I DO NOT OWN/HAVE CREATED THE CHARACTERS LISTED BELOW. (C) CAPCOM.

ApolloXVera

.:Freedom:.

Apollo wasn't much of an artist. Well, he wasn't much of anything when it came to the creative, right half of his brain. Even in kindergarten when they gave him simple projects to complete like those hand-traced turkeys or macaroni art, he was that one, annoying kid that kept having trouble with the glue. Or having trouble with the safety scissors. Or having trouble with the paints.

Even as an older adult, he would have serious trouble depicting a crime scene on a piece of paper or sketching out what a victim or perpetrator looked like.

Call it whatever you want, but Apollo thinks it's sad.

Really, really sad.

He didn't think much of it when shy Vera asked him if he wanted to take art lessons from her. She was, after all, a brilliant artist and a truly kind girl. Very sweet, very quiet. Apollo had agreed almost instantly, and she had blushed just as quickly.

She was an odd girl.

She had had no one to look after her after Apollo successfully proved Kristoph guilty of murdering her father and numerous others. Apollo offered his home, but it merely initiated a slew of colored cheeks and aside glances from Vera, so instead, he suggested Wright's household. Although he didn't really ask him beforehand, he figured that Wright would be kind enough to take her into his own home.

He was a nice enough guy. Sort of.

He had been going to Wright's place to check up on Vera often, and today was another one of their, probably unfruitful, art lessons…

Apollo had decided to leave his winter coat at home today. It was relatively warm out, and the snow was almost clean off the streets. The air still retained its briskness from the not-so-distant wintry past, and he felt his hair-gel stiffen from it.

A large, lumpy portfolio rested in his arms, and it nearly covered his whole face, as he carried it awkwardly down the street. Vera had given him a few techniques to work on. Simple object line-art, a bit of 3-D reality sketching… He didn't find much point in using such a big folder for the two pieces of 8 by 11 sheets of paper, but he abided by his art teachers passive, but urging requests.

A sudden, chilly breeze swept through the thin fabrics of his long-sleeved sweater, and he shivered intensely, quickening his pace.

Yeah, I probably should've worn a coat…

By the time he reached Wright's residence, his fingers and gelled hair were nearly frozen solid. Trucy gasped at the poor defense attorney's shivering figure, and she ushered him in quickly, treating him almost childishly,

"Gee, Apollo… Didn't you look at the weather forecast today? Your muscles look like their frozen in place!" She ran up the stairs to go fetch Vera, and Apollo was glad that she didn't demand a response, as she normally would.

He wouldn't have been able to respond. His facial muscles literally felt like they were frozen in place.

Vera's light footsteps tapped down the stairs, and she stood in the stairwell, analyzing Apollo gloomy disposition in a matter of seconds, "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I was just too stupid to bring a coat with me."

A small smile appeared on Vera's lips, and she sat down at the kitchen counter, next to him, "Are you sure you want to continue with our lesson then?"

"Well, sure. I mean, there's not much else I can do here." Apollo grinned sheepishly. The young woman blushed at the obvious answer that she had hoped to avoid.

"Let's prepare for the lesson, then." She replied quietly, rolling up her sleeves, and whipping out her drawing pad and a worn-down pencil.

Apollo fished out his weekly sketches and spread them out onto the table for her, awkwardly shuffling to the side in embarrassment of his work. Why couldn't he have spent maybe five more minutes on the lighting of the fruit bowl? He internally slapped himself on his giant forehead, shaking his head in pre-conceived disappointment.

Vera was thoughtful in her assessment of his week's work, perusing through the bland papers slowly and carefully. He watched her intently, groaning inwardly at every slight movement of possible dissatisfaction or disapproval. Her observant eyes caught a glimpse of his unsubtle frowns, and she gave him a half-smile.

"What's wrong, Apollo? They're very good." She patted them reassuringly, but the attorney didn't buy the compliment for a second.

He sighed, "You know they're terrible. I just can't get used to drawing anything. My hand freezes up on me, and I end up drawing blocky thingamabobs. Whatever these stupid things are." He waved a hand over his spread out drawings.

"It takes practice." The young woman replied simply, crossing her arms in front of her chest pensively.

"I'm a lost cause…" Apollo moaned, "I'll just save you the trouble of dealing with me and never ask for another art lesson again."

Vera frowned slightly, "What a thing to say, Mr. Justice! Are you giving up?"

Despite her quiet, passive tone of voice, Apollo felt the strong question knock the defeat right out of his system, dazing him for a few seconds. Her deep blue eyes flashed, waiting for his response.

His eyebrows knit together, "I'm not giving up! It's the truth!"

"Who are you to say what the truth is or isn't?"

"Well, it's my work isn't it? I know my good from my bad!"

"Art is meant to be interpreted in different ways. I find your art extremely enlightening as to what you feel internally towards any type of artistic expression. You're very reluctant to free yourself from the binds of reality. Art is a form of freedom. A form of complacency…" She clasped her hands together, smiling with a distant expression on her porcelain face.

"Oh, but there's still a good and a bad in art." Apollo firmly argued, refusing to take Vera's word for art.

"Are you questioning my credibility as an artist?" Vera's question flipped the tables on the argument. Apollo had never really argued with the soft-spoken woman, but he was beginning to regret the decision all at once.

He began to stutter, dropping his eyes to the scattered papers, "N-no, of course not! You're the-the teacher, after all. I'm just saying…"

"I know what you're saying Apollo, but doubting yourself is the very first flaw you've made in your art. And I can see it." She quietly told him, touching his shoulder lightly. He glanced over at her, and she instantly pulled her hand away, reddening a bit.

"You seem to doubt yourself…" Apollo wasn't able to finish his sentence, for Wright had ambled down the staircase, rather loudly, interrupting the two. A loud yawn echoed throughout the small apartment, and the young attorney made a face, as Phoenix walked through their room.

"Oh, hey kiddos. Sorry if I'm bothering you guys right now."

"Nah, it's fine."

"Is that a hint of sarcasm, Justice?" Wright asked, surprised at Apollo sudden, definite scowl.

"No…"

"Hm…" Wright shrugged it off, and whistled as he made his way to the kitchen for something to eat. Apollo rolled his eyes, and Vera silently giggled.

"I heard a bunch of yelling down here, too. What're you guys arguing about?" Phoenix called from the kitchen, rummaging around a nearby cupboard. Apollo glanced at Vera who seemed to stiffen up at the question, her voice clearly caught in her throat. The young attorney had nothing to say either. He scratched the top of head, smiling kind of sheepishly.

Phoenix threw a lazy look over his shoulder, "Hey, now why'd you both shut up so quickly? Excuse me if I was interrupting during a very intimate moment…"

"No, it's not like that!"

"He just came by for an art lesson!"

"Geez, we're not horny teenagers or anything!"

"We were arguing about something practical!"

"Yeah, super practical!"

They both sputtered out random phrases, some taken into minor offense by the other, but nonetheless, they bombarded the older man with transparent cover-ups.

Wright's eyes widened slightly at the noise, and he groaned, "Well! I'm sorry! Don't need to get all defensive on me! I won't push it." He pulled his beanie hat over his eyes and slid out of the room quickly, grumbling something about how unappreciative the two were.

Apollo and Vera glanced at each other quickly, both reddening fiercely.

Apollo chuckled uneasily, "Ah…so should we continue with the lesson?"

"Yes, of course!" Vera immediately responded, taking her hair up into a ponytail, brushing her bangs in front of her face to keep her gaze from looking directly into the attorney's eyes. She ripped out a large piece of blank paper from her notepad, and handed it to Apollo. He slid it in front of his seat, scratching the back of his neck a little uncomfortably. He was never really comfortable with drawing in front of somebody. He was too embarrassed to have someone see all the errors he made and all the stupid erasing he had to do.

Vera tapped his hand lightly, "What do you want to draw, Apollo?"

"Er, it doesn't really matter…"

"Please choose. You will provide the object, and we will both draw representations of what we believe the object is or looks like."

The young man felt his hair "horns" drop considerably in worry, "I…don't know about this exercise…" He murmured unhappily.

"It will help open up your drawing hand and your imaginative mind."

"No, I think it's just going to put a damper on my spirits and make me feel like a total dumba-" Apollo caught himself, "…uh, dumbhead."

A perfect smile flittered across Vera's lips, "Don't be so nervous. I am your teacher. I am only here to help you." She reassured him, handing him a pencil.

Apollo inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, trying to prepare for his drawing, "O-okay. We can draw a bird."

"Do you like birds?"

"Er-no, I hate them, actually." He smiled sheepishly, "But I'll try to challenge myself to draw something I absolutely detest."

Vera broke into a genuine smile, "Wonderful! Now you're getting into the mindset!"

Both "artists" began to sketch out their own interpretations of the winged creatures. Apollo would try to steal a glance or a peek at what Vera was drawing, but she was very secretive, unwilling to give him any sort of premonitions that would impair his free thinking. She scolded him lightly and continued her own work, scrunched in a corner of the room.

Apollo's tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth, in concentration, and although he knew absolutely no one was watching him, he felt the heat of judgment. His drawing took up only about five minutes, and he found himself nervously waiting for Vera to finish. She was furiously scrubbing her eraser across the paper, flicking bits and piece of the remainders off. Apollo stared in awe at her intense abilities, and he found himself drawn to her non-wavering gaze.

Despite her eyes being focused on the paper, the bright attorney was able to see the beauty in them. They were soft, but not dulled completely; they had a bit of an edge to them, almost unnoticeable, if looked at too quickly. It was an edge of motherliness, loyalty, cautiousness… Her irises being the most stunning portion of her clear-water eyes. A hint of regality, suggesting a royal blue color, but there was something deeper inside them.

Something that others never dared to touch upon.

Vera glanced up suddenly at Apollo, looking straight into his own sharp, brown eyes. He blushed instantly, apologizing for his hard stare. Vera turned an even brighter pink, and her bangs fell in front of her eyes again, as she awkwardly took a seat next to Apollo.

"Well, do you feel confident in your work?"

"Sort of, I guess."

"Okay, we'll reveal them on the count of three."

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three!"

The papers flipped over, and both of them were eagerly engrossed in the other person's drawing.

Apollo's had a rough edge to it. He tended to press down on the paper firmly with his pencil, and it was a little blocky…again... The sketch was still identifiable as a bird, but the beak was too pointy, the breast was too fat, the legs were too unrealistic, the eyes dull and vacant… Good grief, why did he only take five minutes on it? He was regretting the time spent drawing…again…

Vera's was just so perfect.

The feathers on the bird were delicately and intricately designed, every single feather having a slightly different look, giving the bird a realistic feel. Its eyes were a charming dark color with a glint to them, signifying the curiosity of the creature. It was leaning forward slightly, head cocked, legs bent, paying close attention to the beauty around it. Lightly shaded, but a definite sketch.

Probably to make him feel less intimidated, right?

Apollo glanced away, resting his cheek on his balled up fist. Vera's eyes slid to the side, watching his clear disappointment. She carefully pulled his hand away from his face, causing him to turn and for their eyes to lock in place.

"Why do you look so upset?"

"Because…well, just look at the obvious artistic difference!" He sighed exasperatedly.

Vera's eyebrows jumped, surprised, "What do you mean?"

"Look at how much feeling and emotion yours has! Every little detail perfectly executed. Perfectly!"

"No, I don't think so…" Her eyebrows knit together, "It's so very bland."

"Wh-what? But it looks just like a bird!"

"Realism is fake art. I can draw what's around me, but everybody can see a bird like that. Why recreate something that's already there? Realism is never perfect, and it's a futile attempt at something artistic." Her eyes were fiery, but her voice soft. She took her paper and crumpled it up, while Apollo watched in utter silence. Her shoulders shook, as she dumped it in the wastebasket. Her eyes were glassy, filled to the brim with hot tears that she refused to let fall.

Apollo touched her shoulder, "But recreating things is a unique talent. You have amazing talent."

"If only I could be as free as you when I draw. You have no bounds. You draw what you truly feel. This bird embodies your hatred for them; I can see the annoyance of it, yet the delicateness, as well." Vera stared longingly at the paper, and Apollo was shocked and thankful all at the same time.

She was being completely honest.

"We all want to be or want to have something that we don't. It's human nature." Apollo cracked a smile, "I guess you and I…we both aren't very thankful for our own gifts. You, your artistic ability, me…my freedom…?" He was a little unsure about his gift, but it was something along those lines.

"Yes, your ability to think out of the box. Your creativity. I envy it." She admitted, coloring a little.

"Ha, I bet my 'creativity' could rub off on you, if you rubbed by giant forehead." He grinned foolishly, running his fingers through his hair.

Vera smiled quietly, and she stood up, so she was at Apollo's level. She stood up on her tippy-toes and lightly pressed her lips to the attorney's forehead. Her lips were cool, but her cheeks were warm, as were his. She pulled away quickly, feeling almost shameful for her act. She chewed her lower lip, refusing to look up at Apollo, in fear that their eyes would meet.

The young attorney gently touched her under her chin, slowly bringing her gaze up to his waiting eyes. Her eyes were exploding with color, fear, excitement, nervousness… He kept looking deeper and deeper into her eyes, feeling a therapeutic wash over himself, Vera feeling the same way. Apollo felt a magnetic, tingling attraction to her, and he leaned closer and closer until the small gap between their lips closed up.

It was a stationary kiss, no movement whatsoever, but their hearts were racing, their minds were swimming, and their eyes finally closed. They didn't need to analyze anything at that moment. They innately understood their deep-set emotions. They mutually felt a bond that neither had ventured to construct. A ship setting sail for unfound horizons.

A relationship.

AN: Hey guys, I haven't updated in a while. :P Sorry about that! This little ApolloXVera oneshot is dedicated to a lovely reviewer by the name of "amethyst-tomboychan". You gave an absolutely wonderful review on the last chapter! It was more than just a request, you provided a little insight as to what you enjoyed and such. :) I love hearing what you all think about the chapter's structure/plot, even if you don't like the shipping.

I'm still accepting random shippings though! Some of you provided really funny ones that, I admit, I was unsure and nervous about, haha. :) Keep them coming though! I'll review this chapter's comments and choose another shipping to attempt! :D

Thanks so much for reading! Hope you're all doing well! (Pray for those in Japan and the Middle East)