Each chapter is going to feature a different couple. For this fic I'm trying to write unusual pairs, so if you have any suggestions please go ahead and share.

Simon Blackquill was usually an intimidating man. Partly this was due to inherent qualities that he couldn't much help: he was tall and muscular with bags under his eyes and a resting scowl, not to mention a former Death Row inmate. Then again, the man also very clearly cultivated his image, what with the hawk, fierce glares, wild hair, and very clear amusement whenever he scared his opponents in court. It suited his twisted sense of humor just fine, and even after the end of the Dark Age of the Law, he still didn't mind at all when people flinched away from him on the street. Plenty of people still hated him, but at this point he'd learned to let it roll off his back. As long as the people he cared about saw past his outer image, he was just fine with the public thinking whatever they wanted.

So, honestly, Klavier's idea for a couple's Halloween costume for the contest at Wright's party didn't embarrass him in the least. To the contrary – the thought of everyone else's reactions had him throwing his head back in a booming, shoulder-shaking laugh.

"I knew you'd like it," Klavier grinned back, twirling a comb around his fingers before setting it aside to begin twisting the hair draped over his shoulder. He had about seven different hair products sitting on the counter, and was currently adding careful little dabs of gel at strategic points. Normally, watching his morning beauty routine just kind of exhausted Simon by proxy, but today it filled him with a hysteric sort of anticipatory glee. All the more when Klavier added, with a sly wink, "Herr Forehead's going to love it too, ja?"

(Mildly tormenting the lawyer was a shared hobby of theirs. All the more since he so rarely was back in Japanifornia these days, and when he did visit Athena's body language took on a decidedly flirty tone. It was all in good fun though. Really.)

Admittedly, the preparation was more extensive than Simon had expected, but it wasn't such a surprise after all; he'd never known Klavier to give anything less than his best. He was obsessive about throwing his energy into every song, every court case – every time he kissed Simon, even, his attention was so completely focused, so devoted and utterly sincere. It was utterly disarming, every single time, gave him a sort of melting warm feeling in his chest, rendered him incapable of looking away. Of doing anything other than responding in kind. ...Sincerity meant a lot to Simon.

He didn't really mind any of it, then. The tailoring, the practice, even getting his ears pierced was really just a hassle to schedule so no one else noticed ahead of time. Klavier's clear glee at every step of the process was fine incentive to sit through it all, even if the prospect of the final result weren't enough. The day of the Wrights' Halloween party, his boyfriend spent more hours than Simon cared to ever think about on his hair alone, and then got to work on makeup just when he'd thought they were finally done. Still, he couldn't do much more than sigh fondly.

As Klavier knocked on the door it all came to a head, really – the sight of him in Simon's usual black and white, hair wild behind him, platform boots to make him taller and makeup darkening the skin beneath his eyes because he'd never heard of half-measures – and Taka perched on his shoulder with no qualms, something she'd only ever done with Athena before - it was overwhelming. That warm feeling came over him again, sinking deep into his bones, and he figured he might as well embrace his role tonight and give himself over to it completely and totally...

"Mein leibe," Simon whispered, and leaned over to kiss Klavier… only to be interrupted by none other than Apollo Justice opening the door.

"Hey guys, welcome i- oh my god," he said. Took a half-step back and blinked rapidly.

"Herr Forehead," Simon purred, leaning forward and pasting the flirtiest smile he had onto his face, "such a pleasure to see you again."

"Tha-ha-haaa – okay, that's actually kinda terrifying!" The attorney stepped back further, one hand clutching the cape of his vampire costume over his chest. "Good costume guys, please don't do that ever ag-"

"SILENCE! Quit jabbering and let us in," Klavier interrupted gruffly, flinging the straw from his lips to smack limply into Apollo's face (he hadn't quite mastered that bit), then strode confidently into the apartment. Simon followed after, really struggling to keep the grin on his face from becoming too wolfish. It was already a lost cause though, because Klavier looked back at him with such a sharp smirk to match. Winked.

God, he loved that man.

(They did indeed win the contest.)

...not gonna lie, I'd love to see art of Simon and Klavier dressed up as one another. Also, seriously, they have such a fun dynamic to write.