sort of moved at her behaviour, he turned around to give her a bear hug, her head on his shoulder and her face having a look of surprise and relief.
"Why would I be leaving you? That's ridiculous. How much paranoia did you develop while I was gone?" It was heard in his voice that he was smiling, trying to make things light up and look better. He pulled back to get a good look of his wife, reaching up a hand to her cheek to caress it with his thumb in soothing circles.
"I promised you, didn't I? That we would be partners? That we can pull through everything together?" He assured, wiping away all the tears of relief she shed and saw her let them freely fall. Before they knew it, she was sobbing, sniffling, damning herself for even thinking any of that. 'How could I even doubt Apollo for a second? I'm such an idiot.'
"It's alright, Athena, I'm here. I'm not planning on leaving, ever." Now she held onto him the closest she could, burying her face into his chest leaving a soaked spot on his vest. He had just taken it from the laundry, but she could cry on it how much he wanted. She could be spilling all sorts of juices on it and he still wouldn't care. All because he loved her more than anything.
That's when he leaned in to kiss her. She gasped at the sudden press of lips on her own, yet it was so addicting. Everything about Apollo was so addicting, so much it could make her explode, both in mind and heart, the pumping of blood going faster it felt like it would spring out from her chest right then and there.
As gentle as only he could, he placed her softly down on the bed, him on top. They just lay there and looked at each other, and what he saw would be burnt, meant positively, into his mind forever. Her charming, infinite blue eyes that could tell and describe more than words could say, the dried tears down her cheeks, the proof if her reliance on their promise, the red blush at being willingly cornered, literally, like this.
Without asking for permission, she began to unbutton his vest slowly, wanting it off. In office, she would always want it off, but the self-control had been trained to stay, yet now seeing his warm gaze at her, she really needed him right now. He didn't seem to mind at any rate, allowing her to see all of him, being fair by allowing him to see all of her.
The time seemed to stop when he reached his hand up her night gown, placing his warm hand gently on her stomach. Now she was shaking again, a grown habit when being intimate. The feeling was coupled by his touch, but also that he was feeling after the baby, and she couldn't decide which to be more emotionally taken of, and shaken.
"We'll keep her." He whispered gently, tucking a bang behind her ear with his other hand.
"H-how...how do you know it's a girl...?" She asked, stuttering from all the different luscious sentiments, all made from a simple touch of his hand.
"Silly. 'Her' can describe someone you don't know the gender of. Simply because women are beautiful creatures. And you..." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek, "being the most wonderful of them all."
Soon Athena really thought her heart would rip out literally. It scared her.
Apollo had been noticing that she was going commando, but kept running his hand upwards towards one of her petite and toppy breasts and cupped it gently, forcing out a sharp gasp from her at the gesture, her as shaken as always at the move. Her hands flew up to her mouth as she blushed redder.
"Hah...be..be gentle...I-..." Another kiss silenced her, but it told as much that he would be fulfilling her wish. She succumbed, thinking that she would never get enough of him, she would always be thirsty after him, no matter how long they would be married. She was fully convinced that they would always stick together, through hard times and easy times.
The only strong force enough to rip them apart was themselves, but now it would never happen, and after Another night, they both were even more convinced than before that nothing would stop their partnership, neither in law or in marriage.
It was one bond to cherish, and never let go of.
A/N: Yo, I hope I didn't sound too corny or anything. I really try to make it romantic without all the cheesy, walking-on-clouds-flying-with-wings-talk. I think I did pretty well, but my opinion doesn't matter. Let me hear what you think.
As I said, the story wont just be a dance on roses. Things will look down for a while later on, but don't worry, they will stick together by the end. Also, I tried to make the ending of this chapter a little suggestive, but without too much Dirty talk, like mentioning the actual things and such. It's a turn-off in romance to me.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Now I'm off to study for my test I'm having tomorrow...
