WARNING: THESE NEXT THREE CHAPTERS CONTAIN MASSIVE SPIRIT OF JUSTICE SPOILERS! DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED!

THEPUDZ

PROMPT: APOLLO RETURNS. (KEEP IN MIND, THIS CHAPTER AND THE NEXT ONE ARE LINKED.)

It had been two exact years since he left. Two of the most bitter years of Athena's life.

Client after client rolled in. Athena took the case, did some investigating, went up against a prosecutor and won the case. That's all her life was for the past two years. Trucy and Phoenix could only watch as Athena's smile slowly disappeared over time. Maybe it was because of Blackquill? After all, most cases have him constantly poking fun at the fact Athena is inexperienced. But Phoenix and Trucy knew what the real reason for Athena's negative mood.

Apollo staying in Khura'in.

Athena put on the big smile and tried to be her outgoing self initially after the first tears on the flight back home after they left Apollo. She tried to fill in his spot, she tried to be him, but slowly, ever so slowly, her happiness went down. Now she was cut down this. Sitting on the couch of her apartment, her laptop on her legs, another episode of Doctor Who playing. The happy or funny moments didn't make Athena smile or laugh, and the down and depressing moments didn't make Athena melt down into a blubbering mess.

She just… Sat there. Expressionless. Not changing whatsoever. And there was a reason for that.

She always used to watch this show with Apollo.

Doctor Who nights were a thing two years ago. When there were no clients or anything, Athena invited Apollo over to her apartment, snuggled up in one blanket together with a bowl of popcorn and just binged watch the fascinating show. A funny moment happened, Athena and Apollo laughed together. A sad moment happened, Athena specifically remembered this happening when watching the episode Doomsday, and Athena would cuddle up to Apollo, bury her face into his chest and cry her eyes out, and he'd awkwardly try to comfort him.

She loved the man. Loved him. But then he abandoned her, left her alone to fix the legal system. He promised he'd return, but after two years, she was starting to think that was an empty promise to keep her hopes up.

The bastard.

Athena checked the time, and she was surprised to see it was one in the morning. Late nights were common thing to her now, she cried herself to sleep the year after he left, and now she just stayed up because she couldn't sleep. Athena shut her laptop down, and she couldn't really be bothered to get up and walk to her bedroom, so she just laid on her couch and closed her eyes, letting sleep overtake her. Just as she was about to fall asleep, a knock on the door sounded.

What the hell? Who knocks on someone's door at this hour? … Is it Trucy? Goddammit, I told her I'm fine! I don't need any more comforting! Reluctantly, Athena got up, going over to the door and getting ready to give the twenty year old a little piece of her mind.

"Trucy, I'm fine. Can you…" Athena opened the door, and she completely froze.

The man on the other side had those damn two horns for hair, but he also seemed to have grown a bit of a stubble beard. He seemed pack a bit more muscle than the last time Athena saw him and his eyes looked sharper, but Athena knew who that man was immediately.

"A… Apollo?"

"Hey, Tiger. Been a while, huh?" Apollo smiled. Athena stared at the man for some time; it seemed like hours when it was really just a few seconds. Apollo stretched out his arms for a hug in order to comfort the girl.

Athena's first emotion, however, was pure anger. She snarled at the man, before attempting to slam the door on him. Apollo quickly stopped the door mid-swing. "W-whoa! Athena, are you alright?"

"What do you think?" Athena said bitterly, before turning around to go to her room. "I'll talk with you tomorrow, I really haven't got the energy to deal with you right now."

Apollo sort of expected this reaction. He stepped into the apartment just as some rain started to pick up from the outside. He closed the apartment door, the only sounds being the thundering rain and the angry footsteps of Athena.

"Athena, let's talk this out-"

"Tomorrow. You can wait that long, right? After all, I waited two years for you." Athena snapped. Apollo felt a sting at those words, but he crossed his arms.

"Athena, I understand how you're feeling-"

"Oh, you understand?!" Athena finally turned around to face Apollo, tears welling up in her eyes. Apollo prepared for the lecture.

"Well, if you understood so much, why didn't you come back?!" Athena yelled. Apollo closed his arms, sighing before trying to speak to the orange haired girl.

"I had a lot of business in Khura'in. I wanted-"

"Apollo, do you know what I've gone through?!" Athena screamed. "Every day since you left, I've suffered. I tried to cover it up, but I feel so empty and alone in the office! I take a case and sometimes ask you a question when you're not there! I barely even smile anymore, Apollo! I have never felt so betrayed in my entire life! I cried myself to sleep, I needed therapy, and I went through depression, Apollo! Just because you thought you were some big shot lawyer who had to restore a country and thought about his reputation over his friends! I held your hand when you were scared, Apollo!"

Tears were streaming down Athena's cheeks, her lips wobbled and she had such a desperate look in her eyes. "Where were you to hold my hand when I was alone?"

Apollo took every single word of that, his arms remaining crossed and his face in a straight, serious expression. Athena was leaning towards him, the tears not seeming to stop and her eyes bulging out of her head. "I bet you never even cared about me when you were Khura'in. I bet you never even thought about me!"

"That's a lie!" Apollo shouted, startling Athena. She stepped back slightly, grabbing her wrist. Apollo glared at the orange haired woman. "Every single second, every single day, every single week, all I thought about was you. Yeah I had to think about Trucy, Mr. Wright and the agency and everything, but never, never did you escape my mind. You were always stored there, Athena. In fact, many women in Khura'in confessed their love to me. They wanted to date me or kiss me, and I turned every single one down, because I had that one person who really mattered to me in my mind, and that was you!"

Athena was taken aback by these words, her throat dried up. She wanted to say something, indicate some sort of sign that those words meant the world to her, but she couldn't. "Goddammit, Athena, I love you! I understand if you don't return those feelings, I understand if you hate me, but for god's sake, I'd be lying to myself if I said I didn't love you! Athena Cykes, I love you more than anything in this goddamn world!"

Then silence came. The rain was the only sound, battering against the hard roof of Athena's apartment. They just stared at each other, both of them having tears in their eyes. Apollo and Athena just… Stared at each other for five minutes. Athena let go of her wrist, the tears finally drying up. She stepped towards Apollo, and he fully expected a slap or some form of punishment. Instead, Athena could only hoarsely whisper three words.

"… Goddammit, come here."

That's when Athena cupped Apollo's cheek in her hand, before mashing her lips against Apollo's. Apollo was surprised, to the say the least, and Athena quickly broke the kiss. "Apollo… I love you, too. I've loved you for so long, now… But I could never tell you. I missed you so damn much. Please, promise me you'll never leave again."

Athena had her arms wrapped around Apollo's neck. She stared up at the man, a pleading look in her eyes. Apollo's eyes rendered some sort of emotion Athena had never seen before.

Then, Apollo wrapped one arm around her waist, another around her back, and lifted her up, before quickly placing her on the couch back-first. He laid on top of her, her knees on the sides of his hip. She was surprised for a bit, and Apollo thought he had seriously overstepped some boundaries.

"Athena… I promise I'll never abandon you again."

Soon after those words, Widget displayed a green emotion and Athena smiled up at the man. She kept both arms wrapped around her neck, and he felt his hands buried under her back and waist. "I love you, Apollo Justice."

Then, she lowered Apollo's head to hers, and mashed her lips against his yet again. This time he returned the kiss fully, tasting the softness and warmth of her divine lips.

And as the rain picked up, and the moonlight beamed into the window, Apollo and Athena kissed, and they couldn't feel happier.