So, Clay and Klavier are about to meet and Apollo's already acting paranoid. Just wait until he actually has something to be paranoid about. Anyway, chapter ten.
Chapter Ten – Don't You Think It's Weird?
Apollo
I tried not to panic as I turned around to face my best friend who was understandably looking confused at me. Out of the corner of my eye, Gavin was giving me an amused grin, with a slight cock of the eyebrow. We were all silent for a moment.
"Th-This is Clay Terran," I stated at last. "He's the friend I was talking about. Clay, this is Klavier Gavin."
Clay's face lit up at this information. "Klavier Gavin?" he repeated. "As in Prosecutor Gavin? Oh my god! Apollo has told me so much about you!" I flinched as Gavin let out a laugh, shaking Clay's eager hand.
"All good things, I hope," he replied with a smile.
"Eh," was Clay's reply. My friend turned and gave me a look. "Jeez, Apollo," he started. "I know I told you to make up with the guy but I didn't think you'd-" I cut him off with an angry punch to the arm.
Gavin stared at me for a moment before turning back to Clay with a smile on his face.
"So, I have you to thank, do I?" he asked. "Well, danke. I would have hated to see my friendship with Apollo end after one little fight."
"It's ok, you don't have to pretend," I muttered to him, keeping my eyes on the floor. "Clay already knows about…us. Or at least about that night."
Clay nodded as Gavin frowned.
"So, are you two here on a date?" he asked with an all knowing grin. I flinched again.
"You can't tell anyone though," I ordered him. "Our reputations as lawyers are at stake here, so no one can know about us."
"Is that so?" Clay wondered. "Well, you always know that your secret is safe with me, Apollo. I will guard it with my life."
"Danke, Herr Terran," Gavin said, smiling once more. "Apollo is lucky to have you as his friend."
"I keep telling him that but he never believes me," Clay replied with a big, stupid grin.
I had to suppress a groan. "Well Clay," I said hurriedly. "I'm sure you have a lot of work to do now that you're in training and all that, so we won't keep you anymore. Besides, we really should be getting on."
"Actually, I've got an hour long break now," Clay replied, the stupid grin still on his face.
"He can come with us if he wants, Schatz," Gavin said. "We'll look more natural if there are three of us and I would like to know both you and your delightful friend better."
"Fine," I sighed. "But I have to warn you, Clay can be a bit…out there."
"I'm taking that as a compliment," Clay said. I couldn't help but roll my eyes as we began our walk through the museum once more.
Clay started acting like a tour guide, leading us through the museum with arms outstretched as he explained various aspects of the center with a smug note to his voice. Gavin watched him with an amused grin on his face.
"So, Herr Terran," Gavin said after a while. "Perhaps you can give me more insight into Apollo's frame of mind." My eyes widened as Clay turned to look at him curiously.
"What do you mean?" he wondered.
"He has given me very little about his own personal life," Gavin told him, glancing at me. "I didn't even know about you until just a moment ago. What I know of Apollo is mostly just his work life."
"I'm a private person," I muttered defensively.
"Well, I can try to help," Clay said, ignoring me. "But just be warned, I already have a list of things Apollo does and doesn't like me talking about when it comes to him. And I'll tell you right now, childhood is not something you're allowed to ask him about."
Gavin gave me a wide-eyed look and opened his mouth as if he was about to ask me why before he suddenly changed his mind. Instead, he turned and smiled gently at the two of us.
"So, how did the two of you meet?" he asked. "Or am I not allowed to know that?"
Clay and I exchanged glances before answering.
"We met in middle school," I said shortly.
"I had been crying because my mother had died," Clay explained with a small sigh. "Apollo came over and asked what was wrong. So I told him and we talked for hours about…you know…family and stuff like that. He taught me how to cheer myself up whenever I needed to and we've been friends ever since."
"That is a wonderful story," Gavin said with a smile on his face. I could see that he had caught Clay's hesitation, however, but for whatever reason he decided not to comment on it. "The darkest times are when you learn who your true friends are."
A strange, sad look passed through his eyes when he said this, but it was gone before I could even blink and the relaxed smile settled back onto his face.
Clay then started grilling Gavin about everything he could from when he decided to pick up music to why he was also a prosecutor to how he and I had first met (I had told Clay the tale of our first encounter, but he wanted to hear Gavin's side of the story). Gavin answered every one of his questions with the same calm patience that made me admire him in the first place.
I was a lot more relaxed than usual as it was nice to just walk beside them and listen to them talk. They seemed to be getting along well, which I guess was a good sign. It was better than one or both of them hating the other, at least. And I was more than content to just let Clay fill in my story for me.
We wandered around the Center for a good while until Clay suddenly had the bright idea to show the two of us the top secret mission they were working on. He led us to a quieter section of the Space Center; a place I had been to already once or twice. It was a section that was mostly for employees, though a few patrons mingled about here or there.
"Apollo and I came here so often when we were kids that we were kind of considered unofficial employees or family here," Clay explained as he led us even further. "Now I actually do work here, so it's even better."
He went over to a keyboard on the wall and punched in a long number, opening a door nearby. We walked down the long tunnel, gawking at the modern marvels of the Center before it opened up into a large room with a magnificent rocket in the middle. "HAT-2" was painted in bold, clear lettering on the side of the rocket.
"Wow," Gavin whistled, looking up at the structure. "That is amazing, Herr Terran."
"Isn't it though?" Clay said, excitement shining in his eyes. "If I can complete my training in time, I'll get to be one of the astronauts who rides this baby into space!"
"That's awesome, Clay," I said earnestly. He smiled back at me.
"Unfortunately, this is as close as we can get to the rocket," Clay explained, looking over at us. "But it's closer than what most people get to see at any rate. Only authorized personnel are allowed to actually get up and close."
"Amazing," Gavin said with a pleasant smile.
He was giving me a strange, lustful look as Clay turned back towards the rocket, sending a shiver through me. I could tell what was going through his mind at the moment and I tried to ignore him, instead focusing on whatever Clay was saying.
"Why doesn't it seem like there's anyone here?" I wondered, looking around.
"They're probably all on break or working somewhere else," Clay replied. "Speaking of which, I should be getting back to training soon." He glanced over at me. "Can you two get back on your own ok?"
"I think we can manage not to get lost," Gavin said before I could speak. Clay grinned.
"It was nice to meet you, Prosecutor Gavin," he told the prosecutor, taking him by the hand.
"Likewise, Herr Terran," Gavin replied. "It is good to see Herr Forehead have such a great friend such as yourself. The three of us must do this again sometime."
"Just as long as Apollo's not a paranoid grump the whole time," my dear old friend laughed, giving me a look. I glared at him.
"I'm not a paranoid grump," I growled. "I'm a private person."
Clay, instead of answering, just winked at me with a big, stupid grin on his face before turning and making his way back down the hall. Gavin watched him go and the moment my friend was out of sight, he was shoving me up against the wall and pressing his mouth to mine.
I made a note of surprise as he wrapped his arms around me, pressing every inch of himself against me. His tongue invaded my mouth and I felt my own arms automatically wrap around his shoulders as I kissed him back, which just seemed to excite him more.
"Your friend seems amazing, Schatz," he said, taking his tongue out just enough to speak.
"Yeah," I agreed with a gasp. "When you put the two of us together, we tend to balance each other out."
"I don't know why you tried to hide him from me," he said as he began kissing at my jaw. I didn't reply because I honestly didn't have an answer to that. Also, Klavier Gavin's mouth on my skin tended to make my brain explode.
"Gott, I've been wanting to get you alone since you made the idea of sneaking off to a quiet place to make out," he breathed, pressing his lips to my throat.
"That was your idea," I growled. My grip on him tightened as he pressed his lips harder against my neck. "Y-You're not going to try to have sex with me right here, are you?" I panted as I felt his hands run down my sides.
"Well, I was kind of hoping we could do it in one of these fine rockets," he said. There was only the barest hint in his voice that told me he was joking.
"I'm pretty sure that's illegal," I pointed out with a groan. He let out a defeated sigh.
"Fine," he said, though he continued to kiss all over my face and neck. I couldn't stop myself from letting out a sigh from his touch as I began to relax against his lips.
"Do you have a strategy ready for the trial on Monday?" I asked him, closing my eyes. "I know there haven't been a lot of clues to the case. Or at least, none that I have seen."
"Why yes, actually," he replied, straightening so he could look at me with a smile. "You see I-!" He suddenly froze and the smile dropped from his face to be replaced with a look of panic and uncertainty. I stared at him in surprise.
"Y-You what?" I asked him. He quickly averted his eyes and shook his head.
"I, um, just remembered," he started over. "I have the security tapes of the Arena in my car for you. The police are done looking them over, so you can have them now."
I let out a sigh of relief.
"It's about time," I muttered. "I'm going to have to look them over all day today and tomorrow if I want to have any chance in court." I leaned up to give him a light kiss before continuing. "But I thought Ema was going to give them to me."
"Well, she thinks I did something to make you mad at me and I haven't told her yet that we're 'friends' again," he explained with a grin. "She probably hopes that if I gave them to you myself, we would have to work through our differences."
"I didn't know she cared that much about you," I laughed, knowing how Ema constantly complained about the rock star prosecutor. "I'll have to keep an eye on the two of you. I don't want Ema of all people to be my competition."
He laughed before leaning forward and kissing me deeply.
"You don't have to worry about that, Schatz," he murmured when he finally pulled back. His eyes were sparkling with affection as he gazed at me. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say more, but couldn't bring himself to do it. "Besides," he said eventually. "I think she's only doing it so that I'll, in her words, 'Stop moping'."
"Yeah, that sounds like Ema," I replied.
"Indeed," he sighed. There was a pause, then- "So about having sex…"
"Seriously?" I hissed.
"I'm sorry, Schatz, I'm super horny right now," he said, a big stupid grin on his face. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at him.
"Fine," I sighed as he pressed his lips to the side of my neck. "But, please, not here. I could never do it in a public place like this. Especially when my best friend works here."
"Ok then," he replied. I could tell that he was enjoying this. "We can just have sex in my car then." I let out a groan.
"No," I said firmly. He pulled back to give me a pouting look.
"What if we were to drive somewhere secluded first?"
"No. Car. Sex."
He let out a defeated sigh, putting a hand over his heart as if he were wounded.
"Ah Schatz, you have beaten me," he said, trying to sound poetic. "I will take you back to my place and make sweet love to you for the rest of the day."
I opened my mouth to point out that I still had those security tapes to look over, but he was already leaning forward and kissing me deeply once more. It was then that I decided to give myself over to my desires and kissed him back just as fiercely.
I always had tomorrow to build my case anyways.
It's been over a month since I last posted a chapter, I realized. So I'm going to end this one here. I decided them actually looking over the tapes would be boring and I need some time to figure out what's going to be shown anyway.
Next chapter is going to be in Klavier's point of view and we're FINALLY going to start this damn trial! We're going to get to see Klavier and Apollo struggle to keep their relationship out of the court. Who knows how well that will go.
